Riverside Park Bench

 

You sit on the bench that rests on the mound of the river bank, bouncing your knees. There are no agents in sight. The view of the river shimmering beneath the bridge framed by the foliage of the marshes is beautiful and serene.

The shrubs on the river slope rustle and shake toward you. Bloggo appears from the riverside holding a pale slender woman in his arms. She is young and beautiful. A damp and what was possibly once a white summer dress clings to her figure and her long and wavy red hair drapes over his forearm. Reaching the top, he lays her in front of you keeping his hand supporting her head.

“I’m so glad you made it. I thought they might have caught you again,” you say.

“I took care of them.”

He kneels over her and reaches his hand out. You hand him the elixir. He flicks the cap off the tube and holds it to her mouth. He tilts her head back and pours the red liquid between her faded lips.

“Please work, please,” he mutters to himself.

You both watch in anticipation. Moments pass and nothing happens. He lowers his head and shuts his eyes as if praying.

Her lips slowly fill with colour and her eyes move behind her twitching lids. In one yearning gasp, her eyes snap open and her chest thrusts off the ground. Light floods her body from within.

Her body relaxes into Bloggo’s arms.

“Helena,” Bloggo says.

Her hand grazes his rough cheek with her delicate fingers. “When did you get so handsome?” She smiles, dimpling her cheeks.

Like a light switch, his eyes glint as he smiles and embraces her into his chest.

Bang! A gunshot goes off.

You jump from the bench looking around. Helena becomes heavy and limp in Bloggo’s arms. He pulls away to look at her face and her head rolls back, blood trickling from her mouth. A red circle grows on her dress.

Bloggo’s eyes cloud, trying to comprehend. An injured agent staggers toward you with his gun. Blood stains his vengeful face. A growl simmers from Bloggo’s throat. He lays Helena gently to the ground then unleashes a roar that makes you feel sick in the stomach.

The agent fires again. The bullet hits Bloggo’s shoulder exploding into wood shrapnel. Bloggo charges. The agent fires shot after shot, each bullet blasting into Bloggo’s body but none slowing him down. Bloggo leaps on the agent and pins him to the ground with a giant hand on his face. He squeezes until the pressure explodes the agent’s head like a watermelon.

Bloggo lurches back sobbing. The tears soak into the wooden fibre of his cheeks as falls to his knees in front of Helena’s body.

A glowing white hand rests on his shoulder making his whimpers fade. Helena’s spirit stands beside him. She is radiant.

Helena puts her glowing hand on his chest and he places his over hers. His other hand slips between the broken branches of his ribs and grabs his heart. He yanks it, snapping the vines that held it in place.

A light shines from his body as it collapses and you shield your eyes. The light fades and a glowing white spirit of a handsome man climbs from Bloggo’s body. He smiles at Helena and they embrace in a kiss. Their spirits gleam and then vanish.

You collapse onto the bench in shock. You wait until the sun sets over the river vowing to expose the truth and write the story of the misunderstood creature from the Brisbane river.

END.