Magic Story

In a world so unexplainable, where extraordinary things happen so very frequently, right under the noses of almost all, a small child was born. This child held out his tiny hand and curled his fingers into a ball. Short coos escaped from the child’s mouth in a newborns fascination, there was to be no crying at this birth. His blue eyes were opened almost the second he had fully emerged from his mother’s womb. This boy of such innocence, happy since the day he was born, possessed a gift of awesome capacity. This gift would take him around the world to far off places few have ever known, give this child hope, heal the hearts of others, and most importantly save the breaths of many. This child’s name was Ezra.

Ezra’s hair was a fluff of brown that stuck up on his tiny head. His eyes were large with love and often times when he made a sound a spit bubble would pop out of his mouth, which only delighted Ezra more. It was only his personality that set him apart from other babies. He seemed to be understanding when his mother forgot it was time to feed, and almost sympathetic when the dog was shooed from the kitchen for eating the pork right out of the bowls. Indeed there was something very special about this Ezra.

It was around noon when the lunch meal was being served that Ezra’s mother, Judith, noticed a strange smell that hung in the air. It was smoky and bitter. Instinctively she picked up her child and looked around at the village. Everything seemed normal, the neighbors bustling about to get their vegetables into their modest huts, children ignoring the calls of their mothers to come wash for the noon meal, and the peddlers trying to entice locals to buy their foreign rugs and inks. No, not a thing seemed to be wrong.

“May!” Judith called out her window. “May, do you smell anything strange?”

May, a mother of two children who lived about two huts down, turned in Judith’s direction while wrestling two boys into her own hut and called out, “Just in the last hour, its seems like its been getting closer. What it is, though, I don’t know.”

Judith looked to the skies, it had been overcast since the hour of the sunrise. There was little breeze and many found it perfect working weather. She watched the men gathering their tools to put away for the hour. The chisels, trowels, and saws were all neatly placed in front of each man’s own door. Meals were a special thing in this village, a time for family, a time of peace. Judith could not find herself at peace, however, she could only find herself with unease.

She turned from her window, Ezra lying in her arms, and sat down in the wooden rocker to feed her baby, only a precious few months old. Her brow was wrinkled in thought and Ezra was slowly falling to sleep in the midst of his lunch. Without warning a tired voice was heard from the streets. Judith jumped, awakened from her thoughts and Ezra opened his tired eyes in surprise. She opened the door to her hut and stepped into the streets along with all the surrounding houses.

“You ask what that smell is, but you ask the wrong question!”

An old woman stood in the dirt road holding tightly to her walking stick. Her hair was silver and thin with age, her gray eyes stared into nothing, and she hunched over when she walked. This hunch along with an oversized robe gave her the appearance of a child. This child-like woman was Emmy, she was the village seer, the only one to claim any such powers.

“The question is WHO is that smell!”, her voice cracked as she spoke.

May’s husband, Hugh, stepped forward with an angry look.

“Go home you old hag, no one believes your nonsense!”

“You do not see what I see, Hugh. You see only with your eyes, you see nothing with your mind,” Emmy replied calmly.

“What do you think you’re doing interrupting a meal like this! Its unheard of, disrespectful!” Hugh continued, ignoring her words.

Neighbors all around echoed Hugh‘s words with strong agreement. Judith was not interested in meals, though, she was looking at Emmy with a pained expression, one of deep thought and pure confusion. The smell had changed, it was sharper, almost rancid.

“Wait!” Judith said speaking over the crowd. They all watched her surprised as she walked toward the blind woman. “Tell me, Emmy. Tell me who that smell is.”

Emmy stared into nothing but turned toward Judith’s voice. Her hand went out to feel for her and Judith let it fall onto her shoulder, kneeling down to Emmy’s level, holding her child close.

“Judith, you sweet girl,” she said with a small, proud smile on her face. “There is a gift present in your life.”

“Emmy, who is that smell,” Judith asked again pleading.

“Not a gift, the gift. You are blessed, child.” Emmy leaned in close to Judith. Her breath was strong with decay as she whispered to Judith, “Keep that child close to your heart and your side, but never out of your sight. There are many who will try to hurt him, steal him, and use him for themselves. Keep Ezra safe.”

Judith was becoming frustrated with the woman. Once more she pleaded to her, “Emmy, please, who is that smell.”

Emmy opened her mouth to speak, but Hugh spoke first.

“Judith what are you doing? Can’t you see the woman has lost her mind with her youth? Leave her be and continue with your lunch.”

Judith didn’t look away from the woman. She sat still, kneeling.

“Judith,” Hugh began again, “I realize that this is a hard time for you, but please don’t waste your time.”

Now her eyes were ablaze as she turned them toward Hugh.

“Do you smell the air? Do you see the skies? Something is amiss, brother! Something is not right! Don’t pretend that this woman has never been right, she is older and wiser than many of us. We may not understand her all of the time, but she knows things that we do not.”

The fellow villagers looked at each other in silent agreement. Hadn’t Emmy been right before? Hadn’t there been times when she found a lost child or healed a sick neighbor without her sight? How now could they doubt her?

Hugh turned to his wife. “May, take her into her house, she needs rest and that baby needs to get indoors before it rains.”

“Do not talk of me as if I am old or sick! I am aware of my decisions and my surroundings and I surely have not lost my hearing. Maym you stay where you are despite your ignorant husbands request.” Judith turned back to the Seer. “Emmy, I need you to tell me what you know. Please, we all need to know what you know.”

“Protect that baby with your life, Judith. Never let him out of your sight.”

“Emmy, stop it! Please, who is that smell.”

The old woman turned her head toward the eastern skies. Staring into nothing she lifted her fragile arms and motioned toward the mountains.

“They come from the east destroying everything in sight. They don’t know love, nor mercy. Your neighboring village, the Casak, they are no more. Not a single man or woman has survived they’re raid. None of you have much time, if you don’t leave now they will come, they will kill you, and they will spare not a single beating heart.”

A panic spread through the crowd like wild fire. A few men began to calm their wives by telling them the woman was mad, but even Hugh couldn’t keep his eyes from her.

“Emmy, who are “they”?” he asked.

“”They” are the men of the mountain. They have been hushed for many years, but called upon only months ago. Only a great evil can rouse these creatures from their sleep, but whomever does, holds complete control over them.”

“Like an army? Some sort of enemy sent by an emperor?” a stout blond-haired man asked.

“No, fool! This is no enemy of man, this is an enemy of all creatures and kinds! This is an enemy that man has no way to defend himself against, they have too much power, they have magic, they have everything that you do not possess!”

“Its not possible, those magic tricks don’t exist,” another man smudged with dirt called.

“It is possible, you must run, you must fight! No one must run together, the village must go its separate ways. They can smell you, they can feel your heat. The smaller numbers in which you travel in, the greater chance of surviving you have. Now go! Pack, run, you haven’t long…they are only a day behind you. They do not sleep, they will never waste more than mere minutes feeding, a tired moment is rare to them.”

A loud gasp escaped from the villagers in unison. They stood dumbstruck but only for a moment. Soon the panic began and they raided their homes for anything that was small and of use to them. Judith stayed put watching the hustle and bustle, but remembered herself quickly.

“Emmy, tell me all you know. How do we stay safe? How do we hide? Where must we go? What do they want?”

“Keep the child close by, Judith. Follow the moon.” Emmy began to turn away.

“Emmy! I don’t understand! These people need to know how to stay safe, they need to know how to survive!” Judith called to her.

“The child, keep the child safe.”

“I don’t understand!” Judith pleaded to the woman, tears in her eyes.

Emmy turned, “Abel is watching over you child. It is all you need.”

A sound escaped Judith’s lips, she was too surprised at the sound of that name to say a word. Following the moon meant nothing to her, she did not understand what the old woman was telling her. A woman rushing by jostled her from her thoughts and she quickly got up, Ezra still in her arms.

Judith returned to her hut. She grabbed a large sheet and laid it on the dining table. Setting Ezra down for a moment in his wicker crib, Judith began to gather everything that she would need, or at least she hoped. Into the sheet went bread, rice, one cup and bowl, her needles, thread, scrap cloth, flint, and a cooking pot. She then wrapped Ezra in two more blankets and clothed herself in three more dresses and wrapped a blanket around herself.

After grabbing her bundle and Ezra she stepped out of her hut, only to return once more for another object. Judith’s bed was against the south wall in the one room hut. It was made of two feather mattresses and beneath both of them was a man’s handkerchief. It was this stained handkerchief that she had returned for.

The spring air was becoming stronger still as the wind blew in from their neighboring village and the skies ever more dark. Judith appeared to be the last to leave the village but she could not go until she was sure the old seer was safe. Trumping past hut after hut she finally reached the far end of the village where the woman spent her days, it too was empty. There was evidence of a departure and that was satisfaction enough for Judith to be on her way.

Judith could feel Ezra’s blue eyes pressing her while they hurried through the trees. He dared not make a sound, but Judith could feel he was telling her something. She looked around her. Everywhere she turned there was evidence of the village’s flight. Tracks were everywhere, torn cloth on trees, belongings strewn over the forest floor.

“You’re right,” she said to Ezra.

Turning back she returned to the furthest corner of town, carefully laying a path of wood she struck her flint and the first flame ignited a hut in the village. Their home was officially on the verge of destruction. Two more strikes of her flint and two more huts went up in flames, the wild fire had begun, she only hoped they all had time to get away before the fire caught up with them.

Her speed doubled and she disappeared into the forests thick branches. It was the last time she would ever see this land again. A sad tear rolled down her cheek, but knowing Ezra was watching her she promised herself it would be her last.

Night was falling, the mother and child had been traveling for six hours. Ezra lingered in his conscious state for as long as his little eyes would let him and soon feel into a light slumber. Judith felt his breathing change and shifted him slightly on her shoulder not slowing for the cause.

All around them were shadows and meager patches of light just barely pushing their way through the trees. Her sandaled feet were bruised and scratched from the roots and trunks that she could only scarcely see. Every rustle of the leaves or patter of a nearby deer was threatening to Judith ears and she instinctively held her child closer.

As she walked the old seers words slid through her mind.

“…a gift…follow the moon…Abel is watching over you…”

The name again stopped her in her tracks.

“Abel,” she repeated in her head.

Only, it didn’t sound to be in her head. Turning her head slowly, she said it once more and the sound was closer. It was like a whisper, the kind that chills your blood and makes you feel as if you’ll never be warm again.

There was no movement, not a single sound, so she began to think the name again. The sound was closer, it rushed by her, she couldn’t see it, but she felt its presence on her face for a moment then vanish. Shaking, she thought the name again. It passed her face once more and again she felt the cold.

Ezra had awoken minutes earlier, but it wasn’t till he stirred that Judith realized he was awake. His face was over her shoulder so she could not see what was in his eyes, but she hoped that it was not fear.

Confused, Judith looked around her. Her breathing was uneasy and cold sweat began to form on her forehead. It suddenly became very clear to her that there was a path lit by the moon. Every few feet there was a patch of thin trees that let in the moonlight.

“…follow the moon…”

The words made sense now. Judith began to follow the silver path and found that it lead deeper into the forest. Pure darkness surrounded her, all but the moon that acted as her savior.