by D. J. Holmes
***
“Treysen, Joshua, I am going to walk down to the Hall of Corridors I want to see if that fish is causing any more trouble.”
“Ok, see you when you return, Daniel.”
Walking into the Hall of Corridors, Daniel notices a large puddle of water on the floor.
“This is the same thing that happened when Running Deer and Gray Wolf secretly entered this hall, just after they intentionally lost their guide in the afterlife.”
Remembering the images on the monitor in the Security Division, Daniel begins to laugh. “…Those boys, what a pair!” As his mind fills with pictures, his memories become vocal. “First of all, everyone was so happy to find them on the monitors. The antics of Running Deer getting kissed by a huge fish and Gray Wolf riding the tail of the fish that pushed both of them into their different portals; what a day!” he says, laughing to himself.
Walking over to the exact portal the boys had been attracted to, Daniel continues, “I really wish I could have been in the water, with the fish, so that I could have seen Running Deer’s face when that fish kissed him.” Laughing out loud, all he can think of now is how Running Deer probably looked at that moment. “What a joy they must have been to their parents.”
Continuing his investigation, looking at all of the water that is once again on the floor, Daniel asks himself, “I wonder what those fish are doing now….” Looking through the refracted waves with a soft motion of his hand, Daniel watches the fish as they swim through the deep water.
A sparkle of bright light in the distance catches his attention. Looking in the direction of the light, Daniel finally recognizes what is now an underwater city. As his eyes adjust, he sees different objects darting back and forth, approaching and leaving the city. Rays of light filtering through the water bounce off the objects beautiful silver exterior. Their oval shape proudly displays a crescent, which strikes fear into Daniel’s soul. Sadness overcomes him, and he slumps to the floor, sitting with his back against the wall.
His mind is filled with memories, fear and concern. “They’re here. I thought that they would come sometime. But they are here now, and they are much more advanced than I thought they would be.… I’m not ready!”
Daniel pulls his knees up to his chest, puts his head onto his knees and wraps his arms around his folded, retracted legs. Images of his wife and children suddenly retrieved from his memory, flash in his mind. Tears come to his eyes as he quietly says, “Mira…my wife, I miss you so much. Why couldn’t I be with you and our children?”
Memories and pain, hidden for so long, finally begin to surface. His shoulders and stomach begin to quake, while silent sobs come from his heart, and escape out through his trembling lips.
Slowly, he regains control of his emotions. “I will take care of the matters at hand for now. But you…” looking back toward the portal and the underwater city, “YOU AND YOUR KIND WILL NOT RUN ME OUT OF THIS HOME AS YOU DID ON GLIESE!” Finally, getting up from the floor, he wipes the tears from his eyes and begins walking back down the hall, and out through the doors of the Hall of Corridors.
He meets Treysen, who expresses his concern. “Daniel, I saw you sit on the floor of the Hall of Corridors. What’s happening? I’ve never seen you do that.”
Stopping for a moment, Daniel looks directly at Treysen. “They’re here! And there are more of them than I thought there would be!” Extreme anger can be seen on his face, and in his body language, as he begins to walk again. Concerned, Treysen follows him.
