Title: Blessings Home Ch. 3
Characters: Chandir/Wryn/Enoch; Elden/Misham
Series: Another Life
Enoch smiled as he walked through the morning sun's rays. The air was crisp and cool as summer was soon to leave them. The troubles of yesterday had been banished by his two dominants. They'd washed away the despair that had clung to Enoch. Chandir and Wryn had used their bodies to build him up. He had felt brittle, like the leaves that crunched beneath his feet, but they'd filled him with sustenance and strength.
Looking down at the path as he walked, he marveled at the colors of the fallen leaves. Seasons had died before the Earth had; he'd only heard tales of colorful leaves. The sun shining down through the trees, created mesmerizing patterns on the trail. Enoch didn't notice the red mist slip around him as the patterns became stars and words. Yellow stars and words of hate blazed in front of him. Falling to his knees, Enoch saw people everywhere. Men, women, and children with triangles on their sleeves. The triangles were put together to make a star. The fear was so strong, Enoch could feel his heart race.
Enoch could hear the slurs shouted at the frightened people. Those that shouted were so full of hate. Enoch was suffocating between the fear and anger. The stars sewn on the clothing wavered as tears filled his eyes. Through his tears, the stars shimmered and then suddenly they floated up to the sky.
The red mist slipped away as Enoch lay gasping. The hate-filled words that had overwhelmed him softened into the lyrics of the birds flying over head. He wiped the tears from his cheek with shaking hands. Laying on the ground, he let the peace of Gliese flow into him. He knew that he'd never rid himself of the anger and fear of the vision, but he was desperate to hide the emotions from Misham. Enoch didn't want his friend to suffer like he had the day before.
Slowly he stood up and looked around. Seeing no sign of the other sub, Enoch walked the few yards to the library. He'd prepare for the morning's scribing, the physical act of doing would hopefully chase away the remnants of emotions from the vision.
Entering the library, he noticed a couple Historians gathering their own supplies. The two men were older than anyone Enoch had seen on Earth. Giving them a small smile, he didn't think he'd ever get use to seeing people so healthy and having lived so many years.
"Talk to your dominant, Pais. Confide in him your worries."
Enoch's mouth dropped at the unexpected words. The advanced age and stooped shoulders of the Historian, didn't diminish his dominance. Nor the mischievousness of his sub, as the other Historian gave him a wink as they walked by.
Ducking his head, he hurried to the cabinet that held the supplies. He didn't want to think of what the older dominant knew. Was it a vision the dom had? Or could he just see Enoch's unease? Giving himself a mental shake, he wanted to brush away all the negative energy. He wanted to spare Misham any unwanted emotions. He gathered up the paper, ink, and quill.
Once in the room they'd used the day before, Enoch set everything down. He closed his eyes and took several deep breaths. He tried to clear his mind. He tried to think of nothing, only darkness. When that failed, he tried to visualize a white light. Pure. Refreshing. Clean. Suddenly, he remembered he'd forgotten the Xmene crystals. Opening his eyes, he turned to see Misham standing in the doorway.
"Do you want to stop?"
Enoch's heart ached at the dark eyes so full of pain. He didn't need a vision to see that Misham had been isolated and friendless for much of his life. Enoch knew the pain of being so alone.
"No. Please. I very much want to continue." Enoch poured his whole being into the words. He wanted his friend to understand that he wanted to continue not just the scribing, but the budding friendship as well.
Misham nodded and gave a tentative smile. Then he held out the clay covered crystals. "You didn't have enough hands for these."
Enoch chuckled as he took the crystals. Sitting down at the small table, he pulled the clay away from the light source. Like the day before, he kept the clay in his hands. The kneading of the soft substance gave him peace as he talked of his visions.
As much as he wanted to continue recording his visions, his most recent one combined with the ones from the day before had unsettled him. He didn't want to talk of destruction and fear. Clearing his throat nervously, Enoch asked, "Can we record what I've seen of Gliese?"
"Of course," Misham replied. "It is not unusual to record different sets of visions. They can be quite powerful. The emotional strain can overwhelm even the strongest of Historians."
Enoch gave a sigh of relief and then started to tell of his favorite vision. "Before I came here, I'd have dreams....well, now I know they were visions. But there on Earth, I thought they were just dreams. Dreams of a lush, green meadow. I'd never seen colors so vivid. And the sun! So warm and bright."
Enoch paused and inhaled deeply. The deep breath made him cough. His scarred lungs rebelled at the fresh air. "On Earth there was only the smell of death and fear. And ash from the eruption. In the dream the air was so fresh and cool. I walked through the meadow to the most beautiful river. I could see fish jumping up to eat insects."
At Misham's puzzled look, Enoch explained, "All the river beds had dried up. There was nothing but dirt and rock. Various shades of brown. Any insects that crawled were quickly eaten. Not by jumping fish, but by humans."
"I can't imagine what you thought as you saw such a different world," Misham said as he wrote what Enoch had related.
Biting his lip, Enoch wondered what Misham would think if he told him the truth. At Misham's encouraging smile, he decided that his friend wouldn't make fun of him. "I thought it was the after world. That when I died, I would go to this beautiful place. Where there were vibrant colors and rivers and snow covered mountains."
"You must have been shocked when you woke up here," Misham said.
Shaking his head, Enoch explained. "Not when I first woke up. It was several days after I woke up. Chandir and Wryn told me I was in a coma for many weeks. Then I was too weak to go out. I didn't understand where I was; that I was on Gliese. One night I slipped out the window. I slept for a bit in the woods and then the next morning four women found me."
"Ah, I bet that was Astrid and her doms," Misham guessed correctly. "I don't think there's a more mischievous sub!"
"I think she enjoys tormenting her doms," Enoch laughingly agreed. "That morning she and the others all but forced me to go have morning meal with them. When we walked into the meadow. The same meadow I'd seen in my dreams, I was stunned. Chandir and Wryn had come by then and we were arguing."
"You are a brave man to argue with Chandir," Misham said in awe of Enoch's courage.
"No, I wasn't brave then. I'm not brave now. I was so frightened of the visions. I tried to run again. Then, I was there in front of the river. The meadow, the river, suddenly it all made sense. I understood I'd been given another life. Whether it was the afterlife or not, I was where I wanted to be."
Both men startled at a knock on the door. An older Historian opened the door and stepped in. "The noon meal is almost done. You should eat."
Jumping up, Enoch exclaimed. "Oh, I was to be home by noon meal."
"Why did you not tell me! Go! Go to your doms. I will put away our supplies," Misham urged.
Sternly the older Historian scolded Misham, "You will eat first."
"May we meet tomorrow?" Enoch asked. "Until noon meal again?"
"Yes, yes," Misham said to both men. "I will eat. And I will be back tomorrow morning."
Enoch felt at peace as he walked through the library. The bright sun greeted him as he walked down the path. The morning had been pleasant. They'd gotten a lot written down. Enoch's stomach rumbled in hunger. He was ready for the meal that awaited him. As he walked his stomach growled louder and pain shot through his middle. The hunger was immense. Even though he'd eaten that morning, his body felt like it hadn't eaten for days. Suddenly the red mist crashed over him.
He found himself in a kind of prison. One with metal fencing. Sharp barbs were at the top of the fence. Guards in formal uniforms patrolled the area. And all Enoch could feel was the sharp pain of hunger.
"NO!" Enoch screamed silently. He pushed back against the pain and the vision. He pushed until his muscles tightened. His body shook with tremors as the seizure over took his body.
"Enoch! Enoch, please wake up!"
Enoch slowly opened his eyes as a hand shook his arm. He was on the path and Misham was kneeling over him.
"It's ok. I'm alright," Enoch slurred his words.
"What happened? I came out and you were on the ground," Misham cried.
Slowly sitting up, Enoch said, "It's nothing. A vision is all."
Shaking his head, Misham pleaded as he helped Enoch to stand, "You must tell them. Tell Chandir and Wryn. They will help you."
Steadying himself, Enoch nodded his head. "Thank you, my friend. I will see you tomorrow."
As he walked down the path, toward home and safety, Enoch could feel Misham's eyes on his back. Enoch knew he worried, but there were no reassurances to give. He didn't know what the visions were of. He just knew that he wouldn't let them ruin the life that he'd been given here.
TBC
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