The Gathering: The White Queen

By J.M. Mills

Thrown into inter-dimensional space and time, onto a foreign planet, by the creators of the universe. Koby must gather an elite group of Kindred, to learn their skills, and save them from an off-world threat.

Foretold in a prophecy, Koby must make her peace with the creators in time to overthrow a race of superior beings. The Territes are trying to locate several artifacts to help them rule the universe, and the White Queen is the keeper of one very powerful artifact – herself, and the five keys of creation.

Can Koby come to grips with her change in life; becoming a Queen, and gather enough power to overthrow the most ruthless race the galaxy has ever known? Will her White Order army of Vampires, Mage, Faerie, Vanishers and a Knight, be enough to stop total domination?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Balboa Press AU
• Release date: Oct 13, 2020
• ISBN: 9781504322270

J.M. Mills

Writing my First Novel, undertaking my first screenplay and loving life by writing my poetry and fantasy. I am in my happy place. My road has taken me far from where I had been and loved, to where the normal live and tolerated, back to being in love with storytelling, music and poetry. All my very first loves: Theatre acting, singer/ songwriter / poetry / writing and reading. I acted in theatre at a young age to which I was fortunately able to travel overseas. I learned to play the piano for seven years. I have been a high school teacher (business and computing - can you believe), learned Karate, sang in a band (writing songs and performing on stage), then received my Masters in Professional Accounting and got my Chartered Accounting ticket in Australia. Now living in Perth Western Australia, I have done a lot for one so young, but onward and upwards I say. Following my dreams and trying to keep it real.

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Copyright © 2020 J. M. Mills.

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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.

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ISBN: 978-1-5043-2226-3 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-5043-2227-0 (e)

Balboa Press rev. date: 10/13/2020

DEDICATIONS

I dedicate this book to some beautiful people who have stood by me and helped to keep my light bright:

Sonalii Castillo you are the strength behind my soul and an amazing human;

Chad Collins you are my motivation and inspiration, keeping it real, your kindness has no limits;

Michelle Ord-Taylor who will always be true and tell it how it is;

Dee Summral you continue to brighten my day always and forever.

All of you encouraged me in different ways - endless support, kindness and friendships that will last a lifetime. I will never give up.

Jake Stormoen who started me on this journey.

CONTENTS

Chapter 1 – A Normal Life

Chapter 2 – A Different World

Chapter 3 – A New Life

Chapter 4 – A New World

Chapter 5 – A Call To Arms

Chapter 6 – Protection Of The Order

Chapter 7 – The Scrolls Of Atheon

Chapter 8 – A New Beginning

Chapter 9 – The Five Keys

Chapter 10 – Letting Off Steam

Chapter 11 – the Five Keys

Chapter 12 – the Travelers

Chapter 13 – A Short Journey

Chapter 14 – The Koresh

Chapter 15 – The Situal Forest

Chapter 16 – Training Part 1

Chapter 17 – Secrets and Discovery

Chapter 17B – Training Part 2

Chapter 18 – Into the Iron Fortress

Chapter 19 – Lessons Learned

Chapter 20 – Information Overload

Chapter 21 – The Student Becomes the Teacher

Chapter 22 – A Knights Tale

Chapter 23 – For Love or Lust

Chapter 24 – The Prince Wants a Queen

Chapter 25 – The Collection

Chapter 26 – Plan of Attack

Chapter 27 – Letting Go

Chapter 28 – A Normal Lesson

Chapter 29 – A Knights Thought

Chapter 30 – Beware the Wicked

Chapter 31 – A History Lesson

Chapter 32 – Feels Like Home

Chapter 33 – The White Order

Chapter 34 – Search for the Key

Chapter 35 – An Accidental Death

Chapter 36 – The Travelers Prepare

Chapter 37 – Scavenger Hunt

Chapter 38 – The Hunters become the Prey

Chapter 39 – The Travelers Land

Chapter 40 – The Travelers One Kindred Zero

Chapter 41 – The Blue Key

Chapter 42 – The Prince Wants his Prize

Chapter 43 – It All Comes Crashing Down

Chapter 44 – A Grab for Power

Chapter 45 – Plotting an Assassination

Chapter 46 – Hear the Queen Roar

Chapter 47 – Truth Beware

CHAPTER 1

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A NORMAL LIFE

Koby yawned and stretched as she sat in her chair from a very exhausting day. She needed coffee to keep her awake. She ignored the cravings for something sweet and walked to the break room. The thought of a coffee from a café seemed more her tune, and she realized she would be at work for a while but, not wanting to take that much of a break, she opted for an instant and then walked back to her desk. Koby worked in middle management, which meant she did not have a say in when work had to be submitted but could coordinate and handle its completion. Her job entailed collation, correction of errors, execution of correct calculations, and presentation of graphs, tables and general work. She delegated work when it returned to her to check over once again before completion. Monotony was her middle name. No dreaming today, she needed to get on with it.

Lucas Marketing, a mid-tier firm for sales and marketing came with some big-ticket stakeholders, but her boss and her group, in the middle management, therefore, not the small fries and not the big guns but somewhere in between. They moved the meeting forward from next Friday to next Tuesday, which meant all items were due to be back to her by tomorrow (Friday), so she would have a workable copy of the report for her boss to proofread by Monday morning. She sighed, again, and got back to organizing and letting the team understand they needed to get everything to her by the end of the day, if possible, and if not, inform her they could not meet the new deadline. She then spent her time viewing what came in, what would be late, and started proofreading what she already had in her email inbox.

After a while, Koby looked up from her desk and saw the sun going down. As it got dark outside, Koby remembered that she did not have any extra food, which meant she would either have to go hungry or grab something to eat in a hurry. She headed down the elevator, through the foyer and out the front door. As she rushed through the door, she collided with a co-worker.

I am so sorry, Aubrey. She grabbed Aubrey’s arm to steady her.

Got you working late again, Kobs? Aubrey asked.

Koby rolled her eyes and nodded. I swear, one day I will say, No, and then where would they be? Most probably promote someone else, and I would be a number with no job. Koby laughed. Aubrey invited her to have some drinks with the girls in a nearby bar.

I will if I can, Koby answered, but I need to get this done so that my head does not roll. Will you be there in about an hour? Koby asked.

We should be, Aubrey happy to answer. Call me, and I’ll let you know if we’re still out and about. Aubrey walked away after giving her a hug. Not that Koby’s boss would ever fire her or tell her off, as she was a strict and conscientious worker. Koby’s work always valued, and she liked what it involved. It’s when everything got turned on its head, like today, that she did not enjoy it. She enjoyed a bit of a life outside work, even if there was not much to it at this point in time.

Well-liked, Koby got along with almost everyone she met; she was very easy to talk to and level-headed. She did not roll over easily and could stand up for herself, but also displayed a lot of pride in what she did and how she got it done. Of late, her thoughts drifted. She’d not been sleeping well and, when she needed sleep, her dreams became vivid and strange. She recognized that sometimes she would stop and stare in a daze, then get embarrassed when she realized what she had been doing. Koby could not help it. It was like something took her thoughts, and it transported her to another place. She realized she did this more often now, shook her head, grabbed a chicken salad, and went back to work. Another hour and she’d complete her section of the report. Back at her desk, she rubbed her eyes and sighed. Nearly there.

After prioritizing what needed to happen for the next day, she emailed back her team, showing what she needed them to redo. In the meantime, she would start working on the presentation and leave gaps where she was expecting the new figures and graphs to be. That, at least, would put her ahead of the race, and everything else could wait.

She packed up, grabbed her phone, and dialed Aubrey’s number. Yes, they were still out; they already had dinner and were two blocks around the corner at Rigby’s having cocktails. Koby needed a wind-down, so she decided an hour would not hurt. It was cool out, so she grabbed her coat and wrapped it tight around her for the short walk around the corner.

Koby was middle-aged 34, to be exact. She reached 5 "6 and somewhat overweight but healthy. Her thick, long, curly, mousey brown hair and deep, bright blue eyes made her stand out but did not attract the attention she wanted. She had been at her best in her twenties when she went to the gym. Back then, she was trim and athletic. But she never seemed to have time for that now, so a slight bit of weight she could handle. Besides, it made her look more realistic (as opposed to her former stick figure self), or so she kept telling herself. Her last relationship ended three years ago, and she was glad it ended. He wanted too much too soon and became very insecure and possessive, so that would be a ‘No, thank you. Move along, please’. She had several dates since, blind dates from friends who wanted her partnered up, but nothing she felt she would be interested in for the long term. She did not do one-night stands or friends with benefits. Koby had to be invested and attracted to a person to have a relationship or even sleep with a man, and that was that. So, celibate, headstrong, and overworked, Koby headed out to have drinks with her friends.

They all clapped and cheered when they saw her. The five of them just chilling out in a booth. All lovely ladies who worked, or had worked, at the same company, some of them in her team and others on a different level. Thursdays were always the girl’s night: Casey, Chai, Aubrey, Kim, and Sabrina. Aubrey worked with the big guns, and Sabrina had left the company. It was nice to see her.

They had already ordered a jug of a cocktail, and Koby knew to only have a few as she wanted to wake up sober in the morning. It tasted so good. They chatted about life, with no work conversation on a Thursday night, but other days/nights were a different story. Casey had recently got a job promotion and Kim had moved sideways into a different team and Chai worked with Koby. All fun-loving gals out for a chat and a break, Thursday nights became their wind-down. They could then use the weekend for family and loved ones. Although, at the moment, Koby did not have any loved ones and seldom visited family. Life seemed dull unless she caught up with this lot. The hour passed quickly as it was full of fun and laughter.

All the girls booed when Koby got up to leave, but Casey wanted to go, and they lived near to each other in Mount Hawthorn, in Perth, always safer to go together so they all did hugs and kisses, and off to the train station. Homeward bound, and Koby seemed happy and calm after a crap day. Not bad.

Casey’s place was two blocks from hers, so they waved goodbye and said, Catch you tomorrow. The street appeared empty except for the cars parked on the road and dogs barking as she walked by. Koby liked her neighborhood. She knew at least eleven of her fellow street people, both of her next-door neighbors, plus the ones two doors down, and the three houses across the street, and also two of the homes behind her. She had friendly, nice neighbors for which she was very thankful.

Her parents lived hours away in Bunbury. Cousins, uncles, and aunties lived overseas in England and Ireland. Every two or three years, her parents traveled abroad to visit, but Koby did not. She always used the excuse that she could not get enough time off work or that it would cost her too much money. She liked her mum and dad, but they continued to question her on her life choices and why she was still single. Her parents always knew someone who knew someone who they thought would make a suitable match. Did she want to go out with such-and-such friend’s nephew? They could set her up on a blind date.

‘No, thank you,’ she asserted. They told her she worked too hard and should be out enjoying herself, etc. Nothing she said would deter them or comfort them, so she visited less often, but would visit on a Saturday afternoon until the evening, so she had Sunday to relax and get over the experience. Koby tried to go once every six weeks or a few months, depending on if she thought she could handle it or not. She was not due for a visit for at least three weeks, at least, and she thought she could stretch it this month. Breathing a sigh of relief, Koby got to her house, number 18 Teemore street.

As Koby walked up to her front steps, she felt like there was someone behind her. She stopped, spun around, and looked, but no one seemed to be there. It puzzled her, so she stood there looking down and across the street. It almost seemed as if someone was breathing in her face. She sensed a smell of lavender in the air. She took a step back. But no, it still felt like something was there.

Who’s there? she said out loud. The chilly night did not answer back. She swirled around as she felt a hot breath on her neck. Again, she could see nothing. Apparently, her mind playing tricks on her. Or was it something else? She felt uneasy and was cautiously stepping sidewards to her door, monitoring the street as she did so. Not looking away, she got her keys from her bag and opened the door, stepped inside, and closed the door, and hastily locked it. Her heart beating one hundred miles a minute. She slumped against the door until she calmed down. Everything seemed too strange of late, and she shivered at the uneasy silence.

Koby switched on the hallway light and headed up the stairs, the off switch on the top landing. She had a small, two-bedroom, one-bathroom, two-story flat, where the living space was adequate, and the kitchen was easy to cook in. The flat came with a small backyard and a bit of grass, along with curb side parking. The bedrooms were larger than usual apartments, and the bathroom had a separate bath and shower, which she loved. Comfortable but nothing special. It was hers - or the bank’s for now.

A typical evening and grateful she did not have to prepare dinner tonight. She first had a shower. Sometimes Koby would run a bath and just soak with some relaxing candles, but there was no time now, so she brushed her teeth, put on her jim-jams, and got into bed. Also, no reading tonight because she needed to get up early in the morning.

The uneasy impression stayed with her. She understood her sensitivity to the supernatural, or that she had a gift. It benefited her when she met people, as she could tell if they were decent or not (she did not like the word evil). Koby could also tell if people lied or told the truth and if they were well worth staying away from. When she did not listen to her instincts, it cost her. It had cost her with her last boyfriend, Craig. She got a funny sense about him in the beginning, but he was charming and paid her a lot of attention, so she fell for it and disregarded her intuition and would then regret her decision. Never again would she make that same mistake.

She had had other encounters that she could not explain. Thoughts just popped into her head. It seemed as if she was speaking to herself, but the ideas came from nowhere and seemed foreign. Seven years ago, when her mum had a minor car accident, she knew it would happen two days before the event. The thought popped into her mind, and a picture flashed of where the accident would occur. She tossed it aside as if it was a daydream. When the event happened, it made her sit up and take notice of the memory she had had two days before. Her mum ended up in a hospital for two weeks, and she felt guilty that she said nothing to her.

She also had known when her gran would die, what she would wear, and the exact minute of her death. This happened when she was younger, so she just accepted it as déjà vu - something she had dreamed or thought she had imagined. It made everything seem so believable when she blamed it on a dream. These two memories were the harshest of the ‘odd’ things that had happened to her. She became an expert at ‘predicting’ or ‘concluding,’ so she put it down to intuition now. Okay intuitive, so that’s a good thing. Now she would pay attention to what her gut always told her as she seemed to be a good guesser.

Part of the ‘intuition’ Koby knew she would travel. Her ultimate dream was to travel and experience the world: Holland, Italy, Venice, Croatia, Switzerland, New Orleans, and Berlin. She had studied where she would go, what time of year to go, what route she would take, and where she would stay. Paying for a mortgage and saving for a massive vacation became very hard, and her dream, for now, would have to wait. Her eyelids grew heavy, she began to sleep and seemed to float on air, a pleasant sensation.

Deep in sleep, Koby once again experienced a breath on her cheek and woke up. Startled, she stared into her room, and then, turning on her light, she looked around. Nothing?

She got up, looked under her bed, in the bathroom, and down the hall. Nothing.

Who’s there? she once again said, but with more force and anger.

Leave me alone. The emptiness of the room appeared deceiving as she could still sense …. something. The feeling was out of place, and she could not quite put her finger on it. Just as she sighed and decided she was gradually going insane, she heard a whisper, low and sharp. Her head turned towards her bedroom door.

It’s nearly time, a woman’s voice said. Was it a woman? Was Koby still asleep and dreaming?

Who are you? Koby shouted again into the empty room.

Where are you? Damn it. Show yourself! Then there was silence as Koby sat in bed and stared at her door. Maybe she’d have no sleep tonight after all. Something seemed off and was not right. She had never heard voices and felt things not there before. Alone and not understanding, she sat upright until her tiredness overcame her and could no longer keep her eyes open. Koby could not even remember going to sleep.

Koby dreamed of a foreign place unfamiliar to her. The surroundings were strange, and some people looked, well, like creatures from a fairyland. People dressed in what she thought may have been the early twelfth century. There were soldiers, lovely dressed ladies, what looked like monks and a range of people and creatures that looked like they were from some fantasy movie: wizards, fairies, odd-shaped creatures dressed in robes with capes and crowns. They spoke, but she could not quite hear them or understand what they said. It seemed she was a fly on the wall listening and peeping at Everything going on. it was all very vivid and warm. As if she was bathing in the sun. She then felt very drowsy in the dream as everything faded to a dull black.

CHAPTER 2

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A DIFFERENT WORLD

Koby startled awake by her alarm clock, 6:30am and time to get up. How long had she been awake last night? How long did she sleep? No idea.

A new day and she would start again. Lots to accomplish before the day was over. Thank God she’d got most of the work completed before leaving work last night. Her thoughts drifted back to the whispering voice and the vivid dream she had. She shook her head and got out of bed. Surely, she imagined everything. How ridiculous of her to be considering ghosts. She had to be wrong, she could interpret future events through images, but what she experienced last night was out of her league. Should she be paying more attention to what happened and what the lady had said? It seemed like she should, but work beckoned, and she wanted to get a head start before anyone else got to the office. Her misplaced thoughts would have to wait until later when she completed everything at work. With that, she got dressed and out the door in time to meet her travel companion, Casey.

Wow, did you sleep? Casey questioned. Perhaps, you need more makeup. Those dark rings are to die for. Hope you got those at a bargain price, she laughed.

Haha. Hilarious. I did not get much sleep last night, Koby sniggered.

It shows, Casey replied.

Koby grumped, and Casey laughed again. Koby’s head thumped. ‘Noooo,’ she pondered. ‘I need a clear head today. I have too much to do.’

Casey gave her a quick squeeze. Cheer up, love. One more day to the weekend, and you can put your feet up and rest. Yes, she might wait until the day concluded. She rubbed her temples. The first thing she would do when she got to work is to get something to quell this pounding head.

Once at work, Casey got off on the third floor while Koby would get off at the eighth. As Koby got out of the elevator, she scanned the room. No-one in yet. Good. She took some tablets to ease her ‘already getting worse’ headache and started printing off a copy of the report that she had started the night before. Next, she would read through the pages of what they had completed and make sure it all made sense before getting the work ready to include in the final graphs and information. Let the fun begin!

Mid-morning deserved a coffee break, the proofreading finished, and the first re-work had come back to her and now ready for review. Before Koby began reading, morning coffee became her priority. Only half a sugar and a stir, but her mind drifted off until she heard a whisper, You need to get ready! The breath from the voice ran down the right side of her ear and neck.

She turned, and as she did so, spilled half of her coffee. She stopped and gathered herself. A co-worker, Simon, watched her with puzzlement.

Are you okay, Koby? he asked. Did something scare you?

She did not quite know what to say. I… I… um… not sure. Slightly dizzy, I guess.

Are you sure you’re okay? Simon asked again and seemed concerned.

I… um… yes. I will be okay. Thanks, Simon.

Do you need a hand to sit down, he asked. Koby told him she would be fine and thanked him for his kindness. This had put her out of sorts, and she had to concentrate. Koby shook off the eerie sensation once again, steadied herself, and headed back to work.

I will not think about this today, she reflected. Perhaps these were the first signs of going insane. With no history of mental illness in her family, there was always a first time. She had convinced herself she heard voices and felt something, but did not understand what was going on or why.

Keep it together, chick, she told herself. Just half a day to go, and you can go home for the weekend. Why did she think she would be no better off at home than at work? She rationalized, Well, at least there are no prying eyes at home, and I can go nuts all by myself. She drank her coffee, prepared by Simon and his kindness.

Great! End of the day and no more incidents. The report completed a day early, as her boss was expecting it on Monday, she emailed him a copy and walked to his office to let him know. Once reviewed and approved, Koby would make copies on Monday afternoon, ahead of the presentation for Tuesday’s 10am meeting.

You’ve done it again, Koby. Thank you so much. I can go through the report on the weekend and check it, ready for Tuesday. You’re a gem.

You’re welcome, Mr. Beers. I can make copies on Monday afternoon for Tuesday, she replied. I didn’t think I would pull this one-off, she spoke in a low tone.

It’s all the extra hours you put in Koby, I noticed. Sleep in next Wednesday. Give yourself a few hours or leave early. Either way, take some time off for your extra work this week.

Koby relaxed. I appreciate that. Mr. Beers. Thank you. Have a great weekend.

Time to go home and open a glass of red, she smiled. Koby packed up her desk as a small tidy up. Most people began leaving for home, so she started saying her goodbyes and to have a great weekend to all the staff. She headed home to relax. Casey was staying at her boyfriend’s house, so no friend to go home with tonight. The headache had been relentless, but an entire bottle of red wine would fix that she would have once she got home. That’s one way of forgetting the problem.

On the train, she remembered back to experiences of the last few days: whispered voices, peculiar smells, warm breath. The voice had sounded so close, and the breath was definitely there. She knew she was not imagining things but could not put a finger on what it all meant or what to make of it, it made her head spin.

It had to be a ghost! What had it been trying to tell her by saying, It’s nearly time? You need to get ready. What? Was she going to win the lotto or have an accident? Her mind reeling on how to find out what was going on or what did she need to do?

She thought she would go home and have a friendly talk to the air. Perhaps encourage the ghost to come forward so she might be able to commune with it. Is that what people did? Grateful there would be no one watching or listening to her, it all seemed to be weird, but one thing Koby was not, was a coward. She always dealt with things head-on. Get on with it, move forward, and forget it. Negative emotions amounted to a waste of time.

The walk from the station was only five minutes, but it seemed like an eternity. She loved her quiet street at night-time as she imagined herself walking down a road of cobblestones in Italy or Greece. Koby realized she had drifted again when she got to her small gate, at the front of her house, she turned around and looked, just to check no one was at her door, or by the bushes at the front of her house, or around the side of her house, or across the street. Nope. Nothing.

She took a breath and walked up to her front steps, then… nothing. Breathing a big sigh of relief, she opened her door and continued inside, turned on the lights, and headed straight for the red wine in the kitchen. Ahh, a Merlot, that would be perfect. A gift sent over from her cousins in England for her birthday several months ago.

She turned and walked around just to make sure no one was inside. Nope. Okay.

Corkscrew, here I come. A large glass meant half a glass at a time. Otherwise, she would get drunk too fast.

On her way out of the kitchen, she grabbed two sage candles and a frankincense burn stick. Koby then turned and headed into the front living room, adjoining to her kitchen. Her big comfortable chair called to her. She lit the candles and put one on either side of the chair on the floor and the burn stick on the table at the side of the chair. It was the best chair ever! She loved to curl up in it. She took a sip of her wine and put it down on the side table next to her wonderful chair.

Okay. Now what? Koby took a deep breath. Let’s see if she might be able to fake it so she may get closure on what was happening. She would try a meditation technique, perhaps? Realistically, she did not understand how to go about it. She tried to remember how her neighbors had taught her to do it several months ago. Koby closed her eyes and tried to gage the essence of the room. She let her thoughts drip into the corners of the space that no one noticed and tried to sense the vibrations of energy that everyone missed as they were too busy with day-to-day living.

She took several deep breaths and there it was. Koby sensed an energy around her but did not know what it was. Usually she could pick up on negative or positive energy, sensing if it was aggressive or passive, or if it was old or new, but this was altogether different. It was none of those things. The energy she sensed was just… different. It generated powerful and ancient strength, but still unusual. Another deep breath in, and she opened her eyes. It appeared as if she was looking into another dimension or a rip in time.

‘Not possible,’ she told herself but tried to keep her mind open, not wanting to ruin the moment now that she was in the ‘zone,’ terrified, but in the zone.

What do you want? she asked the energy in front of her. Who are you? she whispered. She sensed the energy in the room heat up and heard a low buzzing sound. Again, Koby concentrated but also let her mind go.

Her mind became drawn around the exterior of the colors the energy was emitting. It was almost like she was in a trance while looking at the shadows around the outside of the pastel colors of red, green, yellow, orange, purple, and blue. They were swirling and getting stronger, and it now drew her gaze from the outside of a tall leaf shape of colors. The center of the object, about seven feet tall, was a strange silhouette.

The buzzing turned into whispers. She leaned forward to hear and concentrate on one at a time, but it was impossible. Staying calm, Koby breathed in and with a steady voice said: You need to speak one at a time. I cannot understand you.

The buzzing halted, and bit by bit, the whispers turned into one quiet voice.

You need to prepare. Your journey is imminent. Take heed of your dreams. Don’t be afraid. By now, Koby believed her mind had scattered and had gone mad, very mad.

What journey? Who are you? Explain what you mean. The voice repeated the words again but was more faded, almost like it was being dragged away.

NO! Come back, Koby demanded. The air went stale and cold, and the rip in space began to close. Koby reached towards it, seeing if there was some way she could keep it open but, by the time she got to it, the colors disappeared. The room was back to normal, and the strange energy that was there had now disappeared. The hairs on Koby’s neck were prickly, and she shivered as a brush of cold air run down her body.

What the hell was that? The words were repeating in her mind, and she started pacing the room. After a while, pacing and losing control, Koby grabbed the bottle of wine and made up the stairs to run a bath.

‘I’m a freak,’ Koby thought. ‘I have lost my marbles.’ The sound of the warm water filling the bathtub was soothing. She had candles set up around the bathroom, and she lit every one of them.

‘Keep calm, Koby. Keep calm,’ she kept saying out loud. Maybe it was just all a dream? But the ghost said to take heed of her dreams. Oh, crap. What the freak is going on?

She slipped into the warm water. ‘Let’s soak the nuttiness away, shall we? Let’s just pretend it was all an illusion.’ She dared not call it a dream. Koby tried to relax. She breathed in and concentrated on the warm water touching her body. She started meditating, beginning from her toes and working her way up her legs to her arms and then to her head.

‘Let the water pour over you. Feel the water on your skin. Embrace the way the water hugs your body. Enjoy the floating sensation,’ she was repeating, while concentrating on each section of her body. Her heart slowed from the colossal pounding from the events over the last hour. The calm spread over her, so she tried to stay with the emotion.

After a while, she lay calm and still, attempting to empty her head. As if in a dream, people came into focus again. The strange people from last night’s dream who had warm smiles, hugs, and soft whisperings in her ear. A fly on the wall again. Warm sun and sudden blackness. She must have fallen asleep in the tub because she woke up in semi-cold water. The candles flickered, and the bottle of wine finished.

Yuck, she said out loud. I hate cold water. Koby dried herself off and went downstairs to get a bottle of water as she did not want that headache coming back, suddenly realizing the throbbing head had disappeared. She had the darn headache all day, from a dull thud to a heavy wreaking ball inside her skull, turned into a loon, and she had not even realized the pain was no longer there.

Koby worried, scared, confused, and annoyed, was so tired she found it difficult to keep her eyes open. The room had a slight chill, but under the fluffy covers of her lovely big, soft bed, she fell asleep. She began dreaming, happy and content, odd after what she had just experienced.

She thought she would not sleep at all, but warm feelings washed over her like a soft wave of wind. Koby could not help but like the feeling, and, as she drifted off to sleep, vivid, welcoming whispers entered her head, and another world took the place of the one she was living in, just like in a fantasy movie. That’s when her dreaming became a reality. Asleep and at peace and in a safe place, Koby changed. That’s when it all happened. That’s when it all began. That’s when Koby Grant started a new life and began living.

CHAPTER 3

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A NEW LIFE

In Koby’s dream, it was all dark and calm. Koby was floating in the murky shadows, enjoying the buoyancy. Light from the sun crept in and the darkness turned to a warm, dull, yellow glow. Koby’s feet touched the ground, and she felt weightless, tranquil, and peaceful. She looked around, but all that she could see was a bright white light with a tinge of gold in the distance.

Hang on! What was that in the distance? It resembled the shape of a tall person. As she floated closer, the outline of the shape became more pronounced, and the bright, shining light dimmed so that Koby could see better. A lady waved her forward.

It’s all right, child. We have you, the soft caressing voice oozed. No need to worry. You are safe and cared for in this place. The lady hugged her, making her feel welcome.

The female wore a hooded white robe with blue, green, red, and yellow hues, almost like an aura. Her hair in a bun but covered by the hood. She was not wearing any shoes but had a great big smile. The lady at least seven feet tall, slender and elegant and looked human, despite her elongated limbs.

My name is Garnet, she said, gesturing for Koby to move forward. Koby could now see, and she moved into a room that had a big colorful chair in the middle. Around the chair in a semi-circle, different colored chairs, all the same shape. Other beings, that looked similar to Garnet, stood next to her. They all bowed when she entered, and one by one came up to introduce themselves. Koby’s feet touched the floor, making her wobble before finding her footing.

Welcome, Koby. My name is Shadow. A tall, middle-aged man spoke and bent down to hug her and looked the tallest of them all with jet black shoulder length hair and well groomed. He had broad shoulders and slim fingers. His robe had a long, thick, black sash, which he used as a belt and came up around his shoulders then descended his back. He moved to the side and sat in the chair on her far left.

Topaz, the next to greet her, was an elderly man, similar to Garnet. His white robe colored in blue sashes and swirls. Topaz bowed and looked like he was about to cry. Not as tall as the others, but he seemed welcoming and homey. Topaz then sat next to Shadow.

After Topaz, a young, blond-haired man bowed and took both her hands, pressed them together, encased them in his own, and shook them up and down similar to nodding but with his hands.

An absolute pleasure to have you here with us after all this time he spoke in a low tone, but in an authoritative voice, my name is Sapphire. Koby nodded but said nothing. What could she say? It was a dream, so she would just go with the flow and see where it took her. She then thought about how she would interpret this dream when she woke up. It felt bizarre and almost real. Diamond sat in the chair on the far right-hand side.

A beautiful young lady stepped forward with yellow hair that seemed to sparkle as like glitter in sunlight. She looked flawless. She introduced herself as Citrine, then squeezed Koby and kissed both her temples. The love and excitement flowed through them all. Koby’s confusion escalated. Citrine sat next to Topaz in the chair on the right. Koby noted she wore a bright yellow sash similar to the way Shadow wore his.

A lanky, middle-aged man with orange hair stepped forward and introduced himself as Emmy. His porcelain skin and large, long hands with a green, elaborate sash worn around his neck and down the front of his robe on both sides. He bowed and say in the green chair. Koby realized that the chairs they sat in matched the color of their robes and sashes. A white chair remained.

Moving from the far left of the room was an elderly lady who looked in her late fifties, elegant but pale. Her hair long silver and her robe pure white.

Welcome, Koby. You honor us with your presence. She engulfed Koby in a soft fold of calming hospitality. My name is Diamond. Peace be with you, Child of Light. Koby blinked, completely confused.

Koby realized that this experience might be real. Wide-eyed and amazed, Koby took a step back when Diamond let go of her. She now took it all in. Looking at the individual beings, Kobie studied their eye color, hair, nails, age, the color of their robes, and their chairs, if barefoot or with what looked like slippers. She wobbled, then steadied herself as Diamond gently grabbed her arm to help.

Come this way, child. Diamond directed her to the multi-colored chair. Koby took slow steps as she thought she might fall over from being light-headed. As the light dimmed, and she could as able now see clearly and noticed the round room with no doors. Where she had entered now part of a wall and round portal-like windows spaced all around the walls and seemed to project pictures. One portal looked as if it had stars outside, similar to what you would expect if in a spaceship. Another portal had the view of a desert with the wind blowing and a gust of sand doing a twirly whirly in the air. One more portal displayed night-time near a river, and she could see leaping fish. Another was of a forest at dusk. They all appeared different and kept moving. Koby wondered if this was a dream. Everything seemed so real. Should she be scared? She took a deep breath, sat down, and faced the six beings in front of her. It felt like an inquisition.

How does this work, Koby asked. What is this? Is this real? What do you want from me? Koby gushed, looking at all of them in the eyes, one by one. On the inside, she panicked and felt off balance. She stopped and watched them smile, and a soft white glow fell over them, filling up the room.

Who are you? Koby whispered. Diamond put her arms out in front of her, palms up, and waved them to the side in a welcoming gesture.

This is a dream but also a reality, my child. she smiled wider. You are a Child of Light, and we are the Creators of the Universes. Again, Koby looked at them one by one, blinking in quick succession but understanding the gravity