A Whale of A Tale

“A Whale of A Tale”
By W. P. Gerace
Jessica finally made it to the merry month of June, the end of her first year of teaching, and what a class she had. Ever since she was a little girl, she dreamed of doing what her mom and dad did, teaching kids how to read, write, do math, and become productive citizens. But this class was a tough group filled with behavior problems and low skills. Jessica could not even get a lesson in her fourth-grade class without a fistfight or disruption. Drained, tired, and emotionally zapped, she was grateful she could finally sleep underneath the silky bed comforter.

Staring out into the blue sky, the day seemed so promising, full of things to do, but she wanted to lie here and be a vegetable, nothing less. Pulling the covers over her head, she heard a baby crying in the distance. It was almost as if its piercing cries could be heard beside her. The endless shrills of this infant went on and on, begging for her to pay it some attention. Unable to take the noise any longer, she bolted up, looked around, and saw no one except Precious, her fluffy snow-white furred cat she had had since college. Its green eyes just stare at her as if she were crazy. Maybe she was, but that endless crying, what was it? Where was it? She was here alone.

A bright red hole was in the far corner of her room, next to her chestnut bureau with her oval mirror and collection of makeup she used daily to look like a woman instead of some drone dropped off from the sky. Inside was a baby sitting on the cliff of a mountain wrapped in blue sheets, its wiggling body crying, wanting someone to rescue it. Who would leave a child on the ridge of a hill unattended? Her inner instincts and love of children, which she thought was gone till now, alerted her to jump up. This was no dream that the child needed to be rescued, and now. A voice told her she must get this child and return it to the King and Queen of Wizardry. You have been chosen.

Without a moment’s notice clutching her beige bathrobe off the edge of her bed Jessica ran straight through the red flame, not even feeling a flicker of heat on her skin. Afraid of heights since she was a kid, she did not know how she would climb this massive mountain with its intertwining path leading past the frilly clouds in the atmosphere. To make matters worse, a howling wind spiraled in from above, the sound reminding her of grieving women at a funeral with goosebumps raised along her arms. She was not sure if she was the one that could complete this task. Again, that nudging voice came to her in a cheery, almost encouraging tone. It almost sounded like her dad, Bill, honey, you can do this. You were selected for this. You must save the child for the King and Queen. This child is the future of our world and will keep everything in alignment. If he dies, both worlds will have much sadness and evil.

This voice that sounded like her father encouraged Jessica to propel up the steep inclines of this mountain. Clinging to the rough surface, hoping she could get up to the top and get the child before the winds knocked him off the cliff; this was her only chance to save the world. Her phobia of heights began to creep up inside her like a vulture about to leap upon its prey and take them hostage, in their final terrifying moments. Jessica could fear her chest tightening up. Her childhood Asthma which only came out in moments like this, seized her lungs. Suddenly her breathing was like that of someone drinking through a straw. Gasping and wheezing as the winds took hold of her and latched at her with all their fierceness, she nearly lost grip a few times. By now, she was several feet up in the air.

“I can do this. I know I can do it. Be gone, fear. I can do this. I will save this child for the King and Queen. “Repeatedly saying this out loud, suddenly her lungs opened up, and her shaking and trembles disappeared as if they never were there in the first place.

Finally, she grabbed the child at the top of the mountain and cuddled its shaking body in her arms. Humming the distraught child, it found peace. Still trying to figure out where to go from here, she had yet to learn where the King and Queen lived. Out of nowhere, a massive bird with silver eyes and smooth gray skin appeared. It spoke thunderingly and told her she would take them to the King and Queen for safety. The bird told her only Jessica could go and save the child, and now that was done, she would get her to safety.

Flying through the clear sky, the city below was gorgeous. Towers of gold and blue homes sparkled with dazzling diamonds on their rooftops. She could see the people too. They were small, but she could sense their happiness that she had saved their prince. For once, Jessica felt she had meaning in her life. She couldn’t wait for what happened next.