Ouroboros

I was in a grump. As we walked the beginning of the Serpentine Road, Joey contentedly hummed his donkey repertoire while I sulked in silence. I couldn’t shake my dispirited and bleak feelings; they stabbed at my thoughts and I was unable to staunch the bleeding. I was so absorbed in feeling sorry for myself, I ran smack into Joey’s rump as he called a halt.

He turned his head towards me. “Problems, dear Bo? You should stay alert on this journey. Oh, and you won’t bang into me again, will you?”

“Umm. Yes. I mean no. What I really mean is yes to the problems and no to banging into you.”

“Not an eloquent speech, Bo, but I understand what you say.” Joey peered at me through his tortoise-shell eyeglasses, the ones with no lenses. I sensed he saw more than he let on.

“We shall stop at this spot for awhile, Bo. I’m going to munch on that patch of luscious grass. There’s a flask of carrot juice in my pack. Why not have a drink before you look around? And there’s a handful of peanuts in the bottom. Are you hungry?”

The thought of carrot juice and peanuts brightened my visage. My throat was parched and my stomach was empty. I glugged down the carrot juice in three swallows and nearly ate the peanut shells in my haste to chomp on the salty nuts. Feeling a bit revived, I looked at my surroundings more closely. We were in a wide spot in the road, a clearing of sorts. There was, as Joey had already discovered, a snatch of overgrown grass waving above the road and trees fringing the circle of trampled, bare earth. The Northern winds had subsided and a pleasant warmth emanated from the shining sun. There was nothing much to see. Road, sky, trees. That was all.

Joey watched me from the corner of his eye. “Perhaps you should examine the…”

But I interrupted him mid-sentence. “Hey, there’s a sign on that ancient green oak.” I could read the rough lettering from where I stood, thanks to my long-distance spectacles.

“OUROBOROS. It says ouroboros, Joey. What in the name of Enchanteur does that mean?”

“Bo, get involved here!” After that not-so-gentle reprimand, Joey rolled over on his side and yawned. “I’ll be taking a teeny nap, Bo, as the road ahead is uphill. Go study the sign. Maybe you’ll be inspired to do more than mope. Now dear, don’t give me such a look. Just go. But do call me if you need my assistance. I’ll keep my ears pricked high.”

I shrugged. I was weary of fighting Joey at every turn, so I followed his bidding. “Bad funk,” I mused. “Really, really bad funk.” But I grudgingly admitted to myself that Joey’s intuition was often right on target. I dragged my feet as I walked to the sign. ‘Ouroboros’. Now what did that mean? As I moved closer to examine the scrawled writing, the toe of my boot struck a hard surface and I stumbled, landing squarely on my hands and knees. A metallic sound rang in my ears. Surprised, I brushed aside forest debris and discovered a manhole cover upon the wooded ground.

“What the…? A manhole in the woods? Wait! An ouroboros? Is this the ouroboros? Joooeeeyyy?”

But my donkey was happily sleeping, curled up tight with his top hat covering his eyes. I didn’t see any ears pricked high. “Guess I’ll let him rest. Perhaps this is a solo adventure.”

I pulled off my sweater and wiped carefully at the metal plate. An intricate design appeared before my eyes. The detail was breath catching. A serpent wound its way along the circumference, tail in mouth, reminding me of the circle of infinity. A lotus woman sat in the center amidst a depiction of the four seasons. Around that, there was a wide circular band imprinted with birds, clouds and sky, moon, sun and stars. Perhaps the symbols offered a message. But what?

As I intently studied the cover, I noticed a mild depression in the center - a depression in the shape of a hand. Curious, I placed my own hand upon the mark. My hand fit perfectly. I felt a rumble beneath my fingers and heard a mild grating sound. I jumped away, startled. The lid slowly slid open. A hole under the metal cover was pitch black inside, though I could make out a steep stairway of stone by the light of the sun. I glanced back at Joey, but he was still oblivious to the world.

For the first time since the conception of this journey, I was mesmerized. I felt a surge of excitement, of fascination. I knew instinctively that I must descend the steps and see what lay below this magical stone. Grappling in Enchanteur’s bag, I found the candlestick but no matches to light its’ wick. Without thinking, I shoved the candle in my pocket and cautiously descended the steps. As the sunlight disappeared, a small glow emanated from my pocket. The candle had lit itself, a tiny flame throwing off dim light. Just enough that I could see. I was in a deserted cave, maybe eight feet in diameter. As I squinted in the darkness, I saw a pair of glittery emerald eyes staring intently at me. I wasn’t alone. I hurriedly turned to leave, but the opening was closed. There was no escape route.

Then I heard it. “Hisss. Hisssssss. Come to me. Come to me.”

I felt pulled in the direction of a large shadow and trembling, I crept across the cave. As I approached, my candle’s flame was snuffed by a hot breath of air. A florescent-glowing serpent lay before me, loosely coiled with its’ mouth swallowing its’ tail. It rested on a heavy carpet and I vividly saw Egyptian figures snaking in a dance across the edges, moving figures, dancing, waving their arms in gestures of supplication. Again I looked into the serpent’s eyes. This time I could not look away.

“You have come. It is good. A lesssson. I shall teach you.” I shuddered at the idea of a lesson taught by this immense serpent. It noticed my discomfort. “You are ssssafe. I am Ouroborossss.”

Instinctively, I bowed to this beautiful creature. Its’ body was the size of a muscle man’s arm, thrice over. Its’ scales shimmered, like those of a mermaid just surfacing from the sea, and they melded into a dazzling array of metallic rainbow colors.

“Ssssit.” He motioned ever so slightly to a small hassock embroidered with gems - diamonds, rubies, sapphires, and especially, with emeralds the color of the serpent’s eyes. “Lisssten,” it murmured.

I could not help but listen. I was under the enchantment of Ouroboros.

“You are a traveler with Enchanteur.” It was not a question.

I took a deep breath and stammered in a strangled voice. “You…you kn-n-now Enchanteur?”

“Yesss, Bo. I know Enchanteur. Lemuria isss Enchanteur. Enchanteur isss Lemuria.”

“And…and…and you know my name? But how…”

“Yessss, Bo. I know of you. I know of your struggles. I carry a messssage for you. In time, you will underssstand.” He paused, then looking down at the Egyptian dancers he said in a sonorous hiss, “Eternity. Night and day. Completion.”

A headache was creeping behind my eyes, suddenly making concentration difficult. “But…I don’t…”

“In time, Bo. In time. I give you this gold bracelet as a reminder of our conversssation. ” Ouroboros closed its’ eyes. “Go to your donkey. And Bo, be kind. Joey loves you.” Again, I startled as the serpent spoke a familiar name. Then the glow from the serpent faded and a flame lit my candle. By its’ light, I saw the cover to the Serpentine Road was open.

Puzzled, but feeling a serenity I had felt only in a very distant time, I rose out from the cave. Ouroboros had wrapped his gift tightly about my wrist and I could not remove it. The bracelet shone with rows of emeralds, all reminding me of the glint in the serpent’s eyes. I felt his eyes upon me as his words floated with me.

My heart skipping erratically, I went to wake Joey.