finger. Derrick looked at Ryan, who nodded and then came over to my rescue.
As Derrick headed into the darkened doorway, he said. “I’m going to get the coffer, but I’ll be back in a few minutes.”
I pulled and tugged, trying again to get my finger out. Whether Derrick wished me to stay put or not, I was getting it out. Now I could see the foreign language on the wall in front of me. Ryan placed his hands on it, as if to steady himself. I could see that his face went stark white, as he turned to look at me.
“What’s wrong?” Ryan bent to help me, but his eyes were focused on the wall behind me. His face remained white as he repeated what the writing on the wall said.
“It says that the person who puts their finger in the hole stays behind.” I tried to adjust my body to look at what held his attention but wasn’t able to read the hieroglyphics at all.
“What do you mean ‘stays behind’?”
“The wall says that as soon as your finger is free, then we are all trapped inside. It also says the only way you could leave with us, is if you leave your finger behind.”
“I’m kind of attached to my finger,” I replied my voice raising an octave. “So leaving it is not an option.” I put down my Turad and pulled my chap stick out of my pocket. I cranked the bottom to bring more of the stick to the surface then smeared it all over the stuck finger. When my finger was well lubricated, I tried to pull it out again. However, the finger did not budge. It was official; I was completely stuck. Defeated I sat down on the rock floor, and started to cry. Ryan looked at me with pity in his eyes and came over to comfort me, then explained the rest.
“The last line on the wall says if you have the faith, then you’ll find the freedom you desire.”
I looked at him with tears flowing freely and asked, “What does that mean?”
“These temples were originally built to help our kind step into their gifts, and find inner strength. If you were to come here again the walls, rooms, and maze would be very different. The temple and inner structure can change to accommodate help the person who is here to learn the necessary lessons. In other words, this was meant to happen so that you would grow, and be more aware of all you are. Really, it is like a teaching tool. The strength and tools required to get out are within you. They want you to find and use them. Remember your dream, and have faith in yourself. I will wait for you at the surface every evening, when the park closes at 6:00 p.m.,” Ryan explained. I was trying hard to hold back the tears as Ryan came over to place an arm around me for support and comfort.
Derrick walked back through the door. He must have assumed there was something more going on because the look on his face was angry instantly.
Ryan spoke up, “According to the scripture on the wall, Jordan is stuck and will stay stuck until we leave the room. The chamber door will close; only then will her finger be set free.” Derrick walked over to me and Ryan stood back. Derrick promptly sat down on the floor beside me. I looked at the floor trying hard to hold back the flood of the tears. I was feeling very vulnerable and emotionally exposed. His huge comforting arm was around me. I rested my worried head on his shoulder. He waited a few minutes before showing me what was in his other hand.
There was a black and silver box. The coffer would have been about three inches by three inches square. It didn’t look amazing, or special in any way. It just looked like a sort of jewelry box.
“It does not look like much.”
“This coffer has the ability to take all power and magic from whatever you place in it. Then he opened the coffer to show me the soft gold material on the inside. All I have to do is place the amulet in here, and then all its power becomes neutralized. It carries the ability to pull out embedded power from Frank’s body that the amulet has given him. I have the key to activate the coffer within my cellular memory. When I find the amulet, and place it in the coffer, I will use the powers of my energy to active it.”
“How do you know you have the key in your cellular memory?” I asked.
“I saw you in a vision earlier today and knew you would be staying here. I know you will be okay,” he explained. “I had a dream about this situation a month before I met you. It was shown then how I would use the coffer, but at that time it didn’t make any sense why I needed to know.”
“What do you mean, saw me in a vision?”
“I had a vision when I was a child that I would help you step into your gifts. It was a long time ago so it took me a few days after I had met you to remember.”
“You knew I would be stuck here and didn’t warn me!”
“You need to understand that I did not know how you would be stuck, just that you would be staying behind and it would be about four days before you made your way back to the surface.”
I looked up at him slowly and wondered how he could stay so calm with my finger stuck in an ancient booby trap. He looked at me affectionately. He placed the coffer down on the ground and lifted my chin up higher as he ran his finger along my jaw line. I closed my eyes. I wanted to forget my predicament right now. I felt soft, strong lips on mine. I felt my body relax and move into the kiss. I could feel his tongue doing the same dance between my lips as the last time he kissed me. The kiss felt like he was trying to alleviate the tension in my body. It worked…for a few moments. I could feel the energy ignite between us and wondered how it could be so good. Then I felt my body stiffen as he pulled away.
I gazed at him with a confused look on my face.
“What was that for?” I asked.
“I needed to put your mind at ease,” he said.
“About what?” I asked
“About us,” he replied. “You know I took a vow of abstinence, but you’ve made me question my choice. If I sleep with someone who is not my soul mate then I’ll lose part of my power as a Druid. I was willing to give it all up without marriage when we were on the grass by the waterfall. Then I realized when you saw Frank that I couldn’t. I know that until the amulet is drained of its power I cannot lose my power. I am the only one of very few who knows how to use it. I have put the greater good ahead of my own needs. But you must know that you have sparked needs within me that have been very great lately.”
“You always seem so annoyed, lately. How am I to understand your expression?”
“Jordan, I have always been the kind of person who could not hide my thoughts. I am feeling frustrated with myself, lately. You have obviously misinterpreted my expression. I find you enchanting and only have fond, loving thoughts in regards to you.”
I smiled, finally at least now I knew. I had been handling the perceived rejection quite badly and immaturely.
“I wasn’t sure if you were truly rejecting me, or what your feelings are towards me,” I explained feeling relieved.
He smiled, then kissed me softly again and said, “I have to go finish this. I will be back for you if you haven’t found your way out by then. Trust your angel, Max, he will not desert you. Have faith; I know it will be okay. I have to stop Frank before he gains any more power. Time is of the essence now.”
He kissed me on top of my head, stood up, and headed to the door. Before he was out, he turned and said, “In case I haven’t made myself clear enough, I have suffered through the same struggles emotionally and physically as you. I look forward to the next step of our relationship when the time finally comes.” I was shocked - relationship? What did he mean? I thought if I just had sex with the man, I could get him out of my system. As my brain ran in circles, I watched him leave.
Ryan approached me. He smiled slightly then replied, “I never thought I’d see the day that Derrick would connect to someone that deeply. It’s about time he let down his defenses and allowed his feelings and emotions to surface.”
“What are you talking about, Ryan. We have a sexual chemistry - that is all,” I replied.
“Didn’t you understand what he said? He is willing to give up his gifts for you. Now what does that say, Jordan?”
“I guess I never looked at
it that way,” I said.
“The way I figure it, this octagon-shaped room has pulleys and levers under the floor. As my weight leaves the floor of this room, the door will then close behind me. When the door hits the floor, it rubs against one of the pulleys and that pulley hits a lever, which will then release your finger. From the other side, I will wait to see if I can pry open the door. But don’t hold your breath, I think those chances are very unlikely,” he replied glancing around the room.
“I know you’re scared, but have faith; you weren’t brought this far to die. We are all born with four guardian angels, all four are active in your life, but you will only be able to see two until you activate your stones. Your angels will make sure you get out safe and sound,” he said.
“Why can I only see two angels?” I asked.
“You need to activate your stones for all four to be seen,” he replied. Your other two angels vibrate with a higher vibration, so you won’t see them until you are at that vibration. When your stones are activated, your body raises to that vibration.”
“I’ll see you at the surface, when you get there. Just so, you know, Derrick has known that you were to be left behind for a few days. He also relayed to me, that you would make it to the surface in four days, and he asked me to come along to bring you home again. He could have done this without me, but he didn’t want you to feel abandoned,” Ryan explained.
I could feel the tears welling up inside. As I watched Ryan walk out of the octagon-shaped room and the door started to close as expected the tears began to flow. I was tired of being strong. I cried to the depths of my soul. With a loud thud, the door was closed shut. I stood up to try again to pull out my finger. With all my might, I pulled and simply landed on my behind. Just like that, I was free. Sitting on the hard, cold floor, I felt instantly overwhelmed with pity for myself, and the predicament I now found myself in. It was becoming painfully obvious, as my chest welled with desperation, that there was no way I was going to keep this under control.
Faith
Without warning, my Turad started to glow even though I was not holding it. I wondered what made it glow. I picked it up, and stood quietly, waiting for some sign. Maybe it was trying to tell me something. As I walked around the room, I noticed it glowed brighter near the far side of the wall. I brought the Turad over to look at the hieroglyphics on the stone. All of a sudden, my Turad shot a bolt of white light into the center of one of symbols on the wall.
Maybe this is the way out… I thought. This was going to be easier than I had imagined, and instantly the well of pent up emotion released slightly allowing me to breathe easier. I waited for a few minutes before I noticed a slight swooshing noise coming from behind the symbol. An excitement started to rise dispelling my anxiety further, while I waited for something to happen.
Water was filling the room from where the Turad had shot its light into the rock. I looked around to try to plug the fountain of water shooting out from around the symbol in the rock. A rush of panic flooded through my system, I needed to connect with Max now. He would have the answers that I desperately required. I tried to relax, but the panic just kept taking over as a new stream of water pushed through the rock. The floor of the room had now been flooded completely, and the water quickly rose up my body. I ran around the room looking for a symbol, or a sign that would help me get out. The water was now at my knees, and seemed to be rising faster by the minute.
Standing against the wall, I closed my eyes and tried to force my mind to quiet. I whole-heartedly wished I had spent more time meditating rather than scoffing at the people who did. I knew if I could just calm down long enough, Max would
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