A fun read for you...
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The next morning, after a bizarre night's sleep in the land of relentless voices, the campers--resting on thick rugs of animal skin--awakened quietly. Some time this afternoon, they would be at the Hell Waters, the dangerous Drain. They pulled their belongings together in the silence.
Freegirl and Phynnia had heard stories about the Hell Waters when they were children, and now their minds were being flooded with memories of those stories. Big Monster in the deep making havoc for fun, sucking boats into its gurgling mouth, and never letting go. The girls remembered the "freak" storm in Color Paradise raising the water level, and the Lilith Springs suddenly becoming more active. These were not pleasant thoughts, for the Hell Waters needed no boost.
Nevertheless, it had been boosted. The Drain, as the wild area was originally known, had recently received countless tons of water from the added rains in Color Paradise, and the extra spillover from the geysers' excess spew.
The Great River ran into the Connection Course, the both rivers dropped underground into the Drain.
As these rivers plunged into the huge opening in the river channel, endless gallons of falling water pulled the surface down quickly.
It was believed an under world existed in the underground veins of the rock, humans living in pockets extending from the Drain's flow. It was a world no ordinary person wanted to reach--unless in the Dreamscape--and of the ordinary folk who were sucked into the Hell Waters, no one ever returned.
Elfen had handled the Hell Waters several times in his life and he was not afraid, but he, too, could not stop thinking of the extra water poured into the Drain, from the storm and the geysers. Higher levels of water should make the sucking power slower, though he was not positive. He'd never experienced this area after a major flood.
The captain of the Mona Fidelity was not afraid to take a new river. Although he was not experienced in the spiral formation of water circling around a deadly center, he was ready to learn.
Elfen knew thoughts of the Hell Waters were putting apprehension into his passengers, so with frisky enthusiasm he announced, "Let's go jammin'!" And in moments, all three musical sailors were aboard the Mona Fidelity with mandolin-- flute and harp--harmonica in hands. Laysia howled when the people played.
Elfen entrusted his vessel to the river's pull. No sails, no oars. Just trust. The river's force during this section of the Connection Course was moving faster than usual. He did not believe he was in any danger. He was predicting the higher water level would put him out of the Drain's pull. The Rower of the Rivers kept his Beast to the left of the channel, to port, where he would eventually turn left onto the Great River.
At one of their relaxing song breaks, Elfen said, for he could read the girls' edgy nerves, "I've been near the Hell Waters five or six times, and I've never had difficulty veering left, passed the Drain, and onto the Great River."
Both listeners held their flute and harp in hands, on their laps, and gazed upon the speaker, who continued carefully.
"It's like a violent storm on the ocean, but instead of traveling in a million directions all at once, the Hell Waters spin toward the center. ‘No one knows where the Drain goes.' That's the saying of the people who live in the area."
There was silence. Then Freegirl quietly asked, "Does the underground river have beaches?"
Elfen laughed. "Let's hope so," he answered, "for those who've been caught in the Hell Waters never return. Let's hope they, at least, have a place to live."
Phynnia and Freegirl gawked at him. They imagined a place where the Fireye did not shine, and the sun did not radiate. Even if the beaches were beautiful--like the beaches of the dim Re-Legion had been--a human could not survive underground. Humans must have sunlight.
Suddenly Freegirl blurted, "Do we have to go this way!"
Phynnia and Elfen smiled at their restless friend. "Play your flute, Freegirl and stop worrying," commanded Phynnia.
Freegirl could see traveling was making her companion a stronger person. The gentle command from Phynnia prompted the girl of Mount Gold to bring her wooden instrument to her lips, blow into the small, bamboo tunnel, and make her flute-song sail.
It was not necessary for Elfen to explain to Freegirl the benefits of catching the Great River. It went almost directly north and connected to the Emotion River, the last of the waterways to the Lore Halls. The unusual child was now at the half-way point of her journey, and Elfen felt highly responsible for her safely.
Suddenly, the Rower of the Rivers saw something near the mast. Jumping up to get a better look, he could see fire burning one of the closed sails. As his heart was about to stop beating---for with all the water around him, he was not prepared to put a fire out that high in the air--he saw the flame turn into steam, a hot vapor that moistened rather than burned.
Safe was the sail and the mast now, for out of the steam poured a waterfall! A waterfall that seemed to come from the wooden pole! The girls and the wolf were watching the spectacle, too.
Before them stood the Cylstar, hair flying flames, into the light breeze, arms and body running in waterfalls. "Oops!" she said, her voice sounding reminiscent of running water, finishing with a sizzle and a sssssss. "Pay attention and take care!" she commanded herself.
Looking at Elfen, with a child-like pout, she said, "I'll try harder next time."
Elfen wanted to say, There won't be a next time, but he was profoundly speechless. The perplexed man was witnessing more phenomena since bringing Freegirl aboard his vessel, than he had seen in ninety years. He felt like choking, his breath coming unnaturally. He found his gaze wandering to Freegirl who stood with Phynnia.
Both girls had their jaws flung wide open, and with gaping eyes, they stared at the latest intrusion.
There was a pause. Finally, Elfen remarked, "You're Senna, aren't you?"
The Cylstar smiled. "It's me! I see you're all awake now."
And just then, Elfen's memory exploded upon the stage of his mind. Yes! He had seen this creature while momentarily awakening from the meditation in Actualka's crystals. He now remembered he had become dizzy and fainted, as that same nausea began to accelerate in him again.
The captain walked away from the Cylstar, feeling removed from all interruptions, and went back to where the instruments had been lying, to play his harmonica.
Senna smiled at the frozen standing girls. "I've never been on a boat before this time!" she spoke, and giggled in her watery way.
Freegirl and Phynnia looked at the Cylstar's feet, which were hidden from view, by her gown of fluid. The edges of the gown spilled water, filling the floor of the boat, and the girls looked nervously at this. Together they glanced at Elfen, who played his harmonica and did not respond.
The Cylstar said, "It's so nice to take an adventure!" She happily grinned in Elfen's direction. Freegirl and Phynnia watched the scene in silence. They were beginning to realize the Cylstar was young, like an eight-year-old human. She was giddy and so innocent.
Senna flowed towards the girls, nine feet high was she, and put forth her watery-flowing arm to touch their hands. The children reached with their hands, too, and cool-warm water splashed over their fingers and palms. When they looked at the puddle on the deck under her waterfall, they were amazed to see it evaporate soon after trickling onto the floor.
Elfen continued playing his harmonica, until he was interrupted by a loud gurgle. It was laughter coming from the Cylstar. She said, "You must learn to enjoy your burden." Her watery arms raised, and their waters thundered when they hit the deck beneath her.
"Enjoy your burden!" she cried in a very loud, inhuman voice.
Elfen was not his usual, patient self. He had slept stressfully in the hills the night before, remembering an obnoxious man yelling. It must have been a strange dream, of course. There was no such thing as obnoxious men yelling! But the dream had been real. And the Rower of the Rivers was getting tired.
Realizing he needed to play his harmonica--and not offer any politeness to the intruder who had almost burned his sails--the girls ignored him and set their curiosity into action.
"What are you?"
"The same thing you are."
"What do you mean?"
"What do you mean, what do I mean?"
"You're nothing like me! How can you be the same thing I am?" Freegirl was nearly yelling, such was the loudness of the Chakra of Confusion, and her surroundings interlaced with mumblings, and vocal chatters.
"Are you not fire and water? Hot and cold? Are you not the Paradox, and the seed of life?" Suddenly the eight-year-old mentality became wise.
The girls fell into a deeper degree of bafflement. The answers were coming not. So Freegirl stated, "I am flesh, and bones, and blood. You could kill me in an instant."
"And you could kill me in an instant," the Cylstar answered, simply.
Both girls were feeling completely confused and stupefied.
The Cylstar watched them--her flaming hair losing flare--her waterfall presently standing still, and almost freezing.
She said, "Silly ones. I am a paradox, as you are. Like you, I am all things contained into one. I am many opposites, for as my hot mind burns with thought, my cooler body fluids put out the fire. As do yours. Both fire and water require freedom, as you require freedom. As my opposites try to attack each other and dominate, so do yours. And in my soul," she looked deeply into the eyes of Freegirl, "in my soul I am a multitude of opposites and contradictions. I am fire and water--strong and vulnerable. I am the paradox, the and seed of life."
"Why do you say ‘enjoy your burden'?" asked Freegirl, who already knew the answer.
"To enjoy your burden is to honor the Paradox of all!" replied the Cylstar, enthusiastically. "For the phrase itself is a paradox, as enjoy is the opposite of burden. Is this not so? Yet, they can live within the same idea. If we can enjoy our burden, or despise our burden, wouldn't enjoyment be the most productive? The happiest way? And in our happiness we lift the burden?" The Cylstar's eyes radiated. "Is this not so?"
At that moment, Elfen could hear the Hell Waters getting closer. Had they grown so much in size? Surely, he had more time, before he had to get his Beast further to her left. At once, the captain of the Mona Fidelity began to raise the sails, tools not usually needed while near the Drain.
He commanded the Cylstar, "Watch your flames! Get away from the sails!"
She obeyed, but not without laughing first. "Enjoy your burden!"
Suddenly, the river became menacing, snagging at the watervessel. Elfen and his crew worked anxiously at the mast, and the sails finally bloated with the winds. Still the craft would not travel to her left. The waters, the plunging waters of fury, became deafening to the ears.
"Enjoy your burden!" bellowed the Cylstar, as the force of the river's current gained in speed.
Elfen would not surrender. He held the sails, as Freegirl and Phynnia strapped themselves into the oarseat and bravely rowed in useless might.
The river got faster. The boat was out of control, and not budging from the dangerous path of the Drain.
"Enjoy your burden!"
The Mona Fidelity and her passengers were caught in the whirlpool of the gaping Hell Waters, and almost immediately sucked and swallowed from the surface.
The boat and everything she carried disappeared into a deadly point of no return.
"Enjoy your burden!" the Cylstar screamed.
"Enjoy your burden!" she screamed, again.
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November 2009 
Wisdom Channeler
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