She stood up to get a better look at the symbol and heard the crackling sound from her pocket again. Now that she was standing it was easy to reach into her pocket. She felt something plastic in there and pulled it out to investigate. The plastic bag contained several folded pieces of paper on which was written on the outside ‘Open Immediately.’
Amanda sat back down on the rock, her interest peaked. She opened the bag and carefully removed the bundle of papers. The first one she opened had handwriting which seemed familiar. She started to read:
LET’S START WITH THE BASICS:
YOUR NAME IS AMANDA.
YOU ARE NOW IN TUALA.
YOU ARE SEARCHING FOR YOUR DAUGHTERS, JUILA AND JENA, WHO ARE PROBABLY AROUND 6-MONTHS OLD. THEY CALL MONTHS ’MESANS’ IN TUALA.
YOU CAN USE THE BIRTH CRYSTALS ON JUILA AND JENA TO CHECK IN ON THEM. JUILA’S CRYSTAL IS A DEEP RED RUBY, JENA’S IS A BLACK DIAMOND. CONCENTRATE ON THE ENERGY FROM THE EARTH TO TAP INTO THEIR CRYSTALS.
YOU NEED TO TRAVEL NORTH TO A TOWN CALLED KIRMA.
YOU WILL NEED TO FIND BRYON OR ALENA KESH. BRYON WORKS FOR KIRMA SHIPPING AND RECEIVING. ALENA IS THE LOCAL WISE-WOMAN (HEALER).
IF YOU CAN’T FIND BRYON OR ALENA, GO TO THE PORT CITY OF CRESDON. LOOK FOR CAPTAIN AHN (HE’S THE HARBOR MASTER). AHN IS MARRIED TO YOUR AUNT BARLA.
ONCE YOU FIND JUILA AND JENA, DECIDE IF IT WOULD BE SAFE TO RETURN HOME TO YOUR PARENTS (CHRIS AND DIANE).
READ THE OTHER NOTES FROM CHRIS AND DIANE.
THE GATE OBSCURES YOUR MEMORY. IF YOU CONCENTRATE ON EACH DETAIL, YOUR MEMORIES WILL RETURN. IT MIGHT BE EASIER TO REMEMBER AFTER YOU PUT SOME DISTANCE BETWEEN YOU AND THE GATE.
GOOD LUCK!
With the last remark about getting away from the gate, Amanda picked up her pack, looked up at the sun to determine her course, and started walking in what she hoped was a northerly direction. As she was walking, she kept glancing at the paper still in her hand. Could this be for real? Amanda asked herself. Let’s assume this is real, I have two daughters? Wow!
She had traveled on foot for about half an hour before she came to a cluster of trees on the banks of a small creek. The shade looked more comfortable than the hot sun which was beating down on her head. She really wanted to read the other notes from the bag. Amanda changed her course so she could head straight for the shaded area. Once out of the hot sun, she wearily sank to the ground and rested her back against a tree.
She closed her eyes for just a moment and relaxed from the heat. After what seemed seconds she felt a tickling sensation on her arm. A moment later a crawling feeling moved across her other arm. Her eyes popped open to discover there were hundreds of beetlesnatch swarming all over the ground around her. They were climbing on her pants and moving across her shirt. She jumped up and screamed with fear as they continued to crawl on her bare arms.
Amanda thought she had them all removed from her when suddenly one of them bit into the flesh on her forearm. The pain was so intense that it was almost impossible to register. She slapped it away from her and stomped on the beetle-like body with a sense of satisfaction knowing she had at least killed one of the dreaded insects.
The first stages of poison started to course through her veins. She felt light-headed and stared in wonder as streaks of red began to radiate out from the initial bite wound. At that point, she realized the insect was probably poisonous. She wondered how long she would remain alive before the venom killed her. Amanda shrieked out all of her pain and frustration in a primal scream.
The next thing Amanda knew, a gorgeous man with kind-looking brown eyes was looking down at her as she lay on the ground. She was so relieved to have someone nearby.
“Who are you? Where did you come from?”
“My name is Riccan, and I was taking a walk from work when I heard you screaming. Are you okay? What happened?”
“I was bitten by a disgusting beetle.”
“A beetlesnatch? Oh my goodness!” He scooped her up into his arms and started to run while carrying her slight frame. The jarring from his increased pace began to make her nauseous. She passed out.
When her eyes opened, she was again leaning against the tree. She looked around to see where the beetlesnatch were on the ground. There was nothing there but grass and dirt. She realized then that it had all been a dream, a nightmare really. The man in the dream had seemed extremely familiar, but she could not place where she had seen him before.
Amanda shook her head and then remembered she had sat down in the shade to read the notes from her pocket. Realizing she was still holding the first note in her hand, she refolded it and put it back in the bag. She unfolded the second letter and read:
My sweet baby girl,
You are so brave to take this journey. I have loved you from the moment you were put in my arms after you were born. Even though you are my third daughter, you have brought me more joy than the other two combined. Your quick wit, insatiable curiosity and eager mind for learning have always been fun to witness as a parent.
I know you are facing a difficult situation with Juila and Jena being where they are. I also know that, as a mother, you will do whatever you can to protect them from harm. You will also have to decide if it’s safer to stay living with them or come home to be with your father and me. We will honor whatever you decide but know we desperately wish you all would come home.
I do envy your ability to reunite with your Aunt Barbara and get to know her children. In that regard, you’ll be able to do something I never thought possible as we believed she had drowned before you were born. Let Barbara know we love her and remember to give her the letter I wrote if you do happen to see her again.
Safe travels my beautiful daughter. I love you!!!
Diane
Amanda felt tears forming in her eyes. She felt bad that this woman was struggling with her decision to come here to find her daughters. Amanda was glad to have some insight to Diane. She had one more note to go so she folded the one from Diane and returned it to the plastic bag. She also saw the envelope addressed to her Aunt Barbara and returned that to the bag as well. With the final note in hand, she unfolded it and read:
Hi, Amanda, this is your father, Chris. I’m sure your mother covered all of our love for you so I’m going to be more practical. Think very hard on what these notes have told you. Believe everything as soon as possible to speed up the recovery of your authentic mind.
You are on an alternate plane of reality on Earth. Tell nobody that you are really from Earth. The people who matter already know who you are, everybody else could potentially turn you into the Elders. You do not want to go to the Elders!
Find Bryon and Alena as fast as possible. Find your children. Bryon and Alena don’t know you are from Earth, but they are friends of Barla. They are supposed to be caring for your children as you were living with them before you accidentally returned to Earth.
Open your mind to their technology and learn as much as you can. They have many abilities which we don’t have at home. Believe them all! Don’t doubt your instincts, they are your first and best resource.
We hope to see you soon, and we hope to meet our grandchildren for the first time!
I love you, my adventurer!
Your dad,
Chris
Each note was pointing to the same story. It was hard not to believe what was written even though it stretched her bounds of plausibility. “If it’s all true,” she spoke out loud, “then I have quite the journey ahead of me! Okay, I’m going to follow the advice of ‘my father’ and say this is my real mission. I need to get myself to Kirma and locate Bryon and Alena right away!” Amanda refolded the last note and stuffed it in the plastic bag with the other pieces of paper. She stood up and jammed the bag back into her pants pockets.
With renewed vigor, she walked with confidence along the river until she encountered a road. She checked the location of the sun and decided to walk left on the path as that seemed the most northerly direction. Hoping to find some sort
of sign indicating she was going in the right direction, she was disappointed as mile after mile of road unfolded ahead of her.
Eventually, she encountered some farmers resting for their afternoon break beside the road. She slowed down and wondered if she should talk to them or keep walking. If she never asked for directions, she decided she could be walking for a long time on the wrong path. She decided to talk to these people. As she got closer, she waved her hand and yelled, “Hello.”
The couple looked up and said in unison, “Hello.” They stopped talking to one another and looked up expectantly at Amanda as she stopped in front of them.
“I’m wondering how much further it is to Kirma?”
“Oh, I’d say it’s about five gania more,” the man replied then turned to the girl beside him and asked, “Don’t you think?”
She did not speak, but she nodded her head solemnly in agreement.
“Yep, about five gania,” he repeated with more certainty this time.
“About how long do you think that’ll take?” Amanda asked, not certain how far a gania was away.
“Well, if you step quick, it should be about two hours,” he said as he continued to nod.
“That’s perfect,” Amanda replied with a smile. “Have a nice day,” she said with a jaunty wave to the couple as she turned and continued down the road at a quick pace. She had really hoped she could make it to wherever she was headed before it got dark. Sleeping out in the open of a foreign land did not seem very appealing.
As she walked, Amanda kept reviewing the information given to her from the notes in her pocket. She felt a sense of exhilaration at this adventure, but she would feel better about it once she actually remembered choosing to be here. Chris had said to believe everything, and she was trying hard to do just that, but it was difficult. “How do you believe something you don’t remember,” she said out loud to herself. Amanda looked around her hastily to see if there were anybody around to hear her talking to herself. All clear, she noted and sighed inwardly.
On the horizon, she could see some buildings. She must be getting close to Kirma, she hoped. Her legs were getting tired, and her feet were definitely sore. The sun was dipping toward the horizon on her left. Amanda fervently hoped Bryon and Alena lived on this edge of town. The thought of traversing the whole city to get to their house was daunting after the amount of walking she had already endured that day.
As she got near the edge of town, many people were walking on the same road as she. She thought to talk to some of them, but then realized she would not have much to contribute to a conversation. She opted to limit her talk to greetings until she got into the town proper. Once there she hoped she might be able to see the Kirma Shipping and Receiving building, where Bryon worked. If she found the building she would inquire inside for Bryon’s whereabouts.
Her plan did not pan out. The road she was following led her into a neighborhood. She was going to have to ask for directions to the Kesh household. Now that she was ready to talk to people she found she was alone on the street. It must be dinner time, she thought to herself. She struggled with the idea of continuing walking or taking a break and waiting for someone to come along of whom she could ask directions.
When she saw the bench around the corner, resting seemed to be the best course. She unslung her bag from her back and set it down heavily on the bench before she sat down wearily next to it. Almost too weary to move, Amanda remembered there were some food and water in her pack. If everyone else was eating, she may as well too!
With a supreme effort, she drew the bag closer, opened it, and pulled out a sandwich and the half-full jar of water. She took a drink first to remove the dust of the road from her mouth. She set the glass down on the bench and opened the sandwich bag. Never in her life had a peanut butter and jelly sandwich tasted so good. She closed her eyes as she chewed and luxuriated in the feeling of eating while sitting down. Life was good!
“Amanda?” A woman’s voice asked nearby. “Amanda, is that you?”
Amanda looked up and saw a stranger. Her mouth was full so she answered by nodding as she modestly covered her mouth with her hand.
The stranger rushed up and awkwardly hugged her while she remained seated on the bench. She pulled back from embracing Amanda and said, “Where have you been? Bryon and Alena have been worried sick about you. Have you been to their house yet?”
Amanda shook her head from side to side.
The lady suddenly looked mortified and spoke urgently, “What are you waiting for, get your bag and follow me, we’re going to go there right now. This is the best news since…” She waved her hands to rush Amanda along in putting the stuff back in her bag.
Amanda stood up and tried to clear the peanut butter from her mouth so she could finally talk. She could tell the woman had stopped in the middle of a thought and was finally able to ask, “Has something happened?”
The woman looked sharply at Amanda and replied, “You don’t know? Oh, do hurry! Their house is just around this next corner.”
They walked briskly and soon began walking up a sidewalk of a house that looked vaguely familiar to Amanda. It was the first thing to register as anything special in Amanda’s clouded memory. They paused at the front door as the lady knocked several times. Within a few moments the door opened.
Alena stood still in the doorway not believing what she was seeing. “Bryon!” She screamed over her shoulder and then she rushed forward and grabbed Amanda in a big hug and cried, “Amanda, I can’t believe it’s you! I’m so happy to see you!”
Just as she turned around to usher Amanda into the house, Bryon walked around the corner. Amanda watched as his eyes got huge and he started running toward her. She braced herself for another hug but was surprised when he stopped short and said with some skepticism, “Amanda, is it really you?”
Amanda only nodded again.
Bryon looked up at the sky and moaned, “Thank goodness! Oh, Amanda, we thought you were dead!” He turned to the lady still standing by Amanda and said, “Thank you for bringing her home. We obviously have a lot of catching up to do, I’m sure you understand.”
“Oh, of course. I’m just glad to have helped. I need to get home to my dinner anyway,” she replied. She had hoped to be invited in to hear Amanda’s story, but she could tell this was probably not the right time. She turned and walked back toward her own house.
Amanda was ushered into the residence. All was silent when she sat in the living room. Bryon and Alena sat on the couch across from her and looked at her expectantly. She was not sure what she should say so she started with, “I appear to have lost my memory. Can you help me?”
This was not what either Bryon or Alena had been expecting. They looked at each other with bewildered expressions and then back at Amanda. Bryon started with, “Do you remember the last time we were together?”
Amanda shook her head. Then she offered, “I found a note on myself saying you two could help me find my twin daughters, Juila and Jena. Unfortunately, I don’t remember them either.”
“Who wrote the note?” Bryon asked logically.
“I think I did.”
“Bryon, can you run next door and get Juila? Sometimes memories can return with strong emotions. What is stronger than a mother’s love for her child?”
“Why is she next door?” Amanda asked with confusion.
“Tana is watching all of our kids for a couple of days while…we get things sorted out,” she ended lamely.
Bryon stood up and declared, “I’ll be right back.” Wanting to delay the upcoming conversation regarding Jena, he strode from the room as fast as he could.
They heard the front door open and then click shut. They looked at each other across the coffee table and wondered what the other was thinking. A few minutes later they could hear the door open again and footsteps crossing the front entryway. Bryon was holding a beautiful girl with blonde curls and piercing blue eyes.
Once Amanda made eye contact with Juila, all of he
r memories came flooding back. “Oh,” she exclaimed as her eyes rolled back into her head and she fainted, slumping sideways into the chair.
Chapter Nineteen
PETRE FELT AS though everyone treated him with more respect when he showed them Elder Debbon’s chit. When he stopped at the first restaurant, he had been hesitant about the effectiveness of using the voucher until he set it on the table while he was waiting for the waiter to take his order. He saw the waiter’s gaze fall upon it as he walked over and the waiter’s eyes got big, and his expression changed to one of admiration.
“How may I serve you, sir?” the waiter asked in his most polite tone.
Petre could get used to this type of service! He was not familiar with the meals at this establishment as it was much nicer than he had ever been in before so he just said, “Please bring me your most popular dish.”
“As you wish,” replied the waiter. He made a small formal bow, backed away one step, and then turned around and strode swiftly to the kitchen to place his order.
The meal arrived, and Petre spent no time appreciating either the presentation or the taste. He scarfed the food down as he did every meal. His attention was directed inwardly at what his next meeting with the Elder would be like. He hoped it would be short so he could be on his way to finding a caretaker for Jena. He had never been so worried about someone else in his life, and he was finding the constant attention for Jena was very draining on his nerves.
Petre failed to notice the waiter’s horrified expression with the way Petre disposed of the fancy plate of food. When his plate was empty, the waiter was immediately ready to remove the dish. He politely asked, “Would you like me to bring you our special dessert?”
Petre merely nodded as he leaned back in his chair and folded his hands across his distended belly in satisfaction while he waited. Oh, yes, he thought, I can definitely get used to this type of living. Everybody catering to my needs suits me just fine!
Ascension Discovery Page 50
