Age of Silence - bloodlines
Chapter 10

Dark jagged rocks surrounded her as she lay on the hard surface on a ledge. Shadows on the magma reflected off the steep side of the red canyons. Distant sounds of steel clanged off the rocks. Mari heard screams and moans in the distance. She wondered where she was as she sat up and peered across the vast red mountains surrounding her. Mari leaped to her feet and ran on the rugged surface, the rocky ground splashed into dusty clouds as her feet pounded across the ground. Out of nowhere a woman appeared in front of her.

She was frail and short, and her eyes filled with a pale terror. “You mustn’t be here, it’s not safe.”

Adrenaline pumped through Mari’s body, but somehow her mind was calm and focused. “What’s going on, where am I?”

The woman checked behind her then looked back at Mari. “War of the galaxies.”

An explosion crumbled rocks on a nearby ledge above. “What war?”

Her stare was hollow, and shifty. “The entire solar system faces grave conflict, everybody is at war and every planet is connected to this destruction. Hurry before their blades hunt your flesh.”

Bombs exploded into the steep rock bluffs, she heard footsteps down below. Mari quickly ran away and looked for an escape route. The woman stayed, but Mari needed to move. She ran down a ridge of rocks, jumping from one to the next. Not a moment later she heard a scream. It was the woman who had warned her. A warrior with a sword had just severed her head from her body.

Mari ducked under a big rock and gasped. Jesus they’re everywhere—where am I supposed to go? So many questions raced through her mind: she couldn’t remember how she had gotten there, and she didn’t know where there was. There’s no time to figure out where I am, I just need to find safety.

Over to the side of the mountain, she spotted a tunnel near the boulder she was hiding under. It was dark, but it looked like there was a pathway, and she needed to get out of where she was. Mari spidered over to the opening and peeked inside.

It was pitch black but she tested the ground and it was solid, she crawled into the tunnel, then stood up, and cautiously walked down a narrow path, her shoulders brushing up against each side of the cave. She pushed herself forward, then stepped on a batch of loose rocks, slipped, and fell down.

The ground turned into mud and she slid out of control down the tunnel, as she tumbled down the dark cave. She panicked and tensed as her body flung fast down the winding tunnel. Mari thought for sure she was about to die, her muscles tightened more around each turn.

Sliding and slipping, she gained speed around each bend, the mud drenched her clothes in a red muck. Then without warning she crashed into the wall of the cave.

Mari grunted and grimaced as blood seeped from cuts all over on her body. She looked at herself to see if everything was still attached. It was, but her shoulder was badly bruised and hurt to move it.

“Shit,” She yelled, her words echoing off the walls of the dark cave. The pain in her shoulder shot through her body. Not sure if her legs were still working, she tried to stand up. But as soon as she tried her body sank down in the mud and she fell to the floor and slide down another tunnel. The next thing she knew, she was woke up face down in the dirt. Out of the corner of her eye she saw a red glow, flickering in the cold cavern. There was a gentle warm breeze, and the ceiling was tall and jagged. Mari looked up and saw the hole she fell into the pile of mud from.

In the corner of the cave she saw a fire. She was drawn to the heat of the fire and peeled herself off the ground and started walking toward the warmth. Her vision was blurry but as she approached the flame and heard a voice.

“You seek the fire, I know you seek it. Sit, sit.”

Mari came closer and stood above the fire, next to the flames sat a peculiar looking old creature with man like qualities. He had along brown beard and his orange eyes reflected off the shadow of the flame. She stared at the man as she sat down on a stone across from him.

“What are you?”

He pointed to a blanket next to the fire. “That will help you dry off and warm up.”

She grabbed the quilt and wrapped it around her shoulders.

The old man stoked the fire. “No I am not from where you are.”

Mari rubber her hands over the fire. “Then where are you from?”

“I come from the caves of this planet, but where I’m from is not important. What matters is that you find your way.”

Mari whiped her brow. “ What is this war that’s happening here?”

He inhaled the smoke from a wooden pipe. “A war that contains the truth all living beings. This war will either end all, or create a new existence.”

Mari shook her head. “What planet are we on?”

His eyes glowed. “The you one humans call Mars.”

“There is no life on Mars.”

The creature laughed. “Oh, because the primitive technology of humans does not detect it? The existence of this planet is hidden in a dimension that can only be accessed from a deeper realm.”

She stared into the flames of the fire before her,. “How did I get here?”

He did not answer her but instead handed her the pipe.”. “Take, take. This will show you what you.”

Probably poison. “No thanks.”

The man pointed to the sky. “Out there warriors will not hesitate to harm you, but this is not what I want. Taking a toke from this pipe will bring you wisdom from the anscesters of the hidden realms.”

“How do I know you don’t want to poison me?”

He blew gently on the flames. “It is up to you to decide if you think that or not. I can only offer you what I have.”

She thought about the explosions and the warrior that killed the woman with it’s sword . “Okay, I’ll take it.” He handed her the pipe, Mari held it to her lips and inhaled the smoke. Within seconds the creature’s face changed colors, and geometrical shapes and colors floated around in front of her. The old creature changed from looking like a scaly lizard to a man with a big red beard. Mari began to panic as she forgot everything, she no longer knew anything at all, total confusion confiscated her thoughts She drifted into, a dimension and state of consciousness that she had never experienced. Mari lost control of her peace of mind, the shapes moved faster and faster, her confusion transformed into utter panic and all she could think about was escaping this horrifying space. Was she dying? She looked across at the old man again and had no idea who it was, all level of rational thought and understanding had vanished, she was nothing, and she wasn’t anywhere.

Then the shapes started to slow down and her mind was starting to remember who she was, her question about dying shifted from an inquiry to the belief that it was the end for her. She remembered who the man across from her was, and regretted trusting the creature. Her head felt like it was spinning inside a washing machine, and panic filled her consciousness. All she could think was that she wanted this feeling to stop. Nothing was worse than this feeling , and the visuals were so intense she just wanted them to stop. The geometrical walls continued to collapsed around her, but more walls appeared each time. It never seemed to stop. After what felt like an eternity finally, the spectral colors and shapes began to gently dissolve. She was regaining awareness and her heart beat slowed.

She opened her eyes and the fire was gone, the old man was gone. Mar looked around, the jagged walls of the cave replaced by sand colored walls in a small room. .She was lying in bed. Mari got out bed and walked over to the bathroom, the light was already on. She looked in the mirror in front of her, and staring back at her was the she saw in her dreams who claimed to be her. Mari touched her skin and leaned into the mirror to have another look, she couldn’t believe it. She reached in her pocket for the owl feather. Surely she was dreaming but to her surprise she felt the soft feather in her pocket as she grabbed it and pulled it out.

This can’t be happening. How is this not a dream?” She had to find out where she was. Mari stepped out of the bathroom and back into the room. She looked around, the walls were blank, and the only thing in the room was a bed and a dresser. Then Mari walked out of the room into the rest of the house. She walked down the carpeted hallway that took her into a large room with high ceilings. There was one large window that stretched the length of the room. She walked over to it and looked outside, across from her were rows of apartment buildings, she saw a woman exercising while looking at a holograph image of an exercise program. To her left she saw a couple sitting on the couch watching the news hologram. Where in the hell am I, NYC? She looked around. All that was in the room was a large white couch, coffee table, and a painting of geometrical shapes hanging from the ceiling above the couch.

Jesus, if this really wasn’t a dream, then my other self has boring taste. Where is all of the furniture? Out of the corner of her eye she saw a blue light flashing on the counter. It was a small square box with one button and a light on it.. She walked over to it, pressed the button and a hologram of a blonde haired woman wearing an all blue suit appeared.

“Mari, we found a lead. Transport to the following coordinates immediately.”

Her mind was racing. “What are you talking about, and who are you?”

The woman on the screen looked to her left, and spoke to someone. “She’s had her first crossover realization.”

Mari interrupted. “Will someone please explain to me what’s going on?”

“Go back into the bedroom, we’ll transport you back to base. We’ll fill you in once you arrive. You have awakened to the understanding that you are living two lives with one body.”

Mari shook her head. “How can I trust you?”

“The woman you met on the mountain top who said she is you, is you. You have figured out how to bend time and leap across dimensions. Please go to your bedroom now.”

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