Dragonfly Dreams, Part Eight

Frank Mason was alone. All around him the village slept. Both Chuck and Harry had been shown to separate huts…after Harry had changed back from a horse to a human. Oddly enough, none of the villagers seemed to notice or care when it happened. Obviously, they had seen such things before. Frank wondered if people back in the United States would act the same. He chuckled to himself…picturing Harry doing one of his changing acts in downtown New York.

The moon was pregnant with light overhead…an orb of mystery and illusion. Frank stared at the full moon and breathed in deeply. The sweet scents of the jungle wafted in on a midnight current. He felt at peace. He needed that. He hadn’t felt peaceful since this entire crazy adventure had started.

In the distance, he could hear the calling of an animal…prowling the dark undergrowth for its next meal. It sounded like a wild dog of some sort. He contemplated returning to his hut but then decided against it. The animal sounded far away…and he felt safe enough in the village. He took out a cigarette, lit it, and took a long drag. The nicotine flooding his system woke him up a little more and made everything seem sharper in the moonlight. He had tried to quit smoking once but that had been years ago. Now….he was glad that he hadn’t.

A low buzzing sound made him take notice. It seemed to be coming from the jungle. It wasn’t very loud, but it caught his ear…probably because of the relative quiet that had descended upon the sleeping village. He put the sound out of mind, took another pull on his cigarette, and started to turn back toward his hut. And then he saw it. It was the largest insect that he had ever seen in his life.

The wingspan of the thing had to be at least 3 feet wide. The wings sparkled like rare jewels in the bright light of the moon….all deep purples and greens. A golden body completed the look of some mysterious treasure that had come to life. But Frank recognized the shape of the creature in an instant. It was a dragonfly. Of course, it was a monster of an insect…but it was a dragonfly nonetheless. However, the thing that disturbed him was the fact that it was headed straight for him!

Turning quickly, he started to run toward the safety of his hut. Why had he decided to come out in the first place? He should have known that something bad was more than likely going to happen. Hadn’t it been that way all day?

His feet felt like he was wearing shoes made of lead. His legs felt heavy and thick….and they didn’t want to work properly. The buzzing behind him grew louder and louder.

Frank looked over his shoulder and saw that he had been wrong about the size of the dragonfly. It didn’t have a 3 foot wingspan….they had to be at least 5 feet wide! He wanted to give a yelp in terror, but his throat wouldn’t work right. So instead, he just gave a little gasp. He saw the things mandibles working quickly. It wanted to chew right into him. He had to get away!

And he almost made it. He was just inches from his door when he felt the things pinchers dig into his shirt. His feet lifted off of the ground and he started rising higher and higher into the air. The dragonfly was so big that it was actually lifting him off of the ground! Soon he found himself impossibly high in the air. All that he could hear was the rapid beating of the things wings. He wondered if it was planning on dropping him and then eating his dead flesh. He shuddered at the thought.

But it seemed as though the dragonfly did not want to harm him…at least, not at the moment. It started flying away from the village with Frank dangling helplessly in its giant claws. Over the jungle, they swept through the moonlight and entered a world that was both strangely familiar but all too alien to Frank at the same time. The wind rushed cold and clean over his face, and he found himself relishing the feel…even though he was frightened out of his wits at the same time.

Just then, a light appeared in the darkness of the jungle. It looked like a fire, but from this height, Frank found it impossible to tell. Just as he was thinking this, the dragonfly began to descend. The ground came rushing up toward him at an alarming rate. But then, right before he crashed…the dragonfly pulled up and he landed gently on the ground. He felt a heavy weight on his back…and he knew that the dragonfly was still there….that it hadn’t flown away. He could feel it rustling down the entire length of him. He hated the feel of the creature, but he knew better than to fight it. Also…he was curious about the voices that he was hearing coming from the large tent that was right in front of him. One of the voices sounded very familiar.

“I don’t care what he says!” an angry female voice was yelling to someone, “I paid him a lot of money…and he is going to show me where the Sapphire Waterfalls are located. Tell him that I will double his money.”

It was Janet Jones! She was inside the tent…and she was arguing with someone!

Frank heard another voice…also female…speaking in Spanish. Then there was a reply. The voice was obviously male this time, but it was the voice of an old man, tired and broken.

“He says that some things are more important than money Senora,” the second female voice said slowly. The girl was obviously afraid.

Then Frank heard the click of a gun.

“Then tell him that if he doesn’t show me,” Janet Jones was saying, “That I will kill you in front of him…but that I will leave him alive to think about his decision for whatever time he has left.”

“NO SENORA!” the girl’s voice cried out, “PLEASE!”

Then the girl started rattling off in Spanish. Frank wanted to get closer to the tent so that he could see what was going on. The voices were all mixing together….shouting and pleading . Frank crept closer and peeked through a crack in the door flap. It was Janet Jones! She was pointing her pistol to the head of a young Brazilian girl….she couldn’t be more than 14. An old man was gesturing wildly and crying out.

“HE SAYS OKAY!” the girl cried out, “YOU WIN! HE WILL SHOW YOU THE WATERFALL.”

“That’s better,” Janet Jones smiled, dropping the pistol but keeping it at hand so that she could wield it when necessary.

“But Senora,” the girl looked toward the floor.

“WHAT!” Janet snapped.

“He says that you won’t like what you find there,” the girl looked up, her eyes fearful and large.

“Hmmmph,” Janet Jones pulled out a booklet and made some notes in it with a stub of a yellow pencil, “Tell him that I’ll decide that…not him. Who do you two think you are anyway? I hired you all as guides and translators….not to tell me what to do!”

Just then, the dragonfly shuffled on Frank’s back and made a buzzing sound. Janet looked toward the flap. Frank stepped back into the shadows…but it was too late. He heard the click of the gun once more.

“Someone’s out there,” he heard her say, “But they won’t be alive for long.”

Until next week….class dismissed.

Dragonfly Dreams, Part Seven

Coming out of the tall grass toward them was a large, bushy brown and black animal. It took Frank a second to realize it for what it was…a bear! It was making a large mewling, screeching sound and was shaking its head wildly from side to side. It stopped in front of them and raised up on its hind legs. Frank guessed that it had to be at least 7 feet tall. His legs felt like water. Was this the end?

Suddenly Chuck burst out laughing. Frank once again wondered about the man’s mental state. But, the laughter did seem to have an effect on the bear. It slowly lowered itself to the ground and shook its head one last time. And then…it began to talk.

“Honestly Chuckie, old boy,” it stated in a rough, deep voice that had a bit of British accent, “I really thought that I hit that one head on. I could have sworn that I had you fooled this time.”

“Oh…oh…” Chuck tried to talk through his laughter, “Honestly, mate, you would have. You look like a great bear….but you got…you got….”

And then he started laughing again. Frank was still in shock that the bear could talk. And apparently, it knew Chuck!

Finally, Chuck was able to get in a breath, “You got the tail wrong, my friend.”

Frank looked at the bear’s tail. Indeed, it was wrong. Instead of the short stubby tail of a bear, Frank saw the fluffy white tail of a bunny! What in the world was going on?

“Oh….bloody hell,” the bear muttered, looking back over its shoulder, “These bigger animals require so much concentration. I was so worried about the front that I didn’t pay much attention to the back. Enough already!”

And then the bear began to change…a little at first and then faster. The fur seemed to draw back into the skin, the claws retracted into the paws (which were beginning to grow longer and look more like fingers), and the fluffy, bunny tail simply disappeared. Soon, instead of a bear, there stood a very large man. He was very hairy…almost too hairy….which was a good thing at the moment since he was completely naked. He grinned sheepishly at Chuck and then nodded toward Frank.

“Is that him?” he asked, staring at Frank with eyes that were dark and wild. Frank noticed that the man still had large, bearlike teeth.

“Yep,” Chuck stated, turning to Frank, “In the flesh….but where are my manners? Let me introduce you two. Frank, this is my old friend Harry….Harry McCain. And Harry….as you already know….this is Frank. He’s the…”

“The Finder,” Harry said, still staring at Frank.

“You were a bear,” Frank said, trying to soak in all the strangeness that had been happening to him lately, “A real, live bear.”

“Oh…that?” Harry chuckled, his mood suddenly seeming to lighten, “Yep…I was a bear. The fact is….I can be any animal that I want to be.”

“Harry is a shapeshifter,” Chuck looked over at Frank as if that explanation would clear everything up, “He can change shape at will.”

“I just have to concentrate pretty hard is all,” Harry said, “And…as you just saw…it doesn’t always work out the way I want it to!”

Both men started to laugh again. Frank tried to join in, but it was just too bizarre. He just felt hot…and thirsty. Suddenly, he was craving an ice cold Sprite more than anything else in the world.

“I’m glad that I found you though,” Harry said, suddenly serious, “SHE sent me. She seemed to know that you all would be in this area….but I don’t know how she knew. She said that I needed to bring you to her….immediately.”

“She?” Frank asked.

“Irza,” Harry said, looking down at the ground as though he were embarrassed to be saying the name out loud, “The one who has seen…”

“The face of God,” Chuck finished, making Harry draw in a hiss of breath and stare coldly at Chuck.

“You told him?” he asked.

“I didn’t see the reason to keep it a secret,” Chuck said, “After all….he’s supposed to be finding the thing, isn’t he?”

“Yes,” Harry said, “But still….”

“ENOUGH ALREADY!” Frank yelled out, “Stop talking about me like I’m not here!”

Chuck and Harry looked at each other. Some sort of silent communication seemed to be going on between them. Finally, Harry nodded his head.

“Okay,” he said, “Enough talking. This place isn’t safe. We need to get out of here and fast.”

Frank watched with amazement as Harry closed his eyes and a look of intense concentration came over him. Slowly, he began to change. His nose pushed out…longer and longer. His ears turned up at the corners and grew longer. And his hands folded in on themselves into hooves. Soon, there was a fine looking horse standing before them.

“Climb on, you two,” Harry the horse neighed to them in a gravely sort of voice, “I can get us there in just under an hour.”

Chuck let out a whoop and jumped up on Harry’s back. He held out a hand to Frank.

“Come on mate,” he grinned, “Why walk…when we can ride?”

“Just don’t get too comfortable up there,” Harry said, kicking up dust as they started out, “This is a RARE occurrence. I’m not a pack animal.”

“Oh come on Harry old boy,” Chuck laughed, slapping Harry on the neck, “You know that you love it!”

“Watch it!” Harry warned, bucking a little underneath them.

Frank sat cautiously behind Chuck. He didn’t know how he felt riding this horse…that used to be a man…who used to be a bear. But….he wasn’t in any position to argue. He just hoped that this nightmare would be over soon.

With a loud snort, Harry the horse took off at full gallop. The beautiful Brazilian countryside was whizzing past them in a maddening whirl. Soon, the grasslands were left behind and the three of them were entering a village on the outskirts of a large rainforest. It was here that Frank first met Irza.

It was here that Frank had his first encounter with the Dragonfly.

Until next week…class dismissed!

Dragonfly Dreams, Part Six

Another shot rang out, making their taxi swerve wildly from side to side. Frank was kneeling in the backseat in a pile of broken glass. They were being shot at by Janet Jones…the crazy woman from the airport. Apparently she wasn’t going to let her job go undone this time!

“What does she want?” Frank yelled out as Chuck tried to take a quick peek out of the shot-out window.

“She wants us dead mate!” Chuck yelled back, his Australian accent coming out thick and strong.

Chuck yelled something in Spanish to the taxi driver that Frank didn’t recognize fully. He must have promised the driver something good…probably lots of money….because their speed picked up considerably.

“What do you see?” Frank called out, hoping for good news.

“I can’t see…” Chuck was cut off as another shot whizzed past his ear. He practically fell back down into the floor, on top of Frank.

“Well, I saw that,” he grinned, wiping beads of sweat from his forehead, “It was a little too close for comfort though.”

“Don’t you have a gun….weapon…anything?” Frank was exasperated. What had he gotten himself into?

“Nope mate,” Chuck looked grim, “Told ya’. I only deal in tattoos.”

Just then another bullet whizzed into their car. Frank heard a sharp cry and the taxi swerved dangerously making them tumble to the side of the car. Both men stared at each other with wild eyes and then glanced up over the seat. The driver was lying in the front seat in a quickly spreading pool of blood.

“Awwww no!” Chuck yelled, “She took out the driver. Well….nothing much else to do except…”

And with that, he hopped over into the front seat so quickly that Frank could hardly comprehend it. He did hear another shot ring out though. Chuck yelped loudly but took control of the taxi, pulling it back onto the road.

“Are you okay?” Frank yelled, feeling helpless in the backseat.

“Just a graze mate…just a graze,” Chuck called back, “But I may have a painful time sitting on my bum for a few days.”

Frank couldn’t believe that Chuck was trying to make jokes at a time like this.

“I’m gonna try to lose her,” Chuck yelled out over the noise of the racing engine, “Hold on!”

As the taxi swerved violently to the left, Frank found himself being thrown against the other side of the cab. He tried to grab the seat….the floor mats….anything to give himself purchase. But he just found himself in a pile of arms and legs. He prayed that he would survive both Janet Jones and the crazy driving of Chuck.
He could feel the taxi accelerating and then there was another wild swerve as the taxi skidded on two wheels around another sharp corner. Frank could see dust boiling up outside the taxi.

“Look out the back and see if you see her still,” Chuck yelled back, “I’m trying not to kill these fools playing in the street!”

Frank said a silent prayer and peeked up over the back seat. The jagged glass of the rear window was all over the top of the seat. It danced and glinted like diamonds in the hot Brazilian sunshine. Hot dusty air was rushing past his head, making his eyes instantly water. He scanned the street behind them. There was nothing there.

“I think….I think you lost her,” he called out, “I can’t see her anywhere back here.”

Just then the car started to hitch and give. They started to slow down.

“It’s a good thing, mate,” Chuck was trying to get the slowing taxi over to the side of the road, “I think that this car has seen its last mile….or it could be the fact that we are out of gas. I guess that could be the problem.”

Again with the jokes! Frank wondered if Chuck had some sort of mental deficiency. The car slowed to a crawl and instantly the two men were out and in the dusty dirt road that Chuck had driven them onto. There were a few people walking along…mostly local farmers and a few scrappy looking children. Several of the men were leading horses packing large bundles of bananas.

“Come on then!” Chuck said, taking Frank by the arm and tugging him toward the field beside the road, “I think that it’s best if we just clear the area. You know what I mean?”

“What about him?” Frank asked, pointing to the driver who was slumped over in the front seat.

“Who….him?” Chuck asked coolly, “Well Frank….there isn’t much we can do for him now. He’s dead….and I don’t want to end up that way. Do you?”

Frank shook his head.

“Good!” Chuck said, eyeing an approaching pair of scraggly looking girls who were giggling and waving bunches of red flowers, “Now let’s get out of here before the locals notice Senor Deadman there! Plus….Janet Jones and her taxi could be just a minute behind us. I think that I did a pretty good job losing them, but I want to get off this road!”

Soon they were far off the road. Nobody seemed to notice….or care….that they were leaving a dead driver in the taxi as they slipped into the tall grasses that lined the road. Just a few minutes later, Frank looked behind him and was surprised to see that he couldn’t see the road anymore. It was like they had stepped into another world.

Chuck noticed that he was looking. He smiled grimly, “You gotta love those Brazilian grasses. They are good for something.”

Frank tried to smile, but found that his face just wouldn’t do it. He felt hot, tired, and thirsty. Every part of him seemed to hurt. He just wanted to get to a nice hotel….have a hot bath….have a good meal….and not have someone trying to kill him. Isn’t that what anyone wanted?

Just then there was a rustling in the grass beside of them. Both men froze.
“What was that?” Frank whispered. He kept trying to think about what wild animals were prevalent in Brazil. Jaguars? He was pretty sure that jaguars were found in Brazil. He cursed his lack of knowledge about the world. If he got out of this alive, he was going to buy himself every Frommer’s Guide that was ever made and read them all.

“Shhhhh,” Chuck placed a finger over his lips. The two men stayed deathly still. The movement of the grasses came closer….and a screech started to sound out around them.

Frank didn’t know what it was. But whatever it was….it was headed right toward them!

Until next week.....class dismissed!

Dragonfly Dreams, Part Five

It didn’t take long for something to happen. It was merely seconds between Chuck letting the monkey (which only moments before had been just a tattoo on his arm) out the door and the screaming to begin. Frank was still slightly in shock about seeing the monkey come to life. Of course, when you have seen your boss floating in the air, nothing keeps you in shock too long. He decided that he would just file that image away in a little place in his mind that he had recently labeled “True but Unbelievable.” It was just easier not to think too much about these events.

It sounded like a war had broken out in the airport. There were screams and the sound of running feet. Frank flinched when a gunshot rang out followed by the sharp, crisp scream of a woman. Chuck stuck his head out the door, apparently not concerned if he was going to be shot or not. He motioned for Frank to follow him as he slipped out the door.

If the sounds had been bad, the actual scene was even worse. People were running and screaming. Frank saw some of the nuns from earlier kneeling next to the women’s bathroom and praying. Perhaps they were praying for salvation. Perhaps they had eaten a bad burrito. Frank didn’t care. Another gun shot rang out. The place was totally wiped. Had one little monkey caused all of this commotion?

As he ran behind Chuck, trying to keep up with the slightly younger but definitely more athletic man, he saw the cop who looked like George Lopez go running past. The cop didn’t see him. He couldn’t see him. There was a monkey on top of face, clinging and screeching like a rabid beast.

Moments later, he was free of the hot, stale air of the airport and running in the hot, sticky air of a typical Brazilian summer day. Chuck stopped just in front of him and whistled for a taxi. After a quick negotiation which Frank couldn’t hear or understand, they piled into the back of the broken down little car and were on their way.

Frank took a moment to get his bearings. He was in the back of a taxi (if you could call it that) and was barreling down a crowded street in Brazil. He didn’t even know what city he was in. And the taxi....my God, Frank thought….it was covered with little pictures of Jesus and the Virgin Mary. There were a set of rosary beads hanging from the rearview mirror.

“You a religious man Frank?” Chuck asked.

Frank didn’t say anything….just shook his head. He had gone to church pretty regularly at one time in his life…but that had been many years ago. In another life….in another time.

“Yeah…well…by the time this is all over,” Chuck rubbed the place on his arm where the tattoo of the monkey had been, “You just might find salvation.”

Frank decided that he was just going to play mum. He would go along with this freak for the moment until he could find some time to get away….get off to himself….find some time to think. Everything was happening too fast. He needed to call home…to check in with the company. He needed to know what he was supposed to be doing.

Chuck reached in his pocket and pulled out a piece of paper. He handed it to Frank.

“Just in case you don’t believe me,” he mumbled.

Frank looked down at the paper which was slightly damp and very wrinkled from being in Chuck’s pocket. He was surprised to see a picture of himself! Underneath it was a message which at one time had been neatly typed. Now it was smudged and hard to read. Swerving from side to side in the rocking taxi, Frank deciphered the note.

Find Frank Mason. Take him to the village. Let him meet the old woman.
He MUST meet the old woman. She knows the way. She has seen it before!
Above all else, protect Frank Mason. He is a Finder.


Frank was amazed to see that it was written on the company’s own letterhead. He guessed that it could have been forged….a copy….but he doubted it. Why would someone go to so much trouble. But then….there had been Martha Miller….or was it Janet Jones? He wondered what was so important that someone would try to get him arrested….make him attack the very person who was sent to meet him? His head started to swim. Partly it was from the crazy driving and the heat….partly it was from all of the things that were happening.

“Who is the old woman?” Frank finally asked, handing the note back to Chuck who waved it away. Apparently he didn’t need it anymore.

“I’ve only met her once myself,” Chuck said, “But that was over a year ago. All that I know for sure is that the company is after something…amazing. It is something that is lost somewhere in the Brazilian jungle….and that place is pretty freaking huge! But this woman…her name is Irza….has seen it.”

“But what is it that we are supposed to be finding?” Frank asked, his curiosity peaking.

Chuck just smiled and his face lit up, “I can’t really say. I don’t really know. I just know that it is something…FANTASTIC. The locals talk about it though. They say that in the jungle…if you look hard enough….you can find the face of God!”

Frank just stared at Chuck. If it had been a few months earlier, he would have considered Chuck to be just another loony. Now….well, now….he wasn’t so sure. Was he supposed to find the face of God? Just what exactly did that mean anyway?

A loud honking sound pulled him out of his thoughts. Another taxi was careening toward them from the left side. Frank saw movement in the back seat. It was a woman…a very familiar woman….Janet Jones! She was leaning out the window….she was holding something in her hand.

“Get down you fool!” Chuck yelled, pulling Frank down into the floor so quickly that he didn’t have time to register the fact that a loud bang had filled the air. Glass was falling all around him. They were being shot at….and by the looks of things, Janet Jones was not out to just get them arrested. She was out for blood!

“What do you know?” Chuck smirked, “Stuck in this cab….and I’m fresh out of tattoos!”

Dragonfly Dreams, Part 4

The little office was hot and smelled of stale cigarette smoke and urine. After being whisked away by the two policemen, Frank Mason found himself seated in this room at the far end of the airport. The two cops had left the room momentarily but then had returned. They were each smiling at him in a way that he didn’t quite like…but at least he had gotten away from the man with the monkey tattoo. He wondered where Martha Miller had gone. Surely she would come looking for him and help him get out of this mess.

“Is this your bag, senor?” one of the cops said, holding up Martha’s black bag. Frank thought that he looked a little like George Lopez.

“Uh no…no it isn’t,” Frank said, “Actually, I was holding it for a friend.”

Both of the cops looked at each other. The one holding the bag reached inside it and pulled out a little blue book. He threw it down on the table in front of Frank. Opening it, Frank was amazed to see that it was his own passport!

“Isn’t that your passport, senor?” the fatter of the two cops said, wheezing slightly.

“Ummmm….” Frank began, “I don’t know what’s going on here..but…”

The cop who looked like George Lopez asked again, “Isn’t that your passport?”

“Yes,” Frank couldn’t deny it. How had his passport gotten into Martha’s bag? He didn’t know what was going on.

With one swift movement, the cop turned the bag over. Three large plastic bags clumped out onto the table. They were filled with a white powder. Frank had a sinking feeling in his stomach. He didn’t need to ask what was in the bags.

“Cocaine, senor,” George Lopez said, “And I take it that it belongs to you as well.”

For the next hour, Frank was interrogated. They asked him every question in the book. They asked him about his job…which he couldn’t really say anything about other than that he worked for a pharmaceutical company. They asked him why he was in the country…which he couldn’t really say because he didn’t know himself. They asked him why he was trying to smuggle drugs INTO the country.

And Martha Miller? There was no sign of her. Nothing was in the bag except his passport and the drugs. There was no Martha Miller to be found in the airport. And to top it off, there was no record of a Martha Miller ever being on his flight. Even the flight attendants that they questioned stated that they didn’t remember anyone being with him on the flight.

“You are in serious trouble my friend,” the cop who didn’t look like George Lopez stated, “BIG trouble. If I were you, I would talk now…and maybe it will go easier for you.”

“But I don’t know anything!” Frank stammered….angry at being in this situation to begin with, “I told you….that bag belongs to…”

“Yeah yeah,” the cop laughed, “The mysterious woman who just happened to disappear from the women’s bathrooms.”

Laughing the cop walked out of the room, leaving Frank alone with his thoughts. He put his head down on his arms. How in the world was he going to get out of this mess? Should he try calling the company back in the States? He didn’t know. He just knew that something was wrong.

He heard the door open and someone walk into the room. The cops were back. Looking up, though, he saw that it wasn’t the cops. It was a man….a man who looked all too familiar. Frank found himself staring at the tattoo of the monkey holding the large banana.
“Well Frank,” the man spoke with an Australian accent, “You’ve really gone and messed everything up big time.”

“Who are you? What do you want?” Frank asked, “Don’t try anything….the cops are right outside! Hey….how did you get in here anyway? And how did you know my name?”

“Questions….questions…so many questions,” the man smirked, “Perhaps you should have asked some of those questions before you started swinging that bag of yours.”
“It isn’t MY bag,” Frank said, “It belongs to…”

“Martha Miller,” the man said, “Only her name isn’t Martha Miller. Her name is Janet. Janet Jones. And she’s no good Frank. She’s a spy. She’s trying to beat us to the….well….you’ll find out in time. How much has the company told you?”

“Nothing,” Frank said, “You mean…you work for Gaia Pharmaceutical?”

“For fifteen years now,” the man said, “My name’s Chuck. No last name…just Chuck. Now….if you want to get out of here before the cops come back, I suggest that you do exactly as I say.”

Frank nodded. He still didn’t trust this stranger…but anywhere would be better than staying here and being thrown in a Brazilian prison.

“What do we have to do?” Frank asked.

“Just watch,” Chuck smiled.

Chuck began to flex his arm. His muscles began to move, making the tattoo of the monkey appear to dance and move around. It looked almost real….very real. And then it moved. It began to pull itself right off of Chuck’s arm. Frank couldn’t believe what he was seeing as the tattoo came to life right before his eyes. But there it was…standing on the table right in front of him. The monkey looked silently up at Chuck.

“You know what to do,” Chuck whispered.

The monkey nodded and headed for the door. Chuck opened it and let it out into the hallway.

Dragonfly Dreams, Part Three

The flight had been long and tedious. Frank Mason just wanted to have a vodka tonic (or three) and take a nap. Martha Miller, the self-proclaimed psychic, on the other hand turned out to also be a chatter box. She talked nonstop the entire trip. She asked about his job with the company. She asked about his hobbies and what books he liked reading. She even asked if he was dating anyone!

Frank thought that she asked an awful lot of questions, but the even stranger thing about it was that he found himself just blabbing away. It was almost as if he couldn’t help himself. There was something strangely comforting about the woman…even if she did get on his nerves. Now how was that for an oxymoron!

He closed his eyes as the plane began its descent into the sticky heat of a typical Brazilian day. Even in the air-conditioned comfort of first class, he could feel the strength of the sun bursting through the little window. He lowered the shade. He hated to watch the ground rush up toward him. Too many things could go wrong.

“Don’t worry,” Martha Miller said beside him, “We aren’t going to crash. I’m psychic…remember? I haven’t had any bad omens for this flight.”

She tapped her forehead. Frank smiled wanly and gave her a nod. He still wasn’t sure if she was serious or just a little kooky. Was it possible to be a little of both? Maybe she could tell him what the company wanted them to do in Brazil. He was just getting ready to ask her when the plane bumped onto the runway.

“Welcome to Guarulhos International Airport,” a pleasant female voice announced over the intercom, “We hope that you enjoyed your flight and that you have a pleasant time in the beautiful country of Brazil. Please have your passport ready for customs. Have a great day!”

The message was immediately repeated in Spanish. While this was going on, Martha had jumped up and was quickly rummaging for bag in the overhead compartment. She moved quickly for a larger person. Frank was impressed.

“Listen Mr. Mason,” Martha said, “When we get off this plane, I’m gonna run to the bathroom real fast. I am about to bust! I hate peeing in these little airplane bathrooms. I’m always afraid that I’m gonna get stuck in them…or worse, fall out into the aisle!”

Frank nodded and tried not to act embarrassed. Martha, meanwhile, continued to rummage in the overhead compartment.

“I swear,” she said irritably, “I just hate the way that everything gets all jumbled on these planes.”

She finally managed to drag her large, black bag out of the overhead. People were already starting to line up to get off of the plane. Martha stood to block the people behind and allowed Frank to get up. Grabbing his own case, he walked slowly up the aisle.

Everybody seemed to be moving slower than ever. He hated to be jammed in a plane like this. Martha was pressed right up against him. He could feel her breath on the back of his neck.

“I wish that they would hurry up,” she whispered in his ear, “I’ve really gotta go!”

Soon they were off of the plane and into the equally crowded airport. Frank had only traveled out of the country once before, and the experience of being in a foreign place was still a strange experience for him. All around him people were scattering to the left and right. And Spanish filled the air. He had learned a few phrases since joining Gaia, but he couldn’t rely on what few phrases he had picked up…unless he just wanted to ask for a cheeseburger or where the bathrooms were.

And speaking of bathrooms, Martha Miller flung her big, black bag toward him and headed off toward a sign which read banos…or bathrooms.

“Hold that, will ya’ sweetie?” she called out over her shoulder, “I don’t want to set it down in…something. I won’t be too long.”

If Frank had ever been a married man, he would have known what it felt like to hold a woman’s purse while she shopped, tried on clothes…or visited bathrooms in foreign lands. As it was, he felt a little bit awkward. Nobody was paying him any attention though. They were all too busy gathering their paperwork together for customs, stretching after long flights, or lighting up a cigarette. Apparently, smoking wasn’t frowned upon in airports here!

Just then Frank saw him. A man was leaning up against the wall at the far end of the hallway. He was staring at Frank and then looking at a piece of paper which he held crumpled in his left hand. He looked once more at Frank and frowned. Then he started to walk slowly toward him. But all that Frank saw was the tattoo on the man’s bulging bicep. The tattoo was of a large, brown monkey holding a banana that was larger than its entire body. Frank was looking at the man with the monkey. And the man with the monkey was headed straight for him!

Panic rising in him like high-tide, he quickly glanced toward the bathrooms. There was no sign of Martha Miller anywhere. She was the one who had told him to watch out for the man with the monkey! Why hadn’t she warned him that the man with the monkey was going to be so close? What good was a psychic if they couldn’t be any clearer than that?

He looked back. The man was almost up to him. Frank let out a hiss. The man was reaching into his pocket! Was he going to pull out a knife….a gun? With a loud whoop, Frank swung Martha’s bag, knocking the man ( and a few other people ) down to the floor. Without looking back, he ran wildly down the hallway, pushing through the crowd like a madman. He had to get away. He would find Martha later.

People started screaming. He knew that he was causing a panic, but it couldn’t be helped. Up ahead, he saw a group of nuns walking toward him. They were practically blocking the entire hallway! He ran toward them, pushing people out of the way to the left and right.

“Out of the way sisters!” he yelled. He didn’t know if they just didn’t understand English or if they just liked getting in the way….probably a bit of both…..but the nuns just stood there. He started to push his way through….and that is where his luck ran out. More screams….more pushing….and then the sharp, shrill whistle of the police sounded.

Two cops pounced on him. They were both large men….heavyset due to the low demand of an airport security job. But now they had a new victim. Frank fell to the floor as the cops landed on top of him. He guessed that pushing nuns wasn’t allowed….even in a country where people smoked in the airports.

Frank glanced around as he felt a pair of handcuffs clap around his wrists. Someone was shouting angrily at him in Spanish. It was one of the nuns! One of the other nuns crossed herself and started to pray. There was no sight of the man with the tattoo of the monkey.

Later, Frank would remember that this was the exact moment when things went from bad….to worse.

Until next week, class dismissed!

Dragonfly Dreams, Part Two

Frank Mason shifted in his seat. First class was very comfortable…better than he was used to. But there was just something about sitting on an airplane that made him uncomfortable. He wasn’t used to flying…had never cared for it. But, ever since taking the job with Gaia Pharmaceutical over three months ago, he had found that it was a necessary evil.

Hoping to relieve some of his anxiety, he closed his eyes and replayed the scene in his head again…the one where he had been confronted with Mr. Gordon Jones (now his boss) floating in the air. At first, he had thought that it was just a trick of the light…that he wasn’t really seeing what he was seeing. But it had been too simple…too obvious…to be a trick. Mr. Jones had been floating. It was the plain and simple truth.

“Come back and sit down Mr. Mason,” Gordon Jones had said, as he slowly lowered back down onto the white plastic cube that seemed to serve the purpose of a chair for him.

Unable to speak, Frank had stumbled over to the sphere on which he had been sitting earlier. Although it was bulky and uncomfortable, it offered the support that he needed. Especially now that his legs felt like they were going to buckle underneath him.

“You were….ummm…you were…” he had stuttered.

“Floating,” Gordon Jones had opened his eyes. Although they had still been a shocking color of pale blue, they had also had a tired look to them…an old look.
Frank hadn’t known what to say. He had just stared at the floor. The silence in the room had been a creature that had clawed at his mind until Gordon Jones had finally spoken again.

“Gaia Pharmaceutical is an international conglomerate,” he had stated, “We have offices and people working for us all over the world. We are one of the richest companies in the world. And do you know how we got that way Mr. Mason?”

Frank had only shaken his head…however, he had somehow found the strength to look at Gordon Jones again. Thankfully, Mr. Jones had just been sitting there….and had not turned into a tiger or some other sort of creature.

“Because Frank,” Gordon had said, “Our public drugs are just a small part of what we do. Sure…we have all the latest miracle drugs. We can cure everything from heartburn to impotence. But we also had another side. We have a very lucrative deal with the government. We are working on finding plants and herbs that can enhance….abilities….in the everyday person. That little demonstration of floating that I just gave you was just one of the abilities that we have been unable to unlock. Power like that is very desirable to certain people in the government. Power like that is very….expensive.”

Frank had swallowed hard. He had hardly been able to believe what he was hearing. If he hadn’t had seen it with his own eyes then he still probably wouldn’t have believed it.

“Why are you telling me this?” he had asked, “What if I decide to not take a job here? What if I decide to talk?”

Gordon Jones had only smiled and stated, “I think that you and I both know that you aren’t going anywhere. You really need this job…for one thing. And also….like I said….we know that YOU are the right person for this job. It’s your destiny.”
And although it hadn’t been spoken aloud, Frank knew that he wouldn’t have left that office alive if he had tried to walk out the door. He shuddered to himself and opened his eyes. People were still boarding the airplane. He fumbled with the air conditioning controls and turned the steady, stale stream of air directly into his face.

So far, his job hadn’t been very demanding. He had been working in a large greenhouse that was located on company grounds. There were all kinds of plants in this monster of a building that had to be at least as big as 10 football fields. He could recognize many of the plants. But there were some that he had never seen before. For the last three months, he had been busy entering data into a computer about plant growth, moisture content, and fertilizer. But he hadn’t felt right….something was wrong. He was doing a job that any high school dropout could do. Surely this wasn’t why he had been hired….and yesterday, he had found out that he was indeed moving up in the company.

A note had arrived in his email. It had been plain and simple.

Mr. Mason,
Tomorrow you will board Flight 379 to Brazil. A company car will take you to the airport at 8 AM. Your tickets will be waiting for you. You will pack one bag of clothing only. Do not tell anyone where you are going. Further instructions will await you in Brazil.

And that had been it….no signature…no explanation….no apology for the late notice. And Frank knew….he just KNEW….that he wouldn’t be able to refuse this assignment. That is….if he still wanted to live.

And now….here he was. He had been sitting on this forsaken plane for what seemed like hours….but in reality was probably only minutes. He looked around at the people around him….tourists mostly. They were chatting excitedly about their plans in Brazil. A couple next to him were giggling and whispering to each other between kisses. Newlyweds probably.

Just then a loud wheezing sound made him turn his head toward the front of the plane. A large, heavyset woman was making her way down the aisle. She was dressed in a purple billowing dress that flowed around her like smoke. She struggled to shove her ample girth between the seats as she continued to walk toward him. Frank was amazed to see that she smiled at him and gave a little wave. What in the world was going on?

“Mr. Mason,” her voice tinkled in his ears like a wind chime. It was enticing. He had never heard a voice like it before. It was almost like a waterfall made out of diamonds.

The woman reached out a plump hand toward him. On habit, he reached and grabbed it. Her skin was soft and warm…and not entirely unpleasant.

“Mr. Frank Mason?” the woman asked.

“Why yes I am,” he said, releasing her hand as she placed her large black handbag in the overhead compartment, “And you are?”

“Martha,” she smiled down at him, “Martha Miller. I’m from the company. I’ll be going with you to Brazil…although honestly I don’t know why I am going at all. Usually I do all of my work at home.”

“Oh really,” Frank shifted over to the window seat so that Martha could plop down beside him, “Do you do data entry or something?”

Martha laughed. Her tinkling voice rang out and filled the airplane.

“Oh no,” she giggled, “I do readings for the company. I’m a psychic. By the way…when we get to Brazil, don’t talk to the man with the monkey. Something bad will happen…I’m pretty sure of it. I saw a little psychic flash when we shook hands.”

Frank just sat there. He didn’t know what else to say. At least he could feel the airplane starting to taxi down the runway.

Until next week…class dismissed.