P Y T H O N G A

THE STORY

PHASE 3
EMBERS AND DRY BONES

On a smaller island a short distance from where Erin's body lay abandoned, an island tribal elder walked into a clearing through the thick jungle. He sat in the middle of the pure sandy floor. He took a well-worn leather bag off his shoulder, and placed it gently on the ground beside him. Out of it he took dried shards of white wood, pieces of ancient human bones, and three smaller linen pouches. He carefully opened the first linen pouch containing ten smooth rocks. Each he softly rubbed in the palm of his hands, whispering unknown words over them before arranging a circular pattern in front of him. He opened the second pouch containing a mixture of dry leaves, chopped pieces of green leaves, and flakes of bark. The third pouch he placed to the side while he lit the mixture into a small blue fire. As the embers grew, all the creatures down to the smallest of insects, fell silent. The waters became still, and the breeze stopped.

The elder leaned over the flickering warmth. He spoke more of the unknown words over the flames. They cracked and popped with each breath as he whispered over them. He took a pinch of the concoction he had in the third pouch, and tossed it into the glowing flames. He watched them flickering brilliantly, as his words threw the blue sparks past the tallest trees. He whispered to the flames repeatedly.

On the adjacent island where Erin lie, the snake pierced its fangs deeper into her neck.

The elder added more of the dried mixture to the flames, and spoke in a deeper, more urgent tone. The silence around him was only broken by the faint sounds of the fire, and his rhythmic words.

The snake continued pumping its venom into her body.

The elder starred at the glowing blue flames. He placed his hand over the floating embers, capturing a number of them in the palms of his hands. He whispered words to them, then opened his fingers releasing them to the sky. They flew with direction and purpose.

The snake suddenly stopped injecting its venom. It became as still as the night around it. In the darkness surrounding Erin, small lights emerged through the jungle. The released blue embers from the elder's fire gently fell to her body. Each took its place under her cracked, peeling skin. Each had its purpose, its place to heal. The snake released its fangs with a loud, echoing guttural hiss, and disappeared into the jungle. In the pitch black of the night, a dim opaque glow slowly emitted from Erin's body, and she took a deep rasping, unnatural slithering breath that broke the thick silent air.

All the creatures of the jungle began an eery, rhythmic, but quiet call.

The elder quickly whispered over the blaze, and threw the remaining contents from the third linen pouch into the fire. At that moment the flames extinguished, and the pieces of wood and bone were stone cold. The elder gathered each piece carefully, and rolled them methodically into a tethered piece of cloth. He gathered the stones methodically, whispering again over them, and placed them one by one in the pouch. He put the wood, bones, and the three pouches back into the leather bag, slowly rose, and disappeared into the jungle as the eerie calls continued, all in unison, all for the same reason.