Atlantis

ATLANTIS

I

My name is Raanan, a soul long dead now I lived in Atlantis, a grand city and the first of its kind, on the island of Thera in Greece around 1644 BC. I was the only daughter to the great sculptor Alexandros Karpos. My mother died at my birth and my father raised me alone.

Atlantis was a city sculpted and constructed by the greatest architects and landscapers of the time. It was built at the base of a tall mountain, where a giant temple was erected for the gods. The temple was a pyramid design, and was constructed from stones of the hills around the city and stood almost as high as the mountain cliffs that surrounded Atlantis. A massive hill of stairs ascended up from the center of the city into the mouth of the temple. Statues of the god’s were sculpted and displayed around the base of the god’s temple and a beautiful sculpted arch welcomed followers.  At that time most of the trading in Greece came out of our city.

Atlantis was a circular island with canals a hundred feet deep that ran through the city and they created three rings inside the island.  Each of the canals was connected to the other by side canals. The idea behind such a design was to bring the port, not just to the city at the coast line, but to bring it throughout the city. With this design, the markets of the city grew numerous and large, spreading out from one side of Atlantis to the other. 

People sailed in from all around to see our great feat.  Notable writers and great philosophers from all around would from time to time appear on our streets.

My father along with my husband Sophus, his apprentice, helped design and construct some of the great canals of the city. These were a testament to my father’s gifts as a designer who died not so long before of old age.

My husband and I, along with our young daughter Marina and her nurse maid, lived in a three story house that Sophus and my father built out of limestone and rock. It stood on the edge of one of the center canals just off of the market place.  Our home gleamed on the inside with sculpted art work and mirrors of silver brought from all over the islands of Greece. Marble columns and colorful silk decorated the inside of the house as gardens and trees of amazing color grew on the outside.

I remember the day I died very clearly.  On that morning I woke to the sun already high in the sky.  There were almost no clouds to speak of and the air was very dry even through there was a cooling wind from the north.

I stood out on one of the large over-hanging balconies just off of our bedroom and listened to the voices of the city flow up to me. The sounds of poor and rich alike were carried through the canals with no bias or prejudices of social standing. The markets were busy with merchants and venders pedaling their wares from fresh sea food and produce, to imported silver and bronze jewelry of every size and shape.

The smell of spices and cooking meat filled the air and I closed my eyes and began to breathe in deeply to smell the aroma in my mind as a bird danced with the wind over my head. My thoughts were broken when my husband’s strong hands grabbed me suddenly from behind and he pulled me toward him, forcing me close, I felt his power.

“Marina is in the market place with our house maid,” he said.

“Good,” I responded and turned to him.

He was still exciting for me to look at.  He stood tall over me, his thick black hair messed from sleep, naked broad shoulders and green penetrating eyes. I leaned forward to kiss him and felt the scratchiness of his newly grown beard. I leaned back and ran my fingers through his hair which caused him to smile, his right dimple showed itself and I kissed him again.

He slowly began rubbing his fingers across my breasts and when he grabbed them up I let out a gasp. Just his touch sent chills pulsing through my body.  Then Sophus lifted the layers of cloth of my robe and turned me around and I felt his stiff penis enter my vagina.  I moaned out and grabbed the side of the stone archway leading off the bedroom to steady myself. He thrust himself into me again and again while the cool breeze dried sweat on our bodies. We made love to one another all morning and then fell asleep holding one another.

I awoke on the warm stone floor of our bedroom with my husband’s hands still wrapped around my waist. I could see a bird walking across the top of the wooden wall of the bedroom balcony then stopped and looked down at the two of us. A few moments later my husband awoke and climbed to his feet and then he reached out his hand toward me and smiling helped me up.  After dressing we walked to the public baths where we washed before making our way to the market to look for Marina.

The sun was at its full height over the city and the warm air carried its usual smell of sea salt and cooking spices as the two of us walked down the cobble stone streets that led into the market where merchants stood in front of their wares and holding up items trying to entice those wandering by.

“Seafood, fresh produce,” shouted one. “Silver shiny pieces of silver here,” shouted another.

As we walked amongst the wooden and stone tables of the merchants that hugged both sides of the street I noticed there were only a few dozen or so citizens perusing them on this day. One table, shaded by a large blue piece of silk fluttering overhead, stood a big man with a round belly and thick black beard.  I noticed beads of sweat rolling off of his bald head and catching his eye he called to me.

“I have silk and furs from all over Greece, and the finest rugs.  Someone like you would certainly know good quality when you see it.” I gave him a smile but did not stop, continued on our way on down the street.

Raised voices filled the streets and I could tell from the sound and commotion, a new shipment of wares had just arrived at the north docks. Atlantis always came to life with fever paced activity when several boats wooden boats pulled into the canals.

Sophus and I ran toward the docks then we stood on a stone bridge walkway that passed over the main canal and I watched as a big ship passed under. We admired the heavy boat that had a fat belly made of wood and tree sap, its long black mast just cleared the bridge.  Many men with several long wood oars steadied it from the narrow canal walls, as the craft pulled into the wooden dock.  Several merchants ran down the three flights of stairs from the market to the dock to watch as men began to long task of unloading cargo. Within moments a line had formed from the ship, up the stairs to the stone street where Sophus and I stood, as wooden crates of cargo were tossed out of the ship and passed on down the line, each man being extra careful as it was passed to him until it reached the top. Voices raised and shouts were heard when crates were opened to expose treasures of silk, hides and gold.  All were unpacked then hurried into the market square for bidding.

The same market streets that only minutes ago lazy with easily enough space to walk down, now were so tightly pack with patrons and barters that you could not even see the cobbled stones where they stood.

Suddenly I heard a familiar voice yell, “Mama, mama,” and I watched as our daughter Marina pushed her way through the crowd of people.  She hugged my husband tightly. “Did you see a new shipment from Greece,” she asked as she looked up at me with the excitement that only a small child can have.

“Yes, Marina.  Isn’t it exciting?” I responded to her.

My husband put his arm around her shoulders.  “Time for home, he said. And we began to walk back to our home with the sea air at our backs.

“Did you have fun in the market place today,” I asked her, knowing the answer as the market was her favorite place.  She gave me a smile and an aggressive but happy nod.

The walk back to our home was short and as we came to the entrance of Sophus decided to sit on the long marble bench a large olive tree just to the right of the limestone archway that led to the ascending staircase of our three-story home. We were happy to be together and the three of us sat there is silence for many minutes. I closed my eyes and felt myself cool under the shade of the tree and enjoyed the peace of that moment with my family. I had no way of knowing it would be my last happy moment with them.





II

THE RATH OF APOLLO

We sat together on that stone bench under that shade of the ancient olive tree and I held my child close.  If I’d known what was about to happen I never would have let her go. Then I took my arm from around her waist and pointed up as every bird on the island took to the skies, in a flutter of wings and panic the birds flew as high over our heads and as far away from the island as they could. We sat still each lost in thought without saying a word looked into the sky and watched as the birds slowly moved out of sight.

My husband gave me a confused looked just before the ground began to shake. I struggled to my feet but was thrown to the ground. Marina screamed in fright and my husband held her as the marble arches of the entrance of our home swayed back and forth. I heard him say to our daughter, “Don’t worry they won’t fall.” Then looking at me he said, “Your father and I put wooden cross sections between the bricks for support, they will hold.”

The three of us huddled there on the ground as olives rained down on top of us and the olive tree swayed and bucked behind us.  Small dogs raced for cover as the screams of our panicked neighbors grew very loud as they raced toward the city center.

We struggled to our feet and held tight to each other as the ground continued to move. We saw the water from the great canal as it splashed against the high sea-walls the waves were so tall that they crashed down onto the stone streets of the market and washed over the bridges and walkways.

We heard and even louder crumbling sound and I turned around and over my shoulder I saw our sacred Temple for Apollo behind our house, and my eyes couldn’t believe the sight of the large stones that began to tumble off of it and crash with a massive destructive force on the streets below.

When the great temple of Apollo, the grand center piece of Atlantis, came crashing down on the base of our city it lifted a cloud of debris that filled the air with dirt and dust and I could no longer see were the great temple had stood proudly over our city. I heard people screaming, “The Mighty Apollo is angry with us, we have wronged him somehow.”  I too thought we’d done something wrong and felt my tears as they began to roll down my face. I held my child close to my bosom and looked at my husband as if he could stop all of this from happening. I closed my eyes and tried to catch my breath.

Suddenly a massive explosion erupted in the center of the city right where the remains of the temple now laid. A cloud of fire rose then smoke flew high into the sky and blocked out the sun and darkness overtook the city. When the ground stopped convulsing the three of us ran toward the canals. With my husband leading the way and holding my child we ran across North Bridge but I could no longer see the deep water.  The canal was almost empty.  The sound of large boats crashing against the stone walls of the canal as the waves thrashed them back and forth sounded like thunder.

“What is it,” I asked in fear.

“Its Apollo, he is displeased with us,” responded Sophus.

The people of Atlantis were trying to find safety from a mighty volcano that had opened up under or city.  Hot magma poured onto the streets of our city. 

People pushed and shoved and Marina was pulled from my grasp.  Out of fear she ran and into the darkness of the market street.

“No Marina! Come back,” I yelled but through the fear and noise she must not have heard.

I screamed for Sophus and we took off after her through the streets of the market square, stumbling over panicked and running people. We could not keep up with the fast legs of my child who was swept into the crowd and as I screamed for her to stop. The beautiful cobble stone street below suddenly open up around our feet and massive cracks and crevasses formed under me as I struggled to run.

“We must find her,” I screamed.

“We will,” he assured me. 

We ran hand in hand helping one another over the large openings that now were running throughout our Atlantis. Suddenly we found a storm of people running toward us and then a powerful wave of water struck me and I lay on my back next to a wooden produce cart.

“Marina,” I screamed through the blackness.

Everywhere I heard the screaming but through it all I heard my child. We ran in the direction of her voice and struggled to see through the thick black ash that was now raining down onto us. More explosions and the ground shook and I almost fell into a large opening but the strong hands of my husband pulled me back and he held me tight for a short moment while we looked into each other’s eyes seeing our fear and love.

Then she was there.  My husband held me close as I pulled our child in tight embrace and closed my eyes as an explosion of magma was thrown high into the sky. Another giant cloud of black smoke filled the skies and followed by another mighty blast.

Large pieces of stone, rock and dirt rocketed into the air continued to rain down on our city. We watched as massive heavy boulders crashed into the tall structures of our city while building toppled. Our city ruined by the gods.

“Come on we have to go,” he said as I looked up to see a massive flow of molten lava flowing towards us. It was a thick black substance with an orange and red glow under its crust and the heat it generated was intense. Flames of fire began to erupt burning everything in its path. The shops of the market street were engulfed by the hot magma as the lava made its way through the city destroying everything.

“To the waterfront, get to the edge of the city, quickly,” Sophus yelled.

We followed the mass of people now making their way to the water front. I began to hear the sounds of crashing water as we approached the water front where hundreds of people pushed their way into the water as the ground once again began to shake and move. The water thrashed around behind us and I struggled to stay on my feet.

Suddenly the sea began to heat and boil at our feet. The ground opened up around us and I watched as our city that my family helped to build as was destroyed. The entire center of our city flew high into the sky as another blast came from the center. Homes and building flew apart as ash and smoke ripped through them. A massive blast of derbies and ash thrust us into the boiling water of the sea and I screamed in pain and tried to swim back to land but there was nowhere for me to go. People flailed around in the hot water as their skin bubbled and floated off of their bodies. Marina struggled as Sophus tried to lift her from the water but it was too late.  She died in his arms in instant.

Then the whole of the island was engulfed by the sea as the massive force of the volcano destroyed most of the island. My body and that of my husband with our arms around our daughter sank to the sea floor.

On the sandy bottom I was slowly overtaken by a great feeling of peacefulness.

I looked around and saw many naked figures swimming through the water, men and women of such great beauty that I was mesmerized.  I watched one in particular a woman with billowing black hair and an enchanting smile, seemed to be mine.  She swam down into the water toward me and smiled again when she gently grabbed hold of my arm. I saw her massive white wings expand into the water and felt love as we were forced upward with such force that we exited the water within moments. Then I felt a cool breeze on my face as the wind dried the wetness and I was carried high over the island.  I was flying with the woman and I had the urge to look down at the destruction of my island when a powerful white light over took me.  I lost consciousness as I was carried in the realm of the gods.





III

RIELM OF THE GODS

When I awoke Sophus and Marina stood over me. I looked at my husband and daughter, their smooth skin tan and soft showed no sign of the scalding burns. They smiled when I looked down at my legs then at my arms before I lifted my hands to my face.  I saw that I too had no burns.

All around us were happy people.  People I recognized but now they looked peaceful.  I looked around in confusion and saw that we were in a huge room.  A room that looked an awful lot like Greece, it was a square stone structure with a large bathing pool sitting in the middle of the room and round tall columns so wide I could not even touch my hands together if I hugged one of them, held up a simple marble roof.  I could see through it and birds soared in the breeze in the distance.

I was soon to find out that this room stood high on a rolling hillside covered in lush green grass that were dotted with patches of wild flowers growing everywhere.

One by one a blur of white light would appear and a figure would emerge from it depositing them in this place of contentment. Many members of Atlantis began to appear before me, each one more confused than the other. That is, until they felt the contentment and joy surrounding them.  It was as if you could rub pure-love and joy over your skin, soak it in and be content. That is what I felt in this place and I could not imagine anyone wanting to leave it.

I understood that we believed that our gods wanted us to be in this paradise.  Did Apollo create this place just for us? Yes and no, I thought then I realized that each of us saw this place the way we wanted to see it, in the peacefulness of our mind.

I stood with Sophus and Marina while we looked over the faces of the people among us.  Not one of us asked about our home Atlantis. They all must have felt what I felt, that this place was our home now.  It would be some time before I questioned that thinking.

Hand in hand we walked out of the room and down the hillside.  When Marina let go of my husband’s hand to run ahead we no longer worried. We followed her through the tall blades of green grass while small multicolored flowers of all kinds and sizes swayed with the breeze and butterflies fluttered around their petals. I picked one and it smelled not of flowers but of morning breakfast I shared with my father when I was just I little girl. The memory gave me such happiness and it was then that I heard his voice. I turned to see a muscular young man walking down the hill toward us.

“Dew-drop,” he said addressing me as my father always had.

I stopped and watched as this strong young man changed into the old dying man I knew at the end of his life.  I ran into his arms and hugged him with all of my might. He felt real as he stood tall in front of me but his then his skin was soft and smooth as it was in his youth.

“Papa,” I cried. He began to stroke my hair, just as he had always done in my childhood. “I thought I would never see you again.”

“Child I’ve always been with you. I have never really left you.”

“Sir, good to see you,” Sophus said. I’d almost forgotten my husband and daughter were there.

“How are you Sophus?” my father asked.

“Confused sir, what is this place?”

“Why this is Elysium,” he said with a smile.

I looked up at him with confusion. “How can this be?”  I asked. “We didn’t pay our passage to Charon, the boat man to ferry us across the River Styx to this world.”

“Not everything is how we thought it would be Raanan,” he said, taking up Marina in his arms to kiss her. I wondered if she remembered him.

The four of us walked to a bank of a calm shallow river at the base of the hillside were several members had already gathered. There amongst the people were many deer and small animals some I didn’t recognize, that were drinking out of the cool water shaded by a large groove of trees. Then Marina laughed and pointed as several small glowing fairies danced above the water.  When one of them gently landed on a floating leaf Marina clapped her hands, a small ripple bounced on the water when the fairy took to the sky once more.

We sat under the shade of large trees that covered the bank, and watched the animals grazing and drinking near us.  Then I leaned forward and placed my toes in the cool water and asked my father, “So this is Hades? All this?”

“This and so much more, once you learn the ability to focus your mind,” he said, then stretched and placed his feet in the cold water next to mine.

“Focus my mind?” I asked him.

“Yes, once you have learned to focus your wishes then this place can be everything and anything. You will be able to create the home of your dreams in this place, and those long gone from your life can come back to you.” And with that he disappeared before my eyes.

“No wait! Please come back,” I pleaded as I reached out grasping for his disappearing image.

“I will come back,” his voice said in my mind. I felt a hot tear as it feel and ran down my cheek.

Suddenly another bright light appeared over the water attracting the attention of everyone. A woman stood before us, tall and slender with long white wings extended out far above her head. Her only clothing was a thin piece of gold silk that draped off her breasts and down her body. She had a dainty olive branch twisted through her golden hair. She stood silently above the water then she spoke.

“I am Nike, welcome to Elysium. Your life has ended on earth and now you live again here.  You have passed from your world into ours, and have severed all connections to all you knew before.  After some time here you may choose to return and of course you are able to do that. You can either be reborn and start your life anew, or you can become a guide a pusher of souls. The choice will be yours. Your god will not interfere, one way or another in your life here.” Then she was gone.

Like everyone else I was stunned and mystified that a god had just been standing before me. I looked over at my husband but we did not know what to say to one another. We sat there looking out on to the water as if the god would return any moment.

I have no idea how much time went by but I found myself walking with Sophus and Marina toward the far north toward cliffs where a very large waterfall crashed and sprayed mist high into the sky where a rainbow lead us to a small lake. We stood watching the waterfall until we heard the sound of dozens of horses galloping toward us. We looked all around but saw no sign of them. But the sound grew louder and just as I heard the sound of a horse close by, I looked to the top of the cliff and saw a large white horse leap off of the cliff.  It was followed by hundreds of brown and black horses jumping and extending their wings until they caught the wind to soar above us.

“Its Pegasus,” yelled Sophus pointing to the white one. We laughed out loud as the mighty horses soared around us showing off their beauty. Then after a moment they landed in the field of green grass as the sun beamed down on us and the wonderful Pegasus walked over.  I said nothing but I stroked her fine mane with my hand. It felt softer than anything else I had ever felt.

“This is your paradise,” said a voice from behind me. It was my father once again.

“What do you mean this is my paradise?” I asked.

“This place is different for each one of you, every person on earth whether Greek are no, has their own view of the gods. Some don’t believe in our gods.  This place will change for each person according to what they believe in their hearts. That is the wonder of this place. So for you and your family you will find that it will be Hades.” 

I said nothing. I was baffled at his words. He leaned in a kissed my forehead.

“Sir,” asked Sophus. “If this place is paradise where is it we sleep? Where is our home?” 

“Well that my boy is inside you. Just think hard about what you want and you will create it here,” he said, then, disappeared once more.

I closed my eyes and tried to envision Atlantis. I wished as hard as I could for it to real to happen but nothing. Then I heard the voice in my head once more.

“You try too much, too big my child that was always your trouble even as a little one. Just try a small home.”

I cleared my mind of the great city and focused on a stone and wooden house that I grew up in as a child. Then as I opened my eyes the light was bright and the wind began to blow through the long blades of grass and I put my hand to my face to shade my eyes.  When I dropped my hand down, I was astonished to see the sight of my childhood home.

“Oh my,” said Sophus as we stepped closer to the stone house before us.

“It looks so real,” said Marina.

“Well I think it is.” I stepped up to my childhood home and opened the wooden gate of our garden and walked up to the stone path that led to the wooden door. I placed my hand on the cold stone of the wall as I opened the door. “It’s real,” I whispered.

The house was just as I had recalled it.

Our home sat on top of one of the hillsides with a great garden surrounding it and a massive oak tree behind the house. The stone fireplace burned in the main room at the left side of the house a few feet away from two tall windows with their blue silk curtains. A long narrow fur rug sat on the wood floor between a set of chairs. We stepped in and as I looked down the hall past the open kitchen at the back of the house I could see our rooms, big and brightly lit by many candles burning a flame of yellow and orange, the light danced around the room as I walked passed into and down the darkened hallway. As we entered the bedroom I saw my large bed against the far wall and draped over it was a piece of red silk. A marble table sat at the foot of the bed with a vase of flowers.  The smell lavender filled the room, my favorite scent as a child.

“Well this place will be fine,” said my husband.

The place was an exact replica of my childhood home, the only difference I now there was a small room off to the side for Marina to sleep in.

As I looked out the bedroom window I watched as some of the other hills became alive with homes being created out of thin air by members of Atlantis who were also dreaming their own life here, just as I had just done. This place was now my home, now and forever. Would I be happy here? Only time would tell.