Konomi, who was walking down the hallway, approached Haruto’s doorway, peeking inside to say a quick hello, but her cheerful expression turned into panic. “Haruto! You’re physical!”
Haruto touched her own cheek. Oh, no! Somewhere in the night, perhaps prompted by a dream, she had changed into a flesh-and-blood body—detectable DNA. Guilt stabbed at her heart as she anguished, I’ve endangered them!
“You promised you wouldn’t do this!” Konomi said accusingly.
Haruto felt ashamed. She had believed she knew how to control her abilities, but she obviously still had much to learn. She sat up, apologizing, “I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to.” She morphed herself into a phantasmal figure, although, at this moment, she really wanted to be invisible so she could hide from Konomi’s glare.
A sad realization swept over Haruto. She knew she needed to leave her beloved home once more.
Zachary’s Transformation
ZACHARY HELPED THE missionaries pack their supplies into a pair of aluminum canoes resting on the shore. It had only been two days since Bechard had requested the shamanic healing on his behalf, but almost all of his strength had returned.
The reverend walked up to him, saying, “God willing, we’ll make it to the next village before sundown. Sure you won’t come with us?”
It was a caring and possibly life-saving invitation, but, for Zachary, it only drove the knife deeper into his heart. He answered with a question, “Would you leave your daughter?”
The reverend nodded, indicating he understood.
The prim woman came over. She held out a tin of oatmeal and several water bottles, saying to Zachary, “Here, take these.”
He accepted them. “Thanks.”
The woman nudged the reverend, giving him a knowing look.
“What? Oh, one more thing,” he mentioned to Zachary, “the neighboring tribe blames us for the outbreak, so I wouldn’t go near them if I were you. We had a good, but delicate, relationship until this happened. So…just stay away from that area.” With his hand, he indicated the general direction. “It’s safest here. In the camp. They think it’s cursed.”
The woman whispered, “They’re cannibals.”
“Now…no need to scare him. They’re not cannibals—not anymore. Times have changed. I think. Well, we’re ready to head out. Good luck, Zachary.” The reverend held out his hand.
The young man juggled his newly given supplies so he could shake it. “Thank you. Thanks for everything.”
“You’re more than welcome. We always try to follow Christ’s example.” The reverend gave him one last look, knowing it would be the last time he saw him. “I’ll pray for you.”
“We all will,” added the woman.
With the goodbyes out of the way, the missionaries carefully boarded the canoes that teetered back and forth as their weight shifted. Once they were seated, Zachary dug his heels into the wet sand, shoving the first canoe into the river. The water nudged it along. The second canoe was wedged in the sand a bit more tightly, but, with a little extra muscle, he freed it from the shoreline.
The canoes flowed with the current. The prim woman waved at him while the others focused on navigating their way back to civilization. The gleaming silver streaks rounded the bend, flashing in the sunlight, then they were gone.
Zachary returned to the campsite. Bare patches marked where the tents had stood. He went into the hut, sitting cross-legged. He planned to ask Bechard for guidance on finding Eva. At the very least, the fallen angel would be able to point him in the right direction. Zachary closed his eyes and began to shamanic journey in the same manner his mentor (and Haruto’s lover), Billy White Smoke, had taught him to do years earlier when he was kind enough to share some of his indigenous customs and spiritual practices.
A vision came to Zachary. Everything was completely white, except for a blue door, which slowly opened, releasing a blue mist that drifted across the ground, beckoning him to come closer. The young man’s spirit followed the vaporous trail through the doorway.
On the other side was a hill overlooking the valley below. Built on top of the grassy mound was a circular cobblestone courtyard laid in a spiral pattern, and at its very center was an enormous crystal ball perched on a marble pedestal.
From out of the sky, Bechard flew down, flapping his blue-tipped wings, landing softly. He tucked his feathers and smiled broadly, displaying his perfect teeth. “Welcome, Zachary. It’s been too long.”
“Yes, well…” Not wanting to be rude, Zachary did not mention why he had not returned since their last escapade, instead he said, “Bechard, it’s good to see you again. And thanks for the healing.”
“You’re most welcome. It was my pleasure.”
Zachary cleared his throat. “The real reason I’ve come here is I need your help finding my daughter. Eva’s only four years old, and lost in the jungle. Can you help me find her? Please.”
“Of course.” Bechard moved closer to the crystal ball. He stood over it motioning with his hands. The blue mist swirling inside parted to reveal the lush Amazon rainforest. The fallen angel spread his hands farther apart and the image zoomed in, dipping below the treetops. There, the underbrush was protected from the harsh sun. The focal point was a large Bacuri tree abundant with golden fruit, which resembled small grapefruits.
Leaning in to get a better look, Zachary saw Eva sitting on a sturdy branch beside a tiny Emperor Tamarin monkey, easily noted by its brown fur, white underbelly and distinguished white mustache that curved down to its chest. Both the little girl and primate were contentedly eating one of the tree’s fruits whose interior looked like a scoop of vanilla ice cream surrounded by a thick lemony shell. The monkey dipped his fingers into the fleshy pulp, bringing it to his mouth, relishing the flavor.
Oh, thank, God! Zachary was so relieved to see his daughter alive and well. He shouted, “Eva!” to get her attention.
She looked around for the source of his voice.
“Eva! It’s me! Daddy!”
A broad smile crossed her round face, even though she couldn’t see him. She gushed, “Daddy!”
His heart was warmed by her joyful expression. “Hi, honey! Oh, it’s so good to see you! Can you tell me where you are?”
“Right here.”
Zachary grimaced inside, but kept a smile on his face. “Are you near Mommy?”
“I don’t know.”
“Are you near where Daddy was left on the shore all by himself?”
“I don’t know.”
“Do you remember leaving Daddy?”
She shook her head. “I woke up and you were gone.”
“Where did you wake up at?”
“On the caiman, silly.”
Trying to get information out of a small child was exasperating, so he tried another tactic. “Okay, I see you, but where is the caiman?”
“He went home.”
“What!? He left you all alone!?” What am I saying?
“No, I’m with Jabbar.” She pointed at the monkey next to her. He hooted softly in response. Then she pointed at the ground. “And Ferta.”
An unseen jaguar let out a deep rumble, not quite a snarl, but rather an announcement of her presence.
The primitive sound sent a shiver down Zachary’s spine. “Eva, watch out! There’s a cat!”
The spotted jaguar strolled into view, stopping at the base of the tree.
Zachary nearly had a heart attack when the predator expertly jumped onto the limb beside Eva, then nimbly turned around to lick the little girl’s hair as if cleaning her own young. The monkey did not seem the least bit concerned. He kept happily eating the fruit, bits of which stuck to his mustache.
Frustrated, Zachary said to Bechard, “I don’t understand what’s going on.”
The fallen angel chuckled. “She’s fine. That’s all that matters. Right?”
Visibly upset, he answered, “I don’t know!”
“Daddy?”
Zachary looked into the cryst
al ball. “Yes?”
“I want to play with my friends now.”
Oh, God, she thinks they’re friends! “No, Eva! Don’t go! Please! Daddy needs to find you.”
“But I’m right here.”
The image faded.
Zachary put his hands to his eyes to hide his tears. Wrought with guilt, he lamented, How could she be so close, yet so far away? What if the cat eats her?
Bechard studied the young man, sensing his fears as well as his love for his daughter. Because of this, the fallen angel chose his words carefully, “Don’t worry. She has found her own version of a tribe. She’ll be safe until you find her, which I expect to be soon.”
“Can’t you protect her?” pleaded Zachary. “At least until I get there?”
“I’ll keep an eye on her, but Eva doesn’t need my help. She’s fine. I’m more concerned about you. You have a great journey ahead of you, and like all great journeys, the beginning is always the most difficult. It’s what I call, ‘the dark night of the soul.’ A time when you purge all that stands in your way of discovering who you really are and what you are capable of.”
The young man’s head hung low. His fear of not being able to immediately save Eva weighed heavily on his heart.
“Zachary?”
Lifting his head in response, Zachary forlornly looked up at the magnificent being who towered over him.
“This is your time.”
The vision unexpectedly ended.
Zachary opened his eyes, sitting as a solitary man inside the hut, surrounded by the vast rainforest. Furious that he had not received the guidance or direction he needed to find Eva, he clutched his fists and shouted in rage, “Bechard!” his voice echoing throughout the jungle.
Without warning, the young man’s legs cramped. The muscle contractions spread throughout his whole body. He cried out in pain as he convulsed. Shaking, twisting and jerking. The suffering was unbearable. I’m going to die alone! he anguished just before his muscles tightened even more, forcing him to curl into a fetal position.
He lay contorted and in agony for hours.
The rainforest grew dark as the sun set behind the misty mountains.
Zachary lost nearly all hope of surviving until a ball of light floated down from the stars. The tropical landscape lit up as it descended, alarming the wide-eyed jungle creatures that had already settled in for the night. The campsite was lost in the light’s brilliance, which encompassed the young man’s body, streaming through his cells, transforming every molecule. He felt his body crack like a brittle clay vessel, turning into dust. And in its place, the light awakened his immortal being.
His new body radiated a light that reached to the heavens, which in return, reached back to him, pulsating from eternity. With this connection, he felt the loving energy of every soul in existence.
Zachary was no longer alone. Instead of being housed within a limited body, he was part of the light that dwelled in all things. The plants. The creatures. The elements. The spirits of the living and the dead, Eva, Conchita, Pahtia, his parents, Marilyn and Larry, Bechard, and those who had no name, joined him from every corner of the universe, and their joy became his own. He lay there cherishing the connection to the infinite oneness, feeling the expansiveness of not being contained within the physical.
Perhaps that should have been enough, but soon his mind shifted toward more practical matters. He wanted to be with his daughter. To hold her while she slept. To protect her. This yearning prompted Zachary to wish with all his heart, I want to be with Eva.
He felt his essence rise above the hut, and then above the trees. He soared over the rainforest. From this higher perspective, he could see the shrouded mountains melding into the night sky, and, beneath him, the darkened river slithering through the dense jungle, reflecting slivers of the luminous moon.
After briefly traveling through the air, which no doubt would have taken a thousand times longer by foot, he glided down, dipping below the canopy, slowly descending until his ghostly body floated above the moist sloped ground.
Here, huddled at the base of a tree, nearly hidden in the night, Eva slept beside the jaguar. The monkey was snuggled between them. A confusing mixture of thoughts ran through the young man’s mind as he observed Eva and her friends. He wondered how he had gotten here. Or if he really was here. Or if it was just a dream. But after riding the caiman, he was starting to believe anything was possible.
Zachary drifted closer to Eva, kneeling to touch her head with his transparent hand. He was disappointed at not being able to hold her physically. Not knowing what else to do, he sat beside his daughter, his spectral body poised above the ground. He listened to the night jungle sounds, wondering if he had died earlier when his body had experienced those severe muscle contractions. Was he now a spirit between worlds? He also wondered if he would ever sleep again. Those questions were answered in the morning.
Rain pounded down on the monochrome rainforest, waking up Zachary whose wet clothes clung to him like a second skin. At first, he sighed, wondering if things could get any worse, then it occurred to him that he could feel the rain. He had a body! He was alive! Never had he been so glad to be miserably soaked to the bone. Dying had only been a bad dream. He was here. Here with Eva and—
It was a bitter-sweet moment when Zachary realized the deadly jaguar might wake up at any moment and snap his neck like a twig, then eat him for breakfast—long before Eva, who was snuggled next to the predator, opened one of her sleepy eyes to stop her carnivorous friend.
Zachary wondered if he could sneak away without the jaguar noticing, but the big cat’s tail was draped over his lap. Feeling Eva held his best chance at survival, he whispered her name.
The big cat’s ears flickered.
Ever so carefully, the young man inched his hand toward his daughter, poking her with his finger. Eva stirred, but didn’t wake. He poked her again. The little girl wiggled.
The commotion roused the jaguar, which, when she saw Zachary, flattened her ears and growled viciously, her breath forming a mist around her snarling mouth. The jaguar’s booming voice caused the young man to shrivel beneath her glare and become invisible. Fear was a strong motivator.
Eva bolted awake, looking around in a daze. But unlike Jabbar and Ferta, she could see her father’s energetic body. In a shrill voice, she called out, “Ferta! Be nice! Don’t hurt my daddy. Okay?”
The jaguar, which was looking around for the man who had disappeared right before her eyes, resentfully obeyed, closing her mouth, her tail still twitching.
Zachary was amazed at the power his daughter held over this fierce predator, who acted as her loyal guardian. He silently asked Eva, Why does the cat obey you?
She heard his thoughts, and answered, “Ferta loves me.” Eva petted the jaguar.
Zachary wanted to ask how they had formed such a close bond, but who could explain love? Well, he seems very fond of you.
Eva corrected her father, “She.”
What?
“Ferta’s a girl.”
Oh, yes, of course.
Staring through the raindrops, Zachary studied the jaguar. Her paws, which were pressed into the muddy soil, were the size of a man’s head. It was easy to understand why this dangerous creature had provoked him into becoming invisible.
Zachary gave his recent transformations more thought, speculating, If I can disappear by sheer will, perhaps I can do the opposite and become physical.
There was only one way to find out.
The young man floated a reasonable distance away from the jaguar, then set an intention to become “normal” once more.
It worked.
His unseen body instantly became physical. Amazed by the conversion, Zachary held out his arms to examine them. They seemed none the worse after the magical metamorphosis. But he wasn’t the only one who was curious. The jaguar also studied the young man, curling her lip and issuing a low growl, resisting her urge to charge at him.
Eva smiled w
hen she saw her father in his familiar form.
Zachary returned the smile. “Come here, Pumpkin.”
She went to her father. He bent down, hugging her tightly. He sighed with contentment. Eva was real and in his grasp. Not wanting to be left out, Jabbar scaled up the little girl’s body, sitting on her rain-splattered shoulder, gripping her drenched tangled hair to secure his perch.
Zachary released his hold on Eva and stood up, asking her, “What have you been doing out here?”
“We played. And Jabbar showed me where the food was. He’s good.”
The monkey tilted his head and lowered his eyelids halfway, looking like a sleepy old man basking in the glory of the compliment.
“That was nice of him.” Zachary tried to pet Jabbar, but the monkey nipped at him. “Feisty little fella, isn’t he?”
Eva shrugged.
Zachary scanned the jungle. The rain-soaked ground was slippery. They would have to wait for the sun to come out before beginning their travels. The young man took a moment to examine his leg and was pleasantly surprised to see it had completely healed. There was not even a mark where the snake’s teeth had ripped into his flesh. He assumed going back and forth from being invisible to physical had regenerated his body. The miraculous healing would definitely make walking easier.
A small pool of rainwater, which had accumulated in a broad leaf above Zachary’s head, spilled into his eyes. As he wiped it away, he had a flash of insight. Wait a minute! Why walk? I didn’t walk here. He remembered how he had simply envisioned being with Eva, and then, a moment later, he was. Being able to “float” from here to there defied the laws of physics, but so did becoming invisible. Another thought occurred to him. How did my clothes go with me? If I can transport things, can I transport people?
To test his theory, he touched Eva’s arm, saying, “Honey, I’m going to try to take you to the tree over there. Don’t be afraid, okay?” Eva nodded. Jabbar, still on her shoulder, copied her, his mustache bobbing. Zachary envisioned the three of them next to the Kapok tree at the bottom of the slope. And just like that, they arrived beneath the massive branches, standing among the roots that slithered over the soil.
Earth Sentinels Collection Page 26
