In Between Worlds (Part Two)

This is my contribution to “What do you see?”, challenge.

This is the second installment to my story In Between Worlds I posted on last week’s challenge.

Photo courtesy of Hélène Vaillant.

It has been a few days since Malcom was catapulted from the golden orb. He had been in a confused state ever since he called out to Sara who did not answer him. In fact, it looked as though she looked right at him but kept walking.

Malcom recognized that he had not eaten nor had he slept for days. He began to consider that he may not actually be in physical form. He tried to feel his body a few times but with no success. After a while longer Malcolm understood that when he landed next to the oak tree, he wasn’t in his body. He felt elated for a moment thinking that maybe Sara didn’t see him because he wasn’t all there.

As the days continued on, Malcolm thought about his solitary life and the gift that Sara was, bringing light to his days. He wondered why he chose to live the life of a hermit. Thoughts like these lingered in his mind.

One day he jumped out of his mind and saw that this was why Sara disappeared the first time. He had made her live a hermits life as well, and she gradually dissipated due to lack of socialization. Or maybe even because they never had children.

These thoughts raced on in Malcolm’s mind. He finally saw how lonely a life that was. So much so that when he went through the golden orb, his consciousness was released, not his body. He knew it was because that is how he was living his life. The only sensory input was Sara’s touch, his music, their conversations, and the limited joy they experienced together.

At seeing this, Malcolm decided to try to create sensory experience through his consciousness. He remembered how he loved to play the piano. Therefore, he decided to create a piano with his mind. And lo and behold just as he thought about it, a piano appeared next to the oak. Now it was not a piano he had ever played before, it was made of transparent light. It wouldn’t matter, he thought. If he could create it with his mind he could also create music.

Malcolm took his consciousness and sat at the piano made of light and started playing music. It was unearthly and seemed to come from the etheric spheres.

-Straight from God, Malcolm thought.

He played and played and allowed the music to heal his heart and the loneliness he felt. He longed to see Sara again. He considered that if he did, he would try to speak to her mind through his.

Sara remembered Malcolm going through the orb, and she remembered that she came out of the orb a short way from the oak tree. But after she walked by the tree and could not find Malcolm, she decided to go their old home. She thought he may have landed there.

She reached their home, and found it boarded up. She found some tools and removed the boards from the front door and went inside. Of course, she did not find Malcolm at home, and decided to clean the cobwebs and make the home livable again. It seemed that weeks went by and Malcolm never made it home. She wondered what might have happened to him as he emerged from the orb. He wasn’t as practiced as she was going in and out of the realms.

She worried and fretted, yet one day she began to feel a calm wash over her. Early the next morning, as Sara was dusting, she came upon Malcolm’s piano. She never learned how to play it, but remembered the beautiful music that he would play for her. She lifted the cover off the keyboard and as she sat at the bench the keys began to play music on their own. Sara was at first startled but then was amazed at the beauty of the music. It definitely had Malcom’s signature but it was nothing that she had ever heard him play.

After several moments of intense listening, Sara feeling love for Malcolm, yet still forlorn, decided to take a walk to the oak tree. The air felt brisk outside, but it was a short walk along the path that ran along the river. Strange enough, the sound of Malcom’s music continued to fill the air.

She remembered how she loved Malcom and was sorry that her body dissipated so much sooner than either one of them was ready for. It was an unfortunate event, but it was her first time coming into the material world and the body she made was already too old for this world. At least, the second time she came through, she mastered the age thing and came in young enough to make babies. She wondered where the thought could ever have come from, and as she had this thought, she was upon the oak tree.

Sara was sad, as she could not see Malcom, yet the music was profoundly louder here by the oak. She decided to sit next to the tree and rest for a bit. She did not know how much longer she could sustain being in this world without her lost love.

Malcolm’s consciousness almost had a mind attack upon seeing Sara. He fumbled through a few notes and as he did Sara appeared startled for a moment. That made Malcolm realize that she could hear the music, and at understanding this, Malcolm focused intently on the music. As he did, Sara’s body relaxed again.

He continued to play, but he also tried to send thoughts to Sara.

“Sara, this is Malcolm. My consciousness came back but not my body.”, Malcolm repeated this a number of times.

Finally, Sara seemed to hear him and responded with her thoughts.

“Malcolm, is that really you!?”, her thought was full of emotion and sent waves rushing through Malcolm’s heart.

“Indeed it is Sara, I don’t quite know what happened as I went through the orb. It took me a few days to realize that I did not bring my body when I came through.”

Sara was shocked to be in conversation with Malcolm and took a moment to calm her thoughts. She finally managed to send another thought, “It was your first time, Malcolm and the orb weighs your heart. You never really were much for this physical world, or at least you were always more of a dreamer than one who wanted to be in this world physically.”

“I realized that Sara. I also think that my being that way might have caused you to leave too soon. I am very sorry.”, Malcolm’s heart ached as he remembered the day he lost Sara.

“Malcolm, no, my body was too old. It could no longer sustain the energy. I came back younger so we could have children.”, Sara stopped and choked, she wondered if this would scare Malcolm.

“Sara, you do want children? I would do anything to have children with you!” Malcolm’s heart was going to burst. He was afraid if it did, he would disappear forever.

“Malcolm, now that you know why your body did not come back with your consciousness, if you really do want to come back again with your body this time, would you promise to live a full life with me?”

“Yes, oh yes, Sara, I would promise! But we have to stop talking about this as my heart is going to burst into flames and burn up my consciousness! Oh! Oh! Oh, Sara, I am sorry! Please forgive me!”, Malcolm cried out but was inconsolable.

“Malcolm, dear, please, I forgive you. Please try to relax your mind, I love you and know a way to bring your body to realign with your mind. Are you able to follow me back to golden orb?”

It took Malcolm several minutes to regain composure. When he did, he began to follow Sara to the golden orb. Sara all the while talking with him to make sure he was following her. They talked about their love, the children they would have, and reintegrating into society. Malcolm would open a carpentry shop, and make one or two pianos a year to help them live healthy and productive lives. The children would start school in the local districts, and Sara would join the local women’s charity club.

They arrived at the orb, and Sara stopped just before the stepping stones.

Sara shared instructions with Malcolm, “I won’t go through this time with you Malcolm, but I left your lantern on the top stone in front of the orb. I believe when you handed me your lantern last time, your light went through the orb separate from your body. This time take the lantern through the orb with you, and your body will magnetize to it.”

“How will I be sure my body will not age like yours did the first time. You said “time” in the dreamworld was faster than the material world.”, Malcolm’s faith was slipping once more.

“Malcolm, try to kiss my lips with your consciousness, and when you do, hold on to that feeling as you go through the orb. And hold on to the age you are now and you will come back that age.”

Sara open stood waiting for his kiss.

Malcolm, moved his thoughts over to Sara’s lips and as he thought of kissing her, Sara became warm, and her lips moistened.

When Malcolm felt Sara’s temperature rise, his heart opened and his consciousness flew to the top stepping stone where he found his lantern waiting. He picked it up with his mind and as he did his consciousness was pulled through the gateway in what felt like a nanosecond of time. Once again, he began to swirl into and within the funnel and tunnel of lights. He dared to not take his mind off of Sara’s sensual lips.

Just then his body magnetized to his consciousness and together they went whirling, catapulted through the orb and landed right under the oak tree.

Sara was waiting of course. She had already started running toward the tree just as she saw the lantern fly into the orb. She knew then Malcolm was on the other side.

Malcolm’s body dropped softly along side where Sara was sitting. She pulled up her body and turned toward Malcolm. She began to scan his body from head to toe making sure it was he and he was whole. She was delighted to see that it was the Malcolm she grew to know and love. But he was sleeping. She needed to wake him to make sure his consciousness was there as well.

She was afraid to wake him, and thought maybe he would be tired and in need of rest. But she couldn’t stand it any longer, and even though she moved softly, she began nudging his arm to wake him. When that didn’t work she placed her hand on his face.

All, of a sudden, Malcolm’s arm reached up and grabbed a hold of Sara’s wrist. He pulled her closer to him, raised his body up and rolled her on her back. His body was almost covering her entirely. There eyes met and for the first time ever, each could see the light of the other in each of their eyes. Prisms of color danced in front of them as they stared deeply into each of their souls.

They melted into one another, one up one down, moments flying by as they explored their bodies anew. One could hardly tell if they would ever make it back home. But it doesn’t matter, they now exist whole yet as two, together with love.