I'm so sorry, I turned her loose

Author's notes: Word count = 1367, before Pictures, formatting and notes. This is a contest entry for "House Of Black & White "  Prompt # 14: You hear a noise outside 1000 points,

Some of you may know that my house and property backs up to a huge county park of mostly raw Florida wetlands, on the Alafia River. I was asked to tell you a story about something that happened outside my house it was about two years ago, I was enjoying a rather pleasant October morning by sitting on my back porch and reading.

The peaceful morning was broken when a screaming, bright light rocketed overhead followed by an explosive clap of rolling thunder. It cascaded like a series of waves crashing on the beach and then echoed across the woods. I nearly jumped out of my skin because the skies were clear, and there was no explanation for the event.

I looked out to see a trail of smoke in the air and went down the back steps following it into the woods. About a thousand feet from the house I saw the flames, I ran back to the house grabbed my gloves and shovel.



Once I returned to the spot in the woods, I started tamping out the flames along the two-foot wide scar carved in the ground by the fallen object. With the fire out, I began looking for the source of the eruption. There it was, in the bottom of the crater at the end of the gouge. It, a glowing oval rock the size of my hand. It looked as if it was still on fire; I threw a shovel full of dirt over it to smother the flames. But it made no difference in the appearance when I uncovered the object again. I held my hand over the rock like object. It was warm, but it was not as burning hot as its appearance suggested.

I reached down, picked it up, and brushed the dirt off its surface. That's when it happened, from within the rock a voice called out, "Help me ... oh please help me! I nearly crapped my pants. The last thing I was expecting was this hunk of stone to talk to me. I pushed it out to arm's length yelling out, "What the fudge?" (Well, I may actually have said something else but it was similar.)

The voice spoke again, "Help me I am trapped, help me." Only now, as I held the stone, an image began to take shape inside. Covered in fire, but it seemed to be a beautiful female figure two-inches tall.



Now, I am going nuts. I yell out. "Holy Sugar, this can't be real, it's a pixie or fairy, or something of the like, Oh my god, I am going to be a freaking billionaire." (Okay, so I paraphrased.)

I spoke to the creature, "Who are you? Where are you from? How do I help you?"

"I am Belisama, I have been cursed, imprisoned in this chamber by my husband, he cast me into the heavens to circle this world for an empty eternity. So he could be free of me, and take up a new consort, Hestia, the daughter of Coronus."

"You are gorgeous, why would he throw you away, mistreat you like this?"

"I am the goddess of eternal health and agriculture. Through me, man suffers no illness and the pangs of hunger go unknown. However, to do this I must remain a virgin. And he could not abide with this."

Okay, now, I am standing in the woods holding a naked flaming goddess in the palm of my hand, who is telling me. If I released her the world will once more be free of sickness and famine.

I know what you are thinking, the same thing I am. That I have fallen asleep in my chair and this is some wild crazy dream like some of the others I have been having. (No doubt a side effect of my medications.)

But it all looks and feels so real. I can hear the birds and crickets. My ankle still hurts from where I twisted it running back to get the shovel. I can smell the burnt leaves and underbrush that I beat out only two minutes ago. Okay, if this is a dream then what harm can come from playing along maybe I get a new story out of it.

"Alright, how do I free you?"

"Take me to water, any water. The curse that binds me is magic and magic is dispelled easiest with water."

I ran to the house, turned on the water hose, and put it into a bucket. While it was filling, I started yelling. "Sherry ... Sherry, come out here come see what I just found." There was no answer at first, I yelled a couple more times, and the back door opened.

"What are you yelling about?" asked my wife as she came out on the porch still in her nighty.

"Look at this, it crashed in the woods, almost caught everything on fire. It's got some kind of fairy inside and it is asking for help."

"Did you forget to take your pills again?"

"No, look at it, see for yourself." I held it out for her to see.

"Holy sugar maggots," that's awesome.

"She says I need to put her into water to break the spell."

"Okay do it."

I let the rock fall into the bucket and as soon as it touched the water, it began to bubble and churn violently. A minute later, there was an explosion, and the bucket turned over spilling onto the driveway. In the wash of steam was a tiny naked form. I started to go towards it but she pushed herself up and took in a deep breath as she did this, she began to grow. Soon a full size woman was before us.

"Joey, quick go get a blanket we'll get her inside. I'll find her some clothes."

I started up the stairs; I was halfway up when the woman spoke.

"Thank you, I have been imprisoned in there for a very long time." and she began to get to her feet.

"Are you Okay, do we need to call an ambulance or something. My husband is getting you something to cover up with."

"That will not be necessary; I have no need for your foolish modesty."

Her tone stopped me in my tracks. I turned in time to see her begin to glow. "Oh fudge," I said, or something the likes of that. "Sherry, get away from her, I think we fouled up." (okay it may have been a different word, but I know it started with an "F")

I yelled at the demon woman before us, "What are you? You said you were the goddess of health and agriculture."

She let out a monstrous laugh and said, "Yes once a long time ago, when I was a virgin. But I have been to Washington so that is no more, now, I am ACA Obamacare, the goddess of hunger and pestilence, I am here to consume, to devourer your world."



I grabbed Sherry's hand and started pulling her away and we sit cowering in the woods. I am sorry my friends I didn't know. I fell victim to the lies and promises of good health for us all. How could I know that ACA and her seductive lies would lead to our demise?

I snapped this picture of her with my phone, but I think she can change her appearance. So elusive she is, not even the stone hearted Republicans can find a way to rein in her consumption of the manna that sustains us. She is out; it is too late to stop her now. She will suck the life from us all, until we are thin from starvation, and riddled with disease. She only pretends to save us with her lies about providing for our health. When she is a really vicious creature of the night here to suck the marrow from our bones. So now, Sherry and I are sitting in the woods little ways from my house afraid to go home. I am sending you this note from my blackberry to let you know I screwed up. ACA is loose and She's on the way to your home town pocketbook!