Paranormal Romance Reading > Strong Women Journeys

by Ann Patty

A wave of anxiety washed over her chest. Suddenly, Terra became incapacitated. Unable to think, her mind was paralyzing her body. A panic attack? Shit, not now. Please! Terra reached for her lighter again. This time her lighter was not to light up the fire. Instead, it steered to a rather well rolled 420 weed stick.

  Marijuana was not an addiction for her, nor was it an ongoing habit. However, once in a while Terra found a sense of peace when she partook. Instead of focusing on her body's panic, Terra withdrew deep puffs of weed. Closing her eyes, she swallowed in an attempt to let the smoke invade and kill off all the panic particles dwelling deep in her coiffures. After three tokes, Terra's head began to sway dizzily. Terra put the weed out and carefully wrapped it up for future use. This 420 stick was the only one left. The lord only knew when there would be access to another.

  The fire popped and flickered. It was good company. Mellowed and relaxed, Terra resumed staring into the fire ring. Then the antiquated thoughts flooded back. Paranoid idle thoughts linked to her past upbringing. Terra's self-talk commenced. What will I do with my life? Where on earth am I going? What is my new purpose? For in this first moment of realization, Terra had no plan other that winging this road trip. She was desperately attempting to shake off all of that old learned behavior she grew up to know well. Overwhelming self-talk that was full of opinions compounded her own fears.

  A gush of emotional baggage spewed chaotically from the depths of Terra. Her breath quickened as if to gather momentum and then she gasped a wail with each inhale/exhale that was mustered. And what came next surprised even Terra. She screamed from the bottom of her soul for the infractions that she had let others commit unto her. For ten minutes, wails then high pitched shrieks streamed alternately through the woods. Terra rivaled every wild beast within earshot. Purging rage was not a familiar emotion, but here it was in full force beckoning to be reckoned with. Uninhibited with the help of 420, Terra let her emotions drift where they needed to go. An hour later, she went and crawled into her sleeping bag bed. Her last thought for the night: That cleansing felt wonderful!

  Up at dawn, more relaxed and back to practicality, Terra had the truck completely packed up inside ten minutes. This campsite she figured she would remember. The forging from her old life into the new life had been merged and this was the crossroads. Turning around pensively and not sure what the day held, Terra spied a trail enticing her away. If the end result gifted a waterfall, a waterway, or better yet a hot springs then the hike would be worthwhile. So Terra popped on her hiking boots, strapped on a day pack, locked the truck, gathered her keys, and off she strode with purpose.

  Natural Rhythms

  The next four days was more of the same. Blurred and non-cohesive thoughts found Terra Termaine out on more rock ledges, hanging over more sheer drop trails, and dipping under frigid waterfalls. Each day was another new find deep in the woods as she worked her way down the cascade range. Within a week, Terra tightly crisscrossed territories to end up on a route to southern Utah. The south beckoned her.

  The region shared a mystique with her innate possession of nature. Primarily, she was drawn to a particular region with magnificent rock forms that held hot springs captive, which is what specifically beckoned to her. Perhaps this region had called to her through those visions she had seen. That remained to be seen.

  In any event, Terra wanted to slow down, even stop her frantic pace. She knew that a special spot waited for her. It would find her without too much ado. And there she would stop for a long while and much deserved rest.

  Dusk was approaching and the sun's dismissing rays were casting ribbons of pink, orange, and purples across the southeastern sky of Utah. For days, Terra had been hiking canyons and discovering spots she wondered if anyone else knew about. So many crevasses, cracks, juts of independent rocks, and pools of clear subversions. This evening another bedtime was calling, which demanded finding yet another night long parking spot. Somehow and by sheer instinct now, Terra found an offbeat trail of a former road. It was rutted and curvy, and looked to be forbidden. No matter. Terra pressed on with her four wheel drive locked in. It was quite doubtful anyone traveled this road unless by foot or horseback. For miles, her stealthy pickup pressed on. The vast expanse of the open sky kept the terrain lit longer. That was fortunate because for the first time in her wild excursions, Terra began to doubt if her destination was worth it.

  Weaving around erect rocks, Terra wondered if there was really a road there or whether she was making it up as she drove. Her adventurous self would not let go of the mysterious end. When the darkness fell as if a shade was drawn to where high beams were necessary, it also was apparent there was no road left to travel. The dark turned to black and visibility to zero, as the incoming road washed away with the night. The path to which Terra had just followed also disappeared with the twilight. This spot without argument was the campsite. Thank goodness for her ready-made, above ground, and fully enclosed bed. Terra did not know the night antics of this region or the wild critters that most assuredly would be curious of her as a new tenant.

  Terra's Turn

  When dawn spread across the horizon, Terra did not stir. Traveling catches up with a person eventually. It was deep spring so the temperatures were pleasant. There were plenty of wild flowers that grew out of what seemed barren soil. Terra awoke, stretched, and hopped out of the back end of her truck. Perplexed she looked around. How did I possibly get in here last night? There was no apparent route. A new attitude of 'let's roll with it' seized Terra. She was in the outer stretches of humanity without a care. Away from a non-functioning sort-of marriage gone kaput and jobless, she relaxed. Next up, Terra scanned the rugged landscape. Hiking here was doable. In fact it was begging to be explored. So as routine would have it, Terra slipped her hikers on and grabbed her day pack to go that was filled with all her essentials.

  Baths were essential, particularly when grimy from travel. Terra had had no bath for days and pledged to take one if possible, even if a place was found in the middle of the desert. No trail and no plan in place, Terra set off. Fortunately, she always kept a GPS handy and this day was no exception. She walked through an assortment of tundra. The rocks grew in stature and so that was the trail she followed. This place had not been on the map, but then, it was just a fraction of rockery that Utah had to offer. It crossed her mind that this might even be Native American Reservation land, which would account for the zero population of other hikers and campers.

  There became a thick base of the rocks that grew into upright pinnacles which appeared to line up like columns of a full dome. Terra sensed these rocks were familiar. She followed their line until they became thick as a grove of redwoods. Around each rock, Terra circled. She was fascinated by their brilliance and energy. The rocks grew as tall as trees. Their grounding was built as a large circumference that sprouted red fingers and thumbs, which strutted and arched upward pointing to the sky. These needles stood randomly in a circle with a hollow center. One could imagine while looking up, that perhaps this might be a landing pad for something other worldly. But it was not, at least not at this point in time.

  Another pearl in the middle of this rock forest—a treasure chest was waiting to be discovered. It was an anomaly of nature or, perhaps, man-made. In the middle of these stately burgeoning pillars was an almost perfect pool about ten feet in diameter. The pool was filled with the most pristine clear azure water. The cavity appeared carved, yet the underlying stones indicated a natural formation. Whether water was captured from the rainfall or whether it was a natural hot spring was not apparent. The water was warm to touch, bath water warm, and it was calling to Terra.

  In the middle of the cathedral under the morning sun, Terra stripped down to nothing. The pool would wait no longer. Squatting on the ledge, she stretched out one leg until her toe dipped in the water. The depth was deceptive and there was only one way to find out. Easing her body down, her feet grasped for the bottom which was not far down. The pool was approximately three to fou
r feet deep. Once landed, Terra submerged and relaxed. There was a ledge on the backside that she could sit on while propping her feet up, one along each of the side walls. Slumping a bit farther down, Terra found she could rest her head on a rock with a built in cradle behind. It all fit a bit too perfect for a natural phenomenon.

  Terra slept easily, on and off, in this bed bath. She was cradled in nature and soaked up every last morsel. Weightless, re-energized, and half comatose, Terra let her body slump into the natural crevasses and corners of her stone repose discovery. Escaping any thinking, free from bother, and throwing all cares away, how was she to know that a dark man would approach and look into the same pool where she was skinny dipping?

  The warrior's hair was black, long to the waist. Part tied over to the side and the remainder rested against his bareback. His hair was thick and a candidate for dreadlocks, but it was combed neatly in sections. He walked with a hiking staff, wooden and carved. He was stout, appeared quite strong, and the veins in his arms were pronounced. A dark blue bandanna encircled his head, most likely to hold back his thick hair. He had thick black eyebrows, almost closed as one. His facial features included: close set eyes of coal black; a sharp flat nose with flaring nostrils; high set cheek bones, a strong jaw outlined; voluptuous soft lips, especially for a man; a dangling earring in the right ear, just one; a small scar across the bottom of his chin; an obvious Adam’s apple; and a leather necklace holding what looked like ceremonial beads. His chest was broad, hairless, shiny bare, and every bit of a warrior's persona. Full thick upper arms and thighs to match indicated he worked out. Either that or he just had good genes. He was shirtless, as his was stuffed into the back of his cut off khakis. His hiking boots were well-worn on the outside, but still serviceable. Terra's first scan and assessment was that he was the picture of an Adonis on earth.

  The warrior was somewhat taken aback momentarily at Terra in the buff. But, he was well aware that someone—she had pierced the boundaries of their reservation. He had intentions of a hike for about a week so he decided to scout out the perpetrator. Yet, he had not expected a voluptuous beauty to drop in his lap, and a naked one at that.

  His stature was silent. He eyes feasted on her. Terra, now awake, was keenly alert to this man's scrutiny. Her hair was damp and drooped about her neckline and draped between her soft cupped breasts with large, deep dark aureoles. She was still positioned spread eagle with her legs fully open and braced across the opposite walls. If ever there was a suggestive position of copulation, Terra now flaunted it. She quietly without remark repositioned herself by closing her legs and bending them up to her chest. Wrapping her arms around her knees, this was as close to covering herself as Terra could get right then. The warrior found himself in awe and in a predicament. He came to the pool to bathe too.

  “Pardon me. I didn't know anyone else was here to take a bath.”

  “Ahhh, what? Bathe?” Terra said, clearly perplexed. “Please don't let me stop you, I'll leave.”

  “It's not necessary. Please stay … unless I make you uncomfortable,” the hunk admitted.

  “No, it's fine,” Terra admitted, as she was both intrigued and felt awkward.

  The warrior man began to disrobe right before Terra. While Terra was not use to this nudity, she had to sneak a peek now and again. What an exquisite physique. A sweaty body that glistened right down to his bare buttocks. Other than the hair on his head, eyebrows, and privates, he was hairless. His biceps were perfectly chiseled. My, oh, my, and this hunk would be soon sharing my bath. The warrior shucked his clothes as if he were in private. He had no modesty issues whatsoever. When he stepped into the other end, he nodded, as if asking if it was still okay to enter. Terra nodded back and smiled while still holding her closed position.

  The warrior slid down into the pool without a trace of water ripple. He positioned himself at the opposite end and studied Terra. “You are not from around here,” he remarked with no intention.

  “No, up north. Seattle. Just on a jaunt really.”

  “Ah, that explains it. Well, not quite. How did you find yourself way out here? Most folks don't trespass reservation land. Most folks don't know about this pool,” the warrior explained.

  “Really? I'm trespassing?” Terra said with a huge grin.

  “What is so funny about that?” The warrior asked, as he cocked his head with curiosity.

  “Well, I'm the most straight laced, law abiding person I know. Now you tell me that I did something illegal and I find it ironic,” Terra said with amusement and began to relax.

  “How did you find this spot?” the warrior man pressed.

  “I don't really know. I have a habit of taking back roads that may lead to some surprise. Last night, it was dusk and I saw the sort of a road that came here. It was getting late and I needed to crash somewhere for the night. So, voila!”

  “Ah-huh, and...” he said, pushing her to continue with a wave of his hand.

  “This morning I woke up and loved the terrain so I had an urge to explore. Well, not an urge, but an urgency. The rocks all standing tall called me to come into their family. How could I resist?”

  The warrior fell silent in thought as he looked down into the pool. As he began to shift and understand, his head nodded. His arms crossed his magnificently broad chest.

  “I am Navaho. Legend runs deep within our tribe. We never dismiss the dreams or callings of others. In fact, we respect your journey and it is obvious this earth here is calling you to become one with…” He trailed off then started again, “You know there is no road that comes here. The path was paved for you by the spirits.”

  “This is Navaho land? You are a true Dine? I'm honored to be in your presence,” Terra said and almost swooned.

  “Hmm,” he said with a smile, closed his eyes, and then reclined into the water.

  Terra had never met a real live Native American before. Gosh, she had led a sheltered life! A million questions swarmed her head. Perhaps in time, they could teach each other a bit of something. For the next hour, they sat in silence at opposite ends of the pool. Terra once again fell asleep with her head cradled in her arms, which were braced against her knees.

  Terra awoke to the warrior's hand guiding her head upright. She had fallen so deeply asleep that she was close to drowning. The warrior with his husky voice and gentle hands were touching her, pulling her shoulders up straight. When Terra came too, she up-righted herself and simply smiled at him. And in return he smiled back.

  “How long are you visiting here?” the warrior asked.

  “Oh, I thought I best be going since I'm breaking the law,” Terra said teasingly.

  “Nah, it is fine. There is a reason that the spirits want you here,” he remarked.

  “Thank you. And what about you? This is off the beaten path. What brings you here?” Terra asked, curiously.

  The Navaho rolled his eyes and smiled. “Just like you, I am on a journey seeking. I come here almost yearly anyway to visit this place of worship. For me this is my church.”

  “I believe we were destined to meet here. See those columns. I have had visions of them at night.” Terra pointed to the strongest upright needles. “I've seen them under the night sky with a full moon.” And then silently Terra realized that it was this pool and this was to be the warrior who held her from behind. For the first time, she was ahead of knowing her vision instead of waiting for it to reveal itself.

  The Navaho looked intensely at her and stepped back in the pool. He was assessing her natural powers. Instead of just a disoriented traveler, the woman before him was a visionary. In some century's past, a high priestess well decorated within the tribe would have become this angel. There were those that could regurgitate theory and the spiritual laws of a tribe. And there were those who held spirituality in their heart. They didn't talk about it. They WERE IT.

  The Navaho quizzed, asking, “What is your name?”

  “Terra, my name is Terra. What is yours?”

  “Terra. O
f the earth. No wonder the rocks call to you. Glad to meet you. I'm Atsa. My name means eagle.”

  “An eagle is perceptive and holds a larger vision. Nice to meet you as well, Atsa.” Terra's thoughts were spinning inside her. What's next? What should she be doing? That is, what should two naked people be doing who are obviously finding an attraction with each other? Where do they go from here?

  “What are you going to do today, Terra?” Atsa asked, now intently set on an agenda.