Last Place Searching PaiThan (With portrait picture)

Last Place Searching (With portrait picture)

 

"Cause of death: heart attack. Time of death: 03:00 hours." the coroner stated while swiftly scribbling in a nearly unreadable handwriting across the file as she spoke. "You may now say your goodbyes." She says in a procedural and emotionless tone to an elder and a young boy. "Dad did uncle suffer much?" The young boys asks his father, concerned. "Neh, he probably did not suffer much." father replies, patting gently on the kid's shoulder. Both bowed their heads, starting to pray. Father adjusts the collar and the tie of uncles suit with care. "Mother will be very sad to hear that her brother has died. I shall order the funeral and the coffin today. Let's go home." "Father, you forgot the pennies!" "Pennies?" The father’s brow furrowed. "Yeah the pennies for the ferryman!" the son replies. "Son, I am not going to waste two pennies." The funeral and coffin are going to cost quite a lot. Let's go, it is just an old superstition anyway", father replies while he led his son away. "Your uncle died. Those two pennies will not be making any difference in that fact."

 

"May I intrude on your conversation?" an elderly woman asks while gathering the files of the coroner. "It’s more than just a story, and it’s more than just two pennies." the woman adds without waiting for permission. She sighs, and her gaze becomes distant. Father is about to walk away when the old woman starts to talk again. "Two pennies are a golden bargain for that journey," she states, calm but firm.

"Oh, and what do you know about it?" the father asks in a mocking tone.

The elderly woman does not react to that. "Come. I’ll show you where you can wait." And she guides the father and son into a waiting room down the hall. "I will bring you some forms that you have to fill in." The son tugs at his father’s jacket. "Dad... maybe we should lay of the pennies," he whispers. Dad keeps silent, his thoughts are on ordering the coffin and telling his wife the sad news.

 

After a little while, the elderly woman comes back with the needed papers to fill in, along with two mugs of coffee and a glass of lemonade. Dad looks up again.

"Every crossing comes with a cost," says the elderly woman while serving the drinks.

 

"A price? What journey? It’s just a tale for children, isn’t it?" the father asks while skimming through the forms. "If I may?" the elderly woman asks, seating herself without permission. "Not for children. And certainly not just a tale," the woman replies, her voice carrying the weight of personal experience.

 

"It all happened long ago. I was quite young and still called Lizzie. You may call me Miss Elizabeth now. My mom, dad, Mouse our Saint Bernard, and I were walking through the market stalls to do our weekly shopping. It was quite rare for the three of us to walk together. Both of my parents were always busy; my mother was a teacher, and my father was a detective. I was truly happy and enjoying this shopping event. Suddenly, the Saint Bernard got agitated by something and made a run for it. We all chased him, and somehow, we lost each other. That was the day I lost my family."

 

"Miss Elizabeth, did you find them? Did you find your parents?" the boy asks with concern, pulling both the father and Miss Elizabeth out of their thoughts.

 

"What did I find?" Miss Elizabeth asks herself. She takes a sip from her coffee, not noticing that both father and son are waiting for her answer. "After that day at the market, I came to live with my grandma. She was a strict woman, making sure I kept going to school, even though I searched for my lost family every free moment I had."

 

She was there for me when I had a fever; she was there for me during my school plays. But at the age of eighty-five, she died peacefully in her sleep. Losing another family member hit me hard. It was all too much for a young child.

 

One day, after sneaking away from the dreadful orphanage, while saying my prayers at my grandmother's grave, a gravestone nearby opened. I would have been very afraid if, I hadn't heard our dog Mouse barking from inside the tunnel beneath that grave. Without a thought of danger, I hurried toward the grave and into the tunnel.

 

Miss Elizabeth seems to drift into another world. She sights and takes a deep breath before telling the further part of her story. "The cave tunnel was dark and cold. I had to defend myself with a stick against big rats and spiders. Mouse’s distant barking guided me along, choosing the right paths. At last, I reached the gates of the underworld. Big iron wrought ominous gates with looming statutes gazing upon me. I crawled scared behind some rocks watching sinister looking guardians marching along the gates. After a while I saw a gap between their defence and slipped through the gate.

I did not know what to expect behind those gates; all I had was Mouse's barking calling me and kind off urging me to keep going."

 

As I walked through the new surroundings I noticed that the ground beneath me became warmer and warmer. In the crevices of the rocks, I saw tiny little devils. Some didn’t notice me, while others gazed at me like I was an unknown species. A few were mischievous, throwing tiny rocks in my direction. After a little while I came to a river of lava. The ground underneath me was now scorching hot, forcing me to hop from foot to foot to endure the heat. On that river, I spotted a boat with a ferryman chained at the front.

 

I realized that this was the famous ferryman, and I was in the notorious underworld. I searched my pockets and found two pennies. Quickly, I ran to the ferry and hopped on. "Mr. ferryman, I have two pennies!" I exclaimed. "Please, bring me to my parents."

 

"That, I will not." The ferryman with a scruffy voice replied. "Ye clearly don't belong here. Go back to where ye came from." "That, I can't." My parents are here. Our dog is here. Please, bring me to them." I replied with all the courage I could muster.

 

Suddenly, I found myself high above the ground, dangling in the air. A large skeleton with wings held me in its bony arms, pulling me into its gaze. "Well, well, what do we have here?" "G-g-good day, sir," I stammered, still quite shocked. "I’m Lizzie, and I want to find my parents... a-and my dog," I added, stammering.

 

"Hmm, I thought so," was the mysterious answer I received. "I- I have two pennies," I said, still stammering a bit, holding them up firmly for him to see. "Yes, you've got them," the skeleton replied, a hint of a smile creeping across its bony face. "Off we go!" he ordered the ferryman.

 

And so we began to sail swiftly across the lava river. The journey was not without danger. The lava was scorching, and the river twisted with sharp bends and cascading waterfalls. There were moments even perilous for Mr. Hades, the skeleton and ruler of the Underworld himself, as evil ghosts attacked without warning or mercy. Suddenly, we came to a halt.

 

 "You don’t want to go further?" Hades asked, his voice carrying a surprising hint of concern.  "I do, but... I’m quite afraid," I admitted, sniffling. "I almost tumbled into the lava." "Ai, and did I not catch ye in time?" the ferryman grumbled. "You did, thank you for that," I replied, still shaken. "And those menacing ghosts almost had me too!" I exclaimed. "And did I not fight them off for you?" Hades, the skeleton, added.

"You did. Thank you kindly," I sobbed. "I see," Hades said thoughtfully. "Let’s take a break for a while."

 

The ferryman guided the boat to a quiet bank. Resting there, I realized I was hungry. I broke my treasured stroopwafel a sweet waffle cookie with caramel syrup into pieces, shared it and ate my portion before falling into a deep sleep.

 

"Nou, nou," an old voice coaxed me, followed by gentle pats on my head. "Making quite a fuss." and old warm voice added. Grandma oh and grandpa too. "I thought you both died!" I exclaimed, spotting them sitting in old rocking chairs, next to a well and a cozy old house. "You've done great so far! Why were you giving up?" they both asked gently. "Can’t you see you're in safe hands? Don’t give up, dear. We love you." I felt soft kisses on my cheek. I wanted to hug them, but somehow I was drifting away. "I love you too!" I shouted back. "I miss you!" I cried as everything became hazy again. I don’t know how long I slept after that, but when I woke, I felt refreshed and full of courage once more.

 

The journey went further. We came to the most perilous part. Where big evil beings were fiercely attacking us. Both Hades and the ferryman fought them off with experience and skill. Even I swung my stick, trying to fend them off.

 

Suddenly the end was there. The ferryman banked his boat by a pier and fell asleep. I have him a hug and thanked him. Hades led me to a gate and opened it for me. There in a flowery field I found my parents and our dog Mouse. All where transparent but I was feeling their hugs. Mouse even pounded me on the floor like he always did.

"You big clumsy dog," I scolded him happily. I got the I love you 's from my parents. I told them about my journey and about my grandparents. My parents listened. They were thankful to the ferryman and Hades.

 

Then suddenly my dad got his detective face and became very serious. He told me about that day on the market. The day that I lost them all. Father told me that Mouse saw something suspicious. We ran towards it and we all ran after him. I lost them. But my parents found him in an ally. There they saw MR Stinkdeer burning some papers. "Do you remember him?" father asked. "He was the conman that got a lot of local government money for all his projects. But never delivered anything. That year he was even supporting the evil Mayor for his re- election." I suddenly remembered him. I could even tell my parents that the Mayor lost that election big time. That fact made my parents happy. They did not want to tell me how they died for it was a violent one.

 

Time was short. My parents felt that time was near. The time was there to go to heaven. Apparently my grandparents were waiting. Quickly I gave them another hug.

And through the tears of my eyes I saw them disappear. But, strangely enough, Mouse didn’t disappear. Instead, he became whole again, no longer transparent.

 

"He’ll stay and guard you," Hades explained as he picked me up once more.

Hades praised me, saying I had done well. It was time for him to say farewell too. Suddenly, I found myself outside the orphanage. The mean headmistress found me, hit me twice, and scolded me with all the words my parents had forbidden. Two days later, a niece from my father’s side came to pick me and Mouse up, to take care of us. I had a good life after that. My niece and her boyfriend, later husband, loved me. I studied hard and became head of the nurses and I married happily.

 

"What a story!" a boy exclaimed. Shocked I looked up and saw the astonishing faces from the father and the son in the hospital in front of me. "I'm convinced," the father said, nodding firmly. "I'm going to lay those pennies right now!" "That is great," I say realising again, that I was telling the father and son my story. "It is beautiful outside and I would like to go to the park with Mouse. I noticed the boy looking at me, puzzled, his thoughts racing. I could see him wondering, Wait, the same Saint Bernard, Mouse?

 

I smiled knowingly. Before either of them could thank me, I had already vanished ;disappeared, like a ghost into thin air!

 

END

 

Word count 2095

 

 

PS:

This entry has the picture of Lizzie and her parents.

The image of Lizzie's journey in the Underworld is to see by the horror contest. There you can see Lizzie, Hades and the ferryman!

Entry #102    - Last Place Searching PaiThan Page 04

Link: https://www.renderosity.com/contests/entries/43471

Enjoy!

Word Count: 5912
Hours Spent: 48
Software Used: DAZ Studio 4 With IRAY