Part 5 (1/2)

Submerged in an abyss of s.p.a.ce, Kaila was aware of her physical hand in an unseen place, removing the plastic from her head. It felt better to have her real hair loose on the pillowcase. No crinkly, suffocating plastic! It was but a flicker of a thought, and then, like water on a match, the thought extinguished as she dropped further into s.p.a.ce.

”We are glad we met you,” Jordyn said. His lips didn't move; he spoke with his mind. His voice sounded deep and cavernous.

”I feel the same,” Kaila said with her mind.

”It's easier and freer to communicate this way,” Jordyn said.

She sensed him absorbing her as they floated.

”We learned much today from mind-scanning you. And thank you: we learned a lot about how to talk out loud using your language.” In the darkness of s.p.a.ce, pinpoints of light from a star reflected off his silver jumpsuit. ”We like you, Kaila.”

As Kaila and Jordyn floated, they neared the distant star s.h.i.+ning from the deep s.p.a.ce of the universe. The burning star's warmth enfolded them. Kaila thrilled to the touch of Jordyn's hand, feeling the conduit of his energy pa.s.sing to her and her energy pa.s.sing to him.

”Where are we?” she asked.

”In dreams, the veil is lifted. You've traveled here many times. Do you remember?”

Kaila dimly remembered, so like a dream she once had, but upon awakening, only knew that she had dreamed. All that remained was a residual knowing. And below her restlessness, ever seeking though unaware of it, rippled that ceaseless yearning to return home.

”But we are so far away.”

”Here, then,” Jordyn said. He drew her close. s.p.a.ce blinked.

Then, in a moment, they hovered above a planet.

”What's that?” she asked.

”Venus. Closer to Earth. You feel safer now?”

Kaila marveled at the rugged, orange planet etched with ridges, mountains, and craters. Melted ground s.h.i.+mmered around a large crater, for Venus was hot, close to the sun.

”The highland area at the equator,” Jordyn pointed, ”is Aphrodite Terra. Do you remember Aphrodite?”

Kaila scanned her memory. Aphrodite is the Greek G.o.ddess of love, beauty, pleasure, and procreation.

”Ah, you remember,” said Jordyn. His face and body appeared red-orange in the fierce glow emitted from Venus. ”We are the G.o.ds and G.o.ddesses, Kaila. Know that, remember that. And now, here, before me, is Aphrodite reborn.” Jordyn stared at Kaila earnestly; his fingers tightened over hers. ”She was quite beautiful, as you are.”

Kaila flushed; no one had ever told her she was beautiful. She faced Jordyn, whose eyes again looked like an intelligent owl's with immense black pupils. His eyes devoured her every nuance. She felt inexplicably drawn toward this boy-man, wise beyond his years. She wanted to dive deeper into those unfathomable eyes. She sensed if she dropped into those eyes she'd travel through a portal into the beyond, some place like she hovered in now. She would face herself, through him, realizing union and home.

”We are not all human,” Jordyn spoke to Kaila's mind. ”We are a blend of human and what you call alien-beings from another place in the universe. This is what makes us special. And what makes us different. You are like us, Kaila. This is why we feel connected from the moment we meet. You've always felt different-and lonely-we know. We understand.”

They floated in s.p.a.ce, between Venus and the sun. Kaila's heart glowed, warm as that sun. He knew her; he understood her. She projected grat.i.tude out from her mind and heart. Here, now, she knew the heart and the mind projecting out to its intended source formed a triangle.

”A triangle is powerful,” Jordyn said. ”If you combine the energy of your heart with the energy of your mind and project intention out, you have magic that no other creatures in the universe can emulate.”

He faced her, caressing her warm hands as they floated. She felt dazzling energy emanating from the middle of his chest and from the s.p.a.ce between his eyes.

Then, she felt her own heart and mind forces tunneling out to Jordyn. As their energies touched, they ignited blissful sparks. Their bodies vibrated and s.h.i.+mmered. They were enveloped in a golden field that merged to one synchronized vibration.

”This is incredible,” Jordyn murmured. ”We never felt this before.”

They held hands, basking in the warmth of their combined energy, radiant with golden light while floating peacefully in s.p.a.ce.

Kaila grew overwhelmed; the sensation was so powerful, she felt like a supernova just prior to its luminous explosion, scattering across the universe. She averted her gaze to the dormant volcanoes jutting from Venus's rugged surface.

”We are going to tell you some things,” Jordyn said. ”You will not remember them all, but you will soon. Do you trust us?”

She nodded. Inside, fireworks of bliss erupted, more joyous than anything she'd experienced in her entire life.

”I've flown in my dreams before,” Kaila said. ”Now I fly with you. This has to be a dream.” She rested her head on his shoulder, compelled toward him, as a moth flies toward the light. ”A beautiful dream.”

Jordyn drew her closer. His arms felt warm and strong.

Every cell in her body vibrated. The vibration felt warm and fiercely alive. As Jordyn held her, they merged to one blissful energy field. No words existed to describe this incredible joy.

Kaila realized then that her heart had opened. In this break in time and s.p.a.ce, without judgment or constriction, she loved with every beat of her radiating heart.

Simultaneously, she felt a blacking out and everything receding. The edges of Jordyn's spiky hair softened, the outlines of his shoulders and thighs blurred. He was evaporating to nothing.

”Wait!” she called. ”Don't leave.”

”Less emotion,” Jordyn counseled. ”Emotions confuse and make you less powerful. We have to maintain control.” He closed his eyes as if trying to suppress something foreign and alien rising within himself.

”Is that really true?” Kaila wondered as blackness engulfed her.

”If you remember anything,” Jordyn said, his voice trailing away. ”Remember this: you are much more powerful than you know.”

The iPhone chimed an alarm. Kaila sleepily gazed at the wooden slats draped with white eyelet on the canopy. What had she dreamed? Something about an owl. Or was it Jordyn? She sighed, feeling soft and languorous with the thought of him.

The phone chimed again. Kaila sat up in bed. She hadn't time to think of owls. She had to hurry or she'd miss the bus.

She dressed and applied her new makeup. Wow, now this looked good. She was transformed, like a magazine model with her cute black skirt, hot pink blouse, and violet eyeliner. Stupid wig, though. She sighed, loathing the binding black plastic and artificial blonde hair. She put on a black headband to match her skirt.

She c.o.c.ked her head. Something scratched at the balcony door. She ran to open the door. Lucy and Woofy raced inside. How on earth had they gotten locked on the balcony?

The dogs wagged their tails as she petted them. Lucy barked at Kaila.

”Quit,” Kaila said, breezing past Lucy. ”I don't have time.”

Kaila ignored Lucy's persistent barks as she leaned over the wrought-iron railing in the morning humidity, peering out to the fields. Her mother, Mike and Nan were out there inspecting the gra.s.ses. From up here on the second-story gallery, Kaila saw an odd shape had been molded or cut in the gra.s.s. It was a circle near large as the old house with a cross attached.

As Kaila approached her family examining the gra.s.ses in the field, her mother shouted, ”Kaila, go on in to breakfast.”

No, Kaila thought. She would not be protected like a kid anymore. She joined her mother, step-father and grandmother who stood with folded arms as they peered at the flattened gra.s.ses.

”It is not a crop circle, Lee,” Mike said. ”All that stuff is bogus.”

”Gra.s.ses don't flatten into shapes on their own,” her mother countered.

Kaila bent, touched the gra.s.s. Each blade bent perfectly straight. A gigantic circle and attached cross.