The Fantastic Journey

Once upon a time there was a family of travellers who spent most of their time in different places around the country . They lived in a small caravan .
In the family there were four boys and four girls . Mal , Hal ,Cal ,Al , Sal , Diz, Liz and Tiz . Also part of the family were Push and Sush, the two plough horses who pulled the caravan, Blink and Slink the two cats, Shay and Faye the two dogs , Rosie and Posie the two hens and a black goat .
They lived a passionate lifestyle and loved playing music and dancing where ever they could attract an audience . The girls were talented artists and had been able to sell some of their paintings . Most of that money went towards more canvasses and art materials and what was left fed the animals .
The men and boys did odd jobs for people which made them a living . They were also in the business of recycling and reselling . Often they would fix up farm machinery and take what was no longer needed . Then they might pass it on to someone else who could use it . Most of the money they made went towards food and clothes . What was left went into a kind of family purse that was put away for emergencies .

The life of a nomad is adapting to different things all of the time .
Its better not make friends as they can set down your roots .
Instead the Wailers kept to themselves in different villages and towns .
They often had a collection of pluck along for the journey .
The sight of their caravan coming into town always turned peoples heads around . Many people would look disdainfully at the Wailers because of their appearance . They lived in poverty and it showed . They barely survived on the small income their lifestyle brought in but they were happy . The Wailers had learned to live with the sour looks and obscene remarks from those who called themselves civilised people .

During the winter, when the snow fell , the Wailers always camped inside a cave near an area they called Secret Bay . Inside the cave there was a natural warm spring that kept them cosy during the cold winter months . During this time of the year they slept a lot and recharged their passion for life by playing their music and painting some pictures that would hopefully be sold on the road to somebody somewhere .
Well rested when the spring came another journey would begin again .

Early one spring morning as they rolled along a laneway a large group of men stood before them and blocked their way . About twenty or more surrounded the caravan . They mean and unclean . They all held up weapons and began to scream and shout .

"Travellers are not welcome in these parts ."
Some of them had teeth missing , others had painted their faces to hise who they were . A few were baldy . Some wore hoods over their heads .
The leader of the gang spoke . He had a harsh voice .
His face was weather-beaten and on it was a long straggly black beard .
"All of you get out of the caravan now ,"
He said .
At once the Wailers climbed out of the caravan . They took the horses and chased them away into the woods. Next the gang started to pull through the items in the caravan throwing clothes and ripping up pictures .
The Wailers stood and looked on helpless from the side of the road .
The gang leader approached Mr Wailer and said ,

"I'll tell you this only once and never again . If you ever show up around here again ,we'll burn everything and that includes you and your entire family ."

Next the gang began to take whatever food they had and then they tied up the travellers and left them lying by the side of the road . Two trucks then pulled up and the gang of robbers all climbed on board and they left .

At first the Wailers were so shocked at what had happened no one spoke .
It was quiet and one of the girls started to cry and softly said ,

"Well what are we going to do now Dad ?
"I don't know Liz."
Came the reply .

"Who were they Dad ?
Said the eldest boy Al .

"Who were who ?

"The gangsters on the road .
Al replied .

"Well I don't know son ."
He said .

"I need to go Mum ."
Said Sal .

"Me too Mum ."
Said Diz.

"Me three ."
Said Tiz .

The Mother asked ,
"Ok . First we'll have to untie ourselves ."

Mr Wailer called out with a high muffled shriek three times into the woods and from every burrow and hole rabbits and squirrels hopped over and immediately started to gnaw at the ropes that bound them .

"We have lots of friends in the forest ."
Mr Wailer said .
Once they were free from the ropes . Mr Wailer thanked the little creatures who rushed away into their habitat . The girls went for a walk and the boys all crowded around their father .

Mal stood beside his Dad and asked .
"How do you do that ?"

"Do what ."

"Talk to them ."
Came the answer .

He laughed and said ,
"You mean like this .
He cupped his hands in front of his mouth and took a deep breath. Then he whistled out a muffled sharp high pitched tone from between the spaces his fingers .

A few moments later Push and Sush the two plough horses returned .

"I've always been able to do that Mal. "

"Can I ? 
Asked Cal .

"Try and sure enough you will . We're like them see . Wild and free .Get to know them . They're always out there ."

"Can you teach me how to whistle Dad ."

"No need . Just think hard . They're telepathic ."

"Tele what . ?
Mal said .

"They're able to hear and speak in thoughts like ."
Said Mr Wailer .

"Like talking you mean ?
Cal said .

The girls returned and the conversation went somewhere else .

"I'm hungry Dad.
Sal said .

"Ok then , lets hook up the horses and get back on the road . I know a place where we'll be safe tonight .

"It wasn't long before the caravan was back on the road again .
It was starting to get dark and well past dinner time . They were all hungry .
Finally Mr Wailer pulled up and went over to a gate beside a tall Hawthorn Tree . He unchained the gate and opened it up . He guided the caravan in through the gate and on to an overgrown path, that wound its way down to an old bridge . Under the bridge you could see large salmon leaping out from the river . Once they made it over the bridge Mr Wailer proceeded until the caravan finally came to a stop in a shed beside a ruined and abandoned mill .

He asked the girls to gather up some kindle wood while he and the boys went to get some water and some thing to eat .
It wasn't long before salmon were being baked over the camp fire and water was on the boil for tea . They ere all ravished and the food was like heaven to the taste . After they had eaten Mr Wailer sat and began to tell them a few old secrets that his father had shared with him about the Mill Well . Soon they had forgot all about being robbed on the road .
Mr Wailer got up and went over to the well and called a loud hello into the ear of the well . The voice returned about six times .

"Are you all ready then ?
He asked

"Ready for what Dad ."
Cal asked .

"For the journey . Lets go ."

One by one they all followed Mr Wailer down the ladder that was attatched to the inside of the well . To their surprise the well was empty of water and the ladder took them deep down until their feet touched down with a splash at the bottom of the well . Around them was a ledge that spiralled up and then along to a hole in the wall of the well .

Mr Wailer pointed to the hole and said .

"That's the entrance ."
Immediately they all forgot their hunger as now this was an adventure .
They scrambled up the ledge and crawled in through the hole where they found themselves in another world . Strange as it was they continued their journey . They walked across a wooden bridge until they came to a large gate with three roads pointing in different directions .

Mr Wailer turned and looked at his family and said ,

"Well this is as far as I have ever come. Do you want to continue .?
Mrs Wailer said ,

"You've never told me about this place . So you've been here before then?.

"My father took me here when I was a small boy . In fact I had forgotten all about it until today . Suddenly it came back to me like daylight through an cracked window .
"Can you hear that Dad ?"
Cal asked .

"Yes ."
The sounds of birds singing echoed everywhere . Then a flock of large birds flew across the pale yellow sky . They flew over to a river near a clump of trees beyond the gate on the road that wound its way west .
"That way will do then.
He opened the gate and they continued their journey .

"Where is this place ?
Said Mrs Wailer .

Mr Wailer replied ,
"My father called it The World In The Well .

One of the boys pointed to the distant horizon as a shooting star propelled itself through the sky . The star came closer and closer . It began to form into a shape .

"What is it Dad "
Asked Liz .
"It's a ."

"What ?

"I think it's a spaceship
Said Mr Wailer .

The spaceship hovered for brief moment before setting down on the ground right beside them . An array of lights and sounds emitted from the ship as three creatures slowly emerged .
Everyone was speechless and unable to move . It was like they were frozen
Or they had turned into stone .

One by one the aliens lifted the entire family and placed them on board the spaceship . As the front hatch door shut , the spaceship fired up its engines and shot back into the sky .

Comfortably seated on pillows the Wailers were greeted by a number of aliens who resembled babies with huge bubble shaped heads . They were dressed in space suits that glowed .

They spoke in thought waves with voices that sounded like the noise of running water taps over a steel bath tub . Slowly the sound erupted into what was like a whirlpool of different sounds ,swishing through the spaceship .

"What are they saying Dad ?
Said Cal .

"They want to know if we are ok ?
Came the reply .

"How do you know that ?
Asked Mrs Wailer .

"It's like they're speaking to my mind ."

He replied .

Strange things started to happen . All the family began to experience the gift of telepathy and understood everything that was being said to them by the alien creatures .

Outside the porthole of the ship they could see a mountain that opened up before them and the spaceship entered inside . Within seconds they were deep inside the inner core of a mountain .
The creatures assumed and understood every though pattern and began to communicate with the Wailers .

The aliens communicated that a gift would be bestowed on them before they could return their journey .

Each member of the family were placed under a very bright light . It shone down like the sun and during that time they were shown a future world without pain or war . They were given instructions about what had happened in the past on other planets before life had ceased to exist .
Then they received an ability to cure many illnesses that so far medical research had not found cures for .
The aliens told them that sick people would come to them and all who did would be healed . After everything was explained the Wailers were given treasures and things to wear . The girls had gold bracelets and jewellery and the boys were given wrist watches and gold rings .
The aliens had made everything so acceptable .
A group of aliens walked took them by the hand and brought then along to a pathway that went down to a shore . Across the shore was an island . From the island a large ship sailed across to meet them. Everything happened so quickly as if time passed like seconds .
Once they stepped on board the ship they made their way over the sea to the island and it was there on a mountainside that they saw those mean unclean robbers that had confronted the on the road .
As they were taken off the ship the leader of the gang laughed and said ,

"I though I told you we didn't want you around these parts.
The gang who had robbed them went and shook their hands and passed on friendly words of why things had to be the way they were .

The leader of the gang lifted a large trumpet and blasted out a fanfare of noises into the ocean . Suddenly eight coloured sea horses raced across on top of the water . They came to a rest beside the Wailers and the leader of gang said .

"Well now . You're ready to continue your journey ."
They were helped on to the backs of the sea horses and in a swish if a tail their went flying through the water .
The sea horses made their way across the bay to a rocky cliff where they danced on top of the water .
As they danced around them the ground arose and in the sea was gripped in
a whirlpool that spun around with such fury that it sucked everything into its grip . Everything except the Wailers went inside the whirlpool . The sea horses and the island and alleles was swallowed up by the sea .
In fact the entire world began to sink into the whirlpool .

Once the Wailers walked into the cave they found themselves back outside the well beside their campfire that was still burning . They all stood there for a long time looking at one another . Each head would turn to another and without a word spoken they understood everything that was said .

To their amazement they found their caravan loaded with fresh supplies and enough new clothes to last three winters . As they went back on the road they found sick people were drawn to them where ever they went . Like magnets they attracted people who needed some kind of help .
From that day on the travellers went from place to place healing sick people .
Doctors and learned men were astounded and totally confused at the miracles they were seeing .

Even still somewhere in a secret place , there lies a world beyond well where understanding is lost and a journey awaits those who are invited .

THE END