Bertha & Bessie Part 1

Bertha was a young girl who tended to the animals on her grandmothers farm in rural Tucker County West Virginia. She had grown up attending the local schools, taking part in the local 4-H, and was a well known member of the community. This story however is not about her straight A report cards, exemplary church attendance, or blue ribbon hogs.

One clear hot summer day while Bertha was feeding the cattle a freak storm emerged and wreaked havoc on the farm tossing her and her favorite cow Bessie into the air for what seemed like an eternity. When they finally came down Bertha was knocked out due to the impact of the fall and came to several hours later as Bessie gently licked her face. As she looked around Bertha quickly realized they weren't on Limestone Mountain anymore as the familiar Maple trees and pine thickets that dotted the West Virginia mountains were now replaced by strange twisted and mangled thorns that seemed to extend outward in a never ending maze. The sky overhead was a light pink as the pair began to explore their surroundings taking great care not to disturb the needle sharp thorns as they maneuvered through the thick twisting branches. A sudden voice booming out rattled the dried leaves and abruptly broke the silence "YOU THERE WHO ARE YOU AND WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE!!!" it seemed as though the words were uttered on the very wind itself. Startled, Bertha turned to look for the source only to see a cloud of swirling leaves and other debris that seemed to move as though it was alive. She watched mesmerized until the swirling subsided and the debris fell lifelessly to the ground with a slight crackle.

Bertha led Bessie deeper and deeper into the twisted mangled mess for what seemed like days only stopping from time to time to unhook a few thorns that snagged upon Bessie or herself. A glimmer of light appeared ahead and as they made their way towards it they realized it was a small clearing surrounded on three sides by the same inhospitable jungle like vines they'd just come out of and bordered on the fourth by a beautiful weeping willow like forest drenched in what appeared to be Spanish Moss. The light glistening through the canopy reflected off the moss as if it was dusted in glitter as a slight breeze whipped the branches making radiant rays dance upon the forest floor in a beautiful kaleidoscope of color. Bertha tied Bessie to a branch and sat down below one of these massive trees deciding to rest at the edge of the clearing before continuing on her way. Being exhausted by the days events she unintentionally dozed off into a deep sleep and slumbered a full night before finally coming to.

When she awoke Bertha realized they weren't alone tiny footsteps could be heard rustling the leaves around them and a tiny misshapen little creature peered out shyly from behind a root. He appeared to have been created by the forest itself having no hair but a main of twisted root looking growths perched upon wrinkly skin that appeared to be part scale and possibly part tree bark. Bertha watched silently as the tiny being slowly tiptoed out of the cover of the forest staying low to the ground as it made its way towards them. Bessie hadn't noticed the creature and was suddenly caught off guard by its movements causing her to panic, break the branch she was tied to, and run across the clearing only to smash head first into the wall of thorny vines. Bertha having been distracted by Bessie's commotion temporarily lost track of the creature and was startled to learn upon looking for it again that it was sitting in a patch of tall grass only inches from her leg. The creature did not speak a word but fixed its gaze upon her stare as she noticed for the first time its coal black eyes that reflected her own image back at her. The reflection in the creatures eyes that had now garnered her attention revealed itself not an exact image but an eerie almost dead looking rendition of reality. She noticed that the trees reflected behind her had lost their leaves and the vines had crept around them strangling the life out of them.

Locked in a mutual stare Bertha couldn't move and was captive to the creature as his thoughts invaded her own and she began to hear his raspy aged voice repeating "Aslo Organa Merkat" she had never heard the language before but knew instantly its meaning "You are mine". Feeling like a prisoner trapped inside her own mental cell she heard a voice she recognized as her own answer back in the same tongue "Arlo Strivana Merkata". Although she had heard it in her own voice "I am yours" she didn't believe the words she spoke emanated from her own mouth as she would never willingly submit to something so vile as this unknown creature. Feeling completely helpless and screaming at herself from within her own mind the realization soon sat in that this could be the end of the road for her and the start of an eternity spent in servitude. While she had no power in this state she could understand the creatures dark thoughts and knew what a future with him would mean for her. She knew that her consciousness would forever be locked as it was in that moment reduced to a whisper in the back of her mind as she watched helplessly while her fate unfolded.