[June 11th] [Perry Mason] Lux Aeterna, 11

[insaneladybug.livejournal.com]

Title: Lux Aeterna, scene 11
Day/Theme: June 11th - A world of woven trees
Series: Perry Mason
Character/Pairing: Della Street, Lieutenant Tragg
Rating: K+/PG

Takes place after the last one.


By Lucky_Ladybug

Della loved to explore the woods. It seemed she rarely had a chance to be in the great outdoors (or anywhere) without being caught up in a deadly mystery, so she enjoyed it whenever she could.

Admittedly, this was not a pleasure trip either. They were still looking for the perfect place for their rebel group to meet, and while urban locations were being considered more and more, the mountains were not out of the running. Della usually was in the city, so she volunteered to look through the canyons as often as possible.

She and Hamilton had told the others of the mysterious church they had discovered. Perry especially was intrigued. He had been keeping tabs on it, but so far there had been no sign of anyone coming to care for it or to worship. It definitely seemed to be abandoned, but from where and when Perry had no idea.

The section of the forest Della was wandering through now was dense with trees. They clustered close enough that they formed a canopy against the sky. Even though it was afternoon, this spot was dark. There was only a brief flicker of sunlight now and then where a branch was not as thick or where one or more had broken away. It was both fascinating and lonely at once.

She was with Lieutenant Tragg today. It was an interesting contrast; they rarely spent time together at all, and it was even more unusual for them to be the only ones present.

Tragg seemed restless. He had usually been in the city himself, and he was primarily a city person. He did not feel much at home without buildings, cars, and the sounds of urban life.

“It’s unusual for the bugs to not be out right now, isn’t it?” he frowned. Not that he wanted them to be out by any stretch of the imagination, but from his tense stance he was expecting the creatures to come out and bombard them at any moment.

“Oh, sometimes they’re not, especially at this time of year,” Della said with a light, amused smile. “It’s in the thick of summer that you really have to worry.”

“Eh. I’ll worry anyway,” Tragg grunted.

“I didn’t think there was much that could worry you, Lieutenant.” Della walked ahead, still gently amused.

She really didn’t think she could become lost in the thickening trees. She also thought Tragg was right behind her. But as she went deeper it began to dawn on her that she was traveling alone. Bewildered, she shot a look over her shoulder. “Lieutenant?”

No one was there. Frowning, she stopped on the path and turned, her arms akimbo. “Lieutenant Tragg! Where are you?!”

There was still no answer. Even calling for him as loud as she could yielded nothing.

Well, he had to be back the way she had come. In determination she marched down the trail, looking for any sign of the wayward policeman. But she was alone. And the more she walked, the less anything looked familiar.

She tried to push down the forming fear. She had walked a straight line; this had to be the way she had come. And yet she knew she had been paying attention to the scenery. This was not what she had seen.

“Hello?” she ventured. “Lieutenant? Anyone?”

The woods were deathly still. Again she stopped. There were no sounds whatsoever. The trees were not moving. There were no chirping birds or other animals. She did not see so much as a beetle. She seemed to be the only sentient being in this vast world of foliage.

It was not so fascinating anymore. This was positively frightening. She broke into a run, her heart thumping wildly in her chest. “Is anyone here?!” she cried. “Someone answer me! Please! I can’t find my way out!”

She ran for she didn’t know how long. The trees almost seemed to be closing in around her the farther she went. And maybe her imagination was running away with her, but it was starting to seem very possible. She called until her throat was sore and scratchy, without anyone answering. At last she slowed to a stop. This was not getting her anywhere. There had to be another, better way.

The vague sound in the distance had her attention immediately. Everything had been completely silent other than her frantic cries. Now, finally, there was some hint of other human life. It sounded like some kind of peaceful chant. She hastened ahead, cutting through the trees to get closer.

When at last she came to the edge of the dense stand and a small, circular clearing stood in front of her, she could only stop and gaze in amazement at the sight before her.

A young woman with long blonde hair was dancing through the grass, humming to herself and remaining seemingly oblivious that she had an audience. Her movements were graceful, almost ethereal, as her locks swung out behind her. Her white dress, though plain, fit perfectly into the scene.

Della was transfixed. She stood and watched for a long moment, resting her hand on the tree trunk nearest to her. Who was she? Why had she chosen this spot for her performance? And how had her singing cut through the thick silence of the path Della had been on?

Finally she remembered her voice. “Hello?” she asked, stepping forward. “I’m sorry to bother you, but . . .”

“You were on the Path of Silence,” the stranger replied without so much as looking Della’s way or ceasing her dance.

Della rocked back, blinking in surprise. “Is that what they call it?”

“It’s appropriate, don’t you think?”

A shiver went up Della’s spine. “Too much.” She regarded the unknown girl in awe. There was something about her, something Della could not quite place. It wasn’t evil, not at all. But it was stirring. “I’m Della Street,” she said, hoping for an introduction in return.

Instead she received only a nod. “And you want to get out and find your companion.”

Della’s mouth fell open. “How do you know I’m here with someone?”

A shrug. “I just know.” At last the stranger came to a halt, pointing towards the left at an eight o’clock angle. “Go that way. You’ll get back on the right path.”

“How did I get on the wrong one?” Della could not help asking. “I didn’t change direction at all.”

“The trees in that section of the woods aren’t welcoming,” was the unsettling reply. “They altered reality as soon as you stepped into that realm.”

“Trees can’t do any such thing,” Della gasped in bewildered amazement.

“These aren’t your run-of-the-mill trees. They’re fed up with a humanity that doesn’t appreciate them.”

“There’s still people who do.” Della was not sure why she was pursuing this surreal conversation. But the girl seemed so convinced, as though she just knew that, too.

A nod. “And maybe that will someday be enough to make them friendly again. For now they don’t trust any humans.”

Hamilton would have laughed, had he been there. Della was mostly bewildered, not to mention concerned about the woman’s mental state. And in spite of herself, there was a part of her heart that wondered if this was the truth. Magic had been unleashed in their world. Della knew that for a fact. What if at least some of the trees had been given some level of power?

“. . . What about my friend?” Della finally said. “Is he trapped too?”

“He wandered too far to the left and missed your road. You’ll meet him and the two of you can leave together.”

“Alright,” Della said, nodding. “Thank you.” She started to walk away but stopped. “Do you live here?” She could not help asking.

“In a manner of speaking. Nevermind that; go, if you want to find him before he does find his way to the Path of Silence.”

That spurred Della to depart for real, no matter how much she wanted to stay and ask more questions.

At the top of a small hill she paused and glanced back, expecting to see the woman resuming her dance. Instead, the clearing was empty.

“Where did she go?” Della whispered in disbelief. The only other way seemed to be back to the Trail of Silence.

Baffled, she left the matter alone. Poor Lieutenant Tragg must be at least half as confused as Della was, considering how she had disappeared from view.
****
It was a relief for them both when they stumbled across each other along the normal walkway. “Della!” Tragg exclaimed. “Where in the name of Heaven were you?!”

Della quickly turned over the tale in her mind. Somehow she had the feeling that if she told him all about her experience, and what the mysterious woman had said about it, it would not go over well.

So she just smiled. “I was on the next path over, Lieutenant.”

“Oh.” Tragg frowned. “Didn’t you hear me calling you?!”

“I’m afraid not,” Della said. “And you didn’t hear me?”

“I didn’t hear a thing,” Tragg shook his head. “So how’s the other trail?”

“It won’t help any,” Della said honestly. “I don’t think anything here will.”

“So we should just move along then,” Tragg deduced.

“I would say so,” Della said.

When they returned to the city, she told Perry what had happened. While not certain of its complete validity, he knew Della was telling the truth as far as she knew it.

It was after that when he decided the woods were too unreliable. They were to focus on finding a hideout in the city.

Della could not help feeling relieved. While she was still both fascinated and curious, and while she still wanted to know about the anonymous benefactor, it was hard to say what other kinds of unpleasant surprises might be found in the mountains. It was just as well to leave them alone.