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The
Journey Continues... |
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Home-school Welcome
to Existence Bible
Training Resources
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13.
THE INNER SANCTUM
They rounded a corner that led them to where Mother Ana had said the inner sanctum would lay. Junnice held her breath as the twins continued cautiously, their hearts pounding inside their chests, threatening to rupture any given moment. Bernice out of shear fear held tightly to her sisters left hand. Her twin responded with a cry but welcomed the intrusion. It helped her much to know that she wasn't the only one fearful - despite all the reassurance that Mother Ana had given. "Despite all I feared he wanted to do to me, the man meant me no harm. After a while I was able to calm down a little, soothed somewhat by his tender words. I desperately tried to understand exactly what he was trying to tell me but try as hard as I could I was not able to comprehend any of it," a hardened smile crossed her lips and was quickly replaced carelessly by a smirk. Junnice noticed the change on Mother Ana's face and asked for an explanation. "Oh I was just remembering some of the words that he spoke to me, that night." "Can you please tell me what they were or was it personal?" Her young companion asked. "Oh they weren't really private, but they did have an air of urgency about them." "What were they, Mother?" "Young girl, you are starting to sound like a carrion bird... Well... Oh where do I start, let me see..." "Why are you here children?" Resonated a soft voice from behind a wall facing the twins. They stood still, knees shaking with fright. "Oh great," Bernice thought, "now he's going to eat us." "I am not going to eat you Bernice," came a reply to her thought. "Great, he can read thoughts but still has to ask why we are here." Said Bernice, trying to loosen herself from fear by compensating it with humour. "I would rather it came from your own lips than by my telling you. And it would help you to better understand why you are here... Come closer, don't be scared children." They approached cautiously, ready to retreat as quickly as their legs would carry them back to the mouth of the cave and far away from the cave. The torch was not needed but Junnice had no desire to snuff it out. She forced the pointed end into the dirt at her feet, all the while keeping an eye on the man standing in the centre of the cavern. "I don't mean you any harm Junnice. If I intended any, you would be already laying dead at the feet of that wolf in the field of flowers." "Why did you help me?" Junnice asked, as the words juggled uncomfortably out of her mouth, she started to fidget. A trait that was brought on by nervousness. She looked at the ground and everywhere else except the man in front of her. Bernice kept her eye's on both the man and her sister. "You asked for help." "But I did not ask you. I don't even know you." "If I had not helped you child, right now you would be rotting in a hole in the ground. And I could not bare the thought of you dying and not having known me, and what I had to offer you." Junnice looked harassed. She was tired and decided to rest her legs and so sat down on the dirt floor before the man - his countenance aglow all the more. Bernice kept standing, afraid to do anything else. 14.
THE ENCOUNTER
Cora erupted forth out of the dense forest into a clearing. Something had been chasing him. What? He wasn't exactly sure. His young body trembled as every hair on his skin stood on end. Eye's shot to and fro looking for a glimpse of the perpetrator. A movement in the brushes behind him quickly drew his attention. He shot his eye's to his left. Squirrel. "Stupid animal," Cora stammered, body tense with adrenaline. "Come on where are you? Show yourself." He muttered under his breath, not that he was anxious to see who or whatever it was that had been chasing him since he had crossed the river two miles back. He was frightened, though he could see no foe. The chill down his back was enough to assure him that this sense of fear he felt was indeed real, and not a figment of his imagination. "Where
are you going man-child?" A quiet breeze carried the words through the
dense forest like the echoing of a worship drum. Cora shuddered.
"Where is the man behind this voice," he wondered. His heart beat ever the faster and adrenaline sent his mind into a blur, a sense of unease fell upon him as he rushed through the evergreen forest. "Where are you going man-child?" The words rang through his head as he drew nearer the stream. He collapsed to his knees and with cupped hands scooped up water then presided to drink from it, lapping it up like an animal. The cool water relaxed the tenseness he felt. As he sat back on the bank, he looked around trying to take in everything he saw all at once, which was an effort in itself as there was so much to see. Young fawns ate grass next to their parents who also grazed upon the banks on the other side of the stream. Forest birds chirped and sang their cheerful tunes. "I wonder what they are singing about?" thought Cora. "Would you like to know?" "Of course, who wouldn't?" Cora replied aloud. A sudden stillness set about the forest. Every living thing seemed to have grown quiet all of a sudden. No more sound was heard. "There is a price that must be paid." "What price?" "Your lifelong servitude." "My lifelong servitude to what?" "To me." With that a form appeared just in front of him upon the stream. It seemed to levitate above the waters flowing downstream. The Great Bear stood before him in all its opulence. "Well man-child will you serve me?" It demanded a response. "Serve?" Cora asked. "I hate and despise you. It is because of you I went through all this pain and torture. And now you ask me to serve you. How dare you?!" The boy lifted his hand and thrust a crooked finger towards the Great Bear, adding weight to his words with this gesture. "I dare, because I demand absolute loyalty from my subjects. You must serve me, and me alone if you desire to be chief of the Amalkeths," the Great Bear thrust back in response. "I can offer you great riches and fame if you follow me, doing what I ask and saying what I tell you." "What have I in need of riches and fame?" "You fool, isn't that the very reason you decided to go through the pain?" "I don't need you to become rich or famous. I can do it on my own." "But with the power I can offer you, you will be able to rule your tribe and all those tribes in the north, south, east and west region. I have so much to offer you child if you will only subject your will to mine. If you will obey me, I can make you into the greatest chief that ever lived. I will make your enemies become your footstools. Both your foes and friends will become fearful of you, if you will obey me." Cora listened as each word flowed from the beast's mouth as honey from a comb. He wondered if what the Great Bear had said was true. Hoping that it was true, Cora started to visualise and imagine what it would be like to have such power. Before him appeared all the chiefs and elders of the other great tribes of the region, they mouthed some words and Cora could feel their fear within himself as they fell to their knees and worshipped him. "Man-child," the Beast interrupted his vision. "Will you obey?" The words weighed a heavy burden as Cora slowly drifted out of the vision and slowly into the reality of the words. The Bear had been standing upright but now was on all four paws slowly stalking towards him like he was it's prey. It's large black eyes never left Cora and its stare seemed to hypnotise the boy as he stood still peering into the Beasts eyes as it approached. The Great Bear drew nearer and didn't stop its threatening walk until he was a metre away from the boy. It stood face to face with the boy for a moment then sat back on its haunches without taking its eyes off him for even a slight moment. Cora felt threatened, beginning to wonder if the bear would kill him if it's request was not obeyed. The beast somehow sensing Cora's fear began to lessen It's hypnotic hold on the boy. Instead he began to talk softly to the boy. "I offer you the ruler ship of this world if you will only bow to me," It tried to persuade the fearful boy. It reached out a pristine right paw on which was tattooed words with hieroglyphs. Cora fearfully and slightly trembling, reached for the paw. 15.
THE GIVER OF LIFE
Junnice and Bernice listened quietly as the Being which appeared as a man with its upper body glistened like glowing embers and lower body raged in a burning flame spoke. The glow cast shadows on the walls of the dark cavern. The Being had a peace about him which seemed to warm the dry cavern. Junnice had asked the figure what it was that he wanted to offer her. His response had surprised both the twins. Not that they were easily surprised, but that the answer was something they had never thought of before. After all such things were only discussed or comprehended by adults and only if they were intoxicated with the drink made from the root of the eahu vine, a drink which caused the loosening of lips and allowed men to say that which otherwise would not have been said in polite company. People do tend to say things that they wouldn't normally when inspired by emotions or substances which loose one's perception of reality. "I have always been and always will be," the Figure said, glowing ever more brighter. "I have always existed. I was there at the beginning of time and will be there at the end, although I live outside of time. I am the Life Giver, the Creator of all Life and the Builder of World's. My very existence holds together the Worlds. If I was to say the word, the whole Universe would come to a halt." "But you saved my life, why?" Junnice replied. "My precious dear child," a quiet smile appeared upon his face. "Why would one who created life choose to destroy it?" "But if you are the one who created us why have you allowed so much suffering and pain to exist?" Bernice asked finding confidence somewhere within herself to voice her concern. "Bernice," the figure turned towards her and softly continued in a voice so quiet it was barely a whisper. "People chose to do evil, they turned against me and have forsaken to follow me and have done every evil deed imaginable under the sun before my sight and they have done this without any thought of how it makes me feel. Mankind chooses to hurt and kill each other. They think they can do these deed's to each other without a thought as to how I feel about seeing my creation destroy each other. My heart bleeds with pain to see this happen and yet they continue in their depraved ways." "We don't know your ways," Junnice responded. Why she felt she had to, she had no idea. "We've never learnt them or heard of them, and the only time I have heard any mention of you, has been, while the drunken elders spoke. And well, there never was any coherence in what they said anyway, until Mother Ana told me yesterday." "Where
do I start?" Mother Ana repeated her question again, a thin pointed
finger scratching her head. "Ah yes, the message."
"The message?" Junnice queried. Suddenly her face became animated with curiosity. "Hush child. I might forget my train of thought... Ah yes... Yes, the message," collecting her thoughts the old women cleared her throat, taking a drink from the bowl by her side and begun. "The message was one of love and went something along these lines. The Amalkeths had betrayed their Creator, who long ago had brought them to this land of the Gonora, after there had been a great deluge upon the northern regions. The Great Spirit had sent among them prophets and prophetesses to show the people how they were to worship him and live their lives. Many people followed their teachings but some rebelled and took it upon themselves to lead the Amalkeths. At that time we were but a small tribe, no more than twenty families. Now we are a hundred and fifty with our brother and sister tribes on all four winds. These rebels had among them four rugged men who had wanted to lead the tribe for themselves and couldn't bare to not be given the privilege. Of course these four weren't capable of leading a tribe as ours, so they conspired against the leaders that the Great Spirit had placed over the people. They murdered all the prophets and prophetesses during one night at a council meeting where only the prophets and prophetesses were present. Having gathered the other rebel's the four rushed in and strangled those gathered for the meetings. "No one had known anything about what had happened until a few months later when heavy rain had exposed the buried remains of the twelve leaders. The next morning the four chose one of their number to lead the tribe. "How do you know all this?" Junnice interrupted. "I was shown it in a vision. Now don't interrupt dear," sighed Mother Ana. "Lest this old woman forgets her train of thought." Junnice smiled. "They took charge with an iron fist. The people were like clay in their hands and those who did not comply were forced to perform crude and ghastly deed's until their spirit broke. These later became slaves to the tribal leaders and were banished to the dry North. They are the Majuuns - which means slaves no more- who live in the Northlands. As you may well know, these people have forever been at war with us. It seems as though their ill beginnings are still causing them pain these many years later," she sighed, but stopped herself short as she remembered her own bitterness, which still affected her life. "After so many years." "What happened next?" Junnice interrupted. "The chosen leader of the rebels had the Majuuns build a statue of himself. This was of course before the Majuuns were banished. He made all Amalkeths bow and worship it. Those who refused were slaughtered. These were those who had kept following the Great Spirit. Young and old, child and adult, man and women were slaughtered as a sacrifice to the Statue of Manathah - the rebel leader." Mother Ana said this last statement without any emotion. She had somehow been able to come to terms with these things ever since she had first seen the vision and had been told of what had gone before. She sat calmly in her modest surroundings remembering of the time when she had first seen the Holy One in the cavern. 16.
THE CHALLENGE
"Ana," the Being had said quietly. "Will you be my voice in this generation of rebellious children? Will you speak to them of my love and plead on my behalf with them, to turn back to worshipping me and leave their worship of idols behind, for they are not gods but inanimate objects made of wood, stone and earth." "But lord," Ana replied. "Who will listen to a child? Especially one who was as despised as I was. What can I possibly say or do, that these, your people will listen to me?" "The words won't be your own. They will be mine and they will bear fruit of themselves. You will not have to worry or be afraid for I will be your strength. I will be your rearguard. I will be your stronghold. "But why do you want me to speak for you? Surely there are others who are more capable of fulfilling your purpose's." "Child, there is in you, a gift and strength that is not in others. Before I made you, I placed within you this gift and strength. It is something that I chose to do before you left your mother's womb, as a special gift to you. I give others these gifts but they use it to benefit themselves rather then others," He replied. Then in a softer tone he continued. "Ana, I will be your strength. You only have to trust me. I will be with you." Ana slowly clambered to her knees then stood up, a little wearied by what she had seen, but also strengthened by what she had heard. She stood with her head bowed to the cave floor, timidly tracing her sandled toes around a small stone on the ground, making a trail a centimetre deep into the dry soil, trying not to be overwhelmed with the impact of the vision she had seen. "Where do I start?" She thought to herself. "Why me?" Suddenly the Holy One appeared to her in person. Up until now she had only seen him in a vision form. He had been a translucent form, yet here he now stood before her. The very one who had known her before she had first opened her eyes to see. Before she was formed and put together in her mother's womb. Here was the very one who knew everything about her. She felt so dirty. Shame overwhelmed her as she thought about all that she had done, thought, and had said as long as she could remember. A guilt ascended from within to condemn her of these things. From somewhere within a flood of tears overflowed out of her. Heavy tears rolled down her brown cheeks as each fresh flood erupted out of her, as the impact of the situation dawned upon her. The implications of her guilt and shame weighed so heavy upon her that she cascaded to the cave floor like a dry leaf blowing in the summer wind. Jostling about from side to side, then finally settling on the dry ground. "I... I...am...sorry," she stammered, not quiet knowing what to say. She felt as though she had been caught doing the most heinous of crimes and now expected to be punished. What made it worse, was the knowledge that she was guilty of this crime and deserved punishment. But she hoped with all hope that she would not be reprimanded, and so she threw herself at the mercy of the very one who had formed her. "What would I do?" She thought to herself, "If my own creation had turned away from me and did their own thing. How would I react? How would I react to such selfishness and independence?" 17.
A STRANGE VISITOR
Somewhere outside the cave, out in the open evergreen forest with its tall trees that seemed to reach the clouds, a dog howled. The sound startled Bernice. She had been listening so intently that the sound of the mutt had caught her off-guard. "Are you all right, child?" The Holy One asked, concern showing on his face. He set about to make a fire in the cave and gathering kindling. He lit them by merely speaking to the kindling. "Fire." The cave had grown cold with the dark night outside sending its chill through the cave's opening. "Come and warm yourselves beside the fire," he gently beckoned. The twins drew near and sat down near the fire, stretching forth their hands to the heat. Ease clearly showing on their faces as the heat brought warmth to their cold limbs. While
they sat quietly warming themselves in the heat of the modest fire,
a dog entered the cave. It travelled through the cave turning corners
and manuvering past the decaying bones which lay strewn across the dirt.
A pheasant lay between its jaws.
Turning a corner the dog found itself in the same cavern as the twins with their strange host speaking to them quietly. First to see the animal, the man turned towards the dog and spoke. "Come place the bird down here by the fire." The animal obeyed its creator's voice. "Lie down and warm yourself," the master continued, speaking in tones which seemed as warm as the heat from the burning kindling. "Thank you, for your hard work, please join us in a meal together." The twins watched this interaction quietly, wonder clearly portrayed on their light-brown faces. Light from the small fire setting their eyes ablaze with life. Bernice smiled queerly at Junnice, who shrugged in return and continued to watch quietly as the man began to prepare the bird for roasting over the open fire. 18.
ORACLE OF THE CREATOR |
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