The Lover's Parable Through A Seven World Journey (18 page)

The Savior was just beginning to touch the peaks of the hills that decorated the westerly horizon as John and Sofia walked out of the water and onto the rocky shore. The end of their long day was at hand, the compass was gone and the Burning Star, with assistance from the mountains of the north, would now be their chief
navigator.

They had much work to do while the light was still present. Emptying their backpacks and spreading out their contents on the large boulders scattered about, they began the late afternoon’s duties by letting their gear and clothes dry out in what little heat remained of the day. They then took up the arduous task of gathering the necessary materials for building their
shelter.

Many of the chores at hand had become quite a routine over the past several months since leaving Labor behind. The simple things, like fire starting and acquiring a shelter, did not add to their burden in any way.

By nightfall their fire was doused, and they had settled in for a good night’s sleep, neither of them having the energy for sky watching. As the last bit of fading light retreated over the westerly hills, Sofia cuddled up close to John, placing her arm across his chest. She intended to quickly fall into a deep slumber. The silence of the forest, the unusual absence of the chirping insects and the croaking of the web footed creatures, allowed the night’s sky to roar with a passion.

It was difficult to fall asleep. The deep hum of the flying ships caused a vibration in their cloth covering, rattling the sticks that formed the framework of their shelter.

“I’m afraid the closer we get, the louder it’s going to be,” John said with frustration.

Sitting up, Sofia pulled her backpack alongside her and began rummaging through it. Pulling out her first aid kit, she removed two cotton balls.

“Tear these in half and stuff them in your ears,” she said. “It might help a
little.”

Following her lead, John pressed the soft material into his ears and closed his eyes. Although it did dampen the sound a bit, it was of no use in limiting the abuse upon his tactile sensation. Sofia did not seem to be as ill affected by the strange vibrations as he. And it was not long before John could feel her rhythmical breathing against his back as she fell asleep beside him. It was only the exhaustion of which she had been enduring that could have brought her so easily to such a restful state, he
thought.

The oscillating clamor continued to rattle throughout his skull. But, it was not enough of a nuisance to ward off his own wearied mind. After a period of deep thought, he joined her in slumber.

The mid-afternoon heat of the Savior was held at bay by the dense leaves of the valley trees that they had been journeying under for the majority of the morning’s trek. Following a stream that ran a course to the northeast, John attempted to make an addendum to Mr. Sanders’ map. To the best of his poorly artistic abilities he added his own notes and detailed sketches.

Paying particular attention to Sofia’s whereabouts whenever he was looking through the little black book, he gave extra precautions to keeping secret the fact that he essentially had no idea as to what dangers were potentially lying in wait for them around each
corner.

Splashes of water had moistened the rolled up pant legs that were pulled up around Sofia’s knees as she waded barefoot through the cool stream. The thick, old branch she held in her hand assisted her balance, as the smooth, slimy rocks beneath her were rather unstable.

Unaware that John was no longer plotting their course based on the Sanders’ previously observed milestones, Sofia paid little attention to what he was writing and where she was being led. It never occurred to her to question him as to which paths were safe and which areas were not. She was confident that John was in control of their current situation.

“As soon as we reach the end of this valley, we’ll finish the day on the top of one of the hills,” he said with an authoritative tone. But which hill in particular, he had no idea.

“Wherever you think is best,” she said, regaining her balance as she slipped on a stone. “I’m in no hurry.”

The rest of the afternoon was rather undiversified and monotonous: Trees and water, water and trees. It was dim, and rather humid, but non-oppressing to the soul. Every so often the Savior would peek through a tiny clearing between the branches, splitting the air with his comforting beams of light. It was quite a beautiful site. And Sofia and John would take the time to let the rays settle upon their hands whenever the opportunity arose. The comfort of the trek was made all the more enjoyable by the fact that their load was far less of a burden to them now than it had been at the beginning of the journey. They had consumed most of their rations, and were nearing the end of what little food they had left.

There was one thing that did stand out as rather strange to them, though: the further north they traveled, the quieter it became with regards to the ambience of the forest. There seemed to be fewer animals and buzzing insects within earshot than there had been in the forested areas behind them. Even the fowl of the air had, for some time now, ceased with their
squabbling.

With the odd sensation of being watched hanging over them, due to their all-too recent run-in on the other side of the lake, they began taking frequent rests from their travels, attempting to listen for the sounds of any creatures that may have been stalking them. After several undertakings over the course of a handful of hours, they had concluded that there was nothing of concern with regards to their safety. Perhaps, as most of the clatter seemed to be caused by the flying machines rumbling in the sky above, the beasts of the forest may have been wearied of, even threatened by, the unnaturally thunderous engines of the
wishing stars
, migrating to less unnerving locations.

The early, evening breeze began churning the leaves of the sparsely growing trees as it made its way towards the south. Sofia and John had just taken the first few steps that marked the descent from the top of the hill, finally releasing them from the densely forested area, eventually placing them into the grassy plain beyond.

Moving aside the last of the leaved branches blocking their way, John held a bough up high allowing Sofia to pass through. As she ducked her head under it and made her way out into the open, the westerly Savior was bright and warm. Looking across the distant plain, she exclaimed incredulously, “John, look! It’s
the
Highway
!”

The thick branch swung back in place as John let it fall back into its original state. As he approached her, he could now see from over her shoulder the serpentine path of the Highway slithering between the hills and through the valleys. It ascended towards the mountains hidden behind the hills on the other side of the plain. It was now quite apparent from John’s perspective which mountain it was that the concrete structure would be terminating at. Quickly pulling out the little black book, he jotted down some notes, making a rough sketch before tucking it back into his
pocket.

The intensity of the rumbling overhead was presently accompanied by an unaided visualization of the tiny, teardrop shaped flames of the airships as they lifted off from their launch sites several kilometers away. With the ability to see them due to their relatively close proximity, John and Sofia were also able to note the incoming vehicles, of which they had not noticed before, appearing out of the sky, just over the mountains. They seemed to be traveling at a rather slower rate of speed compared to their rising counterparts, descending upon the same general location.

To John, the sight of the airships was terrifying, yet exhilarating at the same time. They were also a relieving addition to his well-being, knowing that he would possibly have some answers soon as to whom the vehicles were being sent, perhaps even gathering enough information as to where the northerly descending vehicles were coming from. He could not help but feel as if an empty hole in his soul was about to be filled. But to Sofia, it was all too dreadful, as Mr. Sanders’ warnings had never been lost to her.

“There’s our new guide,” John said, motioning towards the Highway. “It’ll lead us exactly where we need to go.”

His tone was not reassuring. He seemed less confident than he had been in the recent past, as if he was not sure if the answers he desired were going to be worth the risks. Sofia was not quite sure as to how to reply to him.

“Do we really
need
to go there?” she asked, hearing the words slip lightly from her mouth, but unable to actually let them reach a volume in which John could hear. “Will the answers we’re about to receive provide the satisfaction you’re looking for?”

With all her heart she spoke the words, but they never made it to John’s ears. The words fell upon the particles of light, sticking to them like pollen sticks to the bodies of the bees. It rolled through the air and through the leaves of the trees, climbing through the thin moisture of the heavens, where it was given over to the Savior.

Taking hold of his hand as he began to move down the hill, Sofia was no longer feeling the desire for adventure. The Forbidden Zone was now within reach. She reasoned within herself that, unlike the Forbidden Room of Labor, this area was considered off-limits according to the word of a trustworthy father figure. Perhaps now was the time to heed his words.

Having the ability to reason between various choices is such an odd characteristic of the human species, she mused in her reflective thought as they descended further down the hill. There are some actions in this age that are right and some that are wrong. Sometimes obedience is necessary to keep a man from delineating into moral ambiguity, and in the process losing his own person to a world without limits. Sometimes obedience, if nothing more, merely functions as a mode of survival.

John, Sofia questioned, was not blindly walking into a trap of his own devising, was he? Certainly he had some concern, some inner light revealing to him the foolishness of traversing without a compass to guide them. He, Sofia concluded with some reservation, would never do anything to hurt her. He was her best friend, all of his secrets belonged to her. She had to keep placing her trust in him.

Following the path of Labor’s tail, the Highway, was essentially to be guided by a dubious leader: the path would end where that which is good desires not to be. By using its services, Providence, or Luck, or whatever it was that had brought them to this point so safe and secure, would have the provisions that they would no longer be requiring. To John, the concrete serpent was the path to his enlightenment. To Sofia the future was becoming dull and obscure. Nothing seemed clear now. And although she wanted to say something against their new course of action, she was hesitant to speak her mind. She wanted nothing more than to turn back and go home.