http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yowie

Word Count: 3046

Yowie

After a few soothing deep breaths Tyler is able to steady his hands enough to pick up the small red velvet box of the table, he places it on the inside of his jacket pocket. “I cannot believe I am going through with this.” He says aloud to himself. “You do realise you’re talking to yourself don’t you, get a grip man.” He looks at himself in the mirror for what must be into the double digit numbered amount of time. “Clara will say yes to you, I mean you two have been together long enough to already declare yourself as married so why would she say no.” He feels his heart rate rise yet again and he has doubt fill his mind. There’s a knock on the door that pulls him out of the world of doubt and into the reality of the fact that he is still in his bedroom. “Who is it?”

“It’s Ricky are you ready yet?” This man has been Tyler’s best friend since they were both very young children running around in each other’s back gardens. The advantage being that there mothers are next door neighbours and that is how their relationship began and has flourished like the apple trees that they planted as children. Today has been in the planning for a very long time and Ricky is the man to take all the credit, so if it goes wrong Tyler knows who he can plant all of the blame onto. Tyler is going to ask Clara to marry him on this day. Today is going to be the beginning of the rest of Tyler’s life, for better or for worse. “Hello Tyler have you fallen asleep or past out?”

“No mate I haven’t done either of them and please do come in.” The door swings open and the pair look at each other.

“Shit our interpretations of smart are still very different aren’t they?” Tyler observes Ricky who is wearing a red top with the words ‘just do it’ printed across it and he is wearing a pair of blue jeans and a pair of trainers. Tyler does smile to himself because at least his friend has remembered to tidy up his hair, well if by tidy you mean that he has ran his fingers through his hair with some water and possibly a tiny bit of gel to hold his brown hair in that controlled mess state. Then you compare that to Tyler, who is wearing smart black and freshly polished shoes, a smartly pressed new pair of black trousers a white shirt with a subtle purple colour to his waist jacket and a jacket that is just as smart and as black as his trousers. “It looks like you’re prepared for the wedding day mate, let alone just a proposal.”

“Piss off Ricky man you know how important today is for me.”

“I know, I’m just trying to lighten the mood because you look very tense.” He moves in and goes to rub the shoulders of his friend. Tyler notices his friend’s actions and intensions so he moves out of his way. “You are supposed to save the dancing moves for you and Clara after she says yes.”

“I’m not listening to your shit now mate this is serious for me and my future.”

“Yes I am well aware of that my dear friend because I have been the one who has been listening to you and your worries about today. But there’s no need to because I’ve taken care of everything for you both.”

“That is also part of the reason why I am worried because I know you too well.” A smile appears on both of their faces. Tyler takes the lead out of his bedroom as they both acknowledge the fact that time is ticking along.

Clara is checking out her blood red dress just to make sure she hasn’t got any unwanted marks on it and her also double checks her headband that is sitting on top of her brunette hair that also proudly displays a rose that matches the colour of her hair. “I am ready now but I wish I knew why Ricky wanted me to dress up and why he wouldn’t let me talk to Tyler.” She pauses for a moment because she realises she’s talking to herself out loud. ‘I am becoming more like Tyler with every passing moment.’ She thinks with a smile she couldn’t refuse forming on her face as she walks out of her front door, heading to the destination of where she had first met Tyler, on a bonfire night at the old wishing well.

The weather couldn’t be any better in Tyler’s opinion as he’s walking down the path behind a row of houses that leads up to where the well is situated. Ricky is skipping around him as he walks in a straight line. “Lizzie is going to meet you isn’t she?” Asks Tyler in the positive hope that the answer is going to be a yes so he could get some peace. He knows that his lifelong friend means well but today is so important for many different reasons, this is the first day of the rest of his life, and his future begins now. “Yes I called Beth and she will be meeting me before we reach the well my nervous friend.”

“You know she hates being called Beth, its Elizabeth or Lizzie.”

“I know but I love her little screwed up face when I call her Beth, she is so cute when she has a go at me don’t you think?”

“Well I wouldn’t want to upset her because I have seen her when she’s angry, well to be honest it’s always to do with you isn’t it.”

“Yes I will happily take the blame as long as I get to see her wonderful face all flushed with a shade of red that only her anger can produce.”

“You do make me laugh mate you really do.”

The Well

The wishing well is a beautiful place to be at, the setting is in such a place that when the sun sets the well somehow seems to absorb the light. This has been a tranquil place for Tyler since he was a child so he couldn’t imagine proposing to Clara in any other location. The meal is something he has arranged for after, providing all goes well and she says yes. Which he is still very nervous about as he arrives at the said location. Ricky had not long disappeared to make sure Clara is on her way to meet him and to see if he can spend some time with Lizzie. So these are at this very moment the toughest moments Tyler has ever faced in his life. Everything has so far gone to plan which is of course in his control but from now on it’s up to Clara. Tyler pulls out his wallet from his pocket and opens it up to take out a ten pence coin. “It can’t do any harm just to make a quick wish could it?” He again takes note that he’s speaking only to himself but this is a trait he has had to live with. He takes a moment with his eyes closed to make his wish but before he’s able to complete it he is overcome with a dizziness and he opens his eyes to only see a haze in front of him, he tries to balance himself by putting his hands on the well but he over reaches his mark. He becomes top heavy and he tips over the top of the well and falls into the darkness. All goes black.

 Clara, Lizzie and Ricky are all having a laugh between themselves as they turn to see the well at the very moment they witness Tyler fall. “No.” screams Clara. “Someone call for help please!” She sprints towards the well and Ricky gets his mobile out of his pocket and dials for the emergency services. “He’s gone.” Clara shouts whilst the emotion of what she just witnessed overcomes her and she has no control over the floods of tears that begin to travel down her face, in seconds her make-up is completely messed up. “I can’t see him, he’s gone.”

The pain in Tyler’s body is unbearable and he finds it almost impossible to move. He can’t open his eyes either. He also attempts to call out but nothing comes from his mouth. He only could lie on the floor of what he can only think of being the well and try to control his breathing to at the very least control the amount of pain he is in. At a guess he would certainly say he has broken his legs and his arms and possibly redesigned his face into a horrible mess. “Please rest.” Calls out a voice from the darkness. “You will be fine my friend, you’ve been selected but for now you must wait.” Tyler begins to shiver violently and again he loses all consciousness.

The emergency services get themselves to the well as quickly as they could and as the fire and rescue team are preparing themselves for the descent into the well the police are questioning the Ricky, Lizzie and Clara separately to try and find out what exactly has happened but they didn’t know. They could only assume he fell although even this conclusion didn’t make sense to any of them. One officer asks Clara if she thought Tyler was in any way depressed or if he had any thoughts of ending his own life. This line of enquiry only added to the flood of tears and the upset in her emotions because she began to doubt what she thought was going through her boyfriend’s mind. “Please just see if he’s ok.”

“We will do everything we can for Tyler, I am sorry to have to ask you these upsetting questions but we’re only trying to discover what has actually occurred here.”

“But I just want to go and see my friends.” She states and walks away from the officer to join her friends at the well.

The pain is beginning the ease ever so slowly which now allows Tyler to open his eyes to be completely surprised by the fact that he isn’t at the bottom of the well at all. At the moment he is still restricted by any sort of movement other than what he can see by rolling his eyes. ‘Trees, I’m surrounded by trees?’ He spoke to himself but to his surprise he got a response. “You’re currently in the veil my new friend.” With great effort and a tremendous amount of pain Tyler is able to move his jaw enough to speak very slowly. “Who said that?”

“That would be me, you’re guide through the veil.”

“Come into view.” Tyler said still at a snail’s pace.

“Currently I cannot but to ease your transformation please think your questions, I can hear your thoughts.” A moments silence and Tyler gives into this request because of the pain. ‘So you can hear my thoughts? Where the hell am I and what is the veil?’

“All in good time, for now you can take pleasure in the thought that you have been chosen and the truth shall reveal itself to you.”

‘The truth shall reveal itself to me, what bollocks is this?’ Another wave of shudders and pain overcomes Tyler and again he passes out into complete darkness.

The rescue team comes back to the surface of the well and calls over the team leaders for a mini conference. Ricky is the first to notice that they were in deep discussion. “How is he for Christ sake please tell us he’s alive please?” Clara is next to begin bombarding the crew with questions and the noise all rolls into one big baffling ball of confusion in the air. The next thing to happen is the lead officer comes over to speak to the three of them. “He is alive isn’t he?” Ricky asks once again but the officer doesn’t answer that question specifically he just methodically looks at each one in turn.

“At this moment I am going to have to arrest all of you and take you to the local station for questioning further.”

“Wait why what’s going on?” Asks Clara.

“More will be explained to you at the station but I can tell you that you are under arrest for wasting police, rescue service and emergency services time. Which is of course a very serious charge.”

“We aren’t wasting time our friend has fallen down the well and you need to find him.” Said Ricky.

“Sir there is no evidence at all that a male of your description has fallen into that well, no evidence at all and on this basis we will be detaining you at the station.”

Tyler again comes around but this time a lot of the pain has left him and although he feels different somehow he is able to move freely. “Please do not panic.” Says the familiar voice from nowhere.

“Why would I panic?”

“Because the world as you will now see it is in its true form.”

“What do you mean true form? You’re talking in riddles now please come into view so I can see you now.”

“Yes Sire.” Came the response which immediately sent shivers down the spine of Tyler. “Please as I say do not panic because I am your guide and I will help you through these changes.”

Tyler for the first time since falling has now gotten back to his feet and he observes his surrounding although with great difficulty as his vision is not back to one hundred percent. He can see like he is looking underwater. Noticing things but with a blur that won’t leave. Then into his vision that’s prominent with its vibrancy that it comes as a complete shock to him but not as much as the fact that a butterfly of magnificent colour and size that Tyler is in awe of its beauty. “This is me Sire.” Came the familiar voice from the very unfamiliar and strange creature. Tyler simply stares at the butterfly ad has nothing to say in response. Not a word. “Now I must show you your true self sire if you allow me.” Still Tyler can only stare. The butterfly begins to flap its wings and as it does so a part of the blurred vision Tyler is struggling with vanishes into nothing. A reflective surface appears in its place. Tyler feels his heart begin to beat at a rate that he didn’t think was possible and he strangely felt stronger for it. In the reflection of this new him he can only explain it as a very hairy man-like animal. He’s covered in black hair, which at this point he notices is covering his whole body. His clothes have gone and immediately his thoughts turn to the ring he had for Clara. “My ring, where is my ring?”

“Your ring Sire?”

“Yes my ring that I fell down here with I must have it back I need to give it to Clara, I have to have it back please.”

“I have the box for you, I knew you would want it so I kept it for you but I didn’t expect this to be of your very first concern sire.”

“Well I want my ring back first and then I want to know how to go home and also I want to know why you keep calling me sire.”

“Because you’re the chosen, I have been waiting for you since time began.”

“This is completely insane, I don’t have a clue on what’s happening all I want right now is for you to find me my ring. This is all that matters now.”

“Sire you do have the counsel to meet but I am here to serve you so I will find your ring for you.” The flaps of the wings from the oversized butterfly who disappears from sight and the underwater vision returns.

TWO WEEKS LATER

Clara has spent the last few days returning to the well in hope of seeing Tyler once more. She and her friends have been charged with wasting emergency services time as there has been no sign of anybody falling into the well. Time has also been cruel to Ricky as he has now been placed into a hospital to help his mental state. “Where have you gone Tyler?” She asks into the well and as tears begin to fill her eyes and she can only stare through the blurred vision.

“Clara I can here you.” Calls a familiar voice from inside the well.

“Is that you Tyler?”

“Yes but please I need to warn you I’m not as I once was.”

“I don’t care, I just want to see you again please let me see you again.” Then silence falls and panic fills Clara. “Please don’t leave me Tyler I want to be with you, I will do anything to be with you.” She wipes away her tears and she feels a heavy heart once more.

“I can offer you something Clara but I can only offer you this on a one time basis.” Clara sees a hairy hand appear over the top of the well and places a box on the side. “I can offer you a new world Clara but it is filled with dread and fear and I have to stay to help return the balance of stability.”

“I don’t understand what you are saying to me Tyler.”

“This is a gift from me to you, a ring that I wanted to give to you on the day I disappeared down the well. It is yours and I can offer you a chance to come with me, to be by my side. To be my queen.” Clara picks up the box and opens it to see a beautiful stone encrusted ring, a smile for the first time since the accident has spread itself across her face. “Whatever your decision please remember that I love you, I always have and I always will.