Six Souls For Turkey

 

The Desolate Trek

It was a cold morning as the two friends walked along the lonely path. The wind was fierce and you could see them shaking from the cold. There were a few puddles on the road, but they paid them no mind as they trudged through the path.

The world is not kind; hunger and starvation have invaded the land. It was a bitter and brutal world and no one trusted each other, but the two friends were beyond that—they practically lived for each other. That morning as they walked, the one at the back couldn't hold his curiosity anymore, and so he asked, "Nicolas, where are you taking me to?"

Nicolas could only grunt a reply that his friend couldn't hear.

"Hey Nick, I'm talking to you."

"Just calm down," Nick said, stopping on the path and turning to face his friend.

"Why would I calm down? I'm dying of hunger and I'm using my last strength to follow you."

"Don't worry, Elias, this will make your day fruitful."

"Only a full belly will make my day fruitful," Elias said as his stomach rumbled.

"Hey, calm that tank you call a stomach before it wakes the dead," Nicolas said, looking around.

"Cut it, Nick. Where are you taking me to?"

"Well, don't be alarmed, we will soon be there."

"We have been walking for about seven hours now, Nick."

"I know, just be patient."

"Only those who are patient are dying of hunger. Don't tell me that, Nick; the world is not what it used to be."

"You don't have to say that," Nicolas said. "The evidence is glaring to the naked eyes."

Legends of the Paradise

"So why so secretive?" Elias asked him.

"Well you know, the world used to be a Paradise, so says the history."

"I don't give a two-fart about history, man. I don't live in the past, I live in the present. And besides, I grew up—or rather, I was born—seeing the world dying," Elias said vehemently with spittle flying from his mouth. He groaned as he watched his spittle splatter on the cold floor of the bushy path and lamented about losing part of his energy.

"Well, the world was cursed by a powerful witch or demon. It starts so: about some thousand years ago, the world was a Paradise and bounties were everywhere. You could just move along a path like this and be seeing lots of foods and goods all along the way. It was said everything a man needed he just had to wish it or visualize it and it would appear. There was no currency. The world was a great place, and if you needed a house, you wished it and it would be as you wanted."

At this, Elias frowned and shook his head with a curse. He reasoned his friend was stupid again; he dreamed of a past he had never been in, and now that they lived in a rundown tree, he wondered why such stories always entered his friend's mind. "Will you cut it out?" he snarled.

"Just hear me out. So everyone had everything and everyone was progressing. The land was green and full of games and other living things, but then something happened. No one knows what really happened, but it was recorded that on that day, there was a great rumbling in the sky above, and then a great battle was fought with fire, wind, and all manner of magical destruction taking place. Those below could only watch as the bodies of so many gods were thrown down dead."

"Served them right," Elias said. "They put us in this mess."

The Fallen Goddess

"So, one of the gods who was thrown down was not quite dead," Nicolas said, ignoring his friend's dark tone.

"If I was there, I could have put her out of her misery," Elias said.

"Well, she was badly wounded and she thought she was still in the sky above fighting, and so she cursed the land, not knowing it was Earth she was on. And so the land has been cursed since then."

"Everyone knows this story, Nick. Stop fooling around and tell me why you dragged me out."

"I was told a place exists that the curse doesn't affect," Nicolas said with a triumphant grin.

At this, Elias perked up. "Are you sure, Nick?"

"Of course I'm sure. That is why we are going to the place."

"You mean to say there would be food and other stuff all free for the taking?" Elias asked him.

"Yeah, if my information is right."

"Who was your informant?" Elias asked him.

Nicolas knew if he told Elias about his informant, his friend would turn back and never be convinced, so he just shrugged his shoulders and said, "It is a secret." Everyone knew that old man with the sniffing nose would say anything for any scrap of food given to him.

"What is the price?"

The Silent Boundary

"What price?" Nicolas asked him, frowning. "We need to keep moving, man."

"There is always a price to pay," Elias said.

"I know nothing about a price, just that this part of earth is Paradise. The damn fool of a goddess never cursed it."

"Sure, lead the way."

And so they kept walking, and very soon, Elias could swore the area they entered became silent and he heard a little chime, with the air hissing. He couldn't hear the cries of insects again and the few birds that he had been tracking hungrily weren't there. He could feel the warmness and he turned back to look behind him but froze as his friend Nicolas stopped him from turning.

"I would not do that if I were you; I was told never to turn back after taking three steps."

"And you never cared to share that information with me?" Elias asked him.

"Sorry, I forgot."

"Is that a roasted turkey I'm seeing?" Elias asked, moving forward with a kind of madness in his eyes.

"Slow down, man, you can't just go about eating stuff."

"You said it was a Paradise, and that everything is free for the taking."

"I said it used to be a damn Paradise before the earth was cursed, but here—" he shook his head, baffled. "I thought it was a joke."

"And you took me for the ride if it was a joke?" Elias asked angrily.

"Aren't you glad I brought you? Look around, there is food everywhere."

"Not till I have had my fill."

"And you will have more; just go ahead and cut a slice from the turkey."

The Guardian of the Grove

As he moved a few meters, the air grew warmer and a voice said, "Not so fast, buddies."

They both froze, looking around until they saw a transparent figure standing in a tree of dense shrub, blending with the green grass.

"Who are you?"

"You trespass on my land and you are asking who am I?"

"We never meant to trespass; we were told to come here."

"We? You seem to be decent folk," the figure said, grinning. And they could see rows of sharp teeth; he had a normal human appearance, but when he smiled, his teeth looked like they were sharper than a blade and pointed to boot.

"We're good and peaceful folk," Nicolas said. "We are just here for the food."

"It is my food, so you need permission to take from me."

"We're sorry. Can we have some?"

"Sure, you can on one condition."

"And what is the condition?" Elias asked; he had known there would be a price to pay.

"Bring six people before three days, or else I will have you for dinner."

"Just six people?"

"Yes," the figure said with a glint in its eyes.