ReBirth – An Excerpt

The box rested on the sand in front of the little cabin.

As the world became dark, he knew the time had come. Their defenses were down, lulled by the opiate of restful sleep. He entered their minds one by one, giving each of them the dreams of their deep desires, awakening in them the basic primitive desire for reproduction and propagation of their species. It did not matter to him that they had mutated and certain functions had been lost. He tweaked their bodies, opening one tube here, closing another that was not needed, making them whole again and reassuring their sleeping bodies that everything would be all right again. He entered their bodies, giving them the ecstasy and pleasure they had not known for ages. He re-entered his chamber that was now his coffin and lay down. His physical body deteriorated into a fine dust. The Essence of his being escaped into the void of space, joining the vast expanse of the Cosmos. He left behind all the knowledge he had accumulated in his millennia of Being; seven, small, shining discs for his children to learn. They had to learn, or the race would die, and his death would have been in vain.

In the morning, the women came to view the open box. As if they each knew involuntarily, which one belonged to them, the women chose the shining discs and stowed them safely away.

The Old One led the way. “We have to leave the Dale immediately, and it will be for a very long time until those you carry are ready, so do not expect to return soon. The offspring that you bear now will help to protect you later, but now they need your protection.”

“How can we get out?” asked Ayleen. “I was told it was impossible.” The Old Wise one responded, “The young one and I will join forces to break the wall at its weakest point, over the water.”

She led them to a small secluded cove wherein a shallow cave she showed a slim wooden boat and ordered them in.

“Quick, hurry up! I sense the soldiers coming.” She jumped spryly into the skiff, making a mockery of her age, and the rest scrambled aboard. There were four oars and those in the front and back, manned by the two strongest, Tami and Dani respectively, started rowing towards the open sea. They stroked mightily and desperately, for they could see the giant stags and their riders thundering down to the beach. The little boat put her nose to the horizon and bobbed up and down on the waves with the oars impelling her onwards in a frantic attempt to distance themselves from the pursuers.

The Wise One linked her hands with those of the young Seeress. She began the ancient chant pouring herself into the magic with the young neophyte joining in freely, lending her psychic strength. Both women appeared to be straining as if in physical stress by the look on their faces.

Suddenly, the fabric of the air itself appeared to rend, and a small hole appeared close to them. “It is a portal,” the Old One cried, “Row, row! It will not stay open for long. I do not have the strength.” Tami and Dani strained at the oars, and the boat leaped like a frightened deer through the portal. They looked back and could no longer see the shore and the stags. The beach was gone! Only open sea met their eyes. This view was what the rest of the world would see during the day.

“What now?” was the question from the irrepressible Ayleen, as the boat slowed, and the sea became calm.

“We go to meet and become the Wild Ones,” was the reply from the Old One. “This will be your lot. There is a great future for you and the young ones you carry. I don’t know, but I sense we are here for a greater purpose, the salvation of this world, the one you saw in your dreams. I do not pretend to understand, but I know that in the coming years, you and all your allies will be tested by forces about which we know nothing. Those seven silver discs you found in the sarcophagus are vital to the understanding and the knowledge of the dangers with which you will be faced. Guard them as instructed. Your children will have to learn what they contain. Only they will have access to the knowledge stored there.”

Raymond Paltoo, retired M.D, joined OLLI in 2011. He has taken OLLI courses in literature, writing, comparative religion, history and word processing. Ray teaches life story writing for OLLI.  Here is a link to this semester’s class. This post is an excerpt from his recently completed novel, “ReBirth”.