Young Writers Society

A note:As I promised, to those who've read my blog, I've been hard at work. I have returned to my roots and put non-fiction writing on the back-burner for a while. As a warning, this is a very long piece that has ended up into a book; wasn't my first intention. Since it's long, I thought of putting up one installment after another, if everyone enjoys the first installment. It's kinda like breaking it up. It will hopefully make it easier to read. As always, crit it as harsh as you want and I love feedback - good or bad. Without further ado, the story.

A Perfect World
by Jessica Bruce

Whoosh! A sharp breeze shot up my faded black shorts and exited underneath my armpits. The air was chilly. The season was changing. I could tell fall was coming because even though my body was lying on the soft earth and my head was arched and supported by my arms, which was underneath my head, my eyesight had a clear view of the trees stretching for miles on end. I was lying on a steep mountain, in which a few hours before, I had finished hiking up top of it.

The trees were extraordinary. Every year, the colors are captivating. The mountains once a year burn into a fiery blaze; swirls of red and orange seep into the greenish leaves. You'd think, for someone who is a Vermont native, one would be used to such a sight.

I pressed my left hand on top of my head and ran it through my black hair, still lying on the ground and gazing out into the glorious sight before my hazel eyes.

"Man, what an awesome sight this is," I said quietly to myself. I was alone, but that didn't matter. There wasn't a soul around. That was the way I enjoyed it. No Game Wardens could force me to leave, if I wished to stay towards dusk. I wouldn't have to listen to stupid chatter from teenagers, about 'who is going out with who' type of thing. And I surely would not have to clean up other people's garbage. Even though, their trash wasn't mine, I'd feel guilty that a beautiful place would receive such intolerable abuse.

Few more hours drifted by. I guessed it was still in the late afternoon, even though the days were getting shorter, the sun was still full and bright. I ran my hand through my hair once more and closed my eyelids. My mind started to wander and I started to fall into a deep trance. I was awake and alert to my surroundings around me but I started to get to thinkin' about a very strange thought. The more I dwelled on the subject in my head, the wilder the daydream became.

What would a perfect world be like? The sentence kept playing through the darkness of my dream over and over, until I saw a faint blur.

* * * *

The silhouette stood, but the face looked distraught. The figure appeared to be frowning; lips crooked sharply downward. Also, the face appeared to be thinner and delicate, not which a man's face would appear to be. A man's facial features are usually thick; the neck broad, bulging jawbones, and the stubble of small flecks around the chin and beside the ears, after a few days without a shave. The figure also showed a hint of long black hair, draping waist length.

As the image grew sharper, the silhouette still seemed uneasy. The lips were still pointed down but its body wasn't showing signs that it was afraid or nervous – no shaking or shivering from fright. The eyes were the most distinct facial feature it possessed. A most unusual sight indeed - two gaping black holes in the middle, where eyeballs should have been. It had ears and a nose to. I'm not sure if there were teeth, since the mouth had not yet opened. I'm not positive if the figure was a man or women or if it was human, but since it appeared to look more like a female person, I decided I would call 'it' a girl.

I'm not sure if the girl sensed my curiosity, since I was also standing, glaring into her face, staring into the two deep pools of blackness above her nose, but she began to walk slowly towards me. I was fine from a distance. I wasn't at all nervous or frightened by her unusual facial appearance from afar but as she crept forward towards my body, I felt bullets of sweat instantly emerge around my bushy, black brows. I couldn't move at all. My brain told my legs to turn around and run! Run like a raging river - quick and steady, my brain instructed. But my muscles would not cooperate. The soles of my bare feet felt like an unholy force had nailed them tight to the green and mossy ground. I had no choice but to stand firmly and hope like Hell, I would live another day.

She continued with the same pace of footsteps, slow and steady. Her lips were still arched down but her long black hair swayed back and forth, despite how slowly she was walking. As she crept closer and closer to me, I was able to get a clearer vision of her. The women was very pale, a ghostly white! But that was not the creepiest aspect of her. Her head, arms, legs; the women's whole body…

It was translucent!

My eyes could peer right through her! On the other side of her stomach, I was staring at trees and shrubs. But her eyes – all I could see in them were two black charcoals. The holes were dark and dank. Even though she was much closer to me now, her eyes never changed.

By now, my legs and arms were shaking uncontrollably and my T-shirt was soaked in sweat. I tried again to run but I still could not move. Sheer terror started to flow through my veins, as I could feel a lump in my stomach and my heart bouncing.

"Oh, please. Let me live another day. Please. Please. Please," I said quietly out loud, making sure that horrendous thing didn't hear my silent plea.

The women - human or alien - reached my frightened body. She was no more then three feet away from me. Why can't I run? Why can't I move my legs at all? I kept asking those questions a million times over inside my head. I tried to stiffen up and not shake so much. I didn't want, whatever it was, to think I was scared. Often times when a predator senses fear, like a snake for example, the animal strikes!

She was not much taller then I was, maybe a few inches. I stand at five feet and four inches. The ghostly women's lips started to ease upwards into what it appeared to be a smile? The ghost flashed the inside of her mouth. If sheer terror and the immobility of my legs weren't a sign of pure rotten luck, try picturing a row of tiny needles for teeth! Her smile was so shocking to my nervous system, I'm surprised it didn't immediately shutdown and I fainted dead away.

Her teeth were short but sharp, exactly like pins and they were yellow too. The funny thing was, when she exhaled, her breath smelled like a sweet smell of nectar. The breath was reassuring. Maybe she would not swallow me whole after all!

The women began to move her lips up and down. I cocked my head to the side, trying to see if she was trying to say something. She mouthed the same movements that her lips did before, but louder this time, so I could hear what she had to say.

"Hello, my name's Epotiene," she said in a robotic voice. It sounded mechanical but muffled also. I wondered if she had a tongue, but didn't dare to ask.

She scratched her chin in a thoughtful way and continued to speak. "My name's Epotiene," she repeated again. She gritted her yellow teeth back and forth. It reminded me of sharp nails grinding against a chalk board. Wincing from the grinding of the teeth, I continued to listen carefully. What choice did I have? I was still paralyzed from the waist down. "I'm not human," she mused. "But I'm not what you humans call a 'ghost' either. I prefer to be called a spirit," she said in her mechanical voice.

Epotiene's voice, though it did not sound normal, was soft and quiet. Every time she spoke, I had to stretch my neck outwards to hear anything. But thus far, the ghost seemed friendly. If it wasn't for her sweet-smelling breath and soft spoken voice, I'm certain I would have collapsed long ago.

"You, human!" she barked. "Come closer to me!" I was no longer frozen in place after the sudden mood swing from Epotiene. My legs sprung far backwards, nearly losing my balance and falling on the emerald ground. I was shocked. One minute she acted calm and seemingly friendly, the next shouting orders to me. Not wanting to offend her, in fear of the ghost pouncing on my body and doing something horrific, I scrambled to catch my balance and bolted forward. This time I was eye to eye; in this case eye to eye socket, in front of Epotiene, breathing heavily.

"Humans," she grunted. "What is your name?"

"Uh…Muh, muh…na, name is Jess…Jessic…ca…ca." I was still freaked out. I was not sure which was more frightening about her; the robot voice, her sharp pin needle and yellow teeth, the two black holes or the fact I could see right through her! Imagine a real live ghost and its standing an inch in front of me!

"Excuse me?" she said back into her soft spoken voice.

I wiped the beads of sweat on my temples away. Throwing my shoulders back, trying to appear brave, I sucked in a deep breath, hoping I could calm my nerves and speak more clearly. "My na…na…name is Jess…ica." Wasn't much of an improvement but I was hoping the ghost understood this time.

She nodded, rubbing her chin. It appeared she was thinking about something, so I stood toe to toe with her still and waited for a response. "So, Jessica it is?" I nodded, with confidence. "Very well, Jessica. As I said before I am a spirit, but I'll explain about that subject a little later on. First, I know why your aura has planted itself in my lovely forest."

Aura? Why the hell is this 'thing' speaking about auras? I did not bother to ask myself further questions. I wanted to know more about this ghost and what she wanted with me. So I placed all questions aside and craned my neck further out to hear her voice. Even though she was less then an a few inches from my feet, her voice was so low; I was wondering if I was going deaf.

I missed a few things Epotiene had said but she continued to talk, not taking notice of my mind wandering. "Your aura came here because you were searching for an answer," she paused and then asked "Am I right, Jessica?"

I gulped.

"How did you know tha…I mean wha…what I was think…thinking?"

"I know many things," she mused and smiled happily. I shuddered when I saw the gruesome yellow razors again.

"What do you mean?"

"I meant what I said. Just that." The ghost tilted her head, and glared into my face. Scratching her chin, she appeared to be studing my appearance. "Most humans would have ran for the hills if they took the slightest glance at my face. Only if she knew how much I wanted to before! You seem brave and courageous. I like humans that have some spine to them. So, I'll let you in on a little secret of mine, human."

"Listen closely," she said quietly in her typical mechanical voice.

"I'm not from your -," The shade stopped abruptly. "What year are you from, human?" I was annoyed being called a human when she knew my name, but I said nothing and answered her question.

"Two-thousand and four, ma'am."

She barked a shrill laugh after my comment. I stood my ground though. I was slowly adjusting to her antics, but I still suffered from a mental weakness – terror!

"I haven't been called ma'am in centuries," still laughing. My jaw felt like it would crash ten feet underground. I was more shocked then ever before. Did she say centuries? "Well anyway, hum-"

"It's Jessica!" I shouted. A new form of energy was starting to boil over in my veins. I was sick to death of being called 'human'.

"Very well…Jessica, it is?"

I nodded solemnly.

"Very well then, Jessica. I asked what year you're from because I am from many hundreds of years ahead of your time. To put it simply, I'm from the future."

Normally after hearing that, I would have felt uneasy all over again. But hearing that Epotiene was from the future, it made me feel better. At least I had some idea where she had come from, even though she was still a ghost. One other thing I noticed about her was she loved to use adjectives a lot and despite the quiet tone in her voice, she seemed to be strict. There was not a hint of humor in her tone. It seemed to be always straight forward, no fooling around.

"I'm confused. You said you were here to answer my question about a perfect world. What does a ghost from the future have to do anything about answering my question?" I asked as calmly as I could.

"I am not a ghost!" She howled and barred her yellowish teeth to try and spook me. (Well, it worked!) I yelped and stepped a few inches back, slowly. I did not want anything to do with a pissed off gho – I mean spirit! "Don't ever refer me to that treacherous word again!" She continued to flash her teeth but grinding them back and forth as she did earlier; that ungodly noise. It ripped through my ear drums and hurt badly, but my limbs felt numb. I couldn't wrap my hands to shield the ears, nor would my neck cooperate, so I could jerk it away. I was forced to stare into the apparition's eyes and witness a faint flicker of flames sparkle in the two charcoal eye sockets.

I began too shake violently again. New beads of sweat were reborn on my brows. I cupped my hands, as if I was praying. "I'm su…sorry, ma'am. I mean Epotiene! Please, I beg you! Please do not swallow me whole. Don't rip my chest apart with your teeth. I want to live. Just please, do not harm me!" My cheeks began to feel hot. I looked away from her gaze, sheepishly. I regretted blurting out those words. I was almost certain she would be feasting on my carcass soon. I cursed in my head.

The spirit cocked her head in confusion. She let out a long, slow and deep breath and stepped closer to me, so she was again a few inches in front of my face. She lowered her head and spoke softly again. "I apologize, Jessica. I'm not accustomed to dealing with hum – I mean mortals regularly. So, I tend to lose control of my quiet demeanor and retaliate with anger and frustration. But believe me, if you have seen the world as I have centuries before now, you might understand my quick and rash reactions."

"It is OK," I said simply. I was struck with knowing Epotiene had a warm and caring side of her. Something I would have never expected and was glad I had some part of being able to tap into that emotion of hers. My body slowly stopped shaking but I was still sweating a bit.

The spirit nodded thoughtfully. "Well, enough lolly-gagging. Back to the real reason your aura has found me. As I stated before, I am a spirit from the future, and your aura has found me in my green forest. You seek an answer to a most difficult question. The answer can't be said in words. It's too complicated. But that is why you are here and found my home. I will show you the answer in which you seek."

I stood, dumbfounded. I was very confused but said nothing. I would probably begin to stutter anyway. If the spirit was not going to harm me, no point in delaying Epotiene further. I just wanted to get this situated over and done with and be on my way. As much as she intrigued my curiosity, despite my shaking and sweating fits, the spirit creeped me out! Seeing her facial features so close reminded me of a Wes Craven movie!

Her pale, translucent arm reached out and her hand gripped mine. It was funny, since she clearly couldn't physically hold my hand, but there she was; holding it. Problem was, even though I could see her hand wrapped around mine in a hand-shake formation, I couldn't feel her flesh upon mine. I only saw a white hand, attempting to grip mine.

Continuing to not speak, I took a deep breath inwards and noted the woodland, creating a mental map. I was not positive, but in the likelihood of never visiting the grove again, I wanted too never forget. Taking in the surroundings, there were many sunflowers, arching over us. About five yards behind them, there was two raspberry bushes; each about a foot apart and on the left, there was a tall pine tree, resting close to one. I raised one hand over my forehead to shield the sunshine from burning the pupils and spotted a large hole carved into the Pine. I wondered if an animal had a home and smiled, thinking of a family of squirrels that were nestling together inside. Behind a few feet from the pine, a couple more trees dwelled. But they weren't pines. They appeared to be maple or oak trees, judging from the dark brown bark - no birches.

My head shot back and forth, observing as many objects as I could. I noticed a other bushes and different types of shrubs; some had thorns, others were a bushel of dark green leaves, scattered in all directions. The foliage was lush, with the variant of light and dark greens, flooding the pedals. Towards the blue sky, a medium sized bird had its wings stretched and was gliding in the breeze. After a few minutes of watching the bird, it dove downwards, flapping wildly. I had my hand still above my eyebrows, and observed its body moving with a purpose. The bird was flying in the direction of the pine tree and passed the spirit and I with incredible speed, letting out a mighty screeching sound - the melody of a hawk. It cut a sharp circle in the air and flew directly into the wooden cavern!

The earth under the soles of my feet was soft and deep. The grass was overgrown and reached a few inches above my waist. It was a signal that a soul has not traveled through this terrain for many years or never.

"Come," she said, forcing me to take notice. "We will fly."

Anticipating on a return to the emerald forest, I nodded and was set to discover Epotiene's version of flying.

I soon as I read this I was reminded of A Christmas Carol, I loved the book and if this is anything like it then I'm sure I'll like this too.

So far it's not bad, there are a few errors though:

fishr wrote:They were yellow to

Correction: too.

fishr wrote:"Hello, my name's Epotiene," she said in a robot sort of voice.

I didn't like that part, how about 'she said in a robotic voice'?

fishr wrote:I missed a few things Epotiene had said but she continued to talk, not taking notice of my mind wandering. "Your aura came here because you were searching for an answer".

"Am I right, Jessica?" I gulped.

I was a little confused here because I thought Jessica was the one who said "Am I right, Jessica?". If the spirit was still speaking you should continue in the same line. If the spirit paused maybe you could have written:

I missed a few things Epotiene had said but she continued to talk, not taking notice of my mind wandering. "Your aura came here because you were searching for an answer," she paused and then asked "Am I right, Jessica?"

I gulped.

I was a little confused here because I thought Jessica was the one who said "Am I right, Jessica?". If the spirit was still speaking you should continue in the same line. If the spirit paused maybe you could have written:

I missed a few things Epotiene had said but she continued to talk, not taking notice of my mind wandering. "Your aura came here because you were searching for an answer," she paused and then asked "Am I right, Jessica?"

I gulped

Yes, I like that much better. You are right. That seems to flow better. Thank you.

fishr wrote:
They were yellow to

Correction: too.

Thank you for editing. I apperiate it alot. But I'm confused. "Too, doesn't that mean a large amount? Like, "That's too much pudding to eat."

I didn't like that part, how about 'she said in a robotic voice'?

I will give that a try, also. Thank you.

It's been a while since I did any fiction writing, so I feel a bit out of place. Creating chars is hard work. I forgot about that part, lol.

Other than that, how is the dialogue? I think this will be my challenge. I came to that conclusion, since I feel I'm out of practice now. If there is improvement on the dialogue, feel free to let me know. What does everyone think of Epotiene, so far?

Again, thank you for taking the time to read it.

"Too" can mean "also" or "as well". "I'll get you, my pretty, and you're little dog, too!"

I'll try to look at this later when I'm more awake. Yes, creating characters is hard...but if you have a plot, then it's easier to create characters to fit.

Today's my birthday!!! Yay!

Your story and descriptions are very imaginative. The only thing I would suggest changing is the way the spirit spoke. The way she said a few things seemed a little inconsistent. For example, Epotiene is speaking like some kind of sage, then out of nowhere she says "I like you. Most humans would have bolted and ran for the hills if they took even a glance at my face." First, the word "bolted" sounds really casual and out of place at this point in the story. Second, "bolted and ran for the hills" is redundant. You might want to think about reworking that part, unless that was your intention.

Buy the way, I was also reminded of "A Christmas Carol". For some reason, I thought of the Muppet version. I don't know why.
Anyway, all and all not a bad start.

Thanks guys. I will look over my work, when I have a clearer head (sleepy) and will have some fun rewording. *flexes hands* I'm so happy my joints never cramp, lol.

All in all, interest wise, does it hold it? Or is it yawnish? I know from past failures, a good start to "hook em" is just as important as the ending.

Buy the way, I was also reminded of "A Christmas Carol". For some reason, I thought of the Muppet version. I don't know why.
Anyway, all and all not a bad start.

Interesting reactions.

Today's my birthday!!!

Congrats! Now you can join us old farts! *caughs* Except me, I never grew up! I'm a 15 year old stuck in a 24 year old body...I swear!

I was thinking of the Muppets version too.

Too, doesn't that mean a large amount?

It can also mean also.

I think someone already commented on the dialogue, it was quite easy to understand.

Another tip would to be to describe the landscape in someplace besides the begining. Description slows the story down, and whenever I see it in a book, I typically skip it. But, there are a few authors (such as Amelia Attwater-Rhodes, who wrote "Hawksong" and "Snakecharm") who slip in details in a way that I "have" to read it. Then again, this is my preference, and I'm not sure if it is correct writing style or not...

Very creative. I couldn't go back to my homework. But now....*sob* i have to go back to work....how terrible....

I enjoyed this very much, although when it is in the first person, it is often hard to tell if "I" am a he or a she.

Oh, and one minor logic question: Is Jessica prepared to be alone in the middle of nowhere? I mean, a girl/woman in the great outdoors better have something more than a walking stick to protect against predators (animal or otherwise)...

Sincerly,
-C.

Did some editing on this installment. Let me know what you think. Harsh crits are welcomed.
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The spirit crouched down. She still had her hand cupped over mine. I turned to my right to watch her and copied the same way she was sitting; Indian-style. The spirit sat next to me, only she had one arm held above her chest, her fingers, still clenching my right hand. I sat and copied Epotiene, by place one arm in front of my chest; hand flat and palm facing downward.

I took a few light breaths in and out. I am not much for heights. I do have a mild phobia of them, but it's not overbearing on my thoughts. Still, if I was going to be a few feet in the air.

I shuddered a little.

"Jessica, calm your self," she said. "I can see your body twitching. I'll need your full and absolute attention in a few moments. If you're nervous, you will panic and put your own life in danger." The spirit glanced at my face. Her big, black eyes burned into my hazel eyes for a few seconds. She had a serious look on her pale face. I gulped and knew what the spirit said was truthful and if I did not cooperate, I would surely be pushing up the daisies.

Epotiene turned away from my face and continued to explain further. "Before we fly, I need for you to become the person I had thought you were – brave," she commanded. "I still believe there is some amount of courage burning inside or else you would have left me long ago. Your courage will help you survive. If you become frightened and panic," she repeated, "you will stop thinking clearly and that is when mistakes happen."

"Do you understand?" I nodded with confidence within myself.

"So be it," she said in a serious tone. "Remember, if you forget my warning, I'm not responsible for your stupidity, hum – mortal."

I didn't mind so much being referred as a mortal than a human. Not sure why. But the word 'human' seemed to offend me greatly. Every time I heard the word human directed towards me, it felt like a blade was sharpening itself upon the hairs of my arm – sharp painful pricks.

Epotiene sucked in a deep breath, still clinging to my hand, and went on. "Now, that you understand my warning, pay attention, as what I'm about to speak of will be most important. When I begin to fly, you will be flying with me, since you are holding onto me, but in order for us to take flight; I need for you to do two things for me. If you refuse or forget, you will most likely be doomed." I sat and listened as closely as I could to her quiet and mechanical voice. The spirit didn't seem too optimistic that I would heed the warnings and instructions. She acted as if I destined to die a grisly death!

I wasn't shaken at her words though. She had reminded me that if I let my fears grip me and cloud my judgment, I would be sucking cow poop! Or rather, I would be the remains of poop. If my body fully decomposed; I would probably be broken-down into grass!

I focused and tried mighty hard to throw all fears, questions and worry far in the back of my mind. I really did not want to become grass; anything but that!

"Jessica…Are you listening to me?" The stern voice snapped me out of the sub-conscious mind.

"Sorry, ma'am. I was just thinking about grass," I said with the first thought that popped into my head. My cheeks began to feel warm and sticky and I looked away sheepishly, cursing again in my head.

Epotiene cocked her head and rubbed her chin, staring at me in confusion. "Why in the Holy Hell are you wondering about grass? I'm trying to prepare you for a most dangerous trek we're both about to take on and you're thinking about grass?!" she bellowed in a higher tone.

The spirit shook hear head, slowly and muffled something under her breath that I couldn't hear, not that I wanted to anyway. "It isn't my fault if you parish an ill-fated death," she cooed in a softer voice again.

"So you have said hundreds of times already," I remarked dryly.

The spirit cocked her head and shook it slowly once more. "As I was saying, I will need for you to do two things for me. But first, I need for you to get your mortal head out of the clouds and stop thinking about cow chow. This is important, so listen!" she said.

"The first thing, I need for you to do is to put your complete faith with –"

"You want me to trust you!?"

"Well, if you value your well-being, then yes," the spirit said flatly. "Is there a problem with that?" she said in a calm, but firm voice.

I sighed, "No."

I wanted to live another day and feared death too much to let sheer stupidity grip my body.

Epotiene nodded gently and continued to speak. "I am aware, Jessica, I am not your typical figure. And my appearance must be most unsettling…"

I noticed a small dab of wetness form around one of her eyelids. I began to feel sorry for the spirit for a minute but remembered the warning and snapped my attention back to Epotiene.

"No eyeballs, savage animal-looking teeth and…" She trailed off again and had a far away look on her face.

"Epotiene, I do not mind that I can peer through your body," I said flatly, assuming that was the reason she stopped talking. "What I meant to say was I think it's kind of cool to be able to see objects on the other side. Imagine if I was standing in front of you in the middle of a street and a bus was about to connect. I would be able to see it coming and jump out of the way! You would have saved my life." I tried the best I could to comfort the spirit and snap her out of her own thoughts. It was one thing for her to command I didn't wander thoughtfully away, it was another to have my; I guess guardian, lose control to.

The spirit beamed and a wide smile spread across her face, rows of teeth and all. Before she could get a word in, I piped up and spoke a little more. I cocked my head and scratched my chin, coping her familiar movements and began to speak in a caring tone.

"Epotiene," I started to say, "I trust you." And left it at that.

The spirit's smile spread even further across her face. I didn't know the ends of lips could touch the lobes of ears!

"Good," she said simply. "If you decided to disregard me because of my freakish nature – which often happens when dealing with mortals – and not put your true faith within me, you might decide to become your own Captain and take measures into your own hands, which might cause certain grim effects, to say the least." Epotiene sure did like to carry conversations that were repetitive.

I mouthed the words, "thank you." I did not want to be the cause of breaking her concentration again.

"The second, and this is very crucial, Jessica. You must not forget this, besides your earlier warnings. Do you still remember what I said about staying calm and not become frightened?"

"Of course, why?"

Epotiene inhaled a deep breath and spoke in a slow and steady voice. It was even one notch higher then usual. I could tell whatever the spirit wanted to tell me, it was very important.

"I've never been great at being subtle, so I'll just come right out and say it. I need for you, Jessica, when I give the word; I want you to shut your eyes tight. Do not open them at all. Remember your own words'. You said you had trusted me."

"But-," I started to say in disbelief.

"Shush," she said in a soft and reassuring tone. "Let me finish, questions later."

"Your eyes must be shut, while we begin to fly. If their closed, you can't see anything. This will help protect you when we move at top speed and from having panic attacks, and possibly letting go, falling from high above. Since I can't clearly wrap anything around your forehead and we're in the middle of a forest, there's nothing here we can use to blindfold you."

"Unless…" She mused. "We could always use grass and cram it under your eyelids, to make sure you can't open them as easily, seeing how you seem to have a fascination with greenery," she barked again into a high shrill laugh.

"That's not funny," I said meekly. I was secretly giggling in my head and tried hard to not let my mouth slip into a smile. The spirit's joke was amusing but I did not want to encourage an encore.

"So, you understood everything I mentioned?"

"Yes, Epotiene." I was getting used to calling her by her name instead of 'ma'am'.

She nodded and quickly glanced at our hands still joined together, making sure I hadn't lost my grip. Then she looked up and down my body and frowned.

"Wish I could show you to warmer clothes. You might get a bit chilly, but when we fly, it should be quick. Hopefully, you won't freeze to death!" She was referring to my T-shirt and shorts.

I threw my shoulders back and straighten up my spine, so I appeared ready and strong. "I am tough. Don't worry about me so much. It takes a lot more then frost to bother me," I said. In reality, I am a complete wimp when it comes to chilly days. I wanted Epotiene to believe what she thought I was – courageous.

Epotiene smiled brightly, but kept her mouth closed.

"May this journey be successful and fruitful," she said in a soft prayer.

The spirit turned and faced me again with a hopeful look. "Are you ready to complete your quest?"

"Yes."

Epotiene laughed pleasantly. "You're not much for words, are you?"

I didn't say anything. I was getting agitated and excited. I've never flown before, except on airplanes. Despite my fear of heights, I said I had trusted Epotiene; and I meant it.

She let out a small breath, when I didn't answer her. The spirit seemed a bit disappointed; she said nothing, dropping the subject.

Epotiene checked once more that I still had a grip. "OK, Jessica. It is time for you to put all remaining thoughts and questions aside and clear your mind. Take a deep breath in and let it out slowly."

I did what she asked. I inhaled and exhaled as slow as I humanly could.

"Good, good. You're doing well. Have do you feel?"

"I feel relaxed," smiling wildly.

"Good, good," she said again. "Jessica, it is now time for you to try and perform the impossible." My smile dropped into a frown. I was certain what was coming next and I tried mentally to push new fears, starting to bubble in my veins. The task I was certain Epotiene would ask began to frighten me, now that the reality of what I had to accomplish, became evident. I started to wonder if I had the strength within me to survive.

My back slung over into a slouch and I began to suck in deep amounts of air into my lungs again, letting it out slowly. I felt Epotiene's eyes burned into mine, even though I was not looking at her. I could tell she sensed my sudden worry because I could see the spirit glaring, through the corners of my eyes.

She let me breath in and out; for several minutes. After a while, I was calmer and ready again.

Epotiene nodded when I gave her the 'thumbs up' sign that I was OK.

"I guess you knew already what I wanted from you next. So, I'll just say it – close your eyes," she said flatly. I winced a little but slowly shut my eyes, as she commanded. "Remember, Jessica. You've given me your word that you had faith in me. Your 'word' will be a matter of life or death in your position."

I ignored her. She sure does test your limits, both mentally and emotionally.

"Don’t forget not to let go of my hand, or you will fall. Don't let anything cloud your judgment, so your own fear doesn't force you to do something stupid," she said for like the eighth time. Though I can't be too harsh on her; least she seemed to care for me.

"Jessica, it's time!" She bellowed. "No, more talks - time to fly!" She let lose an inhumane howl of delight.

The shrill sound echoed through my eardrums, but I kept my composure. I stayed calm; didn't sweat, shake or budge and inch. My own hand didn't even drop, nor did I snap open my eyes.

The spirit grunted with satisfaction that I had held my ground.

As I sat patiently waiting when I would be able to burst open my lids and finally find out what answers she had for me in my quest, but my body felt strange. I never have kept my eyes closed for long periods of time when I was awake. I could see tons of long and thin, stringy lines in the darkness. The red vessels seemed to be my only company, since I couldn't rely on my conscious to keep me occupied. If I began to think, I might start asking myself questions that could distract me and I might open my eyes, look down and freak out. It would be over in a few short minutes.

To pass time, I thought about counting in my head, to get an idea how long the journey into the future would take. Surely simple counting wouldn’t interfere with my train of thought.

One…two…three…four…

When I reached fifty, I became bored of counting numbers. So, I started to count the veins. I restarted my count and began from the beginning.

One…two…three…

This time, I only reached thirty-five. I gave up on counting.

I sat still, my one arm outstretched. A thought did occur to me while I was counting. Epotiene is among the Walking Dead, whether she admits it or not. Her ghostly hand can't physically hold mind so I can feel her flesh upon mine.

A small wave of panic crept into my heart. If I couldn't feel her skin, how would I actually know she wouldn't let go of me in mid air, away from her magic!

I cursed silently, knowing I had let my thoughts wander already. I quickly pushed the wicked demons out of my head. I replayed our entire conversation through my mind, remembering how I only saw a faint blur at first and how that blur became more and more treacherous, as it walked slowly up to me. I thought about her soft, quiet voice but how she sounded like a robot when she spoke. I thought about her mood swings; one minute seemingly pleasant, the next, Satan!

I continued to think about key points in her character. For one, even though Epotiene acted strict, she did possess a sense of humor, even though it was distasteful and dark. She also had the ability to feel sadness, as I am still sure I saw her weep slightly before when she spoke of her ghostly appearance. The other thing that kept tugging at my brain is the spirit said something about if I had seen the future as she had; I would not be so - bitter. I wanted to know what she meant by that. But I would have to wait to ask.

Deciding that was enough time reflecting on the past, I once again pushed the thoughts of Epotiene aside. I knew I had broken my promise to the spirit and let my mind wander a little. I felt ashamed but more so, I felt weak. I still had my eyes closed tightly, still sitting like an Indian. However, the most important thing was I was still under control and thinking clearly. And I was not terrified yet!

My eyes started to hurt from keeping them pinned closed so long. And the arm that was supposed to be holding Epotienes' was limp. I could feel it growing tired and the numbness seeping into my soft flesh from having it outstretched so long. I estimated I was sitting on the ground for around ten or so minutes. And I began to wonder when I would experience the sharp wind swirl around my chest and dance in my hair. I was losing patience in my silent coffin.

Epotiene was sharper then I was. Before I could blurt out and ask what was going on, she announced in her mechanical voice, "We're here!"

I snapped my eyes open immediately. The light outside gushed into my pupils, causing the eyes to wince and blink – down and up – trying to adjust to the brightness. Gently letting go of Epotiene's hand, I rubbed both my eyes, trying to wipe away the stinging sensation.

I slowly was able to see, still adjusting to the light, I felt a stab of panic hit me hard in my chest. I had let go of the spirit's hand! I was going to die! I gasped, gazed underneath my crossed legs. My body wasn't floating high in the sky; I was resting on lumps of sticks and jagged stones; no more forest.

Wow! That was close. You could have been coyote food! Start paying more attention, you idiot! I was really scared when I realized I had let go. I thought for sure my body would plunge to its death. I quickly remembered what Epotiene suggested before and I immediately began to breathe deeply and exhale slowly.

"Are you all right?" She was still sitting next to me, like an Indian.

"I…thou…thought I was…gon…gonna die when I accidentally let go of your hand!"

"You don't have much faith within yourself, do you?" She said bluntly.

I shrugged, "Guess not."

"Mortals…" Epotiene shook her head. She seemed ashamed of me. "Jessica, you do realize you're alive? You preformed well and did everything I told you to do when we were flying." Her voice was in her usual tone and for a minute, I felt honored to be graced with such a noble being. She really did seem to care and did not wish anything to harm me.

"Um…I do have one confession. I am aware you probably have some shred of respect for me, since I didn't flee, but -" I stopped and thought what she would think if she knew I had dropped my guard, while my eyelids were shut. Would she lose all respect and abandon my body, leaving me stranded in this godforsaken mystery paradise? I thought about it for another few seconds. I decided that when Epotiene had requested that I trust her…

I just hoped she had the slightest bit of interest within me and not vanish.

"Go ahead. Whatever you have to say, it must be important. You're frowning and whatever it is that is tugging at your brain, really must be serious." The spirit's face was serious. Her lips formed a straight line after she spoke.

"Well…," I began.

"I'm waiting."

I sunk my head low and decided if she really did care for me, then it wouldn't matter what I said. It was time to know for sure.

"Epotiene, I failed you. I am a weak, miserable, scaredy-cat! While my eyes were closed, I started thinking. I started to wonder. I got worried that you would have let ago and leave me to my grave. I didn't know what to think! I mean, you are…You are not like me. I can't hold you, can't touch you and sure as hell can't feel your skin. I had only hoped that I still had a connection and was still apart of you. I trusted you…" I trailed off, nearly into tears.

"Speaking of which, we never flew anywhere, did we? It didn't feel like we were flying at all. Where is the grove and exactly where are we?" I was in between sobs of bubbling tears crashing down from my cheeks, and choked words. I felt helpless, as I was out of my element and at Epotiene's mercy.

The spirit rubbed her chin thoughtfully and smiled brightly. "You put too much doubt upon yourself, Jessica and worry too much," she said pleasantly. "Look around you mortal. Are you dead? I watched your body the entire trip. You kept your eyes shut, and I never saw any sign of you losing control of your abilities physically. As I said already, you did well."

Then her face grew dark. Epotiene's mouth pursed downwards. The smile was instantly gone. "Though, I truly know what true fear is and seeing your stupid antics is quite annoying. I'm shocked that you felt I would betray you!"

"Listen close and listen good, mortal!" She growled. "I might be many things but I'm not a filthy murderer!" I was crying too much to let new emotions arise. Glancing at her face, I saw small flames flicker in her black sockets, like I did before. I sat, on the ground, sobbing like a small child; watching and listening. Too many emotions had built up and they finally erupted, leaving me a blubbering sap.

Epotiene continued to carry on, like I wasn't in enough mental pain already. "To answer your questions, mortal," she started to say in a less angry tone. "First, the forest where we met is long gone and we'll likely not see it again. Second, we did fly. You must have been too wrapped up fretting to know the difference." I hadn't thought of that. It made sense though. I was lost deep in my mind for a while. I guess I was too worried about dieing then doing my part, like I promised I would.

"And finally, welcome to the future!" She boomed.

I stopped crying, slowly and swallowed the thick saliva. I had a load of questions that outweighed my sorrow. Wiping the corners of my eyes, I asked the spirit.

"Huh? We're in the middle of no where, sitting on a frickin' pile of stones and wood. Where are the spaceships and flying saucers? All I see is a barren field but with no grass, no trees, no one. And hey – Where the hell is the sun? Actually, where is the sky?" I pointed upwards. "The sky is so dark. Is it night?"

"So much for little words. You've really opened up and became a nuisance, haven't you? Asking too many questions can be deadly, as the answers could haunt you forever."

I ignored her. "Tell me!" I screamed.

"No need, to be impolite. Remember, I taught you how to harness your fears when true life and death was at stake. I can just as easily leave you, as you so rudely put it before. But I won't because that would be cruel and heartless."

"Now, to let your mind rest, we are in the present. Whoever told you about those contraptions you mentioned, didn't know the truth of the matter. Never listen to anyone from the past, especially from two-thousand and four!" She smiled devilishly.

"Welcome, to my era, Jessica. Welcome to the year five-thousand, a couple millenniums ahead of you." Epotiene's smile grew wide, opening her mouth and flashing her yellow teeth in my face.

I took no notice to her. "Before we leave, I have one last question."

The spirit groaned. "Very well. Ask it, as you will probably ask later on. Might as well get it over with."

"It's about when we flew."

She nodded slowly, "Ask."

"I had been wondering for a while. I know you are not human, or seem to be alive, as I could pass my arm right through you, but how did you do it? How did we fly?

"Oh, so you want to know my secrets, huh?" Epotiene gave me another faint smile. "Well, it's difficult to explain but for the short explanation, I was able to tap into your mental waves, while your eyes were closed. I used a technique called Phys-Energy, which translates to Physic-Energy. I used the little positive energy I could find inside your sub-conscious, and absorbed it mentally into my system, which gave me enough power to use for flying. That is why I needed for you to hold my hand and not let go. If you had lost your grip, I wouldn't have been able to feed on your positive energy, and we would still be in the forest. And the main reason I needed for you to shut your eyes; not just for panic attacks, but if you had opened your eyelids, and saw us moving almost at the speed of light, I'm certain you would have lost your mental focus. It would have resulted, not being able to absorb any more energy because your mind would be so frazzled in terror."

"So, you played me for a pawn? I thought you cared for my safety and all you wanted to do was feed from me?" I whispered softly.

"I needed to. I needed a body that was alive, yes, but one that I could sense that had the courage within. As you already know, I'm not exactly 'all together' myself. I don't have the mental capacity anymore to use my gift. I could if I had…Well, if I still had my brain!"

"So, you don't really like me, do you? You just wanted to solve my quest and move on to something new? Is that right?" I felt sad and a little bit betrayed. I mean she admitted she fed from me!

"We'll put it this way mortal," she smiled sweetly. "I've been alone for many years and have seen a lot. I don't really like traveling companions, unless I feel that I must occupy one. Though you pry on my nerves, I feel now that if I was ever in need of help of any kind, I'm sure you would do your best."

I nodded happily. "You bet, Epotiene!"

The spirit cocked her head and rubbed her chin, smiling also.

There was one other question I was itching to ask that baffled me. It was a personal question and the thought of triggering another episode could be at high risk. But I had to know, so I asked my companion.

The spirit tilted her head and glared at my face. She appeared to be deep in thought. After several seconds, she spoke one octave lower than her normal voice. I had to crane my neck again to hear.

"Jessica, I –" I watched her lick her lips with a tongue! She had a tongue! A rather hideous looking one. It was gray, thin and shriveled, like a raison. But like the rest of her counterparts, it was translucent! I leaned forward a few more inches stared in awe at a simple tongue, watching with an enthused wonder, and waiting for Epotiene to speak again.

After a few seconds, she spoke very softly again. "I –" Epotiene stopped and her tongue zipped out of her mouth, climbed up her chin and slipped into her left nostril! It was long and forked-like. Her tongue reminded me of a snake's tongue. I gasped out loud and gawked at it, watching her tongue wiggle and twist around, inside a narrow tunnel - her esophagus! The thin hairs on the back of my neck began to prickle, but my vision was frozen between fascination and disgust.

When she stopped, her snake-like tongue zoomed down the path it traveled and laid flat deep inside Epotiene's throat. "Jessica, I… Asking about…Asking about my eyes is difficult…to speak…of. It took me a few moments to… decide whether I wanted to share… with you more information… about me. You're question is forcing me to… to think very carefully. If…I…show you something, promise you won't leave me alone… here?

I nodded, slowly, still remembering her tongue.

In a choked whisper, the spirit beckoned for my legs to shift forward, with a crooked finger. Now, I was less than an inch from her nose. Epotiene's fragrant breath flooded into my lungs, when she exhaled. It smelled like roses. Her eye sockets were so creepy!

"Look harder into my eye sockets. I have eyeballs, but they are very small. Peer far into darkness; they're there", she informed in a serious, robotic tone.

I crept an inch closer on my knees and leaned forward further and stared into two dank holes. At first, I saw nothing unusual or anything that represented eyes. I stared straight into darkness for a few more moments, and then let my vision travel downwards in her sockets. Deep to the bottom, there were two, on either side of the eye sockets, tiny reddish and orange flaming balls, just under the rims Epotiene's eye ducts - the place where tears start to flow. Is that what I witnessed when she's in a rage? Wow! That's so cool! She has fireballs for eyes! The more I learned about my guardian, the more my curiosity grew. Epotiene amazed my expectations beyond disbelief, with her physical presence!! I'm so happy that I was unable to move in her forest! WOW!

"You can move away some. You're making me uneasy now. This is why; I was hesitant of letting you see them. I was certain you would stare at me," sighing and buried her head into her ghostly hands. When she raised her head slowly, tiny beads of tears trickled down her cheeks and her mouth was in arched into a frown. "STOP gawking at me!"

"If you're frightened, then say so!" she growled. "I would prefer senseless panic attacks from you, rather then staring!" A river of water gushed down her cheeks now. It reminded me of a fierce storm on the open sea. When she saw I did not remove my fixed attention, Epotiene turned so that I was peering through her back and listening to strangled cries and I watched drops fall freely to the ground.

I couldn't help myself though. I mean, it's not everyday I would have an opportunity to witness the longest forked tongue I've ever saw or two glowing orbs, that were supposed to be eyeballs! It was too incredible for me to accept. It was better than that; it was awesome!

After a few minutes of staring like a mindless zombie, in the same fixed position, I lifted myself off the filthy ground and sat next to the spirit. My legs were out straight and I leaned backwards, allowing my arms to support my weight. I realized I unwillingly caused a tremendous amount pain for Epotiene and I had to think quickly of how to recover the situation. I didn't believe she would leave, but I was not going to take chances either! Besides, I hate to be the cause of anyone feeling miserable. Hunching over, I placed, an arm on top of her shoulder and began to try and comfort Epotiene.

"Hey, hey. Don't cry. It's alright. I'm the one that freaks out, remember?"

"Shut up," she said in a choked cry.

Sensing I might really be in trouble, I tried a different approach. An approach, she would surely fancy; I hoped! I decided to pretend to be angry and create a ruckus and threaten to leave her soul alone. It was a dangerous gamble. A cruel prank to perform, but I decided to seize a fear of hers – loneness.

"Well, that's all fine and dandy!" I lifted myself quickly and kicked rocks, lightly with my bare feet. "It's not my fault I couldn't help myself. What was I supposed to do? Just look away when a gray and forked tongue shoots out of a mouth and then proceeds to tickle their windpipe? Oh, yeah! Let's not forget about those two reddish beads that are supposed to be eyes? You tell me, Epotiene. What would you have done, in my position? Huh?! I have the right mind to walk away and never come …"

"STOP!" The unexpected shriek caused me to yelp, trip over a foot and fall flat on my stomach. I groaned from a sharp twig that poked through my soft flesh, but there was no blood. When I regained my composure, I decided to remain seated and listen.

"Serves you right for falling!" she boomed. "But there is some truth in your words." Epotiene turned around so she could face me easier. She wiped away the remaining tears from the rims of her eyes and started again. "I became suddenly frightened and thought if you saw them in my eye sockets, you would have fled. That scared me tremendously. I've spent decades alone, sometimes centuries. I was afraid if you learned anymore about me, it would be the final breaking point and that would have been that."

"Epotiene, you don't under-" I began to explain my cruel plan to get her to forgive me. The spirit waved a palm to silence my voice.

"Then when you threatened to leave, a wave of panic slipped into my soul. I'm sure you wouldn't have left but the thought of that it could happen; I did not want to be alone again. I dread that feeling. I hate it. Despise it. Cringe at the very thought of it happening once more."

"Epotiene," I began again, "you don't understand." I wasn't nerved when you allowed me to peer into your sockets, nor was I frightened at your tongue. On the contrary, I thought it was cool!"

"You thought what?" The spirit's jaw dropped so I could peer at the rows of jagged teeth.

Giggling, "You're tongue is so wild! Wish I had one that was as slender and long as yours! I would have loved to just test how far I could force it through the tunnels inside our bodies."

"And my eyeballs; those don't effect you either?

"No way! I have never seen anything like those before! They are so neat looking." I could feel the old excitement flood through my voice as I spoke. "In fact, if you knew what I had to do to have you to speak..." I stopped abruptly. A sudden thought instructed me to refrain from telling the spirit about my staged plot earlier. There was a hint that the situation could get ugly and I didn't want to give her a real excuse to leave.

"What were you going to say?" she said in another choked whisper. New drops began to trickle down her cheeks.

"Nothing, Epotiene. It was just my excitement. It clouded my thoughts and I was unable to control myself. I am sorry. It won't happen again."

She nodded and wiped away her tears.

I let out a small breath of air, relieved she had fallen for my little white lie!

"Come, we must go. Time's a-wasting," not bothering to answer the rest of my questions about the sun and why the sky looked like the Black Hole. I lifted myself up off the ground, brushed the dirt off my shorts and stood next to the spirit, who was already standing.

"Hold my hand…Best you can," Epotiene replied. "And close your eyes. Still don't trust your bizarre nervous breakdowns.
That's all I need is death hovering on my shoulders."

There were definitely moments like these, where I would love nothing more then to slap her face. If I have to hear one more time about my death, I swear to God, I'll kill her again!

"All right," I grunted. "You are the Captain of the ship. I shall do as you say, oh wise one." I bowed deeply so that my head fell down to my knee caps, then raised and faced her with a scowl.

"Hit a nerve did I?" Another wide smile formed on her white lips.

"No," I lied.

"So be it. If you're ready and able again, I will need for you to sit, close your eyes and concentrate, so I may tap into your mental waves and feed more on your positive forces again."

"Fine. Feast away! My body is at your disposal!" I disliked the thought of being fed on, as if I was a turkey on Thanksgiving Day, but what choice did I have? I started to feel bitter.

Ramming my left hand through my black hair, I plunked my butt on the ground and crossed my legs as I did before. I sucked in one large breathe and let it out slowly, preparing to clear my mind totally.

Epotiene squatted to the earth and crossed her legs, just as I did. She sat next to me, on the right, just as the spirit did before. She outstretched her hand, waiting for me to do the same. I grabbed it, or so it appeared I had a grasp.

"How are you feeling?"

"I'm OK," I replied.

"I'm not going to lecture you this time. I'm going to assume everything will be fine and you'll keep yourself under control, as you did before."

"I'll be alright," I promised. "I will not allow anything to break my concentration this time."

"And you won't think of me as a betrayer, right?" Epotiene's voice was stern, but pleasant.

"No, I put my full trust in you this time." I thought for a minute. Despite all that has already passed between us; Epotiene has kept true to her word about everything she has said to me.

"Snap out of it!" She remarked. "Your eyes are beginning to look as blank as mine," she chuckled dryly.

"Yes, I know. But I was contemplating on an important thought which needed resolving."

"Using big words won't impress me. Go ahead, spit out the question."

"Epotiene…" I chewed on my lower lip, afraid for the outcome.

"Speak up! We don't have a decade you know!"

"Epotiene," I started again, "Though that in the beginning, I felt you were a screwed, crumby, mood-swinging, cannibalistic, spirit…See, I can be blunt to." I flashed a tiny smile to show her I didn't mean what I said. Her lips only formed a straight line and I could tell she was irritated or hurt by my words.

I pressed forward, "But, you had the opportunity to leave any time you wanted. As far as you were concerned, I was a stupid, ignorant human, who didn't know their place – a neurotic one at that."

"You stayed by my side, and taught me to nearly harness my fears and anxiety. I have decided; as my trusted guardian, I will try not to question your judgment again. And I look forward to this journey, to not only discover wonderful and mysterious things, but also to accompany a great friend."

Giggling out loud at the expression of the spirit's face almost left me with a heart attack. During my laughing fits, I was careful not to drop my grip. But the spirit – she seemed shocked! Never before, have I seen any jaw drop as far as hers. If I had a tape measure handy, I bet it would measure four feet down!

"Thank you, Jessica," She replied very softly. But that is all she said about my compliment. "When you're ready, close your eyes."

I closed them immediately.

"Give me a few seconds to locate some energy from you, and we will be off! I have much to show you." I kept my eyes closed tight, waiting this time for the wonderful breeze to race through my black hair.

* * * *

"Jessica, open your eyes," Epotiene replied. Slowly opening them, I winced again, from the sudden flow of light that flooded my pupils.

"You are lucky. I wish I was blind to!" I remarked sarcastically. The spirit didn't comment at my untactful joke. In fact, she didn't turn and shoot any type of glance – nothing. I shrugged, dropped her hand and stood. So did Epotiene after. The spirit became instantly quiet after my remark and I thought for a second, I had offended her again.

Rubbing my hand lightly through my black hair, I decided to take in my surroundings, ignoring Epotiene's silence. I could use the break from her constant bickering about my safety, the feeding, and of course the ongoing discussion of death; a subject she refuses to drop. There still was no sign of sunshine. The sky was as black as ever – no stars or moon. There weren't even clouds. It was just a gaping hole of darkness above me.

After studying the sky, I noted the terrain around me. It was like I had been led to a desert of some sorts. But deserts at least showed some life. They had small shrubs and bushes, despite the little waterfall. There weren't even cacti around. Wildlife that had evolved to such a dry climate should have shown life in this wasteland. I didn't see a lizard, snake or even a buzzard! In this new world, there seemed to be no sign of anything. The land had no mountains, grass or trees. For that matter, besides the lack of animals, where were the birds? Actually if daytime had ended, where the heck were the bats? My shoulders lurched forward and I stared straight in a thin line at a sheet of gray, brown and rocky terrain, stretching for miles. I was hopeful that whatever Epotiene seemed eager to show me, it would be a glorious and awesome site! But this place was depressing. No wonder she speaks of death so much!

"A beautiful sight, don't you think?" She said in a serious tone.

"I don't see how you can see anything through those two holes you call eyes," I retorted. "Besides, how did you know where to travel? You seem to know where we're at."

Epotiene stiffened and shook her head uncertainly. "Ohh…," she wailed in a shrill screech, cocking her head and howling, like a rabid wolf. The sound ripped through my eardrums. I had to clench both hands against my ears hard to block the sharp sound. That awful sound – no human-being would have been capable of producing such a horrific melody.

When the spirit stopped the howling, I dropped my hands, not one bit afraid or nervous, but my eardrums were ringing in slight pain. I had grown used to these sudden outbursts but what the hell was that all about?

"Care to explain why you felt the need to howl, like a wolf?" I asked in a bold tone. I must have a special way with the undead, because sure enough, after I asked my second question, Epotiene turned and glared into a tired and annoyed face, and grinded the pointy teeth again.

We were eye to eye socket, less then an inch apart. Folding my arms in front of my chest, I started to tap my foot, impatiently. I was through with the melodramatics. Standing, I patiently waited for the answers. The spirit took notice after a few minutes that teeth grinding and obscene, blood-curdling screams didn't affect my nervous system much any more. It just did a number on my eardrums! The antics came to a halt finally but she remained in her position, not dropping her glare.

"I've been here before!" She growled in my face. "Isn't it obvious, you fool? How else would I have known? You don't need a pair of eyes to know where your home is! Home is where the heart is, that's what you humans say!"

"It's not?" She barked.

"I - …" She put a white hand up to stop me from speaking.

"I'm not finished! Have you looked around? Huh?! What do you see?"

Before, I could open my mouth to speak again - she flung her left hand across my cheek, making a swooshing sound, as I watched it cross through my temple and cut into my skull! If she was alive, the blow would have been devastating. I would have been seeing stars for sure.

Sensing I had given up, after a few minutes of silence, the spirit continued. She was furious! "That's right human; I'm the mistress of this domain! This is my home away from home - the forest. I know the questions are burning inside of you. They're about to burst out the nostrils anytime now, yes?"

I said nothing, in fear of my impatience grabbing a hold of my tongue once more and causing further problems. I only cocked my head, to show Epotiene I was listening.

"That's what I thought," Epotiene grumbled. "Listen up, as I'm going to give you some answers, in which you seek. But if you open your trap, so much as an inch," she warned and trailed off in mid-sentence.

I wasn't sure what the spirit was really capable of. She couldn't physically harm me. Epotiene admitted that she needed a brain, one that was easy for her to tap into the subconscious and use a rare talent called Phys-Energy. It allowed her to travel at swift speeds, kind of like what gasoline is to a car. I realized without my help, she would be doomed never return to her precious grove. Her threats were meaningless now. But I said nothing about it. I was on a mission; I had a purpose. I wasn't going to leave, until I was satisfied with the outcome.

"You asked about the sky and the way it appeared earlier. Remember you are in the year five-thousand - note that date. Brace yourself, as this may be a shock." The spirit sucked in a small bit of air and spoke in a less harsh voice. "The sun, moon, stars, clouds, the few planets that visit Earth every so often – they don't exist," Epotiene hissed. "That's the same with any mountains, hills, trees; plants in general and animals. This country is no longer suited to support life. Without plants, such as trees, there isn't oxygen. Without the running brooks and rivers, there isn't any way to satisfy our thirst. No animals to hunt for food have lead to starvation. This future holds only emptiness, sorrow and desperation to survive."

My lips formed an O and I felt the joints in my legs begin to knock together. That couldn't be! That can not be true! Epotiene raised her palm to my face to halt further questions. She must have guessed my disbelief or assumed I would start asking again.

"Before you ask, and I am sure you're bound to rattle my cage with endless questions, do yourself a favor and wait. In fact, do me a favor to. Keep quiet, so I can keep the last bit of sanity I own." Epotiene giggled loudly. My rotten luck; I find a deranged zombie! She would have been perfect in the movie, Doctor Jeckyl and Mister Hyde: the mood swings are unreal!

"Yes, Jessica. Has it sunk in yet? Don't you realize what's happened in my homeland? Go on, take a guess."

I had stopped quivering already. Too much information was buzzing in my head, so it was hard to stay afraid for long. I didn't know what to think. She spoken of this land, this era was once her home. And worse yet, she must had lived her for a long time. Epotiene said once if I had seen the horrors she'd had witnessed through hundreds of generations, I would know what true terror was. I was beginning to understand the bitterness in her voice, the foul jokes and the rage that had to still be burning deep inside her soul. Imagine, through all the struggles that had to have followed, she was able to show a slit of compassion, even though it always seemed to be in her favor.

I rubbed my chin thoughtfully, mimicking the spirit. I wondered how she ended up in that forest. If indeed, she died in the year five-thousand, she must have found some willing sap - some survivor and convinced the person to allow for her to leech their energy levels and fly to some remote area, and stumbled upon the green jungle. I'm sure it was thrilling to find such a treasure as the grove. Who the hell would want to camp in this wasteland? But I wondered what became of the person she absorbed?

Returning from the disturbing thoughts, I remained standing but didn't dare to speak. I had heard the last remark she said, but as I was making more sense of this puzzle, the more I was dreading the answers.

"Well?"

I continued to keep quiet.

"Go, on," Epotiene urged eagerly.

I shook my head.

"Very well. Since, I know you are anxious to hear the answers, it must be agonizing, yes?"

Raising my index finger and pipe up to break the silence finally, Epotiene silenced me again by raising a pale palm to my eyes.

"Wait! Don't answer. You don't have to. I can see it burning inside. Hurts, doesn't it? Too know so much, and so much to lose," she remarked in a crazy tone. She must have been referring to herself. I knew it had nothing to do with me.

"The loneliness is unbearable. It's intolerable. I wish you could grasp my situation," she sighed sadly. "Everything has been wiped clean from Earth. There is nothing left."

"However", the spirit mused, "I was lucky to find a survivor; a scrawny and thin man. He looked more like a skeleton then a human. I found him on his knees with his face pressed to the harden ground. When I approached the man, I was sure he had died, like so many after me. He didn't move at all or appeared to still be breathing. But when I studied him further, I saw he was barely alive, only sucking in small amounts of air at a time. I knew he would be easy for me to absorb energy, but wasn't sure if he still had a positive force left. I was lucky, when I held his hand and absorbed the last shred of his energy left. When we traveled, I found the forest by chance. I immediately landed and was thrilled to finally leave my old home."

"But," she stopped for a minute. And I witnessed tears flowing from Epotiene again. Big glass crystals seeped from underneath the rims of her blank sockets. Her mouth twisted into a frown. I watched, emotionless. There was nothing I could say or do, as past experiences proved worthless. I only waited.

"…the man," still sobbing, "He must have become too ill. I wanted him to live with me, in the forest, and become my companion. I was hopeful that with all the new and fresh oxygen, rich and sparkling water, deer and fish that could be hunted; he would be able to hold on longer and slowly become healthy again."

"But he never made it!" she wailed in agony of the memory. "He died almost instantly when we landed gently on the ground. The trip proved to be too difficult for him."

"I am a murderer - a selfish and heartless murderer!" she said in a strangled cry.

Listening to all this, I wasn't sure to feel pity or disappointment. She had admitted on feeding from a poor man, on his last leg. Epotiene selfishly used him, so she could run away in exile from this horrible area. But in doing so, as good as her intentions were to try and help the man, I do agree – she killed that man unjustly. Deciding on what to say to my traveling partner, a wave of uncertainly hovered over me. It was clear, Epotiene had suffered a great deal, but the centuries seem to have crippled her mentally and I was under the impression that the spirit was unpredictable, which was evident from her constant moods. Still, I knew why she despised being called a murderer when I questioned her earlier when we first landed and panicked, accidentally dropping her pale hand.

"Epotiene," I began, waiting for a silencing gesture. When I saw none from the spirit, I continued, still in an emotionless tone. "I do not know where to start. There is so much for me to sort out. Too much information to weed through. A lot of it is a shock and I'm sure will take me some time to adjust, maybe years. But, that is not of my concern right now. I still don't fully understand how the hell I met or found you. You mentioned my aura just happened to plop down from nowhere and land in your home."

"I'm not going to ask how or why you saw fit to occupy my aura; body or whatever. It doesn't matter to me anymore. Or the fact, if I'm human, how I'm alive? Humans need oxygen. We need water. Without the two, we are as good as dead within a few minutes or a single day. I would ask how those simple facts don't apply to me, since last time I checked, I was still alive, but I won't. I'll save you the headache. I am willing to accept the fact that my body is in some sort of alternate state, not the same as in your case, but not completely human either. Whether my theory is true or not, I don't care, as long as I do not begin to gurgle from lack of air or start withering away from dehydration."

"I just ask you; continue to keep me safe. I said it once, I'll say it again: I consider you, Epotiene, a friend. Why? Because friends trust each other and we have done that so far, haven't we?" I only smirked, expecting only a 'thank you'.

The spirit gave a muffled cry and sprang forward towards my chest! She caught me off guard and I only stood there, wide-eyed, watching two quick blurs wrap around my shoulders, but slipped back through my side. It took me a while to understand what happened.

"Did you try and hug me?"

She nodded.

"Well, thanks. I appreciate the effort," smiling brightly.

The spirit gave a tiny smile in return. "Jessica, there is one more thing I should tell you. As you said, friends should trust each other, but they shouldn't hide secrets either."

She cocked her head, to make sure I was paying attention and I nodded to show that I was. "My home, I mean my old home – this one. Remember, this is the future. And though you will likely not see the year five-thousand; this land is what's in store millenniums from now: the end of the world as we know it; end of life."

"So I will answer one final question for you, which will almost complete your quest. You wanted to know what the perfect world would be like, yes?"

"I still want to know. Feel free to babble away. You have a skill for it," flashing Epotiene a giant grinning smile.

"Shut up," she smiled open-mouthed, trying to appear as pleasant as possible. "Do my teeth bother you?"

"They're as cute as a button," I replied.

She flashed me another smile, yellow razors in all. "Anyway, as you can see my previous home is the pits, but look around, as I'm sure you've done many times. There is no more life. The Earth is now dead. We killed our beloved home, with automobiles filling the air with gas and pollution, people dumping oil and other pollutants into our lakes and streams, hunting and destroying all the wildlife to only satisfy our greedy hunger or to kill for sheer sport. Many other things have contributed to the destruction of our planet. It was only a matter of time…"

"You're babbling," I reminded her.

She nodded. "I apologize, Jessica. Truth be told, there is NO such thing as a perfect world, universe, or globe. I'm living proof of that."

Lifting a finger and opening my mouth to comment, Epotiene raised her palm, her silent signal, to warn me to keep quiet.

"No, before you say one word. I'm aware, I'm dead. No need to state the obvious. Lighten up, that was a joke," she remarked dryly.

Ignoring her warped humor, my curiosity was tugging at my brain to ask, even though, in a blink of an eye, Epotiene's mood could change dramatically. But I had to know for sure.

"May I ask something; just too finally ease my buzzing head?"

"What is it?" She asked softly.

"So, are you saying we're all doomed? The human race is destined to be erased in the future?

"More or less, yes. But it will be a slow process. Eventually, when the year five-thousand arises, the end will soon be near."

"Man, that blows chunks," I remarked in a disappointed tone. "And I was hoping I would be a millionaire in the future. That would have been fine and perfect for me."

"There is no such thing as perfection, which is why all good things must come to an end. Even our beloved planet," she replied.

"Bummer. Well, I thank you for all your trouble, Epotiene. You were really a pain in the ass, you know," I said in a sarcastic way, hoping she wouldn't take offense.

"As are you. Don't forget to taste some grass, I hear it's good. Tastes like -

"Crap", I finished for her, giving a faint smile. "So, can you take me home, back to the past?"

"Nope."

"What! Why?"

She sighed and let out a soft whisper.

"What was that, I didn't hear you?" I asked.

"Do you remember when you said something about you would help me, if I had asked for it?"

"Yeah, and?"

She sighed again. "I will not force you, but only want to give you the option first, than you can decide on either heading back to your present time or to help me. As you know, I can't travel at super sonic speed without the use of a living body. Since I'm here in my past, I would like to confront the demons that have haunted me for hundreds of years. I hope by confronting them, I can rest finally."

"How about it? Will you let me use the Phys-Energy technique on you, one more time?" she said in her robotic, soft spoken voice. The spirit sounded hopeful I would agree.

"It will be twice, that you'll need to feed from me. One, when we travel together to bury your demons, and the second when you'll take me back to my home."

"You mean you'll do it!" She shouted happily.

"What are friends are for?" I said, in a serious tone. "You helped me solve my problem and protected me. It would only be fair if I returned the offer in a way of 'thanks.'"

"Yeah!" The spirit let lose a loud giggle, as if she had reverted to a small child and danced crazily in huge circles; whooping and hollering. The seriousness had disappeared temporally from her voice. All Epotiene wanted was to confront her shadows that seemed to have left a lot of internal scars. I don't think she cared about anything at all except her own personal quest.

I sighed and plunked my butt again on the ground, crossing my legs and tossed one arm outwards, waiting for Epotiene to sit beside me. I shut my eyes tight, without checking to see if she had her ghostly hand around mine.

I sat and waited for the slow, lifting feeling and before I knew it – I felt gusts of air shoot up my shorts, the sharp breeze tickled my nostril hairs, like the other times. Then within a blink of a second, I felt my body thrust forward, feeling like I was zooming at the speed of light. We were on our way to another location – Epotiene's past.

Grr....

I did look this over and started writing a critique, but then noooooooooooooooo... IE was stupid.

When I get on my computer (I love Firefox) I'll try again, k?

^ ^

Thank Snoink.
Yes, comps can be a pain.

Okay!

Impressions of Jessica

Jessica is a pacifist, dreamer, and a loner.

Now, if I were not so bored or braindead, I would stop there. Unfortunately for you, that is not the case.

Jessica is a pacifist. I mean, come on. When she could fight back, she doesn't. She doesn't move even. While this could be viewed as some form of cowardice, that is not quite the case either. She never completely gives up. She flinches when the spirit talks to her, and rebels in the small ways she can. (The spirit is a ghost to her.) No. She seeks peace and seems to want to please others rather than being stubborn and having her own way.

Jessica is definitely a loner. Instead of being at the mall, gossiping, she is in the forest. In fact, in the forest, she scoffs at those who spend their lives in the mall. She has an advanced vocabulary (one would think she's homeschooled!) and seems to be an intellectual loners (yes, they do exist).

Jessica is a dreamer. The fact that she can tolerate a spirit definitely proves to me that she has an affinity towards the spirit world and she believes in it. Otherwise, she might not even see the spirit. She is willing to act out (not even act really) the scared part, because she truly believes in it. Whether this is imaginary or not, who knows? But she considers it real, therefore it is real.

Yep.

So there's my character analyzation. Now for the next part: how to fix the awkward parts.

You have lots and lots of exclamation points that don't need to be there. Read this article for more information on that: http://www.ver2.biz/snoink/kn/writing/7.php

You have a lot of parenthesis which contain vital pieces of information, i.e. what the character's thoughts are. Character's thoughts should never be hidden, and you're doing just that by putting it inside parenthesis. As a reader, this means that we can skip these without fear of missing anything.

I don't like the word "OK." I prefer it written as "Okay."

Look out for any superfluous word!

Okay, I'm done. Relax.

Wow, I created a pacifist. Reading and editing, reading and ect. that never occurred to me. Sweet! I created a pacifist, without realizing it, LOL! But in all seriousness, what would a real person do, if something or someone had that type of apperence? Personally, I would have ran for my life! So, what do you think of Epotiene, Snoink?

By far this has been the most challenging piece, and when I post the ending I hope the readers will see why. It's just a matter of finding the few hours to type it up.

Much thanks to you also Snoink for taking the time to help. I apologize for taking so long to see your crit. I also appreciate the link. Thank you.

This should be the last installment, until I finish writing the ending. Hope everyone has enjoyed it so far.
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Wind wafted inside and out of shirt and pants – chilled, from no warmth for
a while – sharp breeze wiggles strands of hair, causing them to dance wildly – hairs on arms begin to prickle – limbs on feet and hands, losing feeling – temperature has dropped – buzzing sensation grips temples – pupils throb.

Ferocious blast of wind smacks cheeks – stings – limbs tingle and itch – must scratch, but can't – have to fight urge – temperature changes suddenly – air is muggy – stifling – drips of water fall from back – limbs slowly begin to return to normal – cyclone of different speeds of air swish all around body, inside nostrils and eardrums, and under shirt and shorts, hits forehead full throttle – welcome it – sweat subsides - body aches.

When we landed on a large flat rock, I fell backwards, laying on my back, to rest and began to rake my entire body with my nails, digging in fierce strokes. Under my arms and the tops of my feet took the worst punishment. I concentrated mostly on them, scraping away the irritation.

This trip proved to test my limits beyond any normal person. It was different from the other two. The destinations were swift and there weren't any dramatic changes in the atmosphere. It was brutal to have endured such chaotic adjustments in the weather. Too make matters worse, it felt longer then the others - between eight to ten minutes.

It had taken a minor toll on the remaining physical strength I had left. The muscles in my caves, forearms and stomach ached. I might have been alright, if the wind this time wasn't so powerful and ripping me apart, draining my strength; the temperature giving the extra kick.

I stretched and flexed the arms and legs, spreading those outwards, as if I was making a snow angel. It helped to move my joints and work the stiffness off. I closed my eyes slowly again and continued to rest for several more minutes, forgetting conversations, the treks, and temporally forgetting Epotiene's existence. If she had tried to speak, howl, or grind her teeth for attention, I wouldn't have heard a peep; I mentally tuned everything out. I thanked the spirit for that much – teaching me to ignore distractions.

After several minutes of resting, I sat up and crossed my legs and hunched over, and glanced to my right. The spirit was sitting on the rock next to me, legs also crossed. But her back was straight as an arrow and her arms were overlapped. Epotiene appeared to be a Genie. She was staring outwards and never bothered to jerk her head to meet my gaze.

"How long have you been there?" I asked.

"If you mean, how long I've been sitting, not sure. When I watched you tear at your flesh, I thought you went mad. I was puzzled at first by your strange reaction, and then you flopped down and closed your eyes before I had a chance to question you."

"You didn't bother to talk to me at all?"

"Didn't see the need too. You seemed at peace and I knew by the way you were breathing softly, you weren't dead. So I left you alone, and I've been waiting ever since."

"For me to wake up?"

She nodded, not removing her fixed gaze. "So, may I now ask why you were tearing your skin to pieces?"

"If you must know," I began, "the route you took was a living hell! One minute I felt like a pop cycle, the next it felt like I was engulfed in fire! I went from feeling chilled to the bone, to sweating my ass off!" I whispered in a harsh tone. My body was still sore and didn't have enough strength to shout.

"I'm –"

I am not finished!" I yelled in a hoarse whisper. "I'm tired, sore and don't feel like reminiscing on this trip, or the others."

"Unfortunately, since someone neglected to warn me of such changes, I began to feel my skin irritating me, almost beyond my control. I had to summon the last ounce of inner strength left, grit my teeth and bear the insane itching. If not had been for seizing control of my actions, I would certainly let go, so both hands were free, in an absent minded action."

"If someone," I repeated, feeling more irritated than angry, "had reminded me of dramatic temperature changes, and ferocious wind currents, I might not have felt ninety-five percent of my physical energy was robbed."

"Does that answer you question, Captain?" I said in a bitter whisper.

Epotiene didn't budge the whole time I was ranting – arms, legs, her ghoulish head; all remained the same as before. Whatever she was staring at baffled me. There was nothing here, except rocks, dirt and a giant flat piece of slate we were perched on. I wondered if she heard a word I said, so I asked.

"My vision isn't as keen anymore, but my hearing is still intact," she retorted. "I apologize for your personal dilemma, Jessica. Keep in mind, I am ...Well, I lack the sense of touch, which you should already know. Don't hold that situation against our partnership."

"Friendship," I corrected her and flashed the spirit a weak grin. My voice had returned to normal after resting it through whispers.

"Why are you staring at me?" she said, finally facing me.

"The same way you're staring off into space," I retorted. "By the way, what were you looking at? All I can see is a stretch of open and rocky land. Woop-de-doo!"

Epotiene ignored my question, and asked how I was feeling, regarding this trip.

"I have had better days," I answered honestly. "But I don't feel as drained when we first landed."

"However," I warned in a serious tone, "I am positive I can't handle anymore flying until the majority of my strength returns and that could take awhile, maybe hours."

"Very well. Fortunately for you, where we're going; it's not far. We can walk there. Think you can handle it?"

"Maybe. How far isfar?" I said.

"I'm not sure, but we can take breaks if you wish."

I nodded and pulled my tired, aching body to a wobbling stand, feeling a buzz ring through my ears. Epotiene was already up and seemed anxious to start.

"Ready?"

"As soon as this awful headache goes away." I said, whimpering.

She sighed, shaking her head slowly. "When the headache is gone – walk. That way, I'll know you're ready."

I nodded, closed my eyes and rubbed the temples, clockwise with my two index fingers for several more minutes. When most of it subsided, I started slowly, careful not to fall. The joints in my legs were still uneasy.

Epotiene had already started to walk, and was about five or ten yards ahead of me, watching and waiting for me to regain my physical energy. I wonder what Epotiene is so eager about that she couldn't wait beside me? I sucked in a deep breathe and trudged along, to catch up to the spirit.

Whatever it was, that has distracted her since landing must be important. If I knew what awaited me, I might have told the spirit I believed her gruesome prophecy and attempt to back out of the deal I made. If only I had a faint idea, I wouldn't have agreed to help the spirit confront her past.

* * * *