The Girl that Wandered

Susie lagged behind her parents and wished to be invisible. What she suspected had begun the night before was in full force this morning. She’d first noticed when her parents had given lukewarm kisses before bed. She’d become concerned when she saw nothing pass between them during the rest of the evening, no words, not even a look. The hotel room was tight quarters and Susie couldn’t escape the discord if she tried.

“Susie, catch up!” Her mother gestured with a stern hand.

They were touring a national park, the second in under a week, and Susie felt disheartened, disinterested and just dissed in general. She didn’t like being around touristy strangers, but she didn’t view her parents as much of an option.

“Susie!”

Sleeping in strange beds didn’t help and the heat was suffocating. Susie made a show of picking up her feet and waved a weak imitation of compliance.

“Coming.”

As her mother turned her attention back to the sunny park guide, Susie caught sudden movement out of the corner of her eye.

She allowed the herd of vacationers to walk around her as she tried to focus on what had grabbed her attention.

“Susan Elizabeth!”

“I have to tie my shoe! I’ll catch up!”

“Do it quickly then!”

Susie ran to the side, bent over her shoelaces, then checked to be sure no one was watching. She snuck behind a large rock and saw what she had suspected, a black cat’s tail. It swished a bit and then disappeared. Susie followed. This was the most excitement she’d had in weeks.

She followed the cat, jet black from what she could see, through rocks, bushes and eventually to a grove of trees. Susie hesitated before venturing into the shadowy cove. Was there a path?

“Me-ow.”

Susie saw a face peek out from behind one of the trees further into the grove.

“There you are!”

Susie took a step forward. The cat jumped onto a moss-covered tree stump and stared at Susie. This was a young cat with a white diamond on its forehead and huge lemon-colored eyes.

“Me-oww?”

“Haha – well, now if you insist!”

By the time Susie caught up to the cat, she was so enchanted by the feline, she didn’t stop to think she had no idea where she was.

“You may pet me, if you’d like.”

Susie froze.

“Who was that?” Susie whispered, afraid to move.

“Who do you think?”

Susie stared into the cat’s face.

“You? But you’re a cat. Aren’t you?

“More gifted than the average perhaps, but yes. And you catch on quicker than most, little girl.I’ve had them scream, run into trees, trip over themselves trying to get away, even throw things at me as though speech translates into some evil intent.”

Susie relaxed as initial shock gave way to deep fascination.She felt powerfully drawn to this magical creature.

“Well, look at you! You’re beautiful! What’s your name then?”

“Why, how kind of you to say! I am Laertes. And you?”

“My name is Su . . . did you say Laertes? Well, now, that’s what I call a name. And how, if I’m not being too forward, did you learn to talk?”

“Spell. What I mean to say is by a spell put on me by my mistress witch. I have a witch.”

“Oh! Is she a good witch or . . .”

“She’s a witch. Period. Come, I’ll introduce you. And I do like your name. Is it Sioux as in the Native American? They’ll be so pleased. Medicine People are well revered where I come from, you know.”

“Oh, no, I didn’t.”

Susie decided not to correct her new friend.Sioux, she thought, was a pretty cool name. She might like to keep it.

She followed Laertes as well as she could. He would stop on occasion and allow her to catch up.He was very patient and accommodating for a cat, thought Susie, surprising that he even cared that she should follow. Good thing, too, considering she’d be lost otherwise.

They came to a clearing in the woods.

“Wait here, Sioux. I’ll be right back.”

With that, Laertes darted behind a bamboo wall.

Susie took the time to take in her surroundings. There were various seating areas made of polished stone and bright green stumps topped with exotic flowers sprouting from wooden vases and bowls. The walkways were made up of colorful pebbles lined with white rock on either side. More lichen and moss formed a carpet that led to bamboo partitions that separated several huts and ladders that rose to meet tree houses with wooden balconies and skywalks.

In the center of the grounds was a pond where Susie could see orange and yellow fish darting about. At the edges there were dragonflies hovering and toads perched on rocks, throats bobbing and eyes blinking.

“Why, Laertes, you didn’t tell me how pretty our visitor is.”

Susie turned to face a striking young woman with dark features, covered in flowing silk with brilliant swirls of green, blue and black.

Susie tried to curtsy, something she’d never done before and couldn’t be sure she’d done correctly.

“Hello. My name is Sus . . . Sioux.”

“And what charm you possess for one so young! I commend you, my dear. It is obvious to me that you are a soul far beyond your years, and there is great purpose that awaits you.”

Susie almost giggled but held her restraint. Clearing her throat, she asked the exotic creature beaming before her a question.

“May I ask, what is this place? It’s unlike anything I’ve ever seen before.”

”Oh, and you won’t find it with a compass or on any map, I assure you. But please forgive me, where are my manners? My name is Lamia and this is my retreat. This place has had many names over the years but today it is Hidey Haven. My home is just over there.”

“It’s lovely. The pond is especially beautiful.”

“Why, thank you, my dear. You are most kind and I, on the other hand, have left my manners somewhat out of reach today. Do forgive me, once again. Would you like some tea, a cool beverage perhaps?”

“Oh, I would die for a soda.”

Something in the way Susie answered Lamia’s invitation sparked a subtle shift in the witch’s demeanor. What had initially greeted Susie as an attractive, well-mannered hostess was transformed, for only an instant, into a grotesque grimacing daemon. Before the image could take hold in Susie’s consciousness, it receded deep inside and the other Lamia was back.

“Please, come with me. I think I have just the thing.”

* * *

Lamia’s home was a place Susie had only read about in books. It was quaint, comfortable. Chairs and sofa had cushions that reached out and embraced their occupants. There was a cozy fireplace, windows laced with golden curtains and greenery everywhere, both hanging and potted. Susie noted an enticing smoky cinnamon spice in the air.

She never wanted to leave.

“Please, my dear, sit. I believe this will be to your liking.”

There, on a wooden tray was a small pitcher of amber liquid with sugar crystals that adorned the rim. The frosted glasses had the same treatment and there was a plate of sweets for two.

“This looks wonderful!”

Lamia filled their glasses. “Let’s not stand on ceremony. Please.”

Laertes sat nearby, watching.

Lamia began to speak as she witnessed her young guest drink from her glass and then bend forward to inspect the sweet array before her.

“Laertes, your skills have vastly improved over the centuries. She is perfect for our purposes this evening. It’s never been a simple task to impress the fellowship, but I think tonight we are all in for a very special treat.”

“How many are coming?

“So far as I can see, all of them. It’s good we planned for 31 because it appears we’ll have a full house. How many cages are prepared?”

“One for each, and an extra for our new guest.”

“Better get a move on then. They’ll be here soon.”

Susie didn’t take in a word of this. She enjoyed her “soda” to the last drop and, after savoring two buttery finger tarts, found herself blissfully sedated. She allowed herself to be fully enveloped by the cushiony pillow she sank back into. She drifted.

* * *

By the time Susie slowly emerged from her sublime stupor, it was dark outside. She felt suspended and slowly pieced together her predicament. She was in a wooden cage affixed to a branch that was part of the row of treehouses she had spied upon her arrival. There were cages strung in long lines on both sides of her, empty.

When she looked down, Susie saw a large long wooden table set with vials of various colorful liquids, mounds of crystals twinkling in the ample candlelight and painted pottery that held various plant life and herbs. At the head of the table was a podium that supported a giant antique leather-bound book.

“Are you comfortable in there?”

“Laertes! What is all this?”

“I wanted to talk to you before the sedatives wear off. I wanted to tell you that I enjoyed meeting you and I’m sorry.”

“Sorry? I’m not. I’d like us to be friends. I want to stay here with you.”

Laertes stared at the girl.

“You don’t know what you’re saying.”

“You don’t understand. No one understands me. I can’t talk to anyone my age and my parents only pretend to put up with me. You’re the first real friend I’ve ever had.”

“I must leave now. And it is really Susie, isn’t it?”

Susie giggled.

“And I’ve been thinking of you as Larry this whole time!”

Laertes’ mouth opened in surprise.

“I, I have to go.”

“Will I see you again?”

You might not want to, Laertes thought, as he scampered away.

* * *

Lamia was putting finishing touches on her features. She had removed the mask and beheld the face that reflected her true self.

She’d been stealing children for centuries to replace the ones taken from her when Hera discovered they were her husband’s offspring. It was Zeus’ vengeful wife that had kept Lamia’s eyes from being able to close, lest sleep lessen the gnawing grief and the void she attempted to fill with her treasured captives.

She had managed to put them all to practical use. Children, over many centuries, had provided the oil in the lamps, the skins for her drapes, bedspreads and clothing, the nourishment for her table. The evil within had replaced her once captivating beauty with the ghoulish features of a monster. Her body had become serpentine and tonight she would come as she was.

“This one’s too bright for you, you know."

“What is that noise? My guests are due any minute. Do not disturb me.”

“I’m too bright for you, too, for this.”

“Silence! Do not test me, cat! I made you what you are and, if you’re not careful, I will turn you back into the mangy runt you were when you first came to me. You can be replaced by any number of feral toms, do not forget!”

Laertes easily dodged the witch’s brush that ricocheted off the wall, then disappeared.

* * *

“Bright blessings, Annis! You never age, do you! And, judging by those magnificent skins around your waist, time and children continue to be good to you.”

“Merry meet! Oh, you exaggerate, Lamia, but I never mind it when you do. You, as always, are pungent perfection.”

“I believe everyone’s here. Look at the favors everyone brought.”

“Delightful!”

Above their heads, each cage now contained tiny hostages from around the world. None make a sound.

“Who’s Master of Ceremonies this year, Annis?”

The American, Boogeyman. Must be odd having the same label we all bear in one form or another as your given name. Ah, well, he is one of our best. Let’s see what he has for us this year.”

Lamia’s table was crowded with the world’s finest boogey-people. This was a gathering of the timeless monsters of legend parents counted upon to keep their children obedient and well-behaved.

Boogeyman rose to address the group.

“Come to order! We have important matters to discuss. Bright blessings all around! And our special thanks to Lamia, who has generously offered her splendid retreat for this year’s festivities. Nicely done, as usual!”

There was a round of nods and murmurs of approval aimed toward Lamia. She gave a shallow bow to the table.

“This past year has been a challenging one,” Boogeyman continued. “It has been virtually impossible to instill the kind of submissive fear we once did when children believed in danger lurking under the bed or in the woods. I’d like to have some of you share your experiences. Krampus, let’s begin with you.”

“My main activities are around Christmastime, of course, but since they made a film supposedly based on me, I have become practically invisible! Kids don’t believe! Not in me, anyway. I’ve gone Hollywood, the equivalent of a joke.”

“Tell me about it,” La Llorona, a woman who drowned her children for a man, then drowned herself when she was spurned, spoke up. “I have had more movies damage my credibility than I’d ever imagined! They have no idea what they’re doing to us!”

It was Black Annis’ turn. “Well, none of you have had to compete with a certain popular wizard the way I have . . . I take that back. At this point who knows how many translations there are. All I know is I despise that little lightning-headed fiction.”

This provoked a wave of nods and whispered affirmations.

Boogeyman also nodded. “So, do we have a consensus? Something needs to be done. What ideas have you? Metminwi?”

“In Haiti, we see the same indifference as described here.Children roam the streets at night, too many to deal with. I am but one boogeyman. I would propose we try something different. The cages above us are filled with our individual offerings. I suggest we let them go.”

“What?” The Jersey Devil released his signature ghastly scream. “Why?”

Metminwi met this with a gristly grin. “We shall equip them with a gift to bring back with them: unarguable proof of our existence.”

Morko, the Finlandian blue ghost, bared his giant sharp teeth. “I get it! They spread the word and our prospects improve once there’s no question that we exist.”

Boogeyman turned to Metminwi. “What sort of proof do you have in mind?”

Lamia spoke before Metminwi had a chance.

“A sacrifice.”

Metminwi nodded. “With many witnesses.”

Baubas, the Lithuanian spirit who harassed children that misbehaved by pulling their hair with wrinkly fingers at the end of her long, spindly arms, smiled. Her red eyes glowed.

“Gerai. Good!”

Boogeyman turned his attention to Lamia.

“I should imagine you have something for us in the Great Book of Shadows?”

“Indeed I do. I wouldn’t deviate from tradition, I don’t believe it’s necessary. I already have the circle prepared with all that is required. I also have extra daggers in case any of you need one.”

Aobozu scoffed. “We have our swords of the Samurai, Namahage and I, at the ready!”

Boogeyman nodded.

“Well done, as always. Now, how do we choose our lamb? Who shall have this honor?”

Lamia flashed a wicked grin and spoke with authority.

“I have just the one. Behold!”

She pointed, then screamed.

Susie’s cage was empty.

Boogeyman cut in, “Perhaps the sedation wore off. Did anyone see what happened?”

“I know what happened.” Lamia’s serpentine tongue flicked and her eyes narrowed. “Listen to me, all of you!”

* * *

“You shouldn’t be helping me, Larry. Won’t you be in trouble now?”

“Don’t worry about me, Susie. I have my methods.”

“Come with me.”

“I wouldn’t belong, Susie. But thank you. We may meet again. Now, go!”

The little girl knelt and spread her arms. The cat ran and jumped into them and, for a moment, nestled his head against her shoulder. He savored the sweet love of a child for as long as he dared. Susie sensed this and they released each other.

“Now, go!”

* * *

“Susie, wake up! Is this where you’ve been all this time? We were sick with worry!”

Susie woke with a start. She was lying on one of the park benches. She looked around urgently, as if she’d forgotten something and needed it back.

“I must have . . .”

Her father grabbed her and held her tightly.

“When we couldn’t find you . . .”

He pulled back and looked into Susie’s eyes.

“I never want to feel that again.”

He held her again. Susie felt all the love she’d been craving and began to cry, just a little. The moment reminded her of something, something she tried to remember but couldn’t.

“I’m sorry I worried you, daddy. I won’t do it again.”

Her mother knelt beside them and touched Susie’s cheek. “Well, if you don’t mind, little wanderer, I won’t be letting you out of my sight for a while.”

“Fine with me.”

Her father looked behind her.

“Who’s this now? Have you made a friend?”

Susie turned to see a black cat with a diamond on its forehead peering at them from behind a boulder.

Susie stared and slowly stood.

“Be careful, Susie,” her mother cautioned.

The cat never took his golden eyes off the girl as she approached and offered her hand.

“I know you. I’m not sure how, but . . .”

The cat came to her and gave her hand a gentle head-butt, then wrapped himself around her legs. That was all she needed.

“He’s purring.”

She looked closer.

“He doesn’t have tags or anything. Can I . . .”

Her father smiled. “Let’s get in the car and we’ll talk about it.”

Susie gathered the cat in her arms and was delighted when he nestled into her and continued to purr. Their eyes locked and she whispered three words.

“That means yes.”