Starseed

by Jude Willhoff

  After entering his room, he raised the window and pulled the white filmy ruffled curtain back to look toward the hill behind the bed and breakfast. Yes, there, sitting among the lush green scrub oak was Ari, his friend. The wolf stood on the rise watching and waited for his signal. He was glad the Ancient One had let Ari come as his backup. They’d known each other since childhood, and Kole knew Ari was on his side wherever this mission should take them.

  His mind melded with Ari. It is time for our journey to the caves. I’ll be in contact with you at the destination.”

  Ari stretched to his full height and sniffed the air. As it will be. I’ll be guarding outside the caverns. He turned and ran off into the scrub oak.

  Not liking the idea of taking Elle into the deep recesses of the caverns, Kole mentally made peace with the situation. It had to be done. And after all, Ari was there to help protect her. She was the key to the Ancient One’s orders. Under no circumstance could they let any harm come to her.

  Only one thing left to do. He had to contact his people and let them know it was time to go into the caves. The ritual to prepare his mind, body and spirit for the journey ahead was at hand. Kole pulled five softly glowing dark blue stones from his jeans pocket and placed them on the bed. Each was about the size of a marble. He removed his shirt and sat on the edge of the bed and breathed deeply preparing his mind for what was to come. Sweat began to glisten on his brow and across his shoulders and muscled chest as he concentrated on the job at hand. It was time to proceed.

  Standing, he picked the two largest stones and held one in the upraised palm of each hand facing the open window. The stones began to throb and grow warm in his hands. Tiny vibrations of warmth sprinted up his arms and down his spine and through his entire body. A golden aura surrounded him as he held his arms toward the heavens, opening the channel to send the signal to his people.

  A soft humming sound filled the room, increasing in volume by the second. The red light blinked out on the digital bedside clock radio. An electrical power surge swept through the bed and breakfast. Then there was complete silence as if time stood still. He sighed. There was just no Martian way to describe what was actually going on with him and Elle. After all, she was the Chosen One. How could he possibly convey the unfamiliar feelings and subtle nuances of his new emotions and explain them to the Ancient One? Yet, there was no way around it—the mission was all-important. He had to get on with it and let them know his status.

  “Oh, Ancient One, tonight I call to you. I and the Chosen One are preparing to go into the caverns to retrieve the Dropa stones and the ashes of the one who has protected the secrets of the universe for eons.” He lifted his head and swallowed. “Unknown to the Chosen One, from afar I have felt the guardian’s essence calling out to me. He is there. May his remains be kept pure in the crystal and may I carry him in a state of honor back to our home planet.”

  Kole grew dizzy from the concentration and felt nauseated. He paused to let his body catch up to what was happening in his brain. The humming sound seemed to lessen in volume and the nausea passed. Taking several deep breaths he stood tall with his outstretched arms and controlled his human emotions once again becoming calm.

  “Give me the proper guidance and insight to prepare the Chosen One for the truth of her destiny and that she has a sister. With great certainty I feel that she, the first sister is a true descendant of the Star Children and my Starseed.” He swallowed. “May she find it in her star soul to accept her journey with the wisdom and grace of the ones who have come before. When the time is right, she will learn of her sister and we will find the second Chosen One.”

  He swallowed again and collected his thoughts. “May I possess the strength of will and courage to fulfill my destiny. Please keep us safe on our mission for you. Bless us, oh, mighty Ancient One. We are at your service.” The golden aura compressed back into a single small dark blue ball and flew through the window faster than the speed of light. The bedside digital clock clicked as the power came on. Kole lowered his arms and sat on the edge of the bed for some time reorienting himself. The cool fresh breeze blowing through the window caused the curtain to flap against the wall catching his attention. Getting up he closed the window and put the curtain back in place. His head pounded. His skin was still warm to the touch and tingled from the experience.

  Going into the bathroom he turned on the tap and let the cool water fill the sink. Adding sea salt he stirred the mixture with his hand. With a damp cloth he began washing his face, arms, and chest feeling the gritty salt lifting the left over residue from his skin. The headache lessened with each passing of the washcloth over his fevered body. After drying off with a white fluffy towel, he sat on the bed and regained his strength. Then he put his shirt back on and left the room. Tonight is the night to tell Elle the truth.

  * * *

  Elle's heart sank to the pit of her stomach when she saw the charred remains of Herman's home as a back drop to the early evening sunset. A telephone pole with a large white platform holding a huge blue birdhouse perched on top was towering into the air. A reminder of what had been. Herman had loved taking care of his birds and building his bird houses.

  “We’ll park in Herman’s barn. That way nobody will know we’re around.” Kole slowly turned into the driveway.

  “There's hardly anything left of his house.” A tear slipped out of the corner of one eye and Elle quickly brushed it away. Herman is beyond tears. The thought only made her heart ache more.

  “It went up fast,” he said and pulled into the open barn door and shut off the engine. “Someone must have used an accelerant to get it going.”

  “That’s what Dad thinks, too, but I don’t know why anyone would want to hurt Herman. He never did anything, except try to warn people about aliens.” She sniffled one last time and twisted her hands in her lap. Then she began to pull herself together. It was time to stop whimpering and figure out who did this to Herman. She sat up with renewed determination to find Herman’s killer. “Do you think what or whoever is causing the glow in the caves is involved Herman’s death?”

  “I’m not sure, but we’ll soon find out.” He pulled the backpack from the rear seat of the Jeep. “Don’t look so worried. We’ll be in and out before anyone knows we’re there.”

  “Oh, look.” Elle pointed toward the field at a wolf running across the road. “He’s so beautiful. Sara and I saw him the last time we were out here.”

  Kole laughed. “Yes, I’ve heard the wolf is a sacred animal in some places.” He watched the wolf trotted off toward the caves.

  Elle and Kole hiked through the red sandstone as the sun began to drop behind Pikes Peak leaving a beautiful sunset with streaks of red and gold clinging along the mountain range. It wouldn’t be long until dark.

  At the entrance to the cave Elle ran her fingertips over the ancient writings on the sandstone. What kind of person had placed them there? A vision flashed before her eyes. A tall thin man was leaning against the rock, etching the symbols into the stone. He was injured and breathing hard. When he turned his face to the sun, he looked like an older version of Kole. In surprise, she pulled her hand away.

  Kole walked up behind her. “These are quite old.” He touched the sandstone gently and instinctively he knew his ancestor had written the message. He quietly read the inscription to himself. Starship and Dropa stones are in the heart of the cave among the crystal. I’m leaving signs to lead the way. Starship has lost power. Too ill to get the energy crystals revived. Losing strength. Will be with the stones. Counting on my starmates to bring me home. Blessings.

  He felt overwhelmed at how close he was to his people’s history. An inner pain twisted his gut. He would miss Elle, apple pie, Rocky Mountain Chocolate bars and the beautiful things Earth had to offer. Mostly, Elle. I must prepare her for the visit from the Ancient One. She deserves to know about her past. How will she feel about having a lost sister, about being a Starseed? My Starseed?

  Elle entered the cave close
behind Kole. Shale rock crunched under their feet as dust filled her nostrils.

  Kole turned and handed her a flashlight. “Stay close.”

  The cave was silent. A deep silent darkness filled every nook and cranny. Elle shivered, not knowing what was in front of her in the pitch black. She wasn’t scared, but the idea of creepy crawly things had her cringing.

  “Watch your step. Sometimes there are drop offs. We must be very careful.” Kole shined the light around them as they proceeded deeper into the belly of the cave.

  She followed him for what seemed like hours, then all of a sudden, an overwhelming feeling of dread consumed her. This was part of her destiny, she knew it. However, at the moment she wished she were anywhere else, but underground in this deep dark hole. She tensed and fell to her knees, dropping her flashlight. She fought for each breath. Something bad was coming their way. She sensed it with every breath she took. An overwhelming rush of adrenaline shook her to her core. Evil is here.

  In her mind’s eye she saw the shadow of someone in dark clothes pushing against rocks above them. We’re in danger. Have to save Kole. Reaching forward, she grabbed his shirt and pulled him back seconds before tons of rocks rumbled down in front of them like rain on a cloudy day.

  Clutching each other in the dim glow of the flashlight, they huddled behind a huge boulder as dirt, rock and dust settled around them. Nearly choking on the filthy air, she sensed the dark presence was gone. For now, they were safe.

  “You saved us.” He held her close whispering in her ear. “Thank the stars for your quick thinking.” She was wrapped safely in his arms. “Are you all right?”

  “I’m a little shaky, but I’m okay.” She wiped dirt from her face and stared into his intense gaze in the light of the flashlight. Dirty face and all he was the most beautiful sight she’d ever seen. Kole will get me out of here.

  “Someone started that rock slide,” he said. “We can’t go back the way we came. It’s blocked.”

  “At least we can go forward on through the cave.” Elle sighed and took in their surroundings. Looking over his shoulder in the thin stream of his flashlight she saw that they were trapped.

  Kole waved the flashlight around some more searching for an exit. “We’re lucky. We have the backpack and supplies.”

  “I lost my flashlight,” she said.

  “It’s okay. I have more in the backpack.” He handed her another and pulled her close linking his fingers with hers for a minute giving her comfort. Pointing the flashlight in front of them, he pushed forward through the cavern with Elle following close behind. The sides of the cave became narrower in places. “It’s getting tight in here.” Kole got down on his hands and knees. “Can you make it?”

  “Yeah, don’t worry about me. I’m right behind you.” Silence filled the air as they crawled forward inch by inch. Thinking positive, she knew that somehow Kole would get them out of this mess and someday they would laugh about it. Until that time she concentrated on putting one knee in front of the other.

  “We can’t go any further.” Kole stopped. “The passage is too narrow.” He sat in the middle of the small tunnel and turned to Elle.

  “What are we going to do?” she asked. Something cracked in the distance and she jumped.

  “It’s nothing, just a rock falling somewhere. We have to see if we can find another way out.” He held her hand and gazed into her eyes. “I will get you out. I promise.” He kissed the back of her hand. “Trust me?” he questioned her.

  “Yes, I trust you.” She squeezed his hand in return.

  “Let’s go back the way we came. Maybe, there is another way out at the rock slide.”

  She turned sideways and let Kole take the lead. The cave became larger as they crawled forward and once again they were able to stand. She stretched her arms and legs in relief for her cramping muscles. The utter stillness of the dark was seeping into the recesses of her mind, giving her the creeps. If Kole wasn’t here with her she’d be screaming her head off.

  The muffled sound of a wolf howling filled the silent cave. Kole stopped in his tracks. “Do you hear that?”

  “Yeah, it must be outside on the ridge. It sounds far away. I hope it isn’t hurt.” I wish we were out there with it.

  The sound seemed to be going away from them in the direction from which they had come. It would stop, then howl and move on. Kole listened to the pattern of the howling. “We need to follow the sound of the wolf. Hurry.” He grabbed her hand and tugged her along the cavern wall.

  “What?” Maybe, she didn’t hear him right. “We’re in a cave. How can we follow the wolf?” She was confused as he pulled her down the tunnel. “And why do we want to follow him?”

  “Trust me, the wolf is our friend. Come on.”

  They were nearing the rockslide when the cavern started filling with smoke. “Wh..where is that coming from?” Elle stammered, not wanting to believe what she was seeing. The smell of burning oil filled her nostrils. Scared beyond reason, the black smoke burned her eyes.

  “I don’t know. There’s nothing in here to burn. Stay down close to the floor. We’ll crawl back the way we came.” He pointed the light toward the ceiling. The dark smoke was going upward. “Something has to be drawing the smoke out of here.”

  Rough rocks cut the palms of her hands and her throat hurt from the smoke as she crawled after Kole. Her heart hammered against her ribcage. She shivered. Someone was trying to kill them. Her vision was coming to pass at an alarming rate.

  “It’s going to be okay,” Kole said. The wolf howl sounded closer. “We’re almost there,” he said. He pointed the flashlight toward a crack in the tunnel and clicked it off. A thin stream of light trickled in toward them. The smoke was going out the fissure. “Come on, it’s only a bit farther. We’re going to make it.”

  When she had a coughing fit from the smoke, he held her close to his side and crawled further into the crevice pulling her along with him. The smoke didn’t seem to phase Kole, but she was having a difficult time catching her breath. She was gasping for air.

  “Elle, you’ve got to trust me.” His gaze was intense, his eyes wide with fear. “Do you trust me?”

  “Yes, I . . . I,” she coughed, “I told you before, I trust you.”

  “I have to do something about this smoke or we’ll both die.”

  “Okay,” she said and coughed again trying to catch her breath.

  He pushed her behind him and pulled a glowing blue marble from his pocket. With a flip of his wrist, the cavern was bathed in a golden light. The next thing she knew they were sitting in a golden bubble filled with fresh air watching the smothering black smoke rising around and above them. She shook her head. What had just happened? She was probably in some kind of shock from what Kole had done, but she was breathing fine. “Ho-how did you do that?” Elle stuttered, not believing what she had witnessed, and pushed away from him.

  “How can that be? We were choking on oily smoke. Now we’re in a crystal clear bubble filled with fresh air.” She looked at him long and hard. She had always suspected he was different, but this…this was insane. It couldn’t be happening. Maybe she hit her head and was dreaming. This just wasn’t possible. Then she realized his eyes with the intense blue gaze could see right through her, all the way to her soul. And he had blocked her every time she had tried to read his aura. A twinge of fear slowly crept up her spine. Exactly, who was she with? This wasn’t a dream.

  “Elle, it’s okay. I’m here for you.” He reached for her. “I mean you no harm.”

  “Who are you? What are you?” She tried to scoot farther away from him bumping into the side of the flexible bubble. “How did you do that?”

  He reached for her hand. She let him take it. Turning it sideways, he brushed his fingertips across the tiny fingernail shaped scar on her wrist. “Remember?” he said and gently rubbed the tender skin.

  She felt like she was in some kind of trance or time warp as the vision of a wolf turning into a glowing golden boy
filled her mind. The image that had haunted her from her dreams since childhood turned into reality right before her eyes. And she knew. Kole was the golden boy. She gasped. “I . . . I don’t understand.” Her limbs had turned to lead and her mind was shutting down from overload.

  “I don’t expect you to. That memory was blocked by me until just now. Here, sit and relax for a minute.” He touched her hand.

  She blinked and then there she was, sitting on a huge flat rock in dim light with a bottle of water in one hand and Kole by her side holding her other. The smoke was gone. The protective bubble had disappeared and she had to admit she was feeling better, less crazy. Maybe she imagined the whole thing.

  “Let me explain,” Kole said.

  She looked around to see a wide opening with moonlight streaming through the large crevice at the top of the cave. The wolf was at the edge of the opening peering down at her with his piercing blue gaze. She sighed in frustration. Even Kole’s animal had blue eyes. “Tell me, what’s going on,” she said in a shaky voice trying to gain some kind of control of the situation. “I want to . . . need to know everything. What happened when I was a child? That wasn’t a dream. I was on a spacecraft with you.” She tried to get a grip on what she was saying. Something had always struck her as strange about Kole, but until now, she had never thought of him as an alien.

  “Yes. I was there and in your dreams,” he said, and squeezed her fingers. “I am from far, far away from Earth.”

  She had to be in some kind of shock. He was telling her he was an alien. And she had no idea. Where had her intuitive powers gone? Why couldn’t she read him? She bit her lip digesting what he had just shared with her.

  “I’m here on a mission to retrieve ancient records that were left by one of my ancestors and to.”

  She interrupted him before he could finish speaking. “Did you kill the horses?” At the thought a shudder went through her body. What kind of person was she dealing with? Was he a person?