Eureka
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Moonlight peeked through the pines as Jake made his way through the woods trying to keep up with Gerty. Moments ago, Jake had been squatting at the stream’s edge to fetch water when a falling star blazed across the sky and hit the earth. It had made a thunderous sound and shook the ground. Gerty barked in alarm, but when Jake pointed into the woods and commanded her to find, she obeyed without question. The Setter raced into the trees. She’d been the runt of the litter, a thing Jake could relate to, but Gerty turned out to be the best hunting and tracking dog he’d ever had.
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Did stars really fall? Jake asked himself as he carefully weaved through the dense forest. Something from the heavens, that had to be worth good money. Maybe the weeks spent panning without so much as an ounce of gold were about to pay off. He had traveled west for a grand adventure, but everything was turning out dismal. His business partner, Walt, was useless. The man did little more than bellyache. Jake did all the work. Not much different from being bullied on the farm by his older brother’s. His hand still ached from cutting it on a rough log while gathering firewood that morning.
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Just ahead, Gerty stopped in a small clearing. Half embedded from impact was a large smooth grey object. It was cracked reminding Jake of an egg, but instead of a yolk glowing green slime oozed out. Gerty turned to Jake looking at him with one grey-blue eye and one brown and tilted her head to the side as if puzzled.
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A rustling in fallen leaves startled Jake. He regretted rushing off without grabbing his gun back at camp. To his relief it was only small lizard. It pushed itself up and down a few times before scurrying into a spot of the green goo. The reptile’s body curled up, twisted and then stretched. It was growing and changing. The scaly dry skin first sprouted spines which then became feathery. In a matter of minutes, the lizard had transformed before Jake’s eyes into a great grey owl. It flopped along the ground flapping newly grown wings. Then it took off into flight and soared letting out a cry of what Jake imagined was delight at newfound freedom.
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Jake turned to Gerty. To his horror, the dog was licking up some green goo. Hollering, he shooed Gerty away. In the process he slipped, and his injured hand landed in the slime. He shook the stuff off. He fearfully waited. Neither man nor dog seemed to suffer any ill effects. Jake’s hand felt good. Wiping it on his britches he looked and the cut from this morning was healed.
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This was it. Jake thought. Magic goo. He’d bottle it and make a fortune. He wouldn’t have to return home a failure. He realized he still held the pot he had meant to get water with and quickly started gathering up the glowing green slime.
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“That where you hiding it? I knew there had to be gold here and you’s holding out,” a voice sounded behind him. Jake turned to find the large looming figure of Walt. Considering the man was pointing a gun at Jake, he assumed their tentative working relationship had come to an end.
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“Where’s the gold?” Walt demanded.
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“This is better than gold.” Jake said holding up the pot. Walt gave the slime little consideration and cocked his pistol. Gerty growled and bared her teeth. Walt took a step forward, and Gerty lunged. The sulfurous smell of gunpowder filled the air. The dog yelped in agony. Jake dropped the pot and charged Walt as Gerty limped off into the darkness wailing. The gun was knocked away, and Jake got one good punch to Walt’s gut. But the bigger man was quick to recovered and knocked Jake down with a powerful right to the jaw. Jake frantically searched the ground around him for a weapon as Walt pulled out a hunting knife.
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“I’m gonna gut you like a fish,” Walt screamed.
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There was another crack of gunfire. Jake gaped in amazement as Walt fell dead, shot in the back of the head. There standing before him was a woman, stark naked, holding Walt’s pistol in her trembling hands. Blood flowed from a wound on her shoulder. Her eyes, one grey-blue and one brown, were wide with terror. She tilted her head as if trying to make sense of what had happened before collapsing to the ground.
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Without hesitation, Jake retrieved the pot of slime and was at the woman’s side whispering, “Hang on Gerty, I got you.” He applied a generous amount of the greenish goo to the wound. The injury healed but the grey-blue and brown eyes were still distressed. Gerty shook her human arms as if trying to rid herself of them. Seeing the pot of goo, she frantically grabbed a handful and slurped it down. She curled into a ball, then contorted and shifted as her body shrank slightly, and reddish-brown fur grew out of the pale naked flesh. In moments, Gerty was back to her original form wagging her long tail. The happy spark returned to her eyes.
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Jake sat trying to catch his breath bewildered at what had transpired. Gerty gently nosed the pot toward him and stared at him. He’d always envied the dog’s life. She never had to live up to anyone’s expectations. While he toiled in the hot sun trying to make his fortune, she’d romp through wildflowers chasing rabbits. Slowly, Jake took a small amount of the magical substance. The texture was unpleasant in his mouth but had a sweetness. He swallowed then lay back and let the transformation take hold. His last human thought was, now this will be an adventure.
