Malika gave Charlie time to let her words resonate. The last three points cycled through his mind. The past already happened. The future is not a guarantee. The only thing you can truly control is what you do in the present.
Charlie’s thoughts returned to his Language Arts class. But it wasn’t his talk with his teacher that flooded his mind, it was his unwritten assignment, the one that he had struggled with and never cracked. “Now,” he said, finally realizing the answer. “That’s the most important moment in my life.”
“Yes, it is,” Malika said. “It always has been, whether you realized it or not.”
“If I’m not supposed to have a plan, what am I supposed to do, nothing?”
“Not at all,” Malika said. “Do whatever the moment calls for. Allow your divine self to guide the way, knowing that it will lead you in the right direction. It will always follow the proper path.”
Charlie nodded, accepting Malika’s instruction.
“Have you ever heard the Serenity Prayer?” Malika asked.
“I don’t think so,” Charlie said.
“It is a great reminder to only focus on that which you can control, or change. It goes: God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference.”
“I really like that.”
“As do I,” Malika said. “However, I have found that it can be even more impactful in reverse. Instead of serenity, courage, and wisdom, it is optimal to consider wisdom and courage as a means to serenity. If you use your wisdom to determine whether you are dealing with something that you can or cannot change, the knowledge gained will grant you acceptance of the situation. If it is not something you can change, there is nothing to do but let it go. It is out of your control. If it is something that you can change, you will find the courage to execute the appropriate action by focusing only on controlling the moment. Knowing that you are doing something, and that you are following your divine self, will supply you with all the serenity you could ever need to find peace and happiness.”
“Wisdom. Courage. Serenity,” Charlie said to himself.
“Use those three words as your serenity mantra. If you ever find yourself in a rut you cannot escape, simply identify the source of your troubles, repeat the mantra while determining where your issue lies, and then respond accordingly.”
Charlie repeated the serenity mantra. Unlike the times before, when he had simply told himself to find happiness, the words left an imprint on him. Even after saying it just a couple times, he could feel the weight of his burdens lifted. He finally experienced the rush of positive feelings that others had received the day they surrounded the campfire and revealed their biggest blocks.
Malika noticed the difference in Charlie’s eyes. No longer wide and lost, they had narrowed. There was a determination behind them. However, Malika could still sense a slight lingering doubt. “Is there something that still constrains you?”
“It doesn’t have to do with me, really,” Charlie said. “Well, it kind of does. I know I won’t have a problem taking care of Cain and saving my parents. But when it comes to Terry, I don’t know if I could actually go through with it.”
“Do not be concerned about that. It will resolve itself,” Malika said, and then explained something to Charlie that helped assuage his doubts and put them to rest.
◆ ◆ ◆
Charlie sneaked back inside the church. He carefully retrieved his usb drive from Antony’s shoe, slid it in his pocket, and then climbed into his bed. As he stared at the stained-glass mural, he was no longer filled with the fear and doubt that had plagued him before. His negative feelings had been replaced by an excitement that rushed through his veins. He felt like a kid on Christmas Eve, full of joy and anticipation for what the next morning held.
Charlie reminded himself to stay focused on what was, not what was next. He knew that at that moment, the thing he needed most was rest. He would have plenty of time to do everything that he wanted to do tomorrow. Charlie said his serenity mantra a few times. It helped clear his mind and ease his anticipation. Shortly afterwards, he was able to fall asleep.
Charlie woke up before the sun and the other orphans. While he hadn’t slept terribly long, it had been a deep sleep, and he felt completely rejuvenated. Charlie sneaked out of the church for a second time, and then ventured through the sparse dawn light until he arrived at his spot in the forest.
Charlie noticed his knuckle prints were still in the dirt. He wiped them over, erasing any memory of his frustration from the day before with the prints. There was no point holding on to the negative reminder of a past he couldn’t change.
Charlie used two sticks and one of his shoelaces to make a bow drill, something he had seen Antony do. With his contraption, Charlie was able to create a spark and ignite a little tuft of dead grass that he had balled up tightly for kindling. Once he had a small tepee fire going, Charlie took his Moleskine notebook from his pocket, removed his picture with his parents, and then tossed the notebook into the flames. He watched the pages—and all of his old plans—turn to ash. After the fire had died down enough, Charlie stomped out the remaining embers, and then hopped into his seat on the tree trunk.
Charlie considered all of the issues that had weighed on him before: his parents, Terry, the impending attack on Heaven, and even Naomi. He repeated the words from the serenity mantra and was able to find peace in all of his problems by accepting what he could and couldn’t control, and reminding himself that he was working toward changing the things that he could. It gave him the peace of mind that he needed so that he could finally find happiness in his life.
With his fear of failure behind him and no attachment to any plan, the floodgates opened, and Charlie was able to liberate himself from every negative opinion that he had ever held. On a superficial level, Charlie appeared to be no different. Same hair. Same eyes. Same height. But on the inside, he was a completely new person.
Charlie smiled as he stared out into the seemingly endless wilderness; the positive energy that had been restrained by negativity was now flowing free. He felt a connection to the world, which he was finally able to see for what it truly was and appreciate all the beauty before him. He took it all in. The sun that had just begun to peak over the mountains and was casting a bright orange hue on the valley before him. The trees that had taken many human lifetimes to grow to their heights and were like nature’s skyscrapers. The birds that flocked in complex coordination and softly cawed to one another as they flew from perch to perch. The clouds that hung in the sky like large, fluffy pillows as they floated across the fresh mountain air that filled Charlie’s lungs and gave him life.
Charlie felt compelled to capture its beauty in some way, shape, or form so that he could share it with others. So that they could experience all that he had, and share in his appreciation and gratitude. But while he had a strong desire to express himself, his internal desire to continue building on his achievement was even stronger. He had only succeeded in step one. He had much further to go.
Charlie closed his eyes, centered his thoughts, and began to count his breaths. One, two, three, four, five. He kept going, making it to one thousand breaths before consciously breaking his attention.
He spent the next couple hours after that increasing his body awareness and spending time focusing on all of his senses. In just that short time, he noticed his own reflexes speeding up.
Around noon, his stomach let him know that it was approaching lunchtime. Charlie set off into the woods, on a walking mediation and in search of nourishment to appease his demanding stomach. He knew that he would find what he was looking for; he would provide for himself. But what Charlie didn’t know, was that the wild animals he was in search of were not the only things roaming the nearby mountains.
CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO
“Is there any idea when Charl
ie is gonna get back?” JP asked Malika as he checked his watch. He and the orphans had just wrapped up another simulated battle where they took turns scrapping with three Beasts at once. “I feel like he should be back by now.”
“Do not worry about Charlie,” Malika said, already in the process of spawning more vessels for their next challenge. “He will return whenever he feels he is ready.”
“I was only asking ‘cause I’m getting hungry,” JP said.
“Me, too,” added Naomi.
Eddie and Antony agreed as well.
“If you would prefer to break for lunch right now, that is fine,” Malika said. “Afterwards, each of you will get a chance to battle with five vessels at once.” She tossed the loose dirt that was left in her hands, and then took a massive inhale as she swept her puckered lips down the line of sparring vessels. Each of the vessels instantly dissolved, turning back to dirt that was wisped away by the wind.
“I guess I can make the trip to the grocery store,” JP said as he gestured toward the woods. “Anyone wanna join me?”
Antony and Eddie turned to Naomi, expecting her to volunteer. To their surprise, she didn’t. “I’ll pass,” Naomi said.
“Eddie?” JP said.
“Why not?” Eddie shrugged. “Let’s do this.” He and JP set off into the woods to find their lunch.
◆ ◆ ◆
“I honestly don’t think I’ve ever felt this good,” Eddie said as he and JP stocked up on hunting rocks half a mile into the forest. “I’ve already dropped two holes on my belt. That’s just in a week. If this keeps up, by the time I get home, I’m gonna need a whole new wardrobe.”
JP chuckled. “Yeah, well, you’ve been looking good in the training, too. Forget five vessels, I bet you could take on ten Beasts at a time, no problem.”
“Thanks.”
“Like Malika says, thank yourself.”
Eddie grinned. “Yeah, right. Thank you, me.”
JP grinned back. “I’ll grab a couple more rocks and then we should have more than enough ammunition.” He knelt down to grab another rock and froze. His eyes intently swiveled in all directions.
Eddie picked up JP’s concern. “What’s wrong?”
“Did you hear that?” JP asked.
Eddie listened for a moment. All he heard was the rustling of pine needles in the light wind. “I don’t think so … ”
“Listen closer.”
Eddie concentrated his hearing. Through the soft whispers of the trees, he heard what JP was referring to: a gentle rattling. He froze, too. His eyes scanned the woods, unable to locate the source or even its general direction. He had a feeling what it was, but tried to convince himself otherwise. “What are the odds that’s the rhythm section for the quietest mariachi band ever?” Eddie said.
“Slim to none,” JP said.
“I’m assuming it probably isn’t a lost baby, either.”
“Doubt it.”
Less than a second later, JP and Eddie’s guessing game came to an end. Just to the right of where JP was knelt, a three-foot Great Basin rattlesnake, its body suited with nature’s version of desert camouflage, slid out from under a fallen tree. It shook its rattle fiercely, a stern warning to ward off any would-be challengers.
“Stay still,” Eddie whispered through gritted teeth. “It’ll just go away.”
Eddie was correct in assuming that. That was what most snakes would do. However, this snake was of its own breed. Instead of retreating, the rattler took one look at JP and slithered even closer, moving dangerously close to its striking distance. The snake coiled up, methodically lifted its head, and let out a harsh, combative hiss.
“Change of plans,” Eddie said. “Just slowly get up and back away.”
JP didn’t move a muscle. “That’s not gonna work,” he said out the side of his mouth.
“Then I’ll hit it with a rock.” Eddie’s fingers wrapped tightly around one of the rocks in his pocket.
The snake’s head swayed side to side like a metronome as it hissed even more violently.
“If you miss, I’m screwed. I have a better idea. I’m gonna catch it.”
“That sounds like a terrible idea.”
“Just be quiet.” JP was done debating. He didn’t need Eddie’s approval. It was his butt on the line.
Eddie stood perfectly still. He knew that any sudden movement he or JP made would cause the already defensive serpent to strike.
The rattler hissed as JP carefully let go of the rock in his hand. JP took a deep breath, focused his thoughts, and readied for what he was about to do. But before he even had a chance to make his move, the rattler sprung from its tight coil and launched itself at JP.
With his view obstructed by JP’s positioning, all Eddie could do was focus on his own breath and staying present while he watched JP react to the attack.
“Ahhh!” JP screamed as he lunged his body toward the snake, falling on top of it like he was jumping on a grenade. He remained motionless for a couple seconds.
Eddie couldn’t help but let a little bit of worry get past his guard. “Are you okay? Did it bite you?”
JP said nothing. He slowly picked himself up from the ground. When he turned to face Eddie, he was grinning as wide as his face would allow. In his hand was the snake, only it was no longer a snake. It had transformed into a staff.
The resulting staff was noticeably different from the ones that they were accustomed to. It was broader, appeared sturdier, and had a dark, reddish aura that shined around the tip, just like the wand Malika had made from the campfire.
“How cool is this?” JP said. He waved the staff back and forth a couple times. Tiny, ruby-colored sparks danced from the glowing tip as it swung in the wind.
“Seriously cool,” Eddie said.
JP twirled the staff in his hands, noticing that the faster he swung the staff, the larger the sparks were. “And Malika wasn’t kidding when she said the more powerful the snake, the more powerful the staff. I think it has a real power of its own.”
“What do you mean?”
“I’m not totally sure. But we’re about to find out.” JP whirled the staff in a circular fashion, like a lacrosse player cradling a ball. A small fireball appeared in the center of the swirl. As soon as he stopped, the fireball disappeared.
“Whoa,” Eddie said. “I got an idea! Make one of those fireball things and then fling it.”
JP swirled the staff to create another fireball, then cast the staff like a fishing rod. The ball of fire zipped through the woods before making an explosive collision with a tree trunk, leaving behind a charred black crater in the bark.
“That. Is. Freaking. Awesome!” Eddie said.
“Screw rocks,” JP said. He held up his new toy. “We’re hunting with this.”
◆ ◆ ◆
Naomi and Antony forgot about their empty stomachs almost immediately when JP and Eddie returned. They couldn’t care less about the six squirrels that came precooked and ready to serve. They were too enthralled by JP’s new staff.
“What is that?” Naomi said.
“Only one of the most poisonous rattlesnakes in the country,” JP said with a smirk.
“No way,” Antony said.
“Way,” Eddie said. “It shoots fireballs.”
Malika did not share the others’ excitement. “You should not have taken that,” she said. “You are not ready.”
“Doesn’t the fact that I was able to control it,” JP said, “kinda prove that I am ready?”
“There is more than just control,” Malika said. “There is the personal restraint that comes with such power. You have yet to learn the practice of humility.”
“Then teach us how to practice humility,” JP said, “after I’m done practicing with this.” He twirled his staff and shot off a small fireball into the sky.
&n
bsp; “That is not how it works,” Malika said.
“Come on,” JP said. “Make some vessels. I wanna see how many I can take down.”
“No,” Malika said firmly. “You need to slow down. You are not—”
JP didn’t let her finish. “Enough of the ‘I’m not ready.’ You should be happy I can do this,” he said. “If anything, it just shows how great of a teacher you are.”
Malika was about to respond, but stopped when she heard screaming off in the distance. It sounded like someone was launching an attack. She and the orphans stiffened as they tried to place the yelling, which grew louder and louder.
“What is that?” Naomi said.
“I have no idea,” JP said.
“I think it’s Charlie?” Antony said.
“What the heck is he doing?” Eddie said.
Seconds later, Charlie burst through the woods and into the clearing, his face beaming. He stopped, let out a primal howl, and pounded his chest like Tarzan.
The other orphans knew better than to be surprised by anything—surprise was nothing more than your thoughts removing you from the moment—but they were still young trainees and couldn’t help but be taken aback by the confidence Charlie exuded. It was such a stark contrast to the Charlie they had last seen, the Charlie they had come to know.
Charlie continued his sprint to the group. “Toss me a staff,” he said as he came to a stop.
The other orphans just stood there, still in shock.
Charlie looked to JP and Antony, the only ones holding staffs. “Come on. Toss it!” he demanded. JP and Antony instinctively flung their staffs at the same time. Charlie wasn’t the least bit fazed when both staffs transformed into snakes as they floated through the air in his direction. The same couldn’t be said for the others. Their jaws bottomed out as they watched Charlie reach his hands to receive the snakes.
The Orphans (Orphans Trilogy Book 1) Page 20