Lady Reiki/Metamorphosis Part 3
From Unofficial Handbook of the Virtue Universe
Continued from Metamorphosis:Svadhisthana
Contents |
Metamorphosis III: Manipura
A spark that has smoldered for so long now has a chance. The flames are fed. It flares to life.
4/22/04
Kina settled on an assortment of wine coolers with colorful bottles and exotic-sounding flavors. Their cheery appearance was in stark contrast to how she felt; she could barely muster a grin as the clerk checking her ID joked about the light choice of drinks for a 21st birthday. Kina politely refused his suggestions of stronger spirits, although once she was back in the car she started to have second thoughts. Mebbe I do need t’ drink all memory o’ t’day away.
She drove to her favorite campground, unwilling to face anyone else right now. Her eyes were still a little puffy and bloodshot behind the shelter of her glasses; her normal smiling mask was obviously strained. Her brain coasted on a type of autopilot. She set up her tent, prepped the fire, pulled out her declaration of major form, and found herself sitting in her chair staring at the flames with no memory doing all that. Kina twisted off the lid of one of the coolers.
“Happy birthday t’ me,” she said to no one as she lifted the bottle in a toast. Kina absentmindedly took a sip while her thoughts tumbled over one another.
I can’t believe this is happenin’. It can’t be real. But I saw it... Gotta be some kinda sick joke, right? I mean, c’mon, faeries? ‘Course, there was that supplemental class offered by MA- um, MAG- Maggots? Naw, that can’t be right. Whoever they were, anyways, they had that thingy on non-human studies – occult origins, wasn’t it? Mebbe I should take that next semester an’ see if I can find out if I can track him down. How could he do this t’ me? I was ready t’ fall... no, I’d fallen. Uncle J said it was a spell, but a spell couldn’t have felt that way. Could it? Still, he never called me, an’ he never came for me. So he was jist toyin’ wit’ me th’ whole time? An’ J says all o’ ‘em are like that. How wretched. I hope he rots on th’ other side o’.... wherever that is. Faeries should stay if faerie tales. I hate him. But still, still... I woulda followed him if he asked. I’m so stupid. Hey, this is kinda nice.
The last thought was triggered as the false warmth of alcohol spread through her body. Kina was mildly surprised to see that she was part way through the third bottle. Muscles began to unclench and it felt like a small fire was heating her from the inside. Real heat from the fire that blazed in the confines of the fire pit’s circle warmed the air around her. Having interrupted her own train of thoughts, Kina turned her attention to filling out her schedule choices and the form declaring Liberal Studies for her major. Her pen did not seem to want to obey her though, and she found her spelling abilities were somewhat dulled at the moment. The next thing she knew, she was staring at a paper of incomprehensible scribbles and cross-outs. Ah, t’ heck wit’ it. I can always pick up more forms at school. One by one, Kina crumpled the sheets of paper and tossed them into the fire. She stared at the dancing flames as they brightened with each piece of paper that she fed them.
Hi, I’m Kina Nivens, Liberal Studies. Hm. I wonder what one does wit’ a Liberal Studies degree, anyways. I don’t ‘member ads in th’ Help Wanted sections askin’ for Liberal Studies grads. It’s all health care, or accountants, or else th’ kinda jobs where ya don’t need a degree... An’ I’m good at stuff I don’t need a degree for.
The fire flickered and sparked as Kina’s gaze rested upon it.
What am I doin’ at college? I mean, it ain’t bad, but, really, it was jist a place t’ go ‘cause there was nowhere else. Still, I coulda found cheaper things t’ do, right? Somethin’ wit’ fewer loans involved, at least. Liberal Studies. “What th’ hell am I gonna do wit’ that?”
The last was spoken aloud. The only response she got, however, was the snaps and crackling of the burning logs.
Nothin’, that’s what, she thought bitterly.
Her thoughts were quiet for several moments while the dying flames passed in and out of focus in front of her.
Mebbe it’s time t’ move on, then.
There was something oddly calming about that decision. Or, perhaps it was the ten bottles worth of wine coolers now in her otherwise empty stomach. In either case, Kina felt settled enough to finally get some sleep. She doused the fire and stumbled into her tent, rolling herself up in the sleeping bag. Wait, I oughta change int’ some... She was sound asleep before the thought was completed.
4/23/04
The first thing Kina noticed when she woke up the next morning was that her mouth felt glued together with a foul taste. The second was that her head was not happy with any sudden movements, and the third thing was that it was no longer morning. She moved her stiff body cautiously as she rekindled the fire and made herself some coffee. She looked at the pile of bottles by her chair with a wry grin.
Guess that’s what I get for drinkin’ on an empty tummy.
Coffee, cereal, and some cold water on her face did wonders in making her feel more like her normal self. She kicked herself into high gear, cleaning up from her previous evening’s introduction to alcohol. Kina took a little extra time to repack everything in her car. She had tossed things all hodge-podge into it yesterday; today, she was in a more stable frame of mind and clearly thinking about all she had to do. Now that Kina had made a choice, she wanted to follow through while her motivation was still strong. Otherwise, she would likely talk herself out of abandoning college, and spend the next couple years... “Goin’ deeper int’ debt. That’s what’ll happen,” she declared to the squirrels that had come to ply their trade of looking adorable in exchange for food scraps.
Kina drove straight back to her apartment from the campground. The campus was emptying out as students were taking advantage of the mini vacation that scheduling weekend created. None of the other girls were at the apartment when she arrived. After a quick shower, Kina settled into the task of deciding what to take and what to leave.
A couple hours later, Kina’s life was neatly divided into several piles. She dealt with the ‘to sell’ stack first – taking text books to the campus book store and selling them back for a fraction of what she had paid for them. She could have gotten more by selling them directly to other students, especially at the start of the next semester, but she was not planning on hanging around that long. She got a better deal at the second hand shop – one of several that thrived on the limited budgets of the college students – where she sold her floor fan, clothes, one of her beanbag chairs, and mini TV/DVD combo, as well as some of the CDs and DVDs she no longer wanted.
Kina swung by the Admissions office to drop off a letter stating her intention of withdrawal from the university. This late in the semester, there would not be any refund, but at least it would prevent her grades from being defaulted to F’s. She might decide to come back to school at some point, she reasoned, and it would be better if there were no grades that could go against her.
Finally, Kina stopped by the bank to close out her accounts. She did not relish the thought of carrying so much cash with her, but she also did not want the money in a form that could be easily seized as repayment for loans. Currently, she had her loans deferred until she graduated; once there was no application for the next semester, though, she would have to begin paying on them again. In all likelihood she would be employed elsewhere and able to make payments by the time that happened, but Kina figured there was no point in taking any chances. Feeling slightly criminal with her contingency plan, she left the bank with her life savings safely stashed in the inner pockets of her vest.
There was still nobody back at the apartment when she returned. Kina shifted her ‘to stay’ heap into the common room, dividing the clothes and other items into separate piles. She labeled each stack with one of her roommates’ names. Some of these things were items Kina had borrowed recently while others were things that had been borrowed from her in the past or admired by one of the other girls. The rest of the DVDs she had not sold and a couple CDs were also left on the table for them.
Kina was now left with the essentials that she would be taking with her. The camping gear and some of her clothes were already packed in her car. She quickly stashed her remaining clothes, pillow and sheets, beanbag chair, books, music, and other odds and ends in the Chevette. Kina fussed with the arrangement until she was satisfied that, at a first glance, it did not look like the small car was carrying someone’s life possessions (which it was) and probably would not be worth breaking into.
Finished with the redistribution of her belongings, Kina returned to the apartment one final time. She felt that she should leave some note for the others. If nothing else, she didn’t want them freaking out about her absence and calling the cops or anything like that. She sat down at the kitchen table with a pen and paper, and thought about what she should say. After a few moments, she settled for a simple explanation:
I’ve had a lot of fun with you guys and I’m glad I met you. However, I don’t think college is for me and instead of wasting more money on something I can’t use, I’ve decided to head out into the real world. Thanks for everything. Kina.
P.S. Here’s money for next month’s groceries.
Leaving $50 and her key on the table with the note, she decided that was good enough. She was a little uncomfortable with not saying good-bye in person, although this was certainly less awkward. Kina did not want to try to explain her reasons out loud, especially since one of the reasons touched on someone the other girls did not even know about. This way, too, if he found a way to come back and if he came looking for her, she would not be here and there would be nobody who could tell him where she had gone, or so Kina reasoned.
Are you sure you aren’t hoping to find him by going elsewhere? Kina quickly buried the whispered suggestion of her mind with her still fresh anger. I ain’t ever gonna forgive ‘im.
She fueled up at the gas station and stopped by the grocery store to stock up on water, coffee, and cereal. So, where do I go from here? Kina sat in her car in the parking lot as she puzzled over this single, but very important detail.
Well, west is out, cause that’s jist ocean an’... well, it’s jist out. I ain’t goin’ back south – been there, done that. So, north or east? Hm... north is colder...
“I am done chasing the fading sunlight. Here and now, I face the night and push through it, knowing the morning is on the other side.”
Mebbe I can find th’ owner o’ that voice if I go east.
Kina turned out of the parking lot and pointed her car to the oncoming night.
4/30/04
“Well, this is a bit o’ a problem. Stupid shoop.” She raised her voice, “Bad Petey!” The object of her ire, a large big-horned sheep ram, had long since vanished, but Kina felt better having vented her frustration. The warm air pulled strands of her jet-black hair out of her ponytail. Her green denim pants and purple long-sleeved tee were no longer as comfortable as they had been in the cool of the morning. Frustrated by her unruly hair, she dug out the old purple bandana and corralled her hair under it before turning her attention to the road atlas, trying to determine where she currently stood.
Although Kina had decided to head east, her route for the past several days had zigzagged in several directions. On a whim, she chose to see the Rocky Mountains and had dropped south and east after she left California. Her path wound through the lower passes of these stone giants, clothed in aspens here, pines there, and capped with snow way above. Kina had never experienced snow and considered getting on one of the many roads that led further upward, but eventually decided that she did not want to chance getting stuck in one of the snowstorms that still raged at the higher elevations. Instead, she kept to the lower spots, wandering back and forth across state lines as she explored the various state and national parks, tourist towns, and abandoned mining towns that dotted the landscape. Through Utah, Arizona, and Colorado she roamed, crossing and recrossing state lines as she explored. Kina liked the old locations, some abandoned and some still in use, that had names like Robbers Roost Canyon and Total Wreck – they each had unique features that the modern towns and cities, geared towards the tourists, sorely lacked.
The old mining spots that Kina came across fascinated her the most. Sometimes it would just be a couple of roofless shacks along the side of a back road; other times she would come across whole towns that had once prospered while the nearby mines had produced gold. A number of these places were known and marked on the map, but the various gold rushes had produced a great many more towns that had either since been forgotten and slowly reclaimed by the wilderness, or were not considered worth recording their names.
It was in one of these unmarked ghost towns that Kina now found herself. Although it had only been in the early afternoon, she had already decided to start looking for a place to spend the night. Her bouts of fatigue had seemed to worsen since she had left a week ago. This shortened the distance she could cover each day and necessitated that she found a place to stay well before evening came. Kina had been fortunate most nights to find campgrounds at the plentiful parks and reserves, although she had to spend one night at a roadside rest-stop. She had pinned up her sheets around the windows to hide the fact that the car held a single female occupant. She still slept uneasily that night, waking with every car door that slammed shut as their occupants came and went. Since then, she had made certain to find a camping spot each day.
Today, however, there had been nothing apparent when she decided to pick a spot for the day. Kina was on an unnamed back road and driving along in the hopes of coming to a town or main highway, or even someone’s house where should could ask for directions when she had spotted the ram. She had never seen big-horned sheep before, and was enchanted with the large, sturdy creature that nimbly scaled a near-vertical wall of rock, finding footholds where Kina would have said there were none. She drove slowly towards it, hoping to get a better look. The wild ram would have nothing to do with that, however, and disappeared at the top of the wall. That was when Kina noticed the road. The roadway split the side of the cliff and angled up along the way the wild animal had gone. She turned onto this road, with the hopes of spotting the ram and, perhaps, other members of its herd.
The Chevette crawled up the steep, pitted path that broke out of the shade of the aspens and into the sun-soaked high mountain scrub plants. There was no further sign of the mountain sheep, but she caught sight of some buildings ahead. The road leveled out, and the deserted town spread out in front of her. Kina pulled up to what must have been the main street to use the wider space to turn around when the Chevette gave a couple of shudders and then stopped. Trying to restart it produced no response from the vehicle, nor did kicking it. And so, Kina now sat next to the car, rubbing her sore foot and peering at the maps spread in front of her. She muttered to herself as she tried to recall any landmarks that would tell her where she was.
“Lessee, I’m fairly certain I’m in Colorado, t’day. I think. What th’ heck was th’ name o’ th’ park I stayed at last night? Mebbe... No, that was th’ night b’fore... That does it, I’m keepin’ a record from here on out o’ where I stay.”
The sun was now quite warm overhead. A canyon wren babbled away, its song floating down from further up the mountain; if there were other birds about, they were silent in the afternoon heat. Kina decided to head into the town to find shade amongst the buildings, and perhaps find a clue to the location of her current whereabouts. Dust motes danced in the light as a small breeze swept up dirt from the street. A number of plants had begun reclaiming the area. Kina spotted prickly pear, sagebrush, Indian paintbrush, and many more that she could not identify. There did not seem to be any tire tracks or other signs of recent disturbance through the vegetation - not an encouraging sign when the aid of another human was sought.
Despite her current predicament, Kina was not overly concerned, yet. She had enough food and water in her car for at least another week – perhaps longer if she rationed it. There was plenty of shelter available in the form of abandoned buildings. She turned her attention to the ghost town. The town was either the result of one of the later gold rushes, or else one that had produced a lot of wealth, she concluded based on the number of buildings still in relatively good shape. The place looked almost like a movie set, although the buildings were missing the big wooden signs that would say things like Saloon in a western.
Curiosity made her set aside her current worries and Kina poked in several of the buildings, trying to determine what purpose each one served. Since this road appeared to be the main street for this town, she guessed that most of the buildings were shops and such. One place had a number of old wooden barrels stacked in the back, their contents long since removed by the original owners, later people to find this place, and the local wildlife. Another spot was an open space with partitions and metal rings along the wall, shriveled and chewed scraps of leather, and a couple rusty horseshoes half buried in the dirt.
The dwellings that spread out beyond the main part of the town had not fared as well with the passage of time. The size of some of the remaining foundations suggested that they had been a sight to see in their day, however. Again, the remaining buildings were pretty well emptied of anything of value. Some cupboards with intricate scrollwork that were built into the wall remained here, a few candle stubs in that house there.
Just past the far end of the town, she found the start of the shacks that had housed the gold-seekers. Kina walked through the remnants of the shantytown until she reached what must have been catalyst for the construction of the town behind her. The cave opening gaped before her, a spot of dark along the mountainside. She carefully picked her way closer, but stopped before she reached the mine’s entrance. The ground was violently uneven and had sunk in several spots, perhaps the result of tunnels underneath. In any case, she figured there was no point in chancing a possible fall into unknown depths.
Fatigue and the accompanying yawn racked her body and Kina turned back, deciding to take a break for a mid-afternoon nap before choosing her next course of action. Facing the town from the other side, she now noticed a couple things she had not spotted before. One was a broken plank of wood, partly buried in the dirt, which looked as though there were markings on it. The board lay in an area of a fanned out depression. Just beyond it was an old well; it looked like a rickety version of the wishing wells she had seen in people’s gardens and yards.
Kina made a slight detour to investigate. She pulled the broken piece of wood out of the ground and scraped away at the grime that covered it. After a couple minutes, she could read the letters that had been burned into the wood: -ver Gulch.
“Well, that ain’t th’ most helpful hint,” she remarked to no one as she swiped at strands of hair that persisted in their escape. Kina looked back down at where she had unearthed the sign in the hopes of spotting the rest of it buried nearby. A glint in the dirt where the board had rested caught her eye.
“Ooh, shiny...”
The coin was small and unfamiliar looking, and likely made of real silver. She turned it over and over in her hand. It felt warm - prob’ly from th’ sun an’ stuff. Her gaze was drawn back to the well.
“What if ya had done everything you could and had nothing left but a wish? Ya’d have nothing to lose by making that wish. Would ya make a wish then?”
Well, this was fairly close to having nothing else to do but wish. But what to wish for... Another yawn escaped.
“Right. I wish that I was more energetic.”
Kina gave the coin a toss towards the old well. It gleamed as it spun through the air, reflecting and scattering the sunlight. She turned away, her mind back on her current dilemma. A thought made her turn back.
Crud. I bet that old coin’s worth some money...
The coin dropped into the well.
The world went white.
The wildfire sweeps the landscape.
It destroys.
It transforms.
Continued in Prelude. ((Prelude? Who the heck puts their prelude in the frigging middle of their story?!))
