Existence - A Novela

Loss and grief are probably some of the most powerful emotions an individual can experience. Most cannot understand the depths of sorrow and despair of another until they have experienced it themselves. The waves of change in Existence represent the waves of emotion one experiences and the battle between the desire to hold on tightly and relinquishing control. There is a hope of abatement coupled with an emptiness that swirls in the murky waters of the riptide of grief. - Rebecca Gonzales, From a letter to Dr. Higgs, December 5, 2024

Part III - Return - The Celebration

Galadriel braced herself against the rolling movement of the earth as her two young daughters peered up at her from under the oak dining table. The door frame creaked and moaned with each rippling shudder and sway. Arwen wrapped her left arm around the leg of the table as she pulled Margaery closer with her right. Almost nose to nose the azure eyes of the eight-year-old met the teary seafoam gaze of the younger. Movement subsided; gently moving Galadriel’s skirts like a summer breeze drifting through the lush oak canopies.

It seemed that Arwen was always trying to pull her sister close. Margaery; always resistant. Nowadays, their eyes rarely meet. The measure of their relationship - strained. Waking from the memory of the devastation eight years prior only reinforced their shattered sisterhood.

Arwen wasn’t like any other girl her age. She had gifts, talents, and abilities that surpassed them all. Her mother spent many hours helping hone her abilities and helping her to understand the source. Her father moved the family out of the city and back to the family’s estate to protect Arwen from the negative influences that would seek to exploit her abilities. As far as Arwen knew, she lived a beautiful life in a beautiful place without a care in the world. The protection of her soul seemed absolute and would remain so until her sixteenth birthday. On that day, the secret that her parents had kept would be shared and a new chapter would begin. She would be trained in the healing arts and diplomacy. She would be taught about the other nations and her responsibility to each of them. And most importantly, she would be given the keys to the Souljar. This meant that she would travel back to the city to reside at the institute - the place where it all began.

She knew that it was morning when she woke. The room was dark and the air was still. Dawn was not yet there and the birds had not started their welcoming invocation. She tried to wrap her mind around the images and the messages presented to her while she slept. It seemed familiar in its tenor; the details altered. Maybe, it was just… more.

The colour of the sky began to slowly fade from midnight blue to deep crimson, indicating that the sun was climbing steadily beyond the Eastern Ridge of the Wobath Range. The crisp air stirred for a moment, reminding her that the ground outside was covered with snow.

Snow.

Snow.

Cold. Her mind still swirling through all that she dreamt. Was it a dream? Actually, what was it? It was familiar.

The first note of the daily invocations rang through the air and at that moment a real memory flashed through her mind. From so long ago. She was eight and it was her birthday. They lived somewhere else warmer and the air was always sweet with the fragrances of orange blossoms and lavender.

The first rays of morning flashed through the open windows and doors, and she remembered…

Rubbing the sleep from her eyes, Arwen sat up and rolled out of bed; her bare feet touching the stone floor. This awakened her senses. Her mind sorted out the memory. As she walked across the room to find something to wear from her perfectly organized and colour-coded wardrobe, she realised that she dreamt about the earthquake, again. By her count, she had dreamt about the disaster every night for the past week. The significance, not yet apparent. Coincidently, the anniversary of the “Great Quake” fell on her birthday. The first and only time she had had a party was on her eighth birthday. The sky fell that day. Arwen pushed the thoughts back. She didn’t want to think about that day. The day that changed everything…

Arwen stared out the arched window onto the orchard that spanned into the distance. The breeze carried the fragrance of apple blossoms into her room from the solarium where she grew miniature trees. She inhaled deeply, and closed her eyes, smiling contentedly. The world was at peace.

Her life was beautiful. She loved the life she was living. Opening her eyes, she noticed a nightjar roosting under the shelter of the footbridge leading from the house toward the orchard. She was curious: why could she only see one? “Its mate must be nearby,” she thought. This one was female, as indicated by the small white band along the outer edges of the tail…

[SEND]

The clickety-clack of the keyboard slowed to a pause and then a single click sounded; sending 780 more words to her manager and publicist.

“I don’t know if this is going to work,” Anna signed deeply as she sent the 780 words of the next part of her novel. Looking at Missy and Poh she added “I know it isn’t writer’s block. It’s just that I don’t have the heart for it anymore.”

She thought about the conflicts between winter and spring in her writings. She also considered that Arwen was capable of growing whatever she wanted whenever she wanted. Seasons weren’t a thing. Especially since Arwen’s family estate was protected by the dome.

“Are you ready to go to bed?”

“I am.”

The four-legged fur babies blinked their crystalline eyes and wagged their tails as if to reassure their mom that everything was going to be okay. Anna slowly stood up from her desk and headed towards her room. Missy and Poh beat her to the room and sat patiently just inside the bedroom door; knowing that they would receive a peanut butter doggy treat. Tails began to wag as Anna reached into the cookie jar. Turning toward her loyal companions signalling them to sit by raising her right hand with her palm facing toward her face. As they each sat she praised “Good girls.” Then she lowered her hand to below her waist with her palm facing the floor followed by “Down” and “Wait.”

The usual commands were followed by the two Siberian huskies stretched out across the floor staring at the peanut-shaped cookies laying on the floor between their paws. Missy, who was all white except her ears which looked like they had been dipped in copper paint, along with a single copper racing stripe down her spine, would glance up expectantly at Anna, waiting for the all-clear. Missy’s sister, Poh, dressed formally in a black fur tuxedo, switched between staring at her cookie and that of Missy’s. “Okay.” Both quickly snatched up their cookies crunching away as Anna slowly undressed and climbed into her bed.

It wasn't a bed. It was more like a cocoon or a sarcophagus. As she rested her head on the silk pillow, a glass cover rolled overhead, sealing Anna into an anti-gravity chamber. The familiar woosh of air signalled the completion of the hermetic seal and the introduction of an incapacitating agent containing the sweet fragrances of Arabian lavender and chamomile. She would sleep weightlessly and painlessly for the next eight hours.

Thanks to Archimedes' discovery of buoyancy and experiments by the Russian physicist, Pyotr Kapitza, French physicists of the Twenty-First Century continued the study of buoyancy and vibration, discovering a new kind of buoyancy that they call "anti-gravity." Published September 2020, in the weekly British scientific journal Nature, these researchers reported that they could create a similar anti-gravity effect for buoyant objects by vibrating and levitating dense liquids in an enclosed glass chamber. This discovery, during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, was instrumental in the development of the anti-gravity chamber.

Truth be told, the work was so new, that when Anna was in the ICU at St. John's Regional Medical Centre, the pod was a prototype and Anna was to be its first guinea pig. During the past couple of years, the enclosure had been instrumental in her healing and allowed her to sleep and dream.

*****************************************************************

The warm sun and the chilled air brought Arwen to complete awareness of the present and she felt excitement well up from her core as she anticipated seeing her closest friends. The tips of her toes touched the ice-cold stone floor as she rose and turned out of bed in a single fluid motion.

Daemon, peering out from under the chaise lounge, greeted Arwen with a long low howl as she moved across the room to the dressing table. Each brush and pin; evenly spaced across the smooth cedar top.

She sat on the matching bench and gazed into the mirror hanging low on the wall. How many times she had started her days with the same pair of eyes looking back at her? She knew every expression of emotion. Those eyes could not lie, hide, or conceal anything from her.

A red squirrel landed on the windowsill to scold Daemon who slowly emerged from beneath the chaise. As she finished pinning the braids and curly tresses, the sounds of the family stirring signalled Sabastian to crawl out from under the covers.

"Seriously, why are you always in my bed?"

Sabastian winked back and extended his front paws. And then in a moment of complete mischief; lept into the air landing with all claws into the thick black winter coat strewn across the floor at the foot of the bed. Daemon yowled and then a battle of claws and fur clouded the room.

After the battle subsided and each opponent in their respective corners, Arwen walked over to the bed to straighten the covers and fluff and place the pillows in the same configuration as the day before and the many days before that. Each pillow had its place and all the embroidery faced out to paint a picture or tell a story to any guest who entered her room.

Yellow beams of light crossed the room from the open window revealing the details of the stone floor. The silvery flecks of granite sparkled and danced reflecting diamonds on the walls.

As Arwen walked from the bed to the wardrobe, a flash of light blinded her momentarily. As she extended her hand to the knob, she heard the soft pad of feline paws hit the floor. She stood examining the choices before her. Sabastian weaved slowly between her legs, flicking his tail against the folds of her nightgown. He began to purr and press his head against her legs hoping for a touch or a scratch. Her extended fingers were an invitation and Sabastian stood tall on his hind legs so that his head could reach her fingertips.

The wardrobe exploded with vibrant satin and silk mingled with crushed velvet, wool, and leather. The poppy red day dress was quickly laid out on the bed as the hunt for the winter white bolero commenced.

"Really!" exclaimed Arwen. Margaery had not returned the sequinned bolero.

"Margaery! Do you still have my cream-coloured dress with the jewelled cover?" Arwen asked as she reached the bedroom door across the hall from her room.

Margaery groaned, peering out from beneath her covers: "I don't know."

"You borrowed it. Where is it? I hope it's not on the floor and wrinkled."

Arwen returned to her room and searched for her second choice. In short order, a plain black high-waisted dress lay next to the red dress.

With a deep exhale the search for a third alternative dress resumed. Long delicate fingers passed between each option, separating enough to reveal the details of embroidery and colour.

Another sigh escaped tulip-shaped lips as a third option lay across the red and black dresses. This dress had never been worn. It was a gift from her parents. A symbol of their hopes and dreams for their daughter. Her usual appearance represented the strong will of a tomboy whose companions included cats, dogs, and horses. The freshly cut hay and freshly tilled soil: her favourite perfume.

Cultural refinement and education often felt like shackles. She just preferred the outdoors and the freedom felt while traversing the vast woods and fields that surrounded their home. It was expected that the great house of "H" was educated: trained in the arts and skills that would edify the body of "The Order." The pursuit of excellence; supported by her mother's reassuring words: "Visualise your success in mastering this skill." Skill, exchanged for other studies like language and talent. Father often spoke of discipline and self-mastery. Younger siblings played more often and had no care.

***************************************************************

The method of sleeping and waking had become a ritual over the past nine months. The "pop" of the hermetic seal and a wash of oxygen began the process each morning. Missy and Poh would gently leap onto the platform as the glass enclosure rolled back, kissing and sniffing Anna's face until her eyes opened. Most mornings, Anna would say good morning to her babies and roll out of bed.

The room was quiet, except for the gentle hum of the ceiling fan and the recently installed CADR-rated High-Efficiency Particulate Air (HEPA) filtration system. The morning salutation of "Dick," the Plymouth Rock rooster, pierced the white noise, alerting the world that a new day was on the cusp between night and day. Anna could feel Missy and Poh pressed up against her, radiating heat across her body. No matter how hard she tried, she could not open her eyes to see or open her mouth to speak. The grey light that penetrated her eyelids indicated that the sun was behind the mountains. When Anna finally opened her eyes, she was confused and weeping. Icy cold pain washed over her. She could feel every pin and rod in her body. And then, she was flooded with the overwhelming pain of grief and betrayal. She had lost so much. She had been robbed. And, she was expected to forgive and forget. For her, the cost was too high. A flood of tears streamed down her face and into her ears as she sobbed uncontrollably. She was broken.

When the sun finally pierced the blinds, she sat up, alerting the other two occupants. Missy and Poh gazed at each other and then at Anna. It seemed that they understood that today was going to be a bad day. They waited for Anna to get dressed and silently followed her down the hall. When they reached the back door, they looked up at Anna as if to ask: Shouldn't we just stay indoors with you today? Anna turned the knob and opened the door and wished them a fun day, each nodding acceptance as they vanished into the depths of the orchard.

Returning to her room, Anna checked the anti-gravity controls of the Kapitza 2000 anti-gravity pod and the Kapitza structure boosters, making note of the 800 number. She shouldn't be feeling so much pain. Even though everything looked normal, a phone call for a check-up would be necessary.

The house had been retrofitted with additional anti-gravity boosters designed by Kapitza Korp before she was released from the hospital. These boosters created a barrier from the outside world, allowing her to move about her home without assistance. She had refused in-home care and didn't want her husband or her children to wait on her as she recovered (if she ever recovered).

[BING]

You have an appointment with Dr. Lundquist at 10:00 a.m. Be sure to step into the scanner an hour before your appointment so that the doctor has time to review your films.

[BING]

Your daughter, Lorina, will be home from college this evening.

[BING]

Your son, Marcus, will be arriving at the airport at 2:00 p.m. Send transport instructions to Syn Valet.

"Thank you, Lexi. Please silence and postpone alerts for the next hour." Anna walked over to the oak dresser and opened the top drawer, choosing a navy blue top. After closing it, she opened the next drawer and pulled out black slacks.

"Lexi, please start the shower at optimal temperature and water flow to massage pattern Delta."

[BING]

Setting parameters. You may enter in thirty seconds.

While Anna was in the hospital, her husband began remodelling their home to accommodate her needs. As a general contractor, he had access to the most recent advancements in smart home technology. Including the new shower. Voice activation through Lexi was the most important component, as Anna had difficulty using her hands and moving about. And waiting was the worst part. U.5 by Moen was the best at the time and only required a few modifications to work with the Kapitza systems.

As she stepped into the shower she turned towards the mirror and examined her bruised and scarred body. She couldn't tell which scars were from the accident and which were from the countless surgeries. Lowering her head under a warm waterfall she looked down at her feet and toes. The fresh alabaster skin stood out against the crimson nail polish her daughter had applied last weekend. Anna smiled: "The prettiest part of my body." In her mind: And the only part that doesn't hurt. Her family would disagree. They would often remark on how fortunate she was that the flames had not touched her face. Nor had it been cut by glass shrapnel. However, Anna could see that the pain, worry, and anxiety had taken a toll, revealing more wrinkles and grey hair.

The warm water soothed the aggravated scars that stretched across her body and the pulsing motion slowed the steady throbbing of her broken bones. Fifteen minutes of calming and soothing relief - fifteen minutes that allowed her to raise her arms and hands to her scalp. Fifteen minutes to wash away the oil and old skin.

Fifteen minutes to be alone.

Fifteen minutes to remember and relive.

Fifteen minutes to be angry.

Fifteen minutes to sob.

Fifteen minutes to just . . . wish for release.

The warm water slowly changed to a warm lavender current of air, drying her body and hair. As the last droplet of water evaporated, Anna stepped out of the shower and looked into the mirror once more. The usually enraged scars glowed a baby pink.

July 31 (nine months earlier)

“I’m coming home.”

“Why? What happened?”

“It was awful. I don’t want to talk about it.”

“You drove up to see your dad. Were you able to see him?”

“I’m not wanted.”

“You shouldn’t let your sisters push you away. He is your dad, too.”

“I know. But I can’t do it anymore. Can I talk to Lorina, real quick?”

“Mom?”

“Yes, baby. I’m here.”

“I heard Dad. Are you coming home?”

“Yes, and I need you to do some things for me.”

“Okay.”

“Please log on to my computer and disable all social media platforms. I don’t want my siblings trying to get a hold of me. Or my mother. I have already put my phone on Do Not Disturb. Only you and Dad will be able to reach me.”

“Mom, what happened?”

“So much. It was awful. I will explain everything when I get home. Oh, and one more thing - I want you to take my phone and keep it when I get home.”

“Mom, are you sure you should be driving?”

“I will be fine and I will call every two hours. I will stop regularly to stretch.”

“Please be careful.”

“I will. I will talk to you soon.”

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[ASCENDING TONES]

“Hello?”

“Hi, Babe. How’s it going?”

“I just got out of the shower.”

“Is your doctor’s appointment today?”

“Yes.”

“Would you like me to conference in?”

“You can, if you like.”

“I will join the call.”

“Hey, when the kids get in tonight, do you want to go to dinner?”

“Let’s see how I am feeling when you get home.”

“Okay. Sounds good. I will see you at your doctor’s appointment.”

“Bye.”

“I love you.”

“Love you, too.”

“Bye.”

Anna took another look in the mirror, wiping away tears, and then stepped into the scanner. Detecting her presence, it began to hum and emit different colours of light. After a couple of minutes, the scan was complete. The advancements in whole-body scans remained surprising to Anna. She used to be a peripheral vascular technician at the county hospital. That was years before she even met her husband. At the time ultrasound machines only took black-and-white images of the veins and arteries. These images had to be processed just like the films from X-ray machines. Now, it seemed that everything was in colour and 3D. The most remarkable thing about these new body scanners was their ability to do the work of both an MRI and a CT.

Scan complete. Anna stepped out. Scan sent.

Anna reached into the basket on the wall, retrieved clean underwear, and began to dress. As each foot was inserted into the legs of her black slacks she could feel the snug magnetic support growing from her ankles to her waist. It was like putting on gloves. The slacks were designed to support her broken body and to relieve pain at the injury sites. They would also make it possible for her to walk if she went outside. The same sensations occurred as she inserted her hands into the sleeves of her blouse. She would remain upright. The clothes gave Anna some semblance of normalcy and made it possible for her to avoid pitying gazes, when in public. No one would ever know how badly broken she was. Her clothes; a camouflage of the truth.

Truth. She had spent so much time denying the truth. Even her writing was a mask for what was going on. Her stories were just a shadow of reality - a reality that had been dressed up and made palatable. What she wanted to do was to scream at the top of her lungs and tell the entire world that things were horrible. Human beings were selfish and deceitful. She was held together by magnets. She was a sleeping volcano that could erupt into a million fragments. She was a fault buried beneath the earth's crust. One slight movement and the quake would open a cavern to its molten core.

[BING]

Incoming video call from Pelham Grenville Wodehouse, the III.

"Hello, Pelman."

"Anna, what is wrong with you? You promised me more than a half-assed start..."

"How about we start with Good Morning before we start the ritual tantrums?"

"Good Morning."

"Alright then. Pel, I am sorry."

"Sorry?!?"

"I know. My heart hasn't been in it lately."

"Well, you better get it back in it."

"Pel, this isn't a good time. Can I call you later?"

"Anna, you need to make time."

"Pel, I really can't right now. I have a doctor's appointment in a few minutes."

"Sure. I know things have been rough. But your fans... I'm sorry Anna... Call me later."

"I will. I promise."

Looking down at her toes, Anna smiled again. So pretty. Rumbling began in the pit of her stomach. I should probably eat, she thought.

"Lexi, what is on the menu today?"

[BING]

Scrambled eggs, crispy bacon, and an everything bagel with cream cheese and avocado slices.

"Thank you, Lexi."

[BING]

Breakfast will be on the table in five minutes.

Anna, now in the living room, decided that she had some time to take care of a few things and replayed the messages from earlier.

"Lexi, please send a message to Lorina asking her what she would like for dinner tonight."

[BING]

Complete.

"Lexi, thank you. Will you please send instructions to Syn Valet to pick Marcus up from the airport at 2:00 p.m. and to use the red Chrysler Transport?"

[BING]

Complete.

Anna turned on her computer and began scrolling through messages, stopping at one from her baby sister, Elaina. She stared at the subject line: Family Reunion: July 15 - July 18. Anna got up and walked away.

*************************************************************

July the Year Before

Anna slowly climbed the stairs to the third floor and then turned left into the doorway. She looked in on her father, who was sitting on the edge of the bed looking out the window. The large window was like a frame around an oil painting of a lush, beautifully manicured garden. Her father could no longer tend to the fruit trees, rose bushes, or the pond. She could feel his longing to be out there and a tear slid down her cheek.

She watched as her mother walked over from the closet with a fresh, neatly pressed shirt and slacks. Her mother smiled at her, beckoning her to close the door. Anna closed the door and then sat down at the top of the landing. She leaned over her knees stretching out her hand to pet Miss Kitty, who had been sitting on the lower step.

A couple of minutes later the bedroom door opened and Anna was invited in to sit with her father, who was now leaning up against the headboard. He had his reading glasses on and several sheets of paper. As she came closer she could see that it was a few more pages of his allegory. The story that he had begun when he was diagnosed with cancer just six months earlier.

He had been sending her copies of each new chapter. When she would receive them in her inbox, she would print them off, read them, and then place them in the folder she had labelled "Dad's Farewell."

She was visiting her parents again for the sixth time since his diagnosis. But this time, her children and her husband joined her. The entire family was coming to celebrate his 79th birthday. As a gift to their father, each sibling and their family took a section of the garden to tend.

As Anna walked across the room, her father extended his hand, giving her the newest installment. Knowing that she hadn’t brought her glasses up to the room; he grabbed another pair of reading glasses, motioning her to put them on. He nodded expectantly. Anna unfolded the glasses, rested them on her face, and began to read out loud:

Chapter 37 - Sailing to Byzantium

At the foot of the gangplank stood a heavily bearded older man wearing an officer’s cap. Ezra walked up to the man, extended his hand, and said, ‘Good morning, Captain. This young man is Georges Schlendering and he has been appointed to be your guide to Byzantium on this upcoming trip.’ Georges looked at his companion somewhat agape; this was the first that he had heard of the ‘appointment.’

The Captain cocked his head a little and replied dryly, ‘Well, Ezra, you know how I feel about guides in general, and if I know my seamen, this boy hasn’t been offshore more than twice in his life. I doubt that he can even spell Byzantium, much less guide anyone to its harbor. I think that I can make the voyage safely with my maps, sextant, and compass, thank you very much.’ He then turned to Georges and said with a smile, ‘No offense, son, I am just telling it like I see it.’

‘None taken, sir. In your shoes, I would feel much the same,” said Georges amiably.

‘Well, Ezra, the boy is polite, if nothing else. But he best not be underfoot or tell me how I should manage the ship. I have been master of this craft for more than twenty years and an able seaman for twice that time. I think that I know what I am about…’

Anna continued to read the new pages aloud as her father listened. From time to time she would pause and look up at him. He would open his eyes wondering why she had stopped. They would smile at each other. He would close his eyes and she would continue reading, trying not to cry as the story continued to unfold right before her eyes.

******************************************************************

[BING]

Dr. Davin Lundquist is waiting on Video 1.

[BING]

Victor has just arrived.

"Good morning, Dr. Lundquist. My husband is also on the call."

"Good morning, Mrs. Grey. How are you doing?"

"This morning was a little rough, but I'm doing okay."

"Good, good... I have reviewed your films and would like to go over them with you and Mr. Grey. I have enabled the HOLO so that you can see what I am seeing."

"Okay." Anna looked up to see a replica of herself standing in the middle of the room.

"We will start with your organs." The body became translucent allowing everyone to see her insides. "You will be pleased to know that your liver, spleen, and kidneys have recovered nicely. We need to keep an eye on your heart as you seem to be experiencing some arrhythmia... muscle tissue... strengthening exercises... possible grafts... no residual brain damage."

Dr. Lunquist's voice echoed out across the room the myriad of issues. The same issues came up during every appointment causing Anna to tune out or only half listen. A new dimension to her personality.

"Lastly, I have taken a close look at the damage to your spine. It appears that your spinal injury has progressed. Or rather, the healing has stopped and we are beginning to see deterioration. The main injury used to be isolated to L4 and L5, however, S1 has been affected." Anna stared at the skeleton in the middle of the room.

"If you look at the hologram, you will see that L4-5 has a circumferential disc bulge. Severe ligamentum flavum thickening and degenerative facet arthropathy. Severe spinal canal stenosis. Mild left neural foraminal narrowing." None of this would have meant anything to her except for her medical training. She knew how serious the injuries to her spine were. She could lose her ability to walk. Dr. Lundquist continued:

"L5-S1: Circumferential disc bulge asymmetric to the right. Mild degenerative facet arthropathy. No spinal canal stenosis. Minimal right neural foraminal narrowing." Dr. Lundquist paused for a moment to be sure that Anna understood the condition of her back. Anna meekly smiled and Dr. Lundquist added:

"I recommend an epidural and home exercise before surgery. If you haven't yet, you may begin to experience some nerve pain."

Anna nodded but didn't answer. When she was lying in bed that morning she had pain all over. However, she had new pain. It was like a line of fire travelling from her hip down her leg with the most intense heat on the left side of her foot. She had also experienced an icy fire centred at her core that radiated out, filling her torso.

"Dr. Lundquist, if Anna has been isolated in an anti-gravity pod every night and stays at home, how is it that she is not healing?"

"Mr. Grey, there might be some other issues that are preventing her spine from healing. It could be that the healing nanites need to be replaced." Addressing Anna: "To heal broken bones or teeth, nanites have to take the calcium from your existing bones. So we may need to make some changes to your diet. We should increase the intake of foods rich in calcium. Your healing nanites are currently set to twilight - which means they are only working when you are in the pod. We may need to set the nanites to auto. This would allow them to work while you are awake and while you are asleep. They would be active all the time. We may need to do some screenings, tests, and scans before we make this adjustment. That is, if you feel up to it, Anna."

"Davin, I don't know what I want anymore." Anna stared down at the floor and began to cry. It seemed as though the price she had to pay was greater than she could bear. Her mind returned to the past and the events that led her to this moment.

********************************************************************

July 16 (nine and a half months earlier)

Anna sat next to her father's bed as he lay sleeping. She had been warned by her sister, LeAnn, that he was really tired and that he should be left alone. She didn't care. She was the oldest and she needed to spend time with her dad, whether he was asleep or not. Besides, the whole family had gathered to celebrate his 79th birthday and each of her siblings had spent countless hours by his side before she arrived. Of all his children, she should have been given priority. She lived over 1000 miles away and it took her an entire day to travel to her parent's home. Everyone else lived locally.

Her father slowly opened his eyes and smiled at Anna and then placed his hand in hers. She knew, at that moment, that he wanted her there. The cancer that ravaged his body had taken away his voice and he could only express himself through his eyes and gestures. Anna's heart was breaking and she longed to hear his voice.

The voice that read her bedtime stories when she was little.

The voice that sang songs.

The voice that instructed.

The voice that soothed any pain.

Looking down at their hands, she remembered all the times that he had picked her up and carried her to bed. She remembered working on cars with him. And she remembered weeding the garden with him every summer.

She held back the tears and smiled back at him. This memory was the most important to her because she knew that he loved her and without words, they said their goodbyes. But she wasn't ready to say goodbye. She wanted more time. She had so much she wanted to share with him. That night, after the birthday celebration, Anna expressed to Victor that she needed to return as soon as possible. Victor agreed and said that he would help her get back.

She did return. She didn’t get to say goodbye. She was forbidden to see her father. Her siblings told her that she was not wanted. They said horrible things to her. She cried for a whole day and then she drove home without ever seeing her father one last time.

****************************************************************

July 31 (nine months earlier)

Anna said goodbye to her husband and daughter before hanging up. Accelerating to 75 miles per hour, Anna set the cruise control and turned on her music app so that she could listen to music as she headed south on the I-15. Her mind rehearsed the events of the previous day and night. Her siblings had conspired to exile her and to make it very clear that she was considered an interloper.

Anna's heart began to ache as she recalled hearing her own words parroted back to her. Wells repeated comments she had made to her baby sister, Elaina, in confidence. The betrayal was so brutal. Elaina had looked away when Anna searched her eyes for any evidence of malice. LeAnn had brought up old wounds that Anna had spent years trying to reconcile. There was so much anger and hatred in LeAnn's seafoam green eyes.

Whereas, Gabriel's expression was of surprise. It seemed that he had no idea that his fellow cohorts were out for blood. Marie just sat looking smug as she nodded in agreement to everything that LeAnn and Wells had shared. Anna sobbed as her mind began to unravel the true purpose of this Family Council. Her chest heaved over the strain of the overwhelming emotion.

Suddenly, Anna felt her body lunging. A clash of metal and shattering glass rang through the air. Searing pain raced through her body and then nothing.

*********************************************************************

The next day, the headlines read:

Deadly dust storm; another reminder of extreme heat and drought scorching West

The National Weather Service in Salt City issued multiple "significant weather' advisories in a series of tweets for central Utah, warning of the potential for half-inch-sized hail, heavy rain, and wind gusts of up to 55 mph in Millard and Sevier counties.

Those strong winds whipped up dust in central Utah and then the unthinkable happened: Eight people died in chain-reaction collisions on I-15 involving at least 20 vehicles. Another 10 were injured, some critically.

*********************************************************************

The next day, August 1, Anna's father died.

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While waiting for Syn Valet to return from the airport with her son, Anna sat down at the computer to write. It was difficult. The events of the past year resurfaced as patchy memories. Some commingled with ideas for her novel. She wanted to write the truth about the past year, but she didn't want to hurt anyone. She wanted to make the offenders and contributors to her pain and loss pay. But she wanted to honour her father. So she wrote of the events metaphorically, adding fantasy and magic. Depicting the real evils in fictitious villains and devastating natural disasters. Even the environmental dome that covered the city in her novel was a representation of the anti-gravity field that surrounded her home. It was both a protection and a prison. A reminder of great loss.

[Keyboard Clicking]

- Scene of the Earthquake/the shattered Nightjar - (will add this later)

If only they had listened to the warnings. If only he had been able to abate the disaster until after his daughter was of age. If it hadn't been for the quick thinking of specialists, engineers, and scientists, the entire world would have been destroyed. The question now was how were they going to piece the world back together. Elrond knew what needed to be done and he had the power to make it happen. However, he did not have the skill or the gifts to execute the plan that had been put in place centuries ago. Rules had been broken to ensure that this plan could move forward. His family and that of his wife had blended. There were others of different sects that had done the same. Eventually, they would be able to blend all four. But they needed to wait.

[BING]

Incoming video call from Pelham Grenville Wodehouse.

"Hello, Pelman."

"Hello, Anna. I thought I would call ... you know..."

"Pelman, it's okay. I was about to call you. I am sitting at my computer right now trying to hash out the story. And, you know me, I have to get everything just right."

"Anna, I have been thinking about your story and everything that you have been through and thought that maybe you would like to take a break."

"What? Wait. I am not ready to give up on this story. I have things I want to say. I have an idea and want to know what you think. Would you like to hear my ideas?"

"Sure."

"Well, as you know, the main character is quite complex and in this novel, I want to share the infrastructure of the society or rather the government, and maybe a closer examination of her father and how close they are."

"Okay..."

"It is important to understand the political infrastructure. The dynamics of which are the cause of a geological disturbance. An earthquake causes the planet to crack apart, changing the view of the night sky for many inhabitants of the northern hemisphere. There is also a class system that has caused unrest in the region. The main character, Arwen, is the solution to the current environmental and social issues."

"And?"

"There is an old world government that is controlled by the elite, designated by a rigid class system. This class system prohibits certain marital alliances. Certain races are designated for certain professions. Some individuals oppose these designations, including the main character's father who has elite status and a great deal of power in the government as well as in society. This man can make changes - yet he knows that these changes can not occur until his daughter reaches adulthood. His daughter has special gifts that will enable this needed change."

"Well, it sounds like you got things under control. How about you send me a couple of chapters by the end of next week?"

"I can do that."

"Well, have a great weekend, and enjoy your kids."

"Thanks, Pel! Bye!"

Anna sat staring at her computer screen. Her mind began to wander back to the time spent with her dad. She got up from the desk and walked over to the mantle. Next to the picture of her dad was a cedar box in which she kept mementos. She carefully picked it up and sat down on the sofa, wrapping herself in the cobalt blue sherpa Lorina had given her.

"Lexi, please turn on the fireplace, low fire. Please play my dad's favourite song."

Almost heaven, West Virginia

Blue Ridge Mountains, Shenandoah River

Life is old there, older than the trees

Younger than the mountains, growin; like a breeze

Tears began to stream down her face. Oh, how she missed her father. Opening the cedar box, she began looking at pictures her mother had saved. Her favourite was of her as a baby climbing into her father's lap as he played the guitar. The next one was of her sitting on the guitar, resting on her father's lap. Both pictures, showing off her father's beautiful beaming smile. Again, she knew she was loved.

Beneath the pictures of her and her dad was a yellowed envelope with her name scribbled in blue ink by her father's hand. Raising the flap, she removed the note inside and smiled:

I knew you would be out in the garden today,

so I picked up some new tools and

sent them home to you.

Love,

Dad.

She continued to leaf through the items in the box and at the very bottom she uncovered a journal her father had given her to write her poems in. She flipped through the pages remembering the moments when she wrote each one - growing sadder and sadder. The last poem she wrote was the day she was told her father had died. All the pain of that loss flooded her soul and she felt like she would explode. Every word in the last poem expressing the exquisite pain that lingered even at this moment.

UNREQUITED - Strength in the Pain

"Mom, I'm home." Marcus's deep voice rumbled softly as he knelt close to his sleeping mother, taking her hand in his own. Anna opened her eyes and smiled up at her son. He was the spitting image of her father. They shared the same eyes, nose, and chin. Their smiles were identical and even the thick crazy windblown hair.

"How are you doing?"

"I'm fine. A little tired, I guess."

"Would you like me to get you anything?"

"Shouldn't that be the question I ask my son, who has travelled from Versailles to see his mother?"

"Mom, I am here for you."

"I know."

"Would you like to go for a walk? It is nice outside and it will give you a chance to stretch your legs."

"That sounds nice."

Anna and Marcus headed out the back door to the orchard and within moments Missy and Poh came dashing up to say hello. Taking Marcus's arm, Anna led her companions into "The Woods" - a name she had given her orchard. The trees were lush and dense. The further they walked from the house, Anna could feel her magnetic attire vibrate, working to keep her upright. Marcus turned and looked at his mother: "Is that vibration coming from you?"

"Yes, it is." Anna smiled and started to laugh.

"Does it hurt?"

"No. It is quite comfortable. It is also quite soothing - I like it." After a pause: "A simple pleasure."

"So, Lorina is coming home tonight, too?"

"Yes. Dad and I thought it would be nice to have a little family time." Anna became thoughtfully quiet.

"Okay. Is there anything that you would like to do?"

"No. Just spend time with my kids." They both stopped, turning to look at each other.

"Mom, you know I love you."

"I know, son."

"Lorina and Dad love you too."

"I know."

"Mom," Marcus took in a deep breath and continued: "I am a little worried. When I walked through the door you were laying so still, and I... Mom..."

"It's okay, Marcus. I'm not going anywhere." Anna squeezed her son's hand and continued walking through her orchard. "Hey, did I ever tell you why I planted all of these trees?"

"No. But I know that you love trees and that almost all of your stories have detailed passages of orchards, forests, and clearings."

"Your grandfather would take me camping every summer. There was one campground that was thousands of acres with rolling hills, streams, ravines, oaks, and pines. The western border was outlined by a river that ran icy cold all year round. I wrote about it many years ago."

"I didn't know that."

"This orchard is named after a short story I had entered in a contest - which I won." Anna paused and looked at her son, who was beaming. "I was thinking about some of my old stories and poems and I was wondering if you would go through them and organise them? I would like to have them printed and bound with illustrations."

"Wow! That sounds cool."

"I want you to illustrate the book."

"I would be honoured."

"When we get back to the house I will show you where everything is."

"Sounds good."

Fast-approaching footsteps interrupted the conversation. Anna and Marcus turned to see Victor and Lorina coming up the path toward them. In moments, the four of them stood together laughing and hugging each other. It was during this warm embrace, that Anna realised how important her family was and asked if they could return to the house.

*******************************************************************

"Lexi, please initiate a video call to Elaina Deck." Anna waited as the screen pulsed.

"Hello?" a gasp followed by a long pause. A gaping mouth expressed: "Oh my! I'm so glad you called. I have missed you."

"I missed you too."

"I am so sorry for my part. I want you to know how ashamed I feel. I love you."

"I love you too."

"There is so much I want to share with you. Josh has a girlfriend and he is taking her..."

All my memories gather 'round her

Miner's lady, stranger to blue water

Dark and dusty, painted on the sky

Misty taste of moonshine, teardrop in my eye

Country roads, take me home...

I hear her voice in the mornin' hour she calls me

The radio reminds me of my home far away

Drivin' down the road, I get a feelin'

That I should've been home yesterday, yesterday

Country roads, take me home...

- Take Me Home, Country Roads - Song by John Denver

**********************************************************************

beep - beep - beep - beep - beep - beep

Lexi: Halo secure - beep - Vitals normal and steady - beep

DR. LUNDQUIST: Thank you - beep - Begin infusion -

beep - and activate nanites - beep - beep - beep -

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Dear Mr. Wodehouse,

I hope this letter finds you well. I am writing to you to let you know that my mother wanted you to have the last few pages that she had written. Having read all the previous pages, I know that this novel was a passion project born from grief and pain. Her whole heart has bled every word like crimson drops on pristine linen. She loved more deeply than anyone I know. This love is why her pain was so exquisite. Along with the manuscript I have enclosed a compilation of poetry and short stories and I have titled it The Woods: The Forest Through The Trees. I hope you can work this into publication as well.

Sincerely,

Marcus Grey

**********************************************************************

Gazing over her left shoulder, Arwen turned toward the open door to her room. The muffled voices of her parents stirred a strong connection, a longing for their companionship. Although she was curious, she did not walk toward the voice. Another force pulled her from familiar voices towards the unknown. Turning away from the door, she continued through the marble arches onto the veranda overlooking the fragrant orchard that stretched far beyond the palace walls. The marble slabs were cool against her feet. A gentle breeze flowed across and through the leaves of the trees gathering up pink and white blossoms that drifted gently to the ground. Small drifts formed at the edge of the path that disappeared into the distance.

Arwen continued through the orchard following the path she had tread so many times before. She could hear the babbling waters of the river that bordered her kingdom. Arwen loved the familiar and this orchard was familiar. She felt safe here and she smiled as she recollected times past and the hours she whiled away. As she continued her journey the sun crept slowly higher into the sky and its heat warmed her skin. She was glad for the light frock she chose to wear. The random shade of the apple trees became the desired respite and eventually the heat pierced through the dense boughs. The heat was so intense that little beads of perspiration dotted Arwen's forehead and her cheeks burned bright red.

Arwen found a boulder and sat for a while taking in the cool refreshing river.

And she thought.

And then she wondered.