River

The other day I sat by the river. It was a cool day with the sun peeking in and out of the clouds. The water lazily going by with a few leaves and drift wood bobbing slowing in time to a song that was near the edge of perceptible. Bird song was also light on the wind, trying to cull me into a midday nap. On days like this I liked to take my shoes off and rest my feet in the water. I never knew why this was so calming, but it would just take any and all the stress I had built up recently and let it flow out of my body and get taken away by the moving water.

The river bank was well kept, with short grass from the waters edge all the way to the paved foot path behind me. Every now and again a runner or a biker would amble through my world and continue on to wherever they were headed. I never really understood running to run, or biking to bike. I was a big fan of running from things that needed to be run from, or biking to places that I needed to bike to; the key being need. But that was beyond me this day, this was all about reflection and solitude.

There’s something so amazing and brilliant about having some time to oneself in nature. I mean, you’re never truly alone, you always have yourself they say, but beyond that, there are thousands of life forms all around you, all the time. It’s easy to lose sight of that, but sitting by the river you can focus. Close your eyes, and listen. You will hear the birds chirping, you will hear the squirrels collecting food for the impending winter, you will hear the wind kissing the trees and grass around you.

Open your eyes and look, look to places you would normally discount as scenery. I could spend a lifetime looking at a single tree from every angle imaginable. The trunk, with it’s bark, the base where it takes root into the soil, climbing up into the bows to see the intricacies of the branches interplaying with each other and every individual leaf. There’s even a wealth of life living on the tree, the squirrels, the birds, the badgers, the bees, the spiders, the caterpillars, so many life forms all in one space, and usually we just see a brown stick with green foliage on top.

I always found it good to make time to be here, at least once a month, I think I should do it more often. When the seasons change this simple space transforms into a new world each time. In autumn you get the crunching of leaves and animals preparing for hibernation. In winter, everything in a frozen state, a time to really examine life unmoving. And in spring, when life is renewed from the cold, waking creatures and new life infused into aged things.

-V-

Mongrel

I sat in a park bench by the river. I felt like nearly every other day I would do this, but today was different. Today was the first day of spring. I don’t know how the powers that be decide these things. The first day of spring, the last day of summer, I mean I know it supposedly has something to do with the solstice and length of days. But the first day of spring never feels like the first day. It’s always either way before, or way after. I can’t remember a single time it was on the same day in my life. How strange is that?

A ravenous beast of a mutt came stalking up to me. He grunted once and nosed down between my legs. It seems in my musing I didn’t notice that a torn and tattered tennis ball found it way beneath me. I leaned forward and found the mongrel was examining my every movement with delicate precision. Not a single sound around him even tweaked the slightest part of his ear.

Fearing what would happen if I broke eye contact I fumbled around the ground for the ball. Dread filled me as I must have stumbled too far away from the dog’s prize with my searching hand, he emitted a deep belly growl that sunk deep into my mind and reversed the movement of my arm quickly.

My fingers flittered on the ball and I quickly spun my hand around and gripped the ball. Pulling it up I found the dog was fixed on it like a magic orb. I slowly shifted it back and forth in front of him. He tracked each and every movement. I decided I was already playing with enough fire and threw the ball in an impressive arc into the distance.

Without delay he was kicking up plods of soil in pursuit. Every muscle in his body was pulsing with an energy and fervor I will swear to this day I have never seen again. His tongue swung wildly from his mouth as I’m sure he was heaving in every last bit of usable air around him to speed his body.

I suddenly felt a great fear as I tracked his progress and noticed a child coloring with chalk on the paved path in front of him, completely oblivious to the massive bulk advancing towards him at break neck speed. I cringed and held my hands over my eyes listening intently for a juvenile scream to fill the air. But no such sound was emitted. I looked up quickly and found the mongrel a clear two feet above the babe legs fully extended passing over him with no notice given by the would be victim.

I had nearly forgotten that the ball had since disappeared into the tree line. Good riddance I thought at the dog was finally out of view. I looked back out on the river and felt myself being culled back into my previous thoughts. Then I heard it, a plonk and a growl. Down at my feet lay the ball and just beyond it the animal with it’s head slightly tilted.

-V-

Ferryman Gregg - Line Up

There is a land where the dead convene to ‘live’ out the rest of their days, but to get there they must first cross the place in between. The landscape here is barren and flat with reds and yellows as far as the eye can see. Snaking through the middle of this land the river gives the only passage through. The Styx lies in a region of the universe between the land of the living and the land of the dead.

If one were to look at the clouds near the entrance one would notice a very opulent and tacky sign that reads, “Welcome to Hades!” Below this sign there is a rocky outcrop with a long series of stairs that lead to a velvet rope by the rivers edge. And if one were to look really closely they would see that the stairs and the pathway was queued fully up with souls of all types and sizes.

“I want some candy!” One of the souls bursts out looking longingly at a random candy machine along the path. The candy bar machine is in a small cove with two other machines, one selling Charon Soda and the other selling Hades Hot Fries.

“Yeah, so do I, but they always rip you off in these situations. I bet it costs a lot of dough for just a simple candy bar.” Another soul replied back also staring at the vending machines nearby.

“Nun’t un, says right here: ‘One Coin’.” A third soul piped in and pointed to the sign with his tail like tendril.

“What should I get?” The first soul asked after slithering up to the machine and using one of his arm-nubs to put a coin into the machine.

“It’s all bad for you anyways, so what does it matter?” The second soul replied.

“I guess I could try this one,” the first soul said as he used his tail to push a button. A candy bar floated out of the machine and into the souls left nub. He looks at it and starts gnawing on it.

“So… How is it?” The third soul questioned.

“Eh… So-so…” The first soul replied in muffled tones.

“Heh, figures.” The third soul said knowingly, “Which candy bar did you pick?”

“Yeah it kind of does. I’m not sure, I think it was a Cerberus Choco-Lotto.”

“Wow with a name like that you’d think it would taste amazing.” A random soul added into the conversation.

“Yeah, pretty much how advertising works, the crappier the product the better the name.”

“So uh, that candy bar cost one coin, eh?”

“Yeah, why do you ask?” the soul replied nearly done with his candy bar.

“Um, isn’t that how much it costs to get across this river?”

“Yeah and?” The soul finished the sweet at this point.

“How many coins did you bring with you?”

“Oh,” the soul finally realized the folly of his choice, “um, I guess I’ll have to try and figure something out at the dock.” Worried about all the terrible ways this could end up for him.

-V-