RedRavenPoems

The Journey

This is a small one shot short about a mans meditation journey to his inner place, then on to meet a spirit guide

He closed his eyes, and let his mind relax. The sound of drum beats filled his ears, echoing through the very fabric of his being. Each and every strike of the instrument reverberated to his core, and back again. Smokey incense filled the air. A vibrant mixture, he believed it was called dragon’s blood. But at the moment that did not matter. It was time for him to go. He had a journey to make.

 Slowly his breath relaxed, taking him deeper inside. In one, two, three, four. Hold. Then out one, two, three, four. Everything became black. There was nothing except for him and the drums. Nothing but his mind preparing. 

 A doorway appeared in his minds eye. Towards it his spirit strode, sliding free of his corporal form. Insubstantial, yet fully here in this place. He opened the doorway, facing the set of stairs that led down before him. Down the stairway he went, each defending step like wading into a pool of water. He was buoyant, floating back up. It took will to step on down the path. But in the end he did so.

He emerged into a room. Large, spacious. Red carpet adorned the floor, stretching out to the walls far from him. All around were shelves. Row upon row of them. Each filled to the brim with books, scrolls, other bits and fragments of knowledge he had gained over the years. A confusing maze, the shelves lines out in a spiral, always heading inward. At the center of this jammed space, was a single table. Large in it’s own right, it’s polished black stone figure was dwarfed by the expanse that surrounded him. Several chairs surrounded the table, but all empty today.

This was his sanctuary. While others would place themselves within an inner garden when they took the trance and traveled. He had always preferred the peace and quiet of libraries. His cherished dream was to always have his own library. In this place, he had succeeded. Yet today he had not come here in the need of the information his tomes had stored within. He was going further down.

Beside the table set into the floor was a doorway. A type of trapdoor that could be lifted on it’s hinges to allow entry. Towards that entrance he walked, for his journey today was further down. He would not meet a teacher or spirit here today. He traveled on towards the Lower World. The wild lands of the spirit realms.

The hatch opened. Beneath was a spiraling stone stairwell. Down he went, down and down, till the light from above was no longer seen. Still he went deeper, knowing in his heart that he had not reached his destination yet. Every few feet it was as if he had to stop almost, brushing through an invisible barrier. A membrane of some sort. Unseen yet attempting to bar his way. Exerting his will he over came them all.

At last he fell. It was not the normal fall. More of a slip from the last vestige of his own realm, into the Lower Realm. No longer on the stairway, he stood instead on a forested mountain side. On it’s cliff he stood, facing the forest below. Seeing each and every hill as they rose, then fell, like green waves undulating into the distance.

A clearing lay before him. Crushed stone spread in an imitation of a beach. It crunched beneath his feet as his moved, heading towards a large rock outcropping, molded almost into a seat. He sat, and started out over the lush green waves of the earth, simply enjoying the scenery.

It felt like hours of calm waiting, even if in reality it was only minutes. Behind him came another crunch on the gravelly ground. He turned his head slightly to take in the newcomer. It was an animal. A wolf. He relaxed again. This was who he had come to see.

It was a large wolf, massive in fact. Her fur was coal black, bristling in the wind. A single white speck adorned her, right between her amber eyes. Beneath each gigantic paw the gravelly ground crumbled and cracked, as she approached him calmly. She sat beside him.

Not only could he hear the sound of her panting, he could smell the scent of her, like a musty pine as it wrapped around him. Feel her breath as it exhaled with each pant towards him. 

She sat beside him, gentle as a whisper. Her coarse fur brushed against him, sending a shiver of warmth through his skin. Tentatively he raised a hand, looking at her questionably. His eyes met the amber ones of the wolf. She dipped her head in agreement, to which he happily places his hands deep into the fur, delighting in the feeling. They sat like this for some time, starting out over the expanse, watching the wind blow the trees, listening to whistling creaks and cries of unseen birds and other small animals. 

He turned towards her again, suddenly understanding why she was here now, and why this had been so vital. All this time together, and she was still here with him. A feeling of belonging came over him, as the full impact of the unspoken statement was made clear. She was here for him, and with him. The great She wolf would always be there. And he knew in that moment he would not be truly alone again. The wolf looked over at him, amber eyes flaring in the light with understanding. She licked his face and stood, with him following. Together they moved back towards the entrance to the forested mountain, along the winding path upward, till they reached where he had started. He began to ascend again, happy that she was still with him. And would always be so.