The Awakening

 We lived in an old house and it did not have complete indoor plumbing. It was the day my dad added the well. It was an adventure in itself for me. I decided to go wading in the run off from the drilling machine. It was kind of fun at first until the mud was almost up to my knees and I lost a shoe. There was mud spewing everywhere and I could just imagine being buried alive. It was not so far in when I started, but to escape this huge slide it looked like it went forever. Some how as always I managed to get myself out of this predicament alone. The only problem now was to explain to my mom what happened to my shoe. So I scratched my eyes and proceeded to make the best ear-screaming tear streaming fit I could boaster to try and not get a hefty spanking. Well my mom was terrified at first but after she realized what had happened I could see a little bit of laughter at the mess I was in. I learned quiet early on that my mother was a softy for certain looks and with just the right words I could talk her into letting me slide on most of my boyhood misadventures.

 

Eye of the Phoenix I awoke with a stiff back and my shoulder was hurting from the way I had slept.  It was already late morning. The dream or memory was still fresh on my mind the dream I had the night before. I do not understand why I can not remember more. I am still not sure what these pieces of metal that I am holding in my hand are. I am sure that I should know. I suddenly remembered that I had no clothes. I looked around quickly to see if anyone had been watching me while I slept. I got up and started walking towards the mountains. After several hours of walking the golden trail I was following gave out. There were some small shrubs and grass growing. Off in the distance I could see some trees and what looked like houses. I found a small pool of water that fed a small stream after walking a few yards on the now rough terrain. I fell face first into the pool and practically sucked it dry. I drink until my belly ached I then wiped some of the mud from the edge of the pool over me because I was starting to get burned real bad from walking in the sun with no protection. The mud felt cool and soothing to my dry parched skin. It was strangely cool. It felt like some sort of cream it was so soft to my skin. I stood up and was again aware of my surroundings. I was so dehydrated before that I was not really conscious of walking. There were a lot of small shrubs nearby. There were some huge boulders scattered across the landscape. The mountains were not so far in the distance. I could barely see the tree line of the forest I had left behind. Behind me the landscape was almost perfectly flat and ahead lay a terrain strewn with boulders, hills and valleys. I started to notice as I moved about around the pool that I had no shoes and the rocky surface was starting to hurt my feet. I could now see that in the distance nearer to the mountains that there were some small houses. I started to think again about what I could tell someone when I met him or her about my clothes. I hoped I would not be thrown in prison. I started plodding off in the direction of the houses. I noticed something shiny on the ground and bent over to pick it up. When I did something with a large shadow came swooping out of the sky. Before I could reach the shiny object with my hand a lightening flash talon had grabbed it. I watched as this huge crimson colored bird flew away into the distance with my treasure. The air had some musical melody in it. I could not determine if it came from the bird are from the very earth itself. But as the bird got further away the music slowly disappeared also. I looked into the sky to be sure there was no more of the dive-bombers about but did not see any. The sun was almost white but not blinding. I started walking again when I heard a voice. "Whoa, that was really close." I looked behind me but there was no one around. "Who is there" I croaked nervously. Out of the corner of my eye I caught a movement. It looked like a white shadow of movement. I looked but saw nothing. " Who is there, this is not funny." I heard a soft giggle behind me very close. I turned but no one was there. I gave up. I started again to walk in the direction of the houses. Looking over my shoulder quickly from time to time to catch whom was following me. I found some red berries. I was starving but afraid to eat them. I put one to my lips and tasted it. I bit on it carefully and it had a sweet taste. I was so hungry I started eating all of the berries I could find. I noticed a small cave in the side of the hill. It was getting late and I did not want to go and meet any body as tired as I was. I went up the hill to the cave entrance. I had scratches all over my body from scrambling around looking for the berries. I peered into the cave entrance not knowing what I would find inside. It was dark and I felt a slight cool breeze coming from inside. I still was clutching the pieces of metal in my hand. But I had nothing to light up the inside of the cave. I went just to the point I could not see and waited for my eyes to adjust to the darkness. I stared into the half-lit cave not wanting the light from outside to affect my eyes. As my eyes started to adjust I noticed that there were small points of light dimly glowing on the walls. I got closer to one of the lights and it moved. It was about one inch in diameter. I could start to see that the floor of the cave was covered by white sand. I sat down in the sand. When I sat down I felt something move beneath me. It felt like a snake. I could see the sand start to shift as whatever was beneath slithered off into the back reaches of the cave. I felt to nervous to relax inside of the cave so I went back to the entrance. From this point I could clearly see the houses now at the base of the closest mountain peak. I thought I could see people moving about. But the more I looked the harder it was to tell. The sun was starting to set and I noticed for the first time that as the sun went below the horizon the stars were already beginning to shine through the blue sky. The horizon burst into a beautiful myriad of colors. As I looked into the distance toward the sunset I noticed some white bird flying toward the sunset. I moved a short distance from the mouth of the cave afraid of what might come from inside at night. The sun had set completely and the sky was bursting with stars like a million diamonds. It sparked a bit of memory of my childhood. It is strange how my memory seems to be coming slowly in bit and pieces but I can still not remember who I am and what I am doing here. I closed my eyes and started remembering some time I had spent with my father when I was a child.

 It was late at night and very cold. When I got behind the lanterns I could see the stars like beautiful jewels scattered upon black velvet. It was one of many nights that I had gone coon hunting with my dad and his friends. You could hear the hounds off in the distance on their wild chase through the night. I had wet feet and could hardly wait for the dogs to tree their prey. Not because I enjoyed the thrill of the hunt as my dad, but just because I was with my dad.  I knew when we got to the tree we could light a fire. Off in the distance I can hear the change from a racing bark to a long howl. The time had come for us hunters to make our way to the tree. When we got to the tree that the dogs were madly trying to climb my dad and his friends broke out there pride and joy. They had the special lights that could cast a beam all the way to the stars in the sky. While they were madly searching in the tree for that wild set of glowing eyes I was busy making preparation to build a warm fire. Some times we could be at one tree several hours. I borrowed my dads lighter and started to build a fire. It felt warmer than any heat in a house. I think it was the combination of the cold and just being there with my dad. As the fire began to warm my clothes you could see the steam wisping through the lanterns light. I then broke into my dad's stash of fresh sausage biscuits and thermos of hot coffee. This was better than any gourmet meal ever eaten by any king. Then I heard my dad say, "there he is. I see the eyes. Bring me the rifle." My dad always used a 22 rifle because it did not really kill the coon but only wounded it. "POW" I heard the sound of the rifle fire then a "KATHUMP" as the coon hit the ground. The dogs were wild They attacked the coon but even after falling twenty feet from the tree and being shot this small animal could fend off a pack of five are more dogs like a wild demon. This fight went on for maybe twenty minutes until someone would decide the coon had give up the fight. We would leave there and continue on hunting until the sunrise. Usually seeing the sunrise meant we were lost and very tired.I could remember all of this with such clarity but could still not remember my name. I think my name is Stan based on the dream I had a few nights ago. I could see some fires burning in the direction of the houses I saw earlier. I covered myself somewhat with some dried leaves. Taking one last look in the direction of the cave mouth I lay my head on a rock and went into a very restful sleep.  

 

The MeetingI was awaked to the sound of music in the air. It was still to dark to see where it was coming from. I could see a faint glow on the horizon from the morning sun. I looked into the sky where the sound was coming from but could not see the source. The sounds slowly receded into the distance. It was like a person singing almost. I sat there and watched as the sun slowly crept above the horizon bringing with it a new day. I was hungry again so I picked some more of the berries for my breakfast. After feasting I started walking toward the houses again. It was more apparent now than before that the rough ground was cutting into feet. I continued for a way before I found a rough footpath. This was more conformable to my feet. It looked like it had been used many times by someone coming from the houses. I discovered beside the path a small broken clay pot. I picked it up and examined it. I noticed inside that there were stains from the berries. Looking at the bottom I noticed an inscription that read, Award. I thought to myself that this was my reward for being here. I was getting close to the houses now. I grabbed some of the small branches from the shrubs that had leaves and covered my filthy naked body as best as I could. I hoped that when they see me that they don't shoot me like some wild animal that I must look like by now. I could see people moving about and now I could tell that it was a small village. I saw some horses and a dog. I sat down a short ways out of view, hoping to catch one person that would help me before I was seen. It looked like luck was running in my favor. A young man started down the path where I was hiding. As he approached I called out " "hello friend. I need your help."  He looked at me and I thought he was going to run. Then he started to laugh. "What are you doing out here" he gasped between laughs. I replied with a broken Hoarse Voice, " I do not really know. I can not remember much of anything. It seems that someone stole my clothes at this small house in the fields." He replied "oh I see that. It looks like the harvesters got you good. I was going for a walk but if you wait here I will go and get you some clothes from my house." He turned and walked back toward the village. As he left I started remembering some more of my misadventures as a child. I savor every little memory that comes to me with the hope I can remember who I am and why I am here. It was a hot July afternoon. I was always pulling practical jokes on my mom and sometimes tied with a small fib. I am surprised that she survived me. There was one time we had just came home from somewhere that I do not remember. But as soon as my feet hit the ground I was running to the mailbox. Before I got to the mailbox our neighbors German Shepherd, Rex attacked me full on. I was on the ground and I am sure I had to be screaming and the dog had to be making some pretty ferocious growling sounds also. But it was to no avail, no one was coming to my rescue. The house hid the view where everyone else was at and I guess the neighbor thought I was playing with this huge dog. Some how I managed to discourage Rex and he left me crying and embarrassed. I realized that there was blood coming from my face so I gripped my cheek with my hand. I then went back around the house where my family was still getting their feet on the ground from the previous trip. I went to my mom and told her that the dog had attacked me. I was still holding my hand over a bloody gash running across my small face. My mom looked at me and said " Shut up and take your hand off of your face." When I did my mom turned this sickly pale white. And said "Oh my god." I was then given a white towel, which quickly became red. I was rushed to our family doctor. The doctor began by sticking the huge needles in my face, which had already begun to hurt. After that it began to feel like just a piece of leather attached to my face and there was no pain. The only other thing I remember about this is that my mother and father was fighting with the neighbor for weeks. He ended in having to check the dog for rabies, which meant beheading the dog and sending it somewhere. He also had to pay for the medical bills. Eventually the scar practically disappeared and I remember it all like a dream in my past.

I felt at my face to see if I could find a scar. I could not feel anything. I hope that these memories are real and not some sign that I am going insane. I was shaken out of my little thought world by the sound of footsteps. "I brought you some old clothes and a wet rag to wipe some of the mud off of your face. I will give you something better after we get to my house and get you cleaned up." The clothes were nothing fancy. They were made of some soft material that almost flowed through my hands. I put on the pants, turning as I removed the leaves from my privates. "My name is Eric. What is your name?" My new friend asked. I turned to face him feeling halfway decent. He had silky black hair and eyes as dark as coal. His skin was pure white. "I can not remember my name" I replied. We started off down the trail toward the houses. As we entered the streets everyone turned to stair at me. I felt like they saw me as some crazed man. I was felling nervous but at least I was glad I had on some clothes. I guess everyone was so caught by my looks that no one even spoke to Eric as we proceeded into the small town. The streets were all of cobblestones and the houses were of stone and stucco. It reminded me of somewhere I had been before but I could not remember where. We turned down a small street that was only large enough for walking. The buildings made a wall at least four stories up. Overhanging shelters blocked out most of the sky and walkways set up between the buildings made me stoop in places. Eric stopped and turned to me. "I want you to wait here. I need to go into the house and be sure they are prepared for guests." He walked a short distance and then disappeared into a doorway. I waited for about ten minutes. I saw a group of young men at the end of the alley looking in my direction. I was starting to think that maybe I would have trouble when I saw Eric coming back. I was relieved to see him. Eric motioned for me to come on. As I entered the house I smelled a strong scent of sweat mixed with the smells of smoke and wax. Candles burning on some shelves dimly lighted the room. I noticed an old man sleeping in an old wooded chair in one corner. I heard the sounds of some children in another room whispering some strange secret games. I followed Eric into an area that was used for bathing. "You must take a shower and get cleaned up. I will get you a towel and some fresh clothes. While you get cleaned up I will have my wife fix us some dinner. Tomorrow we will go see the doctor to help you with your memory. He leaves to get my fresh clothes." I looked about the room. In the center of the room is a pool that is constantly bubbling from the center with fresh water. I notice a small plaque hanging on the stained wall with a picture of some stormy seashore. Beneath the picture I read the caption, "I can hear the sounds of the waves crashing on the shore beneath me. I hear the howl of the wind through the bows of the ancient pines growing along the hillside. Now they come, Now they come." For some reason it gave me cold chills. Eric came back with my clothes and towel. They were made of the same strange material as the ones I was wearing. "Please take as long as you like. It is one of our few conveniences to have the wash pool in the house. I will help my wife prepare some dinner." Eric spoke with such kindness and amiability. I hoped that all the people in this town had some of his kindness when I get to know them. He left closing a cloth to the doorway. I stripped and climbed into the pool. It had the same tingling sensation as the one that I had encountered in the small hut. I sat down and relaxed. It seemed only seconds and I felt Eric's hand touching my shoulder. "Come we must eat now. The food is ready and my family are waiting to meet you." He said this with a smile. There seemed to be something special about Eric beyond just his kindness. I felt like a brother to him. I got out and dried off with the towel he had left me. I dressed in a blue shirt and gray pants. They felt so soft against my skin. There was a large golden scarf, which I wrapped about my waist. I smelled something that was sweet and spicy wafting through the air. I went into the room where I had entered originally and there was no one there now. The old man that was sleeping was not here. I then followed the sound of voices to what I guessed was the eating area.  I entered into a well-lit room that was painted very ornately and well lit from some unknown source of light. It caught me by surprise because it was so different than the rest of the home. As I entered a room full of people they were suddenly silent. There were two small children, a boy and girl, the elderly man I had seen earlier, an elderly lady sitting beside him and Eric sitting at one end of the table with a young woman. "Please be seated my friend" Eric said smiling in his kind way. I saw an empty seat next to Eric and sat down there. " We must give you a name. I do not know how to introduce you properly as only my friend. This is my wife Gloria, My grandfather and grand mother. And this is my daughter Stef and my son John."  I spoke up quickly "I think my name is Stan, but I am not sure. In my journey from where I first started remembering anything I have had some dreams. They were of such clarity that they most certainly were memories. I am sure of this." "OK Stan, would you help yourself to some food." Before me sat the most beautiful setting of food I could imagine. I was absolutely starving. I grabbed quickly for the first dish of food that had some meat in it and started to take two healthy and then restrained myself to only one. Eric's wife Gloria handed me some bread. I then took a large spoonful of something that looked like a vegetable. I immediately started eating. I had taken several mouthfuls before I noticed everyone was looking at me. I stopped and said, " I am so sorry of my manners. It has been several days for sure that I have had nothing real to eat and I am starving." Gloria looked at me apologetically "that's OK Stan, we understand. It is just that we have so few visitors as of late." Eric bowed his head and started to prey. "Blessed be the provider, blessed be the keeper of the night and day, blessed be the creator of all things that he has seen it to be most gracious this day and provide us with this wonderful meal and to have kept us in health. Amen. Please eat." Eric served his grandparents and Gloria served the children. They then served themselves. No one else started eating until Eric had taken a bite of food himself. I resumed eating. The meat was sweet and had some kind of hot spices added to it. The vegetable tasted like the grass I had eaten in the fields. I am sure I never ate food that tasted so good. The children ate quickly and were excused to go out of the room. The grandfather and grandmother ate very little and also left. I wanted to take more food but was embarrassed after I noticed how polite everyone else had been. We finished eating and Gloria got up and started cleaning everything away. Eric motioned for me to come with him. We went through a door of the side of the dining area that I had not noticed previously. Once through the door there were some stairs leading up into a darker part of the house. We went up two levels and entered an area full of sleeping pallets. "Stan I am going to let you get some rest. We will talk in the morning. I am sure that you are exhausted." I was, as he went to leave I asked, " where do I sleep." He looked at me surprised. "This is your room for tonight. No one will bother you. Please make yourself at home here."  He left back down the stairs. I felt a little confused. It looked as if everyone slept here in this room yet he was telling me they would not be anyone else in the room with me. I lay down on the closest pallet I found. I was expecting it to be hard. It looked very thin and the floor was made of stone. As I lay down it was as if the pallet lifted me into the air a foot are so. I felt like I was floating on air. It did not take long I drifted into a deep sleep. I started to dream. I was in a dark place floating are suspended in nothingness. I heard a voice out of the darkness speaking almost in a whisper. "Time did not exist.  The universe did not exist. All was empty and void. There was not darkness but just nothing. There was not darkness because there was no light. Without light you can not say you have darkness. Not even sound existed. Only God existed in the beginning, God the creator of all things. As we know it. God has always been and yet not being either as mankind understands." There was a of silence then it continued."A thought but much more than a thought, and God created a light. It was not just a light but something magnificent. It was a magnificent creation. All the energy in the universe of today was combined to make a single light where there was nothing before.  Only a thought and a whole universe were created. God was happy with what he had created.  He was pleased with light that equals to his own splendor in its glorious blaze. With the creation of the light came also the creation of time. Because there was a time when there was no light and time that there was light. It was what we might conceive as the beginning." The voice became silent and I heard nothing. Then I looked down and there was a swirling mist below my feet. I felt like I was being pulled down. I began to fall toward this huge swirling current of mist in the darkness that was all about me. I was too amazed at the splendor of it all to be afraid. It was as if I was free from all space and time and just floating in a universe of nothing. I fell for some time through the mist before I saw a light. The light suddenly turned into a blinding flash.

Doctor George I awoke with the strong beams of the early morning sun shining directly in my face. I felt refreshed and ready to begin a new day. I had slept so well. It was still fresh on my mind the dream I had the night before. I heard the sound of footsteps outside of the room coming from the stairs above. They paused for a moment outside of my room and then continued down the stairs. I got up and shook my clothes free from their crumpled state. I was surprised that there were no wrinkles in them after sleeping in them all night. I walked to the window and looked out. I could see some of the city from here through a break in the buildings that surrounded this home. There were people in the street going about morning chores. The sky was a darker blue than I had seen in the past few days. I don't know if it was because of my view are if there was something different. It looked almost like I could see right through into the heavens to the stars. I stood contemplating my good luck to have found such good man as Eric to invite a complete stranger into his home. I decide to go down and see what everyone was doing. As I went down the stairs I heard voice in the dining area. There was a voice I did not recognize talking with Eric. I could smell a fresh brewed coffee aroma coming through the doorway. I decided to stop and do some eves dropping. I heard Eric say, I found him by the trail to the fields. He seems to be normal. He says he does not remember who he is and I do not think he is lying." The other voice spoke up, "He could be from the other side. I know that the others that came through were not sane. It is possible that someone actually made it. I know it has been years since the first came, but I do not have any other explanation." I cleared my throat as I entered the room. Eric looked and said, "Good morning Stan. I want you to meet my friend George. He is from the caretakers of the sick and came over as a special favor to me. I sometimes help him with his hobby of painting. I am able to find colors that no one else can find through my exploring of the countryside. He would like to talk with you about your memory problem. George stood up from the table and held out a big hand. I reached for it and was not surprised that his grip was equal to his size. He greeted, "Good morning Stan, very pleased to meet you." He had a big smile that was pleasant but did not quiet fit his demeanor. He looked so serious but the smile was sincere looking. I greeted them both back with the best morning smile I could muster and a, "Morning to you both." I sat down at the table. Eric went to the counter to pour some more coffee. "Would either of you like some coffee." I said I would. I noticed that George had a huge scar that went down one side of his face.  Eric came back with the coffee and sat down at the table. George looked at me like he was inspecting a person with a disease. "Eric, do you have any pain in your head?" asked George. "No, I have not any pains any where." I felt of my head for any lumps but found nothing. "I feel perfectly healthy. I just can not remember anything that happened before a few days ago. I have had some memories of my childhood." George looked relieved and asked, "do you mind coming to my office for a checkup." I replied, "No I don't mind." We finished our coffee and George stood up and said, "let's go Stan, you have a big day today." I was hoping that Eric was coming but he said, " I will see you all tonight." We left the house and I followed George out into the small town. No one seemed to be paying much attention as we walked down the streets. I saw a store that sold groceries, an iron shop combined with pottery, and other stores to support the small community. We came to a building that was painted a dull white and written on a huge sign that read, CLINIC. I was almost out of breath and was glad to arrive. George walked like he was going to a fire and his long legs were hard to keep up with. George proceeded inside and I followed. The doors were of some wood and were huge and solid. They looked very old. There were ornate carvings of snakes all over the door. Inside the room was dimly lit by candles and some fire burning lamps. I noticed some women working toward the back of this huge room with white dresses. One spoke to George, "Good morning George. Who is your handsome friend." George replied, "he is from the lost world, Susan. He fell from the sky and was caught up by the great bird. The great bird dropped him on our friend Eric's doorstep this morning." George laughed loudly at his own joke. George led me to the back to where there were some small rooms. He motioned for me to enter first and said, "wait here while I take care of some business. I will be back shortly. He left and closed the door to the room. I looked around the room. There were some books on a shelf. In the center of the room was a couch like bed. To one side sat a small chair and table. On the table was a strange looking towel that had designs I did not recognize. It was of some kind of metallic looking material. There were some jars with liquid of different colors. I sat down in the chair and reached for the cloth. I pulled my hand back quickly when I heard the door opening. It was the lady George had called Susan before. "I hope you don't mind me examining while we wait for George. I am his assistant, Susan." She grabbed the small metallic cloth I had looked at before.  Susan looked at me and said "Please lie down here on the couch and I want you to relax." I lay down on the couch and stretched out the full length of it. Susan put the cloth over my face and said, "just relax. I am going to examine your head for injuries. This cloth will help stimulate your brain waves and help you to remember more recent events." She started massaging the top and sides of my head. She asked "can you picture some things as most recent as you can in your mind and then think back what happened before each happening." I closed my eyes and started thinking. All of sudden I was at the front of the hospital again following George into the front door. It scared me so much that it was so real looking that I jumped off of the table and gave a little squeal like I had been bit. Susan had grabbed the cloth and standing near the door as if to run. I must have scared her. I looked at her and asked, "what just happened." Susan replied, " you mean to tell me that you have never been under the memory cloth before." I answered in a shaky voice, " I don' think so. Is that what I was seeing. It looked so real that it shook me up."  "Please lie back down and we will start over again." I lay back on the couch again still a little shaken. Susan placed the cloth back over my eyes. At first nothing happened. I then started with the morning when I woke up. It lasted a moment and then I was back by the path looking at Eric coming down the trail. The scene changed and I was sitting in front of the cave. It continued back over the past few days that I remembered well but in each case it was so clear that for each moment I saw flash before my eyes I felt I could just wander off where I was. I was then again sitting on the cliff looking out over the lake. It felt so real. I just wanted to stay right there but then there was a flash and I was standing on a hillside overlooking the Golden Gate Bridge in Sanfrancisco. As I looked out upon the bay I saw an explosion take place in the harbor. It must have been a nuclear bomb. It formed a mushroom shape that expanded out. I must have been miles away but it only took seconds to reach me. I did not feel any fear, are have any feeling of pain. It was as if the light purified me. For a split second I felt as if all my skin was freed from my body. In the same instance I had new skin a fresh body that was perfect and unhurt. I then felt afraid. I sought a small stream that was nearby and dived in. Hoping that the water would protect my new body from any harm that might come from the explosion. I could feel the cool water on my skin. I dived under the water and I could breath. I came up and looked around and I saw trees. I could see that the sky above the trees was blue. I came out of the water and looked around but there was no sign of the explosion that I had seen. I was confused. I could only have gone a short distance from the hillside where I had been looking at the explosion. As I pondered this I felt the cloth being pulled from my face. It was George. "Hello Stan, I thought maybe I ought to wake you. It is getting late and everyone has left but you and I." I stood to my feet, as I did my legs buckled under me and I almost hit the floor. George grabbed me by one arm and held me up. "That usually happens the first time you use the memory cloth. I am surprised you are not familiar with it." George gave me a steady arm to the front door. I steadied myself on a post out front while he locked the door. It was a quiet walk back through town. The sun was starting to set and there was no one on the streets. By the time we arrived at the alley where Eric's house was it was completely dark. George looked at me, "are you all right?" I answered with the strongest voice I could muster, "sure I am fine now. Just caught me by surprise." George said as he turned to leave, " Good night, I must hurry home. Tell Eric I said hello." I walked down the small alley to Eric' house. The door was locked. I knocked on the door. I thought it might fall in. I did not see why they locked it. It was made of some cheap lumber that had decayed to the point of cracking apart. There were split in the door large enough to fit my hand right through. I waited and shortly Eric came to the door. Eric did not even say hello when he let me in. He looked so serious. I was afraid to ask what was wrong. He looked like he was going to burst into tears. I went in and went directly to the room I had slept the night before. It was empty, as was the rest of the house. It looked like only Eric and me was here. I lay down on the pallet and watched as the rest of the evening sunset disappeared from view out the window. It was warmer that usual. I lay there thinking about the day's event and planning what I would do tomorrow. I started remembering some more of my childhood. There was one day I almost gave my mom a heart attack literally. My dad had killed a huge black snake. I was quite impressed with it and proceeded to drag it about the yard. Well my mom was working with the flowers and I thought she would like my trophy, a gift from my dad. What I did not know was that she was deathly afraid of snakes. I came up behind her and said, "Look Mom what I have." Needless to say she was not impressed. I still did not realize she was terrified of my great trophy though. So when she started screaming get that away from me and started to back away I thought she was playing. I must have chased her for half a mile before she finally got the point across that she was really afraid. This was not before she had lost a huge spot of hair in one of our low swinging tree limbs. I guess it had to do with the threats to beat me silly are something and I finally realized what I had done.Somewhere in this time my parents found my brother under a cabbage leaf, at least that's what they told me. It must have gotten me curious. I just had to know what would come from beneath a cabbage leaf. I was just to short to peer into the small bed where he slept. I figured that if I could climb the trees in the yard it wouldn't be much harder to scale the side of this small bed and see what he looked like. That was a big mistake. The bed began to lean as I put my weight on one side. It toppled over spilling my newborn brother onto the floor. This created a major emergency. He began screaming louder than a banshee. My mother came running and barely missed trampling me in the process. A few days later my mother noticed a black spot on one side of his head. She thought he had some major bruise. She took him to the doctor only to find out that he has a birthmark and that part of his otherwise blond hair was jet black. He still has that black spot to this day. I tossed and turned most of the night. I could not sleep. I had a feeling that something special was going to happen in the next day. I also was still wondering what it was that bothered Eric so badly.  I slept some but would wake and go to the window. I could see the starts but there was no moon. I saw a falling star cross the heavens once when I was looking out the window from my pallet. It had a red fiery tale, and I am sure that I heard it hiss as it went across the night sky.

The Electric Ocean I am not sure that I slept at all. I watched as the sunrise burst forth into a new day. The sky changed from a brilliant orange to a beautiful yellow before settling on blue. I thought it strange that I never had seen any clouds. Always it seemed that the sky was this perfect dark blue during the day.There was lightening upon the surface and as I watched it looked like it was dancing. I could smell the smoke from the burned atmosphere. There were no plants are animals living around the water edge. It as if the lightening itself was an animal. Dancing and writhing and thrashing about endlessly. The music of the explosions accompanied by the fire play was mesmerizing. I watched until I became hypnotized by the illusion of small creatures running across a prairie of fire.