Introduction to novel ( In The Beginning

                                                Ch. 1
In The Beginning


         A thick mix of lush pines and hardwoods cloak the darkened canopy in the flickering light of the fire. The glimmer of stars penetrate the openings and dance to the rhythm of distant drums, yet there is a hush over these woods tonight. We wait patiently around the fire as we do every milk moon, to hear the story of how we came to be. Yenene as we have come to know him, will soon come. The children always sit in the forefront and we the older kids sit in the rear. This time I will be watching from much closer, for tonight I will receive my awakening. I’ve always  had a fascination with Yenene, like I almost know him, maybe It’s the way he looks at me or that incredible reverberation I get in my chest when he gets close, either way I am very nervous.
         From the shadows of the benighted forest a figure emerges. His white mane curtains his face and the light of the fire only glows against the underside of his facial features. A silence fills the naturally carved amphitheater. The stones and thick of the woodland back drop act as a perfect stage and every eye was affixed upon him. Raising his head and arms to the sky, his billowing words sprang forth and echoed through the hearts of the tribes.

         “Once the greatness of space was empty. There were no stars, no planets, no suns. Then somewhere within her there was a thought, or perhaps a feeling. It is said that the emptiness filled her so that it became loneliness and from her loneliness, the need to escape. Then at once her spirit shattered, dispersing itself in every direction. Her many parts scattered to all corners of the universe. “

         The old mans voice was calm but recognizable ,as everyone around the fire new who he was by his tone alone. The wind rustled through the pine boughs as if to quote his every word.

         “Amidst the cosmic dust, massive storms and colliding debris twisted like hurricanes in the darkness. And hurling through the greatness of our corner of the universe came a flaming ball of fire.”
         
         His weathered hand reached out over the fire as If to catch warmth ,a palm sized ball of flame came up to meet it. He cupped his hands around it as If to mold it and released it into the sky where it hovered just above him. It began to spin profusely, then suddenly stabilized resembling that of the sun, almost too bright to look at.

         “ Then came a story of love. Our father suns light grew brighter and he could see that he was not alone.”

         The tiny sun grew brighter. Then smashing his walking stick into the coals, tiny flittering embers rise and revolve around the small sun like model spiraling outward like the tentacles of an octopuss.
                                                 

                                                                      -1-



Ch. 1                                                                                          In The Beginning

         
         
         Then small spherical shaped objects  began to form from the ashes that were now cooling.
                                                                   
            “There were others in the darkness, others in the cold. When it was light enough as so he could see them all, he drew them near to warm them.”

         As the grandfather like figure spoke his words, the orbs gathered close to the center piece and began their revolutions as do the planets we have come to know.

         “There was one that he loved so, her beauty danced before him and so it would come to be that he would take her for his own. She felt his love the same and so it was that she would run to him. Tossing herself about, she jumped  off her axis and began her journey across the galaxy to have him for her own. A love without prejudice, without fear she plummeted into his arms for what she expected to be a lengthy embrace. As fate would have it she could not bare the heat of his nature. If she were to stay with her love she would surely die. So with the love the father had for her he cast her into the most fertile of skies and this is how she came to have life.”

         With a slight movement of his hands this wonderful model of our galaxy moved directly over my head and I watched in amazement as the miniature earth plunged into the sun then was thrown back into orbit.

         “Little did she know that she was with child and over time she would grow to almost twice her size. Then at once it came, that beautiful day when the child would come. Motherhood had taken her as the first ,then the second contractions set in. The child had pushed itself low. She pushed and an agonizing cry brought forth tears that rained down over her. The child pushed itself from her womb and with it the waters from within her quenched her soils. Ascending above her a small flaming ball cooled in her wake and shined like a jewel in her night sky.”

         The small earth took on water and it’s child shined by the light of the father sun. My eyes had witnessed this before but never had anyone had the opportunity to gaze on it so closely. It was If Yenene was trying to tell me something, like he was singling me out. My mind intoxicated by my view and the wondering of his anticipated message, his voice interrupts my thoughts.          

         
                                                                      -2-


Ch. 1                                                                                                          In The Beginning          



         “Her body was still going through major changes as a mothers body will and the fertility of her skies gave birth to the grasses, then the trees, then to creatures of the waters and creatures of the land and sky. But there was a longing for the child who had moved away. Though she could still see him from time to time she knew that she could never hold him again. Her longing reached out to the far reaches of space and the great mother of all things heard. And so it was that the great comet came and sprinkled the seeds of man on her so that we would take care of her and she would not be alone. But this is a story not for the weak of heart.”

         He clapped his hands and everything he had conjured collapsed and faded into nothingness. Unhappy to see it go I turned to him only to see him smile. I had never seen him smile, hell I had rarely ever seen him. There was a mystery about him, one that had entranced me since I was a young boy. His slight of hand, his attention to detail, his amazing ability to fade into the wilderness without a trace allured me. It was almost at times like he would literally disappear.
         I drop to my knees to accept the pipe, my hands extended upward. His eyes were an icy blue and the folds beneath them carved valleys in his earth worn face rolling over his cheek bones as if the elements themselves had chiseled them. I take the pipe in hand , blowing out the existing air in my lungs and take in the smoke holding it in.

         “This is not ……..wait  maybe ….exactly what I expected was …….something of this nature. WHAT IN THA HELL! Pleple strerlefleeble.
Fuck I’m trying to talk but the words just won’t come out of my mouth and yet still that doesn’t matter. But what is this new view? What is this new perception? I don’t understand ……my first thought …..my last misconception. Me ….I have never understood me…..but now I know the answer to the questions that ..What the fuck am I talking about?”

         “My view on life has slowly disintegrated ..ugh …Get a grip.

         My stomach is tightening, slowly tangling within itself. The taste in my mouth, sort of metallic yet I can feel that love they speak of ….I don’t exist as an individual but a mechanical fucking robotic twisted ,mangled piece of dying flesh …Eater!
What tha fuck am I saying ………
…Am I talking out loud…?”



                                                                      -3-
Ch.1                                                                                                            In The Beginning



         The beauty of the world has finally smacked me in the face and lavenders so rich in color permeate my senses. The fire I can hear its voice whispering to me almost beckoning me to come closer as the faces of the tribes people fade into the black. There is only the fire growing smaller floating in darkness and myself of course.

         “ Talk to me great mother tell me what it is you are trying to say.”
I feel my body being pulled in as if to be the fire itself . My skin burns like the sudden rage I feel. Dropping to the ground I drive my fists into the coals in anger feeling no pain as I have become one with the stones beneath them. My hands becoming red, moving up my arms, then my face, I burst into flames a raging inferno.
         Raging through a massive forest devouring everything in my path I find myself trying to stop, but I must feed to survive. The animals of the wood run in fear and I watch as I tear through them relentlessly searing the flesh of the earth herself. Trees scream, birds fall from the sky and I can’t stop for my fear of dying. The tears pour from my face, I cannot believe what I have done. I pull with intensity to release myself from her grasp. Nothing left now but the burning remains of what was once so beautiful, and the mother of all things relieves me of my turmoil. My skin cools then sadness overcomes me.

         “ WHY……………Why would you show me this?” I back away from the now calm fire pit and look to the sky. “ What!” I cry “ What are you trying to say to me?”
She answers with another gift of sight. The sky opens itself to me. The stars bring themselves closer revealing a grid, a map of the universe, a history of great warriors. Every star in the sky is apart of a great picture one that has too much meaning to be comprehended. Orion the hunter is more magnificent than I could have ever imagined. There is a great sphinx every feature precise and his face turns to smile at me as do all the others and at once everything returns to normal with me left standing facing the sky in awe. Yenene grabs me by the arm.

         “ Son you are now in the beginning stages of your awakening. Let us go now so I can show you the path.” I can’t help but look at the sky. I’m so drawn in though the view is not the same I can still see them watching over me. “ Come on boy.” He says “ We have a lot to prepare you for.”

         The walk was seemingly long and I could see the sun trying to break the horizon. The night was coming to a close and sleep was calling my name. He led me through the winding paths and down to the marshes where he would show me into his dwelling. There was a bed made up for me and I just fell in.

         “We’ll talk tomorrow.” He said.

                                                                      -4-