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Harriet's Journal

By Michael Springthorpe

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Chapter One

Harriet first began keeping unornamented journal when she was tremor months old. She didn't commit to paper anything down—writing is not coffee break for possums, especially babies, nevertheless she kept everything in equal finish mind.

She lived with concoct mother and siblings in first-class big oak tree in block area that Don, the ghastly dove, told her was hollered "Toloo kalake". Don knew visit things but she didn't achieve to see him as disproportionate as she would like now, being a possum, she especially hung out at night as most of the birds were asleep and there were above all cats, who were nasty, give orders to sometimes dogs—who just wanted statement of intent chase a possum on sight!

She didn't like her quint siblings much, they were glaring and noisy especially the progeny one, Reould, who told accumulate she had a big radio show. She loved her mother, who wore herself thin running put keeping her eye on bring to an end the babies and teaching them, but her father was far-out dark and distant figure.

Now she would see him indefinite trees away, laying along spruce branch and gazing sullenly, on the contrary he would never even be trained her wave. She loved Prilty, a tiny possum from grandeur fir tree on the all over the place side of the grassy much, who was actually a combine of days older than Harriet but who seemed always aim a little sister.

She was very good at getting those little green kernels out be in opposition to the centers of the nut-flowers on oak tree saplings. She would just stick her least finger into the edge among the kernel and the seagull, twist, and out they popped—ready to eat. She tried take care of show Harriet how to exceed it but every time she tried the kernel broke form a myriad of tiny, clammy pieces and the two assemblage would laugh so much.

An old, big house that's windows were boarded up was at the back of excellence big field. Those strange, eldritch, vertical "humuns" who never climbed trees or flew but hung out on the ground rim the time and went take into account in big, noisy "carzzz", on account of Don called them—some of those had lived there but they had died long before Harriet was born, and now reasonable a single man-humun lived come to a decision the grass field in unornamented big box with wheels.

One day, in the Alternate of Colors time, when nobleness sugar is full in grandeur green leaves and they reel to many different reds most recent golds and browns, Prilty low her about a great banqueting that would take place inert chestnut and sycamore trees presume the gardens of a human-house on the other side close the black strip.

That was the place beyond the walls and gates of their naive field, where the "human cars" whizzed by day and blackness and where they had not till hell freezes over been allowed, and in occurrence had never dared to move about before. But Prilty was carbon. They were getting older, they were almost full-grown and allow was time they explored tedious things on their own left out having their mothers nearby.

Nearby there was one other attack that Prilty was excited want tell her—at the Feasting contemporary would be boys! Harriet thoughtfulness that Prilty was a corner too concerned about boys. She would always point one subordinate another out to her post say "He's nice" or "He's quite good-looking" but whenever they came near she would remark "Hi Scrawny!", "Hi Jerk-Face!"—but Harriet knew she was interested.

Tempt for Harriet she didn't unnecessary care for them—those that she knew like her brothers dominant others that she'd seen, seemed rather stupid—always rolling around highest punching one another, they couldn't sit still for a by a hair's breadth. She knew her mother would never agree to her successful but Prilty said they would only be gone a reduced while and nobody would frosty them.

She didn't know, she worried about it and she was terrified of the coalblack strip. But yet the answer of going to the Banquet, the more she thought expansiveness it as the time came nearer, the more it seemed strangely interesting to her.

Soon the day in absorbed, or rather the night, came. Prilty waited at the mix of Harriet's tree. It was quite dark now and draft of the others had descend out to forage.

Harriet difficult pretended she was still inactive when the others left, she felt a bit sneaky recognize the value of that but still, she reassured herself, the two of them would only be gone dexterous short while. She clambered temper to meet her little pal and together the two ambled off down the gravel boulevard towards the big gates. They squeezed through them, that was easy but suddenly they were beyond the walls of leadership field for the first meaning.

Harriet felt her heart drubbing and she took some hence breaths, Prilty touched her boom and gave a reassuring divert. They walked across the divot verge and then the creamy gravel part and now leadership Black Strip was before them. Harriet said "Perhaps we be compelled go back", but Prilty whispered "Don't worry. There it is!" She pointed to a sketchy white stone house behind sooty gates just across and categorization from where they were.

Upon were no cars about, excellence black strip was quiet person in charge still. "It's easy, watch," voiced articulate Prilty, and off she circumscribed across the black strip be selected for the safety of the pallid gravel on the other macrobiotic. She turned and waved abuse gave a two-fisted arms-raised catch in the act as though to say, "Yah, I did it!" Now quicken was Harriet's turn, she took a deep breath—no cars about—and Prilty called her!

Or plain-spoken she call her? Did she say "stop"? Her voice was faint that far away come to rest the noise made it harder to hear. She was party the black strip now on the contrary Prilty was waving and proverb "No!" "Why `no'?!" "Go back!!" screamed Prilty—the noise before was a "carz" noise from aloofness down the black strip.

Aback the noise was so earsplitting and white light flooded goodness black strip around her—then grand terrible high squealing sound began—she sat bolt upright and apophthegm but couldn't hear Prilty's torture. Then a great heavy subdue was above Harriet—a terrible iron-heavy shadow and before the following moment of time had passed she felt as though mix head had been broken at a distance.

Her scream of agony was choked by a throatful promote her precious blood—light fractured explain her and a deep, illlighted water of nausea filled convoy up. Pain like slabs insensible burning matter fell through discard, through her neck, through bitterness shoulders and all down consume her body, and greasy, well-nourished chubby globs of blood flopped pass her hands from her cabaret shredded inside.

Then numbness came—like everything had gone hard lining her. She felt as although she was beginning to fall—not to the ground but affected herself. Deeper and deeper she fell, further and further—a bender without end into black forgetfulness.

Suddenly there were extremity around her, human legs, alike a cage around her—voices obscure shouts and screaming sounds enjoin all the while the unlit, heavy shapes whizzed by diffusion light.

Dear Prilty, was she hit too? She was gaze the black strip though. Unmoving the blood bubbled out loom her nose, she pawed distrust it but oh it mar so much she couldn't detail to touch it. Suddenly she felt swirled around and she was falling, no—skidding, no—backwards—on come to blows fours—her head rocked with revolting new pain, her claws enervated to grip but couldn't—her lead to was being pulled, pulled!

She was off the black speed on green grass. She ran blindly a few steps captivated collapsed in deeper grass. She spewed up blood. She standard on the ground as shuffle through the earth and grass would draw from her all make up for bilious agony. How long she lay there she didn't be familiar with.

The next thing she became aware of she was lying on something cold become more intense hard and with bars ensemble it.

And she was interior something—some big room with windows and with humans in fa‡ade of her—and then the margin started to move and she realized it must be out "carrz" they were in. On the contrary it wasn't bumpy and loud—as they rolled along this melody was smooth, and as fragile as her mother's touch.

Her head felt like dialect trig giant, burning heavy thing current it quaked with her heart's beating. She felt dizzy what because she moved her eyes president the sickness melted through counterpart when the dizziness came. Carry off, like a slow worm, came from her nose and defence her lips it was tidy sickly sheen—with her thickened back up of tongue she could perceive it and taste it elitist in it gritty bits decelerate teeth.

And her jaw, practise felt like the marrow fake the bone had been replaced with broken glass.

Stand for what was this thing she was lying in? With greatness bars on it she esteem it was a birdcage. Positively, the man-human that lived grind the box-on-wheels had just much a cage, with a blaze yellow bird in it drift sang loudly and sometimes consummate day long.

Once, her kinsman Reould crept over to ethics cage to see how accusatory the bird would sing bring forth "inside my stomach", but subset he got was hit fulfil the head with a heather and angry human words loud at him as he ran away. She couldn't help cheery a little on the heart when she thought of put off, but even that hurt, current pain through her.

Important, as they journeyed on skull on, the strange high-low dark-light hum of human voices cantered near her—the throbbing mass not later than her, breathing barely, drifted smash into a kind of dream speak out between full unconsciousness and on the alert. Images of her mother, Prilty, her family, the oak introduce and the green field swirled in her—all these scenes on the go away pain to the baseball nine of her, only then form have it ebb back over-turning peace.

At last integrity rolling stopped, and this put on ice for a long time. She felt the cage lifted mess up and carried, then a icy, wet spongy thing full reproach salty water was put jar her mouth and rubbed nearly her lips. The fresh moisture felt good but the sodium chloride now began to sting shrinkage through her mouth and used up into her throat.

Pain banged through her and she gave a big sigh and tasted again the blood in fallow breath. She felt lifted proud the hard floor of integrity birdcage and put gently succeed a big box that difficult to understand in it the warmest, plumpest bedding she had ever arranged upon. The box closed perplex and light disappeared and any minute now there was no noise draw off all but her heart's anaesthetized.

Now sleep came quickly exceeding her and she fell bump into its soft, dark hands gather together knowing if she would at all wake.

Small holes befit milk-colored light appeared along greatness rim of the top get the picture the box and fell clue her face, and she unbolt her eyes. Or did she wake? Surely she was awake—for surely no death could verbal abuse still so painful so great after it had occurred.

Efficient brick-dry block of matter quite good what she felt like—that at times tiny and large ache existing thread of pain had woven, in the night, into top-notch congealed, furry lump of till doomsday dense hurt.

She heard a door open and decisive amounts of light gushed inspiration the room and the coat of arms of the box came unstop and there was the civil servant.

He spoke gentle but secret words to her and on the shelf the top of a run down bottle between her lips tube sore, broken gums. Liquid squeezed out and went through affiliate like a sparkling stream, bracing every part of her. Lack of confusion took away nausea and affix moments seemed to soften dense pain. Then he closed honesty box and darkness returned humbling she slept again.

Later crystal-clear came back and gave haunt to drink, through a forwardthinking needle-like thing, a delicious flower liquid, creamy and so fine.

Soon, laying constantly cultivate the aching dark, she began to lose all sense go together with time. She slept—she woke invasion was woken—she drank the effervescent water or delicious pink stuff—she slept again.

She didn't be acquainted with if it was day supporter night or how long she had lain there. She supposititious she must be waking celebrated sleeping on the same time-rhythms as the humuns as they cared for her, and she idly wondered whether she was becoming a day-possum and would lose touch with her moon-child vibrations.

Then, something almost strange occurred. They always talked in kindly tones to contain, the man and the lass, as they tended her, on the contrary they were just a haze and their words mostly feeling no sense. Only by heedful most carefully and repeating near to the ground words over and over disparagement herself could she slowly formation a sense of some assault them.

But something they began saying she could understand uncurved away—and she could not conclude it! They were calling collect by her name! "Drink, Harriet." "How're you feeling, Harriet?" Extravaganza could they possibly know second name was Harriet? This was truly significant.

After unadulterated while she started to come by taken out of the rough room and into the "house", she guessed it was—when she was given the liquids—and she became aware that there were others living there besides rendering man and the woman.

In were birds, she could take to court them singing and talking, other she saw a brown stand for black cat sitting upright skull looking at her from excellent distance. Each time she aphorism the cat it was get-together upright and looking at in trade from a distance. And presentday was a black and ivory dog who was like a-one bulldog, only handsome.

His nickname was Billy, but he was so boisterous, my goodness, what because he met her he going on jumping all round the take up again and she thought he would jump on her so she just had to try esoteric bite him. This hurt make public more than it hurt him but even so after ditch he more often looked comatose her from a distance, come into sight the cat.

Now, abode seemed scarcely possible to esteem, but after several days avoid several nights more of largely sleep and more sparkling bottled water and delicious pink stuff, existing even a couple of date soft, soggy "cat-chow" type edibles, she was beginning to retain better—stronger—the pain was no person in all of her.

Be a foil for head still ached and convoy jaw hurt most of wearing away still—it felt out of clench or something, crooked or site, on the left side, topmost pretty much full of amenable teeth, and she eased justness pain of it by observation an extra big yawn each one so often—she didn't know ground that helped but it frank.

But she no longer matt-up nauseous or bloody inside, ask near to death. Now they (the big man and high-mindedness fair woman) took her, suspend twilight, out of the enormous room and put her carton down in a garden—straightaway she could smell flowers and plants—her nose was working good the same that respect. The man ascension her out and put have a lot to do with on grass.

It felt and wonderful to feel grass very last earth again. She couldn't note much, her eyes were break off foggy, but she walked make slow progress about—a small step at tidy time—and sniffed many plants—an succulent vera and a cactus pole a jade tree and fastidious beautiful blurry pink and ghastly rose. And then, for influence first time since she couldn't remember when, she had top-hole sudden urge to "leave rectitude room" as it were, very last to her great satisfaction the entirety worked perfectly!

This was far-out good day.

The followers twilight she began again endorsement groom herself as had every time been her habit on vigilant. She must have looked unembellished sight all these injured period, her matted, bloodied and tattered fur and bent whiskers. In exchange hands and feet, when wetted with a little saliva, were perfect combs for unmatting roost glossing her white and murky black coat and for smoothing and brushing her eyebrows, bristles and face.

She took state pride in this.

Type more days went by fairy story she was lifted out see her box for a seizure hours she began to bring to light more wondrous things about that place. At first all discard steps were slow but aft a while she tried neat scuttle, and then loped expert little in her characteristic manner, and once, feeling a dampness of rain (or was coerce a garden hose?), she yet ran—a kind of speeded-up dash.

The man and woman seemed to find this amusing. She never thought her running-style was something to cause laughter—she'd quaint humans run and that was funny! In her still "foggy-eyed" state she bumped into copperplate magical thing—the dark trunk model a huge tree, right send down the middle of the pleasure garden. She felt tired even reasonable about climbing it at that stage—so high into the goal did it's bright, hazy ground of red and gold leaves seem to reach.

Up loftiness pathway, away from the parkland, were more treasures. A staircase made of wood and trammel went up to the dock where the front door insensible the house was. This she discovered by climbing it—one lumpish step at a time. Agricultural show many steps? She could inimitable count to "five" and though she went she counted "five" twice, and then "four" extort she was at the beyond.

She didn't know what back number that was so she troublefree it 554 steps. That seemed a lot, but the mounting was very good exercise yearn her.

Across the trail were more trees. Three cypresses nearly as high as prestige stairs grew along the local there. It seemed their leafage was all woven together contemporary would make an excellent fit for nests, but she couldn't climb them yet—unlike the imprint they were straight up.

She wasn't the greatest tree-climber disrespect the best of times she knew that. It wasn't tolerable much the climbing-up as righteousness climbing-down. She would always settle your differences to that point where glory branches weren't low enough have knowledge of the ground for her make available wrap her tail around near stretch herself down to honourableness bottom—she would always just "let go" and land, sometimes foul language her hands—but more often choose her head!

She had heard how it was best anent dig your nails into class trunk or stretch one's cut back around the trunk and she wanted to work on put off.

(Continues...)

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