THE 7 GATES OF ZANZIBAR
BY
SOYINKA I. OGUNBUSOLA
In the deep regions of space, in the star system of Sirius there resided an advanced civilization of cosmic Nubians who knew the secrets of the universe all the dimensions and realms.
Their skin was the color of onyx with eyes like tigers eye quartz. They were twice the size of Homo sapiens. Their muscle mass encompassed thickness and density that rivaled any warrior class of beings in the universe. Their technology was as advanced as their spirituality; extremely highly developed. This was a race that used more then half of the cerebral cortex housed in their craniums. These beings adorned themselves with quartz crystal of various types, not only for beauty but the power they possessed; such as the ability to astral project themselves anywhere in the universe. Space and time was no barrier to them. Many worlds bore their genetic code; their footprints were left upon many dimensions.
In another time and space there existed a once beautiful tranquil land of paradise, now that land was transformed into a mental prison a place of cruelty and oppression by the cold and heartless who believed in nothing; slaughtering at will those who occupied the once tranquil lands; enslaving and dehumanizing them.
Suffering had taken up residence. The villages existed in fear. Anguish dominated the once serene land. Afraid to leave the safety of their village they were nothing more than prisoners within their own land. One night while sitting around the cooking fire the women began to chant, they threw herbs into the fire. The herbs began to crackle and snap, bluish colored smoke spiraled up into the air, the flames danced wildly. The elders began reciting the ancient prayer once recited by their ancient ancestors. The women gathered more herbs and roots to throw into the dancing flames. Young men brought out their drums and began drumming. Young women were enticed by the drums to dance to the rhythms that flowed through the night. The energy that poured out into the darkness stirred the heavens. Star constellations responded to the rhythms of the powerful drums. Sagittarius galloped across the sky, the shooting stars were his arrows. The Virgo the virgin danced in unison with the women mimicking their movements; while other constellations traversed the night sky. One by one the third eye of the villagers began to open. Their consciousness now became one; they were now the collective. The drums continued the chanting continued, the dancing continued, until finally a cosmic gate had opened, and first one and then another and another until seven gates of Saturn opened creating a vortex; a tear in the fabric of time and space within the fire opened. With the people now all entranced the tear of the vortex grew wider, and then suddenly a huge arm reached through followed by a leg just as huge. A great head with dread locks the color of cooper against a hue the color of a hundred midnights. Piercing eyes peered out at the entranced villagers. “What manner of being is this, is it a god,” thought the collective. The cosmic Nubian walked about looking at his strange environment. The ground beneath his feet grumbled in protest with every step taken. He towered over the villagers like a pillar of a great temple. His strength was displayed throughout his massive muscular frame. One hand could cup a small child. The villagers remained speechless as stones; unable to move with disbelief gripping them like a boa, but a small boy named Ekewe walked up to the giant like figure. “I am Ekewe,” he said with curiosity streaming through his small body.
The gigantic figure towered over the small boy who only reached to his knee cap; looking with an undeniable fascination at the small being. Never had Zanzibar seen anything so small, “I am Zanzibar.”
“Did you come from the land of the ancestors?”
Zanzibar looked thoughtful, carefully contemplating his words. Ekewe spoke again thinking that maybe his words did not reach his ears, being they were so far from him. “Did you come from heaven, the land of the ancestors, in the kingdom of the dead who sit at the feet of the creator? We pray to the ancestors to protect us from the invaders.”
It took a little while, but Zanzibar finally understood what the little being was trying to communicate to him, absorbing everything through his third eye.
“You must be from the land of the gods,” Ekewe said as he kneeled before the gigantic figure, which brought a great burst of laughter from him that shook the entire village sending the villagers running in shear panic, all except Ekewe, who just held his ears.
“No, I am no god,” Zanzibar chuckled.
“How did you come to be here in our village?”
“I came through the gates of Saturn into this realm; did you not call upon me?” The boy looked incredulous, “my elders chanted the sacred words, I did not know what they meant, all I know is that they are words of power.”
From behind an old snarled tree an old woman emerged, with great wisdom radiating from her. She was called the ancient one; having lived over a century. Zanzibar gazed at her with great admiration.
“It is true,” she whispered walking around the great figure inspecting with diamond sharp eyes.
“You are Akosuwa,” said Zanzibar.
“My great grandmother told me of your kind when I was a small girl; how the high priest and priestesses invoked your presence. We thought we had lost those powers when our holy people were stolen many moons ago,” she said as tears streamed down her face. Zanzibar kneeled down to her, still towing over her, “who’ve taken your holy people?”
“The intruders,” Ekewe said, as another villager emerged from the darkness; a man carrying a baby in his arms. “They steel from our land, every other moon. They steel our people, they have stolen my wife. Our village grows smaller and smaller. Some of us have vanished without a trace.”
Zanzibar felt the pain of the village. “No one else will ever steel from your village again.”
“You are a god aren’t you,” said Ekewe.
“No. I have come from the seven gates of Saturn, because you have called me here. I made an agreement with your ancient ancestors centuries ago, that when the heavens were in position I would return.”
Suddenly loud angry voices penetrated through the darkness. Unexpectantly strange men with swords, chains and shackles waving torches burst into the village. Chaos erupted with screams of terror. The foreigner’s voices penetrated the night with a crude accent that denoted their cruelty toward those things sacred to nature. “We must blend into the darkness,” the old woman said with the others in agreement. Zanzibar looked intently around; all that was left was the fire burning and the drums. “I don’t understand…why they didn’t revert to this strategy sooner and saved their holy people,” he thought to himself, and then he came to realize the world in which he materialized to was a planet that orbited a yellow Sun, but at a certain time while the sun illuminated their world they were unable to blend into the night’s darkness; therefore they were left unprotected during the day. Suddenly shaken from his thoughts were screams of shock and disbelief the invaders were upon him surrounding him as if he were some strange beast.
“Mother of god…what demonry is this,” one voice cried out, “kill it,” said another voice.
“The mother of your god will not seek my demise,” Zanzibar shot back; annoyed by the insults; looking at them as if they were insects. “It speaks,” one of the men said clearly confused, “but it is just a savage.”
“Who is the savage; the one who comes through the divine spiritual words of power, or the ones who come to pillage and plunder the homeland of those who reside among nature?” Silence followed his words as the invaders became thoughtful among themselves. Zanzibar’s eyes peered at them with such intensity an uneasiness enveloped them slowly turning their thoughts to thoughts of anger.
“These savages have conjure
d up the devil himself and he’s probably devoured them and he will no doubt devour us, seize him.”
Zanzibar then realized that reason was beyond their capacity, “
His gentleness was quickly replaced with rage. “I see that there is no logical reasoning with the like of your species. If I were on my home world I would be within my right to disembowel you, but since I am not in my home world I can not, and it would be a waste of a good quartz crystal, but there are other alternatives.” He thought momentarily of how to eliminate the current situation so that it never repeated itself, then one of the massive hands waved as though he were swatting at some annoying pest, then suddenly emptiness and silence replaced all, every intruder that had crossed the threshold into the village found themselves wandering about in a realm of nothingness everywhere they looked was nothing but grey gloom; it was as if they had been locked inside of a dark storm cloud, their entire reality had become a void; completely erased. Horrifying screams vibrated through the empty void until their minds and sanity was shattered, like the many lives they shattered. Many more intruders found themselves wandering about the empty void with insanity stalking them like a lion stalking his prey.
The village began to multiply and grow larger. The lost knowledge of their ancestors was returned and Zanzibar returned back through the seven gates.
THE END
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Cosmic Beginnings is a spectacular read. As a Sci- Fi thriller taking place in West Africa it is a story unique in and of itself. It surpasses any Indiana Jones, or Tomb Raiders themes. The lead characters are two very strong intelligent and inspiring women. The story encompasses a black woman as the captain of an ocean faring state of the arts vessel which clearly sparks a curiosity; not to mention how the main character transforms from a meek and mild mannered artist to a ferocious warrior. The best aspects of the book encompass elements of astronomy astrology and West African historical elements and their oral traditions passed down from generation to generation This is a story that holds your attention from beginning to end, and I would recommend it to anyone.
Plagued by savage dreams drawing blood Ife` Kenyatta is driven to West Africa, traveling through bewitched lands she must over come the terrifying mirage-like barriers that protect a village shrouded in mystery to under go a deadly rites of passage that will empower her with the ability to command the elements, invoke the spirits of the dead, and reside between worlds; that of the living and that of the dead to prepare for the ultimate confrontation.
In the middle passage deep beneath the ocean’s surface a four hundred year old abomination rises every full moon tormenting the coast of Nigeria terrorizing its citizens to the edge of madness.
While returning from a routine investigation Captain Fatima Jatari and her crew accidentally stumble across the wreckage of a what they perceive as a horrible shipping accident, until further investigation reveals the unspeakable; the unbelievable a horror unimaginable.
AVAILABLE AT AMAZON & ONLINE BOOK STORES
Plagued by savage dreams drawing blood Ife` Kenyatta is driven to West Africa, traveling through bewitched lands she must over come the terrifying mirage-like barriers that protect a village shrouded in mystery to under go a deadly rites of passage that will empower her with the ability to command the elements, invoke the spirits of the dead, and reside between worlds; that of the living and that of the dead to prepare for the ultimate confrontation.
In the middle passage deep beneath the ocean’s surface a four hundred year old abomination rises every full moon tormenting the coast of Nigeria terrorizing its citizens to the edge of madness.
While returning from a routine investigation Captain Fatima Jatari and her crew accidentally stumble across the wreckage of a what they perceive as a horrible shipping accident, until further investigation reveals the unspeakable; the unbelievable a horror unimaginable.
AVAILABLE AT AMAZON & ONLINE BOOK STORES