Standing alone in the intense darkness that is so thick I could cut it with a knife as if engraving the shadows on the ground with the white light of the full moon. I can feel the cool air on my skin, as I hear it whistle and moan through the trees above my head and I can almost hear the mention of my name.

I have intentionally wandered into the depth of this mysterious unknown cradle of the seen and unseen. Having crossed the lines of what is real and unreal, untouched and touchable, and known and hidden an I am weary. This is a place where there are no rules or standards to measure anything. What comes, what happens and what manifests does so without asking permission.

I look off into the distance ahead and I see the shadows dancing in between the trees. I can feel the hairs on the back of my neck tingle and rise as the cold shiver runs down my spine. Yes, they are coming towards me as they sway and drum the Earth with their feet. I can hear their drums, rattles, bells and a song sung in an unknown tongue.

I sense breathing near me yet, I turn and no one is there. The breathing gets louder and closer until I can feel it on my face. What is this? Who is this? I see nothing but, I know you are there. I know that scent and the breath it is all too familiar.

It is amazing how a minute can seem like an hour when your listening to everything at once. The sounds of the night owls, the crickets, the wolves in the distant, the wind whistling through the trees, your breathing, your heart pounding and your thoughts racing so fast you can just barely understand. I immediately began to smell a strange fire with incense burning in the distance, it reminded me of the many desert fires I used to build throwing sage into it watching the flames change color from flaming red to a brilliant blue.

The breathing, the wet hot breath of this strange being paralyzes me and I want to scream. I try to open my mouth but nothing happens! There is a rustling in the leaves behind me I can hear footsteps and rattling approaching me. I force my self to turn into my fear to see what this is.

There standing before me is a tall muscular manlike creature and as he approaches me I can see his face clearly as the moonlight unveils his dark otherworldly eyes against his chiseled face. As I look closer I can see he is wearing a coat made out of animal skins and fur with unusual objects hanging from it that rattle as he walks closer. The sound of his rattles are like the sound of earthly chimes. He has long bones hanging from his neck and his face is painted with black markings that appear to me lettering. My mind races, should I run? No, I cannot something is compelling me to remain still before this unusual being. As he comes closer I can see feathers hanging from his tasseled hair which falls against his marked strong chest.

Who is this? What is this? My mind begins to open and I feel like I have become a stone. He begins to speak to me in a language I have never heard it sounds otherworldly with guttural sounds and chants that cut through my senses in the most piercing way.

To be cont’d