The Wood : Part 6 (Final)

Continued from The Wood : Part 1, The Wood : Part 2,  The Wood : Part 3,  The Wood : Part 4, and The Wood : Part 5

   Seeing Zoey awake, the worried-looking Jill quickly fetched her a glass of water, and then tried to calm her bewildered friend. She was rambling about eggs, a forest, and what? Cyber? It all made no sense until Zoey got better as days passed by. After two weeks, she had became her normal self once more. Jill, who at first was as confused as Zoey was when she woke up from her coma, had now understood Zoey's initially strange reaction. After being told of the strange dream about the forest,  Jill in turn related to her friend on how her car had smashed into the back of a delivery truck, and it took quite some time to get her out of her crushed vehicle. Zoey shuddered when Jill filled her in on the details of the accident.

   Both of them pondered over Zoey's story after that. To her, the dream seemed so real that she thought she was transported to another place when she came out of coma at the hospital. To Jill, it sounded far-fetched. But she had to agree that whatever it was: a delusion, imagination or maybe a reality existing in another realm, it did sounded lovely and obviously magical. "No wonder you're in coma for so long, Zoey. I supposed you liked it better there."

   Zoey thought about what Jill said. True, she liked the wood better. It was like all discoveries and no worries for her. If she lives there, her life would be simple. But she'd rather have it simple and contented than living in luxury but being unhappy all the time. Then her mind was cut off the matter when Jill thrusted a colorful paper bag into her hands. Zoey reached inside, pulling out, if you would believe it, a small Stryber! "Jill! This is what Stryber looked like!" she exclaimed in delight.

"Stryber, huh? Thought you did mention something about 'cyber'. Merrick bought it for you. He came to visit you everyday, but he's been very busy lately and couldn't come as often."

   Zoey  was smiling broadly. "He did? He bought this? It's like he knew, right?" Jill just smirked, then laughed. "Look at that blissful mushy smile on your face! I suppose you and him possess some kind of mushy couple's telepathic ability or something similarly gross! Hey, hey-" Pretending to call out of the window, Jill shouted, "-hey! Get your feet down on earth this instant! You couldn't fly to heaven in a weak body like that!"

   Zoey chuckled and said, "I was just missing Stryber and here he is, all cute and cuddly..." Which made Jill winked mischeviously.

"You sure it's only Stryber? What about Merrick?"

"Jill- "

 "Okay, okay! ....But hey, didn't you said that in your dream you were supposed to deliver eggs to an old lady? Pffftt...what century were you in? Delivering eggs in baskets...does anybody even do that anymore?"

"Haha. I dunno, Jill. Totally weird. It was Mrs Flag. Or Flaig. Whatever. Why?"

   Jill giggled uncontrollably. "Oh..I remembered now, that truck-...delivery truck-...." Zoey impatiently tugged at her hand and urged her to speak properly. "Stop laughing and tell me!" She herself couldn't help laughing when seeing how comical Jill looked trying to explain.

"...-your car ran into.."

"Yes, well what about it?"

"...-the truck of an...egg selling company...owner, FAIG! What mojo brought that into your coma, girl??"

   Zoey laughed loudly, in fact, she was almost screaming with laughter that the nurse who passed by had rushed into the room, concerned. So that's where the character of Mrs. Faig came from in her dream!

- THE END -

 ~t h a n k s  f o r  y o u r  p a t r o n a g e !  c o m e  a g a i n ! *rings bell.dingdong.*~

P/s: There would be another story coming up...one that is mushy! Prepared to be ewwed and yucked! But if you like mushy love stories (Busted! Yes, you. Don't pretend to look somewhere else.) maybe you'll like it. So damn much that you're gonna puke. =p I'm gagging, yes. BUT! On the plus side, you're getting rid of the toxin in your body, right? RIGHT?

The Wood : Part 5

Continued from The Wood : Part 1, The Wood : Part 2,  The Wood : Part 3 and The Wood : Part 4

   When Stryber suddenly stood upright, fear gripped me. I felt for the knife on the table. But it turned and went out of the house. I saw it sniffed and circled a tree. The tree, which bore odd-looking fruits the size of football, was located on the left side of the house. It was just a small tree and I can easily reached for the fruits. I picked two, curious to know what's inside the coarse brown skin. Maybe Stryber would eat it. Next to it I saw, to my amazement, a biscuit tree! Well, not biscuit, really, more like a tidbits tree. It was really amazing, who had ever seen snacks grow on a tree before? The smooth, soft skin was transparent, almost like a plastic wrapper, which allowed me to see what's inside. It looked heavenly! Egg tarts, chocolates, sweets...my, my, what a feast we're going to have! I picked several of them to put inside the jars I found in one of the kitchen cupboard.

   I tried to hack open the 'football' fruit. One swing of the knife and the skin fell aside to reveal what's inside. Immediately Stryber sprang to my side. I looked and saw that the fruit contained meat! Laughing aloud, I understood then why Stryber was so attracted to it. I put those meat on a plate and then preceeded to open the next one. Shaking my head I muttered, "Will I cease to wonder? Now will there be a salt and sugar tree too?" I tried scouring the kitchen more thoroughly and finally I found them, sealed tightly in containers. 

   Nevertheless, I succeeded in making a satisfying 'bruncher' - breakfast plus lunch plus dinner. I was ravenous! I tucked in like a person who hadn't eaten for ten years!, Later I was lying on the sofa, contented but quite ashamed of the unladylike way I had gobbled up the whole pot. I bet Stryber was ashamed of me too. Hah. He was lying on the rug, satisfied with his dinner. The warm glow of the fireplace and a tired body soon drew me to sleep. I could still hear the music of the forest, accompanying me to slumberland.

   Before long I began to dream. I dreamt that I was in the hospital and my friend Jill was sitting next to my bed. I saw the situation as if I am another person in the room. I inched nearer to get a better look. What a state I was in! Covered in bandages, hooked up to the machine, IV bag...surely I didn't need that? How bad was my condition actually? It was so weird. This is considered a nightmare! I suddenly wanted to be inside that sick body. You know, just to get a taste of how it feels. Is it possible to do that in a dream? What a stupid feeling, who wanted to try feeling sick anyway? But maybe I could tell Stryber all about it during breakfast.

   I seeped, or dissolved, or whatever it is, into the body, and I immediately felt cold. I shuddered and instinctively knew that something wasn't right. I was wriggling inside, trying to find the perfect fit in the body so that I wouldn't be so uncomfortable like this. But then I decided that it was no use and after all, it's a dream and honestly, I was starting to dislike it. I struggled with all my strength to break free again. It was terribly painful, and it struck me that maybe this is how it feels in the sick body. I hate the uneasiness that lurked in every part of it. I felt stiff and hot. I didn't feel belonged. I yearned to be back in the cottage, lying in the coolness of the night. I want to stop this really, really bad nightmare! If only I could wake up. God,  I prayed, I don't want to be stuck in a time, at a place, that is unreal. I can't believe I'm caught in this, I thought. My strength was fading away...

   Just as I was beginning to lose hope, so sure that I was trapped forever...a firm grip on my hand pulled me back to the present. Stryber! My eyes snapped open. I saw Jill bending over me with a panicked look. Then I saw the concerned doctor and the nurse. Nobody else. My strained eyes searched the room, but everything was white and cream under the bright light. I didn't see any black stripes. I couldn't see Stryber and I was not at the cottage. I was not even in the wood. So, it's true...I was really stuck in the dream. Recognizing defeat, and feeling so weak and thoroughly confused, I drifted into sleep, determined to go back to the cottage again if I could 'dream' about it. I swore I would! Surrendering does not necessarily means defeat, right? I would get back to Stryber.

   Alas, I didn't. I was awake once again to find myself still in the same room, the same hospital ward, Jill by my side. I felt betrayed. Jill was in this! In some kind of conspiracy to keep me from the wood. Why? Because I didn't deliver Mrs Faig's eggs? I was going insane. Is there some kind of witchery? What else could have done this?

- To be continued -

Continued in The Wood : Part 6 (Final)

The Wood : Part 4

Continued from The Wood : Part 1, The Wood : Part 2 and The Wood : Part 3

   So I rose and began to walk slowly. It rose, too. I thought that it was going to pounce and I waited for the worst to happen, breaking in cold sweat. But it didn't, so I made a move, and the next, and the next, and the tiger followed me closely. Finally I felt at ease when it didn't harm me. I even tried to pat its head. When it didn't bite my hand or reacted aggresively, I knew that I've got a companion in the isolated forest.

   My stomach felt sucked in. By then I knew that I was really starving. Just then i caught sight of a cottage. My heart leaped with joy and I was smiling from ear to ear. "Come on!" I said to Stryber the tiger. Yes, that's the name I gave him. It bounded along the path beside me as I sped towards the cottage. When we reached the gate, I suddenly didn't know what to do. And I found out that the road ended there instead of a bend as I had predicted. Although I called out a few times, no one answered. I was convinced that I should go into the house because there was nowhere else for me to go.

   I pushed the creaking gate. It was not locked. Why didn't the owner oil the hinge? It sounded terribly creepy. Going up to knock on the door, I stayed near Stryber all the time. No one opened the door. I twisted the knob. It was not locked too. I debated with myself whether to go in or not. What's the worst that can happen? After all Stryber was with me. It will kind of be like Goldilocks and the three bears, won't it, only I didn't have golden locks. Oh well, who cares?

   When I got in, I was astounded. The furniture were covered with white cloths and everything was so dusty. It's clear that no one had lived in the house for quite some time. "Let's stay here, Stryber. At least for now." Stryber just watched as I pulled off the covering on the furniture and coughed when dust filled the air. I had to go out of the house for a while until the dust settled. I discovered where the kitchen was and that there was only one bedroom. The toilet was near the kitchen, on the northeast corner. It's an old-fashioned house, but there's a fridge and an old stove. I found the broom and as I swept away the dust, my stomach suddenly growled with hunger. I had forgotten how hungry I was in my excitement of exploring the house. I hurried to the kitchen and found where the cutlery and cooking utensils were in the kitchen cupboard. But where could I get the food? The thought hit me so suddenly. I looked out of the kitchen window, hoping to spot any edible plant or fruit. To my delight, I saw that there were many kinds of it growing all over in the garden. No wonder, since there's nobody to take care of them. Except, maybe, magic? I opened the kitchen door that led into the backyard. It was quite large. I brought with me a basket to put in all the vegetables. Stryber followed behind as I plucked, picked and dug potatoes, carrots, beans, radishes, toamtoes, cabbages...before long my basket was full and I went to have two more picking trips. I put all of them in the fridge. Stryber sniffed at the basket. 'What a cat!' I smiled to myself. Then I remembered. He must eat meat! Where am I going to find it? Salt, spices...oh...I sat on the chair with resignation. I turned to Stryber. "Stryber, can you bear eating vegetables just like that everyday? Are you going to hunt for your own food or do I have to prepare it for you? Hey, I'm not your food, right?" He just looked at me with inquiring eyes. I just hoped that he didn't suddenly decided to have me for dinner!

- To be continued -

Dialogue of Hansel And Gretel : Tragic Version

 

Gretel was forced to obey the evil witch's orders. She didn't have the courage to escape nor fight. She's helpless, she couldn't help Hansel. She felt that she had failed him and could only watch, pleading in vain as the witch, who had clear eye vision and was very hard to fool, fatten Hansel up for her big feast!

Gretel :   On this chilly night I'm missing you.
                Such a beautiful yet tragic piece of my life.
                What's in order for us to live this way?
Hansel :  I wonder.
                Are you going to be someone
                Who's not gonna be there during my final days?
Gretel :   Will you be leaving much, much sooner than that?
Hansel :  Counting your tears now.
Gretel :   Your expectations need someone better to fit them.
                Your happiness is out of reach for me.
                You deserve a fantasy, cos the reality that I gave you broke your heart.
Hansel :  The basket of smiles I made you were quick to go with the wind.
Gretel :   Bad storm never loses our scent.
               A small drop of our happiness to it
               Is like a small drop of blood to a shark
Hansel :  How are you going to put up with this your entire life?
Gretel :   I will be watching our time now
               Cos I won't be doing much of that when you're gone
               For now, I will still be watching time, etched with what we had make of us..

Ya adik-adik, ini kisah Hansel dan Gretel versi tragis yang manggis di mana Gretel tidak mampu menyelamatkan Hansel dari dimakan oleh ahli sihir tua yang jahat. Dialogue di atas jika disatukan sebenarnya adalah sesuatu yang A.Samad Said tulis dengan tidak terkira banyaknya : sajak. 

Amaran (huh?)/Disclaimer : Tiada niat ingin menyaingi tokoh sasterawan agung ini, jauh sekali berlakon di depan cermin dengan janggut putih sambil mengungkapkan sajak-sajaknya.

Dialog itu secara meleret-leretnya adalah sebenarnya ini :-

Gayah   :  Di malam yang dingin dan sunyi ini aku merindui kamu.
                  Kehadiran kamu dalam hidup aku adalah sesuatu yang indah tapi tragik.
                  Apakah sebabnya hidup kita begini?
Herman :  Aku terpikir...
                  Adakah kamu akan jadi salah seorang yang tidak di sisi aku
                  Dalam hari-hari akhir aku?
                  (Mungkin kerana telah pergi jauh, atau pergi selama-lamanya.)
Gayah   :  Adakah kamu akan pergi lebih awal dari saat tibanya hari-hari seperti itu?
                  (Tidak sempat hidup lama untuk menunggu.)
                  *mengalirkan air mata yang berkilauan di bawah cahaya rembulan*
                  *lolongan serigala*
Herman :  Aku mengira butir airmata kamu, Gayah.
                   (Telah banyak kamu menangis untuk aku.)
Gayah   :  Kamu perlukan seorang yang lebih baik, Herman.
                  Seseorang yang mampu menyelamatkan kamu.
                  Aku tidak mampu menggapai kebahagiaan untuk kamu.
                  Kamu perlukan sebuah fantasi yang tidak menyakitkan...
                  Kerana realiti yang aku berikan melukakan hati kamu.
Herman :  Aku memujuk dan buatkan kamu tersenyum sebakul banyaknya, Gayah.
                  Tapi sekejap sahaja sudah hilang dibawa angin.
Gayah   :  Mendung ribut mengejar kita bagaikan anjing polis membau penjenayah.
                  Secebis kegembiraan yang kita rasai kepadanya
                  Adalah seperti setitis darah pada jerung di lautan.
                  Sekejap sahaja terkesan, sepantas kilat dibaham mangsanya.
Herman :  Mampukah kamu hidup dengan semua ini sepanjang hayat kamu?
Gayah   :  Aku akan mengawasi masa sekarang.
                  Kerana aku tidak akan berbuat begitu lagi setelah kamu pergi.
                  Buat masa yang kita ada sekarang, aku akan terus memerhati
                  Masa mengukir kenangan dengan apa yang kita ada.

                  *Ahli sihir datang*
                  *Tengok Herman atas bawah, atas bawah sambil angguk-angguk*
                  *Tuang kicap, tabur bawang goreng, makan*
                  *Gayah meraung-raung*
                  *Ahli sihir berpaling, dengan mata merah menyala
                     Menuding jari berkuku panjang sedepa
                     Sambil berkata...*
             
                  "YOU'RE NEXT, Gayah!"