avalon987

[avalon987]

#EQUALITY #FEMINISM #EVERUDAY IS WOMEN''S DAY

[avalon987]

[avalon987]

The return to Lemuria (serialized)

Prologue

Part one

The time before time Formless and ageless, the two halves of zero decided to unite. They dreamed that light beings would emerge from the four corners. A city of stars made of gold would disseminate the first blocks to think the primordial void. At this precise moment, an endless waves of dimensions were created. A set of secret keys gave access to the interstitial bridges between the worlds.

Part two

The serpent with seven heads

The circulation of the magic breeze between the dimensions created the two fundamental principles of the universes. The feminine and masculine powers joined to conceive Love, the child without sex. In the beginning, everything seemed to be fine in the family. After many fruitful interactions between them, the masculine principle noticed new sensations erupting through him. A strange feeling of anger, that he could not really explained ,developed. This new situation triggered more and more frustrations. One day in a fit of rage, he killed the feminine principle and love their child. Before the murders, he had nightmares where he was abused in a previous life by a paternal figure, he could not really distinguish.

After the death of his family, and imbalance had been generated in the primordial void. An intense darkness surrounded the masculine principle. To punish him, zero the ultimate being constructed an indestructible shell to lock him up for eternity.

But finally, after billion and billion of years, the ultimate being decided to go inside the shell where the masculine principle was locked to try to understand why he acted the way he did.

Zero, after having heard the explanations of the masculine principle, recognised that he had been  severely damaged and hurt in a past life, and he did not know how to cope with these negative emotions. For him, violence was the only way to connect on a deeper level with the persons around him.

Zero the ultimate being offered forgiveness and a second chance to the masculine principle but he had to undergo a radical transformation to be reborn into a new life. The masculine power accepted the challenge.

Eon after eon, slowly under the guise of magic spell from the ultimate being, the masculine principle changed into a pearl inside his shell.

When the process of maturation was over, the pearl broke into four parts. After a gigantic explosion followed by blighting light, the parts dissolved to be reformed to constitute a new creature with the body of a serpent with seven heads containing the feminine and the masculine energies inside its core. The blood of the serpent was made of pure love.

The new creature had an infinite and very powerful love in its heart, it could no longer stay inside the shell.

The serpent with seven heads wanted to express this love in all the universes.

It decided to break its shell into pieces, it was very cold and dark outside. As a supreme being, the serpent with seven heads had been bestowed with magical abilities and it built a new shell, but  it got quickly bored. it tore its new home in two. With the remains of the first shell, the serpent brought into existence the firmament. The early gases turned into dust. These elements structured the stars, planets and constellations.  With the second shell, the serpent with seven heads decided to build six special planets in six different dimensions to propagate the infinite love in the four corners of the universe in expansion. The serpent would place a secret key in each of them to open the ultimate mystery.

[avalon987]

The return to Lemuria

I'm starting a new project titled " The return to Lemuria", it's a fantasy novel. This is the main plot, but I want the writing process to be be the most interactive possible. If you think that I should modify some aspects to make it more entertaining,let me know:

Before an inversion of the poles, twelve people have mysteriously vanished in the four corners of the Earth. Among them, two identical twin girls from Shanghai are transported in a different dimension. They realise that they have landed on the lost continent of Lemuria before it has been submerged by the sea after a cataclysm. How are they going back home ? The only way, it's to engage in an inter dimensional war between the ten tribes of Lemuria and the seven malefic forces of the counter earth in the shadow realm,and save the future of the planet.

This is the beginning of it: Prologue Part one Formless and ageless, the two halves of zero decided to unite. They dreamed that light beings would emerge from the four corners. A city of stars made of gold would disseminate the first blocks to think the primordial void. At this precise moment, an endless waves of dimensions were created. A set of secret keys gave access to the interstitial bridges between the worlds. If you want to know more about it and give your opinions during the writing process,, you can go here https://ko-fi.com/avaloncolehive

[avalon987]

Beyond Read the full story

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This story and photoset was made by avalonia on Commaful, a site where people write short stories, poems, jokes, blog posts and more in a beautiful visual format.

[avalon987]

Sensuality Read the full story

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This story and photoset was made by avalonia on Commaful, a site where people write short stories, poems, jokes, blog posts and more in a beautiful visual format.

[avalon987]

Ruler of the unseen Read the full story

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This story and photoset was made by avalonia on Commaful, a site where people write short stories, poems, jokes, blog posts and more in a beautiful visual format.

[avalon987]

Pillars of life Read the full story

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This story and photoset was made by avalonia on Commaful, a site where people write short stories, poems, jokes, blog posts and more in a beautiful visual format.

[avalon987]

Read the full story

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This story and photoset was made by avalonia on Commaful, a site where people write short stories, poems, jokes, blog posts and more in a beautiful visual format.

[avalon987]

A story to inspire achieving your goals Read the full story

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This story and photoset was made by avalonia on Commaful, a site where people write short stories, poems, jokes, blog posts and more in a beautiful visual format.

[avalon987]

Inner work

Reading fiction can be a form of therapy

[avalon987]

The river

A story which is part of a collection

https://payhip.com/AVALONCOLEHIVE

Punjab

India

1710

Priti liked to discover the infinite possibilities of the nature around her when she was a young girl.

She particularly liked to climb the trees.

But her favourite activity was to swim in the nearby river.  

She loved to let her body drift with the current.

Priti also liked to watch the reflections of the sun on the surface of the water forming myriads of diamond like shapes.

It was her happiest moment.

But now, she was forty year old just recently widowed.

She loved her husband dearly. She felt totally lost. They did not have children because she was infertile, but they took care of many of them in the village like they were their own.

She decided that she would leave her house.

Priti wanted go back to nature to live a simpler life.

Most people thought that she became mad after her husband’s death.

She built a hut near the river she loved when she was a child, with the branches she found around it.

She would only devote her time to meditate and to pray. She wanted to experience her deepest truth. She laughed all the time very loudly.

Priti liked to watch the birds elaborating their nest. The ballet of all the insects in the air around her was a great source of joy.

Sometimes, some people that she took care when they were children came to visit to check on her.

Priti was so radiant that they thought that she had found comfort by living in the middle of the wilderness.

She had the habit of talking to the people who came to see her of what inspired her at the moment; strangely they felt better and more relaxed afterwards.

More and more people turned out.

Some of them thought that she could heal many illnesses only if you talked to her.

Priti listened intensely. She always gave some piece of wisdom or advice to her visitors.

Her reputation grew in the region.

She became the sage that all types of persons came to consult.

One day a dignitary named Sanjal from the court of the maharajah arrived.

He suffered from chronic headaches, and all the doctors he had consulted before could not help him

“Just listen to your body and you will find the answers.” Priti said to him.

“what do you mean?” said Sanjal.

“Listen to what your headaches want to tell you, they come to help you, and when you do that, they will disappear.” said Priti.

Sanjal was not impressed by Priti. He left her disappointed.

The following night, Sanjal had a dream about the maharajah’ son who was in grave danger.  He was there to protect him and to save him from death.

Sanjal woke up with a massive headache.

He thought about what Priti told him, and strangely his headache lowered in intensity.

Sanjal went back to see her and told her about his dream.

“Now, you know what to do, if you listen everything will be fine.” said Priti

When Sanjal left Priti, he felt more alive.

He had better sense of his higher purpose.

He went to the court where he was an advisor to the maharajah, and he told him his concerns about the prince, but the maharajah did not listen dismissing it as superstition.

During the same period, the wife of a rival ruler who fought against the maharajah went to visit Priti.

She just lost her husband who had been killed by the maharajah during the battle.

“Until you forgive, you won’t be free.” said Priti to the lady.

“Suffering it’s only an illusion created by the mind.”added Priti.

When the maharajah died, his son succeeded him,

but he was too young to rule without guidance because he was only twelve year old.

One day while he was playing in the palace garden, a very venomous snake came at an extremely close distance to him being very menacing.

Sanjal, who was near,  rushed to rescue the young king, and he chopped the snake’s head off.

Since that day, Sanjal became a close confident and the main advisor of the new maharajah.

He advised him to always carry a weapon with him. Sanjal noticed that some people in the palace looked more agitated than usual since his father’s death.

Not long after, a group of men wanted to overthrow the young king in a coup. They tried to kill him, but because he was always armed and on his guard, he defeated them with the help of other guards.

He thanked Sanjal for his advice.

Sanjal went to see Priti to tell her that his chronic headaches stopped.

“you see, when you open your heart, everything starts to flow and makes your life better.”said Priti

After many years, the widow of the rival of the maharajah’s father who came to see Priti a long time ago thought that it was time to forgive.  

She decided to marry her daughter to the new king to form an alliance among the Sikh people.

The new maharajah, who had been nourished by long discussions he had with Sanjal during these years,  considered that all the new territories he could conquer would enjoy more religious freedom even though he wanted to become the leader of the Sikh people. When the opportunity to take back the city that the Afghan kings administered, he decided to do what no other maharajah had done before: he conquered it following the advice his mother in law gave him.  

He formed what would be later called the Sikh empire.

Sanjal assisted the best he could his king during his reign but now he was older. He wanted to go a different route. The different conquests had been very demanding.

The maharajah thanked him for his services.

He wished him good luck.

Sanjal went to visit Priti to decide what he would do next.

“How do you look so young and radiant?” Sanjal asked.

“You remember what I told you a long time ago, the key is to be attentive and to listen.” said Priti.

Sanjal pondered upon these words. He decided that he wanted to travel. He would meet different spiritual teachers to listen to what they had to say.

He started to go all over the Indian peninsula.

During this period, the situation was very chaotic and dangerous, but Sanjal was determined to do it.

He visited temples, mosques and gurus.

He was still not satisfied by what he heard.

The next step for him was to go abroad to meet different masters.

Sanjal went to Jerusalem, Egypt, Rome, Paris and London.

His journey took him three years to complete.

Upon his return, Sanjal enquired to know if Priti was still alive. He found her like usually under her favourite tree next to the river.

“I’m so happy to see you, and I’m glad you still remember to come to see me.” said Priti.

“I travelled extensively the last years, I went over to many countries, and I heard so many languages.

I listened to a plethora of teachers but I still feel empty and I yearn for more knowledge in the dusk of my life.” said Sanjal.

“Give me your hand, let’s go to have a swim in the river.” said Priti.

“Oh my dear friend, I am too old for that!” answered Sanjal.

“If not for a swim, let’s go only to knee-deep.” said Priti.

Sanjal followed her to the river

“Take water in your hand, and feel it between your fingers. Without water, life would not be possible but sometimes water can cause harm. It’s just a possibility. Water is energy. Think of all the good you did in your existence, all the mistakes you made, and all the people you touched by your actions.

Like water you are energy. Water does not look for fulfilment, it’s just a source of creation. Like water you play your part, and for that I’m extremely grateful to have known you” said Priti.

[avalon987]

The bracelet

part of the collection SUPER SEEDS

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THE BRACELET

Angola

1977

The cloud shapes mirrored the undulations of the waves formed by the grasslands.

By the plane window, Christian contemplated the landscape.

He could see the elephants carving a path through the savannah. The zebras galloped feverishly across the land because they were probably chased down by a pack of lions but it was hard to see the scenes well due to the altitude the plane was flying.

Christian was part of a delegation of South African diplomats who were trying to broker a peace agreement between the different parties involved in the civil war ravaging the country.

The occupants of the plane were quite nervous because they did not know what to expect once they landed.

Suddenly, the plane started to shake in a strange manner.

“What’s going on, it does not seem normal.” said Christian anxiously.

“It’s probably nothing” answered the man next to him.

But less than thirty seconds after, a thick smoke spread inside the cabin. There were ten people on board, including the pilot who made an announcement.

“Guys, the plane is experiencing an engine failure, we will have to make an emergency landing. Put you in the position I showed you before take off and brace yourself, it’s going to be rough!” said the pilot.

Christian could not believe it.

He thought about his wife and children.

Was it the end of his life?

The plane banked to the left rapidly. The pilot tried to maintain the balance but the ground was approaching at a fast pace. We could see the top of the trees.

A loud noise followed, the plane was upside down.  The debris were flying everywhere inside the cabin.

For a couple of minutes, Christian passed out.

In his mind, a powerful light illuminated and surrounded his body.

A vision appeared.

A woman with clothes made of human bones was facing him, and she started to speak.

“I am the queen of the land of the dead. Are you ready to pass the test?” said the woman.

“What test? Asked Christian.

“It’s a test to know the weight of your soul.” said the woman.

“The weight of my soul? What do you mean?” asked Christian.

“I will put the bracelet of ages on your right wrist.

If you sink into the ground, it means that you are ready to be welcomed in the land of the dead, but if the bracelet disappears, you still have some work to do on earth. Your soul needs to complete its cycle to complete the purpose that the creator of all lives assigned to you when you were born.” said the woman.

Christian woke up from this vision.

He was fazed. He was upside down strapped into his chair, he could feel blood on his cheeks.

By miracle, nobody died when the plane crashed on the trees.

“It’s everybody OK?” shouted the pilot.

One by one, the passengers answered.

Some of them had broken legs but everybody managed to get out of the plane.

“Do you have an idea where we are?” asked Christian to the pilot.

“We were ten minutes away from a landing point.

I think if we go east following the sun we might be able to find a village” said the pilot.

He found the survival kit with the medical supplies to tend to the different wounds but some people needed more serious medical interventions.

The group decided to split in two.

Those who could walk would go to find help, and those who were more impaired would stay there.

They divided the food and water that was in the plane. They also had two revolvers. After all, they were in the middle of the wilderness.

The heat was excruciating. They could hear the roars of the Lions nearby.

Christian, the pilot and another man departed to find help. They walked in this arid land with difficulty breathing. Every two hours they tried to find a shaded area to rest. They walked the whole day.

They thought that they would never find a living soul.

Nearly before sunset, they found a village of shepherds. The pilot who was from the southern part of Angola spoke with them and explained to them the situation. By sheer luck, one of them had a motorcycle. Christian went with him to the closest town.

There was a very rudimentary dispensary.

Christian met Nadiara. She was the doctor.

She could speak perfectly in English. She had been trained in England.

Christian noticed that she had a beautiful Bracelet on her wrist. He explained to her what happened.

Nadiara told him she could help.

They picked up the pilot who stayed with the shepherds with the dispensary’s car, and they went to look for the crash site.

The pilot had an amazing photographic memory.

After roaming the area, they eventually found the wreckage.

Christian explained to Nadiara the purpose of his presence in this region, and that he was an envoy of the South African government who was trying to find a path to bring peace in Angola.

Nadiara could see that Christian was sincere even though he was a white South African.

She explained the atrocities which occurred in the town and the area recently. People were starving.

In some villages, hundred of bodies were left to rot in the sun.

This war was a terrible business.

Finally, the delegation of diplomats was evacuated to the capital Luanda.

After a quick recovery, Christian tried to restart the peace talks but the negotiations failed.

The war raged for years.

In South Africa, Christian continued to try to convince his bosses in Pretoria that it was in the country’s interest to find a solution to end this regional conflict.

Some nights, Christian had nightmares about the crash.

The queen of the land of the dead appeared to him.

“Put the bracelet on!.” said the queen.

He started to sink into the ground.

“Yes, you are ready, come to me my child!” said the queen laughing.

Christian woke up suddenly sweating profusely.

“You had a bad dream again. You are not the same since the accident. Maybe you should see someone.” said Christian’s wife.

“It’s OK, I’m fine. Go back to sleep.” said Christian

After four years, out of the blue, Christian received a letter in his office from Nadiara explaining that she needed his help because the war deteriorated in her region, and some warlords targeted the children in the villages to force the rebels to do something.

Many children had been displaced and put in camps because many of them became orphans.

They needed to be placed somewhere out the country to protect them.

Christian answered her that he would try to speak his superiors about it.

Unfortunately, despite all his efforts nothing moved for months.

Christian felt obligated to do all he could.

He harassed his bosses.

Finally, it was agreed that around two hundred children would be granted asylum if he could find families that would welcome them.

It took three months to do it, not only in South Africa but also in the United kingdom, United states of America.

But when he thought that the hardest was done, the operation was cancelled because it was deemed too dangerous due to the situation in Angola.

Christian was utterly depressed.

But after one week of ruminating to know what to do, Christian decided that he would do whatever it takes to achieve his mission.

He asked all his friends to donate money.

When his bosses heard that he wanted to go ahead regardless of the orders, they threatened to sack him. His wife supported him but she was worried about what could happen.

Christian went to Washington to give conferences about the situation in Angola, and he also helped to raise funds for the operation.

When they saw that Christian did not stop his efforts to rescue the children, he was fired from his job.

It did not deter him, with the money he had raised and the connections he had made during his career, Christian moved with his family to Washington.

He thought that would help him achieve his mission .

The atrocities escalated in Angola. The goal was to save at least one hundred children.

Meeting after meeting with high level officials and the CIA, Christian managed to convince them to do something.

An agreement was reached between the United States of America, the United Kingdom and south Africa to welcome two hundreds children refugees.

Christian set up a non profit organization to coordinate the efforts on the ground to achieve it.

When Christian tried to contact Nadiara to tell her the good news, he learned that she had been killed in her dispensary.

He was totally devastated, but in a way it gave him more motivation and urgency to help the children.

Christian went to Angola the following month.

For his safety, it had been decided to say that his organization was only there to distribute food to solve the famine crisis which plagued the region where he was supposed to find the orphans.

He had to go to the villages, refugee camps and orphanages.

But rapidly the word of mouth attracted more attention.

A squadron of mercenaries sent by a warlord tracked him down.

Four vehicles arrived, the men fired random shots to the building where Christian was.

He was always accompanied by three security guards who exchanged shots with the assailants. One of the guard was shot dead.

The two other guard fought valiantly, and the assailants retreated. It was more about intimidation.

Christian felt incredibly guilty because someone died as the result of his actions.

For a period, he wanted to abort the mission, but he decided that there was a reason if escaped death for a second time. He had to carry on.

He went with the two remaining guards to the orphanages and refugee camps to find the children.

Christian chartered a plane. But at the last minute, the plane was denied entry to go to South Africa due to recent developments.

Christian contacted his friends in the media world to explain the situation. The pressure mounted, and finally South Africa allowed the plane to take off.

It was only the beginning of the process because each adoption was a battle, it took two years to complete it.

Christian had to continually travel between South Africa, the United States of America and the United Kingdom on behalf of his organization.

His marriage suffered because he was rarely home. His wife accused him of loving more other children than his own.

Christian was constantly stressed, and to alleviate the burden, he started to drink more.

His health deteriorated.

He had moments of profound doubts.

He knew in his heart that it was the right thing to do but the cost was greater than he could have ever anticipated.

Finally, his wife decided to divorce him, between the arguments and his constant drunkenness, she had enough.

But despite these setbacks, he carried on with his non profit organization, and they saved more children.

During the divorce proceedings, one of his associates in the non profit organization embezzled money.

Christian was investigated by the police but was cleared of any wrongdoings.

This episode scared him, he had more difficulty trusting people.

From then on, Christian lived a solitary existence.

Thirty years went by after having rescued the children in Angola, when Christian received a phone call from movie producer who wanted to do a documentary about his life and the role he played to put the children in safety.  

The producer told him that Nadiara’s daughter who miraculously survived the civil war wanted to see him.

The three of them met in Washington where Christian was still living. She thanked him for what he did for the children during the war.

She gave him a bracelet that her mother used to attract good luck.

When he looked at it, Christian started to cry.

The movie producer told him that he wanted to gather in amphitheatre many of the persons and their families he had contributed to save.

One month later, more than three hundred people waited for him to arrive.

When he entered in the amphitheatre, they started a standing ovation. He had not seen most them for thirty years.

Coming from a country which experienced apartheid, he was still moved when he saw that the children he contributed to save from the horrors of war married people from other races.

Some people flew from all over the world to thank him.

He touched the bracelet that Nadiara’s daughter gave him, and he shed tears of joy when looked at the faces around him.

“Now, Queen of the land of the dead, I am ready.” said Christian to himself smiling.

[avalon987]

More pictures of where I live now

[avalon987]

THE DEW

A story which is part of a collection

https://payhip.com/AVALONCOLEHIVE

THE DEW

China

Chaozhou

1855

Huan Sen followed the sinuous path alongside the canal. Spring spread the essence of the renewed promise of the blossoming nature.

The ripples on the canal surface resembled dragon scales.

His spirit was always present to remind you to keep your vows otherwise his punishment would come swiftly. The bright orange of the lanterns in the streets announced that it was the hour of the demons.

In the beginning of the night, Huan Sen felt the devilish calling of the opium pipe.

For two years, he had been addicted to the poisonous volutes.

When he entered the den, dozens of men were lying on the mats. Some smiled, others had their eyes closed.

Huan Sen looked in his pocket, it was the last coins he had.

He was heavily in debt. He argued everyday with his wife who begged him to bring more money to feed the children.

He did not care any more.

Huan Sen had made up his mind, he was going to kill himself tonight, after this last pipe.

He put his head on the pillow, and he inhaled with the whole capacity of his lungs.

The gates of paradise opened.

Why life could not be like that all the time?

Always there was this stinging pain which destroyed his spirit.

Huan Sen could not see any exit from this hell.

Death would solve all his problems and sufferings.

He was ashamed of himself. He had let everybody down. He had failed miserably. He waisted his potential with this satanic drug and the despair that ensued.

But ten years ago, his future seemed so bright, he was appointed by the governor of the province to be the chancellor of the prefecture.

When he tried opium for the first time, it was just an experience, a new pleasure.

All his friends were already hooked, so it could not be so bad.

It was elation, he could find a relief from the pressures of family life.

He had imagined that raising children would be more fulfilling, it was the ultimate act of creation, but he could barely relate to his son and daughter.

He felt alienated.

He could not connect on a deeper level with his wife who constantly demanded more him.

When Huan Sen smoked, the doors of infinity opened. It brightened his mood.

He needed to go the most often he could to the den. He also drank more and more, and he went to see the concubines regularly.

To feed his lifestyle, he began to borrow money from his friends, but because he paid them back so late, at the end, they did not want to help him any more.

The prefect complained about the quality of his work.

Huan Sen was often late to the office.

He made more often mistakes because he could not concentrate like he used to before.

Sometimes he wept for hours at home.

He could not see an issue to his problems.

His wife scolded him everyday about the lack of resources; it was not the life she envisioned when she married him, she thought that Huan Sen was a promising young man with a bright future.

He was so desperate for money that he went to see shady characters to lend him more cash.

He made the mistake to not paying them back on time, and as warning, they went to ransack his home. They threatened to harm his family if he could not honour his debts.

Totally disgraced and ashamed, Huan Sen went to see his father who accepted to bail him out at the condition he stopped his addiction to opium.

His father also decided to pass on his wealth onto his younger brother even though Huan Sen was the first born ,and that he should inherit the majority of his father estate. He could not trust Huan Sen any more.

For three months, Huan Sen tried to stay sober, but the attraction of the opium was too strong.

The sensation of withdrawal was enormous.

He fell back again to his old habit.

He started to steal discreetly money from the prefect coffers.

When this was not enough, he re-contacted the shady people he had previously known. He proposed to help them corrupt the armed forces in the region.

It was an offence punishable by death.

Huan Sen was permanently fearing being caught.

These activities made rival gangs jealous.

To forget his worries, Huan Sen drowned deeper into the void of the opium and the promiscuity with the concubines.

Now his spirit was drained, he was tired of living. Everything seemed vain.

Tonight, he was going to end it all.

He could not be a burden for his family and community any longer.

The weight of the shame destroyed his soul.

Huan Sen went to the bridge where many jumped to commit suicide.

A soft breeze infused the night. It was the time.

Huan Sen was at peace.

A shadow just behind him started to talk.

“It’s a beautiful night, spring takes all its meaning at this hour.” said an old gentleman.

Huan Sen was surprised because he thought he was alone. He turned back. The man looked like an old monk.

“Yes it’s a beautiful night, but if you don’t mind, I’m going back home, my family is waiting for me, so I wish you a good night,” said Huan Sen.

“How many children do you have?” asked the old man

“I have one boy and a girl. The boy is eight year old and the girl is six year old.” said Huan Sen.

“Oh I see, it reminds me a man I met on the same bridge five years ago. He too had two children.

He was a very troubled when I met him.

He confessed to me that he was about to kill himself. You probably know that this bridge is famous for the number of people who ended their lives here.” said the old man.

“Yes I know, you have quite of interesting stories to tell but I’m very sorry, I have to go now.” said Huan Sen irritated.

“You look sad, are you sure everything is fine?” asked the old man

“Why do you care, my life is none of your business!” said angrily Huan Sen.

“I heard that many people these days get in heavy debt to go the opium den.” said the old man.

Huan Sen looked at he old man, he could see that his face was full of compassion.

An uncontrollable jolt of energy seized him. Huan Sen  cried profusely.

“My house is just around the corner, come to drink a tea with me, and tell me about your story” said the old man.

Huan Sen told the old man how desperate he was,  nothing could change his mind, He wanted to die.

“Do what you want to do, the only thing I will ask you, it’s to wait until tomorrow before you execute your plan. In the meantime, take this money for your family.” said the old man.

“Why do you do this, you don’t even know me” said Huan Sen.

“A long time ago I was as desperate as you.  

Someone helped me to go through this difficult period of my life, and now I tried to do the same for other people.  I will pray for your soul.” said the old man.

Huan Sen left the old man’s house like he was in a dream.

He went to his home. He gave the money to his wife. Tomorrow, he would muster more courage to end his life.

But a little voice in his heart told him to see the old man before doing something definitive.

The day after when he went to visit the old man,

he saw him practising kung fu with a great agility.

“Wow! you are in great shape for your age” said Huan Sen.

“I’m glad you have come back. What you saw is just about focus and discipline” said the old man.

“If you choose to live, I will give you more money to payback your debts, but in exchange you will have to work for me. the choice is yours.” added the old man.

“No, nothing can save me, some people are after me. Sooner or later, they will get me” said Huan Sen

“So you need to leave this city for a while, I can also help you with that.” said the old man.

“Everywhere I could go, they will find me, they have a very developed network of informants. For now, the persons I know can intervene to protect me but for I don’t know for how long.” said Huan Sen.

“I know a village in the mountains where you could be safe with your family. I have a house there, you can use it.” said the old man.

This proposition made Huan Sen think. If the old man was truthful and sincere, it could be the beginning of a solution for him.

Han Sen investigated the old man with his contacts in the administration.

It turned out that he was the heir of great landowner in a different part of the empire.

The day after having met the old man, Huan Sen explained to his wife that they were going to move immediately to the mountains because it was too dangerous to remain in the city.

She had no choice but to accept even though she was deeply saddened to leave the persons she had known all her life.

They decided to go just before dawn to avoid too much attention.

They went to the old man’s house. He provided a carriage for them.

It took five days to arrive in the village in the mountains.

Around two hundred people lived there, many of them were people that the old man helped.

When they arrived, the village head welcomed them.

He took Huan Sen aside.

“You need to get rid of the demon, after you could join your wife and children.” said the village head.

Huan Sen suffered severe withdrawal symptoms.

For two weeks, he drank a special tea.

He could only eat vegetables. He spent the first days screaming his pain in a secluded hut near the village.

When he felt better, they ordered him to meditate using prayers and visualizations specially designed for the addicts like him.

His boy and his girl complained because they did not understand why they had to live in small house in the mountain away from their friends.

Like everybody else, they had to work in the fields which provided the food they ate. They did not like it at all.

After his detoxification period, Huan Sen was allowed to return with his family.

Slowly, he started to recuperate his zest for life in the mountains. The fresh air was a great help.

With his administrative skills, Huan Sen reorganized the village to be run more efficiently.

He learned carpentry, fixing agriculture tools, and other competences the village needed.

His main project was to dig a new canal to irrigate the rice fields better.

He forgot the city life and its troubles completely.

Near the village there was waterfall where he used to go to reenergise.

Everything seemed to go smoothly for six months, when out the blue, the village was attacked by brigands who used to pillage the peasants of the region.

The brigands considered that it was a yearly tax that was due for them. Most people were fatalistic about the situation.

“There is nothing we can do, if we don’t give them what they want, they are ready to even kill some of us.” said the village head.

Huan Sen loved the place, for him this could not go on any longer.

He proposed the village head to elaborate a plan to organize the resistance.

But the villagers were totally afraid to rebel.

One month later, the brigands came earlier than expected, this time one them raped a young woman. When they left, they laughed.

The villagers were completely outraged, and they decided that it was finally time to fight back.

Huan Sen convinced them that they had to set up trap to lure the brigands into it.

The villagers trained for two weeks to learn the rudiments of the art of war.

They transformed their tools into weapons.

When the brigands came back, the village seemed empty.

They found this strange. They were on their guard.

Suddenly, the windows opened. A swarm of arrows overwhelmed the brigands.

The villagers captured the survivors.

They put them on their horses with boards around their necks saying that the next time they would try to come, it would be worse.

The level of fear was even greater among the villagers because there was no turning back this time.

But they were determined, It was better to die fighting than to accept their previous plight.

It was decided that all the women and children would be send to safety somewhere in the mountains.

Booby traps were placed all around the village.

The best snipers were given the two riffles they had.

The brigands arrived at night, they were strong of forty men. Huan Sen who was one of the sniper deliberately aimed at the chief of the brigands that the village head indicated him.

With all the booby traps in place, it was a carnage.  Huan Sen managed to injure and to catch their chief

“The next time you come, I will kill you.” said Huan sen

The chief of the brigands saw that Huan Sen was serious and determined.

Huan Sen let him go.

After this episode the chief of the brigands thought that the village was not worth the trouble.

One month later, the old man showed up in the village. He was amazed by Huan Sen’s transformation

“I can see that you have done a great job.

They told me the way you dealt with brigands was exceptional.” said the old man.

“I love the people here it’s an honour to serve them.” said the old man

“I have to show you something” said the old man.

“It’s a pardon decree from the prefect. With the information you gave me, they arrested many people.

Huan Sen was overwhelmed by the news.

He went to bed early.

He woke up with the first rays of light.

He walked alongside the canal to start his day of work. He looked at the dew on the vegetation.

Never it had been so vibrant and luminous.

When he was an addict, he did not find the time to appreciate how wonderful and precious life was.

[avalon987]

One Hand

A story about an extraordinary woman in prehistoric times.

Jebel Irhoud

Morocco

Around 300000 BC

The air condensed the lights of the sun, when it circulated between the petals of the flowers.                A melody of perfumes spread across the region.

The butterflies collected the nectar while the ladybirds explored the myriads of possibilities that the terrain offered them. Gradually, the colours faded in the sky letting the first constellations of stars shined in a beaming glow. It was at this precise moment that Hina was born. Her mother wept when she first saw her because of her congenital malformation; Hina had no right hand, and only four fingers on the left one.

In this harsh climate, a disabled girl from birth would struggle to survive. The temperature differences between day and night were so drastic that only the fittest were capable of handling these conditions.

Hina would need all her abilities to gather the fruits and help the community with the necessary labour required of her.

Jinna her mother told her father Omma that Hina was sick, and would probably die soon. Since the first months of her pregnancy, Jinna had not been in a very good health. She felt early on that something was wrong. The birth of her daughter confirmed her worst premonitions.

Jinna thought that Hina could be a burden, and she would probably be ostracized in the tribe.

Jinna felt so desperate by the situation that she decided to go to the nearby river with the intention of drowning her baby and telling afterwards that it was an accident.

But something in Hina sensed that her life was in danger, and she cried and screamed so vigorously that Jinna had remorse about what she initially wanted to do.

A feeling of compassion and love for her baby timidly emerged like a gentle spirit who was watching over her. From now on, she would protect her child the best she could. There was something special that she could not explain which emanated from Hina that had a fierce appetite to live.

Each step of growing up for Hina was a challenge.

It started by the other women in the tribe who complained that she was too slow, and she was not a real help for them.

Jinna always replied that she would work twice as hard to compensate what Hina could not contribute. Jinna was in constant fear for her. She always used to tell Hina to stay where she could see her.

In this network of caves tightly embedded in the hills, you had to be extra vigilant.

The life in the tribe was hard, you had to move often to avoid predators like snakes and leopards.

You also had to be very wary of the other tribes in the area who never missed an occasion to attack to either steal your food or to assert their predominance.

Two people in the tribe were always assigned to give the alert if something threatened the integrity of the clan. It was not rare that the tribe had to mourn the loss of three to five warriors per year.

Somehow, with discipline and repetition, Hina managed to develop a dexterity to pick up fruits.

But it had been an upheaval battle. Climbing between the branches was particularly tricky for her.

In the beginning, the other children use to mock and bully her because she was different.

Her only friend was her cousin Hine, he was kind and supportive.

He helped her to develop unique skills to gather what the tribe needed. After years of practice and determination, Hina became the best girl to collect fruits. Everybody was amazed by her achievement.

Jinna was more confident about the future of her unique child. Maybe she could make it after all.

One year a locust swarm devastated the region.

The tribe had less to rely on.

Hina decided against her mother orders to venture further that the group of women used to go without being seen.

When she was exploring the wilderness around the cave, she came face to face with a leopard.

The beast stared at her, but something told her to remain calm, and she had the presence of mind to grab a rock and to throw at the leopard’s head.

After that she ran to rejoin the cave. When she told her story, her mother was very angry because she disobeyed, but many people in the tribe thought that she made it up, and they laughed at her.

Hina was the source of constant jokes. They teased her every day.

Jinna was ashamed and told her to never tell this story again. Hina did not care that nobody believed her, she used that as confirmation that she was more courageous than most people. Leopard attacks were what people feared the most.

Hina continued to secretly explore the area near the caves. Jinna kept calling for her to know where she was. Hina always had an excuse ready to give her mother.

During her excursions, Hina learned about different aspects of the surroundings.

She was also very observant of was going on in the tribe. Even though it was unusual for a girl, she asked her father Omma how he fabricated spears, and how to select the best rocks to do it.

When she was around ten year old, she asked her cousin Hine to show her how to hunt preys.

“I can’t show you that, it’s only for the men, you know that.” said Hine.

But every time she could, from a distance, she liked to see how the hunters ran long distances to make their prey tired and finally exhausted before they killed them. During these hunts you had to be very careful to avoid the lions, they could launch a surprise attack at any time.

Recently, one man died like this.

Hina reached adolescence, it was time for her to marry. Her uncle Jime who was the tribal chief had to select the best suitor for her.

But unexpectedly, something strange happened before she could marry.

Without understanding why, people in the tribe started to fall ill. Maybe it was something in the food they ate. But one by one they felt weak.

The symptoms of the disease ranged from severe rashes, vomiting or other intestinal problems followed by enormous fatigue and the need to sleep long hours. The healer of the tribe used medicinal plants that he knew could alleviate the pain.

Both of Hina’s parents suffered from the disease but by miracle she did not get it. She was very worried for them. She accompanied the healer to collect the plants. He taught her the best to use. Because the healer was so busy, Hina became his assistant.

After a massive fever some people died of the disease. Most of the men were affected by the sickness.

What was unimaginable before became a reality. Because so few men could hunt, it had been decided that Hine would show Hina how to hunt in order to provide more food for the recovery of those who were not in the condition to attend their duties.

Hina was now one of the few able bodies capable of performing what was necessary to bring meat to the tribe.

But even diminished, many men protested against the idea of incorporating Hina in a hunt. They said that it would bring more bad luck, the gods were already angry against them.

Jime the chief stood firm, and he said to them that there was no choice if the tribe wanted to survive.

The first hunts, Hina was tentative. She did not master the right timing to throw the spears at the preys.

But Hine always encouraged her, and after many attempts she managed to kill a prey. She was totally elated.

Her mother’s health did not improve. Jinna passed away few weeks after she had the first symptoms. Hina and her father were totally heartbroken and inconsolable.

After three months, new calamities afflicted the tribe. It was the beginning of the most severe drought that they had known for years. The main sources of water diminished in size to become small pounds.

The tribe had to move to find a more a welcoming place. Jime decided to send Hina and Hine to prospect the area to find somewhere they could use to build a settlement around it.

It was an arduous mission because of the scarcity of food and water, but they were now the only two people who had the fortitude to do it.

Hina remembered that her mother always told her to follow her intuition, so they headed west.

They walked for days but could not find any large source of water.

During their search, they ran across two men from a rival tribe who tried to attack them and to rape Hina. Like possessed by the devil, Hine and Hina managed to severely injured the men, and they fled the fastest they could.

Two days after, a huge desert storm appeared.

Hina and Hine had to stay under a rock to wait that it passed. They kept walking to the west. After one more day of marching, they finally saw something they had never seen before, it was like an infinite river. They tasted the water, it was a strange sensation, they did not like it when they tried to drink it. They roamed around the shore.

They found a river and also a large lake.

Hina and Hine were so happy, this place was perfect to establish a new settlement. They admired the warmth of the colours on the horizon above the waves just before sunset.  

Because Hine was an expert to follow animal tracks, he had an exceptional sense of orientation and a very good memory. They rested two days to regenerate. They started their journey back to the tribe.

After one week, against all odds, they reached their destination.

When they arrived and announced that they had found the best place to settle, it was an immense celebration.

The tribe started their long march to reach their new homeland.

They established a new community near the sea.

They learned how to collect the seashells and the difficult art of fishing.

Hina married a strong and courageous man.

She became a mother then a grandmother.

She had a long and happy life. She was the matriarch of the tribe. At night, around the fire, she told the story of her life to the children.

She always finished her stories by saying:” Follow your heart, it’s the best guide you will ever have.”

[avalon987]

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