Read Online Shambhala by Brian E. Miller - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Brian E. Miller
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another around his other ankle.
“Bahi!” Kamini cries out, completely impotent.
Bahi struggles to keep his free foot in the gravel as the vines slowly begin to overpower him, pulling him into a thick tangle of vines and brush.
“Bahi, a rock!” Kamini yells out, landing on a large rock with a sharp edge just within Bahi’s reach.
He quickly grabs it, loosening his footing, and with great force smashes the sharp side of the rock onto the vine, snapping it loose from his leg and sending the vine squealing back into the brush. The vine on his shoulder has tightened its grip and now pulls even stronger, overwhelming his strength. He notices a large, orange-and-yellow flower in the viney brush that opens like a mouth with sharp fangs. It salivates as he struggles. Bahi begins to panic, and with a forceful blow smashes down on the vine that straps his arm, not even penetrating the thick, jade attacker. Another vine catches his ankle again, and he feels overpowered as he draws closer to the salivating, monstrous flower that is almost as big as him. He can hear the flower open up its vines to reveal itself ready to consume him. In a snap of fear, he recalls memories of playing baseball, as he cocks his free arm back and hurls the rock at the monstrous flower, penetrating the hollow of the mouth as it quickly closes screeching with pain and releasing Bahi from its viney grasp.
Bahi, followed by Kamini, quickly scurries back and lunges to his feet, running away from the vines, panting as his heart races.
“What was that thing?” Kamini asks, still in a fright.
“I don’t know,” Bahi says, still shaken up, wiping dirty sweat from his beet-red face.
“You should have seen your face,” Kamini says with a soft chuckle, lightening the mood.
Bahi laughs, shaking off anxious nerves, but still in fight mode. “Things are not what they seem,” he says as he rubs his ankle, sore and slightly cut up from the vine.
Ahead, the path straightens. Bahi takes note of all the foliage. The trees seem to dance and the bushes to breathe as they proceed forward with caution. Walking for about an hour they come to a turn, where suddenly the path ends.
“What?” Kamini asks in confusion.
“We went the wrong way,” Bahi says remembering the split in the path back by the monstrous viney flower. The panic of the moment took them down the wrong trail. Noticing their mistake, they walk back toward the split. As they near the man-eating vines again, Bahi gathers two large stones, and they proceed with vigilance, silently walking past the carnivorous plants that seem to rest like ordinary vines and bushes.
Proceeding down the other path and realizing they have lost a few hours of light, they begin to pick up the pace as Bandar’s warning plays over in Bahi’s mind: “One does not want to be on that path at dark.”
The path grows narrow. Thick, dark-emerald foliage blocks out the sunlight. An uncommon silence settles over the jungle, unsettling both Bahi and Kamini as they precariously make their way about the path. The sun is low in the sky, and in only a few hours it will be dark. Nervous and uncertain, they move along.
“I am going to jog, so keep up,” Bahi tells Kamini as he begins to jog in the hopes he can make up for lost time and reach the Baba before nightfall. The path finally opens up as he quickens his pace. After a while of running, he stops by a flowing stream to quench his thirst and rest for a minute. The sun has begun to make its descent behind the hills far off from the trail. Bahi kneels by the water’s edge and washes his face as he drinks. Looking into the pool of water that gathers from the runoff of the stream, he notices his reflection. Looking deeply at his face, he thinks hard about who he is, and just then his reflection morphs into a demonic face surrounded by fire. He jumps back in fear. Slowly he looks back into the water, but only his reflection is there. He thinks he may have eaten a bad banana
“Bahi!” Kamini cries out, completely impotent.
Bahi struggles to keep his free foot in the gravel as the vines slowly begin to overpower him, pulling him into a thick tangle of vines and brush.
“Bahi, a rock!” Kamini yells out, landing on a large rock with a sharp edge just within Bahi’s reach.
He quickly grabs it, loosening his footing, and with great force smashes the sharp side of the rock onto the vine, snapping it loose from his leg and sending the vine squealing back into the brush. The vine on his shoulder has tightened its grip and now pulls even stronger, overwhelming his strength. He notices a large, orange-and-yellow flower in the viney brush that opens like a mouth with sharp fangs. It salivates as he struggles. Bahi begins to panic, and with a forceful blow smashes down on the vine that straps his arm, not even penetrating the thick, jade attacker. Another vine catches his ankle again, and he feels overpowered as he draws closer to the salivating, monstrous flower that is almost as big as him. He can hear the flower open up its vines to reveal itself ready to consume him. In a snap of fear, he recalls memories of playing baseball, as he cocks his free arm back and hurls the rock at the monstrous flower, penetrating the hollow of the mouth as it quickly closes screeching with pain and releasing Bahi from its viney grasp.
Bahi, followed by Kamini, quickly scurries back and lunges to his feet, running away from the vines, panting as his heart races.
“What was that thing?” Kamini asks, still in a fright.
“I don’t know,” Bahi says, still shaken up, wiping dirty sweat from his beet-red face.
“You should have seen your face,” Kamini says with a soft chuckle, lightening the mood.
Bahi laughs, shaking off anxious nerves, but still in fight mode. “Things are not what they seem,” he says as he rubs his ankle, sore and slightly cut up from the vine.
Ahead, the path straightens. Bahi takes note of all the foliage. The trees seem to dance and the bushes to breathe as they proceed forward with caution. Walking for about an hour they come to a turn, where suddenly the path ends.
“What?” Kamini asks in confusion.
“We went the wrong way,” Bahi says remembering the split in the path back by the monstrous viney flower. The panic of the moment took them down the wrong trail. Noticing their mistake, they walk back toward the split. As they near the man-eating vines again, Bahi gathers two large stones, and they proceed with vigilance, silently walking past the carnivorous plants that seem to rest like ordinary vines and bushes.
Proceeding down the other path and realizing they have lost a few hours of light, they begin to pick up the pace as Bandar’s warning plays over in Bahi’s mind: “One does not want to be on that path at dark.”
The path grows narrow. Thick, dark-emerald foliage blocks out the sunlight. An uncommon silence settles over the jungle, unsettling both Bahi and Kamini as they precariously make their way about the path. The sun is low in the sky, and in only a few hours it will be dark. Nervous and uncertain, they move along.
“I am going to jog, so keep up,” Bahi tells Kamini as he begins to jog in the hopes he can make up for lost time and reach the Baba before nightfall. The path finally opens up as he quickens his pace. After a while of running, he stops by a flowing stream to quench his thirst and rest for a minute. The sun has begun to make its descent behind the hills far off from the trail. Bahi kneels by the water’s edge and washes his face as he drinks. Looking into the pool of water that gathers from the runoff of the stream, he notices his reflection. Looking deeply at his face, he thinks hard about who he is, and just then his reflection morphs into a demonic face surrounded by fire. He jumps back in fear. Slowly he looks back into the water, but only his reflection is there. He thinks he may have eaten a bad banana
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