Freddie and the Goopy People

Prompts: Write about a character who notices something others cannot — or refuse to — see. Include the line “You’re imagining things” or “You’re lying” in your story.

Freddie and the Goopy People

Looking far back in my life as a little guy of eight, my mama would constantly say “Freddie, you are my gift from the heavenly clouds above.” If it was a way to keep my behavior in check it worked. I really tried to be good for mama. I really believed I could do nothing to upset her and as the expression goes, “I didn’t want to push the envelope.” Over time I actually began to question whether my mama was actually my mama, or did I really come from those clouds? I actually thought I had an answer to that question when something really weird happened to me.

It began one day while I was enjoying the rain outside. Mama granted me permission to tramp around in the puddles outside as long as I was wearing my boots. I was in my element. I loved splashing. I loved squishing mud with my boots. Naturally, I would come into the house full of goop on myself. My mama was such a good sport about my somewhat messy appearance. She’d help me clean up while I was telling her about my adventures playing in the puddles and the large grated drain outside the front of our house.

Mama would say after my escapades,

“Freddie, you are one handsome crust of goop! I am eager to listen to your adventures. Here’s some hot coffee with marshmallows to get you settled in.”

“Yeah, that’s right. Coffee, not hot chocolate. Believe it or not the caffeine in the coffee actually helped me to unwind. I was a kid with ADHD so I seemed to be energized 24/7. Mama always knew what was best for me. My teachers on the other hand thought I was a dreamer. My head was always in the clouds.”

So torrential rains fell once more the following day. I donned my boots for another rainy-day adventure. I was excited to see what mystery of the pouring rain had for me. Plastic stretch wrap could not protect me any better than the yellow hat and topcoat I was wearing. I was ready to splash, squish and ooze mud like a mad little boy.

Before I left, mama said to me with a large smile, “Be careful out there my darling little angel. Beware of the sludge beasts, muck monsters, and mud devils. You never know when or where they will come out of hiding. But since you are so special and full of heavenly powers, God has His eyes on you.”

I knew mama didn’t really believe in mud creatures. Nonetheless, those words of encouragement made me feel like I was a superhero from heaven. Off I went to trudge through the mucky muck of rain coming down sideways with the winds howling and blowing at a gazillion miles per hour. To this day, I wondered why my mama would allow me to venture out? I suspected she knew whatever I would encounter I could handle it like the superhero she knew I had become. Thanks, mama, I think.

WOW! I hunkered down to walk a few feet to the end of the driveway. Wave after wave of water spilled over from the curb covering the tops of my boots. I think if my mama knew how bad it was, I don’t think she would have let me go outside. But she did and here I am. There were no longer distinguishing individual rain drops. Instead, the sky literally was pouring buckets down from the clouds. Needless to say, I remained undaunted in my quest to sling mud at the creatures of the iron grate drain. It was a drain everyone seemed to avoid, except me. The iron rod grate with its small openings made it impenetrable. Rain water from everywhere flowed into it. Its shape reminded me like the jaws of a fierce, hungry dragon. I hoped one day I would actually confront one of those mud devils.

I ventured out onto the street which was now like a fast-flowing stream. A rush of water twice my size (remember I am an eight-year-old), swamped me under its foamy, chilly arms. I barely had time to catch a breath before the uncaring arms of water unleashed its fury. WOW! That was spectacular! I remained a bit unsteady as I headed toward the drain, or actually floated toward the drain. I gave up control to the rushing waves. I was destined to see which monsters were lurking inside, especially since the water was draining furiously into it. I feared, however, being smashed into the grate. Now here is where the story really begins. I can almost hear my family say you’re imagining things and my buddies saying you’re lying.

Swoosh, swoosh! Gurgle, gurgle!

I felt my body actually become spongey and doughy as another rush of water pulled me through the iron grate into the belly of the drain. My insides felt gushy. My bones felt soft like undercooked chicken bones. The river of water carried me deep into the drain where I finally came to rest on a huge pile of goop. Immediately, my body reformed itself.

I felt dazed but not afraid. The drain sewer was large enough for an average person to stand. I felt anxious and unsettled but ready to explore and meet new creatures, friend or foe. There was a presence close to me and I felt my every move was being watched. To my surprise, as I surveyed my surroundings, I caught glimpses of eyes peering through different piles of goop. Some of the piles were small and some were quite large. Each had a distinctive set of what looked like googly eyes. I blurted out to a pile of goop nearby,

“Show yourself. I am not afraid of you even if you are a mud monster. I am prepared to do battle with you.”

The pile of goop nearby had opened its eyes widely in astonishment.

“I will defend myself from your nasty ways. Come out of that pile of goop, you beast.”

There was a stirring of the goop.

Slup, slosh, slurp. Slup, slosh, slurp.

A short pile appeared in front of me dripping and oozing goop.

“What are you? Who are you? Do you have a name? Where did you come from? “

I said hardly believing my eyes! The goop blob rustled as though it were trying to shake itself free from the sticky mucilage.

A squeaky voice said, “I am Mushface. I live here. You are not like us. You wear the goop like us but you are not like us. Are you from the air above? We will not harm you. Tell us why you are here?”

“My name is Freddie. I live in the air above. I was carried by the raging waters through the iron grate to explore this dark world of water.”

Mushface’s voice lilted with surprise. “So, you passed through the iron crosspatch portal? No being like yourself has ever been able to get past the portal and still retain their form. Anyone who passed voluntarily or not failed. Their remains continued down the water channel deep into the center of nowhere. Nothing has ever returned. Only the fiery beast has ever come out. We hide ourselves from it so we are not taken down the black waters of the Shuddering River with the creature.”

I looked at Mushface asking, “Were you created or born here? Tell me do you have a father and mother? Why are you called Mushface?”

“I can only tell you what I know from others like me who have shared their stories. Those that now live in the goop had ancestors that lived in the air where you came. All of us were born like you from one male and one female at the beginning of time. But since the banishment, we procreate amongst the remaining folk living in the goop.”

Mushface continued.

“It happened one day the Sanctimites , who consider themselves to be the wisest and most venerated ruling tribe of all the followers in the land of the air issued a decree. They deemed us unlovable, unwanted, unholy, and unworthy to exist with them in the same places because of our defects. So for a while we lived separately from the Sanctimites. Our physical bodies were so different and ugly to them we were easily seen. But they despised us even more as our people grew in number, wisdom and wealth. “

Mushface continued on.

“The Sanctimites knew that all people of the air feared the iron crosspatch gate that closed off the Shuddering River. It is where the fiery beast dwells at the very end of it. They devised a plan to offer us up as a sacrifice to the horrible beast. They camouflaged the portal as a gateway to become transformed and beautified into handsome, loveable beings. But instead our lot was mercilessly cast through the iron crosspatch portal. The gate dissected and dismembered many of our ancestors. Survivors were misshapen and disfigured even more when passing through the gate. Those of us who lost most of our faces are called Mushface. Others who lost their moving appendages are called Mushmangle. Those who could not take refuge in the goop became the subjects of the fiery Beast. We still can hear the wailing and gnashing of their teeth.”

I was riveted by what Mushface said. I asked, “why do you still live here hiding in the goop? Certainly, the air people will accept you now? Times have changed from a long time ago,”

A few other goopy covered beings revealed themselves to listen what I was saying.

A Mushmangle slopped forward.

“We thought time had healed old wounds too. Unfortunately, it had not. The air people are even more cruel. They saw us as being invisible. If we made any visible presence or contact to the people of the air shunned us. They called us unclean. They thought we were harbingers of pestilence, disease, and wretchedness. Our home from that time has been hiding in the goop of the iron gate portal. We are the goopy people.”

I was deeply saddened to hear about their mistreatment and hatred from the air people. I just could not understand why? They are like us! No, they are us. Their bodies have been ravaged and tortured by people in my community. The Sanctimites are actually us.

I lamented a prayer I learned from Sunday school.

“O Lord, hear your people as they cry out to You for help. You rescue us from all our troubles.” (1) “Jesus, You alone my rock and salvation, my fortress where I will not be shaken.” (2)

Boom! Kablam! A loud sizzling, along with louder wailing and gnashing of teeth.

Mushmangle, in a terrified voice said,

“The beast has been deeply disturbed. He is awake and I fear he is going on the prowl.”

I asked, “Where will the beast go?”

“He comes to the portal gate. It is always to feast. On us!”

“Oh Mushmangle, I am sorry. I think the beast heard my voice when I prayed. But I thought hiding in the goop protected all of you?”

In a disheartened voice, Mushmangle said, “The Beast burns away the goop to reveal its prey. Then there are horrendous crunching sounds and gulping noises. Any other survivors the beast sees and can handle in its claws go down to his lair at the rivers end. I hear the wailing and gnashing of teeth.”

I asked, “What can we do? How can I help?”

“Nothing has stopped the beast. There is nothing. Absolutely nothing!”

“Wait! I will stop the beast! I will offer myself up as its meal hoping its hunger will be satisfied.”

Mushface countered saying, “Freddie you are a mere morsel to the beast. Your intentions are commendable, however. Just say the words you had spoken to use earlier. It brought me comfort.”

“Yes, Mushface I will say those words. Unfortunately, they agitated the beast. But wait! Evil is repelled by the goodness of God. The words of the Lord save. The Lord says, “Don’t be afraid, for I am with you, Don’t be discouraged, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you. I will hold you up with my victorious right hand. See, all your angry enemies lie there, confused and humiliated. Anyone who opposes you will die and come to nothing. For I hold you by your right hand— I, the LORD your God. And I say to you, don’t be afraid. I am here to help you. (3)

As soon as I had said this there was a turbulence in the depths of the drain.

Rumble, rumble, smash, boom, kablam.

Suddenly a gush of water pushed me to the iron grate. A large scaly snout was up against my chest. It spoke to me. Its breath smelled sulphury like from matchsticks. It reeked of decaying dead things.

“So, you are Freddie. I know about you from my other serpent forms. They tried and failed to make you into a little sushi. Now it’s my turn to make a snack out of you and your dirt buddies. I think I’ll toast you medium rare, heh, heh.”

I suppose I should have been scared, but I wasn’t. His snout was right on top of my nose. His beady, yellowish bloody eyes locked with mine. I belted out,

“You evil reptile! The God of peace will soon crush you (Satan) under (my) feet. May the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with You.” (4)

The heat in the drain ratcheted up a huge knot. The beast was puffing up like a dirigible. It bellowed out,

“Freddie, you have not seen the last of me.”

Kaboom!

The beast that once was, was not. In its explosive wake there remained a tiny frog. I was going to step on it, but Jesus already did that through His death and resurrection. It hopped back into the river and plopped all the way down to its end (of the river, I think).

Meanwhile all the eyes of the goopy people witnessed the encounter. They shouted out in jubilation exclaiming,

“Freddie’s God has saved us! Praise to the Lord Jesus Christ now and forever!”

Incredibly the river swelled up engulfing the goopy people (and a little bit of me). When the water receded, the goopy people were no longer goopy people. Their feebleness, deformities, and imperfections were washed away with the river waters. They were healed.

And that water is a picture of baptism, which now saves you, not by removing dirt from your body, but as a response to God from[a] a clean conscience. It is effective because of the resurrection of Jesus Christ. (5)

Then I heard a voice from above.

“Freddie, Freddie are you okay? My heavenly angel boy did you get hurt? When I saw the torrential rain, I had to come and get you. I saw you slip sliding away. I suspected you might end up at the drain grid. My silly boy did you defeat any mud devils?”

I looked at her and smiled. “Mama, I love you so much, but on today’s adventure you couldn’t handle the truth.”

We both laughed for different reasons.

-END-

(1) Based on Psalm 34:17, New Living Translation (NLT)

(2) Based on Psalm 62:6, NLT

(3) Isaiah 41: 10-11, 13, NLT

(4) Romans 16: 20, NLT

(5) 1 Peter 3: 21, NLT

Author: Pete Gautchier

Acknowledgement: Reedsyprompts.com