The Finished Mystery

By James Hunta

Ally Graham is a vibrant and energetic fifteen-year-old who has an overwhelming love of nature and longs to be a truly harmonious part of it. In the process, she comes to define for herself what spirituality actually means and creates her own method of tapping into its wisdom. She dearly loves her sport of gymnastics and has definite Olympic aspirations, while she deeply treasures another strong love in her life: her boyfriend, Dave. After confirming with him her treasured values, he not only confirms his respect, love, and admiration for her, but he embraces her love with his entire being and declares that he can love only her for all time.

While overseas, he is abducted along with his family by extremists who eventually put a death threat on their heads. Ally endeavors to do what she can to help him, and in the process, she learns many interesting and even disturbing things about religion and its origins. She also discovers that there is a way to know the truth about a mystery that has kept mankind searching for thousands of years amid all the religious confusion that has caused so much division and bloody conflict throughout the ages.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Balboa Press AU
• Release date: Aug 28, 2012
• ISBN: 9781452506708

James Hunta

  JAMES HUNTA was born and raised in Sydney, Australia, where he studied acting and appeared in various films and TV shows. Writing, though, has always been one of his favourite passions. He is now living on the Gold Coast with three of his four sons. This is his first novel.

Book preview

CHAPTER ONE

Ally stood at the head of the approach and looked with nervous excitement at the vault that lay beyond her. This is the type of moment that she savours, she loves to perform, and this time, in front of an appreciative crowd, especially her proud parents, she will be able to demonstrate to her world what she can do, what she has worked so hard for so long to achieve. As she dips one foot then the other into a basin containing a preparation to enhance her traction, she reviews in her mind every minute detail of the actions she will cause her body to do. She repeats over and over in her mind what her coach told her, that ‘if you can do it in your mind, then your body will follow’. Her fit, well toned body is warmed up and prepared, every muscle she has is ready for the challenge and she is feeling limber and agile for what she is about to do. Nothing has been left to chance. All she needs to do now is to give herself the winning mindset. She knows she can do it; she has practised it so many times. All the falls and pains she had while perfecting this manoeuvre have been well worth this moment. The crowd are cheering her, but she has reached the point now where they are fading from her consciousness, they are no longer a distraction. All she sees is the vault and what she will do when she gets to it. Even if a perfect score is not achieved, that’s ok, she wants to at least perform as perfect an execution of her act as possible, achieve a personal best. The pressure of competition is not too confronting for her, rather it seems to drive and empower her, and adrenaline is rushing wildly through her system. This manoeuvre is very difficult, involving perfect timing, perfect speed and perfect concentration so that she lands just right, and she only gets one crack at it, this is the final. If she were successful now, she and her team would qualify for the upcoming national, and she wants that more than anything. Her ultimate goal is to be good enough to go on to the Olympics!

She stands erect before the runway, then she raises her powdered hands into the air, stretches her body from side to side, flexes all her muscles, breathes deeply a second and third time, and then for a moment now she closes her eyes to view her movements once more in her imagination. Now the time is right, and after one more deep breath her feet begin the run that will result in her body becoming airborne. She gains speed like a jetliner taxiing down the runway while her eyes are fixed intently on the vault which is rapidly looming up, then with lightening precision at just the right point she leaps up, connects her hands with the cushion atop it then catapults her body high up into the air, then curling up into a ball with her hands cradling her knees she executes a dizzying triple somersault before straightening out her nimble body and landing squarely feet first on the mat below with hardly a waver. She did it! A perfect landing; exactly as she had done in her mind moments before! She jubilantly raises her arms in joy at her success. What a moment!!! She made it look so easy, and what a pleasure it was for the onlookers to see such a fine acrobatic performance, and they shout in applause for this powerful young girl who is all of 15 years old. She is in her element. After a bow she races back to her base where she is instantly smothered with hugs of joy and congratulation from all her team-mates and her coach. Next, all eyes turn towards the scoreboard waiting for the judge’s result, this is a tense moment and no-one is more anxious than Ally:- 10.00 which is the highest score for this event and that makes her the clear winner!!! More cheers and hugs from the team!

What a feeling of elation she has! If only a moment like this could last forever she thought. But the memory of it is sure to live forever, not only in her mind and heart, but also in those of her proud parents. They felt so much love for her right then, they just had to run down and embrace her. All her friends were there too, cheering for her, and feeling her joy along with her.

This is also a proud moment for her school too, Palm Beach Currumbin High, or PBC, which has been keen to produce excellence in all sports. Gymnastics is an especially prestigious sport because it requires a high degree of skill and coaching to make a champion. Relatively few athletes have the right calibre to be an accomplished gymnast. This reflects well on the school, and Ally has all the makings of a champion. She has the passion and the drive to be excellent, and that is already half the battle won, so she is now a star at her school.

Already, amidst the jubilation, there are many things running through Allys mind, confirming future plans and dreaming about the things she will now go on to accomplish. Her heart already beats with excitement just thinking about what comes next. By the upcoming national competition she wants to have perfected her work on the beam, then there is the floor routine, which she is already creating along with her coach Adam Richards, and she gets to choose the music, which makes her more than happy. She glances over towards the floor set-up, and pictures herself doing her fabulous routine in her minds eye even now. There is so much work to do!!!

With all this excitement going on, Ally suddenly becomes aware that someone is missing.

The one person who is closest and dearest to her heart has not yet come down to see her. She looks around to see if she can find her boyfriend, Dave Marshall. He feels ecstatically happy for her, but something keeps him riveted to his seat in the stands for now. Dave has been watching her all evening, enjoying to the full every graceful move she makes. He is glad to be here and would not want to be anywhere else on earth right now. He is near to the only girl he loves. Something strange is happening to him, like he has entered into a new dimension. He is becoming filled with a new and even deeper love for her that is beyond his control and which has overtaken him, putting him high on a cloud. But like a looming storm that threatens to take his love away, he is also filled with a deep sadness because he knows that in a few weeks he will be leaving Australia along with his family to live overseas for 2 long years. He can’t bear the thought of leaving his lovely Ally behind, and watching her do that perfect routine just now only served to deepen his love for her even more. For him, she is no longer just a girlfriend; she has just become an inseparable part of him. This strange new love he is feeling has him immobilised for the moment, he is frozen in his seat as he tries to comprehend what is happening to him; he has never felt like this before.

He and Ally have been friends since she was 12 and he was 13. They met at her older cousins wedding just before she started high school, and he felt an instant attraction to her from the start. Then at school their friendship began to grow. What began as ‘puppy’ love for them both at the start steadily became a strong attachment. He adored her bright personality and respected her sportive abilities very much, and he was also very much into sports. He was on the rugby team at school and also played with the local footy club.

During her first year at school Ally joined the gymnastics team as her first choice, and to her, it was a natural choice because, since she was 4 years old she has been in a dancing class and she enjoyed expressing herself through her body movements. She loved to perform and move her body in rhythm and to be expressive, that was in her nature. So doing gymnastics was a natural progression for her. Gym also requires great balance, grace and timing. Dave would often go to watch her train just so he could be near to her. Lately, since she has been so busy with evening and weekend practice plus all her schoolwork, she mostly only had time to be with him on Sunday afternoons. More often than not they would grab their surfboards and go down to surf at Kirra, which was right near her house, or go to anywhere that the surf was best at the time. Other times they would ride their skateboards along the promenade. Of course there were always plenty of school friends around to hang out with, which they did, but Alley and Dave inevitably drew away together to be on their own to simply enjoy each others’ company.

Looking down at her from the stands, he felt the overpowering need to to be with her and have her all to himself. He was just aching to embrace and congratulate her. She looked so beautiful, with her long brown hair tied up in a bun and wearing her tight leotard. He leaped out of his seat and ran strides down the stairs towards her three of four at a time as though he was gliding on air. As she caught sight of him approaching, she immediately ran towards him with wide eyes, open arms and a beaming smile and then jumped up onto him wrapping her legs around his body in joy and excitement. Dave felt elated at having her so close to him, he felt like his heart was going to beat out of his chest for the love he felt for her right then. He hadn’t yet told her that was leaving, it all happened so quickly, but for now all he could think about was how happy he was in this moment, holding tightly onto the girl he loved with all his heart. He never wanted to let go of her.

You were fantastic!!! he said as he spun her around. No, you were absolutely brilliant. Ally I am so proud of you!!!

Really? she said, looking into his eyes as though she needed some reassurance from him. I gave it my best shot and I did it!!! I can’t believe it!!! And she screamed with girlish delight while pounding her fists against his back in excitement, he couldn’t let her go now for anything.

Oh Ally I love you so much!!! These words came out of his mouth without him even thinking about it, and then he wondered if she knew how much he really meant it, after all, he was 16 and she was still only 15, this can’t be true love can it? How could it ever be possible to tell her what he really feels?

And I love you too she said as she glared at him with her own beaming, big, beautiful brown eyes. Her eyes appeared to Dave like two deep wells full of so much mystery and endless wonders that were just waiting to be discovered. He wanted to be the only one who would ever be discovering those delightful wonders.

Their lives were only just beginning to be lived, they were young and still inexperienced in life, but as Dave told himself; true love can blossom from such a young age. This wouldn’t be the first time, and Dave knew he wanted to live his whole life with her by his side; he felt sure of that. He can’t explain why he feels this way more than before, it just happened, like it was out of his control. It was a deep-seated feeling that he just couldn’t ignore and which he did not want to ignore. He just loved the feeling she was giving him and he wanted to enjoy it fully. He was becoming addicted to it almost.

But what worried him was; would she still want him two years from now after he returns?? Her words of ‘I love you too’ just now in response to his were just what he wanted to hear. Yet, although he knew she loved him as a friend, does her love go any deeper than that, as his love now does for her? She was caught up in the excitement of this moment of triumph, and so her words of love to him could only have been mingled with emotional excitement. He would have to wait till another time to find out how she really feels about him. He needs to know, because right now he feels that he could never live without her.

It seemed strange to him that he could feel so much love in his heart and at the same time have it mixed with so much pain. He may be going to lose her forever. What if she falls in love with someone else while he is gone? There are already lots of guys who think she’s hot, he’s heard them talk about her at school, but being as well-liked and popular as he is, so far the boys have all kept a respectful distance from her. And Dave knows how to fight, so there is an element of fear there too. But what about when he’s gone, will she become fair game?

In the few years that they have known each other, Dave and Ally have grown up together as best friends, they have seen each others strengths and faults, talked about their hopes and dreams, likes and dislikes, learned a lot and played a lot; they had a free and easy friendship without any of the intense romantics so far. For him though, that friendship has just moved up the scale by more than a few notches. He is hoping that she will feel the same.

His wish is that at least for now, since she is so preoccupied with going right to the top with her gymnastics, that she will spend so much of her time in training and schoolwork that she doesn’t even have time to see other boys. When he goes away, Dave wants to take her heart and her soul with him. He wants as much of her as he can possibly get.

For the rest of the evening, while talking and joking with his friends and her family, he acted like himself, but he sure didn’t feel like himself. Inside he felt like he had become a different person. Love does strange things to people, and Dave was sure feeling that strange and wonderful feeling for the first time in his life. He needed to be with her a lot more now. So he made a date to go surfing with Ally the following Sunday as they would normally do. But this time, he had a lot more on his mind to share with her than just surfing.

CHAPTER TWO

Sunday morning Dave had a footy match, but his head was not entirely in the game, all he could think about was getting home to shower and change so he could race down to Ally’s place by 2:00pm as arranged. He lives about a 10 minute bike ride from her place, or if on a skateboard up to 15. He knew every bump and every crack on every road that led to her house on Pacific Parade, which runs right along the beautiful beachfront area from Bilinga to Kirra.

Ally’s house, 156 Pacific Parade is situated at Bilinga and is a stately looking two-story red brick house with 2 white columns supporting a balcony above, and a lovely garden area on one side where a gazebo, a swimming pool and a BBQ area provide an ideal place for entertainment. Allys bedroom is upstairs at the front, directly above the 2 white columns, and she overlooks the garden on the side, and then from out her front window, which is actually full length glass doors that open up to the balcony, she has a clear view directly across to the ocean.

When Dave arrived at her house, he could see that there was a lot of commotion going on in the garden with coloured lights being put up and decorations around the gazebo and lacy table cloths spread out on the outdoor settings. All the family including Ally were busy getting ready for something. Even buster, their Border collie dog was busy finding tennis balls and other objects he had hidden behind the bushes, just in case someone wanted to play with him.

Alley had a younger brother Mike, he was 13, a cheeky kid but all in good fun. He and Ally were very close. Then there was her mother, a very attractive woman called Katherine, whom everyone called Katy, and apart from being a good homemaker, she was also good at organising functions as she often did with the social club she belonged to. She was 36 but at heart she was still a teenager: - she loved a good party.

Terry Graham, Ally’s father was once a builder and he built the house they are in. He is 43 and has always taken an active interest in what was going on in his community. So after building his house and being in a good position financially, he decided to enter local politics, and he was eventually elected to become a councillor on the Gold Coast City Council. From there he was able to lobby for commencement of some public work projects that he was keen to see established. He accomplished as much as he could on the council, but more needed to be done. He was not happy with the way things were going. So he resigned that post and was now running for a position as state MP for the seat of Currumbin. With this position and having the portfolio of public works, he could more easily tackle the local issues that were going on, like the high cost of water rates and how to effectively operate the controversial desalination plant. There were delays for badly needed infrastructure that he wanted to address, plus there were not enough hospital beds available on the coast and there were many other social issues that needed attention and the Council was having difficulty finding funds for everything. The Gold Coast was growing faster than anyone could keep up with. So he decided he could be best serve the community if he was serving in a higher level of government. From there he could access greater influence to be able to acquire state and even federal funding. He was a man of passion, and Dave could easily see where Ally got her passion for life from. Ally adored her dad and looked up to him immensely. Dave got on well with Terry too, so he was always a welcome face at the Graham home.

Curious as to what all the fuss was all about Dave exclaimed to everyone: Hey, what’s going on? as he leaned his bike against the front fence.

Oh hello Dave, it’s just a little get together we are putting on for some of our constituents, the election is coming up soon you know, answered Allys mother, you can help us if you like.

Dave smiled and replied, Well, thanks Mrs Graham, I would love to, but Alley and I have plans. We are going to surf right now, but maybe I could help later.

Yes mum, is it ok if we go to the beach for a little while? Alley said pleadingly, I promised Dave I would.

Well, I suppose it’s alright, but not for too long, the guests will start arriving at 3:00, and your father wants you to be here to help with the serving.

Don’t worry mum, we won’t stay long, I’ll be back in time.

You have one hour ok?

Ok mum Alley blurted, and in a flash she darted around the back of the house, in the door and up the stairs to her room to get her swimmers on. Dave went to the back shed and grabbed their boards and waxed them while she was changing. Living right across the road from the beach as she did made it so quick and easy to for them to just get up and go for swim or a surf anytime they felt like it. It was a really cool thing and Alley surfed as often as she could.

Soon enough, with boards under their arms, they happily went across the road, down the track to the beach and had their feet in the sand in less than a minute.

Dave wanted to be alone with her so badly it hurt, but it looked like his time with her was going to be cut short because of the party. As they walked along Dave exclaimed to her:

Ally I just can’t get over how well you did with that vault routine the other night, it was amazing!

I know she said, reliving the moment in her mind once again, can you believe it? Who would have thought that I would ever be doing something like that?

Well it doesn’t surprise me, I know how hard you train, and besides, as your number one fan, I believe you can do anything you put your mind to; he said with a chuckle.

You’re so sweet, I’m very lucky to have you as a friend… . So how was your footy game this morning?

It was ok, we lost though, Miami are a strong team, but we were down one of our best players, Justin Macaulay was away.

Oh really, where was he?

He had to go to Bundaberg or somewhere this weekend for a funeral.

Oh that’s too bad!

Yeah, but he will be back next week and we’re playing Southport, that’s gonna be a great game, we can’t lose that one, can you come to it Ally?

Next Sunday? I wish I could but I need to train in morning.

I figured that but I was hoping you might take the morning off for me, you see pretty soon… . Dave stopped short here as he was nervous about how to approach the topic he wanted to discuss with her, so he decided to bide a little more time for himself: -

Pretty soon what? Ally asked.

Pretty soon the season will be over and you won’t get a chance to see me play. But that’s ok, at least we will have the afternoon to be together.

Oh, I haven’t told you about it yet have I? but I’m pretty sure we’ve got something happening next Sunday afternoon, my dad has a lot going on with this election coming up, and he really wants us all to be there for him, I want to support him too; there’s going to be one function after another from now on until the election.

Yeah, you should be there for him he said, with disappointment clearly evident in his tone of voice.

Dave’s’ heart was sinking, because he could see that precious time to spend with her was slipping away from him even more rapidly now. If he wasn’t going overseas this election business wouldn’t matter at all, but for him now it couldn’t matter more. Her life was already jam-packed with daily gym practise, plus dancing, schoolwork, piano lessons and who knows what else, and now this election stuff? He had a lot of things he wanted to tell her, not the least of which was how to break the news about his leaving her for 2 long years. He would like for her to break out in tears and beg him to stay, that would be an ideal reaction, but he just didn’t know what to expect from her. With girls, their ways can be so hard for a guy to predict.

They reached the waters edge and surveyed the swell. The surf was not very rideable here, lacking form and breaking too close to the shore. They decided to walk down towards Kirra to see if they could find some better waves. Allys mind was still on the competition and how well she did, so all her chatter as they walked along the beach was about what routines she is working on for the state comp, who is coming to mentor her and the other girls, and many other exciting things. Dave was genuinely happy for her, but bubbly he was not, his thoughts were weighing heavily upon him and he had another topic he needed to discuss. By nature, even though he is a rough and tough guy around his mates at school, he is also rather naive and innocent, a trait which Ally always liked about him. He was adorably shy, especially around girls, most girls except for Ally… .he has always been comfortable around her since they became friends from so young an age, and they just grew into each other quite naturally. She was always so happy, unpretentious and easy to be with, so her lovely disposition allowed Dave to be himself and be comfortable in his own skin. Without even trying, she brought out the good in him and gave him confidence. Up till now, they have both been content to remain in this close and very special friendship, but now his affection for her has shifted on to a much deeper level, and he is busting to let her know. He thinks he is in love and maybe he is. Oh how he yearns for her to feel the same way as he does!

Ally, Dave began, I have something to tell you. She looked inquiringly towards him, as she could sense the pensiveness in his voice.

What is it, is everything alright?

Mmmm Yeah… .well, no, not exactly, at least for me it isn’t.

Why, what is happening?

Well, its good news and its bad, I guess you could actually say it is good news with a very big downside for me, you see… .well… . my dad has been given a posting overseas, he is going to help set up a tutorage with his college to teach English language courses, and he will be principal there for 2 years. We are all going as a family, and dad has enrolled me and Sally into very good schools.

Well that sounds exciting Dave, aren’t you happy? I mean I’m going to miss you, but what could be so bad about that? It sounds like fun! What country will you be in?

Dubai.

Dubai? Where is that?

United Arab Emirates, it’s on the Persian Gulf, somewhere near Saudi-Arabia.

Wow, is it safe there? I hear that Arabs are always fighting each other as well as the rest of the world!

Dave had to laugh, he was very glad to hear her show such concern for him.

Ha-ha, its not like that in Dubai at all Ally, its a peaceful place, really. Dubai is in a rich country and it is a very modern city, I’ve seen pictures of it and its awesome! Huge skyscrapers, fancy restaurants, it’s a major business centre of the world, and everyone lives in nice houses and the standard of living is very high. Dad said it’s going to be a great experience for all of us, new culture, different foods, and from there we will get to travel and see many other places too, it’s going to be a real education in itself. Dave’s sudden burst of excitement was now reverting back to sadness again when he realised he had come to the point of what he was going to say next. I look forward to going there for all those reasons, but leaving you behind Ally makes me feel so sad, woefully sad, and after last Friday when I saw you all jubilant and happy at the comp after your win, and me knowing that I had to go away, something happened inside of me, something I cannot explain, but I think at that moment, more than any other… .well… . He looked down at the sand in embarrassment, his chest was full of butterflies and he began to blush as he struggled to find the right words to say. But then, plucking up the courage to say what was in his heart he stopped in his tracks and gazed lovingly straight into her eyes… . I don’t know exactly how to say it Ally, you are so very beautiful… .but… . you see… . I am in love with you like for the very first time, I mean, I have always loved you right from the time we first met, but now I mean, I am really, really seriously in love with you. I can’t believe I am saying this, but I love you Ally and there is nothing I can do about it, I don’t want to do anything about it and I am going to miss you so much!. His eyes were getting teary. Ally looked at him in silence; not being certain just how to respond to his sudden declaration of love, and Dave was searching her eyes desperately for a positive reaction, something to read from her that she felt the same way.

Wow, David, you really dropped a bombshell on me, I mean, . . . . we have always enjoyed each others company a lot, we have always been very close friends and we both feel that, but what you just said, well, I don’t know what to say, what can I say? I’m flabbergasted. First you tell me you are going away for a long time, and I know I am going to miss you heaps, there is no doubt about that, but then you declare an even more fantastic love to me? Wow, this is unreal… .I… . I don’t know what to say… . I… . Dave’s heart was beating like a thousand drums and his adrenaline was rushing around his body in utter chaos as he waited to hear some kind of validation from her of his love. Her pause was more than he could bear; she was wide-eyed and stunned while she tried to think of the right words to say; it was like she had taken a big mouthful of food and she needed time to digest it all. After what seemed like an eternity to Dave, she finally relaxed and smiled at him as she began to speak words that he hoped were going to be like honey to his soul.

Oh this is so sweet of you! . . . . it wasn’t easy for you to come out and say all those lovely things to me was it? Oh David you are a most wonderful, most sensitive guy; I have never met anyone like you!!! And with that she let go of her board, placed it on the sand, then put her arms around his neck and kissed him affectionately on the lips, intending to continue on with a rational discussion of their feelings after that. Well, she might as well have just lit the short fuse on a powerful stick of Dynamite. Dave instantly let go of his board, overcome as he was with a feeling of unbridled passion for her. His reaction to her kiss was so powerful, that purely by an inner, unstoppable impulse… . he pulled her down onto the sand and began kissing her like he had never kissed her before. She lay helpless beneath his weight. A fireball of passion had suddenly been ignited within him and had quickly turned itself into an uncontrollable wildfire, it was untameable and if Dave was not in heaven, he was right next door to it: - this was now the happiest moment of his life!!! He was aware that she did not respond with actual words of love for him the same as he had poured out for her, that she was holding something back, but for this moment of bliss, it didn’t matter, he was wrapped tightly around the only girl in the whole world that meant anything to him and that’s all that mattered for, and oh she felt so good, how could he ever get enough of her? He breathed in her hair, savoured the soft skin all over her face, devoured her neck, tasted her moist lips and lavished her tongue with his own, ran his hands up and down her back and kissed her again and again and again, she was a little piece of heaven and there was nothing in the world that could tear him away from her right now, absolutely nothing. His entire body wanted to envelop her and draw hers into his own if it were at all possible, he wanted to merge his soul with hers, he just wanted to become one with her whole body and soul, nothing less than that could possibly satisfy him. He was embroiled within a strange but wonderful feeling of elation and excitement that he would not quickly recover from.

Ally was in a state of shock mixed with surprise, restraint and joy, she was not expecting to be the object of such a heated passion, it was a new experience for her, and although she was feeling cautious she was also rather curious to be discovering something new and wonderful, so she willingly allowed Dave to express all the feelings that were welling up from deep inside him. She could feel so strongly that he needed to release all this passion. She surrendered herself to his affections because she trusted him and because they were in such a public place she felt quite safe in doing so.

They lay there kissing on the sand for quite some time; time which had taken on a totally different dimension, especially for Dave, but when the passion was somewhere near quenched for Ally and she sensed that Dave was getting way too overheated, then in her cool headedness she placed her hand over his mouth to let him know it was time to stop. She also knew it was more than time that she got herself back home for the visitors. They were late.

With her hands on his shoulders now, Ally gently pushed Dave away from her in a kind way, and said that she needed to get home now. Dave, still laying over her in the midst of a passionate frenzy looked at her despairingly with huge disappointment in his eyes since his desire for her was not quenched at all, instead it was only intensifying and all he really wanted to do was to take her somewhere private and finish what he had started.

But out of respect for her he somehow found the strength to release her, and then slowly he reluctantly stood up, and then gallantly he helped her to stand up, after which brushed the sand off herself and looked at him without saying a word. Dave didn’t know what she was really thinking, and now he was feeling a little embarrassed, especially with the bulge he had in his pants being quite evident. He gazed into her lovely jewel-like eyes, searching for a sign, until finally she gave him a coy, restrained smile that only fanned his flame even more. His heart began to throb like it was going to leap out of his chest, but the calm and coolness that she maintained behind her smile was a contrast which was more than he could take. He was going stir crazy and he seriously needed to cool his fire down somehow before he exploded. Without thinking he grabbed her hand and raced her down into the water where he collapsed in a heap while pulling her on top of him. He embraced and kissed her again until the water had begun to do its job in cooling his feelings, or at least to the extent possible under the circumstances.

The water wasn’t anywhere near cold enough to subdue his passion though and his frustration was growing, but he knew without a doubt that this moment of lust was coming to an end and that he had to dissolve it or quell it somehow. Reluctantly he relaxed his grip on her, hoping against hope that she would want to remain clinging to him passionately; but instead she got herself up, straightened out her swimsuit and left him there to cool off as she made her way back up the sand to sit on her board, and there she sat, waiting for him. Dave watched sadly as she walked away, but still being in full bloom, he began to splash around wildly in the water and tried to vent his frustration by repeatedly diving under the waves and coming up again in an effort to expend all his pent up energy. It took a while, but when exhaustion finally overtook him, he gave in to the destiny of the moment by letting go of all his breath, then he fell back in the water and allowed himself sink to the bottom of the sea in a gesture of defeat… . that was when his body member finally became deadened. When he could no longer remain entombed within his watery grave, he resurfaced again to inhale deeply a fresh breath of life, and after standing up, he composed himself enough to slowly begin walking up to her, brooding a little to himself as he went, feeling extremely embarrassed. Pain was steadily becoming the dominant force in his body as a result of his interrupted desire and her steely, controlled composure. He didn’t know what she was thinking now and he was too afraid to ask. What if she was disgusted with him and he had blown all her love and affection away in one foul swoop?

When he came close to her Dave looked at her eyes again for another sign, but she was expressionless and said nothing to him… . his heart sank!!! They grabbed their boards and silently they made their way back towards her home. They should have been hurrying in view of the time but neither of them had it in them to be rushing anywhere.

When they got back to her house, it saddened Dave so much to see Ally depart from him and greet all the guests as though nothing unusual had happened. Katy invited him to stay, but Dave couldn’t bear to try and socialise among all these people while only pretending to be himself when all he would be able to think about was Ally, this awesome, Angelic creature from heaven that had become so untouchable all of a sudden. From a distance he called out and waved good bye to Ally and her family while he mounted his bike which was still leaning against the front fence. He readied himself to ride home sadder and slower than he had ever ridden before.

Ally was fully aware of how he was feeling and she felt sorry for him, so she watched and waited for Dave’s one last glance toward her before he rode off. When he looked back at her, she beamed him a lovely warm smile that sent shivers of delight and joy all up and down his spine. He was in heaven again… . so the ride home wasn’t going to be so bad after all! Her face had just spoken a thousand words into his heart, and that was enough information for him to be filling up his entire soul with!

That night, Ally found it hard to go to sleep just thinking about what happened on the beach. She had never before been so passionate with Dave, and even though she had deliberately restrained herself, she could still feel a kind of afterglow from it. The passion was both strange and wonderful. She sat up in her bed and gazed out the window towards the sea which was shimmering in the moonlight, and she wondered what was going to become of them. He was the only boyfriend she had ever had, and she was always happy and contented just to be with him. She had never seriously considered going out with any other boys, although many had tried to be with her. Dave was now acting like he wanted to be with her for all time, but she was still so young, and there was so much more in life to experience yet, so much to learn and do, and when she considered it, it seemed a little confining to think that she might just only know Dave, get married to him and never even know what it was like to be with other boys. How can you know if it is true love? Does it even have to be true love?

Alley knew herself, and what other passions lay within her. Not only did she have an Olympic dream, but she also wanted to travel and see the world and experience so much more of life. She wanted to go to University and have a career too. But she could still do all those things and be with Dave, married or not couldn’t she? But would she? What if they had a child right away? That would really clip her wings wouldn’t it? She would be stuck at home with nothing else accomplished in her life!

‘What am I thinking?’ she said to herself, ‘that’s not going to happen!’

Its funny how our mind works, we can imagine scenarios for ourselves and see them almost as if they were real and actually get frightened at the prospect. But mostly we like to dream of good things and see ourselves blissfully happy. If only reality were always just the way we imagined it to be life would be so grand! But there are so many unknowns. More people seem to suffer with broken dreams than do those who have them realised.

The idea of becoming a parent was now leading Ally to think about the experience of sex. She and Dave have never had sex, and as far as she knew, Dave had never been with any other girl. They have both always had friends of both sexes, but as boyfriend and girlfriend they have always remained connected to each other without having any sexual contact. They were so young when they first became friends, just kids who always enjoyed outdoor type of fun. They had never even experimented with sex. It was almost like there was a mutual respect, a sort of unspoken understanding between them that prevented that sort of behaviour. It seemed strange that they had never toyed with it now that she was thinking about it. Some of the other kids she knew were already having sex at 12! But she and Dave found the things in life that they were doing together to be fun enough. They didn’t need to be playing around with sex to feel happy in each others company. Their friendship was complete and true. Yet on the beach that day, Ally knew all too well how aroused Dave had become. She had never felt that part of him against her before. He was fully aroused. If they had been in a private place nothing would have prevented him from wanting to go further, going all the way. Ally knew Dave was more than ready to start going all the way with her now, so she had to ask herself if she was ready to start having sex too. Most of her friends had been doing it for ages, and they just assumed that she and Dave were doing it, and she was happy to let them think that. So why shouldn’t she just go for it and start having sex too she wondered? Was it time to begin?

Something inside of her made her feel like she wasn’t really ready to have sex just yet, and she wanted to be clear about just why that is. It must feel so good to have sex and she sure wants to feel that pleasure one day. She feels very strongly in her body the desire for it. Doing gymnastics like she does produces some intense and rather pleasurable sensations at times. Adolescence can be such an exciting time of life. New feelings arise and sexuality awakens to begin its full bloom. How is a teenager supposed to behave? Should they just give in to all their urges? Is it really healthy and natural to be having sex so young and with lots of partners? Is sex meant to be just another fun thing to do, like going to the movies or playing sport? Ally remembers what her dad told her once. He said that ‘it is best to wait until you’re mature before you start having sex. Sex should be a special thing between two people who truly love each other and who are sensible enough to keep it only between themselves.’

That’s when it is most pleasurable. But most boys only think of girls as sex objects and try to lay as many as they can. Her dad knows how boys think, he is one after all. Dad says that sex should be much more than a game, and if you want to have a good relationship with someone that will last, it is best to stick with the one person you really and truly love, then sex becomes something very special that only you two will enjoy with each other for all time… blissfully. He’s not religious or anything, but he has seen too many relationships fall apart because one partner or the other kept on having sex with other people regardless of the commitment they professed to have with each other. They continue to behave that way after they are married because that’s what they were used to doing already. But for some reason Ally perceived that our inner sense also tells us that what her dad said is right, that sex is actually meant to be enjoyed by just two people who are devoted to each other. If it wasn’t meant to be that way then no-one would ever become jealous of anyone would they? But jealousies and fights happen all the time; Ally has even seen them occur with her girlfriends at school when another girl has sex with their boyfriend. There have been some real cat fights. While boys seem mostly to just want sex, quite often girls want more than that, they expect a bit of loyalty, so they get upset when that loyalty is broken. And then apart from that there are the risks of all the horrible diseases being passed around. So why it is that some girls let just about any guy use them for sex? Is it healthy and beneficial to be like that? Often the ones who get the lowest grades are the ones who have a lot of sex partners, it’s like they lose their focus on what’s more important in life because of their obsession. Ally never wants to be that type of girl. At times it almost seems that the repercussions of having sex randomly can create more pain than it does pleasure… .Is the moment of fun really worth it all? Could that ever happen with her and Dave? Would they soon tire of one another and start looking for others partners to have sex with? She knows how much he is in love with her, and that he has never pressured her for sex before this; but is he going to start now? Does he only want her for sex now that his thoughts have changed? He has never tried that on her before, so has he changed for the better? Would having sex improve their relationship?

Ally paused for a moment, and then she got up out of her bed and went outside onto her balcony and looked up into the sky. It was a clear night, the stars were bright and the moon was high in the sky. Such a glorious night! Life is so good, this earth is such a wonderful place and the universe is amazing! She began to wonder how it all came to be here. All the stars and planets rotate in their orbits with precision timing. We can calculate the exact moment of the tides because of the perfection in nature. The whole universe is governed by laws she realised, laws that cannot be broken if the universe is to function properly.

We are part of the universe she thought, so wouldn’t that mean that we should be governed by laws as well so that our lives can function properly? We need to obey laws of the land such as the road rules so that our society in general goes smoothly, and when people break those laws someone always suffers. We need laws. But what about moral laws, do they exist in us naturally too so that we should obey them? And if we knew what those laws were exactly and lived by them would we have a more peaceful, happy and productive life?

She thought again about Dave as she breathed in the clear night air. ‘He is such a fine boy David’, she said to herself, ‘and if I was going to have sex with anyone, it would definitely be with him.’

Being alone with nature and with your own thoughts and meditating on things is such a calming experience. Our perspective seems so much clearer. It can give you a chance to draw the best conclusions on matters that perplex you and it allows the good feelings to flow. Ally has always loved nature and longs to be close to it so that she can unlock some of its secrets of living. There is so much we don’t know about the meaning of things. She shifted her thoughts back to her own life again and tried to feel what would be the natural thing to do with regard to sex. How are we naturally meant to behave? Having sex seems so intimate, so special and the pleasure it gives one is so great that it’s almost like it was meant to be sacred somehow. Is it a gift from the gods as some would say? We have lots of gifts from nature then don’t we? There are many pleasures to be enjoyed in life. Ally has many hopes, dreams and aspirations, and she wants to have the best approach towards all of them so she can do her best with them. She wants her life to be successful and happy. Not the least of her dreams is to perform in the Olympics. That’s a big dream. If she can put her whole heart and soul into that pursuit what would stop her from achieving it? It is important to have dreams or goals, and it is just as important to have a standard to live by, or a code that keeps you centred so you can achieve them. She learned that partly from her coach, because he always said that ‘unless you properly train your mind and gain a strong heart, you will never achieve the proper discipline in your body so that you can act it all out right.’ There is a direct connection between our mind and our body, its amazing isn’t it? But we also have emotions that we are connected to, both good and bad, and we also need to discipline and control them too or else we can become a mess of a person. And what else is there about us? Well, we have a spiritual side to us, but it is hard to define what spiritual is. It means so many things to so many different people. Ally feels spiritual whenever she looks at something beautiful, like the moon and stars, or a beautiful flower or a mountain or a lake. The ocean out there is so deep, so full of life and teeming with lots of different and colourful fish. Where did it all come from? Why does our spiritual nature make us wonder about all these things? Did everything just evolve accidentally from nothing, or was our earth and the whole universe designed by something or someone with a specific purpose in mind? The order in the universe should flow naturally into us as well since we are part of it.

Ally was caught up in a reverie as she gazed towards the moonlit sea, and she felt so calm and so peaceful. She began to consider the subject of sex again and whether she was ready to begin having it. That’s why she came out here in the night air. ‘I’m only 15’, she thought to herself, ‘and dad says I should wait till I’m older and more mature before I start having sex. Mum doesn’t say anything for or against me having sex, and she even told me that she was 14 when she did it for the first time. I don’t think dad knows that, but I suppose it doesn’t really matter. He probably had sex with a lot of different girls back then too. Well, maybe he did. I don’t know; I wonder if he feels the same way about sex as I do? Maybe I have inherited something from him. His attitude towards sex seems to be so much different to mums attitude about it. But he must have known she was far from being a virgin when he married her and that doesn’t appear to have bothered him at all. Yet what about me, what shall I do? I told myself a long time ago that I wasn’t going to have sex until I was at least 16, that’s the legal age, but nobody cares about the legal age anymore do they? So should I just forget that I ever made that resolve? After all I am older now and opinions do change as we get older don’t they? But in my heart of hearts, when I really look down deep into my soul, the answer I give to myself is still the same; I don’t feel like it is really the right time for me to start having sex. Oh I long for the day when I am ready, it will be so wonderful I know, and it will be so special, so very special and that’s just how I want it to be, special forever, with the one I truly love!!!’

David is 16 and I know he is more than ready to have sex, and he obviously wants to have it with me. But what if I say no to him, will he still love me as truly and as passionately as he does now? Or will the fire he has for me go out so that he will look for other girls to be having sex with. Will he be willing to wait until I am ready? If he is willing to wait, then at least I will know that it is me he truly loves, and not him just wanting me for sex. Oh it’s all so confusing, and listening to myself I feel like I am being so old fashioned! Maybe I should have been born a hundred or a thousand years ago, then I may not have had to think about this matter so seriously, the decision might have already been made for me. But who really wants to have that decision made for them? That doesn’t sound good either. Yet, if the standard for the decision about sex was a true and right one, then it would have to be good for us still wouldn’t it? Why do humans often set standards of morality for themselves? We must have within us some kind of inbuilt sense of moral law, yet how did we get that sense? If it is natural for us to desire such laws then it must be good for us to also live by them too so that our ways can be successful and happy. So what is nature telling me about sex?

Well, when two people love each other, what is natural for them to do? They want to make love, they are irresistibly drawn to each other and they don’t even have to think about it, it just happens