The PureLights of Ohm Totem (2 page)

“Please, I mean you no harm,” the wolf calmly said. “I only ask for your help.” He peered intently into Zoey’s eyes and her fears dissolved. The wolf seemed to radiate a sense of calm. “We desperately need your help,” he quietly pleaded.

Before Zoey could recover from her shock, a large, dark green reptile emerged from the grasses and slinked quietly toward the wolf. The wolf took no notice; not even twitching a whisker. He was entirely focused on Zoey.

The reptile halted and looked up at Zoey. She could see now that it looked like one of those Komodo dragons she had once seen on the Nature Channel, except that this dragon had burning red eyes full of rage that seemed directed at her! Zoey quivered, feeling a chill run through her body from head to toe as the repulsive reptile glared at her. The dragon inched closer, never taking his eyes from Zoey. Each step hissed against the dry grass, searing blackened footprints into the ground, followed by wisps of acrid smoke. Zoey quickly tore her gaze away, breaking the spell.

Dark clouds suddenly appeared in the distance. They were approaching fast, casting ominous shadows across the forest, turning day into night. A shot of lightning pierced the sky, then a moment later thunder rumbled, shaking the earth.

Zoey’s hands weakened as fear consumed her, squeezing the air out of her chest. The dragon had stopped a few inches in front of the wolf and seemed to be sizing him up. Still, the wolf didn’t budge or take his gaze away from Zoey.

“Please help us,” the wolf implored. “Remember, Zoey, who you truly are.”

The dragon hushed the wolf’s words with a roar that echoed deep into the forest, ringing loudly in Zoey's ears. The roar, it seemed, instantly summoned a downpour of rain that fell hard and fast against the canopy of branches above them.

The dragon leaned forward, almost touching the gray wolf’s chest with its nose. Rain pelted against the dragon’s hard, scaly skin and slid off, making a slime-covered mess on the ground. To Zoey’s astonishment, the rain didn't seem to touch the gray wolf at all.

The dragon took a deep sniff, inhaling the scent of the gray wolf’s fur. He began to walk in circles around the wolf, creating a rising mist with each stride. The wolf remained motionless, and seemed to convey a calm whisper of love to Zoey until the mist completely surrounded him, hiding him from view.

The rain got louder, landing with increased force against the bark of Zoey's tree, and her grip started to slip.

Thunder and lightning rolled across the now blackened sky, and a ferocious storm let loose.

The dragon turned on Zoey, revealing a wicked smile. She could see he had crystals on his forehead and chest, too. Only his were solid black. Her stomach churned, and waves of nervous energy crept through her body.

The mist forming around the wolf spun faster and faster, like a small whirlwind.

“What’s your name?”

Zoey gasped, startled by the frozen, low voice of the dragon, but she refused to take her eyes off the growing whirlwind surrounding the wolf.

“I said,” he repeated menacingly, “what
is
your name?”

Zoey snapped her head around and looked deep into his scalding eyes. A wave of anger rose from her belly. “Leave me alone!” she yelled.

The Komodo dragon pounded his right foot on the ground and the tree shook fiercely, unlocking her grasp and flinging Zoey’s legs off the branch. She tumbled backwards, flipping in mid-air, as she screamed and closed her eyes, waiting for her body to hit hard on the ground.

∞

“Zoey, keep it down.”

Zoey bolted upright in her bed. Her face was clammy and her breath was quick and heavy. She nervously looked around the room for any signs of forest, the gray wolf, or the Komodo dragon.

There was nothing but the darkness of her bedroom in the pale moonlight.

She sighed in relief. She was only dreaming. And just to make sure, she pressed firmly on the mattress, assuring herself that she was in her own room, awake and safe.

“I’m trying to sleep,” her older brother complained.

“Okay, I’m sorry Coda,” she said with a heavy breath.

“Yeah, goodnight Zoey, and try to have a better dream or something.”

For some reason, unknown to Zoey, Coda was always a little nicer to her in the dead of night, which wasn’t always the case during the day. He was thirteen, only a year older than her. But like most older brothers, he didn't like his younger sister following him around everywhere he went, which she tended to do. And, to make things worse, he had to share a room and bunk beds with her. Their parents didn't have an extra room in the house. Only two. They had one room for the kids and one room for the parents. Zoey knew Coda didn’t like that, but neither did she.

A drop of sweat trickled down her forehead, taking her away from her thoughts. She wiped it away and poked around the sheets that were wet with sweat. She sighed, realizing she was hot and exhausted because she had just woken up from a frantic dream.

Was it a dream?

It felt real, more real than any dream she'd ever had. The dream terrified her, and yet, in a funny way she felt wonderful at the same time. It was that gray wolf, she thought, that gave her the nice feelings. There was a certain familiarity about him that she couldn’t quite place. And that maple tree, and that twisting tree, and the meadow—had she been there before?

Help?
She wondered,
why does he need my help. He was so beautiful and calm.

She quickly shook the thought away. "It's just a dream," she said out loud.

Coda's arm dangled off the edge of the top bunk. "Zoey! Shhh!" The moonlight gleamed through their window and silhouetted Coda's face as he peered over the edge. "Be quiet!"

"Okay," replied Zoey. She knew she couldn't sleep in the damp bed, so she waited until she heard the deep breaths of slumber coming from her brother before she pulled her sheets off and got out of bed. She stretched her arms and legs, letting out a big yawn during the process. There was no way she could get any sleep after that dream.

She tiptoed over to her dresser and opened a drawer as slow and quietly as she could, making sure not to waken Coda. She grabbed dry underwear and a long t-shirt, but as she turned in the semi-darkness she accidentally kicked something. Whatever it was, it smashed against the wall into tiny pieces, scattering all over the carpet. Zoey froze and held her breath.

She waited for her brother to yell or throw a pillow at her, but thankfully, all she heard was Coda's deep breathing. After what seemed to be an eternity of silence, she finally took a breath and moved toward the door, carrying her change of clothes. She crept out of the room, shutting the door quietly behind her.

The hall closet, just outside her bedroom door, stood partially open. A bad latch that hadn't been fixed for who knows how long, prevented it from closing.

She reached inside the closet and grabbed a towel. She took off her clothes, dropping them on the floor, and with the towel wiped the sweat off her body. She rubbed her drowsy eyes and heard her stomach growl.
I’d better get something to eat
, she thought, putting on her dry clothes.

She crept downstairs and into the kitchen. The cold hardwood floors beneath her feet made her shiver, a contrast from the soft carpeting upstairs. Opening the fridge, she grabbed a large, juicy-looking red apple.

At the sink she started her apple ritual. “A,” she said as she held onto the stem, turning the apple clockwise; “B,” she continued, and with another twist; “C”…

“Zoey?”

Zoey jumped, dropping the apple on the hardwood floor. It was the same voice from her dream. The hair on the back of her neck stood up as she spun around. The gray wolf was standing in her living room, just beyond the kitchen.

“Huh? Yes? What?” She felt tiny goose bumps jumping all over her body.

The gray wolf dipped his head in respect and the violet crystal on his forehead glowed. "Please answer our beckoning.”

Zoey quickly bent down to pick up the apple, knowing that her dad didn't like spills. When she stood up, the wolf was gone. She rubbed her eyes and blinked a few times to make sure they were still working properly. How could she see a wolf right in front of her, and then the next instant its gone? And what’s more, a wolf from her dream!
I must be totally tired
, she thought.

Zoey went into the living room and switched on the light. On the backrest of a large couch was her favorite blanket, wool with black, white, and purple stripes.

She snuggled into the couch, clutching the blanket to keep warm. On top of a large TV set stood a clock that said 2:38 a.m..
What's on at this time? Probably nothing
, she replied to herself.

Zoey picked up the TV remote and curled up against a pillow, trying to forget the dream that still stuck to her like glue. She clicked the power button on the remote and the TV suddenly blared in the silence.

"Shoot!" she panicked, frantically pressing the volume button. "Down, down, down. There," she whispered.

On the TV screen was one of her favorite cartoons. It was the one where she always predicted that the cat would never catch the mouse and she was always right. She stared blankly at the TV, not really watching or listening to it, lost in the dream again.
It felt so real.
It felt like she was really there, sitting in that tree, overlooking that strange meadow and the smell of the meadow still lingered…and the wind?
Wow
, she thought,
the wind felt so real, too!
And who was that gray wolf, and that mean-looking dragon?

Her thoughts quickly faded when she heard footsteps coming down the stairs. She hid her eyes under the blanket, half expecting the gray wolf to show himself again. Her dad's voice echoed in the kitchen, "Who's up?"

"Me, Dad." Zoey lowered the blanket and turned to look at him. His hair was disheveled as he stood between the kitchen and the living room in his goofy red boxers.

He rubbed his tummy, yawned, and ran his fingers through his hair, messing it up even more. He plopped down next to her on the couch.

"What are you doing up, Zo Zo?" He put his elbow on his knee, resting his cheek on his hand. He closed his eyes and yawned again.

Zoey put her feet on his legs and stretched out. "I had a bad dream…I think," she mumbled, looking at the TV.

"What?” he said in an irritated voice. “Stop covering your mouth when you talk. You do that all the time and I can't understand you."

"I said," Zoey’s voice became louder, "I had a bad dream—I think."

"Oh." He opened his eyes. They were bloodshot from lack of sleep. "How bad was the dream?”

She put her head down as if in thought. "Well, it was a good one
and
a bad one."

"How can you have a good dream
and
a bad dream at the same time?"

"The first bit," she said, with her right hand over her mouth and her left hand holding the uneaten apple, "was good, and the last bit of the dream was bad."

Her dad reached over and gently moved her hand away from her mouth. "Why do you do that?"

“Do what?” She knew what he was going to say, but pretended she didn’t.

"I don't teach you to mumble and I don't think your mother does, either."

She shrugged her shoulders. She didn't feel that mumbling was a bad thing, and didn't like her dad pointing it out.

He sighed and stood up. Zoey's feet fell from his legs, onto the couch. He reached his hand toward her. "Come on. Let's go to bed."

"I can't. My bed is all wet."

She had again mumbled, but her dad could make out some of the words. "It's wet? Did you pee in the bed?"

She looked at him with disdain. "No, Dad, it's my sweat and the bed’s all wet from it. I'll just sleep on the couch."

Her dad yawned loudly and scratched his stomach again. "See, when you look at me I can hear you." He crossed his arms, continuing, "And, no, you aren't going to sleep on the couch. I'm too tired to make your bed. You'll sleep with us tonight."

Zoey smiled. “Okay.” She had hoped her dad would offer that, knowing her parents would protect her from anything and everything, including dreams.

“Thanks for not getting mad at me for watching TV this late, Dad,” she mumbled into her hand.

Her dad rolled his eyes, “What?”

Zoey shrugged. “Never mind.”

With that, he turned off the TV set, and scooping Zoey off the couch, carried her upstairs. Now being a twelve-year-old, she was getting heavy.

“Goodnight Zo Zo,” he said, slightly out of breath as he placed her in the bed between him and her mom, who was sleeping soundly. He kissed Zoey on the forehead and turned onto his side. Within moments, she could hear his quiet, comforting snores. She felt good and safe now. Maybe she’d even get some sleep.

She closed her eyes and took slow, steady breaths, feeling her wakefulness fade as the slippery slope of the dream realm began to take over. Her breaths became deeper and the rhythms of her body gradually slowed, giving her much needed rest.

Suddenly, off in the distance and far below, she saw hundreds of furious animals—tigers, elephants, lions, badgers, coyotes, and more—charging out of a huge, thick forest, toward a gigantic white pyramid.

She saw her brother standing on a platform in the middle of the pyramid. A long staircase led up to it. He was facing the oncoming onslaught. He held both hands in a fist, waiting for what was about to come.

A large, shadowed entrance arched behind him. A white leopard with black spots walked out from the shadows and stood at his side. The leopard had violet crystals, just like the wolf.

Then the leopard nudged Coda’s hand with her muzzle, and looked up at him with bright blue eyes. “We must fall back.”

Coda looked at the leopard, then back to the oncoming animals. He nodded, placing his hand on top of the leopard's head.

They walked through the entrance, disappearing from Zoey's view. As they did, the hoard of animals raced up the stairs, toward the doorway Coda and the leopard had just passed through.

Just before she could see what happened next, the scene faded into a gray mist and large red eyes appeared in front of her. The eyes made her body feel like ice, shooting fear into her and temporarily paralyzing her.