From Fear to Freedom

By Eagle Annie

This is the story of a journey taken by a woman who believed she was alone in a place of fear and ugliness. After stilling the thunder of the thoughts in her heart, she learns to listen to and follow the voice of a gentle stranger. Because of that, she learns there will always be someone to help in her times of greatest need, even if it comes in unusual ways. She learns what it is like to surrender her limited ways and accept the beauty, strength, and provision of a force greater than herself. She also learns how to hand that new way on to others who are in great need. Eventually she faces the fact she cannot save everyone, accepts that she has done her best, and surrenders her limitations so that others can step in and continue the good work.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Balboa Press AU
• Release date: Feb 13, 2015
• ISBN: 9781452527628

Eagle Annie

I am a country-style woman, married to a gentle Dutchman. I have three children, four grandchildren, and eight step grandchildren. I am a passionate woman who loves to encourage others to look for the hidden treasures in the hard and hurtful times.

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Copyright © 2015 Eagle Annie.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced by any means, graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping or by any information storage retrieval system without the written permission of the publisher except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

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Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

The author of this book does not dispense medical advice or prescribe the use of any technique as a form of treatment for physical, emotional, or medical problems without the advice of a physician, either directly or indirectly. The intent of the author is only to offer information of a general nature to help you in your quest for emotional and spiritual well-being. In the event you use any of the information in this book for yourself, which is your constitutional right, the author and the publisher assume no responsibility for your actions.

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Thinkstock are models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

Certain stock imagery © Thinkstock.

ISBN: 978-1-4525-2761-1 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-4525-2762-8 (e)

Balboa Press rev. date: 02/10/2015

Contents

Sarshas Roses

The Frozen Tears

The Village Weaver

Malkendah

The Village Weaver

Nivek And His Pupp

Sarsha Meets Manuel

Leons Castle

The Strange Room

Number One Wall

The Lion The Mouse And The Eagle

The Lion The Mouse And The Eagle

Sarsha Has One More Chance

Sarshas Roses

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S asha did not know how long she had been there, nor why she even went there, or where she had been before she went there. All she did know for sure was that she could hardly breathe any more. The air was thick and musty, smelling strongly of decaying flesh. She was now quite desperate to get away from there.

It was so dark she could hardly recall anything being as dark as that before. Sasha ached to be out of that darkness where she actually felt as though she was dying.

That was it; she had finally had enough so made up her mind that now was the time to make a move for freedom and if necessary at any cost. She had determined to leave and never return. After all who would want to go back to such a frightening place?

Slowly she became aware that her thoughts were becoming much more defined, then she also realised it had been a very long time since she had been able to think in that way.

It frightened her to see that her thoughts had suddenly become clear and decisive, for she now knew she alone had to face up to them and deal with them for herself.

She became tired and struggled with the awareness of her responsibility. Again her thoughts began to run riot as they started to scream, this is not fair, this is not fair in any way, why am I even in this place, somehow I must find out.

Sarsha then knew it would be vitally important to know the reason why she was there so she could avoid returning there at any later time.

Her instincts kept telling her over and over, Find out the reason, find out the reason, or you will end up here again, but next time you may not be able to leave.

At this point she realised she could hear a small, gentle voice calling out to her above the sound of her own racing thoughts. It was different to any other she had previously heard and it was causing her to move towards the sound of those foreign yet, clearly spoken words.

She quickly spun around to attempt to find out where it was coming from. As she turned she almost fell over something. With fear and trembling she realised that someone or something else was in that place besides her. No other sound was heard, just the sense that something was so close that her skin prickled as the invisible whatever, slowly moved nearby. She began to panic and started to grope her way around what seemed to be a rock wall and headed towards the sound of that voice which was still tenderly calling out to her.

Bit by bit she carefully edged forwards, stumbling many times. Again her fear intensified as she began to realise that what previously seemed to be solid walls were in fact constantly moving and changing places.

Nothing was staying the same; nothing was familiar to her any more.

By now she was so totally gripped with fear that it made the small voice seem to move so far away that she could hardly hear it.

Sarsha thought that there now seemed to be another factor about that strange voice which she had not recognised before. It was constantly steady with a warm, safe, comforting sound. It began to sound like a familiar tune she had heard somewhere a long time ago.

Finally after many attempts to escape that place, she fell over with exhaustion and was instantly sick everywhere. There was something so foul in there which stuck to her each time she fell, it was constantly distracting her ability to think clearly and move forwards.

Repeatedly she stood up and tried to shake off the foul smelling stuff which clung to her, during which time the small voice continued calling to her. Now the voice was becoming louder and clearer.

Again she spun around and this time she noticed a small light near what appeared to be a door way.

Now she could move forward with a strange assurance of being able to put her feet clearly on the ground and see where she was going.

I don’t know where this light is coming from she thought, but I can see where my feet are going now. I know I shall find out what that light is about and where it is coming from.

At that point, she realised that the sweet, gentle voice was actually calling her by name. She was beginning to breathe the fresh air that was coming from the same direction as the light.

Sarsha, Sarsha, where have you been for so long?

I do not know she sobbed deeply, then broke down and cried as if her heart was physically breaking apart.

After that she fell asleep on the ground near the stranger’s feet for many days. When she awoke, the stranger was still quietly standing there in the same position, with a warm smile on his face.

He held some strange stones in his hands.

Sarshas heart started to beat a little faster as she realised that the light coming from those stones was the same light she saw as she began to find her way out of the dark cave.

Her curiosity rose higher and higher and she began timidly to edge her way closer towards the stranger with the hope to see what he was holding that was giving off such a strange light.

As she did, she passed fully through the entrance of that dark hole which she had just left and shuddered.

But the smell of the small white flowers that were growing over the mouth of the hole quickly drew her attention. She began to look more closely at what was all around her and take notice of its beauty.

The stranger stood silently by and allowed her to take her time to investigate for herself, what was really there.

As Sarsha looked a little further down that strange pathway that lead off into an unknown distance, she saw to her great surprise, some kind of roses that were growing directly out of the ground. But strangely there wasn’t any form of bush or plant to support them.

She slowly moved towards them. Then she realised, the stranger was still there right beside her and he was still holding those strange but beautiful stones in his hands.

The Frozen Tears

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T hey were sparkling in the beauty of the early morning sunrise and had light emanating from them which delighted her and filled her with great surprise.

Sarsha, I know you are curious about these stones. Come and I shall explain what they are.

She crossed over the front of that dark smelly hole yet again and sat on the ground near the stranger’s feet.

By now the stranger had sat on a rock near the front of the cave just a little off to the side.

What are they she exclaimed with excitement, even though much fear was still squeezing at the walls of her heart causing difficulty with her breathing?

Quietly the stranger began to explain to her; These he said, are all those tears you cried as you first began to enter that cave right there.

Sarsha turned and looked. Then for the first time, she realised it was a large cave, almost completely covered over by all those beautiful flowers around it. The entrance could not be clearly seen and she noticed that just behind the sweet flowers there were thorns as long as her arms.

On many of them there were pieces of dead flesh and she realised that it was the same stench as that of the things which she stumbled over inside the cave.

She was now unable to utter the words that were still trying to form themselves into real questions which she was aching to ask the stranger.

These he said again, are your tears. She looked even closer now. But they are solid and so clear and beautiful she cried. Oh yes, was his reply. I have watched you the whole way as you came from the village and were calling to you the whole time, but you could not hear me. Since that time, I have constantly stood here while you were in the cave, and have carefully collected all of your tears and kept them.

Oh dear, you are certainly a strange person, why on earth would a stranger want to collect something that has come from such a painful time of another’s life she cried?

You have been in there for so long that they have turned solid out here in the cold. I have had them for many seasons and I shall keep them always for they are of great value to me and priceless beyond all measure. I shall be gathering all of these tears eventually and will be keeping them in a beautiful, large bottle in a safe place.

But what is that all around your feet she asked? They seem to be the same as those you are holding.

They are the tears of all those who are still in the cave now. She suddenly stopped talking and was almost sick again, because she instantly knew that there were other people still in there, even though she did not want to think about all that anymore.

The stranger steadily continued talking; I have picked these up to show you that they are being taken good care of.

What will you do with all those others there at your feet she asked?

They too will be picked up and shown to those who have cried them as they leave the cave.

Come with me he beckoned to her. Let us go to the village and I shall show you something, which for now you alone can do.

Again she noticed the roses on the ground and that they were pure white. She began to question him about them and many other things as she relaxed more and her sense of safety grew along with her confidence towards the stranger. Well he said, these roses are the precious and beautiful things that all those people in the cave left behind as they travelled towards the dark hole.

Still puzzled a little she decided to ask more and more of him.

What then are those things which seem to be pearls in the middle of them? And how come the flowers are still alive even though they are not growing on bushes or anything like that? How come that they are even there at all? He waited patiently till Sarsha had exhausted her efforts of asking so many questions of what this is and what that is.

Sarsha, the people only dropped them there because they no longer believed that they had the strength to carry such beautiful things any more. I saw them from the first moment they were dropped there and have been watching over them every moment since.

The things which seem to you to be like pearls are a special portion of soil that I have placed in each of them, to assist their growth, until their owners themselves are able to pick them up again and enjoy them.

What has kept them alive, she cried? Every time another child came along this road towards that cave he said, the many tears that they cried fell on the flowers and placed just enough moisture on them to keep them alive.

That same thing also happened at the same time when the adults gave up hope and dropped the precious treasures that were beautiful to them. As the children followed behind crying their little eyes out while attempting to hold on to their mummy or daddy, their tears dropped on to the flowers keeping them alive.

Within a short time, Sarsha and the stranger had reached the outskirts of the small village. Both of them were exhausted, so they sat quietly for a short while on a large tree which had fallen across the road during the last storm.

Sarsha began to recall how the stranger had said I will show you something you can do She now openly and frequently questioned him about that too. He explained with that same gentle, patient voice which he had used at the mouth of the cave. Even though there is no one that you know in this village, there are many of their children that have also disappeared into that cave. And because you are the first one to come out of it, you know the way back there. Only you can talk to them in a way they understand and help them decide if they want to come out or not.

The people of the village do not know where the cave is and they certainly don’t know how to get into it, because the smell of the beautiful flowers would stop them from going any further and they would have no idea that there was anything unlovely behind such a sweet facade. Even if they did know something or someone was behind such a beautiful sight, they would not be able to get past the large thorns, because their fear of being torn to pieces by them would immobilize them.

Now Sarsha became really angry and cried like never before. Why should I go back to that cave for anybody, let alone for people who don’t even know or like me? And definitely not for people whom I believe wouldn’t bother attempting to go beyond those thorns? Why me? Why me? She angrily spat at the stranger.

Silently the stranger stood up and slowly continued on to the village. Sarsha had followed but didn’t know why. As they approached a small cottage at the edge of the village they both smelt the teasing odours of good food cooking somewhere close by.

Sarsha wanted to stop and clean the smelly, sticky things off her from when she fell over in the cave. I cannot go into that cottage looking like this she moaned. She began to back away but the stranger gently encouraged her to keep going forward.

Wait a little longer Sarsha, there is a woman in there who will be happy to help you clean up and find a nice new dress for you to wear and keep.

Hesitantly she edged forwards again. But what are these sticky things she cried? They are the clothes which the people in the cave tried to put on themselves, believing it would help the thorn scratches to get better.

They could not see and did not know what they were doing, nor did they know that the clothes they tried to use were actually covered in poison and used to tie up some of the children by many nasty adults as they imprisoned them in the cave.

Sarsha reluctantly allowed the lady in the cottage to help her clean up and put on the new dress which seemed to glow in the sunlight. She then slept for the rest of the afternoon, right up till the time the stranger and the lady of the cottage were about to sit down to the evening meal.

She awoke suddenly with a fright. She could hear what seemed to be like a thunderstorm at the window. When she looked out, there were more people than she could count. All of them were calling out from a broken and anger filled heart to the stranger inside to come and help.

We have waited long enough, cant you now please tell us where all of our children are? We don’t have any idea where they have gone yet we have still tried many, many times over the years to find them. We have no strength, no money and no longer any ideas as to where we should continue looking. Just exactly what are we supposed to do about them?

The stranger quietly came and stood beside Sarsha as his words came again like smooth music to her ears. This is what I was telling you that you could do he whispered.

However you need to think of this though; you alone can decide to go or not to go and help. These people do not know you and they will not be able to help for a long time yet.In fact, they may think you are strange or even wrong in the way you do things, but I will be there to help you. Now Sarsha began to suspect he was capable of doing a lot more than he had yet spoken of.

Sarsha was not in the least interested in money or any form of payment. Still she felt she had to have something, at least some good reason to go back to such a bad place, just to encourage people to come out. What if none of them would listen to her? What if they beat her up because they were still too afraid to listen to anything new or different to what they had come to know in that cold and dark place for so long? The stranger knew exactly what was racing through her fear filled mind. I will show you how to gather these stones, and he gently showed her the ones which he still had in his hands from when he was standing at the mouth of the cave. I can also show you how to put that soil which is like pearls, into the middle of those special roses. But Sarsha, you need to know, that is all I would be doing for you.

I would only teach you how to do what I have been doing, and then I will be leaving the choice up to you to carry out the actions of it or not. He then left Sarsha alone in the room to think for a while.

She went to the window again and had another look. Many of the people had become tired and had gone home, thinking the stranger was not interested enough to help them.

There was a woman who stood out amongst the rest because of her age and the apparent ugliness of her face. She just lay there on the ground as if dead. She is nothing more than an ugly old witch thought Sarsha. But still she felt compelled to ask her, woman, why aren’t you going home like all the others? You too must be tired by now, after all this time of trying to get to talk to the stranger. I am indeed said the old hag, but I have had nothing to eat for so long that I can no longer move. I no longer have the strength to take care of myself, not even to cook if I had the food, not to wash myself. I can no longer think clearly and quite honestly I can’t be bothered to try, I just don’t care anymore. I no longer want to feel this pain let alone deal with it. I feel there is nothing left to live for since my children have gone away.

Reluctantly Sarsha began to allow a deeply rooted compassion to stir again within her. A compassion which she thought was lost and something which she wanted to stay lost. She never wanted again to feel so deeply when she could not protect many of those she had previously seen in extreme danger.

However she could not ignore the tugging of concern towards the old hag. She quietly asked her, will you give it one more try if the stranger will listen to you?

Yes said the woman, but after tonight I will not wait or try any longer.

Sarsha then turned to leave the room and go look for the stranger. He was standing in the door way right behind her. Are you ready to talk yet he