The Lagoon
The lagoon.
The ancient spirit lurked in the valley. No creature with a soul had passed near enough for it to entice them in. It was hungry, ravenous, the need for a soul becoming desperate. The spirit had no way to escape its prison. Restrained in a deep valley, miles from any living soul by the Great Shaman. No more sacrifices. Those from outside had influenced the people of the village and had changed them. With no souls to sustain it, it would fade and disappear and become a legend and a myth. By what right did the villagers have to torture it like that? But anger consumed what little energy it had left. Wait patiently, that was all it could do.
The spirit recalled its ancient name, Supay, or was it Mictlantecuhtli, even Yum Cimil? It had gone by many names, Supay was the last. No one worshipped him now, not since the men in ships arrived with their false god.
“But what is that feeling?” Supay thought. “I feel it, warmth and life. Human souls, bright and fresh, unafraid.”
“What are they doing? Are they coming near? Yes, I can feel them, they’re getting closer.”
Supay woke himself. He used what little energy he had to extend his senses. He found them. Like the men that came in boats, but not, different. “So much energy, such bright souls, sustenance for centuries!” it thought. “But how do I entice them in? What do they want? What do they need? What do they seek?”
Supay urged himself closer, his third eye homing in on the light that shone in his dark, fetid world. So bright.
“What are they? They are human but different, not like before.” It sensed. “They dress in strange ways, not natural, odd, new.”
Supay opened his eyes to see them. Tall, dressed in brown and black, odd clothes, odd sacks, bulging with odd things. He opened his ears to listen. Odd sounds, and words. He extended his being inside one of the humans. “I’ll learn your ways. See what you seek. Give you what you want.”
“Walking, for fun. Seeking adventures. Seeking beauty. Looking for a place to rest.” Supay sensed.
“I’ll give you what you want.” It said to itself. It picked an image from a young woman’s mind.
It created the illusion. The enormous cost is worth it, if only for a single soul. A placid, tropical lagoon, open to the sea through a narrow channel. Gentle waves lapping rhythmically, gently, calming on the soft sand of the beach. Beauty and a restful place made real. Now to set the trap.
The group of five tourists burst forth from the dense jungle and beheld a vision of beauty and awe. They stood, taking it in, time slowing as they gaped in astonishment. This place appeared on no map, no travel guides mentioned it, and even Google Earth had nothing here. The warm sun, perfect beach and lazy palm trees arching over the water, it was paradise. A magnificent waterfall as if the lagoon was not enough.
The group of three strong, fit men and two equally gifted women dropped their bags and sank to the ground. Supay lulled them. It made the sand warm and the rhythm of the wave's hypnotic. They slept. It singled one out. Supay woke him, he gave his consciousness a gentle caress. Gently suggesting, go to the water, swim, cool off, and relax. The man rose, dazed, not caring, willing to be led. He walked into the water. He didn’t swim, he walked until submerged, and at last, the top of his head disappeared. He didn’t care. Supay gave him a beautiful welcome. Supay took the man’s joyous soul and fed on it. He devoured it, savoured every morsel, every memory, every hope and every dream. The man was gone.
Supay tried one of the women. He did the same, enticed her to the water. Invited her to swim, to join him in the cool refreshing water. She splashed in her hurry. This woke another man. He sat, rubbing his eyes, “What is she doing?” his dazed mind asked. “Jessica!” He called out.
She didn’t respond. She kept walking, one slow step at a time. Up to her knees, over her belt, close to her chest. The man ran for her and grabbed her. He looked at her face, her closed eyes, the contented smile. He turned her around, but she resisted. He took hold and dragged her back to the shore. She kicked and struggled. Supay held on tight.
The man pulled the woman up and away from the gentle rhythmic waves. She woke, confused, as if from a dream. She screamed, “Take me back! I want to go back. Don’t make me stay. I don’t want to stay here.”
The man grabbed her shoulders and looked her in the eyes, “Are you good? What’s wrong? What happened?”
Jessica spat at him, “Let me go, I need to go back!” she pulled away and fell to her knees. She crawled for the water. The man pulled her back. He woke the others.
One was missing. David had gone. No sign of him. Only his pack on the sand. The others called for David.
Jessica crawled, the water calling to her. Supay’s grip tightened on her soul. He confused the others. He made a sound, a long way off. The fools ran. The woman slipped into the water. Supay had another soul. Her last moments were blissful, euphoric, everlasting. Supay was not greedy. It had enough to last for centuries. Supay was not stupid. Take only what you need. Balance in all. Greed is not the way of the world. It is not the way of nature. It is the way of man.
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