[Untitled]
DANNY JUMPED UP and screamed. The Virgil-lookalike did the same, standing his ground while Danny rushed into the woods. He didn't know how long he'd been running but he fell down some time [sic?] along the way, twisting his ankle. He hit his head very hard and everything became hazy, with white stars flying around. He then felt something wet and cold on his cheek, followed by a tingling, then aching sensation in his temples. He struggled to sit up, only to find his foot caught in a branch. Chuffy Boy stopped licking him and started to whine, but Danny blacked out.
It was still dark when Danny came to. He sat up slowly and released his sore foot from the branch. With Chuffy Boy leaning against him to support him, he limped into the woods.
After a while he sat to rest on a huge toppled tree. He was so exausted [sic] that he wasn't frightened when the Virgil-lookalike came back and tended to his foot.
"That's a bad sprain," the Virgil-lookalike stated. "We need to fix this up."
"What happened?" Danny asked, even though he knew what.
"You ran away and you fell down."
"What did I run away from?"
"Me, of course."
"Who are you?"
"Publius Virgilius Maro," the dog replied.
"Publa-wha?"
"Virgil, you idiot."
"No way! He died in 19 B. C.!"
"Oh, I didn't know that," the dog replied sarcastically.
"Who are you--really?" Danny asked, pulling his foot free.
"Just who I said I was. You should know me when you see me."
Danny stumbled backwards, trying to get away from the dog. But he followed right in front of him.
"You studied Latin literature once, didn't you?" the Virgil-lookalike asked. Danny tripped on a branch but continued.
"Remember the Aeneid?"
"What about it?"
"That was a great piece of literature."
"It's as false as you are. Who are you?"
"My name is Virgil!" the dog chanted steadily. He kept it up while Danny made his escape. [Note--there are eraser marks under "My name is Virgil!" but I can't make out what it once said. I recall that I attempted to have Virgil saying something in Latin, probably this same line, only...in Latin. I'm not sure if that's what he said though. It might have been some other little line in Latin that I picked up somewhere. Maybe "You are stupid"...?]
After an even longer run than before, Danny came to a house. The sign on the door read,
"Whoso [sic] enter cometh way by door
If not, then go thy way.
But if thee [sic] do thee [sic] will recieve [sic] trouble more
So it would be wise for thee to stay." [Note--I sure as hell hope Dante wasn't supposed to have written this 'cause it SUUUUUUCKS.]
Danny stared at the sign, then entered.
"Hello?" he asked, walking around. "Anybody home?"
There was a shuffling sound from another room. A cellar door creaked open and a dog came out, carrying a crystal ball. He looked up at Danny. "What's your name?"
"Danny Alighieri."
"Really?" the other dog exclaimed. He said this so excitedly that his lower jaw fell off. Danny gasped.
"On't orry, appens all 'e ime," the dog said, replacing his jaw.
"Who are you?" Danny asked, the nervousness from the Virgil-lookalike returning.
"An old relative! Dante Alighieri."
Danny's jaw dropped.
"Careful, might fall off," the Dante-lookalike warned.
"Two dead people in one night!" Danny shouted. "I wonder what'll happen next?"
"Virgil's coming over tonight!"
"Oh, no!"
There was a knock on the door. The Dante-lookalike opened it and in came the Virgil-lookalike.
"This has to be a nightmare!" Danny gasped. "What is this, Night of the Living Dead?"
"Oh, this is where he went!" 'Virgil' said.
"What's going on?" Danny stammered.
"If you really want to know," Virgil said. He took the crystal ball and it began to glow. In it, Danny could see all his friends. They were still in their angel, devil, and Roman costumes, searching around, calling, "Danny!"
"What happened to him?" Leslie asked Tony.
"He disappeared after school."
"Tony!" Beatrice called. "I found Chuffy Boy! I think he's trying to tell me something!"
"Lead us to him, boy!" Ray said. The image faded.
"Wait! It was daylight then. What are they doing now?" Danny asked Virgil.
"They gave up the search hours ago."
"Have I disappeared off the face of the earth?"
"Sort of," Dante said. "This cabin doesn't exist. It's a portal through time."
"So we're in past and present at once?" [Note--hey, neat! Like Manitou Island!]
Two nods.
"This is creepy!" Danny said. Then, seeing that Dante was staring sorrowfully at the table, said, "What's wrong, Grandpa?"
"You said--you said to yourself--my wonderful poem was awful." A tear slid down his face.
Danny turned to Virgil, who nodded in agreement. He turned back to Dante. "Oh, I didn't mean it."
"Yes, you did. You saw the play and said it was a--a bomb!" Dante buried his face and began to cry.
Danny looked guiltily at his foot, scuffing the floor.
"You didn't think the Aeneid was too hot, either," Virgil said.
[Illustration: Danny, Dante, and Virgil; Danny stands on the left and faces right, hands in pockets and his eyes rolling heavenward; Dante is in the middle, seated at a wooden table and facing the viewer, his head resting against one hand and tears dripping from his eyes--beneath his other hand, upon the table, are a quill and a piece of parchment with writing on it--his tears are blurring the text; Virgil stands on the right and faces left, a halo over his head, talking calmly to Danny. The crystal ball on the table is supported by a stand that consists of a devil and an angel.]
"Okay, okay, so I don't think very highly of literature stuff," Danny said, annoyed. "Who cares?"
"I do!" Dante shouted.
Danny looked at Virgil, but he said nothing.
"Why do you have that silly halo around your head?" Danny asked suddenly.
"Huh? Oh, that. Well, you see, I'm sort of--well, I'm really--you know--I'm kinda a--well, it's like--"
"He's my guardian angel," Dante interrupted.
"Yeah, that's it," Virgil said.
Danny was puzzled. "But aren't angels supposed to have wings?"
"That's the problem," Virgil sighed. "I have to prove myself to get them. There's only one way I can."
"How's that?"
"I have to go down there," Virgil said, pointing at the floor, "and then I have to go up there," pointing at the ceiling, "and bring Dante along with me. But I'm terrified! I've heard stories and not one is good. I guess I'll never get those wings."
"Don't worry. Maybe I can help," Danny said, although he wasn't sure how.
"You?" Dante said, looking up.
Danny nodded. Then he whispered to Virgil, "Why do you have to go, anyway?"
Virgil whispered back, "Dante's old girlfriend, Beatrice, is up there somewhere."
"But my girlfriend's name is Beatrice!" Danny objected
"What a coinkidink!" Dante shouted.
[Note--there is one last note scribbled on the page before the illustration of Danny, Dante, and Virgil. I can't think of why I included it, unless it was done before the drawing was made and was meant as a reminder to include the illustration:]
picture of Danny, Virgil, and crying Dante [arrow pointing to next page]
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