INNEREAL ADVENTURES - ONE

THE CRUSHER

THE CRUSHER

   Way back up on the path above, Ajobis stood up and looked down below him, but he couldn’t see Byron because of the way that the cliff wall jutted inward at its base. Two sinister looking creatures then came out from hiding in the rock wall behind him.

   [“Were they sisters, Daddy?” came a question from the back seat. “No, no, sinister just means bad guys,” interrupted the one in the seat next to me. “Now, keep on going, Dad. What happened next?”]

   “It appears that this one is going to be much more difficult than I had calculated,” said Ajobis, as an evil sneer worked its way across his face. “Get everything ready at the Crusher, while I go down there and see what kind of a mess I have to clean up this time.”

   The two creatures obediently re-entered the cave that they had come out of and Ajobis followed shortly thereafter. The cave opened up to a passageway that led to a large cavern that would be well suited for mining operations. Ajobis walked over to a rusty old birdcage-like elevator and got in and closed the door and pushed the down button.

+ + + + + + +

   Byron was lying flat on his back when he regained consciousness. “Wow,” he thought. “That was amazing!”

   Byron then stood up and started to brush himself off, but he soon noticed that there was nothing mussed up about him at all. He was perfectly clean, unwrinkled, undamaged, no cuts or bruises, not a single tear in his clothing. He reached into the right pocket of his cloak and found the three orbs tucked neatly away in their leather pouch.

   Shortly thereafter, Ajobis appeared there at the bottom of the cliff where Byron had landed.

   “Ajobis,” said Byron, startled to see him. “Look! Look at me! I’m alright! It’s amazing! I can’t believe it! I can’t believe I… ”

   “Byron!” interrupted Ajobis, sharply. “I am so disappointed with you!”

   Byron was taken aback, and said, “Why? What’s wrong?”

   Ajobis did not offer any explanation. He merely turned away, and said, “Follow me.”

   Byron felt horrible as he followed Ajobis toward the base of the cliff because he was the type of boy who did not need much discipline from his parents. Whenever he did things wrong and his parents had to correct him, just the thought of disappointing them was enough to keep him from doing it again.

   That was the way Byron was feeling when Ajobis walked into a cave at the base of the cliff.

   “Where are we?” asked Byron, as he followed Ajobis into the cave.

   Ajobis directed Byron to another elevator similar to the one he had entered previously. “Get in,” he ordered.

   Byron obediently walked in and Ajobis followed him and pushed the up button. As the cage doors closed and the elevator started to rapidly move to the top of the cliff, Byron began to sense that something was very very wrong.

   They were met at the top of the elevator shaft by two of the sinister looking creatures who immediately grabbed Byron and bound his hands behind his back and led him out of the cave.

   “Ajobis!” cried Byron. “What is going on here? Why… ”

   “Silence!” ordered Ajobis, sharply. “You will have one last opportunity to speak to me later.”

   As they came out of the cave, it was only a short walk to the plateau. When they got to the top, Byron could see a path leading to a low point out on the edge of the plateau that faced the sea.

   As they walked further down the path, Byron observed that, at the end of the path, there was some type of huge scary industrial-like contraption. It was making a horrible deafening pounding sound and Byron could feel the ground jolting under his feet with more and more intensity as they got closer to it. Sparks and debris were flying out of the area where the machine was pounding. It was a terribly frightening sight.

   When they arrived next to the machine, Ajobis raised his hand, which signaled the creatures to stop the machine.

   “This is the Crusher, Byron,” said Ajobis, coolly. “It serves a variety of mining purposes, as you can see. And, in addition, it can also serve as quite a strong incentive to help convince people to comply with my orders when they are at first not all that inclined to do so.”

   Evening was falling and a cold sea wind was whipping up the plateau. Byron could feel the chill cutting right through his clothes.

   “I must, unfortunately, inform you that you now fall into that category of person, Bryon,” said Ajobis, with a steely look in his eyes. “You have failed to willingly give those orbs to me. You have refused all of my attempts to get them peacefully so, now you are forcing me to resort to more convincing measures.”

   “Byron, my boy, now your choice will be quite clear – either hand those orbs over to me now, or I will crush you and them into dust!” Ajobis then barked out orders to the creatures, “Strap him to the mortar!”

   Byron was laid down and strapped across the chest and waist and legs with metal straps to the base of the machine where the massive pounding weight landed and crushed whatever was in its path.

   “Leave his hands free. He must be able to hand me the orbs,” ordered Ajobis. Then, he walked over next to Byron, who was squirming to get free, and said, “This is your last opportunity to speak, boy. What is your answer?”

   Byron stopped squirming. It was no use. The straps held fast. He looked up at the massive weight directly above him. The machine was puffing and creaking loudly as if it were being held back from its prized possession.

   Ajobis impatiently spoke through half-clenched teeth, “What is your answer?”

   Byron slowly reached into the right pocket of his cloak and swiftly loosed the pouch cord and grabbed the three orbs in his fist. As he drew out his hand, Ajobis began to snicker gleefully.

   The memory of the note that transformed into the bird and the careful instructions from Jacobis filled Byron’s mind as he brought his right hand up to his chest. Then, he looked over at Ajobis, and said, firmly, “Never!” Then, he raised both of his hands in the air and screamed it again, “NEVER! NEVER!”

   Ajobis went into a rage and gave orders to release the Crusher to do its work. The creatures quickly and obediently pulled the levers and down came the massive weight with fierce velocity, but Byron drew his arms to his chest and closed his eyes tightly and held fast to the orbs.

   It was over in an instant.

   The massive weight lay down in its place. It had received its prize and Byron now lay crushed in its resting place.

   Ajobis was furious and began repeatedly beating the creatures in his rage.

   Finally, they all left the Crusher. The dark night was full of misery. The wind ceased as the air temperature became equal to the cold seawater, and complete quietness dominated the edge of the plateau for the remainder of the night.