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Out of The Woods

Page 29

by Patricia Bowmer


  Silver bracelet: the wave pattern on the bracelet is symbolic of the life-death-life nature of the world (e.g., spring vs. autumn, light vs. dark, day vs. night, waves vs. troughs). It was thrown away by Nick in “the time before” when Halley was innocent. She discovers it on her journey, and it stirs her first memory of that time.

  Snakes: snakes, while often feared, can represent transformation, knowledge and wisdom. They are also thought to be indicative of self-renewal and positive changes. Here, though Halley is frightened by the snakes she encounters, they are a sign of her awakening, and, indeed, becoming awake is often terrifying at first.

  Sparrow: the nickname for Halley during a powerless phase of her life. She has to let go of the emotional connection to this creature and just let it be what it is, a small miracle of perfection.

  Unicorn horn: it is said that a unicorn can restore purity to a poisoned stream by simply dipping in its horn. The unicorn horn here is used to help neutralize Gail’s fury. It represents purity and innocence.

  Characters in Akilina

  Elements of Halley:

  Halley: the heroine. Age 35

  Hope: Halley at age 22. Part of Halley became stuck at this point in her development because of a suppressed memory of abuse. Only by recovering this memory can she recover her powers of intuition and decisiveness.

  Eden: Halley at age 10. Eden possesses all of Halley’s knowledge, with the exception of the things Halley herself has suppressed. Her giggle is symbolic of the joy of youth.

  Little One: Halley at age 5. Halley is stuck at this point because she never let go of guilt over her mother’s death (cancer), and fear of her father’s fury.

  Trance: Halley’s Shadow or dark side, as well as her power. Ageless.

  Gail: Halley’s fury. Garnered across an entire life of abuse, but her appearance here centers around Halley’s leaving Fernando. Ageless.

  Monster in basement: Halley’s intuition warning her of severe danger.

  Jordan: Halley’s higher self, closest to God and infinitely wise and kind.

  Other characters:

  Sean: Halley’s husband of two years, her passenger in the car crash.

  Fernando: Halley’s lover before Sean, when she was 29. Her journey into the nether-world begins when he leaves her, and she chooses not to follow because she has heard a baby cry, and feels compelled to find it. He is the last in a series of abusive lovers.

  Nick: Halley’s lover when she was 22. Psychotic and source of suppressed memory of abuse.

  Jake: Sean and Halley’s son, and the baby from the woods.

  Dad: Halley’s real father and also the archetype of the ideal father in Halley, after her real father has died. In the nether-world, he is a guide and authority figure.

  Annie: proprietor of Annie’s, the local grocery store.

  Table of Contents

  Dedication

  Contents

  Part 1: Descent

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Part 2: Four Years Ealier

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Part 3: All Time and No Time

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Chapter 23

  Chapter 24

  Chapter 25

  Chapter 26

  Chapter 27

  Chapter 28

  Chapter 29

  Chapter 30

  Chapter 31

  Chapter 32

  Chapter 33

  Chapter 34

  Chapter 35

  Chapter 36

  Chapter 37

  Chapter 38

  Chapter 39

  Chapter 40

  Chapter 41

  Chapter 42

  Chapter 43

  Chapter 44

  Chapter 45

  Chapter 46

  Chapter 47

  Chapter 48

  Chapter 49

  Chapter 50

  Chapter 51

  Chapter 52

  Chapter 53

  Chapter 54

  Chapter 55

  Chapter 56

  Chapter 57

  Part 4: Deep Water

  Part 5: Epilogue

  Six Months Later

  Two Years Later

  Appendix

 

 

 


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