Descendant

by Jeffrey A. Levin

  Maya nods in approval. “Yes.” She sniffs at the air. “I feel like I’m being hugged by a thousand hands … very soothing.”

  Henzura wraps her arms around Maya. “I think we are going to be friends,” Henzura says calmly. Maya turns around and winks at me. As we walk on, we observe that the walls are all adorned with pictures, diagrams, and endless stanzas of poetry.

  “Are the Emoji all here for the same purpose?” I ask innocently.

  Henzura pauses, knowing that I’ve asked an important question. “No one is ever living for the same exact purpose; don’t you agree, Mr. Eisenstein? That’s the beauty of life. I would never be so presumptuous to believe that.” She smiles. “The people are happy, Maya. They write! They sing! They dance! They paint each other’s faces! They’re happy, Maya. We only want happiness for all the people who join us. Michael, Maya—are you both happy?

  We both nod.

  Henzura cringes. “Besides, we need to stay away from the pyramid people.”

  “Why?” Maya and I ask in unison.

  Henzura smiles, staring down at the floor. She clears her throat. “The Emoji believe in life and emotion! We are transparent and want to live life the way we think God intended for us to live.”

  “And the pyramid people?” I ask.

  Henzura’s face turns pale and ashen. “They are the people of secrecy and disguise. They’ve built pyramids in the ocean and in the caves down below.” Her voice becomes quiet. “They have many powers.” Her brown eyes look afraid and paranoid. “They summon demons and the devil himself. Please, stay away from them! We must go!”

  CHAPTER 31

  August 9, 2378

  “What’s that sound?” I say. “I hear a waterfall!”

  Kasuro nods. “Yes, Tunnel Falls is right above this passageway. It’s one of the most beautiful falls in the world.”

  I stare upward, observing cascading water coming from small triangular apertures. “Why do they call it Tunnel Falls?” I say, staring upward, completely fascinated with the fact that two waterfalls are flowing from the roof of our cavern.

  Kasuro smiles. “You will see a lot of fascinating things here. The Emoji are very resourceful people.”

  As we march on, we pass a small lake within our confined space under Tunnel Falls. “The water appears so silvery,” I say.

  Kasuro smiles. “It’s because of the reflectivity. I’ve planted a mirror over that stone on the opposite side of the waterfall. You see, wavelengths of light emanating from the sun’s rays scatter, creating a silvery phosphorescent effect.”

  “Fascinating,” I say. “You’re quite the naturalist, Kasuro. It’s the first time I’ve ever noticed water art. It’s beautiful, Kasuro!”

  We both stare up at the roof of the Emoji catacombs. Water is flowing from the mouth of a lion.

  “Can you see its face? And the long mane of hair?” Kasuro asks proudly.

  I nod. “Yes. Indeed, the rock formation appears to resemble a lion.”

  “You see, there is a slight opening at the surface level, allowing water to fall down as if through a leaky sieve and stream stealthily down on the other side of the wall, causing what is actually a double-elevation waterfall.”

  I stare at the bizarre scene of water falling from a lion’s mouth and then immediately shooting upward into another aperture in the cave.

  An elfish grin covers Henzura’s face. After all, she was instrumental in crafting the Emoji philosophy many years ago. “No, this creative expression is an Emoji invention. “Our people can be amazingly transformative when they put their minds to something.”

  “So what is this underground lake called?” I inquire.

  “Well, because this tiny lake is a flooded sea reservoir that receives sunlight from the above elevation, our humble name for it is Emoji Silver. But at times it will even form a purplish rainbow. Interesting isn’t it? Think about it! The sun’s rays strike the lake perfectly above and below, thus allowing the phosphorescence of flickering lights.

  “It’s so beautiful!” Maya responds. “The lake’s hue appears like a twinkling snake coiling up and then down—all the way down to the basement.”

  “Funny analogy, but it works!” Kasura says.

  “We’ve almost arrived at our dinner location,” Henzura states. “I hope both of you will join us for our little soiree. Omskep has a terrific meal planned; you can’t possibly say no. We’ve already secured a few more sleeping bags, so you can stay the night. It’s not safe to travel these hills once the sun goes down. Besides, you haven’t lived until you’ve seen an Emoji skylight show. We have a spectacular display planned for this evening.”

  Maya’s eyes seem to be dancing in joy. “Can we?” she asks me.

  “Of course,” I respond. “Wouldn’t miss it for the universe!”

  “Maya taps me on the shoulder. “I love these people!”

  As we traipse through the tunnels, we come across one more underground bridge. Water cascades from three different directions. “This is another one of Kasura’s creations,” Henzura states. “You see, Kasura’s training far exceeds his basic engineering background. Can you hear it?”

  I shrug. “No.”

  Henzura smiles. “You have to free your mind of all stress, tension, and fear in order to hear Kasura’s creation. He’s programmed the music to become audible at an extremely rare frequency. Now, close your eyes and free you thoughts from any fears or negative thoughts.”

  “Yes! I do hear it!” Maya proclaims.

  “What do you hear?”

  “It’s a Mendelssohn concerto!”

  Henzura smiles, nodding. “Very good.”

  Finally the melodic notes seem to reach my ears as well. “It’s beautiful,” I say, “but I think I’m hearing Bob Dylan.”

  We all laugh.

  Henzura nods in agreement. “Yes. You see, the music is coming from the water as it cascades down the waterfalls. Each of the waterfall rocks and crags is monitored to pick up a different vibration.”

  “So the natural sounds coming from these falls creates these melodic reverberations?”

  Henzura smiles joyously. “And, of course, you!”

  Maya and I stare at one another.

  “You see,” Henzura says, “it’s your own brain and your own cognition and creativity that bring life to the notes, fashioning the beautiful concerto that you’re listening to.”

  “That’s incredible,” I say, staring toward the visionary sounds coming from the three churning waterfalls.

  Our rapture is quickly interrupted. We see the final opening to the tunnels. A large, cunning crescent moon greets us with its brilliance. The Emoji are all covered in unique and colorful face paintings; they’re dancing wildly on the sand beach. Maya and I walk on, observing platforms being constructed, as the Emoji get ready for their expressionistic performances. Canopies, tents, blankets, and tables contribute to the festive mood of the evening.

  “This is glorious!” Maya ejaculates. “Surreal!”

  As we walk on, I observe platters of food. “We’ve planted and cultivated the fruits and vegetables ourselves,” Henzaka says with a look of pride on her face.

  “It’s amazing,” I say, plunging an orangish-pink apple into my mouth. “Tasty!”

  “My God, look at the sky!” Maya says, staring upward, gazing upon the endless star formations sparkling like diamonds in the sky. “It’s as if someone has taken a palate and drawn the most beautiful sky ever! Look! Look! Can you see it?”

  I shake my head, somewhat baffled.

  It’s IxChel, the moon goddess!” Maya beams, still pointing. Her face looks like Christmas Day occurring during the aurora borealis. Her face twinkles, reflecting the stars. Maya continues staring as if she’s in a trance. “I see a young woman with a rabbit. Their faces are in the shapes of the clouds.”

 
“Yes! I do too!” Henzura utters. “Right over there!”

  “Yes!” Maya ejaculates. “The woman is taking a rabbit for a walk over the bridge of the crescent moon.”

  Henzaka beams. “She’s marvelous,” she whispers to me. “What do you see?”

  “I see the twins.”

  “Where?” Maya asks.

  “Right over there,” I say. “I see two boys staring at a rattlesnake.”

  “Yes, of course,” Henzaka says, nodding.

  Maya beams, recognizing their enigmatic forms. “These images are all in Mayan legends,” she says. “The Pleiades are the tail, and the rattlesnake is the head. This is called the tz’ah ek.”

  Henzaka’s face appears calm and peaceful. As we walk toward the cliffs overlooking the ocean, we see Kasura carrying blankets along with some unique netting.

  “What’s that?” Maya and I ask in unison.

  Henzaka smiles curiously. “You’ll learn that Kasura never does anything halfway. He loves to transform moments. I think he has the two of you in his sights!”

  Henzaka pieces together some bamboo sticks, clumps of grass, and another special unknown ingredient.

  “Can I ask what you’re doing?” Maya inquires, beaming at Kasura.

  “It’s a grass bed. Have you ever slept by the ocean in a swinging Kasura? The sounds of the ocean will cure anything that ails you,” he says with a twinkle in his eye.

  Henzaka shakes her head. “Whenever he creates something, he always names it after himself.” We all laugh. “Look over there! It’s our resident artist and archer, Kohei Tong. He is the one who will, uh, kick off the festivities tonight. Would you like to meet him?”

  “Of course,” Maya proclaims. “It would be an honor.”

  We approach a man wearing a version of a loin cloth. The man is beautifully dark, bronze skinned and shirtless. His head is shaven with the exception of a medium-sized ponytail in the back.

  “He’s so handsome!” Maya proclaims, flashing her deep-set dimples.

  Henzaka grabs both of our hands as we saunter over to meet Kohei.

  “He is deep in concentration,” Henzaka says matter-of-factly. Kohei excels at watercolors.”

  Finally Kohei peers up, after making one quick, accented brushstroke. “It’s a pleasure to meet you both. Welcome to the world of the Emoji!”

  “It’s a pleasure to meet you, sir. I’ve heard so much about you over the years.” We all stare at his painting.

  “Japanese art is unique in the world,” Kohei utters. “Do you see these lines? They represent vessels of sacrifice to the gods… much like we’re going to do today.”

  Henzaka offers Kohei some of her homegrown fruit.

  “Thank you, my dear,” Kohei says with a smile, taking a bite out of a blueberrynana. “Sweet, crunchy, and different… I love the texture. Definitely transformative. I believe Metamorphose would absolutely love a taste.”

  “We shall offer her some,” Henzaka says, turning toward Maya and me. “Metamorphose and Kohei are quite the couple,” she says with a twinkle in her eye. “You see, I love watercolors because some of the properties are unique. They can’t be found in any other form of artistic canvas drawing. The colors glow! They’re translucent! They actually change and can transform into something else.”

  I nod. “Interesting theory; can you explain further?”

  Kohei smiles wickedly. “Yes, of course. You see, the colors of my paints actually can transform time, space, and movement. The energy and rhythm generated draw forth energy that can move from one spot to another like a dancing electron! I see you’re not satisfied, Michael. How about this?” Kohei stares at Maya; then he makes a few brushstrokes on the canvas.

  “Dear God, she’s in the painting!” I exclaim.

  Henzaka smiles. “But she’s gone.” He waves at the air. “Maya has disappeared.”

  “Where did she go?” I exclaim.

  “Her source and her energy, swirling vortices, have moved to my painting. What do you think? You have a horrified look on your face, Michael—why?”

  I whisper, “Maya.”

  “No worries, my friend! I have learned this technique from the sacred Dao itself.”

  Kohei makes a few more brushstrokes on the canvas. “She disappears from the painting like magic.” Kohei smiles wickedly. “But, my friend Michael, this is where science meets art.”

  I shake my head. “What just happened?”

  I witness Maya returning right before my eyes. I place my hand out, touching her gently. Maya glances at me whimsically, as if to say, “What’s wrong?”

  “You see, to Maya her experience inside the painting is natural,” Kohei utters with a smile. “It’s not a parlor trick, Michael; it’s just a form of transformation and expression, of course. I refer to my new creation as life inside a picture. It’s from a biocentric point of view. We all bring energy and concentration to everything we see, so in that sense, the picture itself has life. It is no different than the so-called physical life that all of us live; it’s just another form of imagery.”

  “It’s a form of teleportation,” I say.

  Kohei pats me on the back. “Actually, I call the process Tongnation!”

  Suddenly the sounds of the night cease. All the Emojis seem to be waiting for the master, Kohei Tong, to shoot his arrow into the sky.

  Kohei walks to the center stage, accompanied by Kasura.

  “It’s time for tonight’s opening proceedings to begin,” Kasura announces. All eyes are upon him. “The prepared archer removes all extraneous thoughts from his head. His mind doesn’t just focus; it becomes the energy needed to send his beam-like arrow into the sky.”

  Kohei stares into the enigmatic night sky. He picks up his bow and smiles. Tong allows the hues of deep expression to enter his mind. He remembers the ways of the Samskaras. He allows his thought patterns to become one with the universe, allowing aklishta to join forces with his mind and body. He chooses his arrow and then nods, aiming his bow upward as he pulls his arrow back and lets it fly.

  Kohei’s eyes stay focused on a spot in the sky, knowing that his Tong light beam arrow will hit its mark. At a speed of 299,792,458 meters per second, the arrow explodes into brilliant light.

  Almost immediately, we see saucers shoot, dive, ascend, and then descend into a swirling vortex of motion encompassing the sky. In a series of orchestrated movements, the ET spaceships maneuver, forming figure eights and making circling movements reminiscent of a whirling dervish, thrilling the crowd.

  Kohei places his bow down and bows humbly to the Emoji. “Rejoice!” he exclaims, staring up at the sky.

  That evening, Maya and I spend the night dreaming about daring flying saucers, transformative watercolor drawings, and an archer that dares to strive toward perfection. The sounds of the ocean accompany the many glittering stars that sparkle in the sky. Kasuro and Henzaka bring us fruit and fresh water before we fall asleep on a soft grass bed. We hold each other all night, making our vows to one another that we will always stay together. Maya’s face burns an imprint into my soul.

  I fall asleep knowing that Maya will be mine forever.

  I didn’t want to close my eyes, nor did I ever want to move from this spot, as we swayed slowly to the evening’s gentle breeze.

  “Fascinating,” Maya whispers. Blinking lights, daring acrobatic spaceships, and incredible UFO team maneuvers twinkle like fireflies in the night.

  “Who are they, really?” Maya asks.

  I shake my head. “Don’t know,” I whisper. “Maybe they’re just our ancestors beckoning us to remember.”

  CHAPTER 32

  August 9, 2378

  Midnight

  Riders on the storm, riders on the storm

  Into this house we’re born, into this world we’re thrown

  Like a dog without a bon
e, an actor out on loan

  Riders on the storm

  There’s a killer on the road, his brain is squirmin’ like a toad

  Take a long holiday, let your children play

  if ya give this man a ride, sweet family will die

  Killer on the road, yeah

  —The Doors (ancient band)

  We made love that evening swaying back and forth on Kasuro’s magical hammock. Yet our restless energy wouldn’t let us remain. Maya wrote a note of thanks to Kasuro and Henzaka.

  As we creep toward the opening of the opening of the tunnel, we see something so amazing, so beautiful.

  “Can you believe it?” Maya asks, with a huge, wild smile on her face.

  “The Emoji are truly magical,” I say.

  “Can you believe it?”

  I shake my head. “They’ve turned our little dirt bike into a panorama of flowers on wheels.”

  “Look, the backseat has a cushion!” Maya shouts. “And look! They’ve added a sound system. We can listen to music all the way up the mountain.”

  I wave my hand over the dirt bike, gesturing like a prince awaiting his princess. “Would you like to mount our new chariot?”

  Maya laughs like a schoolgirl ready to step onto the school bus for the first time. “Leave it to Kasuro. Look, Michael; he’s included headphones!” Maya places them over her ears. “It sounds like Mozart, Michael!”

  “Hop on!” I watch as Maya gleefully mounts the back of the newly flower-adorned dirt bike.

  “Where to, my prince?” Maya wraps her arms around me, planting a playful kiss on my lips.

  “I guess we’re going to try to find Bone, although I don’t know this side of the mountain very well.”

  Maya and I let out primitive screams, invading the silence of the night as we forge onto the winding road that takes us up higher and higher to altitude that leaves me short of breath. The terrain becomes progressively more barren as we circle up the mountain like a spinning discus thrower. All of a sudden, Maya’s chatter ceases.