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27. THE FIREYE
When they awoke, there were only two.
Freegirl thought Kildokta was on shore somewhere and, with a torch in hand, went to look for her.
After many moments of searching rocky beaches in the dim light, Elfen finally called softly, “We have to be going, Freegirl. She’s gone.”
“No, she can’t be gone. She’s been wanting to leave since she was little. She waited a long time to find us, Elfen.” Freegirl was hurt the Sell Fab User would go without saying anything. She did not understand that behavior.
But then she realized her own journey. Had she not left, without saying a word to any one in her family? She never even tried to get a message through. Was she any different from Kildokta? But her departure had been with divine intervention, it was not by choice.
Oh, but that wasn’t true either. She’d been wanting to leave since she was very young, just like Kildokta. If she had been given the choice to leave, without anyone knowing who might stop her, it is most certain she would have left.
The more she pondered Kildokta, the more she could see the similarities. Both had been born to a tribe they felt out of place in, and both had been willing to run off without a word. And as strange as Kildokta’s philosophy was, she was convicted to it as much as Freegirl was convicted to her philosophy. She thought she could save the Sell Fab User, and have a friend who might understand her.
Freegirl’s head dropped forward. Elfen watched his companion’s face sympathetically, but reminded her the Mona Fidelity had already overstayed its allowance. They really must be going.
She dragged herself onto the boat. “What about the colors she wanted to see?” The girl from Mount Gold was almost in tears. “Kildokta!” she called.
“Please don’t call too loudly, Freegirl, we’re not out of here yet,” Elfen said gently.
Finally, off the rowers went, headed for the light.
Freegirl could not believe Kildokta was really gone. But more than anything, she could not believe the Sell Fab User’s story of the Great Book, and all the amazing lies accepted as truth. Men were created from a Father who lived in the sky, and women were created from a man’s rib? Mother Nature was dirty, and a woman was a temptress? Such ridiculous things she had to ponder on this long journey, and an effort it was to keep her ponderings to herself, for no way would she repeat this bizarre information to anyone.
To make Freegirl feel better, Elfen said, “She was afraid of the unknown, Freegirl. Her family is here.” He sighed a deep breath. “Maybe that’s why she got sick—she was scared to leave. The light is unfamiliar to her. Remember when Nolife said being sick was depressing, and the darkness comforts. The light makes it easier to see the truth of their illness, and maybe they’d rather not see the truth.”
“Sure…” answered Freegirl quietly. “I think they’re happy being unhappy. I actually think they enjoy misery.”
She walked to the bow, folded herself onto the bench that was next to the railing and rocked her body from side to side.
Silently, the two continued upstream, Elfen rowing while Freegirl gazed inward, Contemplating.
And then came the ecstatic moment. The wall to the left began to look lighter. Different textures and shades were coming into view that had not been visible until now. The ceiling was higher than they had originally imagined, so high it was difficult to tell of what element it was made. Deep within the tunnel, the ceiling had looked like the night sky without stars. Here, near the exit, it looked more like a high dense fog. The water was clear—and fish could be seen swimming.
The torch at the front of the boat was extinguished, but before its smothering, Freegirl made three circles in the air with the burning chunk of wood, their reliable guide. She mentally invoked the energy of Three, the number of creation. She circled a smoky loop in the air for Elfen, made another smoky loop in the air for the Beast, and finally, a smoky loop in the air for the river.
With gratitude in her heart, she choked the torch’s flame.
The air was swiftly becoming fresh and clean, and smelled of summer flowers. Blossoms scented the atmosphere. The rank, bitter smell of the Re-Legion was softening, and being pushed by the lighter air back into the tunnel. A sensual warm breeze swirled in to greet the sailors.
And then they saw it, peering beyond an outcrop in the wall. The opening to the great cavern blinded them, as the rays from the Fireye blazed into the tunnel and touched the Mona Fidelity.
The Re-Legion looked beautiful at this point, for the worthy wall to their right contained purple amethyst. The afternoon sunlight was hitting the wall furthest from the boaters, the same dark wall that had been to their left throughout the journey.
Yard, by yard, Freegirl, having taken the oars from Elfen, rowed the boat upstream toward the wide open smile of the tunnel.
The worn travelers almost forgot to breathe, as they watched themselves entering the huge gape that marked the end of Hell.
Then they were hit by Light. Having no idea how powerful it could be after three weeks in darkness, they closed their eyes, covered their faces, and bowed their heads.
Elfen dropped to his knees, and tears wept from his soul, emotions he’d not been aware of until they'd poured this moment. He had seen more than he could fathom.
Freegirl was frozen to the oarseat, forgetting the oars. She thanked the Angels for freedom returned—but for her vision, tears had no power. She remained cool and calm, as crying now seemed weak.
Though her recent experiences had been shocking, what she had seen was no surprise. It was almost comforting to know the Voice that guided her was believable.
The water vessel slipped onto a waiting bank, almost as if the hands of Paradise had reached out to catch it.
When they felt the boat stop suddenly, the travelers peeked out from under their palms. Slowly, they looked around them. When they were sure they were actually out of the Re-Legion, they grabbed each other and started screaming for joy. They jumped up and down excited beyond belief.
Bouyant and bursting, the two leaped off the side of the boat, and splashed into the water.
Neither had any idea how much the land and the light had meant to them, until they had been through a tunnel of hell and survived. Never had they experienced so continuous a threat, so constant a peril, as when they were in the dwelling of the Sell Fab Users. They were determined no Hell could be worse—they had lived through the scariest reality imaginable.
Hateful, defiled human beings, who lived off the weakness and the meat of others was the most hideous idea in the universe. To have survived this hideousness, Elfen and Freegirl realized how powerful their souls really were.
The sailors started running and dancing upon the sand. They ran to the trees that dotted the terrain, and leaped upon the branches like monkeys, swinging and laughing. They had survived a small agony and they knew it. Their joy was endless. The two had more energy than they could remember ever having, and they wanted to tell the world.
Elfen cried into the sky, “You knew, Shasta! You knew! It was a totally treacherous place and you knew!” He winked at Freegirl and mentioned, “I always did like Shasta,” then back to the sky he hollered, “We made it through alive, yee-hee! We made it through alive!”
Freegirl watched and giggled, too overwhelmed to speak, but she jumped up and down like a horse stomping and galloping.
The adventurers continued in this manner until they were ready to drop. And then, momentarily fearing their proximity to the Re-Legion, they climbed back onto the Mona Fidelity and rowed upstream.
It was early morning, and sunny. There was still plenty of rays dancing to encourage travel, but they chose to stop early and build a camp in the light for renewed harmony.
Only a few miles from the misery behind them, the sailors took a break. The tunnel was out of their lives forever, and the place they found near the river was gorgeous.
The river was at its widest. A creamy colored beach swirled and blended, onto the green blanket of a small meadow—the meadow being a sanctuary between two mountain terrains—the Jugular Mountain Range, and the Teeth Mountains.
A large oak twisted out of the grasses, and sprawled itself over the creamy colored sands.
Freegirl played her flute a million moments, so stifled had she been in the depressing cavern. Elfen made quick repairs to the sails the menacing ravens had destroyed— though early the next morning, he would have to find materials to do a permanent job.
That night, the two had their first perfect sleep in three weeks, lying sprawled upon the land. Freegirl thought of Kildokta, the misplaced and confused child stuck in a discouraging realm of people she did not understand, though she defended them like a tiger. The weary traveler made a sign to the stars, a cross that filled the sky, and fell deep into the Dreamscape.
There the Dreamer danced with the Angels.
** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** **
This is not the end of Part I.
The seer has seen nothing, yet.
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