Redemption: Supernatural Time-Traveling Romance with Sci-fi and Metaphysics (4 page)

“I’m not so sure this is a good
idea,” said Ann, who had not yet switched off the engine and was seriously
considering turning the car round and heading back to her apartment.

“It’s fine,” said Nina. “The
psychic lives just over there, along that alleyway.”

“Come on, then.” Ann hit the
button that cut out the engine and opened her door. “Let’s get this over with.
And if my car’s not here when we get back, I’m blaming you entirely!”

Together they made their way
along the deserted street and looked down the alleyway. In the half light, the
place seemed to be made entirely out of shadows, and Ann could just make out a
few people shifting around in the gloom. She was surprised to see a handful of
children playing with something on the ground that may or may not have been an
animal of some sort.

A short way down the alley was a
doorway. It had no actual door in it, just a slightly grimy-looking bead
curtain through which Ann could make out nothing but darkness. Stepping past
her, Nina parted the beads and walked inside. Ann, usually so confident and
self-assured, hesitated a moment, her hand on the curtain. She glanced back
along the alleyway and the street where hopefully the car still sat, ready to
take her back to the safety of home. And then she turned forward again and
pushed her way through into the darkness beyond.

“Please come through,” came a
voice from somewhere to the right. As Ann’s eyes adjusted, she realized there
was a glow coming from a nearby doorway. She walked through it, entering a
small room filled with the scent of incense and, beneath that, the smell of
cats. Candles shed their light on the surrounding room. The floor was covered
with what looked like an ancient Persian rug, and two large sofas stood against
the wall. A stained coffee table sat between them. On one sofa sat Nina, a
broad grin on her face, and on the other was a small, old lady who looked
unbelievably thin and scrawny. She was wearing a dark, blue dress and a
patterned veil and gestured to the sofa with a ring-covered hand.

“That’s right, Ann. Come and sit
next to your friend.”

“How did you know my name?” asked
Ann in surprise. “Is that part of your psychic… gift?”

“No, dear,” said the psychic with
a chuckle. “Nina here just told me.”

“You see, darling,” said Nina as
Ann sat down next to her. “Nothing to worry about.”

Ann went to speak, but before she
could utter a word, the psychic’s hand shot out snakelike and gripped her
wrist. She turned Ann’s hand palm up and bent forward to look at it before
gazing into her face. Ann felt her breath catch as she noticed the psychic’s
eyes. One of them was turned upwards into her skull so that only its white was
visible. The other seemed to stare right through her as though looking at
something in the distance, and Ann felt it was gazing straight into her innermost
being.

“There is a long, long way to go
to solve your problem,” said the psychic, her voice old and cracked. “It
stretches deep into your past
—
far beyond this life.”

Her words made Ann shudder. She
felt her heart begin to pound, and her chest to constrict, as if the spiral had
her once again in its relentless grip.

 
“If you wish to proceed and seek out the solution, you must
decide, my dear,” the old woman said.

Glancing quickly at Nina, who was
smiling away happily, she looked back at the psychic. “I wish to proceed,” Ann
said, her voice sounding much stronger than she felt.

“Very well.” The psychic sat back
in her sofa and fluttered her wrinkled fingers at Nina. “Off you go, then. You
can wait for us in the other room.” As Nina, looking slightly put out, left the
room, she added to Ann, “Go to the
sofa
please and make
yourself comfortable.”

“Should I lie down or something?”
said Ann, and when the old woman failed to answer, she did so anyway, slipping
her shoes onto the rug.

The psychic placed a hand gently
on Ann’s forehead. “That’s right, my dear. You have quite a journey ahead of
you.” And with that, she began to mumble something under her breath in a
language Ann did not recognize.

She tried to listen to the
psychic’s strange words, but she suddenly found herself feeling sleepy, unable to
concentrate. Slowly, she began to feel her eyelids growing heavy as the
darkness enveloped her. Ann closed her eyes and fell asleep…

Stone Age. No-name Land

Chapter Four

S
he opens her eyes as a large hand falls on her leg, gripping it
painfully. She blinks, adjusting to the morning light, and focuses on Zo
leaning over her, his massive figure almost eclipsing the cave mouth.
Instinctively, she kicks out at him, her foot catching him squarely in the
chest. Despite his size he stumbles backwards a few steps, releasing his grip
on her leg. She shakes her head, as much to discourage him as to dispel the
remains of the night’s sleep. With his bulk shifted, the light streams in and
she feels a small wave of joy knowing that the Sky God has not deserted them,
but has returned once more to bring warmth, light and comfort to the tribe.

“Bah!” Zo thumps his chest in a
gesture of annoyance and, as he turns slightly in the light, it is clear what
he is after
—
the antelope skin around his waist can barely conceal it.

“Out!”
she
snarls and
clings to the sleeping figure of her man, Lu, seeking
his protection.
As she does, Lu stirs, mumbling something to himself in
his sleep. Zo frowns and steps towards her once more. Shaking her head again,
she points to the entrance of the cave. This time Zo turns away, throwing an
angry look back over his shoulder.

Alone with her man, she turns
towards him, putting an arm across his chest. Her swollen belly stops her
getting much closer, but she is content. She feels safe knowing he is there,
that
Lu
is
her
man. From outside come the sounds of the tribe waking up and beginning the
day’s work.

“Lu,” she says, stroking his
cheek gently. “Lu.”

There is no response from him. If
anything he seems even more asleep than before, his breathing growing steadily
deeper and louder. She leans over and looks at his face, struck again by how
handsome he is. His skin is a deep reddish brown covered by strong, black hair,
and beneath it large muscles shift easily like hunting lions. He looks noble to
her, with his prominent brow and thick beard. She enjoys gazing up and down his
body, proud that Lu is her man.

Suddenly, she becomes aware that
Lu’s deep breaths have stopped and she turns to look at his face. His mouth
hangs slightly open, slack and lifeless. There is no movement from him. She
puts her ear against his mouth and hears nothing
—
no word,
no breath. Worried, she moves her head down to his chest to listen for the beat
of his heart, and as she does so he bursts to life, kissing her neck with a
playful growl. The sudden movement makes her jump and Lu begins to laugh.

“Mi,” he says as he hugs her neck
and
presses
his head to her
. “My Mi!”

Mi slaps his leg, pretending to
be irritated, but his beard tickles her ear and she too begins to laugh. He
turns to face her, then, and draws her close to him as he kisses her properly,
his body pressing against her.

“Wu!” he exclaims, suddenly
breaking away and pointing at Mi’s belly. “Wu kicks!”

Her skin is much smoother than
most of those in the tribe and the hair that covers her body is light both in
color and form, so the movement of the baby can be clearly seen. She stares in
fascination as it kicks out beneath her skin.

“Wu,” she says, tracing the
baby’s movement with her finger. This is the name they have decided on for
their child, “Wu”, which was the tribe’s word meaning “gift”, something given
to another, not out of duty or fear, but given out of love. Lu reaches out a
hand to feel their child moving in her belly and a broad smile lights up his
face as though it is the first time this has happened. In truth, it began
months ago. Mi is nearly at full term and it will soon be time to bring this
baby into the world. But not today. Today there is work to be done. Today the
tribe must prepare for the coming hunt, the hunt which will bring them food for
the hard months ahead.

Hugging her man once more, Mi
climbs to her feet, stretches her aching body and makes her way out of the
cave, one hand supporting her back. The sight as she emerges into the morning
light fills her with joy. The entrances to the caves stretch away to the right
and left. In front of her the plain is filled all the way to the lake with the
people of her tribe. The lake sparkles in worship of the Sky God, reflecting
his glory to the world. To Mi’s right the womenfolk get themselves ready for
their work of gathering enough food for the hunt, cleaning the animal skin bags
and tending to the fish that are drying in the cool morning breeze. To the left
are the men, sifting through piles of stones that were collected in the last
few weeks. Mi watches them with a fascination that never seems to fade as they
chip away at the flints, making the heads and blades for the weapons they will
use on the hunt. Others work at sharpening long wooden sticks or attaching the
flints to them with strips of twisted bark and leather. Here and there children
run between the adults, playing with bits of bone and stones they have found
lying around. A boy, naked like the other children, though already well covered
in thick, dark hair, holds the skull of a small buffalo and pretends to charge
at his playmates, who fend him off with their toy weapons. As Mi watches, the
boy trips over a rock and lands heavily on the skull, breaking off one of its
horns. She steps forward.

“Hurt?” she calls, worried about
the boy. He doesn’t reply, but jumps nimbly to his feet and carries on his
game, the broken horn left forgotten on the ground.

Mi senses Lu behind her as he
walks up and places a hand gently on her shoulder.

“I make,” he says after a moment,
pointing towards the other men.

“Go,” says Mi, ushering him to go,
and as he makes his way over she turns away to join the women. She walks near
the cave of Bak, the leader of the tribe, and as she passes, Mi bows toward Bak
as he sits in the entrance to the cave surveying the work. He has a slightly
aloof look, as though he considers the industry acceptable, but he of course
could do far better himself!

Funny, Bak,
thinks Mi, the haughty
expression on his face almost causing her to burst out laughing. She manages to
stop herself though. It is not good to offend the leader.
No laugh! No upset Bak!
He is old and soon he will announce Lu as
his successor. He has been preparing Lu for this important role for many
months. Mi smiles at the thought of her Lu as the new leader of the tribe. She
glances back towards her man to see him already busy securing a spearhead to a
long shaft.

“Mi!” She turns to see who is
calling and sees Ka waving from among a cluster of women busily stitching skins
together. “Here.”

Waving back, Mi makes her way
through and sits next to her on a fallen tree. Ka leans across and places a
hand on her belly.

“Soon,” she says, smiling happily
at her. Ka has known Mi since she was a baby, and helped to raise her following
the death of her mother during childbirth. Though Ka has no children, she
cannot disguise her excitement at the idea of Mi giving birth. “Soon he comes.”

“He,” echoes Mi with a nod. She
knows for sure that it is going to be a boy. She cannot explain why, she just
knows. Running a hand gently over her belly, she bends down and picks up one of
the skins spread out among the groups of women. It is a strong antelope skin,
already cut into shape, and will make a fine, strong bag. Snatching up a thin,
sharp stick and a strip of leader, she begins the hard work of stitching the
hide together, pushing the wood needle through small holes that have been cut
into the skin and drawing the leather through. From all around her comes the
staccato chatter of the women talking excitedly about the hunt.

“Look,” says one woman, holding
up her handiwork. “Big bag.”

Another woman nods in
appreciation, reaching out to feel the item in question. “Big bag, big meat!”

Apart from the fish that are
caught in the lake each day, the tribe has not had meat since the last strips
of dried buffalo were eaten over a month ago. Tomorrow the men would set out in
search of a rhinoceros herd that, at this time of the year, passes through the
hills that lay beyond the forest, a two-day walk away. It would be a long
journey and the fight that followed would be hard. A rhinoceros is a formidable
creature, far more dangerous than the antelope and buffalo. Last year they had
lost two men when one of the beasts, his hide bristling with spears, had suddenly
charged. One man had been impaled through the chest by the beast’s horn before
being tossed aside. The other had been crushed as the creature fell, finally
succumbing to the weapons that pierced its skin and body
.
It had been sad, but the meat had been wonderful and had ensured
the tribe’s survival through another harsh winter. They need a good hunt if
they are to make through the cold to come.

Mi holds up her bag, turning it
around so she can inspect it properly. As she lowers it, she finds herself looking
into the frowning face of Im. She is one of the oldest women in the tribe. At
almost forty summers, she is older even than Bak. Im leans forwards and takes
the bag out of Mi’s hands, scrutinizing the stitching carefully. She does not
look impressed.

“No,” she says, lifting it up to
look inside. To the great surprise of Mi and the other women, Im drops the bag
over her head and jumps to her feet flailing her arms as though she is being
strangled and emitting loud moans. After a few moments she stops and raises the
bag so she can peep out at the others. Seeing their stunned expressions, Im
begins to laugh and drops the bag back over her face, flailing and moaning once
again. All around her the women burst into laughter and Mi laughs.

“Funny Im!” says Mi, laughing so
hard she has to put her arms around her belly in case she brings on the birth. “Stop
now.”

Sitting back down on her rock, Im
takes off the bag and tosses it back to Mi.

“Good,” she says, still grinning.
“Big hat.”

As the Sky God reaches his full
height, the last of the bags and other preparations are completed, and it is
time to head into the shade of the forest. Each of the women has a bag. Not one
of the large ones they have been making all morning
—
these are
for the men to use to carry the butchered rhino meat
—
but
smaller bags, slung over their shoulders, each one containing a sharp flint to
help them with their work.

The forest begins a short
distance around the lake and stretches away far into the distance. As they make
their way towards it, the group of women are accompanied by a number of the
menfolk, who will keep an eye out for wild animals as the women search for
food. Mi is pleased that Lu is among the men keeping watch today. Though she
has never felt in danger in the forest, his presence reassures her that they
are safe. Mi loves the forest, reveling in its cool shade and the abundance of
food that can be found here. The forest is full of trees bearing nuts, fruit
and berries of all kinds, together with edible flowers and leaves. She and Ka
find a grove where the shrubs are overrun with goa beans, their pods ripe for
picking, and they settle down to fill their bags and stomachs at the same time.

Despite the shade of the trees
the heat is stifling, and it is not long before Mi begins to feel tired. The
work is not especially strenuous, but she is worn out by the walk to the forest
and the repeated action of picking the beans, and her back and legs ache
terribly. She sits down heavily on the ground and is surprised to find that she
is sweating.

Ka walks over and strokes her
belly with a smile. “Soon,” she says.

Mi
turns and glances through the trees towards the lake. Its sparkling
surface is inviting, promising cool relief and refreshment. She pats her chest
and points to the water. “Swim.”

Ka nods, though she makes no move
to join Mi. Instead she returns to picking the slender goa bean pods, singing
under her breath. Struggling to her feet, Mi heads through the trees, the bag
left forgotten on the ground. At the edge of the lake, she loosens the knot on the
loincloth. Like all the womenfolk, Mi is bare-breasted, though all the adults
in the tribe wear animal skins around their waists. Mi lets hers fall to the
ground before stepping into the water. It is wonderfully cool and, with a shout
of joy she dives beneath the surface. The feeling of weightlessness as the
water envelops her is wonderful and she sighs with relief from the heaviness of
her belly. Like all those in the tribe, Mi has been swimming most of her life
and the lake is safe thanks to her ancestors wiping out the crocodiles that
used to gather here. She laughs happily as she kicks away into the deeper water
and dives below the surface. The water is so clear here and Mi is fascinated, as
always, by the underwater world she can see. Flashes of light and color
indicate the presence of fish darting around beneath her and the long tendrils
of water plants reach out, caressing Mi’s legs and she soon loses track of time
in this sparkling paradise.

Late,
she thinks, glancing up to see
the Sky God has moved over the hills.
Home
now.