Things That Go Bump
Anne opened her eyes slowly, wiping sleep away and tried to figure out what had woken her. She knew it wasn’t the rattling chains, nor the continual screams and moans from the other residents. It was amazing how you could get used to the most awful conditions when you had no choice. The constant dripping of water and rank dampness with its accompanying smell of decay that had threatened to drive her mad in the beginning was now just background static that she paid little heed to. She also managed, mostly, to ignore Suka and her merry band of maniacs.
The sound came again and Anne looked towards the corner it seemed to originate from. It sounded like some sort of cross between a human whimper and the sound a wounded animal would make. The sound seemed to be coming from a small “lump” in the darkest corner of Anne’s cell but she could not make out exactly what this lump was.
Moving slowly and trying not to startle the unknown, and potentially dangerous, something, Anne sat up and slipped off her pallet. In a low, soft voice she asked, “Are you hurt? Can I help you in some way?”
Startled in spite of Anne’s effort, the creature, and she could now see it was a creature, looked up in fright, trembling and backing up as if trying to meld with the stone wall of the cell. Anne could see what looked like a nasty gash on the creature’s head that still oozed what appeared to be blood, although it was not of a color she’d normally associate with blood.
Baring it’s teeth while still trying to become one with the wall, the creature said, “Yoo not hitz Ina no moar! Ina not monster, humies iz monterz! Gobos give humies fishy headz and turnips and gud snacks and humies hitz and killz gobos. We gives them our bestest treasures, burnin wood piles and finner paints and all dem nice tings and dey hitz Ina on da head hard over and over wif da metal stick.”
Anne sat back on her heels considering the little goblin, as she’d figured out that’s what the creature was. She was surprised to hear it speaking to her as she had not known that goblins were sentient creatures. She’d assumed, as most of the people she knew had, that goblins were monsters only found in the depths of the underworld and intent on fighting and killing. She’d never actually spoken to one and this one seemed, in addition to being injured, quite upset and bewildered, almost like a child who didn’t understand why such anger and violence had been heaped upon it. It hurt something deep inside her soul to see the confusion and pain on Ina’s little face.
“Easy little one. Ina is your name?,” at the creature’s slow nod, Anne continued, “Ina, I’m so sorry you are hurt. Not all humans are bad. I can help you if you let me look at your wound. I’m a healer.”
At the look of suspicion on Ina’s face, Anne held her hands out, palms up, saying, “I promise, I won’t hurt you. I only want to help.”
Under her breath as the little goblin started to slowly creep closer Anne muttered, “At least I can feel of some use instead of this awful waiting.”
Several days later….
Governor Pitr and former Governor Kaz stood on the docks in New Magincia discussing the unrest and odd happenings around the lands. Invariably their conversation turned to the missing Anne. Nothing had been heard from her for months and both men were worried as Anne had never been absent for more than a day or so. With the troubles spreading across the lands, she could be expected to be in the thick of things, helping however she could. The fact that she was not, spoke volumes, none of them good.
The men turned as they heard footsteps approaching to see Anne’s sister Jessica coming towards them with a worried look on her face.
“Pitr, Kaz, I’ve just come from seeing Vadoma, the old gypsy from the camps in Minoc,” Jessica said urgently. “She gave me this. It’s from Anne. Apparently, Anne sent you both pigeons before she disappeared but they never reached you, or they reached the wrong parties…”
Jessica cut off sharply and the three turned as a little head popped up startling the trio.
“Yoos talkin bout Ann? Ann Nomly?” the curious creature asked the group.
Squatting down, Pitr said, “Yes. She is a friend of ours.” Looking more closely he inquired, “Aren’t you one of Torg’s associates? I believe I saw you at the Governor’s meeting a few days ago?”
“Mez iz Ina and mez no like the hoomies at dat meeting. Dey hurts the gobos and callz dem monsters,” the goblin said showing a row of sharply pointed teeth. “Mez likes the Anne Nomly hoomie tho. She nice to Ina. She fix Ina’s head where da bad hoomie broke it wif da metal stick.”
Kaz looked at his companions, “You realize, if Anne patched up this little one after the meeting, Ina here has seen Anne in the last few days! Perhaps she can help us find her.”
Ina started laughing, holding her belly like she’d just heard the funniest joke ever.
“Ina not need to help find the hoomie Ann Nomly. She not lost. Ina knowz where her iz. Yoos funny hoomies.”
Jessica sat on the ground and held out her hands, palms up, and asked quietly, “Can you show us where she is Ina? She’s my sister and we are worried about her.”
Ina looked at the gesture, like the one Anne had made in the cell before she fixed Ina’s head, then looked up at Jessica and said solemnly, well, solemnly for a goblin, “Oki, Ina showz da sister.”
With that, Ina took off running to the north. Looking back she asked, “Yoos comin?”
To be continued….