Underworld (Dark Passage) (11 page)

“Let me put your conscious at ease. You
may not
know precisely what happened to them but you had
nothing to do with it. You didn’t create those
creatures and had no control over them. Remember
Ivy, no one really dies. They are still alive and you
will see them again.”

I sit up with those words and wipe my tears away.
Standing to my feet I looked around for the source of
the words. They are in my mind but there is no
source.

The words have the effect of salve on a burn and
soothe my fear. I rest my head on Jast’s neck and
stroke his velvety muzzle. His breathing is strong and
his presence gives me a sense of strength.

We need water and food. How can we go on without
any supplies? The trees and pond we have been
following are not real
.

Words form in my mind. “No Ivy. It’s not an Oasis.
It is within you and you can call it out. There are
hidden places just under the veil that can be called
out.”

“7 is a pure and perfect number and the symbol of
life. It represents life and unites the elements of the
body with the elements of the soul”.

“When you find the answer it will appear to you. I
will show you the symbol now but you must find the
Refiners Fire. You can find the fire near the Tree Of
Life. There you will be shown what to do next.

I forget myself entirely. Forget my insecurity. Forget
my doubts and fears. I am overwhelmed. I close my
eyes and when I open them there is a soft wind lifting
Jast’s mane. The hair is blown upwards and there on
his neck is a brand of sorts. It looks like a square
with a triangle inside. At first it doesn’t make sense
how this is equivalent to 7. I study if for a moment
and then the answer jumps out. There are 4 sides to
the square and 3 sides to the triangle. 4 + 3 = 7

I use the toe of my boot to draw an awkward square
and a triangle inside of it. At first nothing happens
and I can feel myself becoming angry. Then the sand
begins to swirl and through the dust I can see
something. There in the swirling dust I can make out
the gentle sway of palm trees, green grass, fruit trees
and a lovely pond fed by a spring. I embrace a love
deep inside myself and clear my mind of all else.
The world outside turns dark and a glorious light fills
my mind. A shiver of electricity flows down my
spine and I can smell the sweet fragrance of Jasmine
in bloom. There is a surge of energy that comes over
me. I open my eyes to find myself inside the Oasis.

I walk around the oasis and take off my boots and
jacket. The feel of plush green grass cushions my
aching feet and a cool breeze is blowing through the
trees. I make my way over to the gently flowing
waterfall and spend the next hour washing my hair
and taking a much needed bath.

I linger in the warm water and can feel my strength
returning. There is a faint but persistent voice in the
periphery of my deepest consciousness. It’s seems
familiar but so faint that I can’t discern it form my
own thoughts. I wish I could describe the feeling of
being drawn to my destiny by what seems to be the
inner voice of reason.

Having rested for several hours I survey the miles of
steaming desert and study the sky. The sun is setting
and it’s time to leave this place. We will travel by the
cool of the night. Returning to the pool, I filled the
water bottles and sit down for a short while longer,
relaxing under the shade of trees. We have already
lost precious hours and we need to find the entrance
to the lower realm.

The last of daylight fades away and dark shadows
play on the horizon. A cloud moves swiftly across
the sky but our tracks have long been covered by the
blowing dust. Dusk deepens and a sultry mist rises
from the ground. We are hidden under its veil as we
ride into the night. Riding toward what I do not know
but we follow the light.

In the remaining hours before dawn we start to see
scrub brush and a change of scenery. There is dry
grass and large rocks that become more abundant as
we climb upward. We reach a sheer cliff and make
our way up the rugged path. When we reach the top I
can see the forest below. Miles of trees stretch below
like a green sea and it is impossible to see what was
beyond.

The trees would provide cover from anything in the
sky but it is the apparition in the trees that frightens
me most. I dread seeing the man in the suit again.
His eyes held a silent rage, and seemed to look into
my soul. It felt as though he would rip me apart.

Two horsemen appear at the bottom of the cliff. They
are galloping at a fast clip along the field that sits just
in front of the dense trees. The first man’s horse is
frothy with sweat and the rider is urging it to run
faster as they disappear into a bank trees. The second
man looks over his shoulder and does not follow the
first rider into the trees. He keeps his horse running
straight ahead and they eventually become a speck in
the distance and then are gone.

I weigh my options
. I don’t want to encounter
whatever it is that the horsemen were running from
and decide to find another trail down the hill. For the
better of two hours I pick my way back down the hill.
I eventually come out at the far side of the field where
the second rider had disappeared. My horse is uneasy
and I know he wants to keep moving. I move forward
but the woods are ominous and I am afraid of what
lurks there.

I decide to keep going and listen to the rustling of the
trees. I’m thankful that it’s still daylight but the
shadow of the forest makes it seem almost like dusk.
The desert was a formidable enemy but I prefer the
expanses of boiling sand to the darkness of this forest.
The further we ride along the forest the thicker the
undergrowth becomes. Jast picks his way carefully
over tree roots, stones and sidesteps bogs of dark
water.
Somewhere in the woods I hear a shrieking howl. I
wonder if it’s a wolf but I have never heard one howl
like that. I can feel the wind whispering through the
trees and think I can see the glow of eyes from deep
in the woods. I search the trees looking for
movement but it is quiet. The quiet is more
frightening than the sound of the forest. There are
dark things beyond the trees and I have a sense the
watchful eyes of the dead are everywhere.

I find my knife inside a saddlebag and clip the sheath
to my belt. Taking the long blade out I hold the knife
across the saddle. I notice the horses that are carved
on the ivory handle are glowing and seem to move on
their own. This is a blade of the otherworld and seems
to have a life unto itself.

Despite the blackness of night, I see shadows dancing
in the woods, out of the corner of my eye. I keep my
eyes ahead and do not allow myself to look. June
used to say
if you can feel evil you better not look for
the source because your eyes will find something you
don’t want to see.

A piercing howl erupts from nowhere and it turns into
a high pitched scream. The scream is so loud that it
echoes in the forest. Then the faint sound of chanting
mingles with the screams. I am chilled to the bone
despite the warm temperature. It is going to be a long
night and I need to find a safe place to hide.

A chorus of chanting voices echo in a furious tempo.
From the bowels of the forest I see a dark figure
walking. The overlong arms pull aside branches and
the glowing eyes have seen me. I urge Jast into a
gallop. Branches lash my face as we pick up speed
and my face is bleeding. The ride is rough and I
almost am unseated as the horse jumps a log across
the trail. I grab a handful of mane and managed to
stay on.

The trail grows narrow and we have to slow to a walk
to make our way through the brush. I glance into the
forest and it is flickering with light. I dismount and
walk off the trail toward a hill that borders the forest.
I turn my attentions to the sheer rock wall that is
covered with brambles. We walk along the wall and
it is solid as far as I can see.

I must find shelter quickly and I stop for a moment
and close my mind. I clear my mind and allow all
thoughts to leave. I imagine that I am standing in
front of an opening in the cliff. I can feel heat being
radiated off the rock and then my hand pushes
inward. The rock shifts and I lead my horse into a
small cave. The cave is dark and smells of musty
earth. I refuse to think of spiders or snakes and make
my to the far back wall.

The cave is dark and I don’t dare light a fire and draw
attention to us. I can hear the steady chanting grow
louder and blood curdling screams make me feel sick
to my stomach. It seems that madness had erupted in
the forest and the dark reality of this place is chilling.
I eventually take the saddle off of Jast and put my
sleeping bag against the cave wall. Once I am seated
on the sleeping bag I search the saddlebags for food.
I can feel the knife sheath and take the knife out of it.
It radiates enough light for me to see and I place it on
my lap.

The bread is fresh and I share it with Jast. After we
eat a couple of pieces I find the leather pouch that
Tom had given me. I open it and find a book, a letter
and a few odds and ends. I open the letter and I am
shocked to see Gramma June’s scrawled handwriting.

My sweet Ivy. You probably are wondering wha
t’s
going on and how those folks got this letter. You
gotta trust meand not question what I’m gonna tell
you. There is a dark movement that’s coming to
destroy everything. When the war started a few
months ago the powers of the dark started to be
unleashed from the realm of the dead.

It was foretold that they would deceive world leaders
into unleashing great destruction on each other.
When the great powers fell, the gates between
underworld and our world would be breached. The
days of evil are coming and the people who are left
will be hunted down like animals. The dark creatures
of the abyss are waiting for leaders to destroy each
other. At the appointed time hell will be unleashed on
earth. The old is becoming new again.

You will be a light in the darkness. Long ago you
were chosen and you will now be equipped. Each leg
of your journey will unlock doors for you. Many
beings will help you along the way and many more
are trying to destroy you. Follow the light that is in
your heart. Things are not what they seem so you
gotta be always on guard. Evil may come in the
disguise of good and what seems dark may contain
light. When all else fails look within yourself for the
answers.

Trying to put it all together may seem impossible.
You will form strategic alliances. Look in the most
unlikely places and they will be revealed. You may
find good in what appears evil and evil in what
appears good. Trust no one.

Keys are found in many realms. You may cross over
into hidden places and times past to find them. Listen
for what cannot be heard. Train your sight to see
that which is unseen. You may walk into the unseen
to find the hidden. To find the path, look back into
the past, and make old things new again.

You may find the future in ruins. From times of old
there are those who hold pieces of the puzzle. The
past survived to the present and holds keys to what
you seek now. There is one who holds the key to your
future. We will be together again. Grandma June

How can I be chosen when I don’t
even believe in
myself?I put Gramma June’s letter back in the pouch
and look through the rest of the things inside. The
book has the appearance of something from another
century. The leather is thick and the tooling on it is
intricate. There are words etched in the spine that are
from an ancient language. On the front of the cover is
the symbol of the square with the triangle inside of it.
When I open the inside cover there are a few words in
Old English and an ancient script below it. A series
of symbols are written across the bottom of the page.
And along the border are tiny horses that are raised
slightly off the page. They match the ones that adorn
Anathema. I run my fingers gently over them and get
a sense that they are alive under my fingers. I must
be losing my mind and pull my fingers quickly off of
them. I must be losing my mind to think the horse
symbols are alive.