“When it is time to return and you find yourself at the Gates of Horn and Ivory, there are two things you must remember above all else. Do not give in to your fears and do not lie to yourself.”
“That sounds simple enough,” Carmen retorted, but I could see the unease in her dark eyes.
“I agree that it should be simple, however the human soul is a self-serving entity at its core.
Pride and insecurity can always lead us off our true path. The key is accepting the bad that haunts our souls as well as the good. We all have both within us.”
As she spoke the last sentence, I realized that the serum was beginning to take effect. I was feeling a little woozy and I could feel my reflexes and movements slowing considerably. I looked over at Phoebe and Carmen who looked to be having trouble focusing on Natasha as well. All I wanted to do was close my eyes and go to sleep.
“I think it’s working,” I warned Natasha.
“My mind seems to be slowing down,” Phoebe added.
“That’s nothing new,” Carmen quipped, but her words came out slurred. I gave in to the heaviness and allowed my eyes to close on the only realm I’d ever known.
People say that when you have a near death experience, your life flashes before your eyes. I can say something flashed before my eyes during my more-than-near death experience as well. But it was only one image. Deep blue eyes. They stared into the recesses of my soul, shining with acceptance and love. They swirled before me like a kaleidoscope; making me dizzy. As they returned to a stationary position I noticed they had gotten tremendously closer. I couldn’t see any other features. All around them was only darkness. As I focused on the light blue and gray flecks within them I became completely absorbed in their magic. Suddenly I found myself being sucked in to them; speeding faster and faster towards the stormy sea of dark blue. As I plunged into their depths I felt myself being stretched and pulled in several directions. I instantly fought to center myself, which was easier than I thought. The blue disappeared; replaced with a warm, soothing darkness and then… there was nothing.
My feet were wet. And cold. I looked down to see myself standing in the middle of a river.
Metallic looking rocks and boulders lined the banks as the silvery water rushed by in a steady cadence. There was no grass, no trees, and no shrubs accenting the sides of the river. Only massive boulders surrounded by smaller river rocks; a wide array of bronze and copper tones glittering beneath the water. The banks of the river were covered in a shimmering white substance that appeared to shift and blur as my eyes moved across it. The sky above was a golden yellow hue, but there was no warm sun shining down on me. As I craned my neck in each direction, it didn’t appear the light was coming from one particular source. It seemed to reflect and bounce off of everything it touched; enhancing the metallic qualities of the landscape around me.
A dense fog flanked both sides of the river, not allowing as much as a glimpse into what lay ahead in either direction. I wasn’t sure if I should move or stay where I was. In the middle of contemplating my next move, a slender ribbon of silver twisted and hovered beside me. I held my breath and immediately froze in hopes of not antagonizing it. A flash of memory took me back to a previous reverie I had before I had come to Lorelei and stumbled upon my destiny. Finn had been surrounded by hundreds of silver ribbons (right before they attacked me) and he told me I shouldn’t be there; that my heart wouldn’t survive. Had my soul somehow jumped realms without my knowledge?
Was that even possible?
Before I knew what was happening, the single silver ribbon began to writhe and lengthen; becoming more opaque. Still holding my breath, I watched wide-eyed as it began to take human form. It almost looked like…Carmen? No way. Right before my eyes her features became more distinct and she opened her eyes. She glanced around skeptically and finally looked down at her feet.
“Why are we standing in the middle of a river?” she complained, as I continued to be in shock at what I had just witnessed. She met my startled gaze. “What?”
“Whoa,” was all I could say.
“What is it? Is something wrong with me? Am I missing a body part?” She began to frantically look herself over, running her hands over her face. I let out a hysterical giggle.
“Not at all, I seriously just saw-“ I began.
“What the hell is that?” She interrupted in a low voice, staring at something to our left. When I followed her gaze I saw another silver ribbon appearing. We watched in silent awe as it writhed, became opaque, and took on human form; eventually turning into the Phoebe we knew and loved.
“Oh. My. God,” Carmen croaked.
“Why are we standing in a river?” Phoebe looked at us in confusion, “And why is Carmen staring at me like that?”
“We just watched your soul appear and turn into human form,” I explained.
“That’s what that was?” Carmen looked at me wide eyed.
“I believe so,” I grinned at her.
“Did you guys go through the tunnel?” Phoebe exclaimed with elation.
“Tunnel? No, I saw some kind of-“ Carmen began, when she lost the ability to talk. What could only be described as a shockwave travelled across the river and right through us, knocking us slightly off balance and taking our breath away. When I looked back at the bank, I noticed that the fog had disappeared. Something else had taken its place.
Chapter 34
It was surreal in its majestic appearance. There were no words to accurately describe the beauty of what stood before us. Its massive trunk was the thickness of four Cape Lookout Lighthouses pushed together, and stood at least twenty stories high. Only the bottom portion of the canopy was visible to us standing so far below, but the mass of branches and lush green spread out for one hundred yards on all sides. It emitted a brilliant inner light, spreading throughout its entire length, down to each leaf. That’s when it hit me. I had seen this tree before. In Nadia’s mind.
It was the last image I had seen when I accidentally accessed her memory. It was mesmerizing in her mind’s eye, but it was beyond belief in real life. As with everything else, it had a metallic quality to it. The trunk was a dark copper and the leaves, although green, shimmered with an effervescent frosting.
“The Forbidden Tree,” Phoebe whispered as she studied the pocket size map of the Underworld.
“Is that where the entrance is?” I inquired.
“It looks like it,” she squinted at the paper, “but I can’t tell exactly where.”
“Well, there’s only one way to find out,” I smiled and took the first step towards the Underworld. We carefully made our way across the river and over several boulders before reaching the bank. The white I had seen was a soft layer of silt that shimmered and blew around our feet as we walked toward the Forbidden Tree. It was extremely soft and reminded me of the sand on the Fortunate Isle.
It didn’t take long before we were almost beneath the massive branches looming high above.
The only sound was the river at our back and a slight humming that seemed to be coming from the tree. Along with the humming, the tree smelled sweet and intoxicating. I took a deep breath. It was a cross between sweet mint and basil leaves that filled your senses and lifted your spirits. I tilted my head back and scanned the lower branches for any fruit, namely pomegranate; but I only saw foliage.
I was hoping that this wasn’t the only tree might grew in, considering how high up they would be.