Winding Chapter 3

Winding: Chapter 3

The helicopterТs whirring, vibrating my chest in rhythmic patterns as the walls began to melt.

СWeТre here,Т she said, СAre you feeling it yet?Т

СOhhhhhhh yeah,Т I said.

СMmhmhmm,Т she replied, Сlets go.Т

She clipped herself onto a rope she had let down to the ground. She dropped from the helicopter through the trees and onto the ground. I followed in suit. I dropped from the whirring bubble down into a tunnel of wind as I slid. Leaves trailed by; the ground, solid. My stillness caught up to my perceptions and I realized I was on my back, with my pack beneath me. Sunlight poured through the kaleidoscopic lattice of leaves above in stunning beams. An intricate pattern emerged in a myriad of birdcalls, insects and the fading helicopter.

Tingly love touch on my hand; electricity, as I was pulled to vertical by a giggling Alaura. The terrain surrounding us was rocky and hilly, teeming with life. She readjusted my pack for me and smiled dreamily. Her irises were thin bands of green around dilated pupils.

We had hydration systems in our backpacks, accessible through a tube nestled on my shoulder, in reach of a turn of the head. I sipped lightly on the cool nectar oozing down my throat, through the canal to my stomach; chilling its way, coating my insides.

I sparked up a clove and inhaled deeply on the relaxing warmth filling my lungs. Flicking my tongue at the sweet taste on my lips, I let the smoke out and watched it come alive in the beams of sun. I took another long drag and handed the clove to Alaura, then puffed out smoke rings into the beams, watching the patterns as the rings folded in upon themselves in dizzying intricacy. We ended up kneeling on the ground, passing the smoke back and forth, and blowing smoke rings until the clove was out. Smoke twisted around us from our efforts of creation.

She giggled and we met lips, licking at the intensely sweet clove taste. We got lost in kisses until we both started giggling uncontrollably. We decided it was a good time for motion and helped each other up.

Fallen leaves from the year before announced our approach as we ambled through the pathless woods. Chipmunks scattered at our approach, and birds occasionally flew out of the underbrush in streaks. Glancing over at Alaura, I saw trails of her fading back as she walked, and the woods beside her streamed past as if the trees were moving around her. She opened her mouth as if she had something to say as I turned and almost ran into a tree. Intricate patterns in the bark drew my attention and I got lost in its natural beauty. I touched its rugged surface, as if I could feel its age and experience through the patterns in its bark. I followed the compulsion to hug the tree as Alaura watched me, laughing.

We were carefree children romping through the forest, laughing and climbing, admiring the wonderment of nature through virgin eyes. The whim of the wild led us down gullies and up steep hills with tree root ladders. We walked tirelessly for a couple of hours, pointing out strange-looking insects, fauna and assorted animal life.

СSamhadi Language,Т I said as we climbed down a moss-covered outcropping to the base of a ridge we began to follow the base of. СA watcher of the Babylonian sort who took a fancy in me called it NIA, the 10th chakra, where life becomes initiation and you start to comprehend language on a different level. Every experience talks to you, be it a snippet of side conversation, a billboard, lyrics in musicЕТ

СNIA is one of the Enochian aethers that corresponds to the ring-pass-not where you leave your body behind and travel in the astral.Т

СYeah, like astral united with the physical. The journey is in space-time, but defies rational logic.Т

СGive me an example,Т she said.

We heard some rustling of leaves beyond the next rise. A fox scurried down the hill, followed by more obvious rustling along the top of the ridge above us. We crouched down behind a nearby rock and over-heard some voices as the rustling got closer. СYou gotta pay real close attention. It can come out of anywhere at any time. You just gotta be ready.Т

СI know, man,Т said another voice, Сits like youТre totally in the moment and it just happens, bam!Т

We stayed still at the bottom of the ridge as they walked along the top of it, oblivious of our presence..

СI pegged 10 of them last season, even though I know I was 3 over the limit. Bob claimed the kills for me, but we know where the numbers really stand.Т

They walked out of earshot. Alaura was holding her mouth, trying to cover up a hysterical laughter that was obviously building up inside her. When she couldnТt hold it any longer, she burst out laughing. СThat was awesome!Т she said, СThe fox told us to be stealthy, the first bit was like they were inside my head, experiencing what I wasЕ Уpay close attentionЕ it can come out of anywhereЕ totally in the moment and it just happensФЕ The 10 reference was to the chakra, as its 3 more than the traditional system of 7. He mentioned the name Bob, which refers to Bob Dobbs. Nuff said.Т

СPraise Bob,Т I proclaimed, Сwe have a winner.Т

We climbed over the ridge and began walking along a ravine in a tangent to the direction the men were heading.

'So what are the other chakras, according to this system?,' she asked, 'how high does it go?'

'54 is mapped to God,' I stated, 'Full awareness of every particle's location and velocity. Maxwell's demon with infinite memory.'

'Are you suggesting that it's possible to achieve that state?' she asked.

'The watcher implied that the highest chakra we can activate as humans is the 12th chakra,' I explained, 'which is the True Will.'

'Can you give me a brief run-down of all 5 chakras after the 7th?' she asked.

'They all work together like the 7 before them. In a sense, the chakras above the 7th are simply a more detailed map of realizations achieved after balancing the 7 chakras and raising your vibration. The difference is that above the 7, the chakras are non-local.

'8 is when you realize that there is no separation between the self and the world beyond a shadow of a doubt. There's an unexplainable certainty. Sense impressions are more vivid and crisp. It's noticeably a different than normal waking consciousness,' I said.

We started climbing upwards on a ridge towards a rocky mountainside.

'I've been meditating since I was very young,' she noted, 'That state is something I've only experienced during and after a good party.' .

'Sensory deprivation and sensory overload are the two quick paths to spiritual states. Deep void meditation versus ecstatic dance,' I commented, 'Its possible that since meditation was a part of your life from such a young age, it wasn't so much of a shock to your system.'

'Dukka. Attachment to the meditations themselves. That makes sense. I got more immediate use out of meditation in conjunction with raves and other psychedelic experiences after the shock that makes things new again. So the 8th is a necessary step to take to understand and have experiences with the 10th. I dig,' she said.

The landscape became more rugged and soon we were climbing up a hill of boulders at a steep incline.

'9 is OM, the planetary vibration or planetary light. Localized light,' I said.

'So, since you realize its not just you anymore, you can tap into the flow of all the energy of the planet, because you realize you're a part of it. I'm down.'

'It also gives you a sense of greater responsibility to your self and your environment.'

'So, then is NIA, which is like communication between you and it,' she said.

'Correct. Through the lessons and interactions, the bond grows. As you raise your vibrational level, so does the planet, and that takes you up to the universal light, which is the 11th chakra.'

'That's pretty intense. It's like the riddle of the infinite. First you think you're big, then you realize you're just a part of something bigger, and that something is part of a greater whole. It works its way down the other way, too. To realize the infinitely small and the infinitely vast are two ends of the same concept. It makes my head spin!' she exclaimed.

'That coming together, you realize your place in the big picture. The 12th... your True Will.'

'Nice map,' she said, 'and an interesting quality of the universe this NIA is.'

'It keeps you on your toes,' I said fatefully as I lost my footing and tumbled painfully down the hill. I grabbed ahold of some roots and pulled myself to a somewhat flat area. Alaura made her way deftly down to me as I assayed my situation bemusedly.

My left pant-leg was torn, and wet from blood, but I felt no pain. I must be in shock, I thought to myself.

Alaura ripped off the pant-leg around the wound, revealing a smiling laceration about an inch deep, oozing an alarming amount of blood. She pulled her flannel off to wrap around my leg, but stopped, eyes open wide.

'Devon, tell me I'm tripping and need to wrap up your wound,' she said.

'I don't feel any pain. I think I'm in shock. I would assume that wrapping the wound would be a good idea. If I'm in shock, why are my thoughts working?' I said.

'Look at your leg,' she said with a mix of disgust and fascination. The bleeding was stopped almost instantly, and the wound appeared to be stitching itself together. Within a minute, the flesh was completely healed over without even a scar.

'Wow, did you do that?' I asked.

'No, you mean you didn't?' she asked. I shook my head.

'Well, that is a handy trick to have,' she noted, as she helped me to my feet. I hesitantly put pressure on the other like a chameleon taking a step on a thin branch. The leg of the pants was ripped and bloody, but my leg supported me without pain. 'How does it feel?' she asked.

'Feels like I didn't just fall down a hill,' I said.

'You think we both hallucinated that, or maybe your awakening gave you healing powers?' she inquired.

'I didn't really focus my attention on it being healed,' I said, 'and while LSD may cause some true hallucination at high dosages, my peak ended some time ago. I wouldn't set aside the postulate that the same force that healed me could be responsible for our abduction and my awakening. I imagine something like healing would be relatively simple for whatever entities could give me an experience so specifically tailored to me.'

'I can hardly imagine the residual technologies discovered alongside the harnessing of space power,' she said.

'Maybe the experience I had was some sort of attunement to these technologies,' I theorized.

'After a point, technology will be so small that it disappears from sight and appears to be magick,' she stated, 'I've read enough about alien abductions because of my time-loss as a child. There are some stories that imply the aliens can make people have OOBEs.'

'Yeah, I'd assume that extra-terrestrials who have gone through the evolution of space travel would have some understanding of what we would term spiritual or magickal. To them, its probably just another force in the universe that our scientists have found elusive glimpses of in the subatomic realm.'

We made our way the rest of the climb up the rocky face of the mountain. At the top was an old hunters cairn and a few trees. The view indicated that we were higher up than I had imagined, although we were just in the foothills. Off in the distance could be seen snow-capped peaks.

She had a seat on a rock at the edge of the old fire pit and pulled out a velvet pouch. From within, she produced an exquisite blown glass pipe and a film canister. She opened the canister and pulled out a purple bud with countless crystals glimmering in the sun.

'This is some purple haze grown in Amsterdam,' she said, 'my favorite pastime when sitting on a hilltop.'

She handed me the glass piece and a lighter and I smoked. A smooth earthy taste filled my lungs. I stopped to admire the intricate patterns brought out by the resins inside the pipe while I slowly exhumed a cloud of smoke.

'Puff puff give,' she said, smiling.

'Just admiring the handiwork,' I explained, handing her the pipe.

'Yeah, it was a gift by a cool old head who works with glass,' she said before taking a hit herself.

We relaxed and smoked on the vista until the pipe was empty. She slid her hand in mine and a phantom wind buffeted against us. She giggled and looked at me. We embraced for some time, unspeaking.

Her phone chimed and we broke off the embrace for her to answer it.

'Hello?' she said, then excitedly, 'Daddy! Its so good to hear your voice.'

As she listened, her face brightened and she said, 'It will be so wonderful to see you, daddy! Oh, and I'd like to bring a friend with me to show him the castle. He's wonderful, you'll love him!'

'Yes, daddy,' she said in response to something.

She paused for a moment, listening, apparently deep in thought.

'Ok, Daddy, see you soon,' she said, 'I love you too.'

She hung up the phone and smiled to me and said, 'Daddy is sending a helicopter to pick us up. He would like you to come with me for dinner at our castle.'

'How could I refuse such a generous invitation?' I asked. 'How does he know where to send the helicopter?'

'I know its kinda creepy, but my dad had a sub-dermal GPS tracking chip placed in me in case I got kidnapped. We have a hard enough time keeping track of each other as it is. I don't mind so much, because he has such a busy schedule.'

'It'll be an interesting experience to have while coming down off of acid,' I mentioned hesitantly.

'You'll be fine. He's into a lot of strange things,' she consoled me.

We smoked a clove and admired the view and each other's presence as we waited for the helicopter. It was getting late in the afternoon, and the remaining effects of the drug preternaturally brightened the surroundings. Time did some funny meandering in the remainder of the trip and the helicopter seemed to appear out of nowhere. It was so silent that it startled me when Alaura pulled me up to go.

The helicopter was black and made a low whirring sound as it approached and set down upon the hill. The pilot was silent as we climbed aboard. Almost robotic, he took off as soon as we were in position and we flew like a bat out of hell in a northerly direction, based on the sun.

'This thing is fast!' I said.

'My father's private helicopter,' she said, 'its extremely advanced technology.'

My mind wandered to men in black and government conspiracies. I felt somewhat creeped out by the pilot. We flew in silence in the wings of a whispering bird.

After about 20 minutes of northern flight, we approached a mansion hidden within the hills. I could make out a long winding road through a forest leading to it. There were towers on each of the four corners and a large main tower extending higher than the rest which rose from the center. The roof was a glass geodesic dome, beneath which was apparently filled with foliage. An actual moat surrounded the main structure. The helicopter landed in the front lawn, which was the size of two football fields.

'Daddy imported it stone by stone from Germany ... can you believe it? It's been in the family for generations,' she said. I looked around at the countless acres surrounding the castle. An immense marble fountain stood before the castle, depicting the archangel Gabriel, which had jets of water streaming out from his palms into the pool below it. The pool was large enough to swim in.

'There's a statue on each side of the house,' she said.

'This is obviously the west side,' I noted.

She nodded in affirmation. 'On the east is a hedge maze with Raphael in the center, depicting the intellect and air,' she said, smiling, 'This place wasn't completed until just before mother died ...' she trailed off, then continued, 'On the north is a strange rock formation with a depiction of Uriel on top that I used to climb as a child when we came out with Dad to check on the reconstruction. Michael is in a huge floral garden. It was mom's idea as a representation of fire, for the flowers and fruits thrive from the fires of the sun. Dad made a joke that we'd use the garden for formal parties and set up a large barbecue right in front of Michael.'

I chuckled as she led me across the stone bridge that crossed the moat, up to the immense double-doors, which led into the main structure. We passed under a portcullis, and I realized that this place could be well defended if the need arose. 'They even left the murder holes and windows,' she continued as the door was opened for us by an unseen force, 'although the windows are now closed with glass to keep out unwanted pests. And of course, we have the modern conveniences of air-conditioning and electricity.'

I laughed as the main door shut behind us then the second set of doors opened to an immense hall that reached up three stories. I was truly impressed. An intricately wrought iron chandelier hung from high above. At the far end of the hall were two sets of stairs, which wound around to a balcony that stretched around the edge of the hall, supported by pillars. A coat of arms with crossed swords hung between the stairs with a door below it. Suits of armor, original paintings, potted plants, statues and doors leading off in all directions pulled my attention every-which-way.

A maid approached us, dressed in traditional garb. 'Hello, Alaura,' she said, 'Your father is doing some work in the main study. He suggested you may wish to shower before dinner.'

'Yes, that would be wonderful,' responded Alaura.

'Will your guest be requiring a room?' the maid inquired.

She glanced at me for a moment, then said, 'yes, I think Father would appreciate if you had your own room. He's a traditionalist about certain things in his own house.'

'Everett is here for dinner as well,' the maid informed her.

'Oh...' Alaura said, trailing off, 'I haven't seen him in a while.'

'Dinner will be served at 7,' she said.

At that moment, a large grandfather clock informed us it was 6pm.

'I'll show him to the northwest suite,' Alaura said.

The maid curtsied and went off down a hallway.

Alaura led me up one of the staircases and through an open doorway to the left, down a hall, 'It would take hours to give you a full tour of this place. I'm sure you'd love to see the library sometime,' she said. 'There's even a ballroom that I held a couple of private parties for DJs and promoters. This place is littered with secret passages, too. There are even secret rooms that I've never been in beneath the castle. The only reason I know is because I was here when the foundation was being built. Everett is one of my father's younger associates. I have a feeling they were trying to hook me up with him before. He's intriguing, but he creeps me out.'

We came to a T in the passage and I noticed a carefully concealed mini camera pointing towards us. We turned left then followed it until we stopped at one of the doors leading off to the right. She opened the thick oak door, which led into a huge bedroom.

'I'll come by in about 45 minutes. There are clean towels on the sink in the bathroom.'

She leaned into me and kissed me on the lips. 'Sorry for my father's formality,' she apologized.

'Its all right. A wealthy man is entitled to his eccentricities. I'm not without my own,' I said, 'should I be concerned about being under-dressed?'

'You dress pretty sharp as it is,' she said, 'don't worry.'

She left me there, and I busied myself cleaning up for dinner. I had some time to spare, so I centered myself and performed a meditation. With my mind's eye, I formed a band of energy from the crown of my head, winding clockwise inch by inch around my body slowly from head to foot, then back up counter-clockwise. Upon completing its course, I felt buoyant and proceeded to balance my chakras. I felt my crown and root chakra flare in unison as I inhaled. The energies made their way from the crown to my third eye and from the base of my spine to my sex chakra simultaneously. Then the energy moved from temple to throat, and from my gonads to just above my navel. The energies unified in my heart chakra, which radiated pink and gold energies throughout my body.

Time passed in this floating state of peacefulness and there was a knock on the door. I rose from the floor, and answered the door to find an extremely thin, tall man with dark hair somewhat concealing his piercing eyes. His gaze was penetrating and I felt probing like when Alaura and I exchanged glances. A certain familiarity caught my gut, but I didn't feel comfortable with this man as I did letting Alaura in. It felt like he was gauging me for a fight. He smiled a wry smirk at me, and extended his hand. 'Everett,' he said straightforwardly.

I accepted his handshake and replied, 'Call me Devon.'

Through his hand-grasp, I felt a surge of energy course between us.

Suddenly, I had a flash of memory similar to connection with past lives Alaura and I shared, but this was dark and sinister. I saw Everett in an SS Nazi uniform. I saw blood on my hands and felt the sting of betrayal.

I took my hand back somewhat suddenly.

He seemed unphased, but I could sense intrigue in his eyes. He smiled and said, 'Alaura will join us at dinner. She's with her father right now. Come with me.'

He led me down a series of hallways and down a flight of steps to an elegant dining room. It was fairly large, with carved oak walls and a golden chandelier. The table had seats for 8 with chinaware and engraved silverware.

He motioned to a seat to the left of the end and took a seat across from me. A servant brought in some hors d'oeuvres and filled our glasses with wine.

After a few silent minutes with him smiling in a disturbing way at me from across the table, Alaura and a tall, well-dressed older gentleman entered the room. Everett stood up, and I accepted formal manners and rose to greet him.

He spoke in a slightly german accent, 'Welcome to my family home, Devon.'

We shook hands and he took a seat at the end of the table. I was about to shift myself down a seat to allow Alaura room to sit by her father. He stopped me with a friendly, 'Nien, nien. Have a seat beside me. You are my guest as well as Alaura's.'

Alaura took the next seat down beside me. Everett smiled deviously from across the table as he took his seat again.

Alaura looked somewhat nervously at me and grasped my hand under the table.

Moments later, a pair of servants brought in sweet and sour soup, served in massive bowls, then retreated into another room.

'Enjoy the soup,' he said, and paused to eat.

I was hungry from a day of hiking and welcomed the broth. It was fabulous and the wine was a perfect match for my palette. Alaura shot me a glance and smiled at me. That eased my fears a bit, but I was beginning to feel a little edgy.

As if he could sense my reservations, Everett said, 'Chill out, man. Ain't nowhere else you need to be right now.'

He was right, of course. Perhaps my paranoia was some lingering effects of the acid, but Everett's presence wasn't helping much.

'Everett, please show some respect for my guest,' Vierkant said, setting his spoon down with silent command.

'As you wish, Herr Vierkant,' Everett replied.

'Forgive his manners, Devon. He is not accustomed to things such as etiquette and due process,' said Vierkant, 'My daughter tells me you two have had some interesting experiences.'

'Yes. Quite a few lately, in fact. Some say the life of one striving for spiritual understanding is rarely boring.'

'Do you think that's predetermined, or something you create by tapping into these forces?' Everett piped in.

'Looking back, sometimes it seems to have been predetermined, but many events that led up to this moment appear to have been due to choices that I have made in my life, like painting a tapestry. I tend to think of fate and free will like measuring light. You can measure it as a wave or as a particle, as fate or free will, but under scrutiny, you can't prove both at the same time. Recent events have made me lean a bit more toward the fate interpretation. How do you fare on the scale, Everett?'

'There are certain patterns that we can read and change our paths accordingly. Fate is but a tool of the diviner. There are specific gifts that only some of us have access to.'

Alaura expressed her opinion, 'I believe that there is a guiding force in the universe and you can tap into it through music and community. We all play our part.'

'It is a very vast world,' Veirkant intoned, 'there are so many ways of looking at it. So many decisions we make daily. There is not always a perfect solution to any problem. There are often too many factors to take into consideration, and the choice, while educated, is still a stab in the dark. Fate is the hand that brings the arrow to its mark, or forces it to stray.'

I recalled an experience and said, 'I was driving around while contemplating the fate/free will dichotomy, and I saw an ad that said "We Guide, You Decide".'

'That's what I call a secret message!' Alaura exclaimed.

Everett spoke, 'Interesting sort of divining. I've found some use in bibliomancy and tarot cards. I have honed my intuitions and learned to perceive patterns without the use of external aids. I'm a visionary.'

'He came to our attention when he accumulated 500 million dollars on the stock market. We initially assumed he somehow had access to insider information,' Vierkant explained.

'Impressive,' I said, 'I'm more the sort of guy who walks down the street and finds a 20 dollar bill. I focus my energies and continue on in my daily life, and what I need comes to me.'

'So, you go out and it finds you, and Everett makes it come to where he is. I think I'm somewhere in between. Things seem to come to me, but my father has taught me to go out and forge my own path.'

'Quite true,' Vierkant confirmed, 'If one does not reach out and grab opportunities, it is the same as ignoring fate altogether.'

'Making no decision at all is still a decision, but one of inaction,' I said, 'sometimes it is wise to wait for the proper moment.'

'I believe that most people cannot actually be said to make decisions, for their decisions are based upon previous experiences,' Everett said, 'few seem to have the penchance for actual intelligent thought.'

'I agree that people seem to act on robotic patterns,' Alaura said, 'It may be that our only choice is to reprogram ourselves.'

When we had finished with the soup, servants arrived again with mandarin duck. They served us healthy portions and refilled our wine glasses. The duck was a carnival of succulent flavors.

Vierkant began round two of the conversation, 'What of the human soul in this equation? If only some of us truly make choices, can the others be said to have a soul or be alive any more than a rodent?'

'To quote Monty Python's Meaning of Life,' I said, '"the soul does not exist ab initio, as orthodox Christianity teaches; it has to be brought into existence by a process of guided self-observation. However, this is rarely achieved owing to man's unique ability to be distracted from spiritual matters by everyday trivia."'

Alaura said, 'The Tibetan Book of the Dead implies that if one even steps one foot upon the path, they are insured a better incarnation the next time around.'

'I've had a vision of a mountain,' Everett began, 'This is the Mount of Joy. At the top of this peak is The Light. Wherever you are on the mountain, the light is perceived differently. Those who are on the mountain reincarnate because what passes between lives isn't necessarily experiences, it is the progress your soul has made.'

'What about people who fit the robot class?' Alaura asked.

'I saw a ring of people around the base of the mountain, gaping up at it, fearful to climb. They had heard the cries of the hermits on the mountain. A small few followed the calling and set foot on the path. The rest were lost to oblivion.'

'What defines actually setting foot on the mountain?' Vierkant inquired.

'I would guess that it would require more than just study, or listening to someone who is on the mountain. I believe one would have to have some sort of awakening,' I said.

'Have you ever had such an awakening, Devon?' Everett pried. I felt penetrated, as if he knew the answer already, and was leading me into discussing it.

'I've done astral work. I did have a rather uniquely real vision of sorts that was so real that I'm convinced it actually happened.'

'Full sensory?'

'As real as us sitting here, except physics wasn't quite right, and 7 days of actual time passed while I was in this place.'

Everett was staring at me intently, trying to read me. I heard in my mind, almost like words, but more like emotion fueled thoughts. Need. More. I felt almost compelled to tell him more, but I resisted.

Everett's eyes glazed over and he began to speak, but it was as if he were saying words I could have said, 'I walked through a wall into a temple. It seemed so familiar, and when I found my way to the center, the floor below me glowed yellow, and there were 7 forms around me channeling energy into me, which shot out to an amethyst altar and an angel appeared which blinded me.'

'You pulled that out of my head,' I said.

Alaura looked stunned. Vierkant appeared somewhat amused. Everett returned to his normal state and smiled.

I made a mental shield to attempt to stop another such intrusion into my personal space.

'The room was littered with 3-dimensional hieroglyphics,' I explained, 'I didn't have time to copy them down, but when I came to, I had returned to the room I came from, and I rendered the hieroglyphs there, which were above a fountain.'

I felt Everett trying to work his tendrils into my brain to see what I was trying to explain. After waiting a moment to watch him strain against my mental block, I let him peak at what my eyes saw and my hand attempted to copy. I used his link to me to send a sharp jolt of energy back at him, then slammed my mind shut again. This was apparently effective, as he drew his hand to his temple and cursed under his breath.

'I saw his renderings,' Alaura added as I messed with Everett, 'I'd like to see what they look like on a computer.'

'How intriguing. I've never heard of such a thing, but I can imagine the potential amount of information which could be relayed through such a means,' Vierkant pondered.

СIf we as three dimensional beings write in two dimensions, perhaps this script was created by beings of a higher dimension,Т I suggested.

СWithout a primer, thereТs no way to translate it,Т Everett chided.

СUnless the knotwork has a mathematical key,Т Alaura corrected, СA computer might be able to find patterns in it.Т

'Please come,' Vierkant said, rising, 'Let us continue in the study.'

We rose from the table and followed him down a hall to a large study. A full bar filled one wall, overseen by VierkantТs personal mixologist. Bookshelves lined the walls and a crackling fireplace added a cozy touch. Alaura led me to a love-seat opposite a large chair with a pair of plush seats flanking it. Vierkant sat in the largest chair, and Everett sat to his left, slouching.

'If you would like to smoke, feel free,' he said and offered me a fine cigar.

'Thank you,' I replied.

СAlex,Т Vierkant said to the bartender, СI would like a cosmopolitan.Т

СTequila sunrise for me,Т from Alaura.

СGin and tonic,Т said Everett.

I ordered a Captain and Coke, puffing on the cigar importantly.

СWhat do you do for a living, Devon,Т Vierkant asked me.

СFreelance programmer, spiritual consultant,Т I said, СI like the freedom to do my work wherever I am.Т

СSounds like you are doing well for yourself,Т he said, Сtell me something of your consulting business.Т

СIТve done some private tutoring in ritual magick, meditation, and sigil work. Some energy work with people, balancing chakras, extraction of negative energy.Т

СMy wife was more into the practical end of things than I am,Т Vierkant said, СI am more of a theorist and philosopher.Т

Alaura recalled, СI was very lucky to have learned so much from her.Т

СShe was an amazing woman,Т Vierkant agreed, СthereТs definitely something of her in you, my dear.Т

Vierkant raised his glass and toasted, Сto my late wife, Anastasia, the beautiful Alaura, and to our new friend Devon.Т

We raised our glasses and drank in silent reverence for a few moments.

'How was your trip in the woods, darling?' he asked Alaura.

'We had a wonderful day talking about spirituality and perception,' she replied, 'and while we have had some pretty intensely weird experiences together, there was one thing which definitely couldnТt be explained.'

Everett sat up a bit in his chair a bit.

'Start with empirical evidence,' Vierkant said.

'We were climbing a rocky hillside, and Devon slipped and fell. He had a gaping wound in his leg, but it appeared to heal itself within moments.'

Everett got a somewhat strained look on his face like he was trying to figure something out. Whatever he was reaching for, he wasnТt getting it out of me. I was as clueless as anyone.

'Is there any evidence of a wound, Devon?' Vierkant inquired.

I raised my pant-leg and showed him that there was no sign of injury or scarring. 'My other pair of pants have my blood on them and are ripped open.'

'Fascinating,' Vierkant said, 'would you mind if I had my physician take a look at you?'

'I suppose that would be alright,' I said.

Vierkant pulled a credit card sized cell phone from his shirt pocket and tapped out a few digits. Within a few minutes, a doctor entered.

'Devon, this is Simon. Simon, I would like you to examine Devon's right leg for injuries,' Vierkant instructed, motioning to me.

He examined my leg, took my vital signs and gave a positive prognosis. 'There is no sign of injury, and his vitals are normal. I would have to conduct further tests to indicate previous injury, but there is no obvious scarring.'

'According to Alaura and Devon, there was a deep laceration earlier today,' Vierkant said matter-of-factly.

Simon raised an eyebrow towards me, then at Vierkant. Everett was gauging the reactions of people in the room and still had a strained look on his face. Alaura put her hand in mine and smiled at me reassuringly.

'Devon, would you consent to further testing?' Vierkant inquired, 'certainly this is worth looking into more deeply.'

'What if it is just magic?' I asked, 'Nothing will come of your tests.'

'Then no harm done, eh?' Vierkant responded.

'Very well, I don't see why not,' I decided.

We made our way as a group down into the bowels of the structure, through a sort of airlock system with heavily enforced metal doors and into an underground medical lab. Simon ran some standard tests, and took some of my blood.

'Devon, would you mind if Simon made a surface incision on your skin? I'm curious to watch your healing powers in action.'

'You mean like a paper-cut? Sure.'

Simon made a light incision on my leg, enough to make me suck in my breath, but barely enough for beads of blood to form. Within moments, the wound was gone.

'This is astounding,' Simon said, 'you have some sort of infestation in your blood that I've never seen before. They are like tiny viruses, but with many tentacles. May I please take a tissue sample?'

'Ok, but after that, I'm done. I've had enough of being a guinea pig for one night. I don't want to turn into your experiment.'

Simon took a live tissue sample with a special syringe. It hurt a bit more than a normal needle, but he seemed satisfied.

'Very well. The time is getting late and we should all be getting some rest,' Vierkant said. 'Alaura, please show Devon back to his room and don't dally too long.'

'Yes, Daddy,' she said somewhat dejectedly, and led me by the hand out of the lab beneath the castle back to my room.

After we had passed through the airlock, Alaura said, 'You think the aliens somehow altered you? I wonder if you're infectious. I wouldn't mind having healing powers.'

I stopped in the hall and looked Alaura in the eyes. She looked concernedly at me. In her visual portals I could see boundless love emanating towards me, and the sincerity of countless lives we'd spent together. I couldn't help but think of my vision with Everett. I kissed her on the lips. She embraced me tightly.

'I don't like Everett,' I determined was a safe statement.

'He creeps me out. I met him when I was 20. He was about 22 at the time. He intrigued me at first, because he wasn't like all the rich brats, and he knew a lot about the occult. There was always something about him that made me feel dirty and unsafe.'

I had another flash to Germany and saw her corpse, with her blood on my hands. We were in a temple, which looked like a recreation of the one in my vision. Everett stood above us, a pistol in his hands. Anger flared in my eyes, and I returned to present awareness in the hallway with Alaura holding me and tears pouring down my face.

'I... I...' I tried to begin.

'Let's get you back to your room, darling, you can tell me there,' she said.

We got to the door to my chamber, and she led me in and shut the door behind us. She held me until I could think clearly enough to explain. 'I had a vision,' I began slowly, 'involving Everett and I in a past life. I saw you, too.'

'What happened?' she asked, concernedly.

'We... well, I had a brief flash earlier when shaking hands with Everett. I was in Nazi Germany, and I saw him in an SS uniform. This one was much worse. I saw you dead in my arms, him standing above me with a gun, and the blood on my hands.'

She clung to me, and started to weep, making connections to her feelings of aversion about him now.

'I knew there was a reason I didn't like him,' she said sharply, 'maybe we should tell my father.'

'What would we say? Both he and I were present at your death, and that he was an SS officer. That is all I know for certain.'

'I want him to know why I don't trust Everett, and I trust your vision,' she said.

'Alaura, so strong willed,' I said, 'please, not yet.'

Alaura held me close and seceded in her attempts at convincing me otherwise for the time being.

'I should go back to my room for a bit,' she said, 'I'll be back soon. I promise'

She left me alone with my paranoia, wondering if she was off telling her father that I suspected Everett of being sinister.

It had been a long day, and I began to drift off when I heard a crick behind a wall, and saw a panel open in the dim lighting. A shadowy form slipped from within the wall and crept towards me. I sat up quickly and shifted to a kneeling position.

'Its just me, silly,' whispered Alaura.

'Sorry, just feeling paranoid,' I said.

'You're absolutely safe here, Devon. It would take an army to assault this castle, and we have tunnels beneath the hills to escape through,' she consoled, sliding into bed with me and urging me back under the covers.

She was wearing a fine silk robe with nothing underneath. She helped me off with my clothes and we made love, but I was too distracted by thoughts to put myself fully into the experience. She took control, and rode me. I was drawn up into the passion as I felt her energies rise. Aware of my submission to the building ecstasy, she slowed and caressed my chest, then leaned down to kiss me while gyrating her hips and using internal muscles to massage me from within her. I wrapped my arms around her and caressed her back. We shifted to our sides, facing one another, still fused and grinding as we kissed and caressed one another. I felt the energies beginning to burn and we let the energies rise to link heart and mind and, held suspended in the blinding white light of ecstasy, found release.

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