Under the Boughs

Josh was sitting by a tree. The sun was rather hot sending its vociferous rays down on him and present company quite seriously. Josh did not quite like this. Well he rather wished he could go up to the sun and turn off its heat by a few notches; like that marvellous air conditioner his mother often used.

A fly buzzed its messy way into Josh’s peripheral. It circled around his head once, twice and thrice before calmly perching upon his nose. The fly’s tiny hairy legs tickled his nose. Josh could feel a large pressure building up in his stomach; his head surged forward. ‘Achoo’, a massive geyser unleashed wrecking Josh’s entire frame.His ungainly companion, Amy lounging under the Marigolds giggled happily, undeterred by his fierce frown. He rather disliked stuck up prissy girls like Amy in their pinafores and bonnets. They were an annoying lot; utterly useless when it came to games or any type of fun. Always tittering about their hair and their skirts.

Josh thought that their silly pigtails were only good for one thing, pulling. Amy always made the most delightful noises when he pulled her ratty pigtails; shrill little squeals quite similar to those of pigs in his opinion; a pig in a wig in fact. Well Josh couldn't pull those anymore due to his mothers fierce instruction. Thus he was utterly bored with Amy. He stood up in a great haste, brushed the lint off his clothes and carried off towards the hedges. Determinedly ignoring Amy's cries of ‘Josh, Josh wait for me.’

He struck off what little guilt he felt at abandoning poor ‘Amy after all’ he mumbled under his breath ‘girls are no fun when it comes to adventures.’ Josh continued to walk down the stone paved path. It was rather nice, all cracked and grooved with moss spurting out of the cracks bursting with life. Josh tried his best to avoid the cracks as he walked, making a somewhat elementary game out of it. Josh had been walking for ages. At first it had been fun, a novel experience but now he was utterly bored .He wasn’t ready to return to Amy and her prattle but his feet were rather sore. He was certain they were bruised; why he might need to get an amputation like his Grandfather. This rather terrifying thought made him pause and he carefully started examining his feet .His sturdy boots had done a good job of protecting his delicate skin; and the skin though red was free of any bruises. Josh gingerly removed his boots and started tenderly massaging his toes, gently working his way up to his ankles.

A few minutes later he was content, so he put on his boots and continued down the stone path. Josh was just about to make a turn around a particularly large Oak when he paused. Yonder a few meters away was a picnic basket. Under ordinary circumstances Josh would have left it undisturbed, but he was very hungry and like most little boys; he was want to lose his good judgment in the face of hunger.

Josh dug into the wicker basket and took out a glorious pie small and compact about the size of his palm, he bit into the flaky crust uncaring of any crumbs he might have scattered about .All that mattered was him and the marvelous pie. The earthy meaty filling slided down his throat; sending his taste buds into a frenzy. He took mouthful after mouthful until his stomach was quite full and all but one of the pies were left. Josh gingerly placed the basket back to its original position ; and happy and full as he was , placed his head against the basket and fell into Morpheus’ welcoming arms

Josh woke up with a jolt, someone was shaking him rather fiercely he could feel sharp pinpricks on his forearm. He looked upwards to be met with a pair of dark angry eyes .The barely concealed anger in those eyes filled Josh with terror. Suddenly all remnants of sleep disappeared from his countenance. He could hardly utter a sound so paralyzed was he by fear. “Little Rascal” screamed the woman shaking him. “You greedy greedy child”, she screeched adding a shake with every word she uttered, “you ate all my pies.”

“ Please miss,” Josh was finally able to mumble out “I can explain”.

“Well explain yourself”,she replied finally relenting in her ceaseless assault , but keeping a firm hold of his forearm. “You see, miss I was terribly hungry and I saw your lovely pies and I don't quite know what came over me ; but I'm terribly sorry for eating your pies.”

“Foolish child sorry is not going to cut those very special pies”, she said “you'll have to repay me in some way for your thievery “.

“Please miss don't eat me like the witch in Hansel and Gretel”, Josh pleaded, tears framing at the corner of his eyes .

The woman let out a whooping laugh ,large and hearty.

“Foolish child”, she continued her cheeks pink from her recent exertion. “ I'm not childeating witch .You might be quite the greediest little twerp I’ve ever met , but you’re quite amusing”. she added

“Thankyou miss”, Josh replied.

Danger seemed much less imminent now though Josh didn't dare completely relax; he was however able to finally observed the woman. She was rather pretty in a wild sort of way all dark uncontrollable curls framing a delicate face, with haunting black eyes and a rather cruel mouth.

“ Miss what's your name”, Josh asked in a squeaky boy “Aphrodisia”, she replied curtly “ but you should refer to me as mistress ,as a sign of respect”.

“ Mother says only servants refer to people as mistress or master and I'm no servant”, Josh countered .

“Father says we’re above common riff raff.”

“Hmm and I suppose you are including me in this riff raff”, Aphrodisia replied in a soft voice tinged with barely contained malice; her eyes cold and dark carrying the promise of unparalleled pain. Josh, unaware of this looming threat, continued staring at Aphrodisia with an arrogant almost condescending tilt of his head.

“ Say mistress you miserable boy”, she hissed through clenched teeth. An invisible force; unfamiliar and all consuming, was pressing down on him covering every inch of his body. His heart was beating wildly. Josh felt like it was about to burst at any minute, he couldn't think, couldn't see, couldn't hear. He was drowning in an endless sea with no end in sight. “ M MM Mmistress’, he finally managed to stutter out .He fell gasping onto his knees.The all consuming pain was gone as quickly as it had come. With great effort he managed to raise his head to see the beatific grin spread widely across Aphrodisia face.

“Now was that really that hard.”

Josh glared at his oppressor.

“Well get up little boy we have work to do ; dreams to break etcetera etcetera .”

“I’m not helping you do anything of the sort”, Josh screamed in frustration.

With a sharp twist Aphrodisia turned her neck fully facing Josh.

“You’ll find little boy that you have very little say in anything”.

“ I have a few tasks for you .

“Well three if you want to be exact” .

“Finish them to earn your freedom or stay my willing slave for ever more” Aphrodisia said.

Josh stared dumbly at the witch . While he was quite an adventurous little boy ; this was no merry good adventure.This was new and dangerous territory and Josh found himself wary of taking a step further ; fearful of the abyss that awaited him .

“Little boy , little boy , I’m not gonna wait all day ; shake my hand and accept my terms”,she said.

“Unless of course you’re scared”.

“I I I ac accept”, Josh stuttered .

“Marvellous”, Aphrodisia grinned with a sharp grin.

Dread pooled in the pit of Josh’s stomach.

Somewhere far off bells rang .

They walked woman and child ; still deeper into the Woods, a grim parody of a mother and her child, a passerby might have considered the smouldering grip Aphrodisia had on Josh's shoulder, a manifestation of her motherly concern ignorant of how truly constricting it felt. Josh's mind was running in a hundred directions. He desperately wanted to make a break for it and escape Aphrodisias clutches ;but her hand had remained on his unwavering and steady; much more efficient than any metal chains restricting a prisoner.

‘We’ve reached Creeks Hollow.For your first task you must fetch me the heart of a Bravarian hare who has promised you friendship.”

“Hares can't give friendship, they can't even talk'' cried Josh in bewilderment.

“Of course they can talk ,you ignoramus”,Aprodisia replied. “Every animal in the world can talk. Just because most people can't understand a whit of what is being said doesn't mean nothing is being said at all”.

“Well, I know for a fact that I can't understand a word hare’s may or may not be saying”, he said “Of course you can't ;silly boy you need to consume ten leaves of the Derbnech tree to understand what’s being said.Hares are intelligent creatures much more refined squirrels or sparrows”.

“Lucky for you I happen to have some with me. Swallow these whole,one by one”.

Josh obediently gulped down the leaves. They were strangely sweet and heavily perfumed, clogging uncomfortably in his throat before finally settling down in his stomach. Josh was left with a distinct feeling that he had swallowed several little pebbles.

“Good, now leave and don't bother returning until you have a heart”.

Suddenly every particle in Josh’s body wanted to distance itself from Aphrodisia as much as possible .Not one to disregard his senses; Josh immediately ventured further into creeks hollow, it was a rather ordinary place with mid length trees branching far and wide circuitous covered the forest floor twisting and overlapping till it somewhat resembled a spider's web and making it extremely hard for Josh to steady his feet. He continued walking till he finally reached a large clearing devoid of any vegetation. It stood in stark contrast to the spring green of the surrounding forest like nasty black mole on his grandma's pasty white chin. Josh quickly made his way towards it glad to finally encounter flat terrain. He was just about to undo his laces and West his feet when he spotted two brown ears,long and sleek, attached to a nearby bush .

Josh crept as quietly as he could towards the bush, before calling out “Hare, marvelous Mr Hare please let me look at your lovely long ears”.

Presto the hare appeared fully in front of Josh in all its long-eared glory.

“Well aren't you just the handsomest hare,” replied Josh the hair turned its eyes to word downwards in exaggerated shyness something its large feet nervously Josh reached out to pet its head the fur was soft if slightly grainy and a rich tawny color felt a little like the big free quote his mom used to don in the winter months. Josh continued to pat the hare’s head as its ears thumped about merrily like little springs .

“What’s your name Mr Hare?”,he asked.

“ Brambles “,came the soft reply.

“ Brambles, that's a fine name. mine’s Josh. Say would you like to be friends? We can play games all day and travel far and wide to exotic places”.

“What do you say, Brambles”?

Brambles thumped his rather large foot jocularly on the ground.

“Yes, yes,” he whispered, his voice laden with excitement. Cherub cheeked and willing.

Bramble's unabashed enthusiasm aroused tendrils of guilt in Josh, twisting and gnarled, squeezing him to a pulp;but he squashed those feelings with all the carelessness youth is famed for.

This was not the time for introspection or morality; all that mattered was escaping Aphrodisias grasp. There would be plenty of time once he was safe and sound; to feel remorse. And remorseful he would be; sincere in his prayer and psalms.

“Come on Brambles show me how well you can jump,” said Josh.

A look of utter concentration came over Bramble’s black onyx eyes. With a great swish Brambles jumped about six feet into the air; his powerful hind legs dappled by the sun.

“Marvelous,” Josh praised wholeheartedly.

“I can teach you how to jump too,” said Brambles, proud of the praise being heaped upon him.

‘All you have to do is gather power in your hind legs and lift yourself as high as possible’ he said “like this,” he accentuated with another colossal jump.

“All right let me try”, said Josh before managing a rather pitiful jump.

“No matter”, Brambles continued “I’m sure you'll improve with practice.”

And so, they practiced for about a whole hour. Josh getting progressively sweatier and his jumps worse and worse.

“ Brambles, what do you say we take a break old pal.”

“Sure.”

“Listen; are there any wells nearby, I would give my left arm for a drink.”

“Sure, there's one a stone’s throw from here, I’ll take you there .Follow me.”

Thus, Josh and Brambles made their way towards the well.

Josh rested his weary body against the well before peering down to its fathomless depths. “Buddy, look down I think there’s some treasure in the well,'' said Josh.

Brambles coquettishly tilted his head down to catch a glimpse.

Josh straightened his back in a shallow swoop and with a mighty push sent poor Brambles teetering into the abyss.

He leaned forward desperately listening for a thump.

It came ten seconds later.Echoing a thousandfold in the damned black hole.

Now all that was left was to acquire the heart. Josh grabbed the sharpest stone and stick he could find and began to slowly climb down the walls of the well. It was not overly deep or even filled with water. Josh found himself half hoping for some obstacle.Something in fact anything to stall the inevitable.

“Thank God”, Josh uttered a silent prayer,as he landed safely on the ground.

His task had just become easier. Brambles’ body was huddled in a dark corner ,shadows embracing the still form as if to keep it safe from him. He gripped the stick in his clammy hand; swinging it from side to side .Willing it to remain still as he forced his feet towards Brambles’ corpse with weak shuffling steps.

He cradled Brambles’ chest; careful to avoid looking at his lifeless face and raised his abominable hand high. Striking Brambles' chest with barely concealed aggravation . Crimson painted his hand, his shirt and the whole of Brambles’ chest. Josh stabbed and stabbed until he had finally managed a hole about two inches wide into the hare’s chest; before promptly abandoning the stone to dig into the hole with his fingers, digging them deep into the warm flesh as the smell of rotten fruit prevaded his senses; seeping into his pores mixing into his very blood merging with his very essence. He dug and dug like a weary traveler stuck in the desert digging for water, for life. His fingers warm and greedy squeezed around the heart before yanking it out with a tug. His eyes lured with the promise of forgiveness sought the hare’s eyes.Their eyes met. Remorseful green and onyx, heavy with divine condemnation, far lonelier and more terrifying than any hell.

He let his eyelids shield his gaze as he slowly raised the heart to his left breast pocket and tucked it in. He trudged his way up the well and through Hollows Creek towards Aphrodisia’s abode determined to end his waking nightmare.

Aphrodisia’s face swam before his eyes; a maniacal grin stretched grotesquely across her visage.

‘My, my well-done Josh,’ she said, eyes alight with barely controlled glee as he solemnly handed her the bloodied heart.

“Your debt is fulfilled; run along now but be sure to catch a glimpse of yourself in the river before you go. Farewell”, she said as she slowly faded into nothingness.

He trudged towards the river completely numb.

The river surface was cool and inviting; beckoning him to enter her watery depths. He lowered his head to stare at black onyx.