Immersion Page 15

  Instead, he said, “Well don’t give me reason to do it again,” and walked off. Kevin followed him and Tim stayed with Jade.

  11

  Seeds of existence: Casey. England.

  Casey waited, sitting at the bottom of the stairs, for one of them to wake up. It was after three in the afternoon and they had been sleeping all day.

  He wanted to burst into Sophia’s room and check she was still there. Twice Amy caught him trying to quietly open the door to take a peek, and twice she scolded him with just a look, ushering him downstairs to this very spot an hour ago.

  “You’re going to have to come up with a name for that dog,” Amy said. “Come on, let’s go for a walk.”

  “Where to? It’s not safe,” Casey said.

  She held out her hand to him. “Come on.” Casey took it and allowed her to lead him through the living room into the kitchen and out the back door. The dog came running out of the woods, glad to see them. The wind had a sharp chill, their breath was frosty. Winter had crept up on the calendar. They approached the edge of the woods and waited for the dog to catch up.

  “I was thinking of calling her Lucy,” Casey said, dropping to his knees. The dog licked his face and Casey wrapped his right arm around its neck, giving it a rough pat and a scratch along its back.

  “After your mom. That would be perfect.”

  “Why?” Casey asked.

  “Because ever since this dog showed up it has done what it could to protect you, just as your mom would.”

  “I haven’t decided yet.” Casey looked down at his boots as they walked.

  “I’m sorry about the other day,” Amy said. “I am so sorry. I don’t know what came over me. At first I thought I had the virus and that frightened me so much. I was worrying about you and Terry and the baby.”

  “Babies! And it’s okay, I get it,” he said. “I know you’re sorry. The twins will make you smile.”

  She bit her bottom lip, hesitated and in a soft voice she asked, “What do you see?”

  “One image, just one image, of you wearing a white summer dress, sitting on your knees on a picnic blanket on green grass trying to control two babies determined to crawl all over you. You are laughing. They are giggling and climbing over you and you nearly lose your balance and have to throw your hands behind you for support, while they continue to keep climbing. One is trying to suck your chin. I can’t quite tell if it is two boys, or a boy and a girl. One is definitely a boy. You are very happy.”

  “What about you and Terry, and everyone else?”

  “I don’t know, that’s all I see,” Casey said.

  She put her arm around him and gave him a squeeze and kissed his head. “You still need that haircut.” He put his arm around her and together they walked to the front of the house.

  They came across Father McDonald on his knees on the ground, praying, his eyes closed. When did he wake up? Casey approached Father McDonald and knelt beside him. Amy did the same so that they were all side by side. Casey closed his eyes and imagined an angel hovering above, ready to take their prayers up to God.

  “May your light shine upon us Lord, and enter our hearts so we may be filled with your mercy and strength. I pray …”

  Casey listened to Father McDonald pray and his body filled with effervescent light. He was unaware the prayer had finished. He was still on his knees, but felt the movement of sand under his feet and between his toes. His mother was walking next to him, pointing to the eastern star in the sky. It was dawn and it was the only star, the sun not quite woken from its slumber. He thought he caught a glimpse of a man wearing robes and a funny nightcap, with a ginger beard. He vanished as soon as Casey tried to focus on him. His mom told him of things to come, and that people needed to dare to dream. She talked of him growing up into a man and how he was to teach the others when he was of age. But not once did he see her lips move or hear her voice. They walked in silence and after watching the gentle rhythm of the whitecaps she was gone, the feeling of the sand was gone, the ocean and the morning star, all gone. His knees started to feel the ground beneath him, his ears heard the sound of Amy’s voice. He took in a deep breath and opened his eyes. His face was wet with tears, but he didn’t recall crying or why. The images faded as a dream fades, their meaning passing, like the sweet fragrance of flowers in a garden. He looked up to see Father McDonald and Amy talking, waiting patiently for him to come around.

  “Sophia is often doing this,” Father McDonald said. “You just have to be patient and wait for them to return.”

  “Return from where?” Amy asked.

  Casey cleared his throat and said, “I’m right here, I haven’t gone anywhere. I may have dozed off but I can still hear you.” He got to his feet. “Why were you out here praying? Couldn’t you have done it just as well inside?”

  “Casey don’t be rude, he can pray wherever he likes.”

  “No, I didn’t mean anything by it.”

  “It’s actually a good question. I was outside for a reason. I was reading paragraphs for protection. We are all in great danger of losing our souls. Our bodies are always destined to return to the earth, but our soul is for eternity. If we lose that we will be outside the gates of heaven forever.”

  “Great, just when I was starting to feel a little better,” Joe said from behind.

  Casey spun around and there she was standing next to Joe wearing Amy’s jeans and sweater. Her hair was in a plait that draped over her shoulder.

  “You remind me of someone,” Amy said to Sophia.

  Sophia smiled at Amy as she walked closer to Casey. They fell into step and walked away from the adults.

  “Where are you two off to, hen?” Joe asked.

  Casey had to wait for his brain to interpret the accent. But before he could reply, Amy said, “Don’t go into the woods or past the garage, and don’t let the dog out of your sight.”

  “Lucy, here, girl,” Sophia called to the dog and it ran up to her and sat down in front of her. Its tail dusted the ground waiting for praise. Amy and Casey held each other’s gaze. Casey pulled away first.

  “Why did you call the dog Lucy, Sophia?” Amy asked.

  “Isn’t that its name?”

  Amy looked at Casey, Sophia looked at Casey, they both waited for an answer.

  “Yeah, her name is Lucy.”

  “Okay, then that’s settled. Lucy it is,” Amy said. “Dinner will be ready in an hour,” she said, reaching to touch Joe’s shoulder. “Come on, I bet you’re famished,” she said.

  Casey felt a sense of gratitude towards Amy. Father McDonald, Amy and Joe wandered inside the house and the smells of Terry’s stew came drifting out as they opened and closed the back door.

  “Hmm, that man can cook,” was the last thing Casey heard. He was alone with Sophia for the first time since she had arrived. Now that they were together and alone he didn’t know what to say or do. He could feel she was feeling a little strange too. He felt her hand brush his and he gently took it.

  *

  Pigeons cooed in the loft and light streamed through the rafters. Sophia passed an eye over the items in the barn and sat on the motorcycle. She leant forward, holding onto the handlebars and said, “We have to meet up with the others, although I can’t see how it’s going to happen.”

  “We can chill and wait a day or two and see what happens,” Casey said. “I keep coming back to this one thought: we are all that is, all that was, and ever will be. We carry all the seeds of all existence. From the stars in the sky to the table in the kitchen to the pain in our hearts, we are the light and the darkness.”

  “You’re right. Can you see how we meet the others? I think we will come together when we least expect it, but sometimes I just want to know. It can be so annoying at times not knowing, but sort of knowing, if you get what I mean. Can you start this motorcycle?”

  “I get it.” He didn’t need to be asked twice. He directed his energy smoothly over to the motorcycle and it roared into life.


  Sophia’s body tensed. She smiled in joy and trepidation. “That’s so awesome,” she said. “I have never been able to do anything like that. I can feel its power. It would be marvelous to go for a ride.” He watched as her energy expanded with joy and excitement.

  “Can we take it for a ride?”

  “I … I don’t think so.”

  “Oh, come on. Just out the front and back,” Sophia said.

  “Okay, why not? We’re probably going to die anyway, might as well have fun.”

  She climbed off the bike and pushed him. “Don’t say that. Take it back, right now! We’re not going to die Casey.” She gently put her hand on the side of his head. “It’s all in here, remember. If you think you will be defeated, then that’s what you will be — defeated. If you think you will be successful, then you will be successful. Put out negative thoughts, you get negative results. Put out positive thoughts and you get positive results. Simple. If you don’t believe me, try it.”

  “Sorry, I didn’t mean it the way it sounded,” Casey said, defending himself.

  “Nobody does. I know. You have to put consciousness into each thought, otherwise you become a drifter and then you are open to all sorts. That’s better, your aura just changed. Now I can see flashes of emerald-green, peachy-orange and violet. You balanced yourself, excellent. Let’s go for that ride.”

  “Do you always see auras? I don’t.”

  “No, not always, and I have worked hard not to see. It’s paying off.”

  “You will have to get off while I push it out.”

  He wheeled the Bonneville backwards out of the garage and climbed on. He held it steady while Sophia threw her leg over the back. She held onto the passenger side-bars. Casey wished she would hold onto him. He slowly let out the clutch. It revved out in first gear, but it didn’t matter. Casey worked out the clutch and how to shift into second. The bike jerked and accelerated a little faster down to the gate. They skidded slightly at the fence. Slowly, Casey maneuvered the motorbike and did a wide U-turn. He saw Terry on the back steps with his hands on his hips. Casey rode slowly up to him.

  “My turn!” Terry said.

  Casey had been sure Terry was going to be cross. “No worries, she’s all yours,” he said, putting the motorcycle in neutral.

  Terry held the bike still while Casey and Sophia dismounted. Terry popped the stand down with his foot. Climbed on and flicked it back up. He gave the Bonneville a couple of revs and took off. It wasn’t long before Joe came out and wanted a turn. Amy sat on the step with Father McDonald and watched. It was Casey’s turn again and this time he went solo and felt the freedom, the wind in his hair. He felt alive. Casey settled into the seat and the joy and freedom of riding. He could have headed out the drive and down the road and just kept going.

  “You know you have to wear protective gear next time!” Amy yelled.

  “What about me?” Sophia called.

  Casey circled back. Sophia was grinning with excitement and hopped on as soon as he pulled up. This time she put her arms around his waist. Butterflies danced in his stomach, his face felt like he had stepped into a sauna. Anxious to have the wind cool his face he put the bike into first and turned to ride back to the front gate. Another great feeling; being on a motorcycle, he thought. It couldn’t get better than this.

  Having fun was energizing. After the adults finished playing with the bike Casey and Sophia had one more turn, then parked it in the garage. Casey kicked an old coaster under the stand after he positioned the bike just right.

  Sophia waited and fiddled with the odds and ends in the barn. “While I was on the back of the motorcycle,” she said, “I saw us riding again. We weren’t alone, and I don’t mean Joe and Terry. Those from the other side of the world are going to have a turn on your Bonneville. They are coming to us.”

  *

  It had been a long day. After spending last night in the basement, Casey was extremely tired. He didn’t want to sleep, though, and he was worried that when he woke, Sophia would be gone and it had just been a dream. But his eyes were not going to stay open unless he pinned them to his eyebrows. They were all sitting in the lounge room and he had his legs flung over the arm of the chair next to the bookshelves. Amy and Terry had their legs curled up on the sofa. Father McDonald and Joe sat in the armchairs facing them. Sophia was only an arm’s length away, the coffee table with the lamp on it between them; it was the only thing separating the pair. He tried to focus on the conversations. He grew more and more tired. The lights started to flicker, he floated into a restless sleep, and was unaware Amy and Terry were now standing by his side.

  Glossary

  Al-mawet – Mawet means death, al-mawet is no death. The spelling varies within different religious text, but they all have the same meaning.

  Arrow of time – the direction of events; movement in time is generally forward.

  Athanasia – means timelessness, everlasting life. Athanasia is referred to as the parallel world/dimension.

  Dark matter – a negative energy force. In this story the dark matter also contains micro shapeshifting demons.

  Dovesti zhenshchinu – pronunciation for Russian довести женщину. English translation: bring the woman.

  Dunny – toilet.

  Fair dinkum – an expression in Australian slang proclaiming a truth about a statement.

  Intel – slang for intelligent person. As in geek. (Created by the author)

  Merkaba – two tetrahedrons combined. Mystically it is a channel for the descending energy of the universe and the ascending energy of Earth. Spiritual tool of transformation.

  Metatron's Cube – a geometric shape/solid. It has thirteen equal circles. Lines from the center of each circle extend out to the centers of the other 12 circles.

  Outback – A remote area of the country.

  Platonic Solids – shapes with equal sides. The five platonic solids are; tetrahedron hexahedron, octahedron, dodecahedron and icosahedron.

  S=k log W – the second law of thermodynamics. Entropy – a mathematical formula that represents the lack of order or predictability. A slow decline into disorder or randomness. (Our characters want to reverse this state of being or create a new one from the disorder the negative thoughts of man and the micro beasts have created.)

  Sphere – a round solid with equal distance from its center.

  Stickybeak – an overly inquisitive person.

  Talking stick – a ceremonial stick that is passed around a group of people giving the holder the right to speak.

  The devil’s puppets – the people controlled by the micro demons. Those infected by the virus which is the dark matter.

  The Tree of Life – a spiritual concept that has been used and referred to throughout the centuries in mythology, religion and philosophy to name but a few. It refers to the interconnection of life and its evolution.

  Vremaya dlya distsipliny – Russian pronunciation for Время для дисциплины. English translation: time for discipline (a good whipping in this story).

  If you enjoyed the first book in the Emerald Tablet Series,

  please go to www.jmhartwriter.com for the next book.

  Acknowledgment

  While working fulltime in a Point of Sales advertising company, I wrote this book during the early hours of the mornings and late into the night. With gratitude, I would like to thank my high school English teacher and my supportive family and friends for their encouragements. Thank you, to the invaluable editors, Linda Funnell and Stephanie Smith who have been a tremendous support. No book is complete without the vital service of editors, proofreaders and great book cover designers. Finally, I would like to acknowledge the professional project management services of Joel Naoum from Critical Mass, who made it possible to share my story with you.

  About JM Hart

  JM Hart was born in Sydney, Australia and became a bookkeeper, payroll officer, meditation facilitator, neuro-linguistics practitioner, volunteer and writer for the ch
urch newsletter. After twenty years of working for a point of sales advertising company, JM has retired and moved from the city to settle in a peaceful county town to focus on writing.

  First published by JMH World Publishing in 2018

  This edition published in 2018 by JMH World Publishing

  Copyright © JM Hart 2018

  jmhartwriter.com

  The moral right of the author has been asserted.

  All rights reserved. This publication (or any part of it) may not be reproduced or transmitted, copied, stored, distributed or otherwise made available by any person or entity (including Google, Amazon or similar organisations), in any form (electronic, digital, optical, mechanical) or by any means (photocopying, recording, scanning or otherwise) without prior written permission from the publisher.

  The Emerald Tablet: Immersion

  EPUB: 9781925786170

  Cover design by Red Tally Studios

  Publishing services provided by Critical Mass

  www.critmassconsulting.com