Dragonfly Dreams, Part Twenty, The End of the Story

“Don’t do it Chuck,” Frank said as his friend took a step toward the large, lush tree….supposedly the Tree of Life, “If she wants that Fruit bad enough…let her get it herself.”

Chuck paused, but only for a second, “Sorry mate. But she who holds the gun…makes the rules!”

Janet Jones just smirked again and waved her pistol. She had the upper hand. She had won. Soon, she would have the Fruit from the Tree of Life…and then she wouldn’t have a use for them anymore. She had said that she would let them go…but Frank seriously doubted it.

“Hurry it up!” Janet snapped, eyeing the soft, full, golden fruit that was hanging heavily from the branches of the tree. It looked so appetizing. Frank’s mouth was watering…even as he stared death in the face.

Frank couldn’t believe that it was all going to end this way. All of his adventures. The police in the airport…the race through the city…the trek into the jungle….the flight with the large dragonfly…and meeting Oprah Winfrey’s clone. It had all been for nothing. He felt angry and weak at the same time. Maybe he should just rush Janet and get it all over with….take her down once and for all!

“Don’t even think about it,” Janet turned her gun toward Frank’s face, “Take one step toward me and I’ll blow your head off!”

“Hold on now, old girl,” Chuck said, “I’m getting you what you want.”

The sound of arguing made the monkeys in the trees overhead start their squawking again. It sounded like they were directly overhead now….looking down at the commotion on the ground.

Frank and Janet both looked on in wonder as Chuck walked closer to the Tree of Life. Wasn’t it supposed to be guarded or something? Frank knew that at any moment that Chuck was going to be attacked by something. Would it be another large monkey like the one which had killed Gordon? Or would it be something mystical…a large angel brandishing a flaming sword?

But in the end, it turned out to be nothing. Standing on his tip-toes, Chuck reached up and plucked the largest piece of Fruit that he could get. To Frank, it looked like a cross between an apple and a pear. Except the color was all wrong. It was golden. Not yellow…it looked like it was made of real gold. The smell….a mix of honey and spice….increased and made his head spin. He wanted the Fruit for himself!

“But you know that it isn’t for you to eat,” he said to himself. Somehow, he knew that it would be wrong to take the fruit. It would be wrong to eat of it.

Now that she saw that Chuck was in no apparent danger, Janet raced over to him and snatched the fruit out of his hands.

She started to laugh, “It’s mine! It’s finally MINE!”

Lifting the Fruit to her nose, she inhaled deeply. Chuck looked like he was about to attack her…take back the Fruit that Janet had snatched from his hands.

“Chuck…NO!” Frank called, “Get over here. Something isn’t right! Don’t end up dead…like Harry.”

Maybe it was the sound of Frank’s voice…..or maybe it was the mention of Harry’s name…..but the result was the same. Chuck snapped out of his daze and quickly made his way over to Frank’s side.

Janet watched him walk away, but she didn’t make any move with her gun. She was too enticed with her prize.

“Oh my god!” her lips quivered, “It smells so GOOD! I can’t believe that it is finally mine…all mine!”

“Janet….wait,” Frank said, “Don’t eat it. Something isn’t right about this. I can feel it!”

Her lips curled back in a defiant sneer, Janet just chuckled, “The only thing that you feel is the fact that you are a LOSER. I won. I have the Fruit. I’m going to live FOREVER!”

And with that, she took a huge bite from the Fruit. Dark juice squirted out and ran down her chin as she chewed noisily.

“It tastes so GOOD!” she crowed, taking another large bite, “It’s like sunshine exploding inside my mouth.”

Slurping and spewing small pieces of fruit, her mouth worked feverishly to eat the Fruit as quickly as she could. It was like she couldn’t shovel it in fast enough. With a third bite, she had finished off more than half of the fruit. Her throat worked to swallow it just as quickly.

“Looks like our goose is cooked mate,” Chuck said, “We lost. She won. End of the game…you know?”

“Not so fast,” Frank said, his eyes never leaving Janet’s face for even one second, “Look!”

Something was happening. Slowly, a change was taking place. For a second, Frank hadn’t seen it…but now it was very apparent. Fur was starting to grow on Janet’s face. Fur!

Sensing the change, Janet stopped chewing. Throwing the fruit down on the ground, she began to cough and splutter….spitting pieces of half chewed fruit everywhere. She was choking…..choking on the Fruit that she had been trying to cram down her craw just moments before.

“What’s….what’s going on?” she screeched, her hands drawing up….fingers creaking…..turning black. Her gun dropped…useless….onto the Garden floor beside her.

Amazed…unable to say anything….both Frank and Chuck watched as the transformation sped up. Fur sprouted all over Janet’s body. Her eyes turned black and beady….getting smaller and closer together. Her nose shrank and turned black as well…..a moist film growing over it. It began to twitch excitedly. And then Janet….began to shrink. Slowly at first…and then quickly….she got smaller and smaller. She shrank into her clothes….slowly disappearing into her large blouse which now served as a tent.

“Nooooo!” she screamed, “Help me! Please…..it hurts! It hurts! It burns! Aaaaaaaaaaaaa!”

And then her screams turned into screeches. Screeches that sounded somewhat familiar. Screeches that sounded like…

“The monkeys,” Chuck whispered, “She sounds just like those monkeys that have been swinging around us all this time.”

And so it was. With one last convulsion, the transformation completed itself. Springing from her blouse, Janet Jones….now a small, plump monkey….quickly ran across the grass and climbed the Tree of Life. She stopped midway to look back and give one final screech of anger before disappearing into the branches. Overhead, the rest of the monkey pack began to wail….greeting their newest member.

“My God!” Frank said, “Do you think that all of those….those monkeys….were once….”

“People,” Chuck was scanning the tops of the branches, trying to see Janet Jones and the rest of the pack, “Yes….yes I do. This must be the curse that was placed on the Tree of Life.”

Frank tried to imagine it. To live forever….but as a monkey. To never die. But to be an animal. To be immortal. But never, ever leave the Garden.

“This isn’t what she had in mind,” Frank said, “She wanted power….and instead she found….”

“Living Hell,” Chuck said, “But…I have to say…it couldn’t have happened to a more deserving person.”

“And one more thing,” Frank said, “I think I know who…or what…is taking care of the Garden.”

“You mean…..the monkeys are doing it?” Chuck asked.

Frank nodded. It made perfect sense. What else did they have to do? When you live forever, time has little meaning. He shuddered suddenly like someone had walked over his grave. He tried to imagine the life of the monkeys….living forever…trapped in servitude to the very Garden which had changed them.

“Come on mate,” Chuck continued, “Let’s get out of this place.”

And so, turning back toward the staircase which would lead them out of the Garden of Eden….out of the temple which had brought only death and misery….Chuck and Frank began to make their way back to the outside world. Frank wasn’t sure what he was going to do now. There was so much swirling in his head that he couldn’t think…..but one thing was for sure. He was going to be looking for another job.

“Nobody needs a job this bad,” he murmured to himself.

Just before they walked out of the temple door and back into the Brazilian jungle, Frank turned to take one last look. It was no surprise to him that he saw….hovering there in the air….the largest dragonfly that he had ever seen in his life. The dragonfly…the Face of God. This is what Mizzus Irza had seen. This is what had been leading him all this time. Bowing his head and closing his eyes, he turned and stepped out into the warm, Brazilian sunshine. He really needed a vacation.

“How about a trip to the Caribbean?” he asked Chuck as they walked down the steps.

“Now you’re talking mate!”

The air had never smelled sweeter. Frank smiled.