Chapter 13 - Friend of the Plants
The truth had a bitter aftertaste. The haste of the moment sped past the application of logic, unused it patiently awaiting to find me alone to inject a heavy dose. Tiny flames of Lee’s creation gathered like an army to ignite resentment to the long awaited climax.
Carmine’s trajectory shot opposite of my thoughts, shooting off into the eye of the sun through some selfish endeavor. I felt the decision slipping away from me to chip away at the version of herself that I had manifested, replacing the seductive alley cat for an empty room.
All of this indecision demanded action. The vast voyage back lay low on my wish list, the bubble of different emotions worked hard to bust my state of mind that searched for a release. My memory drew a blank on when the last time my lips tasted the botanics of gin.
The timeline surely absent of Lee, her and her lovely motivating eyes. I thought it understandable by my current party members that in this moment I deserved a drink. Even the cold Bastard known as Alastor might even provide me with a nod of approval in such a circumstance.
A chill ran down my nervous system, acknowledging that Sev’s most likely illuminated as the most suitable, sure fire place to catch an evening cocktail. I hadn't returned back since that fateful moment of discovery. There had to be an alternative, one that removed the scare factor of what initially came to mind.
My foot steps marched towards the distant hillside that lay dormant in the afternoon fog. The same outlook that parted the tree line prior. The direction doubled as my way back, as well as however guilty my next stop would become.
Carmine and I’s detour through the cat tails had me taking a slightly different path back, including a dense cluster of evergreens. An erie mist lay tangled through the bark that reached for heights achieved over decades of time. I passed stories of growth, leading me to an out of place clearing, signifying a touch of man-made influence.
Stopping at the assumed center, two perfectly straight lines of aged trees flanked a small gravel path. Closer to the path, a smaller row of trees lined each side, all with a shimmering piece of jewelry wrapped around each adolescent sprout. I stalled to inspect the phenomena, choosing the left most youngling to provide clarity.
To my surprise the center pendent dangling from the necklace did not resemble a pine cone, but instead a silver moth. Holding the discovery, a presence was felt from within. A voice entered the frame.
UNKNOWN: Care to try it on? I’d wager that you’d feel something fierce.”
The miniature insect left my palm as I stood up to meet the soft spoken prompt. A middle aged man with a thick beard and a pub hat, wearing cozy attire stood a few feet from me.
ATMOS: I didn’t hear you come, I apologize if I’m trespassing, I saw no signs.
UNKNOWN: Laddy it’s quite alright. Please try on the necklace, I make them myself.
ATMOS: I’m actually wearing one already, a special one. Special to someone else I should say.
UNKNOWN: Now that has to be the most interesting thing I’ve heard in a while. Please come sit, take a load off, I’ve just completed steeping a delicious pot of tea.
ATMOS: I really must be on my way, I didn’t catch your name.
UNKNOWN: I never gave it my boy. Name’s Corbin, friend of the plants they say.
ATMOS: Well Corbin, you have a well landscaped slice of heaven here, but I’m in sort of a rush to get back to where I came from.
CORBIN: I’m not going to tell you your business but if you fancy a drink, this tea of mine surely is the best option.
Corbin winked as he awaited my rebuttal. I had just been given an out towards a destructive evening, one I would be wise to take. I had to make sure Corbin’s intentions were honest, but with the Sunshine Dreamers not expecting me back until tomorrow morning, I decided to greet fate.
ATMOS: Corbin, let’s have that drink.
A contagious laugh bellowed into the landscape.
CORBIN: You’ll have to tell me all about this special necklace of yours. Come, come.
Slowly the two of us traveled down the well manicured pathway to a small cottage hidden originally from view. An active chimney indicated that something hot was in our future. Walking behind the stone cottage revealed a circular fire pit with four log benches. Corbin walked inside as he smiled and motioned for me to pick a seat.
I chose the least mossy stump and starred at the pit of fresh embers. The door of the cottage burst open with Corbin’s arms full of trinkets.
CORBIN: Ah yes, a good stump to have chosen. Have a preference for yer mug?
Corbin stretched out his left hand that had the choice of material for either wood or what appeared to be iron. I grabbed the wooden chalice out of his jumble, hoping to aid in his carrying capacity.
CORBIN: Spot on choice, made that cup with these aged mitts of mine I did.
Corbin sat down as he threw two logs within the empty fire pit. With only the kettle left in his arsenal, he poured my cup and his full of a steamy newness. He placed the kettle down and tossed a lit match into the pit, an immediate flame ensued.
CORBIN: Magic.
He snarled barking out a well bodied laugh with.
CORBIN: Or just logs soaked in kerosene.
His laughter continued.
CORBIN: Well now, cheers stranger, you were just about to tell me about this necklace of yours.
ATMOS: I suppose I could start with my name, it’s Atmos.
CORBIN: Atmos, Atmos the Atlas. Now tell me a tale.
ATMOS: Corbin, why are there necklaces around your trees and why do your necklaces have moths on them?
CORBIN: Because I care Atmos. I care about all of my plants. Let me take a guess, your special necklace has a pine cone on it.
ATMOS: It does indeed, a golden pine cone.
CORBIN: A common pendent one would say, what makes it so special for you?
ATMOS: Someone I am quite fond of gave it to me. It was their fathers. He was somewhat of a legend around these parts.
CORBIN: What parts are those my boy? I’d say my parts aren’t your parts.
ATMOS: The Deep Pines.
CORBIN: Ah. All of the parts then. Only legend for the whole area was the one they called Lee.
ATMOS: This necklace and Lee’s necklace are one in the same.
CORBIN: Well now this I have to lay eyes on, would you mind if I take a look at it?
I hesitated to reach out and remove the safe guard around my neck, fear preyed on the moment.
CORBIN: Afraid of the ghosts that’ll come out when you take it off? Fear not boy, I have a story most pleasing to tell you.
CORBIN: Before you and I had our own story, this forest first had its. An eventful one it was, written about in books as old as time. Yee see, nature in this neck of woods adapted, the evergreen monoliths that surround us are something of a phenomena. Their soaked roots have been fed for centuries the nectar of an unexplained sweetness. To the eye they are indistinguishable from those grown without such a chemical imbalance. But alas, just because these slick devils lay dormant most of their lives doesn’t mean that every now and again they’ll let you know what lies within.
Laddy, I can hand you stories told before my mamma had me in diapers, but there happens to be one much more relevant one that you and yours truly are living in. This forest of ours has it’s own kind of oil. You see those rascals at NightLight have been trying to sniff out what makes the forest here so special for some time now. Reckon its why they started in the first darn place. They even employed the most experienced diver in all of these parts, the one you know as Lee, to scrub the lower surface to find out why. Problem is they set off a chain reaction, one we’ve been stuck in. One locals know as Forgotten Friday.
Yes yes, it’s all coming back to me now. It was right about the time that poor old Lee lost his wife, orphaned that poor kid of his. The forest it changed, reacted to whatever they were messing around with below, some sort of defense measure I always assumed. These clever trees haven’t stopped reacting since. This salty business of a strange mist in the air started an arms race to find a cure, soon the search for clarity outweighed any desire to understand the forest. NightLight came up with the pine cones, and a sole few of us native to these parts found a more natural solution, the moth pendant.
Now let me tell you why an aged soul such as mine is so interested in that necklace of yers. Ol’ Lee was a crafty one, before he left his contract with NightLight, he stole the prototype necklace, prior to any replication of it. The bastards had to start from scratch because of it. Caused Lee a streak of bad luck as they say, but that necklace. Reckon it’s supposed to be different somehow. Lee never shared what all it could do, but I remember hearing that it was fear that made him steal it. Now I’ve been patient Laddy, let me see this artifact.”
I had been sipping the tea kindly bestowed to me earlier as I listened to Corbon’s tale. I thought of his request and the level of trust I would assign to our situation. Hospitality didn’t always equate to having one borrow the shirt off of your back, knowing that you would get it back. My mind wandered to Lee, my Lee, noting the responsibility required of me to keep her relic safe.
ATMOS: Corbin I tell you what, would you mind if I kept the necklace on while you lay eyes on it. We might have to get too close for comfort but it’ll keep my thoughts at bay that say you aren’t who you say you are.
A large chuckle blubbered out of him.
CORBIN: Werks for me my boy. Hard it is to find the answer for who we are.
I reached my hand underneath the necking of my shirt and extended slowly the polite pine cone pendant. Corbon’s hand found the necklace, his face frozen with study.
CORBIN: Mhm, mhm, mhm. You know this necklace of your is special for a different reason.
His laughter was so loud this time that the trees around us shook.
CORBIN: This aint the necklace from my story Laddy, but I know it well.
He pointed to a scribbled inscription at the bottom, illegible from years of wear.
CORBIN: Thems my initials, I made this particular necklace for Lee’s daughter, Bonnie.
In unison, every molecule of my genetic make up gasped.
ATMOS: You knew her?
CORBIN: Long ago Laddy, long ago. I appreciate yee showing me that, I do. Means somehow that she is still doing okay after all that’s happened. Outta tell you though that it is a mere toy, holds no power over the forest. Lee wanted that, for Bonnie, to breathe in the mist, learn how to live with it, said she’d grow stronger one day if she did. But alas she knew the stories and wanted a special necklace of her own. Reckon I knew Lee at the time and dabbled in metal work from time to time. Our paths crossing like this, you and I, matches what they speak of the word fate.
I understand yer position, but I just want you to know that you could take the pendant off and feel no difference. Sorry to break it to you, sincerely.”
ATMOS: I don’t believe you. Lee, I mean Bonnie, she wouldn’t have deceived me like that.
CORBIN: Reckon she might not know herself.
ATMOS: Corbin, we’re going down a road where it’s getting harder and harder to trust what you say.
CORBIN: Tis a shame, it is. Must have said a lot of news tonight. Well, I know the curtain call. I’ll let you be. We can try again in the morning.
ATMOS: I’m afraid I should be going, I need to get back to my people. To…..Bonnie.
CORBIN: Wouldn’t recommend it at this hour, the real ghosts come out at night in these parts. I’ll keep the fire going and grab you a blanket. You got the best seat in the house. Reckon I’ve slept next to these coals many times. Just do me one favor Laddy. Take good care of Bonnie when you get back to wherever you came from, she deserves it.
ATMOS: Is there a bed hidden somewhere I can’t see?
CORBIN: Ahahaha. Good one my boy. G’night.
ATMOS: Goodnight Corbin.
CORBIN: Sleep well Atmos, reckon yer almost at yer epilogue.
I was unsure if Corbon had been joking about many things, the bed, nightly ghosts, Lee’s necklace. Her true name hadn’t sunk in yet. The sun was beginning to set, bringing an increased difficulty with traveling back. If I slept now, I could get up right at sunrise.
Corbin scurred back into his cabin, leaving me and my thoughts to the open air.
Reality was becoming a riddle, fraying again around its polite border. I would need to abandon my trusted history of thoughts, forcing myself to forget as they stretched their watch awaiting my return.
Out of the knapsack of knowledge that Corbon had dowsed our small campfire with, fear stood tall within the distance. I was at risk of an unwelcome but wanted visitor, a disproven miracle of desire that knew where I hid my flaws. Carmine proved to be a mirror, my own shadow soaked in the sun of the past. I had enough reason to hold back the falling hillside of self analysis until I completed my affairs with the others. Lee’s real name was Bonnie, it felt foreign but somehow suited her. When the time came I would let me choose what name to call her, the existence of such conversation would rope old Corbon into our lives momentarily, for better or worse.
The low lit flames of the campfire escaped the confines of the small rock pile in an unpredicted manner, describing the current turbidity in my head. I noticed a few red moths circling the campfire in search of meaning, their presence bringing an odd but familiar comfort in the moment. I would ask Bonnie Lee about the necklace, hoping the potential news wouldn’t shatter her perspective as if she was a child. Too many unattended thoughts for one night. I would force darkness and turn the clock towards sunrise. Towards a day filled with purpose and discovery.