Background

Charlie Braxton McRoy has learned the meaning of having one true friend while on his long arduous journey. Norville Trueblood filled the spot unconventionally in full radical attire.

"But, what do you know? I'm not all that hungry, right now. Maybe later." He spoke loud enough for the faceless voice to hear.

"You have definitively made an astute decision, Norville. A noteworthy choice based on intelligence and discretion that will affect everything else you undertake for the rest of your life. One small ripple turns the tide."

"I can't imagine how that can be, but if you say so; I'm good with that." Norville really hadn't determined the final verdict of not eating Charlie. He merely postponed the unnecessary expenditure of his energy; since the laborious trip would require all of the 'get up and go' he could muster up. No need to waste an ounce unnecessarily.

Charlie woke from his short refreshing nap, so enthusiastic he was about to burst.

"Norville, I'm so glad to see you. Guess what? I had the most real-to-life dream, I have ever experienced. No way could it have been just an ordinary dream."

"Charlie was alive." Norville considered the weighty implication. As he mulled over the fragile reality, in his mind, he knew that fact, alone, was way more important than any dream. He listened to him, nonetheless. "He need not know how close he came to permanently staying in the dream." He sputtered to himself.

"Tell me about it." Norville stated less enthusiastically.

"It was all about this little red bird I met, on the last day, I was in school. I saw him, again when I thought I had returned home but I really didn't."

Norville looked rather confused.

"It's a long, long story. Anyway, he wasn't simply a bird, but something like a genie in disguise. He said all birds were. He informed me, that I really wasn't dreaming at all and that what had transpired was real, genuine, authentic. Can you believe it? Every single thing that happened to me, took place just as I experienced it. Anyway, he said, I was his master, since I had a human body and he did not, but that he would have a human body one day and I could have any wish I wanted. He also told me that no one would ever believe any of this so it was pointless to even say a word about it. He said people do not want their illusions disturbed and that by my relaying to them something they were not yet ready to receive would do nothing but make them mad at me and they would never ever forgive me for it."

Charlie continued to jabber as fast as he could possibly spit out the words, as if, he would forget the tale if he didn't hurry up and tell it.

Norville remained mute.

"But, the only restriction and prerequisite to having my wish fulfilled was that it had to be a singular wish with no other strings attached. He said that's what true passion is but most people don't understand that, either. That means, I couldn't be divided, or unsure, or wishy-washy or need more than one specific thing. He also said he was going to reveal to me an ancient secret which few people knew about. He said that I could in no wise conjure up the way or means of how my wish would be manifested. I had to accept it exactly as it would be presented. Of course, my only wish was to go home. I told him, I had no idea of how he would grant my wish or IF he would grant it. My expectations were gone; I was merely stumbling around on the back of a dumb alligator, who was just as lost as I was. No offense, Norville." Charlie talked so fast, he almost ran out of breath due to sheer accelerated blood pressure exhaustion.

"Slow down, partner. We have plenty of time for you to tell me what happened. I'm not going anywhere, without you."

"Well, I told him that the one and only wish, I wanted more than anything else in the whole wide world, was to be transported back home. He said it would be granted and for me not to speak of it, again." Charlie gazed unsuspectingly at the impervious slick-talking alligator.

"Norville, I don't know how or why, but I believed him. I know, BEYOND A SHADOW OF A DOUBT, we are going to make it!"

"I can see how moved you are by the dream. But, remember it was JUST a dream. Don't let your imagination run away with you. Dreams can seem awfully real, but more than that, there are no guarantees in life." The alligator emphatically warned.

"Yes, there are. You and me: friends for life. No other person means so much to me or holds so much value on this path for me. You came at a time when I had lost all hope. I would have died IF you hadn't showed up when you did. I am so grateful to you."

Norville Trueblood mumbled under his calculating breath. "Ignorance is bliss, they say."

"No more plans for me. From now on whatever happens is right, no matter how it looks. Something has moved in me and I didn't have thing to do with it."

"All things are relative, little buddy. Friends? I guess you could say we are friends. We have something very much in common." The alligator meant what he meant and Charlie meant what he meant but the two stories would never cross paths.

Charlie pounced from sitting position up onto his bare feet. Something caught his attention.

"Look, Norville, look!" Sure enough, the strikingly magnificent Red Bird was perched upon in top of the nearest palm tree. "Do you see him?" It's my Red Bird!"

Norville reluctantly raised his heavily disgusted head, just in time, to see the bird descend and suspend his delicate flight in midair, not two feet away, directly over top of the alligator's jaws, as if, to speak. Norville didn't get it; or, maybe, he already had.

"It's an omen, I tell you. An omen! We must be closer home than we think." Charlie was ecstatic.

Norville was not amused nor impressed.

"Hey, I got an idea," Charlie gleefully announced "let's travel on land for awhile just for the hell of it."

"Whatever you wish, my prince."

Charlie hopped eagerly on top of the alligator's back, "Gitty up, cowboy."

"Oh, Brother." Norville complained, "I've been reduced to a cowpoke's horse. It's my punishment. I just know it's my karmic punishment." He speedily crawled, while Charlie examined the scenic splendor throughout the unbelievable jungle.

"Isn't this great?" Charlie yelled.

"Great. Maybe, for you." Norville sarcastically added.

The two of them had not traveled very far when Charlie screamed to the top of his lungs, "IT'S THE CASTLE; THE ONE FROM BACK HOME. THE ONE I WAS TRAPPED IN WHEN I USED THE BRACELET I FOUND ON THE SIDEWALK TO GET INSIDE!"

Norville was totally unaware of what Charlie was referring to. He certainly didn't know what all the excitement was about. He had heard anything about any castle, BRACELET, or involuntary entrapment.

"I CAN'T BELIEVE IT. I JUST CAN'T BELIEVE IT. HOW DID IT GET HERE? HOW DID IT GET HERE?"

"All right, already!" Norville jostled anxiously. "It doesn't matter how it got here. No need to try to explain it. You couldn't if you wanted to. Just deal with the fact it's here. Do you want to go inside?"

Charlie hadn't thought about that, at all. Too excited, he did not take the time to relay to Norville what the castle had meant to him. {The full extent of his unwinding hair-raising episodes of implausible processes attached to the unimaginable journey. The unmentionable events, he had experienced while inside, could never be revealed to anyone.} Why on earth would he ever want to venture back down that road of treacherous inexplicable horror? He stood before the entrance of the same place that had snagged him, destroyed his mind, broke his heart and lured his soul. What on earth was he supposed to do?

"I've got to make some HARD CHOICES real fast. Who knows? The castle may vanish as quickly as it appeared and where will I be, then? Do I follow the road or do I turn away? Is it another distracting force or is it my salvation?"

"Be damned if I know. You're way too deep for me." Clueless Norville quipped.

"I guess we should go in."

"WE?"

"Yes, we." Charlie stated "Through thick and thin, best friends to the end."

"If it's all the same to you, mate I'd just as soon head back to the beach. I don't really have it all that bad. Anyway I'm a grown boy; way passed the time for me to leave home. I'm a cold blooded alligator. I belong in the jungle, not a castle. Do you mind?"

Charlie did mind. He really hated the idea of losing the one and only friend he could count on but Norville was right. He had no business inside the castle. He had lost nothing inside. Not like Charlie. He had lost HIMSELF. He had to find HIMSELF, again.

"It's been great knowing you," Norville stuttered somewhat (on the brink of) emotionally, "But it's time we parted ways."

Charlie agreed. "Though we've been together only a very short time, I feel that we became so close."

"You just don't know how close," Norville laughed.

"I'll never forget you, Norville," Charlie reached down on top of Norville's bumpy forehead, kisses him good-bye.

Unexpected tears swelled from Norville. "I'd best be on my way." He sputtered.

"The plumpest, juiciest food roams along the shallow parts about this time of day. See you around, Charlie McRoy. You take real good care of yourself since you won't have me to watch your back." He meant these words this time.

Charlie watched Norville Trueblood as he inched down the trail, until he submerged into the depths of the unfathomable water.

Author's Notes: "lindansteph" with a heart filled with gratitude, do I say"thank you" so very much for the use of your wonderful artistic rendition of the Blue Keep. I love it!