The Shape Shifter
Shape Shifter, one that can change his appearance at will. One who can travel between times in history.
The shape shifter is an Indian myth. Like the Weendigo, and the Stick People it is enduring myth that has been around for centuries. But is it really a myth?
Slowly he walked down Wall Street, the financial capitol of the United States. Fortunes won and lost here on a daily basis. Young men and women hurrying back and forth, seeking their fortune. Homeless begging for a dollar. The rich arriving and leaving in their limo's. Yes, this was Wall Street.
A deeper looks shows the money being delivered to politicians, for them to do their masters bidding.
A still deeper look, shows the ''Power Brokers'', those that really control the economy. These were men that few knew of. They were shadows that traveled in Limo's and private jets. Lived in guarded mansion, and had homes around the world. They had heart, no love, except for money.
He kept walking, not fast, not slow. His steps were soft, his eyes missed nothing. No one took notice of him, just another tourist looking at the center of money.
Little did those that took time to really see him, know or understand his mission. If they did, perhaps they would have changed their lives.
He had walked this street now for a month. Taking in everything, missing nothing. Soon it would be time to act.
A few days later a sharply dressed man entered the building of the most powerful brokerage house on Wall Street. Jet black hair, complimented his hazel eyes. He walked with an assured gait, one that almost seemed like he was floating on air. No one stopped someone that looked his important. They had seen him step out of a limo at the front door, before he entered the building. That was the sign of money and power.
He walked up to information booth and asked to see Mr. Wood. With the mention of Woods name the security guards eyed the man. Few people knew his name, much less that he had an office here. This raised question in securities eyes.
Information told him that there was no Mr. Wood here. The man smiled and said, ''I believe that your mistaken''. Security was now moving closer to the man.
No sir, I'm not mistaken, there is no Mr. Wood here. Security was now only a few feet from the man, when they heard a low growl. A dog in here, there is no way, yet they turned. The lobby looked the same, people going back and forth, elevators going up and down, all was normal.
When they turned back to question the man, he was gone. The Information clerk, had not seem him leave. Everyone assumed that he had left the building.
On the top floor of the building was a very private office, it cover the entire floor. The well dressed man got out of the elevator and opened the door to the office. There was a spacious lobby with a lady sitting at a very large expensive desk. Behind her were two men, dressed in business suits, but their appearance was not that of a executive, more like body guards, which they were.
He walked in, and asked to see Mr. Wood. The look on the receptionist face was a look stunned disbelief. Who in the hell was this man, and how did he know the name of the most powerful of all power brokers.
The security men moved toward him. The receptionist called for more security.
The man didn't move, nor did he say anything else.
''Sir, you'll have to leave, this a high security area and no one is allowed in here''.
Yes, I know said the man. I do plan on seeing Mr. Wood though. With that, he simply walked past the stunned guards into Mr. Wood's office.
Wood's looked up and saw a stranger, his hand started reaching for the secret ''alarm'' button, but halted in mid move.
Before his eyes the man was changing from a business into something that Wood's had no idea how to deal with.
Now, before him was an Indian, tall, over six feet with long braided hair, a bear claw necklace hung around his neck. His eyes piercing, burning with anger.Streaks of paint were on his face.
Wood's thought that he was something out of a movie, yet here he was standing before him.
The man began to talk to Woods, who sat in stunned disbelief, unable to say or do a thing.
''Mr. Woods, I am Stone Hand, protector of my people. You have, through your minions taken money that you are not entitled too, money from my people. You have cheated and caused great harm to them''.
This cannot go unpunished, you will return to them, all the monies that you have cheated them out of.nin
Woods wasbeside himself. I didn't cheat anyone, it was all legal he said.
Yes, according to you it was, but according to me it wasn't. Now it is time for youto repay it. If you don't repay it, than the forces of my power will haunt you.
With that Stone Hand left. Woods starting laughing, haunt me if I don't repay them...What a joke this guyis, thoughtWoods.
Months passed and no monies were received by''The People''.
Than it started. His driver pulled into the parking garage to his private office. There, standing at the elevator door was an Ojibwe Warrior in full regalia,waving him into the elevator. Screaming for his body guards Wood stood frozen. The guards saw no one.
A few days later at his private health club, Woods was jogging on the track, he felt he was being followed. He looked over his shoulder and there was Stone Hand, face painted, war club in his hand, slowly jogging behind Woods.
That night, Woods was looking out the window of his mansion, feeling safe, no one could get past the security. There, in his yard were three Indian women with their children. Each staring into his home. Woods, jumped back from the window and had security check the yard, no one there. No sign that anyone had been there. Am I losing my mind, he thought to himself.
The next week, he took his son to the Polo Club, being an avid player and horseman, he would help his son become as good as he was. He told the stable boy to bring him their horses. Soon the stable boy came, brining two horses. Woods looked in terror at them. These were not Polo Ponies, they were without saddle, a rope bridle and paint on their bodies. ''War Ponies'' he knew what he was seeing.
Back at his mansion Wood was beginning to think that he was going crazy. He began using more and more cocaine, his behavior became more erratic.
One night, he was attacked by an Indian, but it couldn't be, he was in his own bedroom with this wife. Security was everywhere. He sat up in bed, covered in sweat, he looked down at his body and it was covered in blood. Screaming he tried to wipe the blood from his body. His wife, sitting there in terror, she had never seen him like this. Than she turned on the bedside light. Oh Lord no, he screamed. There beside his bed were Warriors, fierce faces staring at him, war clubs cover in blood. And than that low growl, chilling in it's sound. The sound of death coming for him, throwing his arm up to cover his face, he felt the bed jump, he looked out from behind his arm. There, on his bed were two huge creatures. Snarling, the deep sound of death coming from their throats. Yellow eyes, freezing him in place, lips curled, showing blood covered fangs.
Behind the wolves were the Merchants of his death. They moved towards him. His last grip on sanity released, Woods slipped into the world of insanity.
His wife told the police and his doctor that he was dreaming and screaming about wolves and Indians before he slipped away.
Months later, Wood sat in a mental institution, catatonic, eyes staring at nothing. He was no longer of this world, he was in a nightmarish world of savage killers, each dream more frightening than the last.
Far away, money was sent to the people that had been cheated. Once again, the tribe was secure, their money returned.
No one sat in Woods chair, nor would they use his office. The fear that enveloped them lead to the return of the money.
A well dressed man was walking down the streets of Washington D.C. He turned right at the corner, headed to the halls of Congress.
Kavika 2013. All Rights Reserved. Do not use without permission.
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Myth? Perhaps, perhaps not.
He is there BF. Walking the halls of congress.
He is back with a vengeance Gunny.
I think that every state needs him Gunny.
Thanks Raven Wing, my imagination is running on high right now.
I'm dreaming another one up as we speak.
It's great to see Stone Hand back in action, Kavika. So many places for him to go, so many people for him to see.....
Loved the story!
Thanks mimi, expect to see him in D.C. soon.
Thanks Justice, I have an on going series with Stone Hand as the main character.
Happy that you enjoyed it.
Dear Friend Kavika: Voted way up! Superb writing. You always deliver and delight. Thanks.
Enoch.
Dear Friend Enoch,
Thanks for the kind words. Happy that you enjoyed the story.
I predict this story will not be popular in Time Magazine nor in Reader's Digest ...
Especially not there .
That is the moral of it flame.
Happy that you enjoyed it my friend.
No, it probably won't be popular in any of those publications.
Doesn't matter, as long as some understand the moral of the story, I'm happy.
What I gather from the story is a conflict between a society based on written codified laws and another with an oral tradition .
No, actually it isn't Petey, it's all about greed. It does come back to haunt one.
You see greed . I expect that was part of it . There are other factors ...
''there are other factors''. Such as Petey?
Speaking just from my POV [as a member of a family of immigrants ] I am quite glad that my family had an opportunity to come to the US . OTW my family would have been slaughtered in Europe during WW1 &/or WW2 .
Ok, I can understand that.
There are other factors from my view as well.
I appreciate your broad-minded approach . Thanks . Would you like to elaborate on your other factors ?
I would say that a major factor is the difference in world view between the current society and the Indigenous people's view. Greed and self-serving behavior is considered the worst human traits by the Ojibwe people (my tribe). That was the point of the story. Was what Wood did illegal, perhaps, perhaps not. But a skirting of the law, employing dozens of lawyers to find loopholes in the law, violates the ''spirit'' of the law. Thus, Wood paid for this by not being able to deny it, thus his fall into insanity.
Excellent, Kavika!
Thanks Broliver, happy that you enjoyed it.
I enjoyed the rapid pacing of the story, bam bam bam, there and back in a short amount of time. I sometimes get bogged down by questions that enter my mind while writing and stray from the central tenet to explore these questions, while in your writing, there is no time to be distracted.
Thanks Broliver, I've done a couple of stories where I got off topic, and wandered around a bit, with sidelines that didn't enhance the story, but distracted from it.
Got on rolling around in my head now Gunny.