The Seventh Chakra

by J. R. Bowles

  “In the Beginning was the Word, and the word was with God, and the Word was God.

  The same was in the beginning with God.

  All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made”.

  Thomas paused and looked at the group and then continued.

  Zolar began to tense. It was the same passage they had been talking about last night.

  “In him was life; and the life was the light of men.

  And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not.

  There was a man sent from God, whose name was John.”

  As soon as he read that a wind rushed in on them. Dust and debris sweep around them causing them to squint. Their hair blew in disarray. Thomas squeezed tight onto the Bible he held to keep it from being jerked out of his hands. The pages were forced to turn and he lost his place. All of the flashlights went off in unison and then as mysterious as the wind had started it stopped.

  Their lights came back on and Thomas gathered his wits and opened his Bible again. Shining his light down he looked down at the eighth chapter of Revelations. He wondered what was going on and hoped this was some sign from the Lord. He inhaled and started to read but stopped as he stared down at the page. The words on the page ran together as he watched them. All of the ink swirled as if the words had come alive. They joined together in the center of the page in one large black spot and then like liquid began to spread out again reforming words on the page.

  In Thomas's mind he heard a voice spewing forth almost like a whisper, and the voice said, “The prophets in the book before you, wrote about their distant future. Their sight through the miasma of time is often distorted because of their lack of familiarity of the new things they have never before seen. The truth can not be written or seen. The truth is experienced. Read unto your flock gathered here before you.”

  Thomas starred at the words as they reformed on the page. And the word Revelation had been changed to the word Truth. He looked down at the eighth chapter and began to read.

  “And when the Seventh Angel opened it's seal there was a stillness. Time had ceased to move and seven angels stood before God and each one had a trumpet. This trumpet was their individual note.

  And the first angel sounded his note and man starved in the millions daily while others grew fat from the worship of gold, jewels, cars, homes, and power. They would come to care for only themselves and the evil within them would make them care not about their own humankind. Every man will be given a number and this number will be in their hand and in their head. They will be deceived that this number is good but it is the mark of the beast for they will not be able to buy or sell without it and will be forced to use it to pay great taxes. This number will be kept in computers and they will have it written down to show those in doubt that the number they use is correct. This number will be etched in their head, in their memory. But the day will come when all of the world will have this kind of number.

  And the second angel sounded his note and hail and fire fell to the earth in the form of harmful radiation. Man had destroyed the ozone which had protected him from harmful rays. And acid rain caused by man's factories pollute the ground and a third of all of the trees, and grass was destroyed, and the oxygen in the atmosphere began to thin. Woman shall in great numbers slay their children the fruit of their womb and man will desert his seed and leave it to starve because he has become self centered. Man shall lay down with man and woman shall lay down with woman in great numbers. And the creation of life would cease.

  And the third angel sounded his note and oil tankers caught fire and dumped it's black blood into the sea. And a third of the sea became black with oil and a third of the sea died and the fishes of the sea died and most men cared not.

  And the fourth angel sounded his note and a great plague was given unto humankind and this plague was like locusts and this plague was the AIDS virus. It would not hurt the trees of the earth, nor the grasses, nor the animals but would suffer humankind with great sores taking away his ability to live and make him desire to die. And man would try to hide from these locusts but this virus would find him.

  And a fifth angel sounded his note and nuclear testing of weapons and electrical power sources dispersed into the air and earth, radioactive material and the radiation expelled poisoned a third of all the water, and soil of the earth and the radiation was like wormwood eating away all living manner of flesh, and destroy a third of all trees, and grasses and all living creatures.

  And the sixth angel sounded his note and the atmosphere was filled with smog, and soot, and flora carbons and car exhaust, and residuals caused by man's war against himself and this caused the sun, moon and stars to fade and the earth grew warm.

  And the seventh angel sounded his note and all time ceased. A loud thunderous noise was issued from the throne of God and this noise was a word and this word is like none that has ever been spoken before. There is no written language that can relay the sound of this word. And this vibration, this word traveled from the throne of God to the edge of the universe and it called for all that existed to return. This word caused a great star to fall unto the earth and this star was a man and the keys to the bottomless pit was given to him. And the earth left it's orbit around its sun and began to move away into the bowels of the void.

  And he that did not have God's seal and was no longer in vibration with him, the Creator, would be cast out into the void forever and ever.”

  Thomas stopped reading. His eyes became blurred and his knees became weak. Those that sat on the ground around him stared up in slow disbelief of what they were hearing.

  John knew the time was near when he would be forced to choose for he was the great star and the keys to the bottomless pit were gathered around him.

  Mindy had been standing at the darken abyss of the clearing listening to the Reverend. Her own mind began to wonder what was happening. Her hand was placed over Sally Ann's mouth so the child would not cry out.

  At that moment she heard the sound of foot steps approaching. She squatted down into the bushes and pulled Sally Ann with her and watched as two dark figures came closer.

  “Grandfather!” Her lips cried out in surprise, before she had been able to think enough to stop herself.

  Her cry had been heard by the others and all heads turned towards the darkness from which the sound had come.

  “Mindy is that you?” Jamal called out, still sitting on the ground where Zolar had placed him.

  Mindy stood up pulling Sally Ann with her and moved into the path in front of her Grandfather and Michael.

  “Granddaughter, I have come to stop you. You do not know what you are doing.” He said as he approached her.

  Those sitting on the ground stood up but did not approach the group. John had risen to a sitting position. Mindy raised her hands up to the cloudless sky just as her Grandfather started to speak again. A deafening clap of thunder roared at the same instant pale green lighting struck the ground between her and her grandfather.

  “I am tired of you old man. Your powers are as feeble as your body.” She said calmly. Her face became placid and emotionless but her eyes blazed amber.

  Mindy looked down at the child beside her and concluded it was time to take her energy. She would need the extra life energy of the child to fight her Grandfather.

  She began her mental song calling the life force from the child.

  In the moment she called forth her song she felt it being returned. As if it had fallen against a wall and was being bounced back.

  With the return of her own energy force she ceased her mental song. She had experienced some of the pain that she had tried to force upon the child.

  Mindy turned to her Grandfather and raised her eyebrows. “You're more powerful than I thought but you can't stop me.”

  Chesaka looked from his Granddaughter to the child in puzzlement. “I did not stop you.”

  “Don't lie to me.” She accused and then reeled a
round at the group still watching the scene.

  She reached out with her mind touching each one of them trying to see if any of them had the power to stop her. Slowly her mind touched each one of them and found none of them, not even John had the power to stop her. Then what could have happen? The child should be dead. It wasn't needed for the opening and she should have easily been able to drain its life energy.

  She turned finally towards Michael who was standing behind her Grandfather. “Was it you?” She asked as she reached out with her mind and sang the song of death. As her song touched him it slammed back on her hurling her to the ground. His power was awesome. She had known that Michael had been one of the original centers but when her song of energy reached out to touch him it was like a magnet repelling itself.

  Michael looked down at her, not sure what had happen. He had felt her energy reach out and when it touched him he felt himself being repelled back, also.

  “Enough Mendiceskia.!” Her Grandfather ordered. “You have no idea what is happening. If you had listen to the lessons as a child and not rebelled, you would understand what is happening.”

  He walked over to where Mindy lay and offered his feeble hand to help her. “Come with me, little one.” He then turned to Michael and Sally Ann. “Follow me.”

  The four of them entered the clearing where the others stared in shocked amazement and horror. Their faces displayed the confusion they were feeling.

  Upon entering the clearing Chesaka turned to Sally Ann. “It is time for you to show yourself.”

  Everyone stared at the little girl wondering what was going on and what did he mean.

  Sally Ann’s body began to change and her body reformed into the shape of Becky. She placed the kitten down and it wandered back to the path.

  Reverend Lamb cried out. “The succubus!”

  Zolar turned to John. “Kumara.”

  “Yes it is I. That which is neither good nor evil.” Explaining to them that had not met her. “I am the living entity of the Earth. Some say I am Gaia. I am neither positive nor negative.”

  Chesaka interrupted and looked at Michael, Mindy and Kumara. “There is little time. You must take your places.”

  Mindy opened her mouth to protest but her Grandfather raised his hand and she became still. Her body was paralyzed where she stood.

  “Michael you move there.” Chesaka pointed. “And Kumar you stand there.”

  Chesaka had formed them into a triangle around the outer edge of the group. The three stood several feet out from the group. The seven centers was inside of their triangle and John was in the center. They all watched Chesaka as he backed out of the clearing. As he backed he looked directly at John. “As the seventh path draws the light down from the sky it will be time for you to decide. It is only your decision and you have been given all that is needed for you to choose. Your choices are two. The third one that you see, Kumara, the entity of the sweet mother, is not a choice. You will only be able to choose from the positive or the negative.”

  He turned and walked off into the darkness leaving the others staring silently.

  Slowly one by one they turned to face John. John leaned back and looked up at the red star, Sirus. His mind flashed upon the past seven days and the words the Reverend had read. As he stared up a white light fell like liquid bathing the group.

  Suddenly a pinkish glow enveloped Billy's body and a brilliant red shot up into the air above him and curved downward and fell on to John.

  Morgan was next with a luminous orange that went upward and fell on to John.

  Jackie shuttered as her body repeated the same action and yellow was emitted upward only to curve gently down on to John.

  Jamal was next with green as the scene began to turn into a rainbow umbrella.

  As soon as Jamal’s hue touched John, Bernie burst forth in blue light. Upward and then curving back falling onto John.

  When Zolar burst forth in violet he thought of the what the Tibetans had taught him. This was the Antahkarana, the rainbow bridge. We are the rainbow bridge!

  Thomas wanted to run. His body shuttered and like fire he burst forth a dark indigo light curving upward, then arching and coming to rest upon John.

  As John’s body was bathed in these lights he could no longer be seen. It was as if his body vanished.

  Mindy, Michael and Kumara stood watching. Mindy fought to unfreeze. Her mind soared with anger burning with desire to seize the moment. She reached deep within her own life force and focused it straight up higher than the other’s rays. Her light was black and as it streamed upward it too curved and fell into the center of the others rays.

  At that moment she began to recover her movement. She was no longer paralyzed.

  John laid on the table and had felt his body being washed over when the colorful rays of each center touched his body. When the seventh had touched him, he felt his body cease to exist and he became pure energy. His body no longer had mass. As the experience started to take hold of him suddenly he felt himself being engulfed in blackness. He felt like he was moving in molasses, while the blackness pulled him into it. The harder he fought the closer it seemed to be getting. It was like quicksand. His mind felt as if it were becoming webbed over. His body of energy was being pulled backward, being sucked into it. He was in motion and it was over taking him. He felt as if he were bing crushed. He was afraid with a devouring fear.

  Then in a flash of agonizing pain Mindy screamed, her black ray stopped. She looked down to see what was causing the pain. Mindy stared at her leg where the kitten Azid had driven it's claws and teeth. It was hanging on. All of it's small energy was focused into keeping itself embedded into her flesh.

  It was in this moment when John felt free of what had been trying to choke his very essence. When the blackness faded he saw all of the universe. His mind awoke. He saw everything that existed in the present and in the past. He was all. His first reaction was madness when he saw the distance his body had separated. He became awake to everything living and non-living.

  He saw what he did to himself. His vision then focalized and he was looking down upon himself as the physical being John. His body was lying on the stone. The rays of color bathed his body and beside them was the three that had once been one.

  He saw Michael standing still and quiet. Calmly waiting for something. Kumara stood watching and Mindy was staring down at the kitten attached to her leg.

  The choice was now before him. To chose Kumara was not a choice for to choose neutral was to choose nothing.

  He stared at Michael. Michael must be positive. He represented to goodness of humankind. If he chose him the universe would collapse from which it came.

  Then there was Mindy with her greed for the power of control and her hate of others, not realizing that when she hated them, she hated herself.

  John saw the damage he was doing to himself. In the beginning he had sacrificed himself so he could live. Now he was destroying himself. Destroying the world he had created out of his own body. He had lost the caring of those that no longer cared about their decedents but cared only for themselves. He had become selfish.

  John looked down at Michael and Mindy. It was then he knew it was time to decide.

  He looked down and chose.

  CHAPTER 65

  “Would one of ya’ll pass some of them butter beans.” Bernie said drawing out the words in a poor imitation of the Roanoke accent.

  “It’s butta beans.” Jackie said correcting his pathetic attempt.

  “Butta beans.” He repeated.

  At that moment a woman came into the hotel’s restaurant pushing a large birthday cake.

  The group broke into several rounds of “Happy Birthday to Us.” They all applauded and cheered.

  Jamal sat back in the dinning room chair staring across the table at Mindy. He wasn’t sure what to think now.

  “What’s the matter Billy are you feeling left out?” Zolar asked.

  Billy looked up with a sheepish shit eating
grin on his face and mumbled, “It’s my birthday too.”

  “What?” Zolar asked rhetorically. “Hey everybody, listen up! Today’s Billy’s birthday. Who would have thought it.”

  “Happy Birthday, Billy.” They yelled and fell into the birthday song again.

  Even Thomas joined the camaraderie. He felt the elation the others had been feeling. The past week had payed it's toll on all of their nerves and they were ready to let off a little steam.

  “Hey everybody here comes Billy's favorite drink.” Jackie said.

  “Vodka, tonic with a twist of lime.” Several of them chorused in.

  Billy almost giggled but caught himself from such an unmanly act and gave a loud guffaw instead.

  Michael stood up. “Ladies and gentleman, let's have a toast.”

  “A toast.” Bernie said raising to his feet.

  The rest of them stood.

  “Billy are you old enough to drink, or should we order him a Sherlie Temple?” Morgan asked.

  The others laughed.

  “Yeah, finally.” He answered and scrunched up his face at her.

  “I would like to propose a toast to John.” Michael began. “To the man that made this day possible.”

  “To John.” Morgan said. “A great lover.”

  “To John, a true friend.” Billy said.

  “To John,” Zolar lifted his glass. “To bad he couldn't be here.”

  “We've all got to go sometime.” Bernie interjected clinking glasses with Jackie and leaned down and kissed her.

  “Somebody get a bucket of water.” Zolar called out.

  “To bad John's got to miss this party.” Kumara smiled broadly in her Becky form. “Thomas why don't you and I get together later for a little religious discussion?”

  Thomas sputtered for a few moments and then finally said with half a smile. “Let me think about it.”

  “To John.” Jamal lifted his glass of vodka and sipped. “And I would like to make another toast.” He petted the kitten Azid under the chin. “To Azid, savior of the universe.”