For my beloved sister Tess. (I am a german writer, so I know that this is probably not the best english translation.)
The jungle erects around me, juicy and alive, looking like a cheap tapestry in a dodgy bedroom. In a jungle there is not one tree growing next to the other. Where one tree is growing, there are at least three more around his bark, his crone and the whole forest is tied together with vines. The whole peace of art is topped with sprinkles of flowers and blossoms in any colour you can imagine.
Of course my throne is not somewhere in that jungle, it’s placed on the most beautiful spot ever. From the big rock you can see the green mountains, laying under you like a messy fabric. Butterflys are dancing in pairs down in the valley and cocatoos and cocoburras are mocking about my visitors.
Ah, and here is my next visitor. With short pants in the jungle, im just shaking my head; he is either stupid or brave. I will find out in a second. With eyes wide open the young men enters my clearing. He freezes when he recognizes the heartshape oft he leaves that are forming my throne. The leaves of the gympie gympie. Malicious tongues would call me suicide plant.
„Where am I?“, he aks.
„You are at a place, where you need to decide“, I explain, „You dared touching me and now you need to pay the debt.“
His eyes open even more. His looking down to his hand. ‚Lucky boy. Its just the hand‘, I think by myself. I still remember that gorgeous, strong soldier, that thought the heartshaped leaves would do as toiletpaper. His debts were to big and he jumped straight from the rock over there, even before i could explain the thing with the debt in detail.
„What debt? And what decision?“, the young men asks me. His mind still tries to keep up with everything. But the little creatures, that are jumping around him are obvisly distracting him.
There is a deepblue bird with a green head, whos landing on a branch near by. A tiny, ugly man, trying to climb up his leg, a fairy being with glittering dragonfly wings, who is flying around his head and a tousled wombat cuddling to his other leg.
Lucky, he doesn’t see the spider creature on the back of his head, that pinched his legs deep into his brain and spine. Pain is a nasty beast.
„The crime your are indicted is respectlessness against the deity of the forest“, I explain to him. I really try to be patient. I mean it is not his fault, that humans are lamebrained. „The poison in your body will cleanse you. It is anything but nice and the pain will get even worse, but with every second you bare it you honor me and the jungle. I promise you, afterwards you will have enough respect. You can call youself warrior if you want. That was the test of the new warriors: if the survive a meeting with me, they are allowed to call themselves warrior. You can’t imagine how mollycoddled most oft he people, who come here nowadays, are. Some of them jump down the rock faster as you can look.“
Quickly his eyes move to the ridge but he gains back the control.
„What are these creatures?“, he asks, going down on the knee to push away the tiny ugly man and cuddling the wombat.
„These are your strongest emotions. The furry rock there, thats your will. Thats a pretty solid will I must admit.“ I’m pointing to the manikin, that tries to get back to him. „That is your fear. Sometimes he is sitting on your shoulder, wispering things in your ear. He is only growing when you pay attention to him.“
„And what is that dragonfly? Or is it a fairy? She looks so familiar.“
I smile. „Thats your love. Feathery but with wings that can overcome any obstacle. Your pain is an other thing. That beast is sitting very aweful in your neck. Better don’t turn around. That’s nothing you want to see.“
He gasps fearfully.
„As I said: don’t turn around“, I sigh and shake the head. These humans. „Well and at least, the bird over there thats your hope. The light at the end of the tunnel.“
I tipp the fingertips of my right hand against the palm of the left hand, while the young man panics and tries to get that spider beast off his back. Swearing he tries to grab it with his hands, but it is slimy and pushes ist needles even deeper into his flesh.
Out of breath and not successful at all he finally surrenders.
„Soo, as i said“, I continue, „Respect the jungle and her deities and pay for your debts with your pain. If your going through it you may have a warriors soul. Or something like that. Whatever. Any further questions?“
„Ehm, I don’t think so.“
„Well, than have fun with the neurotoxin.“ And i’m sending him back into his body.
Tammy Erle 