“Whenever you want to talk to me, close your eyes, imagine our connection and envision my face. Throw this shell into the water, say my name and I will hear you.” Her violet eyes shone brightly as she smiled with relief, as though she could see the cord connection that Lily was imagining. “This will be our secret Lily.” She spoke again in whispers. “You must not tell anyone! It is only you who I trust. And no matter where I am, I will find you. Do you understand?”
“Yes,” Lily replied, placing the seashell inside her satchel.
“If you come tonight, we are performing the dance of Neo. I would love for you to witness such an event. It would be a true honor.”
“What about Zavier?”
The image of Zavier with his silver mane and beastly chest flashed into Lily’s mind, and she worried for her safety, even though she was returned back to shore without any harm.
“Don’t mind Zavier. He has no interest in outside life, he is perfectly content living inside. But we are half human, half sea creature; I feel connected to you. I want to know more about my other half.”
Hearing Crysanthe say the two of them shared the same half, echoed deeply within Lily’s soul. And although she knew they were completely different, there was an obvious underlying connection they shared; a zest for life to understand the unimaginable. And Lily sensed that by helping Crysanthe find the answers she was seeking, it would in turn satisfy her own cravings. For the questions the mermaid asked were the answers Lily knew, and the misunderstandings of life that Lily felt conflicted with, Crysanthe held the expert knowledge. Their friendship was already hinting a mutual transaction that would benefit both of them, alongside the agreement of loving each other’s company in the interim.
“I promise Crysanthe. Your secret is safe with me.”
Lily wanted to hug Crysanthe but she wasn’t sure on how to go about it. And just like Jacques had taught her how to hug, she asked Crysanthe the same question and then embraced her. Showing her the universal love that connected two human beings together, the essence of touch. They held the embrace for several seconds, the cool feeling of Crysanthe’s dewy skin, and Lily’s warm touch. The two together, complete opposites yet strangely attracted to each other.
Lily waved goodbye and watched Crysanthe swim away. Her flesh touched the ocean as she dived through. Strong as an arrow she glided in the air and pierced through the water, eroding ripples behind like a rocket, the smoke trailing by afterwards, as the rising air burst hurriedly through the water.
And Lily was left once again on her own, to explore the magical world of Sa Neo.
CHAPTER FOUR
KARISMA TEACHES TO TEDIMETA
Lily turned her back to the ocean and walked into the depths of the rainforest where a path was laid out in burnt orange dirt just as Jacques had described. The sun in the distance had lowered in the sky; it was now blazing a marvelous red, feeding warmth to the planet and all living creatures inside.
She looked up to the endless row of trees that towered above. They created a large canopy, a giant umbrella of luscious green leaves with shiny detail. And the sound of trees hustling grew louder as she walked deeper into the density of the forest. It was as if the trees had their own language, and she felt like they were sharing secrets with her. If she closed her eyes she could still see them. Not as the mighty tall trees that they were, but as light beings of living energy, connecting through their roots underneath her feet, stretching down below the dirt, they interwove together harmoniously. And the singing of the leaves swishing back and forth vibrated electricity right beneath her toes, transforming the path into thick slabs of colored marble stones. Casually thrown in uneven grids, the tiled pathway danced in swirling colors.
But when Lily stopped to stare at the whirling floor beneath her feet, it was as though the marble knew it was being watched, and they played dead; freezing their life to stand still to protect themselves from danger. But what was the danger? Lily thought. Perhaps she was causing harm without her knowledge. Either that or maybe the tiles assumed she was not ready to accept the daily miracles present in simply ordinary things.
The sound of the birds and animals grew louder the deeper she traveled, and she began to skip. She levitated her body high while she jumped into the air, patting her feet down onto the marble steps loudly, dancing to a beating drum that only she could hear.
The pathway finally ended when she reached the largest tree of them all. The branches were an outline of black charcoal, like drawings, and on the tips of their tongues hung bright red flowers, full in bloom. Each branch of the tree crossed over in a strong geometric pattern, almost like a spider’s web, yet there was no clear outline to know how the branch was to cross over to the next. They weaved in curls, spiraling upwards toward the sky, reaching far past the clouds. When the wind whispered through the trees, the petals from the flowers floated gently down in a therapeutic display of affection, as though they were softly kissing the ground below. Too eager to detach themselves from their home they wandered alone, not knowing where they would go but trusting the wind would move them to where they needed to be. They were thankful to be created and yet they sacrificed themselves in the process. And even if it was for a short moment, they lived like they have never lived before. Completely alone, floating in the air, until they peacefully molded themselves back to the ground where they originally came from.
At the base of the tree stood a large sign, ‘Karisma Garnet’, and a similar opening to Jacques, with a mysterious smoky doorway cut out of the trunk. Lily once again felt uneasy about crossing through the strange barrier, and she stood a good distance, trying to get someone’s attention.
“Karisma…” Her soft voice echoed through the smoky spray, creating the same hole as before.
A large butterfly, with pointy wings splashed in orange, pink and yellow, flew through the door and up close to Lily. Mesmerized by the enchanted creature fluttering so delicately by her nose, Lily stared in awe, wondering where the creature was going to go next. In slow movements, the butterfly waved her wings peacefully, and landed ever so gently on Lily’s arm, which had naturally swung open in a perfect right-angled elbow and lifted up high like a ballerina. The butterfly's black thin legs perched onto Lily’s skin, tickling her lightly. As if contemplating her actions, the butterfly took a few moments to stretch her wings out, opening them up like huge peacock feathers.
Lily looked intensely to the eyes of the butterfly, holding her gaze strongly. She felt like the butterfly understood her as they shared their exchange. But just as Lily was feeling the connection to the mystical creature, it escaped, leaping quickly into the air. Fluttering its wings fiercely, it shot straight up high, twirling into a thick smoky cloud of orange, pink and yellow. The smoke swirled around Lily until her eyes were clouded and she was unable to see, almost unable to breathe. But it only lasted for a moment, and when the cloud parted, and the smoke cleared, and the emotion of confusion had stopped, everything was clear. And a radiant, red-haired lady now stood directly in front of Lily, smirking with a ‘know-it-all’ kind of face. She stood tall, holding a painted red linen fan with fine black edges made from a very thin silk.
“Helllloooo there, Lily.” She spoke with a sweet-sounding voice that paused directly after hello and fast forwarded over her name quickly, like the sound of water washing quickly over rocks on the shore. “You may call me Karisma,” she continued softly, her eyes staring deeply into Lily’s, searching for information.
Karisma stepped closer to the girl, the pupils of her eyes magnified, creating a glacier overlay. Lily could see the reflection of herself in them, as though she were gazing into a mirror, but the longer she looked, the less she was able to recognize the person gazing back to her, even though it would have appeared to have been just herself.
“Lovely to meet you, Karisma,” Lily replied as she bowed in response, looking down to the marbled floor that was dancing with movement beneath the queen’s feet.
Karisma fluttered the
fan down near her exposed belly, which was a thin milky complexion sandwiched between a cropped red shirt and a flowing red skirt. A fine gold chain looped around her neck, through her chest and down to her waist. It moved gradually with the breeze of the strumming fan.
“How did you know my name?” Lily asked, admiring the delicate features of the black silk trimming sewn into the fan.
“Voices are telling me, I can’t explain it,” she replied, holding the fan up high above her nose so that only her eyes were exposed. “There is something extremely powerful and special about you.” Karisma stopped herself, and looked around cautiously. It was as though she was hesitant to let her know too much. “Do you know why it is that you are you are here?”
The sound of the insects and animals around them buzzed with great strength, and Lily could feel their vibration stronger than before, their liveliness, their movements, everything was dominant. She could feel the solitude of each breath.
Lily looked down shyly, not knowing what to say.
“Do you know why I am here?” Lily asked, looking around to the trees whose leaves appeared to have moved closer to the girls, as though listening in on their conversation.
Karisma fluttered the palm of her hand fiercely as she continued to fan her face, directing the wind through her fiery red hair. She moved her hand high into the direct sunlight, allowing a large ruby ring on her finger to sparkle. As the fan met the light, the intricate detail of finely sewn black silk moved underneath the heat, and it joyously swirled in motion, evolving in patterns as though loving the change of scenery.
“No one knows why they are here,” she smiled, turning around to walk inside. “Come with me,” she said, as she entered through the smoky door that was carved into the trunk of the gigantic tree.
A long stone archway was paved inside, stacked like bricks, it towered above. In the holes between the stones grew bright red flowers and shiny green leaves which crawled out through the empty spaces as the girls walked by, eager to see what was happening. Lily followed Karisma through the long hallway that was built like an underground city, full of secret pathways and open doors. They stopped inside a lounge room that was full of soft cushions and draped colored silks. Smaller pot plants hung from the ceilings, with an abundance of leaves falling down to the ground like a frozen waterfall, as though they were too confined inside the pot and needed to spread out, extending their leaves through the air for the whole world to witness their beauty. Karisma motioned for Lily to sit on a soft pile of pillows whose silk was painted in beautiful geometric patterns. The plentiful pillows cushioned Lily in a cloud-like formation, and she laid her head down to rest, feeling herself get quite sleepy. Her eyes began to feel heavy, and she thought, perhaps I can just rest for a moment. . .
“No!” Karisma said assertively. “There is far too much to do today.”
Lily looked outside. The sun had been kissing the ground for some time now, and it was close to disappearing.
“But, I haven’t slept in so long! I am tired,” Lily replied wearily, remembering how long it had been since she had played in her dreams.
“You can sleep after. Let’s eat some stew and then we will begin the lessons,” Karisma said, collecting two bowls that were sitting on a shelf carved into the wood, as though they had been waiting for Lily’s arrival.
“The lessons?” Lily sat upright, wondering what kind of school she had walked into.
“Yes, the lessons. You’re here to learn aren’t you?”
Karisma handed Lily a clay pot where a thick heavy stew was steaming inside. The broth smelled like cinnamon and pumpkin Lily thought, but it only consisted of seaweed-looking leaves. Lily dipped the spoon into the bowl and scooped a large serving to her mouth. The flavor was exactly as she imagined it—sweet cinnamon-flavored pumpkin soup. But the image of the broth was nothing in contrast to the aroma it displayed and it confused Lily, being that what she saw and what she tasted did not match up.
“What is it that you are going to teach me?” Lily asked, curiously looking around the treehouse room as she swallowed the soup.
“Well, you want to travel around Sa Neo, correct?”
Lily nodded.
“Then, my first gift to you is to tedimeta.”
“To tedimeta?”
“Yes, it is how we teleport amongst these lands,” Karisma said as she blew the steam gently from her bowl, lifting it to her pointy nose to smell before taking a sip. “To be able to do this, you must understand the elements behind it.”
“Okay, I’m listening,” Lily said, as she spooned another giant scoop into her mouth. The texture of the broth felt slimy and strange, but the flavor, oh the flavor was beyond delectable.
“When all the possessions of life are removed, we are left with a black vortex full of vibrating energy,” Karisma said slowly as the colors in the room lowered to a dimming red. “When you travel through these dimensions, you are exactly that, just a light vibrating through the energetic field of black nothingness. And because your body is a reflection of your mind, it travels with you.”
Karisma picked up a piece of powdered glitter that sat inside a jar on a wooden table against the wall. She squeezed the sparkly pieces between her fingers and threw it up into the air, high above the girls’ heads close to the dark wooden ceiling. The glitter twirled around in a tornado spiral, until it gradually made its way back down into the jar, perfectly and completely compact, with no dust spilling either side.
“I’m not sure I understand,” Lily replied timidly, spooning the last of the leafy stew into her mouth. Only this time, she knew that the leaves were going to create the mouthwatering flavor of ravishing pumpkin soup, and so the sight of the stew excited her, for she remembered the scent and flavor it possessed; knowing it was to share the same taste on her tongue.
“Sometimes you don’t need to understand, you just need to believe.” Karisma smiled as she placed the empty bowls of stew on a wooden shelf, and she returned holding two milky blue colored crystals. She handed one to Lily.
“Before you tedimeta, imagine a line that joins the inner corners of your two eyes,” Karisma said as a colored line of smoke drew from her fingertips along Lily’s forehead. “And then at each edge of your eye, draw a triangle point where these two lines meet; this is the third eye. Now close your eyes.” Lily closed her eyes, imagining a third eye in the center of her forehead as she was told. She felt as though all her energy was joining together, greeting and meeting each other at this one spot in her mind. “Now think about the color of the crystal that you are holding in your hand right now, so think about the color blue. Envision this light coming from above and into this third eye. Watch as it vibrates and moves in patterns, expanding and shrinking constantly.”
The imagery that Karisma described reminded Lily of what she had seen when she first entered the world of Sa Neo. She was excited to see the same portrait and she held her eyes tightly as she was told, but no matter how hard she tried, she could not see the geometric shapes or patterns. She looked back to Karisma disheartened.
“It’s okay, Lily, it will come. Have faith.” Karisma patted Lily’s hand reassuringly. She smiled warmly with her red pupil eyes. The edges of her retina blazed like fire, darker on the edges and cooler toward the center. Lily felt empowered from looking at them, as though Karisma was passing on positive vibrations through just her eyes alone. “Take a deep breath and try again,” she told her.
Lily sat still with her eyes closed, waiting for all the clutter inside her head to stop. Colors of black and red swirled around in patches, but after several breaths in accordance with Karisma’s guidelines, they finally calmed down. The swirls of light continued to move but they now stretched out into a long thin line. The line came closer, and she felt herself roll over it, and rotate inside it. Next, she felt buzzing in her fingers, a tingling that moved up and down her arm, while heat pulsated within the palm of her hands. And then, a shaking sort of motion moved her sight rapidly from left to the
right and right to left, very quickly. So quickly, that it wasn’t a movement but more so, a reaction to some form of vibration. It reminded her of the unseen quiver in the air that occurs when a musical note is chimed.
The vibration continued to move down her spine, all over her body. It was so powerful she felt it stretch outside of her body, then back inside her skin. And when she opened her eyes, she was no longer sitting in the comfortable chair at the bottom of the tree in Karisma’s living room, but instead, on a rocky shore full of the same blue stones that she held in her hand, with Karisma opposite her, smiling gaily.
“You did it!” Karisma exclaimed proudly, and she waved her hands in the air presenting the coastline. “Welcome to Deia.”
The shores were covered in rectangle slices of blue flat rock. And the clouds above looked like fluffy splotches of white cotton. They swam in the sky, moving slowly around, allowing the sunlight to wedge through with mighty arms. The ocean water had no waves, just soft calm rivers flowing along in a stream, moving with the crisp breeze that filled the air. The landscape was very bare, and the rocks outstretched for miles.
“Why are we here?” Lily asked puzzled, confused as to how one moment she was inside the comfy tree house and the next, freezing cold on a rock.
Shut up, shut up you silly girl. Don’t ask such stupid questions.
Lily shook her head quickly, trying to shake the hateful voices inside. Karisma looked to Lily suspiciously, noticing the strangeness in her character, and she raised her hand over her throat as she spoke.
“I was showing you how to tedimeta, remember? Are you okay Lily?”
Nothing, nothing, don’t talk. Leave me alone. Shut up. Shut up you stupid stupid…
Lily shook her head violently this time, covering her eyes and ears, trying to conceal the dark voice inside yet again.
“Lily, talk to me!” Karisma shouted.
Lost Nowhere: A journey of self-discovery in a fantasy world Page 8
