Trees Don't Lie

It took them an hour to trek through the forest undergrowth before they reached the clearing where they now found themselves.

The going had been hard but they finally made it. Inspector Anson was relieved that they got to where Teegee had said they needed to get to, but even now it occurred to him that he still did not know what this trip was about and why they had to walk to this clearing in the first place.

If Anson had been with anyone other than Teegee the two of them would not be where they presently stood with this degree of uncertainty in the policeman’s mind. Anson would have insisted on being told the full details where they were going, what they were doing, and why they were doing it before he would agree to even leave his office at the station, but he was not with anyone else, he was with Teegee.

When Anson was promoted and transferred to his present position a year ago, the Chief Superintendent had personally contacted him to tell him a few things he should know about his new posting. The senior officer had said to Anson that Teegee was an elder of his band and an authority in all things to do with spiritual questions concerning his band and reservation and the area where the reservation was located. Therefore, Anson had to pay special heed to whatever Teegee had to say on all things to do with anything to do with “religious” or “spiritual” or “cultural matters” in the district.

Anson had initially baulked at hearing what the superintendent had to say because he was a ‘hard-nosed’, ‘no nonsense’ peace officer from the city and he was an atheist to boot. To listen to, as well as to follow the lead of some old shaman was not in Anson’s nature and he said as much to his boss when he heard this. However, the standing instruction he had been given was non-negotiable and he had to accept what he had been told if he wanted to stay in his posting.

So, Anson took up his new job, weary whenever he had to come into contact with Teegee in the course of his working day. His standoff attitude was evident and about a month after he initially met Teegee, the old man asked Anson, “you don’t feel comfortable dealing with me and my concerns about spiritual matters, do you?”

Confronted and left with no wriggle room open to him, Anson had to admit he didn’t like dealing things he could not use, see, or detect with any of his own senses.

Teegee thought about this for a moment and then asked what did Anson believe?

“Gravity”, was Anson’s curt reply, “I only believe only what I can see work in this world."

Their conversation ended there, and ever since that day the two of them kept a respectful distance from each other, aware of the distance between them in the way they saw the world.

That remain the case until earlier today when Teegee came to the station and insisted Anson accompany him to this clearing in the forest without giving the policeman a full explanation as to what their trek through the wilderness would be about.

Anson had reluctantly put on his boots and followed the old man out of a sense of duty, and in compliance with what his superior had told him a year ago. Nevertheless, after the difficult journey he had just undergone, Anson was getting impatient and wanted answers as to what this was all about.

“So, what am I supposed to be looking at?” Anson asked in a tone of voice that exposed his growing impatience.

“The clearing in front of us looks just like another clearing in this forest, doesn’t it?”

Anson nodded.

“Well, if you look at it with the physical eyes of men that’s what you see. But, in the spirit realm this clearing is something else. Something totally different.”

“So, what is it?” Anson asked, and right away regretted doing so because he knew he would have to check his response to whatever Teegee would say to his question out of politeness.

“It’s an opening to a pathway to another world.”

“What do you mean by that?”

“There are certain places in the world at which with the proper sacrifices made and incantations spoken out loud, and at certain times, can lead to pathways being opened to another world for beings to pass through.”

Anson thought to himself, ‘whatever the old guy is smoking it can’t be legal.’

Teegee saw the look on Anson’s face and added, “the existence of places like this are well known all over the world and in many cultures. For example, when I was a kid and I had to go to a Christian church in the reservation the nuns told us about the story of Jacob’s ladder in the bible.”

Anson snapped and said, “you have got to be kidding me! You dragged me all the way out here because of stories from the bible or folktales? We live in the real world and I’m a police officer, so I only deal in crimes and questions that give rise to ‘probable cause’. What possible evidence do you have of these ceremonies or sacrifices that you’re talking about?”

“The evidence of sacrifices that have been made here are buried next to where you’re standing,” replied Teegee in a quiet voice, “the oldest sacrifices that were made are buried starting over there, and the latest ones are here next to where your right foot is.”

What Teegee said stopped Anson dead in his tracks and he looked down at a spot near his feet where the old man was pointing.

“There’s a pair of dead monkeys buried about a foot from where you are standing.”

“Monkeys?!”

“Yes, I know. I was amazed as well when I dug down there and found the remains of two monkeys buried about three feet down,” Teegee said with a look of sadness in his eyes, “from what I could see, they young monkeys. One male and one female. Killed about one month ago. No doubt after the last ceremony.”

“But…where the hell did the monkeys come from?”

“I don’t know…perhaps from pet importers in the big city but there’s no doubt about it, they were monkeys both with fractures in their skulls.”

“And you said there were two of them?”

“Yes, each set of sacrifices that I found on this site were in pairs. One of each sex…I don’t know why but there were two sets of animal remains buried from over there to where we are standing now. I was here all day yesterday and I dug up each set of remains and photographed them before reburial of each set of sacrifice.”

Teegee then took out his phone and showed Anson the pictures he took the day before.

“Why…what’s the point of all this?” Anson asked, “this is sick…why would anyone do this?”

At this question, Teegee looked away from his companion and he set his eyes towards a large flat stone in the middle of the clearing.

“As I said, this spot is special…it’s been recognized as a portal by my people since the earliest times, and so we keep a watch as to what goes on in this area just in case something like this takes place.”

“Like sacrifices? What else do you and people from your reservation look out for?”

“Disturbances…unrest in the spirit world in this area that shows that someone is trying to open the portal,” Teegee turned to Anson and gave an ironic smile,” disturbances that trouble the trees and are spread all over the forest like a bad music in the wind.”

Anson was an experienced cop and he had encountered over the years many strange situations, but this was nothing like what he had even come across. However, even with everything he had seen already he was still unconvinced this was more than just nonsensical “hocus pocus.”

“Why are there sacrifices here? What’s the point?”

“The passageway between worlds is usually blocked, it is the natural order of things, and so things have to be done to induce the spirits that control the passageway to open it,” Teegee pointed his finger towards where he said the monkeys had been buried, “the animals sacrificed are an inducement for those malevolent entities to draw closer and closer to opening the passageway.”

“But why one sacrifice of each sex?”

Teegee shook his head, “I don’t know but I know whoever is making the sacrifices are making a new set of sacrifices at the start of every new moon…and one more thing…the sacrifices are advancing up the natural order with every new moon.”

Anson looked puzzled and so Teegee added, “starting over there were two rabbits, then two foxes, followed by cayotes and then the two monkeys…the sacrifices are moving up nature’s pecking order.”

Anson thought for a moment then asked, “how do you know all this? Have you been up here looking at these ceremonies and sacrifices to know that’s what going on here?”

“No”, Teegee answered, “the truth of what’s been happening here has been witnessed by the trees and their testimony can’t be questioned…so I have no doubts in my mind that what I’ve told you is true.”

Anson burst out laughing, and for several moments Anson could say nothing in response to what Teegee just said.

Finally, Anson managed to say,” for a moment you had me going…the trees…the trees are your witnesses?! Really?”

Teegee was about to say something but Anson waved him off and turned away to start his walk back to his car.

As they walked back the way they came, Teegee made several other attempts to engage Anson again but to no avail. Anson was no longer interested regardless of what he had been told before about listening to the old man.

Finally, they got back to where they had parked their cars. Once they got to their cars Anson was able to use the radio in his squad car and for the first time in hours was able to get into contact with his station.

As the two men stood next to their vehicles, Anson got into contact with his station and it was Constable Harris who answered Anson’s call.

“Inspector Anson where have you been? We’ve been trying to contact you for the last two hours.”

Teegee could see Anson frowning when he heard Harris, and he asked what was so urgent.

“We have received reports that a baby boy had just been kidnapped from the hospital, so Sargent Hill and all available officers are down at the hospital now…. we’ve been trying to get hold of you and…”

Anson cut Harris off and turned to Teegee. He was about to ask something but then appeared to change his mind and turned back to the radio.

“Harris has there been any other babies kidnapped or taken from anywhere in the county?”

There was a moment of silence, then Harris said in a confused voice, “no…only one baby has been taken from the hospital…or any place else in the county.”

There followed a few more seconds of silence followed by Harris saying, “but there was a baby taken from the next county a few hours ago…a baby girl from her grandparent’s home…how did you know?”

“Never mind, just tell Superintendent Howe that I am on my way back to the station and I urgently need the Crown Prosecutor to join us when we meet.”

Anson signed off and the two men’s eyes locked for a moment.

“What about ‘probable cause’? How will you justify taking the word of trees over what I said happened?

Anson was expressionless when he replied, “trees might not lie…but then again, I’m not a tree,” before he got in his car and started his drive back to the station.