tamingthemuse | Fic: Beyond the Dark Bayou, Original Fic

Another original fic idea. Hope you like.

Written for

tamingthemuse challenge #6 - Mecca.

Title: Beyond the Dark Bayou
Fandom: Original Fic
Pairing: None
Rating: General
Spoilers: None
Warnings: Gratutious use of people I know from my hometown. *g*
Prompt: #6 - Mecca
Word Count: 2,061

It was always said that the fabled fountain of youth was in the marshlands of Florida, hidden away from those who sought to exploit it. Many had searched but no one had found it.

Lyssa Benninger had heard tales of the miraculous fount since she was a child but she never believed the stories. Not until she received a mysterious email from an anonymous sender. The secret message whispered of a phenomenal place, of the purest spring waters that flowed from deep within the earth, offering health, beauty and peace to all who drank from it.

She was skeptical, of course, but she was a desperate woman willing to grasp at anything that offered her relief.

Lyssa was in pain. Constant, soul bending pain. At the tender age of thirty-two, Lyssa felt like a woman of eighty. It had started five years before. She began to wake up in the middle of the night, screaming at the jolt of sudden, excruciating muscle cramps. Next came the fatigue. Sometimes, the lethargy was so bad, she could easily nod off in the middle of a conversation, only to be kept awake half the night with insomnia. Food became an issue as well. Things she once enjoyed, such as peanut butter or bananas, sent her stomach in spasms or made her so nauseated that it almost wasn’t worth eating at all. Her appetite dwindled as her food choices became limited by the pain of simply digesting her meals.

Once a vibrant redhead with dark brown, nearly black eyes, the pain had turned her features lifeless, as if she were no longer living but simply existing.

She had been to every doctor and specialist in her area. First, she was diagnosed with lupus, then chronic fatigue syndrome, followed by Grave’s disease. Blood tests were always inconclusive and finally she was told she had an unknown autoimmune disease. Simply put, her body was destroying itself...and no one knew why.

When the doctors gave up, simply supplying her with pill after pill that didn’t work, Lyssa turned to holistic medicine. In the beginning, she thought she’d found what she needed when certain treatments seem to give her relief, but they were always temporary, leaving the young woman discouraged and disheartened.

The cryptic communiqué sat ignoring and untouched for weeks until one day Lyssa sat, staring at the promise on her laptop's screen, exhausted from vomiting everything she put in her mouth after a mere three hours of sleep. Finally, she clicked reply and began to search for a plane ticket to Louisiana.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Lyssa sighed as she stepped out of her motel room. She was hot and sticky and tired. The flight from Washington to Lafayette was long and every muscle ached from sitting so long. She was happy to see the motel she'd picked was just as cozy as the description online had claimed it would be. The room was pleasant and the hostess who checked her in was so polite and genial, the aching redhead couldn't help but reflect the infectious smile back to the sweet Southern woman.

But today, Lyssa was going to make her way to the water's edge, hoping to finally find some relief. The Louisiana heat eased some of her muscle's strain but the humidity made her clothes stick to her as if she'd never taken a shower at all.

She was looking out at the green grasses and tall, thick trees when a voice spoke from behind her.

"Came ta see the healer man, did ya', child?"

Lyssa turned to smile at Miss Mabel, the motel's owner. "Yes, ma'am," she replied, making her feel like she was in elementary school all over again.

"Grant Deveraux is a good man, givin' people hope like he does. People done need that. Too many lost it. Ya'll can go down there if you want ta, just don't be givin' that boy any money now, ya hear?"

Lyssa nodded, happy to agree to anything Miss Mabel had to say. She felt transfixed, caught in the eyes black as night, telling her more than what the old woman word's ever did. "Yes, ma'am," she repeated quietly.

"Well, get along, child," the innkeeper laughingly scolded. "The way ya'lls walkin', it'll take ya half the day just to get down there. And don't be lookin' just at the flashy show. Remember what they say 'bout that path less traveled, ya' hear?"

The laughter of the older woman seemed to tinkle like a bell. It made Lyssa feel lighter, happier somehow, and she slowly made her way down the gravel road with a small smile on face.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

By the time Lyssa made it down to the Blue Bayou Springs, she was limping in pain. It felt as though her entire body was on fire as every nerve ending sent out shocks of agony throughout her body. She sat heavily on a large stone, away from the chaos surrounding the small fountain.

The email she'd mysteriously received touted this spring as the fabled fountain of youth. It seemed too good to be true, but by the looks of activities around the good looking man standing atop the smooth, polished rocks, there were plenty of people who did believe.

Lyssa watched in silence as the dark haired man directed the massive throng of followers with the grace of a maestro and the enthusiasm of a televangelist. This place had become a Mecca for those with a craving; a hope for healing, a need for beauty, or a desire for eternal life.

The water splashed over the smooth, perfectly set stones, pouring into a cement pond surrounded by lush, beautiful flowers. It was an unnatural blue that nearly glowed despite the heavy tree cover above. Grant Deveraux yelled out at the multitude as they pressed ever closer. He promised total healing of any ailment, unearthly beauty and longer life for those willing to believe...and pay him five hundred dollars for a dip in the fountain.

There were so many who were willing to believe and part with their money that Lyssa began to wonder if she would have to try and come earlier the next day just to get her turn in the pool. She stood, readying herself to head back to the inn for the rest of the day when she heard a little twinkling of laughter from behind her.

Lyssa tried to peer into the thick brush behind her, but the undergrowth and trees were too thick and it was like trying to see in the darkest of nights. She pushed aside a large, foliage rich branch and discovered a small but definite path leading deep into the bayou.

Without thinking, she stepped into the unknown.

She walked for a long time, ducking under branches and stepping over thick bushes, sometimes wondering if she'd lost the trail completely. Just when she was sure she was completely lost, she turned a corner and saw a small creek that seemed to be flowing from within a large, moss covered stone.

Lyssa found herself extremely thirsty and she reached out to dip her fingertips in the clear, refreshing looking water.

Just before she touched the crystal stream, a soft voice asked, "Are you sure you want to be doin' that?"

Letting out a surprised squeal, Lyssa stumbled backward, her feet tangling in the underbrush. She struggled to remain upright, but her weakened, fatigued muscles failed her and she landed with a thump on the soft ground.

The man perched on top of the stone laughed, his voice a light, lilting tinkle. Somehow it was familiar, but Lyssa couldn't place it. She stared, transfixed at the man. He seemed young, but he had an air of experience and knowledge surrounding him. His eyes were black as coal, but deep and open. Dark, sable colored hair fell down his neck, curling around his ears and hanging over his thick, overgrown brows.

Finally, Lyssa found her voice. She whispered, "What is this place?"

The man cocked his head, his smile growing wider. "Come now, child. You already know the answer to that."

And suddenly, Lyssa did know. This was what she was seeking. Slowly, she began to crawl to the creek, to her salvation. Without a second thought, she thrust both hands into the chilly water. She brought her cupped palms to her mouth and drank greedily.

The second the water hit her tongue, she felt it. The water tingled and popped in her mouth, her throat, like overly carbonated water. The pain, the sorrow, the aching welled up before it was washed away by the bubbling that filled her body. It built up like a gas inside her, demanding to be let loose.

Lyssa began to laugh, deep and hearty, releasing the ache from deep inside. She laughed until she cried, in joy, in relief. Finally, she felt free.

She felt strong arms around her, holding her, keeping her safe as she wept, her knees deep in the crystal creek. When she finally finished crying, she wiped her face with the backs of her hands before turning to look at the man cradling her close.

"Sorry," she whispered, embarrassed by her outburst.

"Don't be, child," he answered, his voice lyrical and lilting. "It's beautiful."

"Why? Why me and not any of the others?"

The man seemed to know what she meant without her having to explain. Brushing a strand of her red locks from her brow, he simply said, "Those who truly need me are the ones who will find me here."

"Thank you," she choked out, her throat tighten against the tears.

"Don't cry, child," he laughed, wiping at the wet tracks streaking her face. "It's time for you to live again."

She watched, her eyes wide as he leaned in close. He pressed his lips against hers and her world began to spin. She felt herself gasp and fall and then everything went black.

When she woke, she found herself lying peacefully in a knotted rope hammock behind Miss Mabel's Hideaway. The blanket covering her was soft and comfortable and smelled familiar, like the bayou. Lyssa stretched lazily, the warmth of the day still hanging in the air even as the sun began to set. She felt comfortable, relaxed, more at peace than she had in years.

She threw her feet over the edge and stood, nearly bounding out of the hammock. A bell sounded from the house and Lyssa smiled at the thought that it sounded like a triangle she'd seen used in an old western to call the cowboys to dinner. After several hurried steps toward the building, Lyssa froze. She realized suddenly there was no pain. She didn't ache. Her joints moved freely without screaming in protest. Her muscles pulled and flexed, moved with her instead of fighting against her.

She was whole.

But she hadn't gone into the pond of Deveraux's, had she? She wracked her brain, trying to remember but it was as if the entire afternoon was simply gone. She remembered dark, rich brush, crystal clear water and the sweetest kiss. But every time she tried to latch onto a memory, it slipped away like sand through her fingertips.

"You gonna stand there all night, or ya'll plannin' on comin' in for dinner, girl?"

Looking up at motherly woman watching her, Lyssa smiled before bounding up the steps, stopping in front of the chuckling hostess.

"You found what you been looking for?"

Lyssa laughed, deep and hearty. "I did, Miss Mabel. Who knew the fountain of youth was hidden in the bayou?"

Miss Mabel laughed, light and tinkling like a bell. "Well, child, I did."

Lyssa hugged the old woman tight before kissing her cheek. "How can I ever thank you?"

"You can come inside and eat something. It's 'bout time you come home."

Nodding slowly, Lyssa followed the matronly woman inside. Their laughter mixed and mingled, high and light, so much like little bells. And Lyssa knew, she was home.

~~~The End~~~