The PureLights of Ohm Totem (7 page)

As usual, this annoyed Coda and he shook his head. “I don’t see anything else. What am I supposed to see?”

“Relax,” said the Snow Tree. “Take a deep breath and clear everything from your mind. It’s then that you’ll see.”

Doubt crept into Coda's mind and he began to feel silly. Is a tree really talking? Is it good to see orbs? Were his eyes and ears playing tricks on him? What kind of a trick was Zoey playing on him?

Coda stood up abruptly and all of the orbs instantly disappeared. He brushed past Zoey with a scowl. “We’re going.”

“What’s the matter?” Zoey asked.

The Snow Tree spoke again to Coda. “There will be plenty of moments to think twice about me. But, right now I need to help you and Zoey get ready for the mission you're both about to go on.”

“Mission?” Coda liked the idea of a mission. He stopped and turned toward the tree.

“Yes, a mission. In order to start your mission, I'm going to show you and Zoey how to find your true courage.”

“Whaddya mean, our
true
courage
?” asked Coda.

“True courage is when you can look at something you fear, and change the fear into love. When you do this, all of life feels safe in your presence and life fears you no more.”

“I’m not afraid,” Coda asserted.

“Life fears us?” asked Zoey.

“All of nature senses your fear. Animals will respond to your fear with their own fear. Changing your fear into love will change the way nature responds to you,” said the Snow Tree. “Fear is the opposite of Love. It is an energy that flows through your body when you have negative feelings and thoughts. Love is an energy that flows through your body when you have positive feelings and thoughts. Both energies are very powerful. Love, however, has more power than Fear. Love comes from the thoughts and feelings of your heart and evaporates fear instantly. You must have the courage to love what you fear in order to fulfill the mission you're both about to go on.”

Coda played with a small rock, trying to understand what was just said. “How can you think from your heart?” He dropped the rock and watched it hit the moss-covered ground. “That doesn't make sense.” He furrowed his brow, not trusting the words he was hearing.

“It's easy,” responded the Tree. “You can practice by closing your eyes and bringing an image to your mind.”

“Alright,” Coda nodded, “I’ll give it a try—even though I’m not afraid of anything.” Zoey stood next to Coda as he closed his eyes.

“What's something that scares you?” asked the Snow Tree.

A vision of his mom came to mind, scolding him over something. Next, he saw his school teacher from last year, Mr. Hacklin, and his heart nearly stopped. Coda and his friends thought Mr. Hacklin was the scariest teacher in the history of school teachers. He was a towering, grumpy old man with gray hair and white whiskers that came out of his ears and nose. He would creep up behind someone when they weren’t paying attention, and ferociously slap a metal ruler against his own hand or on the desk. More than once Coda had nearly jumped out of his skin at the unexpected noise, and then had to go to the front of the class to explain what Mr. Hacklin was just talking about.

“What do you see?” asked the Snow Tree.

“Mr. Hacklin. He was my teacher last year,” Coda said, anxiety wriggling around in his stomach.

A bird landed on the Snow Tree's lowest lying branch, twitching its blue head to the left and right, as if listening to the words being said. Then it flew off, darting to the next tree.

“Before we start this exercise, the bluebird wants me to tell you something. When you're done practicing, she would like you to follow her.”

“Huh?” asked Coda. “Follow her where?”

“Wherever she leads you, but I suspect she'll lead you through the blackberries.”

“Will I see the talking elephant again?” asked Zoey.

“The talking elephant?” Coda questioned.

“Yeah, an elephant…an elephant talked to me yesterday. I swear, Coda!” Zoey was very animated, waving her hands above her head and tripping all over her words.

Coda gave a sideways glance toward the Snow Tree. “Is that true?”

“What Zoey says is true.”

Coda rolled his eyes. He wanted to tell them both that this entire thing was ridiculous, but before he could say anything the Snow Tree asked them both to close their eyes and calm their minds by taking deep breaths. He was intrigued by the idea of a talking elephant, so he closed his eyes.

“OK, let’s practice changing fear into love. This is the same practice you use for all Beings in nature, and for all people,” added the Snow Tree.

For a few minutes everything was quiet, except for the wind slowly blowing against the leaves and the sound of water streaming in the background.

“Now, Coda, I want you to think of Mr. Hacklin again. When you see him in your mind’s eye, imagine him moving down from your mind and into your heart.”

Coda suddenly felt very uncomfortable. His whole body had tightened up and his heart felt like it was filled with gremlins trying to scratch their way out. He didn't like Mr. Hacklin occupying his heart.

“Imagine,” continued the Snow Tree, “a pink light filling your heart and surrounding Mr. Hacklin. Give him all of the joy, love, and happiness that you can with that pink light. Know that he comes from the same creator that you come from, and know that you are both equally loved. Even though Mr. Hacklin looks like he's always mad, know that he needs love, just like you.”

Coda imagined the angry, seething Mr. Hacklin covered in neon pink light. He chuckled as the pink light bubbled and dripped all over his most feared teacher. It looked like he was being smothered with melting cotton candy. Then, for some reason, he thought of his friend Michael and the fun times they always had together, making him smile and filling him with joy.

In a flash, the butterflies in his heart and the tightness in his body disappeared. Feeling very happy, Coda naturally thought of all the things his mom and dad did for him. He knew without a doubt how much they loved him. He even thought of Zoey and how much she loved him, even if she was a bit of a pain sometimes.

“If Mr. Hacklin were in front of you now,” said the Snow Tree, “you'd beam that pink light through your heart toward him. At the same time, you might feel him become happy. Since he's not in front of you right now, try to beam that light out into the world, addressing it to Mr. Hacklin. Like mailing a letter.”

Coda did just that, instantly feeling tranquil and alive. He felt as though the fear he had for his old teacher was completely gone from his heart and he felt a new sense of freedom.

“Someday soon, Coda, and you too, Zoey, you'll be able to do that instantly without having to do this exercise at all. It'll become a healthy habit. You'll even be able to do it with your eyes open. This exercise will become a part of you in the same way that your hands, eyes, nose, and mouth are a part of you. ”

“That's cool!” yelled Coda. “Zoey, you should...”

The bluebird suddenly flew over Zoey's shoulder, interrupting his words. Zoey ran after it and Coda followed. The bluebird dove through the entrance of the blackberry bushes, vanishing from view.

Zoey suddenly came to a screeching halt and Coda zoomed right past her. “Come on, Zoey, let's see where the bluebird is going.” Coda ducked just in time to avoid the dangling thorns and vines hanging from the top of the blackberry entrance. He screeched to a halt with his body half in and half out of the entrance, and stared at Zoey. He prodded her to join him.

Zoey looked at him and closed her eyes. She took a deep breath and opened them. “Okay,” she said somewhat hesitantly, but forcing a smile.

What's wrong with her?
wondered Coda. He turned around and slowly walked through the opening into the tunnel. He saw that the vines shielded most of the light coming from the sun, shadowing the ground beneath his feet. He heard the sounds of birds singing, the sounds of tree branches shaking as squirrels jumped from tree to tree, and felt a cool breeze coming through the bushes carrying the scent of the forest with it.

“This would be a cool fort!” he yelled, then scrunched his nose. He shouldn't have said anything. Now Zoey will want to use this as a fort with him.
And she'd ruin the fort somehow, like she always does!

Zoey shrugged her shoulders and stared past Coda's head. She looked like she was waiting for something to happen. Coda half-grinned. “What's wrong?” He hoped to goad her away.

“Nothings wrong,” lied Zoey.

Coda giggled.
Maybe she’s afraid of seeing another elephant
.
Maybe
, he thought deviously,
if I
talk about it she’ll turn around and go back home
. “Is it the elephant you saw yesterday?”

“It's weird seeing an elephant that can talk, that's all,” replied Zoey. “Aren’t you scared?”

“No. Well, I don't know. I don't feel much of anything right now.” He sighed. He might as well just let her do what she wants to do.

Coda held his hand out for Zoey, which she eagerly grabbed, and he pushed forward, almost dragging Zoey along.

Coda was halfway through the tunnel when he stopped and looked around. “Where'd that bluebird go?”

He noticed something else, as well. The sounds of the forest had changed and everything was quiet. The birds weren't singing and the squirrels rustling in the background had disappeared. The fresh smell of the forest had changed to a more rich and thick aroma, reminding him of the roses that grew in his side yard at home. He loved that smell and gave a huge sniff. “That smells good!”

“I think we’ve entered the new place now. It feels good to breathe here,” said Zoey. She stared longingly at the end of the blackberry tunnel, wondering if the elephant was going to show itself again.

“New place?” asked Coda.

“You'll see,” replied Zoey.

Coda took several paces forward, but Zoey didn't move. He looked into her blue eyes. “Well, come on!”

Zoey knelt down, poking at the ground with her fingers. She slowly shook her head no and opened her mouth to say something when a loud pounding sound came from just outside the end of the tunnel.

“Hey, I found you guys,” called an elated voice from outside the tunnel's exit. “Why are you hiding in there?”

They heard another pounding, as if something heavy had hit the earth.

Coda looked back at Zoey. Her eyes were wide with astonishment and her mouth gaped. She lifted her hand, pointing in the direction of the exit. “See!”

Coda slowly turned around and jumped back, flabbergasted. “It's an elephant!”

A large gray elephant was bent down on its front knees in front of them. It was him. He was back.

Again, just like before, the elephant spoke.

“Are you going to come out? We've been looking all over for you two. You had us all a little frantic and worried.” A gentle smile appeared on his face, half-hidden by his trunk, and the orange crystal glistened on his forehead.

“The elephant’s talking!” screamed Coda, not taking his eyes off of it.

Zoey shrieked. Not because of the elephant this time, but because her arm pointing at the elephant was no longer an arm. It was a wing! It was white and black, with all sorts of brown colors mixed in. Her arm was a wing!

Coda?
She looked desperately at Coda, wondering if he could see her wing, as well. But, the moment she saw him she forgot all about herself.

Her brother, the small and skinny young man with brown hair, blue eyes, and buck teeth was now a large black panther with a beautiful red oval crystal glowing on his forehead, with another one on his chest. It looked like the same panther she'd seen licking him earlier.

Before she could utter another sound, the long trunk of the elephant grabbed Coda by the scruff of the back of his neck, and pulled him out of the blackberry bushes.

“Whoa, whoa, whoa!” yelled Coda, as he was lifted over the elephant's shoulder and set upon its back.

“Ouch,” said the elephant. “Watch those claws.”

Without a moment's hesitation, the elephant stretched his trunk back into the blackberry tunnel and wrapped it around Zoey's little body. She struggled to move, but the elephant's grip was tight, but yet, like his voice, very gentle. In a matter of seconds, she went from inside the tunnel to over the elephant's head and onto his back.

She perched on the elephant's back in shock. Her body trembled as the elephant turned on his haunches and started walking at a quick pace.

“Zoey! Hey! Zoey!” echoed her brother's voice in the back of her confused mind.

What’s happening?
She stretched her wings, examining them. Her eyes widened and she tucked them back into her side as quickly as possible. She felt gross being something else.
I'm dreaming. I have to be dreaming.

She tried to pinch herself on the cheek, expecting to feel fingers, but instead, she felt soft feathers.

“Zoey!” called Coda's voice again.

Zoey shook her head and did her best to concentrate. She wasn't dreaming. Her body was slightly tilting to one side for a moment, then to the next side, over and over again, in tandem with the elephant's long strides.
What's happening?

“Zoey?” asked her frantic brother. “Where are we?”

Zoey looked at him. There he was, a large black panther standing on the elephant's back like a terrified kitten with eyes as wide as saucers. His claws were fastened to the elephant, making sure he wouldn't fall. Her brother's mouth moved. “Why are you a bird?” Coda exclaimed.

“Why are you a panther?”

“And, you have a glowing red rock on your chest, and another on your forehead,” replied Coda. “What's going on?”

“I don't know,” said Zoey. She looked around, hoping to find some clues. She saw trees of every size all around, glowing in the same way the Snow Tree did. Through the cracks between the trees, she could see a large, rushing river ten times the size of the creek. It dazzled in the rays of the sunlight as it splashed hard against boulders jutting out from underneath its surface. But nothing was registering. Her mind was a ball of nerves and confusion. Where was she? Who's carrying her? This just couldn't be real, could it?