Hekate's Passage: A story of Sex and Rock'n'roll, (Hekate's Passage: A story of Sex and Rock'n'roll, part 2, vol. 1)

by Kot, Eleyne

  “Oh!” exclaims Norton, “you have understood perfectly. You said it perfectly.”

  “Very nice,” Steve comments, “but excuse me, I don´t understand a word of all these. So the soul leaves the body and goes up and down the universe like a vagabond? How?”

  “Steve, it’s not easy to say in a few words, we can talk about it later, when I return from my holidays,” adds Norton, suddenly remembering he’s losing his time in this long conversation.

  “Perhaps,” asks Colin, “the soul loses its trail... I mean...the universe is immense... and the soul or whatever... can go up, down, back and forth... in time?”

  Norton opens his eyes wide now, as if getting what Colin means and suspecting it’s just the tip of an iceberg, he replies.

  “The soul can visit the past and the future, but can´t stay too long, the gods won´t allow it. The soul and its body have a time and space to live in, they can only visit the past or the future.”

  We feel a kind of anguish but the sound of phone pierces the silence. Norton is talking with someone now and we look at each other as if everyone has understood the message.

  “What’s going on?” asks Sally. “You look so sad! Why?”

  “We...we...” stammers Babette, “Yasmin and I have always been making bets on those things, and we have supposed that a soul can stay years if it wishes in a place, always considering that time travel or astral travel may be true.”

  Then Norton returns and hears Babette's last sentence.

  “A soul should return to its time, but suppose a body, a human being, body and soul, is taken to other dimensions of this universe, to the most simple of it, like past and present: a human being can´t interfere with those situations and can be hurt by staying too long time in the past or the future...”

  “So we, Babette and me, were wrong,” I venture, “we thought that a magical object can trigger a time travel including body and soul, not a mere astral travel...”

  I look expectantly to Norton and he gathers some of my intentions, but he’s still careful in his reply.

  “No object can take you back or forth in time, the Gods' will should not be defied. My beliefs teach me that things like these are only allowed to the chosen people, to those what have mastered the art of the magic. After they reach such high levels of the craft, nobody knows what they may achieve.”

  “Then the initiated may intend a travel in time with his body and soul and with the aid of a magic object,” I comment, eager for a reply.

  “Possible he or she may, but surely they shouldn’t do it,” Norton replies wryly.

  “Conclusion,” says Eleyne, “someone who is trained enough in the magic can use the amulet to travel back and forth in time”

  Norton grins and says.

  “As I said before, it’s possible but it’s not the most useful thing the initiated can do with a sacred object.”

  “May I ask you one more question, Norton?” I inquire discreetly.

  “Oh, yes. Please, do it fast. I’m closing the shop in 10 minutes, if you excuse me,” says Norton.

  “Help me to prove that I’m not a bad researcher,” I comment smiling, “this design is based on Hekate's Wheel, isn’t it true?”

  “Wise researcher, yes, it is,” confirms Norton kindly.

  “And if you look closely, there are some other signs added, carved, like a primitive svastika, and some others...”

  “I can´t tell you much,” Norton shakes his head, “the knowledge of all those symbols was lost with the death of our elders, we can presume that they are symbols of protection to pass to other dimensions...”

  Norton shuts up suddenly and looking to the clock, hurries his bulldog to the back room and politely bids us farewell.

  “This conversation has been refreshing and moving for me, seeing that copy of the amulet was wonderful. I would like to contact you later to talk more about this, and all the interesting topics we shared.”

  Then the guys give him one of the numbers of the Cottage in case he wishes to call us. We say goodbye and shake hands again, leaving the place with a very different impression from what we got when we just arrived. While walking to the parking lot, we don´t talk too much. My mind is trying to recall every word we said and then Sally, who’s talking with Steve, exclaims.

  “It was a great encounter! He was so moved when he saw the amulet! Do you like him?”

  “Yes,” I say, “it seems he’s a very cool man, very interesting.”

  “A very good guy,” confirms Sally while the rest of us confirm the good impression we got from Norton.

  “Did you see the silver cross with emerald on the high shelf near the window?” she asks, “it’s supposed to have been brought from Holy Land, and worn by Mary Magdalene after Christ’s resurrection...”

  Chapter 15

  Eleyne’s Story:

  The visit in the antique shop turns out to be very informative, though it puts all of us in a somber mood. Us gals, now know, not only suspect that we won’t be allowed to stay here with the guys. The guys seem to have almost all the information they needed, but the knowledge doesn’t make them feel cheerful. We are all subdued when we walk back to the cars to head for our dinner in the Chapelle de Viande. Steve keeps on glancing at all of us, obviously he suspects something. Enough was said by Norton and Yasmin to make them guess the truth. Suddenly he suggests.

  “Tony, Jim, why don’t you and Eleyne go with us this time? Colin and Yasmin can go with Ted and Babette.”

  “Why not?” Tony agrees, from the look in his eyes I assume he knows that Steve guessed something. After we get into the car Steve doesn’t waste time.

  “So… Why were you asking questions about time travel back at Norton’s? Is there something that we don’t know? Or shall I guess myself?”

  “You don’t have to. The gals really travelled in time. They are from 2011,” Jim answers sighing.

  “Oh, Goddess! How extraordinary!” exclaims Sally. “How?”

  “Well, you heard… Yasmin was investigating that stone circle with us, it seems that one of us – Melisa, the girl who already was taken back to our times by these strange forces, seemed to have found that ring in the place and we got transported here. Frankly, I can’t say much about how it happened. We were in a kind of trance then.”

  “What trance?” Steve and Sally ask together.

  “Well, I and Melisa got a bit carried away dancing to your music when we were on the mound. This place has a kind of energy that even I could feel, even though I’m not really into spiritual things. But it seemed as if we had been calling you guys,” I address Tony and Jim, “with all our souls and bodies… I was really thinking about you and some things that I’d like to be doing with you. I suppose Melisa was doing the same. So when we actually saw you it was like a dream come true.” I smile to them.

  “For sure it was like a fantasy come true for us as well,” Jim laughs, “you see, Steve. They were dancing naked when we saw them and then…”

  “I think I understand,” Steve laughs.

  “And then there was this creepy fog there, it really felt malevolent to me. We had to escape fast from the place,” I add. Then the guys tell the rest of the story, about finding Babette the next day and Melisa’s disappearance on the other. But Sally comes back to the beginning.

  “But how did you make this travel initially? Did you have any contact with magic before?”

  “Not that I know of. Of our group, only Yasmin has some knowledge about it. Babette also shares the interest. I like fantasy stories, too, those with dragons, elves, magic, swords and so on. But I don’t suppose this should count as ‘contact with magic’… And anyway, Yasmin and Babette weren’t even participating. It was just me and Melisa dancing and fantasizing.”

  “Could your strong emotions and the magic of the place trigger the travel?” Tony asks.

  “Don’t ask me… but I suppose Norton could know,” I answer.

  Then I tell Steve and Sally about the dreams of las
t night we all had. And I conclude.

  “This is why Yasmin was asking all those questions. The dream said that we will continue the research and actually keep coming back in time to meet you guys in various stages of your lives. Our next visit is apparently scheduled for end of June 1987.”

  “I’m still concerned, is it safe for you to travel back and forth this way?” Jim worries. “I’m not sure how much true this dream was… I would hate it if something bad happened to you, Yasmin and Babette.”

  “I think we need to speak to Norton again and tell him the whole truth. Perhaps he would tell us more,” I hesitate, “I hope he will call before he goes away.”

  The chat fills the time we need to get to the restaurant and before we notice we arrive at the place. The other four are already waiting for us. Sally wasn’t driving as fast as Ted was and they gained a few minutes on us.

  “So, this is this new place,” Steve says. “Does it also exist in the future?”

  Yasmin and Babette look at us stunned, so do Ted and Colin.

  “Don’t stare at me like this. They guessed almost everything from your conversation with Norton, so it was no use hiding things from them. We told them everything,” I just shrug.

  “Tony mentioned an interesting thing, though. Yasmin, could your strong emotions and the magic of the mound trigger the travel?” Jim asks.

  “It’s possible. Emotions are important in magic, but I’m not sure if what Eleyne and Melisa were doing was enough to transfer us 26 years back,” she answers

  “Remember, that Melisa must already have had the ring then. She must have found it when we were making camp. Afterwards, there was really no time and opportunity for it,” I remark.

  She just rolls her eyes.

  “That’s true. I hope Norton will call and say more. I still have so many questions.”

  “Do you still want to wander around some pubs after dinner? Perhaps it would be better to come home and wait for his call,” suggests Colin.

  “I just don’t know. Let’s just enjoy the dinner now,” she says.

  “Oh, yeah,” Babette adds, “the dinner will be definitely fun. Everybody loves this restaurant. I haven’t met a single person who doesn’t like the food here. Sally, if you’re on a diet, hang it on the lamppost outside. Just indulge.”

  “Exactly,” I agree, “the sauce, or perhaps gravy, they make, is just excellent. You’re supposed to put it on your potatoes, too, and they get so yummy then. The recipe is top secret. I suppose there are just a few people in the top management of the restaurant who know how to make it. But this is exactly why this dish is so successful.”

  “What if I want to order something else?” asks Steve.

  “You can’t,” Babette laughs, “the menu is fixed. First you get some bread, butter and some other spreads as a starter. Then goes their signature salad that has also some kind of special dressing.

  “Yeah, and afterwards you get the beef, done according to how you want it with no limit potatoes, or chips if you prefer, you can get extra sauce, but you have to ask for it. And, of course, at the end there’s dessert, if you still have space for it,” I continue.

  “If by any chance you’re a vegetarian, you can still enjoy the meal. The salad is excellent. And you can just stuff yourself with potatoes or chips with that sauce – you won’t regret it. And we can eat your meat,” Babette smiles at him.

  While we’re describing the charms of the restaurant and its food to the others the waiter leads us to our table and sits us there, and then brings the wine lists and the bread. Everybody starts munching though I warn them.

  “Don’t eat too much if it, otherwise you won’t have space for the main dish.”

  “I’ll always have space for good food,” asserts Jim laughing.

  The waiter brings us the chosen wine and pours for everybody, Sally declines.

  “I’m not really a big fan of wine. And, anyway, I’m driving.”

  Ted says sighing.

  “I suppose I have to limit myself, too, unless one of you wants to drive back,” he looks at his band mates suggestively; but they’re not too willing to sacrifice themselves. Ted sighs again. “Well, I suppose I can have a glass or two with food… And we have a lot of wine at home.”

  “We can still leave the car here and come back by taxi,” Yasmin suggests.

  “Better not. It’s not the best idea to leave the car here. We would still need to come back to get it tomorrow,” Ted answers her. “ But I can still change my mind later on,” he adds after a pause.

  While we’re sipping the wine and munching on bread, the guys are entertaining us with some funny stories that happened to them when they were touring. So we’re laughing our asses off when the waiter brings the salad. The guys taste it.

  “You were right, gals. It’s really excellent!” exclaims Colin.

  “Yeah, very original dressing. And the nuts and cheese add to the flavour too,” Steve adds.

  The salad is soon gone and the main dish arrives. The waiters bring some racks to keep the meat warm and light up some little candles under them. We also get freshly warmed plates in order to keep the food at the right temperature. We’re served and the staff puts slices of meat on our plates, together with potatoes. The men however choose chips. We pour some extra sauce on potatoes, too; the guys follow our instructions and then we all start eating. And, again, exclamations of admiration are in order.

  “Fantastic!”

  “I’ve never eaten something like this!”

  “We have very good beef in Argentina, but I never tried a sauce like this. It’s really delicious,” Yasmin is caught in a seizure of rapture.

  Jim’s not saying anything, he’s just busy devouring the contents of his plate. But in a moment he stops to sip his wine and asks.

  “So you said we can get as many chips as we want?”

  “Exactly. And you can ask for extra sauce too,” I wink at him, “though I suppose if you really eat the whole contents of a sauce boat just by yourself, you won’t be able to move later on. It’s quite heavy on the stomach.”

  “A pity,” he comments, “it’s so good.”

  Yasmin’s Story:

  After leaving the strange shop, there are still many questions not totally clear in my mind. We didn’t perform any ritual in full awareness of its potential magical force and the ring was found by chance. But it still worked. There should have been something more: the date. Surely, Norton could add a lot more of information if he knew more of the story - and if he allowed himself to go a little more outside the secret code of silence, which is something simply impossible to get from a loyal wizard. While Ted is driving through the English traffic, there’s not much talking going on among us. Colin’s especially somber, giving now and then a look to that weird magical object hanging from my neck.

  “Why don´t you take it off, Yasmin?” he finally says, “I can´t bear looking at that thing a moment longer. It´s exasperating me.”

  “Calm down, Colin,” I say. “Please, think that this thing is not to blame. We have the curiosity to know what will happen if we visit the place and start a casual heavy-metal ritual...”

  “Casual heavy-metal ritual,” Ted snorts and chuckles. “What a definition, Yasmin.”

  “We weren’t prepared for what happened,” says Babette, “I was at the hostel, alone, went to the mound and found it all deserted, as if some kind of spell had fallen upon the place.”

  “Melisa found the amulet first,” I comment while Babette looks anguished and nervous. “I think I saw it in her hand when she was dancing.”

  “But many people may have been there before and they have never seen the amulet,” Colin comments, “strange enough? Why did you see it?”

  “A lot of questions that only Norton may answer,” I reply while I look to the streets, the restaurant is near. It looks quite refined and posh. We park and walk to the restaurant's door, where we are welcome immediately. We sit at our table, still chatting.

 
“What would Steve and Sally say if they knew the truth?” asks Babette and then we see the other group stepping in the restaurant.

  They sit with us and after a short conversation we get that Steve and Sally have received the incredible news of our time travel, and they seem to accept the whole story without many questions. Sally is an enthusiastic fan of paranormal and mysterious tales, so it fits very well; but I don´t know what to say about Steve. He looks calm and amused by the strange visitors who are before him.

  The conversation luckily turns to more earthly topics like the wine, the main dish and the lemon dessert with whipped cream. It tastes so light and fresh, as if it weren’t real at all. We drink a cup of coffee and we summarise what we’re going to do the rest of the night.

  “This night we have gathered a lot of the information we needed,” I say, “you’re right, Colin. It´s not the best idea to stay out all night, visiting pubs. Maybe Norton wants to call and tell us something more before he leaves for Spain.”

  “That´s right,” says Tony. “He can be thinking the thing over and over, guessing the truth if he’s a wizard, he would have to perceive it.”

  “I thought about what you told me. And what you said,” I turn to Tony, “is true: the music, the emotion, the concentration to contact the essence of the place worked. I don't know how, but it worked.”

  “It worked exceptionally fine,” answers Tony, “bringing you, gals, to our place.”

  He smiles seductively to Eleyne and the rest of us, and all the guys look pleased with our presence there, but the gloomy air is tracking us in spite of the lighthearted atmosphere that the restaurant and its French music creates.

  “Time is running,” says Ted. “If the man is going to call, he will do it soon. He looks bloody tired and pale. He needs the sun of Spain.”

  “That dog,” says Babette, “he sniffed us as if it was suspecting something.”

  “Well, I know that cats are capable of detecting strange things, but dogs,” Eleyne muses, “I didn't know...”

  “An animal detects obscure and strange things faster than humans,” I assert.