The boy reached for the last board. His arm was sore from all the nailing with the hammer but there was no time to rest. They had to finish barricading the open space before the darkness falls. The rough walls that they were putting up would not stop the creature, but they would give the time needed for organizing the defense back in the village. That was at least what he was told by his grandfather who was now coming back with another pile of boards loaded on his back.
– But, grandpa, I thought this was the last one…, the kid complained.
– Ha! Jonge, my boy, we will keep nailing until our eyes can see nothing no more, he answered while letting the boards slip from his strong shoulders.
Hut-Hartig, the Infinite, as he was known, had seen many winters and many summers though noone knew exactly how many since noone was familiar with the concept of time in the world of Aarde and so noone cared about its measurement. Counting in years as we do in Earth, he was about 94 years old, the wisest of the village and therefore the strongest and most agile. About two feet tall, strong as a bull, with broad shoulders, arms and legs full of muscles, eyes able to see in the deepest dark, sharp hearing and a resourceful mind, rightly was he considered the best warrior in the whole Aarde. Even though there were others with a larger lifespan than him, they were not equally healthy and strong. And that was because they never took advantage of all the gifts that were generously given to them. They were never able to truly feel the earth, the water and the air, open their heart to understand life around them, contemplate peace and common coexistence with all the tribes and creatures of this planet, accept their mistakes and search deep inside them for a better self, be fair and unbiased and at the same time receptive and compassionate with everyone. That was the reason they never acquired strength as it is defined by the physical law of the Aards. For the Aards knowledge and empathy are power, health, beauty and wellness. It might be the only world in the Universe where the body evolves along with the spirit and wisdom corresponds to physical advantage. Or it might be not. No one is there to know as no one has ever visited all the worlds of the Universe.
But let’s leave the whole Universe aside and come back to the small Aarde. It was now summer and that meant that soon the night visits of Tijd would begin. Most of the villages had already started boarding up and organizing their defenses as they used to do every year during this time, for it was known, when Tijd comes, she never leaves empty-handed. The magical, as some described it, but also scary, as other described it, creature would come from deep inside the woods when the sun was long gone, covered in leaves, moss and lichens, creaking like ancient wood in every move, spreading its huge hands that looked like branches, and grab the wisest one of the villagers, man or woman, and disappear again into the darkness. No one knew where she came from, where she went and what she did with her countless victims. Some people claimed that she devoured them and then she fell in a deep sleep, staying still as a tree, until the next summer when she would wake up to feed again. Other people believed that whoever was lucky enough to be picked by her would become one with her and live forever in the trees, the water and the air, be one with the nature that Tijd represented. The tribes that believed the later were following different traditions during the summer. They would not organize any defense or prepare for any battle with Tijd. On the contrary, they were celebrating every summer evening waiting for her to come, while every wise man and wise woman of the village prayed to be the one the Godess of Aarde would select to take with her.
The village that little Jonge came from had no clear view on Tijd. The only truth they were certain of was that life in the woods was good and no one wanted it to be abruptly disrupted by a giant hand wrapped around them. The last few years they were able to avoid any casualties thanks to Hut-Hartig’s instructions. Tijd would always stop in front of the high barricades, rarely she would cross them but only to find the resistance of the villagers with fire, spears and arrows, forcing her to return to her darkness and head towards the next village for an easier target. But this year Mooi, Jonge’s grandma and partner of Hut-Hartig, had a bad feeling about it. Even though she, with a slightly shorter lifespan than Hut-Hartig, was the strongest and most beautiful one among the wise women of the village, she was more afraid for him than for herself. That was an extra reason why Jonge wanted to do a good job on the nailing of the boards. He did not want to disappoint his grandmother at his first task. The younger member of the tribe would be usually kept safe in the huts during the summer nights and would not see Tijd until they were considered mature enough and ready by the wise people of the village to deal with such a sight and contribute to their effort rather than create more problems. Jonge had been considered ready and he felt proud of that.
– I think we did the best we could, said Hut-Hartig stroking his grandson’s head while the last sunbeam was disappearing behind the purple mountain peak. Time to head back before your grandmother comes to get us herself. Trust me, if that happens, you will be more scared of her than of Tijd.
– Is that so? a melodic but strict voice was heard behind them. Then you better run to save yourselves since the monster is here already! yelled the mysterious figure and with a single jump she appeared between them.
She grabbed Hut-Hartig from his shoulders, pulled him back and pinned him on the ground. Jonge rushed on her screaming:
– Let him go! Leave him alone or else…
– Or else what? What will you do to me, little one?
– I will kill you! With these deadly fingers! Jonge replied and immediately started tickling his grandmother frantically.
Soon all three were rolling in the ground, fighting and laughing. Then they all laid on their back and stared in silence at the stars that were appearing on the night sky one by one.
– We should really start heading back, Mooi broke the silence. It is only the first night of the summer, but you never know when and who will Tijd decide to visit first.
– You are right, Hut-Hartig agreed while getting up.
But at that moment he felt the ground trembling. He looked at his partner. She had felt it too.
– What is wrong, grandpa? Jonge wondered since he had not yet realized the subtle vibration of the ground.
– Sssshhh, his grandfather replied while putting his finger on his leaps.
Jonge figured it out. For a few minutes all three stayed still. Suddenly, a terrifying creaking filled the air. It sounded as if trees were falling in the row, getting closer and closer to where they were. Hut-Hartig grabbed Jonge’s arm and quickly moved him to a narrow rough shelter. He pushed him inside and while closing the little door he said to him:
– Stay here until I return or until you hear nothing at all.
Jonge was horrified but he nodded his head to show that he would do exactly what his grandfather told him. The dark was even denser in the little shelter but every sound from outside could be heard as clear. An unexpected silence followed. A few minutes passed. Jonge’s hands were sweating while he felt his knees shaking. What was happening? Should he come out or wait longer? As he was staring the darkness around him, he noticed a thin crack on the lower part of the small door from where the moonlight was finding its way in. He kneeled and tried to see what was happening outside. Trees, bushes, and rocks were everywhere except for the barricaded open space. He could not see his grandfather or grandmother anywhere nor anyone or anything else. A few more minutes of deadly silence passed. An owl was heard from afar and as if this gave the signal, suddenly everything started moving. The tree tops bended, the birds flew away, and the bushes moved aside for a giant foot, big as a tree trunk, to step easily on the barricades that Hut-Hartig and Jonge had put up with such an effort. The giant foot was followed by an enormous female body, tall as a tower. Her long arms resembled branches, just like in the stories, while a deep yellow light was burning in her eyes and her hair was covered with leaves and ivy. Horrifying yet beautiful, she looked as if nature had taken the shape of a woman to make you fear her and admire her tonight.
Before she could even balance her step in the clearing behind the destroyed barricades, a tiny black figure jumped on her neck from a tall tree nearby. Hut-Hartig screamed awfully as he was sinking his long spear in her back while at the same time Mooi showed up in the clearing in front of her with her large bow and began shooting arrows to her. Tijd let out a haunting eerie cry while she stretched her arms towards her back, trying to remove Hut-Hartig’s spear. He took advantage of that to jump on the ground, grab his axe and strike the back of her foot, aiming for her Achilles tendon. With a swift move of her hand, she hit Hut-Hartig and sent him flying to the other end of the clearing. Mooi run immediately next to him. Tijd bended her struck leg and balanced on her knee, breathing heavily with the sound of a thousand winds she looked straight at the couple of the worthy warriors in front of her. In Jonge’s eyes, who kept watching everything from the thin crack in anxiety, it looked as if she was bowing to the bravery and fierce fighting spirit of his grandparents and that gave him hope that this battle was over and soon Tijd would leave. But that did not happen. She stayed, motionless as if she was waiting.
– She is not leaving, said Mooi in panic. She is still here staring at us, why won’t she leave? She never stayed that long in the past!
– Maybe this time she does not want to leave alone, Hut-Hartig answered as he was standing up.
The two warriors approached her and stood just a few meters far from her. She reached out her gigantic hand with an open palm and put it softly on the ground. The couple looked at each other, kissed tenderly and hugged tight before Hut-Hartig take a step foward to climb on the giant palm. But then the hand moved and pushed him away with her finger. Then she pointed at Mooi.
– No! yelled Hut-Hartig. Take me! I am stronger, is me that you want!
The finger insisted on pointing Mooi.
– It looks like you are not as strong as you thought, Mister Infinite, said Mooi playfully with eyes full of tears.
She held his hand.
– It’s ok, she said. It is time. I am happy I am going first. You can go on without me, the village needs you.
– No, I can’t! Stay! Stay, Mooi! We can defeat her, come on, grab your bow, we don’t have to do what she wants, we can win this fight!
She smiled at him while her tears were now running down her cheeks.
– We cannot. No one can win this fight, no one can defeat her, and you know it. Only if she wants to, only then we can win but tonight she doesn’t want to leave alone, you said so yourself.
Hut-Hartig took a step back in tremble. He looked at Mooi, trying to memorize her image in his brain, record every detail, not to forget her shape, her strong body, her beautiful face and her fearless eyes. He fell in her arms sobbing and kissed her for the last time.
– I will miss you, I love you, he whispered with effort.
– Me too, she replied.
Jonge saw her grandmother from afar getting on Tijd’s palm. Her fingers wrapped around her carefully and brought her close to her giant body. The colossal female figure stood up and prepared to get lost in the woods once more. Her grandmother was the chosen one then. Suddenly Jonge realized that he would not see her ever again. Tears filled his eyes while all his feelings came crashing and tied a knot around his throat. He pushed open the door of the shelter and burst out in the clearing. He ran with all his force to catch Tijd up and after he managed to dodge his grandfather’s grip who tried to stop him, he stood behind her and yelled:
– Why are you doing this? Why? Who are you?
Tijd stopped. She turned around slowly and looked at the little boy. Her head rattled and on a face that until now only a pair of glowing eyes could be distinguished, a mouth opened slowly accompanied by a sound of wood ripping. For the first time, her voice was heard:
– One day… I will come… for you. I will come… for all of you. I set fire… to your elders,… I set fire… to your knowledge. I… am… the end… yet also… the beginning. I… am… Time.
My Wonderland 