Green Veins

Half a year of prolonged dry weather had turned a forest and its adjacent little town into an unremarkable, dusty, brown landscape. Gary, a museum security guard was taking a break from his duties. He was puffing away next to his dust-covered, faded blue sedan. An old lady approached him and asked for his help to hold her green popsicle while she fumbled for something in her sack. Gary flicked his cigarette and took the popsicle from her.

“Do you like lime? Why don’t you taste the popsicle while you are holding it?” she suggested while still looking into her bag.

“Ma’am, I couldn’t possibly-“ Gary was saying when the lady looked up and stared him in the eyes. “Yes, ma’am, I shall try the popsicle.”

“Yesss. After all, it is a very, very, very hot day.”

“Yes, it is a very, very, very hot day.”

Suddenly, Gary felt very tired so he turned to look for a place to lean on. The old, dirty sedan was just a few steps away. He moved towards it and rested his back on the car. Mechanically, he brought the popsicle to his mouth and started to lick it. He did not know why he was being so obedient nor did he notice the flavour of the popsicle. He was just being a good man, listening to the commands of a senior citizen. He took his time but the heat was already melting the ice away. The green layer of ice had turned to liquid and oozed down the wooden stick. He was not bothered by the mess as the sticky, sweet substance ran down his hand. He was in a trance, under the spell of a witch.

The green liquid was pooling around Gary’s right fist. Those that spilt over were trickling down his hand and arm like bright green veins that glowed fluorescent. While some dripped on to the ground, most entered his bloodstream through his pores. In a trance, Gary stood and walked up the steps to the large, grand entrance of the museum. 

“Hey, Gary, thought you were on your break?” his fellow security guard greeted him.

There was no reply from Gary as he continued walking.

That’s odd. It was so unlike him to come back from his lunch this early. He’d rather stand under the sun than be back early, the guard thought, getting concerned.

“Gary, you all right there?” the guard asked again. He tried to tap Gary on the shoulder but before he managed, Gary raised his hand and pushed his colleague down the flight of stairs. The guard tumbled down and fell unconscious. People gathered around him to help out.

Meanwhile, Gary continued walking into the museum and headed to the control room. He closed the door silently behind him and approached the security officer manning the surveillance.

“Well, if it isn’t my best buddy Gary here to relief me. You’re right on-“ before the man could finish his sentence, Gary reached out to his neck and applied pressure on some nerves that knocked him out cold.

Gary went out, straight to the ancient tribes’ exhibit. At the far corner of the hall, was a spear encased in a glass case. It was displayed vertically with its sharp edge pointed upwards. The edge was crafted from stone. It was probably a time before the knowledge of metallurgy was known to man. Gary went straight to the case and placed his hand on it. 

The veins in his hand started to glow fluorescent green. In contrast to his earlier popsicle experience, the green liquid exited from his skin and covered the glass case. When the last of the liquid left his body, Gary collapsed on to the ground. The glass started to rattle and exploded, sending millions of the green liquid-covered glasses flying in every direction.

The pieces sparkled under the dim museum lights and slowly spiralled like the beginnings of a whirlwind. Eventually, the glass pieces morphed into a multi-faceted green-tinted feminine glass figure. Even under the low lights, she appeared like a jade goddess. She walked towards the spear and held up the rock edge. She crushed it without much effort, like opening a fortune cookie. The rock fell to the ground in pieces, revealing a precious stone that glowed greener than the glass woman.

Energy from the precious green stone poured into her. Her facets became smaller, just like how screen resolution increased over the decades. Within seconds, her green glass figure was smooth and clear. She held up the stone and chanted.

“Rise again, glass people. Your curse has been lifted!”

*****

She was referring to the curse placed on her people during an invasion by evil witches, thousands of years ago. Her race of glass people were peaceful sentient beings but to the witches, they were threats no different from humans and elves. The witches had conjured vines that raised from the ground and pulled every one of the glass people down and forever buried in the earth.

Forever, until a rogue witch that grew fond of humans and fell in love with a mortal man. That had changed her outlook in life and prompted her to hypnotise Gary and secretly passed the antidote disguised as a layer of lime sorbet popsicle. The essence of the curse was kept in a stone that unknowingly ended up as a display in the museum. The antidote that was absorbed into the body of Gary was able to reverse the petrification of the precious green stone and raise the glass woman.

*****

The earth shook and glass people burst out of the ground. Weary from their eternal slumber, they wandered aimlessly in search of guidance and reason. The glass woman stood at the top of the museum steps and once again, held up the precious stone.

“Behold, the heart of Mother Earth! We have been liberated and it is time to return home!”

As though her voice was the beacon of light, the glass people turned toward her direction and followed. She walked towards the forest and melted into the shadows with her people.

Although long gone, the sound of clinking glass footsteps still echoed in the minds of the humans who witnessed the whole incident. Curious yet hard to believe, it was only a matter of time before some of them ventured into the woods to seek some answers.