Chapter 4
Sarah’s predicament
Sarah knew instantly that she was someplace where she had no business being. She didn’t know how she got here, how to get out or anything else of value about her new and surprising circumstance. She did know that everything was bold, blue-white blazing light that seemed to have no beginning or ending and was moving in a very odd sort of way. It seemed to be swirling and then it wasn’t and then it was flowing upward and then it wasn’t. She was moving with the light and hadn’t any idea where she was headed.
Then suddenly she was back sitting in the stairwell, alone, shaken and dumbfounded by what she knew was the strangest experience ever. She strove mightily to remember every little bit of the white light and faint memories began to emerge. One was of a small figure coming toward her from what seemed to be far below. In a split second the tiny being whizzed by her and zoomed upward and beyond her comprehension. The great light seemed to diminish around her and the memory ended. Then she recalled that a small figure zoomed past her going down and away. Was it is the same figure? Then the light changed again to something like a long living brush stroke turned in on itself and then vanished leaving her in the stairwell.
She felt distressed and lonely and thought that she and her baby needed to return to something more familiar, painful though it might be. Her thought took hold and she was back in the upper corner of her own hospital room. Her doctor was there looking troubled and slowly massaging one of her hands. He looked quite forlorn and she felt she needed to give him some reassurance. She carefully and quite consciously folded herself back into her damaged body.
Apparently something that was done in her absence had quelled most of the jarring pain and this return left her feeling only mildly uncomfortable. Best of all, she knew for sure the baby was safe and doing well. She tried with all her might to squeeze the doctor’s gentle hand, but couldn’t do it. It was then that she had a full understanding of how serious her situation was. And when she realized that her baby was in the same predicament she cried, unexpectedly slipped out of her body, zoomed down the hall and the dazzling white light overcame her and sped her in its powerful wind into the fabulous dome.
The dome was blindingly bright, safe, warm, and dead still. She knew that the white light had stopped doing whatever it did to capture and propel her and now supported her in a dimensionless space. Nothing moved, there were no sounds, and she had very little to go on. Though she could sort of look around, she had no sensation of having eyes, but when she looked down she had hands and feet and knew that she was Sarah.
Then suddenly, the bottom fell out and she was falling at top speed in a spiral of light, feeling nearly frantic but, oddly, cared for and again was back in the stairwell, alone, shaken and dumbfounded.
This time she was also frighten. The white light seemed to be able to take control of what happened to her. Her damaged body was not doing well at all and she was reluctant to return to the incredible sadness of her physical circumstances. She seemed stuck in some limbo without any good choices. She was glad that the baby wasn’t with her this time. A stairwell and unreliable light tunnels were, in her eyes, no place for a child. She had no idea that the amazing tunnel she originally saw in the hallway had been created by a tiny baby.
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Seymore, Geralty and Mesa, who now presented as the young winged woman, were admiring the dome, how bright it was and that it seemed a perfect place for its purpose of catching the light tunnels from The Rim of Creations. Seymore turned to Mesa and asked “How will The Rim lights know how to find the dome?” and then he grew dizzy and his image waffled and nearly failed completely. He had spoken real words that he could hear with his own ears. He had not decided to do that, it just happened and left him weak and shaken.
Mesa, with Geralty’s help, led him to the big chair in the study and he slumped into it. He stared back at Mesa and Geralty in blank disbelief. While he had been impressed with Mesa’s facility with sound, he never dreamed that he might achieve such a level of accomplishment away from The Rim. He had spoken using sound and had been heard by both Mesa and Geralty. For Seymore this was a completely wondrous turn of events and meant that his new Place was far more versatile than he imagined. He was yet to realize how much he would grow and expand his repertoire and how potent and varied Mesa’s skills were.
While he was relishing his new ability, he realized that Fred was missing. He said so and Mesa went back to the office through the library looking for the cat. She found him, but to her dismay he was inside the dome. She called to Seymore and he came running. They both looked into the dome to see the black and white cat being gently petted by a totally unexpected visitor. Seymore was unprepared for this vision Geralty was ready to go out to the dome himself, but Seymore told him he couldn’t as there was no floor. He failed to explain how Fred didn’t seem to need a floor.
However, Geralty persisted, “What’s Fred standing on?” And Seymore conceded that he had no idea. He also didn’t know how the young woman had gotten into the dome, why Fred went to meet her, why she was stroking him, why he seemed to like it, or what he was going to do now. His mind was racing. He did notice that the dome was not empty but full of flowing light streams that were gently wrapped around the young woman and Fred and filled the dome. She was sitting on something, he didn’t know what, and appeared lost in a reverie. Fred seemed totally himself and really enjoying the gentle petting. It was all very sweet and quite unnerving Seymore thought.
Mesa quickly and gently reminded Seymore, “You still have full access to of the Units of Energy that you used to create this place, including the dome. With those highly responsive energies you probably can find a solution to this situation and it is clearly in need of one.” She also suggested that his overall purpose was probably more important than the present situation in the dome; although they were definitely connected.
Things began to focus for Seymore; though Geralty was so excited he couldn’t hold his image and was flashing and changing quickly. Seymore asked Mesa to stabilize him, or at least slow him down.
He decided a spontaneous response was the best. He went to the study and out the back door down the arched walkway that led to the dome. He reminded himself to keep that door closed from now on. He called Fred, who immediately turned in his direction and headed for the exit at the other end of the walk way. As he suspected, the young woman didn’t follow because she couldn’t see anything out of her immediate environment because of the light’s intensity. She knew that the cat had vanished and she was disappointed; it showed on her face.
Seymore picked up Fred and returned through the study and library to the office, and set him on the magic table. He wanted to see what, if anything, was different about Fred after his time in the bright dome. He and Mesa checked him over carefully and nothing seemed to have changed. So, again, Seymore really wished this cat could talk. He still didn’t say a word. He was, however, enjoying all the extra attention.
A few things were gradually flowing back into Seymore’s memory. He remember that Psyche had emphasized that personalities who created these light tunnels were frequently in extreme stress from bad situations, accidents, and other events that resulted in serious physical and psychological breakdown in their lives. So he assumed that the young woman was hurt in some way and had created the light to escape. He was half right. She was from The Rim and was hurt, but the light she rode in on was not her creation but was accidentally borrowed. So the next thing he tried didn’t go exactly as expected. He didn’t know that Sarah and the light tunnel had already found the dome once before, albeit very briefly, and with the return trip had formed a workable pattern that was picked up and now supported by the Units of Energy. In the long run that tuned out to be a very good thing.
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Unlike Sarah, the originator of her great light was safe and sound at The Rim. A few weeks after Sarah’s accident, a b
aby was born in the hospital who had not had an easy birth and was not at all happy with his early experience at The Rim of Creations. He was stretched, squeezed and drugged into Rim life too early and then kept in a glass case with all kinds of tubes and electrodes. It was a struggle and one day he decided that The Rim was not the place for him and he chose to leave. He had formed the light and was the small figure she saw rocket by twice during her first light adventure.
Since he was so tiny, the light tunnel he created was not very big. He abandoned it and came back because his mother called and called to him after he left. He could not resist her love, and returned to his original plan.
When Sarah had been in the tunnel with the young boy baby she had left her own mark on it and the light was impressed with her feeling image. After it was abandoned by the baby, the light immediately searched for her and responded when she experienced the full extent of her physical situation and whisked her away. Sarah’s uncertainty and the small size of the light resulted in finding the dome before it was totally functional. It was a simple matter of the small second-hand light tunnel needing to find a place to land quickly. The light had started out knowing what it was doing, but the job had changed with its new rider. Sarah’s situation had not been a part of the light’s original purpose. Without the boy baby the small light was supposed to return to the general atmosphere, but with Sarah’s addition the light combination had to find a place to land fast because no plans or purpose for her were ever created as guidance for the abilities of the units that composed the light. Innovation was the only recourse and the dome provided a deft solution. The light was naturally attracted to the dome because of its underlying purposes; it was nearby and it had already been there once.
So here she was, unannounced, in a non-place with no plan or design or even a vague understanding of what was going on. The lovely black and white cat had been reassuring but he had vanished and she was left dangling in a large white empty space unable to discern anything about anything and feeling lost and alone, again. She knew she was sitting but not what on and reasoned that whatever she was sitting on must be also sitting on something and maybe there was a way she could move around. She stood, at least it seemed that way, and felt herself plummet downward.
After finding the dome the white light had begun to disburse but quickly regrouped to support Sarah after she stood up on nothing. The vaguely defined purpose of the dome and Sarah’s attachment to the cat, small though it was, were the only available impetus and the light followed it back to the dome. Making accommodations for its new rider the light seemed to find new energy and stabilized at the base of the dome. It remained there in stasis to form a barrier to keep Sarah from taking another return trip to the stairwell or falling away to parts unknown.
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Seymore didn’t know how the dome had attracted the white tunnel that brought the young woman in from The Rim; perhaps it was just the strong intention that was part of its creation. Whatever it was, it was pretty clear that the second half of the process was still unknown and he was without any ideas on how to return the young woman to The Rim safely without interfering with her original purposes for being there.
He sat at the magic desk leaning on his elbows mentally searching through everything he knew or could imagine and yearning for some resource that would produce at least a clue. Nothing came. But Fred left. He returned to the dome and the lovely young woman guest who seemed to just love stroking his lush black and white coat.
Sarah was grateful to see the cat return, partly because he was something she recognized and partly because she knew he had gone to and returned from somewhere outside the light. It also seemed to her that, if the cat was any indication, wherever he had been, it was safe.
She leaned down and picked up the cat and he gladly curled into her arms for a good rub. He was not disappointed; Sarah put all her nervous energy into a vigorous massage. Fred was thrilled; he fell in love right then and there.
Seymore turned to see this pleasant greeting play out and once the cat was in Sarah’s arms he realized that he had to retrieve him before he became attached. He was too late. He went through the library and across the study to the arched walkway and, gathering himself up and summoning his courage he moved down the walkway to the entry of the dome. He could still see Sarah, but she obviously couldn’t see him, and he quietly called to Fred while reaching his arm through the entryway waving Fred to come. He did, but not exactly the way Seymore envisioned. Sarah didn’t hear the call, but the hand was clear and beckoning. She tucked Fred under one arm and intention sent her across the dome to grab the moving hand.
Her forward motion propelled her, the cat and Seymore half way down the arched walkway and they all just stood there in silent surprise. This was not what Seymore meant to do and Sarah was not sure what she had done. Fred jumped out of her arms and walked toward the study, Sarah followed him and Seymore followed them both. This little parade made its way to the office where Geralty jumped up and down in glee and Mesa wisely remained as the magic desk. No sense doing anything to startle their guest by suddenly imaging; that could be so easily misunderstood. Geralty did start to transform but Seymore gave him the don’t-you-dare glare and he shaped up as his usual young boy, but his joy and curiosity could not be stifled. He wiggled and grinned in anticipation.
Fred jumped up on the magic desk and Sarah gave Geralty a wide grin. Then she turned to Seymore and asked, “Where am I?” Seymore gave a little start as he had heard the questions clearly but not in sounds. Sarah had used his customary mental skills to communicate. How could this young woman do that!
Seymore look at her in all seriousness and said, “This is ES360.” He had no idea where that came from. Things were again slipping out of his control. Sarah asked, “What is ES360?” After some hemming and hawing Seymore said it was an Experimental Station. Sarah asked, “What kind of experiments?” The word experimental sent a small chill down her spine, but she remained calm. Seymore said, “Wait here.” and left for the study so he could make an effort to overcome a rising sense of uncertainty and befuddlement.
In the study he paced and thought to himself: What are you thinking? Get a grip! You better have a good explanation for this young woman or everything you have done so far could be in jeopardy. Along with berating himself he also started to assess the situation. He observed that she was undoubtedly direct from The Rim, obviously smart, daring and brave. He needed to make her want to return. He decided that it would be best if she didn’t remember coming to ES360 but he didn’t know how he would arrange that either.
He would like to talk to Mesa but she was presently a piece of furniture that a cat was sitting on and that his visitor was sitting at. .Geralty was taken with Sarah and was not experienced enough to be helpful. Seymore was pretty much on his own; and he was stumped. In the office Sarah was standing at the big window looking out at the dome and the swirling white light inside. It was beautiful, but she was glad it was out there and she was in here. The table was also truly beautiful with jewel toned colors swirling smoothly over its surface. It was thick and sturdy and felt reliable. She had picked Fred up off the table (Mesa was relieved!) and gently cuddled him and scratched the top of his head. Geralty was sitting at the table staring at her barely able to keep from blurting out a string of questions and giving up all kinds of secrets. He gently rubbed his hands over the table top so Mesa knew he was keeping himself together. He was so young, but he was brave and willing. Finally he could stand it no longer.
When he asked “How old are you?” Mesa instantly reached out from under the table and jerked his leg. He jumped and retracted the question saying he was sorry and that she didn’t need to answer.
Sarah looked at him and smiled (her smile always made her twice as pretty as she actually was) and said, “I’m twenty-three.”
Geralty said, “Twenty-three what?”
Sarah answered, “Twenty-three years.”
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Geralty asked what a year was. Mesa really yanked his leg this time and he leaned back in his chair with a troubled look. Sarah was also troubled that this sweet faced young boy didn’t know what a year was.
Sarah realized that the people she was with were not really people, at least not her kind of people, and this may not be earth.ES360 was apparently somewhere else entirely. She looked down at Fred and whispered “Am I dead?” For once Fred wished he could talk.
From the entry off the library, Seymore said, “No, you’re not dead but you are displaced. If you’ll come with me into the library, I would like to tell you a few things that may make the situation clearer and we can go from there. ”Seymore had decided that even if he wasn’t in control of the situation he could look like he was. Years of bringing order to the incoming at Middle Mind were evident as he began to reclaim the upper hand at ES360.
Seymore moved the art folios off the big oak table, carefully put the small sculpture to the game table and motioned for Sarah to sit in one of the handsome carved oak chairs; Seymore sat down next to her. She still had the cat and carefully set him on the table as she asked with her eyes if that was a good place for him. Seymore nodded that it was.
He began, “ES360 is a location for helping people like you. It is new, not complete, and your arrival is premature. But you can be sure that you are safe and that everything here, such as it is, is for the purpose of being of service to you. ”He looked down and paused. He had decided that simply telling Sarah a clear, unvarnished rendition of this place and its purpose was his only good option.
Sarah asked, “Who are you?” He told her his name and that he had been assigned (not by who) to create this place to help people who had been hurt and were unhappy at The Rim. She asked, “What is The Rim”. For a moment he was taken aback, was this young woman not from The Rim?
He paused and said, “Maybe you don’t call it The Rim. Do you call it Earth?” Sarah said, “Yes.” They both relaxed a little.
Seymore asked for her name and, if she was willing, would she tell him how she was hurt and why she wanted to leave The Rim of Creations. She told him that her same was Sarah Wordsworth and that she and her boy friend had been in a terrible road accident; that she had left an unborn baby in her damaged body back at the hospital where she first encountered the white light. She told him about the rocket baby, her previous visit to the dome and her doctor. She emphatically added that she had not decided to leave Earth, but was trying very hard to stay because of her baby
Her story mostly fit the pattern that Psyche had described in their visit at Middle Mind but he was mystified how she had been able to use the white light tunnel since it was not hers and she had not wanted to leave The Rim. And then there was her baby, yet another unexpected ingredient.
She looked with deep sincerity straight into Seymore’s eyes and asked, “Can you send me back?” Seymore nodded and said, “Yes, I can.” He had no idea how, but he was very sure that his own success depended upon coming up with some kind of a workable method that would return Sarah to her child and their future.
Seymore also wanted to know how he could be sure that when Sarah returned to The Rim she would have no recall of her visit and events at ES360.He was beginning to enjoy having a name for his place, albeit a rather sterile one.