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A Spell, A Prayer, & A Wish: Prequel of The End of Fate Trilogy

Page 4

by Parker Hennegan


  * * *

  Later that day, after helping Darius’ father filet a catch of fish and taking care of some other affairs, the shadows were growing long and the matters of the day had taken their toll on Marwan. He decided to call it an early day and head home. Marwan walked alone along the old dusty paths and soon became lost in thought.

  Marwan remembered his dream from the night before and thought about finding a partner again, someone who he felt connected to. She seemed so real. He longed for someone to share his ideas and life with, and wondered if he would ever meet such a person. True wealth would be having one soul to connect with, rather than any amount of material possessions. People search the lands for abundance and wealth, but the real treasure would be to know and feel a real connection.

  He thought about how his parents had told him that everything in the world, everything that he sees, is but a reflection of his inner desires—both of love and fear. So the real treasure, he deduced, would be simply knowing himself. From that realization, he would be able to grow like a strong tree and branch out to the world, bearing nourishing fruit for others. Maybe I am getting smarter. Those thoughts made him happy as he walked. Sometimes, in times like these, he felt more enlightened and ready to act selflessly and compassionately instead of needing to prove he would be a great ensi someday. Maybe it was apologizing to Tyre and seeing the hurt inside of him earlier, which had caused him to reflect so thoughtfully.

  The evening crept in as the light of the day went from yellow to orange. The sunrays contrasted with the pink and blue hues of the sky and clouds. As Marwan approached his home, he could see a candle’s light flicker through a space where the thatched roofing met the adobe walls. That must be Benyamina, Marwan thought. Pa isn’t supposed to be home until late again.

  When Marwan came near, he was very surprised to hear the voices of Pa and Kübra inside. Marwan abruptly stopped where he was, a dozen or so feet from the entrance. He listened.

  “My love for you is passionate and willing, my ensi. My many talents can only be appreciated by someone of your strength.” Marwan knew that was Kübra. There was no doubt in his mind.

  “You should leave, Kübra. It would not be good for me—or for you—if someone were to find you here. Go now.”

  Marwan was shocked to hear his father talking with Kübra in secret. He came to his senses and quickly backed away behind the cover of a few nearby trees. He watched as Kübra left his house and swiftly walked away down the same path he had just walked up from.

  In those few moments, he didn’t know how to feel. His mother had just left and to Marwan’s knowledge, she and Pa were very happy together. Was Pa cheating? He couldn’t deny what he had just heard with his own ears and saw with his own eyes. He sat down behind the trees and thought for a long time. The sky was dark and the stars were shining when he finally got up and went into the house.

  Marwan held his breath as he walked in. Pa was sitting in the front room, staring at a drawing on the wall. It was a drawing that Pa had drawn when he first built the home many years ago, before Marwan had been born. Marwan knew it was a special picture that evoked images of luck and prosperity for family and business matters. He snapped out of his trance as soon as Marwan walked through the entrance and hastily stood up.

  “Marwan—hello. I’m glad you’re home. I need to leave now. I may not be back tonight—I have, ah, many discussions to have with the other elders of our tribe. Tell Benyamina what I said when she arrives, too.”

  Marwan would have thought it was odd that Pa spoke with a flustered tone, but because of Kübra’s visit, he didn’t. Instead, he squinted suspiciously at his father who seemed a bit more disheveled than normal.

  Marwan couldn’t bring himself to say anything. Instead, he just nodded and Pa left without saying anything more. He didn’t even ask me about Tyre, Marwan realized. Marwan wished his mother were home right then. Why does she have to travel so much and leave Pa and the family? He knew his thoughts were scattered and he desperately wanted answers. He didn’t know of anything to do, so he laid down without eating anything, and after staring at his dreamcatcher for what felt like an eternity, he fell asleep.

  Marwan awoke early the next morning, much earlier than usual. It was still dark. He didn’t feel good about what he had witnessed the night before and felt unsure of what to do. He got up and looked for Pa, but it seemed like he had not returned all night. Benyamina was soundly asleep in her room. Marwan left without waking her up and went down to the river to think. He decided to go to a different spot than the one he and Benyamina always went to, because he didn’t really want to talk with her in case she woke up and came down. He was afraid that he would tell her what he had heard and she would somehow confirm his suspicions.

  The sun hadn’t come up yet but there was a soft light in the sky, illuminating the trail in a majestic way. He saw drops of sparkling dew on the blades of grass as he walked. Turning the last corner in the trail toward the riverside, he spotted two other people up ahead, sitting on the banks. He didn’t recognize them as being from the village, and wondered what reasons had brought them to the sacred river so early and without water jugs.

  They noticed him, turning to face him as he came near. They seemed friendly and approachable. Being the ensi’s son, Marwan was accustomed to meeting people and being friendly, even if his spirits weren’t always as positive as his greetings. He forced a smile towards them and waved hello as he started to pass, but they stood up as though they would introduce themselves. Marwan found himself compelled, whether he liked it or not, to introduce himself, too, and at least make a little small talk.

  “Hello, I’m Marwan, son of Ensi Pa of the Sumerian tribe.” Marwan cringed inside as he spoke about his father, but managed to hide his emotion well.

  “Marwan! I’m so glad to finally meet you. I know all about you and have been looking for you. I knew I would meet you here.” The stranger outstretched his hand to shake and then clasped Marwan’s hand with both of his in a very sincere, eager manner.

  “My name is Aiden and this is Apate.” He motioned to his companion. Apate smiled at Marwan with a grin he had never seen. She was beautiful, yet there was something seductive, almost sinister about her looks. Marwan considered himself good at reading people, but he couldn’t get a feel for what those intense eyes and charming smile were hiding behind them.

  “It’s my pleasure to meet you two as well, Aiden and Apate. Tell me, how did you know you would meet me here and what brings you to these parts?”

  “I’m a shaman and prophet, Marwan. I can foresee many things before they happen. And I’ve been searching for you. I’ve come to warn you of a great enemy you will face someday far in the future, yet your meeting is imminent. It will take many lifetimes to prepare for your final battles and you must start training for them—now.”

  Marwan stared at Aiden with a sort of numbed disbelief. It was strange news and verged on the unbelievable. However, having family members who claimed they were from a distant star system incarnated on Earth to assist the souls here, as well as having a deep, intrinsic belief in reincarnation, Marwan could believe in the fantastic possibility that Aiden might be telling some sort of truth.

  Still caught up in the emotion of the previous night, Marwan found himself simply nodding slowly and ignoring the immensity of what Aiden had just said. He looked over at Apate instead.

  “Are you a medicine woman, too, Apate?”

  “Something like that, Marwan. I’ve come to Earth from far away to assist you with your enemy, too. I’m glad Aiden and I found each other.” Apate smiled again, but Marwan felt no love from her. In fact, it was as if she was Aiden’s opposite. He was sincere, with an openness about him, while she seemed to be hidden underneath a cloak made of cold stone.

  Aiden ignored Apate’s remark, yet kept his enthralled, enthusiastic smile and didn’t seem to notice that Marwan was in no mood to be in the company of others.

  Aiden said, “Shall we sit an
d tell each other of our travels in this life thus far?”

  Marwan didn’t know how to say no to this new acquaintance who seemed so happy to have met him—or rather, found him, as he implied. So instead, Marwan just mouthed the word, “Okay.” He was surprised to hear that sound found its way out of his lips, too. Reluctantly, he sat down with the two newcomers.

  Aiden seemed happy to start sharing about his journey. He said, “I am from a nomadic tribe east of here. I knew from a young age that I was supposed to find—well, you, Marwan. I left my family a few months ago in search of you and I actually have been here in Mesopotamia for a few days now.

  “Before I left my village I could see in my mind you were in a great gathering of people and tribes, but to see you all here now is more amazing than any story about ‘the great village’ I have ever heard or imagined. I confirmed you were here from some people in the village when I arrived, but had a dream many years ago that we would meet on the side of a river—this river. So I came here to wait for you. I knew you would show up.

  “I’ve never been to this spot before, Aiden. I just came here looking for some peace after a rough day yesterday.”

  “Then do you see how much more magical this moment is?” Aiden seemed to have a permanent grin that he hadn’t shaken since hearing Marwan’s name.

  “Okay, I suppose so. Honestly, I could use a little magic in my life right now. I’m changing—maybe seeing things for what they really are—and everything seems to be a little more complicated than I once thought.”

  “I know, Marwan, I know. You are in a transition right now. When you pass on from this life to the next, you will no longer be the same soul. You’re in a state of metamorphosis. When you emerge from this place to the next—trust me—you will not recognize the person you are now.” Aiden chuckled at that last remark as though he knew something he was keeping secret.

  Apate then spoke. “You can trust me, too, Marwan. I’m here for you; I want to help you.” Apate placed her hand on his.

  Apate continued, “Did something happen yesterday that you want to talk about? Maybe I can help clarify the hidden meanings of events for you.” Apate smiled, and although Marwan still couldn’t get a sense of her intent, the smile looked almost exactly like how his mother, Maji, smiled at him. He felt a little more comfortable being around Apate and decided to share the story about Tyre with them.

  “You did the right thing by apologizing to him,” Aiden remarked after hearing about the incident.

  Apate said, “Next time, you might beat him at his own game, Marwan. Does he do anything that isn’t perfect?”

  “I’m pretty sure he drinks a good dose of firewater every night. A few of us in the tribe suspect it.”

  Apate continued, “Perfect—chastising him in front of your tribe for drinking too much might have had the desired effect to teach him a lesson. He would have known what it felt like to be those two kids.”

  Aiden cleared his throat and looked warily at Apate. Marwan watched as Aiden’s happiness suddenly turned into dissatisfaction. Marwan could see that Aiden sincerely disagreed with Apate. However, Aiden didn’t say anything about the comment and continued ignoring Apate. Marwan didn’t really know what to say; he thought Apate had a good point about giving Tyre a dose of his own medicine, but the look on Aiden’s face kept Marwan silent instead of vocalizing in agreement with her.

  Marwan glanced at Aiden and then back at Apate, and casually said, “That might have been a better thing to do. I don’t think I would have had to apologize for pointing out something like that.”

  Aiden quickly interjected, “That might seem to be smart or clever, but doing that would have ultimately had the same effect as what you did. Instead of physically knocking him over, it would have just been mentally knocking him over.”

  It seemed to Marwan that it was now Apate who looked annoyed at what Aiden had said. She said, “Sitting around talking about peace and love hasn’t won any battles or stopped any thievery.”

  Aiden folded his arms. “Talking about peace and love hasn’t started any battles either, Apate.”

  “I better get going to the marketplace. I have some errands I need to attend to this morning. I’m glad to have met you, Marwan, and I look forward to our next meeting. Take care, Aiden.” Apate got up and walked away, towards the village.

  When she had disappeared from sight, Aiden said, “I wouldn’t trust her. I can’t read Apate the same way I can other people. There is something mysterious and even haunting about her. If I remember correctly, she is up to no good and means to trick you, Marwan.”

  “What do you mean by ‘remember’? And how can I know that I can even trust you, Aiden? Your tale of your journey is pretty fantastic.”

  “Search your heart, Marwan. Deep within you, I know you sense you can trust me. Follow your heart, always. And by ‘remember’, I mean remembering the future. The many possible futures have already happened in a certain sense, and prophecy or intuition is actually an art of remembering. Our future is also my past.”

  The sun had come up and a few more people had come down to the riverside by now. Marwan looked around and realized the day had officially begun and people were carrying out their tasks and doing work. He thought about his Pa again. Marwan wished that he could remember the future the way Aiden claimed he could and see what was really going on or what would happen.

  Marwan asked, “Is our future my past, too?”

  Aiden simply said, “No.”

  As intriguing as the dialog was that Aiden had started, Marwan could feel his heart still needed some peace and quiet. Marwan took a deep breath and said, “If you’ll excuse me, Aiden, I have many things to do today. Can we continue this all later?”

  “Of course. I’m going to find residence here in this village and am hoping to see you again, soon. There’s much to talk about and like I said, you have a lot to learn.”

  “Well, maybe we can meet again tonight. If you’re going into town you’re sure to smell the merchants selling fish. One of them is my friend, Darius. Meet me there before the sun sets and all three of us can become better acquainted.”

  “That would be great. I’m looking forward to meeting Darius, too.” With a warm smile, Aiden said, “Don’t think too hard today, Marwan.”

  Marwan left Aiden sitting by the banks of the river and headed into the village to pick up a payment for some copper jewelry he had made the week before. He had to walk through the merchants’ area to get to the home of the man he had to visit. He saw all the fresh fruit and vegetables and was happy again that life was still going on despite his internal feelings. Meeting Aiden was remarkable, too, and he thought that maybe he wasn’t appreciative of what the Universe was trying to tell him.

  Marwan made it to the home he needed to visit and successfully picked up the payment. As usual, it was in the form of seals that were traded for other goods and services. As Marwan was walking back through the village to his home, he passed behind some tents but abruptly stopped as he overheard the familiar voice of Kübra, just on the other side of one of the thin fabric walls. As he listened for a second, he realized she was talking to the other woman he’d just met, Apate. He was perplexed at the chance that they would have met and decided to stay hidden to listen.

  Marwan heard Apate saying, “Maji is so beautiful, though, Kübra. I know you have good looks, too, but no one can compare with the beauty of Maji. That’s why she’s Ensi Pa’s wife, you know.”

  Marwan was even more stunned to hear them discussing his mother. He heard some other women talking as well and as he smelled a pleasant aroma, he realized he was behind a beautification tent, where woman went to get haircuts and perfumes.

  Kübra responded to Apate by saying, “I want to be as beautiful as Maji. I want to be the most beautiful woman in the Sumerian tribe. I was the most beautiful girl in the entire village. I deserve it, don’t you think? Don’t you think I deserve to be the ensi’s wife?”

  Apate had a soft, almost co
oing tone as she answered Kübra. “Is all you deserve just a status? You deserve admiration; you deserve the gifts of the people’s devotion, too. If you were the ensi’s wife you would be the true leader behind the scenes, the woman behind the man—the beauty behind the strength. Isn’t that what you really want?”

  Marwan could hear no more. He was intrigued at first that they thought his mother was so beautiful, but he couldn’t stand any talk of other people wanting to be ensi—especially not Kübra—not right now. In a split-second decision, he decided he should leave the premises as soon as his feet started working again. He didn’t want to make his presence known as though he were spying.

  With his mind spinning, Marwan was too shocked to make any rational decisions. He stormed off. No doubt that Án has been twisting Kübra’s thoughts with his own corruption, Marwan thought. If Pa was having some sort of affair with Kübra, there must be some good reason for it, or something else was going on that he didn’t understand. And who is this Apate? What does she actually know about my family and me? Who can I trust?

  Stumbling like he was drunk, Marwan made his way through the back alleys behind the tents and out of the marketplace. He questioned everything in his life, from the first man he had ever known, Pa, to the last one he had just met, Aiden. He didn’t know what to think and was feeling out of control. I just want to see Ma again, Marwan thought. He thought that she would have some kind of an answer for him, like all of this was just a bad dream. However, he knew this was all a delicate matter, and bombarding her with all of this information might be too much when she first arrived back. He needed to confront Pa first.

  Marwan looked up to see his house not too far away. Dazed, he couldn’t remember walking there and was bewildered at how he’d managed to get there without even thinking about it. The house was empty. Talking to Pa would have to wait. He put the payment in a chest next to other seals; it was where they always went.

  Then he packed a bag with a change of clothes and some dried meat. Marwan left for the solace of the woods, not caring at that moment who knew where he was or who didn’t. He needed some time to think things through and a night alone might be good for him. Marwan’s destination was the Cedar Forest, a revered place for its spiritual connections to the Spirit World and afterlife.

  Maji was scheduled to arrive back the following day and Marwan’s plan was to be back early, before her. The forest was actually not that far away. Long ago, the tribes had lived in the forest, but many years had gone by since those days. Over time, they had cleared some of it for farming and raising the livestock. By foot, the edge of the forest was usually about half a day’s travel, but Marwan was alternating between running and walking fast. He estimated he would be there a few hours before nightfall, just long enough to find some shelter in a good, relaxing spot.

  After running for many miles, Marwan needed to take a small water break. He spotted some marshy areas along one of the river’s tributaries not too far off from the trail. He headed towards it for a drink and to refill his small jug. Arriving at the water, Marwan noticed the remnants of a campfire. Upon further inspection, he could see it had just been used a day or so before. Looking around, he could see no one. Being the ensi’s son, he knew much about the different tribes of the village as well as the few smaller tribes that preferred the outskirts. However, there weren’t usually any tribes in this direction. He assumed the campfire was a lone traveler like himself and soon forgot about it as he drank from the cool, crisp water.

  After a small break, he resumed travel to the Cedar Forest. The sun was low in the sky but had not yet sunk below the horizon when he broke through the forest line and walked among the sacred trees. He spotted a group of trees that were nestled against some large boulders, which looked like a good support to set up camp aside. He draped a fur blanket over some spear-sized logs for shelter and then made a small fire as the sun was dipping below the trees. Then he sat and gave thanks for all that he had in this life and asked the Great Mystery for guidance and clarification for his situation. He sat until the sky grew dark and the stars began twinkling above the canopy. After hours of meditation, Marwan felt himself slip into a trance-like state, in which he felt at peace with the Universe and All-That-Is for the first time in days, or maybe even weeks.

  Without realizing it, Marwan began asking the Great Mystery for a companion in this life. He didn’t verbalize the question, but simply emanated an earnest hopelessness that affected the magical forest surrounding him. The forest felt compassion for him and began to spin a web of kindness around him. The branches seemed to wave in the wind with rhythm and the night owls called to him with deep, resonating comfort.

  Marwan fell backwards against the soft grasses as he was taken to a place deep in trance. Marwan felt himself being pulled down a dirt tunnel carved through the ground. Turn after turn he walked, twist after twist he went deeper and deeper until he saw a bright light ahead. He thought he could see a sun shining as he stepped through an opening and out of the cavernous burrow. He entered the Spirit World.

  Marwan looked around and saw animals scurrying along in the distance. He looked up at the eagles flying overhead, along with beings of light, maybe angels or other spirits. He didn’t recognize any of the animals specifically as being native to the areas around his village. Marwan had never been to the Spirit World before, although he had heard about it. I wonder if Aiden has ever been to the Spirit World, Marwan wondered as he stood there enjoying the mystical view.

  Startled, Marwan heard a voice behind him that made him jump. He hadn’t expected to travel to the Spirit World, much less be approached by a being of some sort.

  “Hello, Marwan. I’m glad you made it.” It was a lovely voice; a voice that almost sounded like it had a melody attached to the words. It was a voice of a woman, and quite possibly the most beautiful voice he had ever heard. Astonished, Marwan turned around and looked at who was speaking to him. She was a striking woman in a white tunic with bright, green eyes that seemed to glow.

  Marwan was lost for words. He opened his mouth to say something, but no sound came out.

  The woman continued, “It’s okay. I know this is all new to you right now, but someday you will come here freely to converse with the guides and angels in this realm. After you become Rowan, that is.”

  “Rowan?” Marwan was surprised to hear the name he had heard only recently in a dream. He looked intently into her familiar green, glowing eyes.

  “Rowan is the name you will call yourself; he is who you are destined to become once your current transition, your metamorphosis, is complete. You have only a little way left to travel in the skin of Marwan.”

  Marwan was still speechless as he listened to this lovely woman speak with a voice that sounded like it was infused with pure love. Even if he didn’t want to believe what she was saying, he would have had to anyway. The way she spoke was soft, yet firm—receptive, yet penetrating—it was simply indefinable, not able to be described in human terms. It was almost like her voice was a written Book of Knowledge in spoken form.

  As she gazed at Marwan, finally he was able to find his voice.

  He stuttered, “Are you the woman from my dream? And you are clearer to me now, and your voice is much clearer to me, too? Why and who—who are you?” Marwan’s genuineness was flattering to the woman and she smiled warmly.

  “Others in your tribe have considered me a goddess; however, I am a soul like you. And it seems like you are more ready to see things as they are, which is why I appear clearer to you now.”

  “Am I dreaming? Is this even real? I think I must have fallen asleep while meditating.”

  “No, you’re not dreaming. Yes, this is real, and stop thinking so hard, Marwan. You think so much but just listen to your heart. All the answers you seek are already inside you.”

  “Pa and Kübra—and Án... I thought I had everything figured out just a few days ago. Tyre’s attitude was my biggest worry. But now, in a couple days my world has been flipped
upside down. What was Pa doing in the house with Kübra? Who is Aiden and who is Apate? Is it a coincidence they showed up at the same time as this matter with Pa and Kübra?”

  “There is no coincidence, Marwan. Search your heart for the answers about your Pa. Do you really think he would lie to Maji and all of you?”

  Marwan looked into the woman’s glowing eyes. They seemed to get brighter and he thought he could notice what looked like a deep purplish glow coming from her entire body that danced around her being like a fire flickering.

  Watching her aura blink in and out of existence, Marwan realized that Pa and Maji’s connection was a very special type of relationship. It was one of those relationships that everybody wished they could have—based on true love. They had something that crossed the boundaries of time and space and led them to each other again in this life. Marwan wished he were as lucky as they were—he had wished before that he could find someone to love as they loved each other. Something else must have been going on, he admitted to himself.

  She’s looking straight in my eyes like she knows me. Marwan refocused his gaze back to the woman’s eyes.

  “I don’t think he would be hiding something like that, no. You’re right. I just jumped to conclusions after overhearing him. There must be some sort of explanation.”

  “I think you’re right, Marwan. Good job.” The woman seemed like she wanted to say something; she seemed willing to listen to Marwan’s contemplations but had something else on her mind.

  Marwan realized she was holding some information or some feeling back and said, “So who are you, then, besides a soul like me? Did you want to ask me for a favor or maybe tell me about an ominous future like a man I just met called Aiden?”

  The woman briefly looked down and said with her eyes lowered, “I am an old soul that has been watching you. I admit it to you; you have caught my fascination.” She looked back up at Marwan’s eyes and peered into them deeply.

  “I want to help you, Marwan. I want to be by your side as you fight for your truths during your journey.”

  Marwan smiled at this request for companionship.

  She continued, “I have a journey to go on as well. I must travel through the Land of the Dead to find a lost part of my soul. In order for me to realize the full potential of this lost portion, it must be found, and yet I have no way to find it. There is no hot without cold and no up without down. I must find the downward spiral of stairs to this lost place in order to fully feel the height that my soul—my being—can climb upwards. During this travel, you will be my best ally and warrior. I need you for my mission—if you agree. Do you understand?”

  “You need me to go with you to the Land of the Dead? But my family…”

  “The Land of the Dead is not what you think it is, Marwan. The Heavens and the Netherworlds are all overlaid on top of each other with no separation. The Spirit World coexists with the Cedar Forest. They are all connected. What I’m telling you is that I am coming to Earth.”

  Marwan asked, “How do I know this is real—or that you’re real? You haven’t even told me your name.”

  “You can call me Inanna, the Queen of Heaven. I am the goddess of love and also of war. “ Marwan knew of Inanna from the stories his Sumerian people told about the afterlife.

  She continued, “But as you change names, so will I. And this is a dream within a dream in a dream.

  “Tell me this—what do you really want, Marwan? What do you want out of this life you are living, and for that matter, from all the lives that you will live? You are about to embark on a new journey as a new type of soul. If you could pick a mission or anything at all to accomplish, what would it be?”

  “I would choose to know what the purpose of living is, I guess. Or really, the purpose of my existence—my life. I would choose to understand myself better and make better decisions than I have in this one so far. I know I could be a better person. I just need a little more guidance, maybe.”

  “So the mission you would like to be on is to find out who you really are and make authentic choices? You would like to find meaning and be the best part of your self that you have within you?”

  Marwan smiled and said, “Something like that.”

  “You wouldn’t want to find valuable treasures and be richer than in your dreams, or rule the world with many powers and servants?”

  Marwan didn’t hesitate to say, “If life is a reflection of the inner worlds, material things just come and go as one’s perception changes. And the true power of people comes from inside them, not from the outside. The interconnectedness of the Great Mystery is discovered by looking within and discovering the riches of the inner worlds as part of the All-That-Is. The world is like a mirror. It is just an illusion, a reflection of the inner worlds.”

  “And that is why I am fascinated by your being, Marwan. You are a fast learner and have the ability to also listen to your heart. Remember that no one can truly rule anything except his or her own desires.

  “When I come to Earth you will not recognize me, and I will not even recognize myself. I have an idea about how we can both grow, in order to not only fulfill your dreams but mine as well. There are some more experiences that I desire in order to really feel something I have recently imagined. So this will be a trip for both of us—a sort of compromise. The most special kind of love is the love in a compromise.

  Marwan started to realize that he felt close to this being that had appeared to him there in the Spirit World. He wondered if she were the true love he had always searched for but could not find in his life.

  As if Inanna had read his mind, she said, “Amidst all the mental games and tricks people unwittingly play on themselves and others, there is a magical way to experience the reality of life—through selfless love. The kind of love you can show and bestow upon someone, and then feel that same kind of love in return—but not with conditions. Unconditional, true love is the clearest, purest way to understand the mysteries of the self and the Universe.”

  Marwan found himself unabashedly asking, “Are you my true love, Inanna?” Marwan was astounded at this whole experience and yet elevated, as if he were flying, too, with a whole new perspective he had just come to realize. He wasn’t embarrassed to ask such a blunt, even childish question because it seemed to him like he already knew the answer.

  “It seems as though the Universe looks favorably on us, Marwan. I predict that as long as we don’t fall into some unexpected fear-trap of some kind, we will find each other many times in many future lives, until we finally remember who we really are again.

  “I’ve seen many possibilities for our future lives, and not all of them are good. But I believe in you—in Rowan—in the person that you will become. And I can’t take my eyes off Rowan.”

  With a youthful innocence, Inanna asked, “Tell me you are ready for the adventure of true love and self discovery—and wouldn’t mind my company?” She folded her hands in front of her waist and smiled hopefully while waiting for Marwan’s reply.

  “I am ready, Inanna. And I hope to open my eyes back in the Cedar Forest to find you really standing beside me.”

  “You will not find me until your next life as Rowan. But then our journey will begin. I just hope that you can make it through this life without too much trouble. This is the end of your cycle, Marwan, and how you play out the end will impact the next cycle for good or ill. Listen to Aiden; he has a message for you that you will need to attune to.”

  Marwan said, “Good, I was hoping Aiden was actually a friend…”

  Inanna interrupted Marwan, “There is someone else that I’d like to introduce you to, Marwan. Here he comes now.” Marwan suddenly heard some noise from behind Inanna. He looked around her and saw another being materializing from the forest behind them.

  As the being became clearer, Marwan could see that it was not shaped like a human. In fact, it was a bear—a small, black bear.

  As it approached, the bear spoke to Marwan. “You can just call me Bear. I�
�ll be watching you from now on, Marwan. If you ever need guidance, just ask for some help through prayer.”

  Bear’s voice was deep, raspy and comforting. He had a presence of peace and tranquility that he carried with him. Marwan asked, “Are you a spirit animal, a guardian angel of mine?”

  Bear replied in his gravelly voice, “Yeah, somethin’ like that. Also, just so you know, you won’t always remember that I’m here for you, watchin’ over you, but that doesn’t mean I’m not still doin’ my job. Feel the inner strength and peace of knowin’ deep down that you have a spirit guide—and I’m only a thought away.”

  Marwan just smiled at Bear; there were no words needed. Bear presented himself as an extremely kind, patient spirit. Marwan didn’t know how he knew but he was sure that Bear could read his thoughts. Marwan had a sense that Bear knew he was grateful for his presence.

  Even though Marwan didn’t want to leave the Spirit World, he felt something in the back of his mind tickling his soul and realized the time to depart was approaching. He looked back at Inanna and with a final wish, he held out his hand towards her, hoping that she would take it in hers. Inanna gently took his hand, but as soon as she touched Marwan everything started to fade. The sun started to disappear and the grass and trees faded to a brown. He was materializing somewhere else and sensed that he was being pulled backward through the same tunnel he had arrived in. Soon he only saw what looked like dirt all around him.

  Seconds later, he opened his eyes, still sitting in his makeshift shelter in the Cedar Forest. He could tell from the position of the stars in the sky that hours had passed. With a sincere feeling of great peace, Marwan laid down to get some sleep before the new day would come.

 

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