Metamorphosis

Tears fell down Susie’s face as she trudged up the grassy hill. Around her, the English countryside undulated gently into the distance: a colourful patchwork of gold and green. This morning, though, she was oblivious to all that beauty. She was on her way to bid farewell to an old friend; one she had known all her life. She had felt the impact of the death during the violent storm last night, responding with a whimper of distress as she lay snug in her bed. She raised her eyes to the crest of the hill, totally bare, devoid of any life. Eventually she reached her destination. The beautiful, ancient oak lay on its side, its roots exposed to the sky. She knelt on the damp earth and laid her cheek against the rough bark. It had been her friend ever since she could remember. She had been told that when she was still a baby, she would lie on her back on a rug, gurgling up at the dancing leaves above her. As a toddler she had scrambled over its gnarled roots, rejoicing whenever she found a tiny creature tucked away in its bark. In childhood, she had scaled its sturdy boughs and sat amongst the canopy, delighting in the sounds and sights of all around her: queen of all she surveyed. Then, in her teens, she had propped herself against its trunk whilst she read books or daydreamed the hours away. This tree had been privy to all her hopes, dreams, and fears throughout the years. Its textured bark had received many of her secrets and her sorrows. It had been her place of refuge when her widowed mother died and when her own marriage broke up: a sanctuary in her times of trouble. Now it was gone. She laid down along the length of the trunk for a final embrace, wrapping her arms around it. “Goodbye, old friend,” she murmured, “Thank you for all you have given me through the years.” A sob broke from her lips. “I don’t know how I’m going to manage without you.” She sensed a quiver beneath her, thought she heard a faint sigh. The tree rolled slightly, tipping her over into a gaping hole left by its upturned roots. She screamed as she fell down a shaft, the sound echoing and spiralling upwards towards the blue sky far above her. She landed, with a soft thud, on a pile of dry leaves. Tentatively she tried moving her limbs, one after another. She seemed to be winded but otherwise unhurt. She felt for her mobile ‘phone in her trouser pocket. That, too, seemed undamaged. She switched on the flashlight and looked around her. She was, she reckoned, about fifteen feet below the surface, with no visible way back up. She stifled a sob of terror and began calling for help. There was, as she had expected, no answering call, no searching beam of light. No-one knew she was here. For years now, ever since she returned to live in the family smallholding where she had been raised, she had kept away from people. Any contact with the nearby villagers was kept to a minimum. People, she had learnt, meant heartbreak. She had devoted herself to growing food and caring for the livestock, aiming to be as self-sufficient as possible: physically and emotionally. After all, she thought, she had her animals to talk to and the old tree for company. She didn’t need anyone or anything else. She just wanted to live in a way that harmed neither others nor the planet. Now, though, the thought of her flock of goats and sheep made her gasp. They could not fend for themselves; they needed food, water, and shelter; they needed her! “I must get out of here,” Susie thought. She took a deep breath to steady herself and then flashed the light around the shaft once more. She paused and looked again. she mistaken? No! There was indeed a low tunnel leading out of from the shaft. Maybe it would lead her to safety. There was no sound except for the pounding of her heart in her ears and her laboured breathing as she bent low and entered the tunnel. The beam of light revealed rocky outcrops and damp, glistening walls. Here and there were beautiful limestone markings, tracing delicate patterns across the ceiling. She stopped suddenly. She could see the faint trace of a human hand, etched in red ochre, then another and another. Susie was fascinated. She laid her own hand inside the imprint on the wall and smiled. She was not alone. Others had been here before her, perhaps millennia ago. She moved forward. “If people lived down here, a way out must exist.” The tunnel turned a corner and opened out into a small cave. The rocks beneath her feet felt different: loose, and crunchy. She leant against a rocky ledge to rest for a moment and shone the torch around. With a shudder, she realised that beneath her were the remains of human bones. She glanced sideways at where her hand rested on a smooth, round object. A skull leered up at her. A shudder of revulsion ran through her body as she realised that she had stumbled into an ossuary; a sanctuary where the bones of those departed were laid to rest. Then she steadied herself. All of this was, she reflected, a mark of respect from a people long gone. Clearly, Life and Death were both represented here in this dark domain. Nevertheless, she needed to escape. She forced herself forward, down one tunnel after another, seeking a way out from this underground world. With a shock, she realised that the flashlight was growing dim. Then its beam disappeared completely. Panic set in. She stumbled forward, groping her way down the rocky walls of the underground maze. Eventually, exhausted, she sank to her knees in despair. She was going to die. No-one knew she was there. No rescue would be forthcoming. She could struggle no longer. She lay down, trying to make herself as comfortable as possible while she waited for the sleep of oblivion. The sound of voices cut into her stupor. Was she hallucinating? Could there possibly be other people down here? She peered into the darkness. Yes! She could see lights. “Help! Over here!” she called. There was a pause and then the lights started to move, drawing nearer to her. Gradually she saw two figures emerging from the gloom She stood up, waving her arms, laughing, and crying at the same time. “Oh! Thank goodness you’ve come. I thought I was destined to die down here.” “Destined?” The taller figure spoke, his voice deep and resonant: reassuring. “Yes!” the other figure replied, “It is destiny that brings us to you.” A female voice, light and musical. “Well, three cheers for destiny, I say.” As she spoke, Susie looked closer at her rescuers. She could see no lantern nor torch in their hands nor on their heads. Instead, the light seemed to shimmer and rise from deep within them. “Very strange,” she thought, “must be new technology for cavers”. They were each clothed in a green one-piece, rather like a wet suit. Matching hoods shaded their faces. Her thoughts raced. “A bit eerie- but I have no choice. I have to trust them.” The light, musical, voice tinkled round the chamber, filling the air. “We have come to help you.” “Thank goodness!’ Susie exclaimed. “Take our hands and we will lead you.” The other figure spoke, his voice thrumming and resonating deep within her. She held out her hands trustingly and each figure took one of them. Together they moved forward; Susie stumbling clumsily, her rescuers gliding smoothly alongside. Their bright lights framed the three of them in a silver halo. They travelled for what felt to Susie a very long time. “Is it much further?” She asked. “No. We are nearly there now.” The speaker patted her hand reassuringly. The next moment, Susie gasped in wonder. They had entered a vast cathedral-like cavern. Layers of multicoloured rock adorned the walls, with precious minerals sparkling in the light. Magnificent limestone structures traced pattens over the roof and created delicate archways as stalactites and stalagmites fused together. To one side, a river flowed gently before disappearing into the darkness beyond. A misty spray hung in the air, causing myriads of rainbows to sparkle above her; whilst a deep crashing sound told her that, nearby, the river was plunging deep into the bowels of the earth. “This is beautiful!” She exclaimed. “Journeys end!" They announced. “We are glad you like it. Welcome to our home.” “What!” Susie wrenched her hands free and took a step backwards. “I thought you were cavers, come to rescue me. Not some sort of troglodytes. You said you would help me.” She began to cry wildly. “We said we would help you - and we have. We said nothing about taking you back to the surface.” “It is, in fact, beyond our means.” A note of sorrow could be heard in that voice. As Susie’s sobs echoed around the vast chamber, she became aware of the light growing stronger. She looked up and saw a multitude of figures emerging from the crevices in the rock. All were dressed the same as her rescuers, each shining with an inner light. They crowded round her; she was surprised to find that she was not afraid. “It’s like being wrapped in a blanket of love,” she thought. “Who are you? What are you?” “We are Adamites, children of the earth.” “Our task is to protect and nourish the world.” “Adam… ite’s”, Susie echoed pensively. “The first human was called Adam.” “Yes.” Sadness could be heard in that voice. “Once he belonged here, with us. But he grew dissatisfied, wanted more, much more. One day he fought his way to the surface. He was seduced by what he found there. He never came back.” “Our biblical story tells us Adam was created from the dust of earth.” Her voice grew more animated as she thought of the connectedness of all that she was experiencing. “Yes. You, too, are of the earth —-but your kind are killing it.’ She swallowed hard. “I know. I’m sorry. But I do try not to damage the earth by the way I live.” “We know.” “That is why we came to find you. We did not want you to die here below.” “But can’t you lead me out? I could tell others about you - about your mission here below. Try to make them for change their ways.’ “Alas. No. That is not possible.” “Then you condemn me to die here!’ She screamed. “Not so. You are free to try and find your own way out, or you can stay here with us. We invite you to join us. To care for the earth from within.” “Leave your fallen humanity behind you and become one of us.” Susie looked up at these strange words. She found she was gazing at a circle of Adamites, each one smiling at her. “But my animals. They need help: food and water. “ “We have taken care of them. Even now, as we speak, they are making their way across the fields to the neighbouring farm. They will be looked after there.” “But. I am human! I need fresh air, food, water. I will perish if I stay with you.” The leading Adamite threw his hood back so she could see his face for the first time. It was smooth, free from worry or age. He smiled at her. “You will need to change. To lose your human way of being and become like us. She thought rapidly. “Was this a trick?” But there was no malice in his eyes, just kindness. “How can that happen?” “First you must drink from the river of life - though some of your kind call it the river of oblivion. Then you must eat of the fruits of the earth. Above all, you must trust us. Can you do that?” Susie thought of her life above ground; of the loneliness and hardship she endured. She looked around at the expectant faces, willing her to agree. She took a deep breath before answering. “I will.” A jubilant peal of breath rang throughout the chamber. She was led to a throne-like chair where, as she sat, a green robe was draped gently round her shoulders. A bowl of clear water was collected from the river and given to her to drink. It was the sweetest water she had ever tasted. She felt it sliding down her throat, reviving her body. A plate of fungus-like berries was laid before her. She paused. It did not look very inviting. “What if it’s poisonous?” But she felt the warmth and encouragement of those around her; something way above anything she had ever experienced in her life above ground. She tentatively put a small berry in her mouth. It was delicious: like honey. The watching Adamites nodded encouragingly. She suddenly realised how hungry she was. The plate was soon emptied. “Now. You must sleep.” A beautiful song filled the air around her. Her eyes grew heavy. She was dimly aware of a silken thread being wrapped around her body, but she did not struggle. “What is to be will be,”’ she thought sleepily. Soon she was in a deep coma. Round and round, over and under, the thread was gently woven over her until just her face was visible. Then, that too disappeared under a shimmery web of green. No-one knew or cared about the length of time passing. Nature was taking its course. Until. At last. There was a shiver within the cocoon: a gentle movement. The filigree threads parted. Susie stepped out gingerly and wondering. “Have I been having some weird dream?” She looked around her. The beautiful cavern was still there. The faces surrounding her were still kind. She looked down at herself. She gasped. She was now clad in the same green one-piece as those around her, a hood sitting lightly on her own head. She touched her face. It felt smooth, free of all the worry lines that she had known before. Most of all, there was a light glowing from within her. It shone faintly at first, then grew stronger and stronger. She tried to take a step but found herself gliding instead. The transition was complete. Susie beamed. “I look like them. I feel like them. I belong with them. We are Adamites together.” A loud chant echoed round the cavern. “Welcome! A thousand, thousand welcomes to the world of the Adamites. We rejoice with you,” “Come!” The same deep, resonant voice she had first heard spoke to her. ” You are free now to wander wherever you want in the labyrinthine chambers of this world. Come, travel with us.” He started to spin slowly and, as she watched, he left the floor beneath and rose into the air. With a light laugh, he dropped down and stood alongside her. He took her hand once more. “Come! Follow me”. Susie copied him, slowly spiralling upwards. She laughed with glee as she found she could fly, gliding smoothly through the spaces of the underworld. Her companion led her down a tunnel. “Someone is waiting for your touch.” She sped down after him. Suddenly, as they entered a small cave, she called out. “Wait. Stop. I feel pain above me. I am needed here” “Well done, Susie. You are indeed one of us now. Just follow your instincts.” She spiralled slowly upwards and laid her face against the roof of the tunnel. She spread wide her arms in an embrace of love and touched the damp soil with her lips. Susie murmured words of love. “My friend, my dear, dear friend. I am here with you. I have not left you. I am just changed. Maybe that is what you wanted when you tipped me into this underworld.” She stroked a long, hairy strand: a wispy root dangling through the earth. “Be strong again my friend. Be healed.” Then Susie dropped to the floor, exhausted by all the energy that had just flowed out of her. Her companion embraced her. “Well done, my friend. You have just given the gift of new life.” Far above them, out of their line of vision, the fallen oak vibrated as a tremor of new life pulsated through it. A new shoot pushed out from the dead wood. Resurrection! Author Bio: Emmie Blake is a wife, mother, and grandmother, living in rural Wales. Much of her life has been spent working with, and campaigning for, people on the fringes of society: those with addiction problems, ex-offenders and the dispossessed. She has been active in the Anglican Church for more than forty years; initially as a Layperson and subsequently as an ordained Minister. In retirement, she enjoys gardening and walking as well as, of course, reading and writing. Some of her short stories have been published in an Anthology and online in e-zines whilst work on her first novel is ongoing.