Silfa - chapter six

At the exact moment that Benny was being disappeared into an alley, Bob was splashing cold river water on his face, washing away the remains of his breakfast. Now fed and washed he sat back on a sunny rock and looked at the river.

(Past feeds the future. Always flowing. God sees it all, the whole stream of time. Everything. God, I am such a fool. What am I doing here? I'll never go back so where now?)

A magpie in a juniper tree caws loudly.

"Are you trying to tell me where I'm supposed to go? Because your language is beyond my comprehension my brother."

(Caution; coffin?)

"Be careful or die?"

No answer from the bird just a flurry of feathers and it was quickly across the river.

(Alone again, naturally. A river can't turn back on itself so I guess I have to keep moving forward. A river always ends in the ocean but where will my ocean be? Amusement in her eyes. The smirk on Lindick's face. A good time was had by all.)

Bob, rose and strode of into the woods away from the river, away from Indreel, away from everything that represented his past life. After fifteen minutes of crashing through underbrush and snapping off branches that were in his path. He stops.

(Not this again. Think. I need answers. I need to know what I should do. How can I get her back and wipe that smirk off his face. Why do I care. Am I an idiot.)

Movement in the underbrush catches Bob's attention. A turtle crawls over a log and slowly moves down a trail that angled away from Bob toward the northeast.

(Steady does it. That turtle seems to know where he's going... Silfa! That's who I have to find. One wish is all I need. At least I will be far from here. Let's see, they say he lives in the valley of fantastics, beyond the mountains of far crags. To the north and east of map's edge. The easiest traveling will be to stick close to the prairie as long as possible but I'll need to carry water with me, maybe dry some fish. If I catch a boar or a deer I could use it's stomach as a water skin.)

Bob turned back towards the river and retraced his steps. So deep in thoughts of his preparations and route ahead that he didn't notice anything amiss until suddenly a large figure crashed through the brush and into him pinning him to the ground.

--- Jerry