Evolution: Journey

By Nancy Mitchell

EVOLUTION: JOURNEY
Fleeing a spreading virus, Lucas Martin drives north from the Bay Area, planning to work in a healthier part of the country. Settling in Mt. Shasta, California, he and his wife Sylvia and autistic son Bobby seek a calming influence to heal their chaotic lives. They find it in Maya, a new resident of Telos, the fifth-dimensional city deep in the heart of Mt. Shasta. Maya's goal is to learn about the third-dimensional citizens of Earth and help them heal. With her friend and mentor Joel, she travels the crystalline grids of Earth to experience humanity's sacred places.

When spirituality meets reality, the result is evolution. Both Maya and the Martin family begin their journeys to understand their own consciousnesses and discover the secrets of the universe. In doing so, their abilities and enthusiasm entangle the lives of other people—friends such as businesswoman Peggy Yates, a newly-adopted daughter Anna, and a very special grandson Sean whose birth will challenge the definition of reality.

Lucas and Sylvia thought their journey to peace had ended. Little did they know it was only beginning.

• Language: English
• Publisher: BookBaby
• Release date: May 2, 2022
• ISBN: 9781667819174

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Evolution: Journey

Copyright © Nancy R. Mitchell

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law. For permission requests, contact the author through website: www.nrmmitchell.com.

Print ISBN: 978-1-66781-916-7

eBook ISBN: 978-1-66781-917-4

Acknowledgements

Telos Volumes 1, 2, and 3

Aurelia Louise Jones

Mt. Shasta Light Publishing

www.mslpublishing.com

The Pleiadian Agenda

Barbara Hand Clow

Bear & Company Publishing

Lee Carroll / Kryon

www.kryon.com

Monika Muranyi

www.monikamuranyi.com

Andrew Oser

Spiritual Retreats

www.mountshastaretreat.net

Awakening Your Light Body

Duane Packer and Sanaya Roman

Orin and DaBen

www.orindaben.com

Center for Creative Consciousness

Jonette Crowley / MARK

www.centerforcreativeconsciousness.com

Editing Assistance

Pauline Harris

Kathleen Meuter

Dedication

To Jenny and Mario

My inspiration and tech support

Table of Contents

PROLOGUE

CHAPTER ONE

CHAPTER TWO

CHAPTER THREE

CHAPTER FOUR

CHAPTER FIVE

CHAPTER SIX

CHAPTER SEVEN

CHAPTER EIGHT

CHAPTER NINE

CHAPTER TEN

CHAPTER ELEVEN

CHAPTER TWELVE

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

EPILOGUE

PROLOGUE

Master, will you be joining us?

The Mer people did not actually speak to each other. It was more of a mind-to-mind connection, like the fish they swam with in the sea.

Please come with us—we’ll miss you if you don’t go home with us.

If you stay here, we’ll never see you again!

The master looked at her last three students with compassion. The race of the Mer was making its final choices here on Earth. Mermaids and mermen were deciding on whether to remain on Earth in the same dimension or go to their original home in the stars to evolve in consciousness. The polluted oceans of Earth had become uninhabitable due to the carelessness and indifference of human beings. It was time to leave.

I love you too, dear ones. But my destiny lies on a different path. I’m going to Telos. The Telosians call us travelers and they welcome our presence and support our evolution. I may choose to become human.

Although the students were shocked, they tried not to show it. To go to Earth’s waystation, to then step down into the body of a human being, was not an avenue most Mer people preferred. It was like swimming into a hurricane or a typhoon, depending on which ocean you lived in.

She hugged her students one last time. Go. Your new home awaits. You will be learning new things. I’ll be learning new things. It doesn’t matter what dimension we live in or what we look like. We will all live and thrive. Our heritage will survive.

The students and their master swam slowly to the Temple of Transmutation. Fish of all sizes and colors floated among its twelve lofty arches. Sunlight filtered weakly through the water, rays that had been getting darker with the passing of each century. One by one the mermaids settled on the coral circle in the center of the temple and invoked the rite of the journey. The master sighed deeply as the third mermaid disappeared. Most of her people were on their way to the stars—safe, sound, and content. The rest chose the inner life still existing deep in the Earth in Telos and other sacred places. Now it was her turn.

She looked around at her home here on Earth in the shallow sea, giving it a final blessing as she swam to the center of the temple. She laid down on the coral circle, admiring its sparkling beauty for the last time. She put her head on her arms and instructed her higher self to make the connection with the universal consciousness of love.

Thank you, Creative Life Force, for this life I have lived. I bless my beautiful body of an aquatic tail, long human arms, a female torso, and a universal heart. It has served me well. I now choose to be reincarnated with the human part of my DNA in Telos, a city of fifth-dimensional beings. They are expecting me in their Temple of Transmutation. I am ready.

The soul and consciousness of the master floated gently upward. Her mermaid body relaxed, arms entangled in her long hair, her shimmering tail slowly losing its vibrancy. She released her body to the environment of the sea. It gently disintegrated, bubbles rising slowly to the surface of the water. Nothing remained to remind her of what she used to be. She was on her way to Telos. All was as it should be.

CHAPTER ONE

Lucas, he’s driving me crazy! Sylvia Martin, a petite, dark-haired woman in her late thirties, glanced back at their sixteen-year-old autistic son. It had been necessary to leave Bobby’s caregiver behind in the Bay Area. Their departure had been a hasty one, but not one that was unforeseen. There were too many sick people in San Francisco to be safe. They had known it would be a hard and difficult drive north to Washington State, where Lucas had a job interview in Seattle next week. Although he was an accountant and manager by training, Lucas would take any job that would ensure he could provide for his family. At forty years old, he didn’t have the job opportunities he did when he was younger. He had to be there on time.

In the rear seat, Bobby screamed and kicked the sliding door of the minivan as if he were fighting the devil himself. His kicking didn’t used to bother them much, but a growth spurt and stronger muscles now put the door in jeopardy. Ignoring the distraction, Lucas concentrated on his driving, the only thing saving them from the chaos they had left behind. The I-5 freeway was crowded with all sorts of vehicles—private cars, trucks, and sixteen-wheelers—heading north. A springtime rain had cleared the air earlier this morning, and Lucas felt somewhat revived as he passed a Greyhound bus. Pedal to the metal, he thought. Not going back ever again, ever.

Not many people were driving south. To the south lay chaos and disease. It had taken a long time for the most recent wave of the virus to reach San Francisco from Los Angeles. The march was slow but inevitable, and the Martin family had packed what they could into their minivan, called Lucas’s cousin who lived in Oregon, and asked if they could stay with him for a night before they drove on to Washington State. Knowing that bachelors didn’t always do well with houseguests, they promised to move on after a night’s rest.

We need gas. Lucas pulled off the freeway just south of Redding. He drove to the shortest line he could find. Lucas was prepared to keep the windows closed so that other motorists wouldn’t hear Bobby scream, but the van was suddenly quiet. Lucas glanced back at his son, who had fallen into an exhausted sleep.

Sylvia, you go to the restroom first and then we’ll switch places. Sylvia gladly left the van, grabbing her purse to buy some snacks for lunch. As she returned, Lucas moved the van up a few yards closer to the pump, got out, and went inside.

Finally they reached the pump and filled the tank. It was Sylvia’s turn to drive, and thankfully Bobby was still asleep. She pulled onto the freeway and began the long drive toward the northern California Cascades.

She didn’t regret leaving their home in San Francisco. It had taken them a while to sell their home and empty it of all furnishings. They had gotten a fair price for the house. But the furniture was worth very little. At least the auction house had taken care of moving the furniture to their warehouse to eventually sell. Bobby had taken it hard, watching all his familiar surroundings leave the house. He especially didn’t like living in an extended stay hotel while last-minute paperwork was being done. But that was over with. They would be going somewhere to start a new life. New home, new furniture. Sylvia wished she could get a new Bobby. His behavior was starting to get on her nerves.

***

Anna did not know the word emaciated. She had always been small for her age, even before her parents died from the virus, so she thought her body was normal. Thin limbs and a rounded torso were her new norm. Her guardian, whose name was Michael, had always told her she should be happy to have anyone take care of her, that nobody wanted a half-black girl with scraggly hair, and that she should be happy to have a roof over her head.

Not that the locked, detached two-car garage was much of a roof. She slept in a sleeping bag near an old rusty pickup truck, using a nearby camping potty when necessary. Michael said the potty was a luxury so she wouldn’t stink up the garage with just a pail. Under Michael’s watchful eye and the stare of Max, his loyal German Shepherd, she was let out every afternoon into the large back yard to empty the contents of the lower part of the potty into a large hole he had dug at the back corner of the lot. The hole was actually larger than it looked, as the far side dropped down into a gully that ran behind the property. Anna would scatter several cups of lime on top of the dirt when she was done. Then she would re-attach the upper part of the potty to the lower part. Using the backyard hose, she would fill a pail with water and empty it into the upper reservoir. She had once filled the reservoir directly from the hose, but carrying it had been a problem. Water was heavy! The pail worked much better. She would also refill her gallon water jug and a water bottle, hand-me-downs from whoever used to live here.

She actually treasured her time outside. The weather was generally mild, and she enjoyed listening to the tweeting and cooing of the birds and owls. Since her guardian’s property bordered on a state forest, there were no neighbors to see her back there. Squirrels ran up and down the trees, often pausing in their activity to see whether or not she was a danger to them. She often spied raccoons and possums at sunset. Sometimes she even saw a fox or two running through the underbrush. She loved nature’s creatures. Deer were her favorite. She could slowly and quietly approach the deer. She tried to reach out to them with her heart and mind, to tell them how much she loved them. Amazingly, they weren’t afraid of her or Max. She watched them eat selected leaves, and she would reach out and pluck a branch from the same bush, knowing that if it was safe for them, it would be safe for her to eat. It was ironic, she thought, that she couldn’t eat with Michael but she could eat with the deer.

She hated her guardian. She didn’t even know why she had come to live with him. He had claimed to be her uncle, and nobody questioned that. They had the same last name. They didn’t believe her when she said she had never met him before the deaths of her parents.

Michael brought dinner, her only meal of the day, to the garage around 6 p.m. To make it worthwhile for Michael to feed her, she had nightly duties several times a week. Around 9 p.m., he would take her to his bedroom. After she had taken a shower, she had to spend an hour with him, sometimes more, sometimes less. It depended on how much whiskey he had drunk during the evening and what kind of mood he was in. On her way back to the garage one evening, she had stolen a bottle of ibuprofen from the bathroom medicine cabinet so that when she returned to her own bed, she could take a few pills to dull the aches and pains.

From time to time, she was given a vacation from visiting Michael’s bedroom. She suspected that at those times, he had other companions. The second bedroom often had guests, female ones, as she often heard them talking during her precious time in the back yard. She couldn’t understand what they were saying, since they weren’t speaking English. She knew Michael kept girls’ clothing in the closet, as that’s where he went when she outgrew her clothes and needed a bigger size. The women never stayed long. After a day or two, someone picked them up in vans and took them away. When she once asked about it, Michael had beaten her severely, and she never asked again.

Anna wasn’t sure how old she was. She had been twelve when her parents died and she had gone to live with her guardian. That was at least three years ago, maybe four. She wasn’t sure. She missed going to school in her old home town. She wondered why the school people didn’t know she was absent. Probably because her parents had lived in a different part of the state. Maybe the new school district didn’t even know she was alive. She missed her friends and her church. Her cell phone and laptop were distant memories. She felt like the outside world had disappeared and nobody loved her anymore. If it weren’t for the paperback books Michael threw at her occasionally, she might have forgotten what reading was like. The two small windows in the gables of the garage barely gave her enough light to read by, and she stopped reading as soon as the headaches started.

Anna prayed for a change, a deliverance from the life she had. She wondered why God would give her such a life. Her belief in a benevolent God was fading. What good was life if it was so horrible? If there were a choice between living and dying, she honestly didn’t know which she would choose. Dear God, she prayed, if you exist, please help me. Please take me away from this place!

***

The master opened her eyes. She was in the Temple of Transmutation in Telos, surrounded by beautiful purple light. She closed her eyes again as the final evolutionary processes stabilized her new fifth-dimensional body. Although her arms and torso felt normal, the sensation of human legs was different. She wasn’t sure if having legs was going to work out or not. Opening her eyes once more, she sat up on the table. She was amazed at the absence of water. And the breathing! The Mer people had small lungs, used only occasionally for breathing when they were out of the water. She took a deep breath. Human lungs seemed to be much stronger than Mer lungs. She figured this was good, since she had felt her neck and was initially dismayed by the absence of gills.

She swung her feet back and forth. Legs. How weird. She had noticed legs on human beings, limbs on which they moved from place to place. They bent in a whole lot of different directions, giving them a rather fluid look. Maybe they were just as good as a tail, she conceded. Legs and tails just operated in different environments, that’s all.

She sensed, then saw movement around the temple as the purple light faded and a soft yellow light appeared. But she knew it wasn’t daylight. She was deep inside Mount Shasta in an environment specially created by and for inter-dimensional beings. A fifth-dimensional sun supplied all the light needed, even dimming to mimic the darkness of night. She was amazed that she was about to meet beings who lived out of water.

The Mer people had known about Telos for eons. Over time, fact sometimes becomes myth, and she wasn’t sure what was true and what wasn’t. She had heard Telosians were giants who walked through rock and soil. She didn’t think anyone could really do that. She vowed not to believe anything unless she first saw it.

Two brown-eyed, dark-haired women walked into the room. They were dressed in blue and purple garments that reached from their shoulders to their knees. Colorful sandals adorned their feet. They approached her carrying a similar pink garment that they draped around her shoulders and torso. Welcome, traveler, they said, helping her to stand.

Thank you, the master replied, remembering with some difficulty the words the Mer people used when they were occasionally out of the water. The garment covering her body felt soft and warm. And dry. Interesting.

We’ll show you to your living quarters, the taller woman said, taking her arm. I am Rose and this is Ellie. We have found that former Mer people need some assistance in walking, since they haven’t had legs in recent memory. The looked at her and smiled.

The master laughed. Yes, I think you’re right. The three women left the room and walked slowly down a long hallway. Turning left at the first intersection, they continued down a street where she saw many round dwellings. The traveler was glad to feel that her legs were getting stronger and steadier as the minutes passed.

We are priestesses of the temple, Rose said. It’s our job to welcome new arrivals to Telos and begin their education. You will have other teachers besides ourselves. And we hope you will take the opportunity to make new friends here. We are a compassionate people and are quite willing to help out if you should encounter a bump or two along the path of life. The more people you know on Telos, the more you will learn from them. We all have different histories and experiences. And they, of course, will want to learn about you. Consider it a fair exchange.

The path of a traveler is an interesting path of life, Ellie said. You’ll need to study and experience, for this will not be easy. The most immediate thing you will learn is speech. If you find yourself at a loss for words, be patient with yourself. You’ll be bringing some skills from your life as a mermaid, but for the most part, you’ll learning new things.

The master stopped and looked at them. What things?

The women glanced at each other. Emotions, Rose replied, and choices.

***

Sylvia began to enjoy the drive. The rising elevation and frequent curves required her attention, but she also had time to glance at the beautiful, changing landscape. Alpine trees and shrubs covered the ground, and the afternoon sun was warm.

Lucas interrupted her thoughts. We need to take the next exit. I need to change Bobby’s diaper, since we didn’t do it at the gas station. He’s beginning to smell.

Not a problem. We’ll be reaching Mt. Shasta in a few miles. Open your window until we get there.

The town of Mt. Shasta, California, had several exits. Sylvia took the second one, West Lake Street. The gas station on the corner seemed to be doing a booming business. Luckily they didn’t need gas, figuring they’d make it to Ashland before the minivan needed another fuel stop. They parked at the side of the station and looked at Bobby, who sat in the back seat, staring ahead and saying nothing.

Lucas and Sylvia glanced at each other, questioning looks in their eyes. This behavior was unusual. Quiet. Calm. Lucas got out and opened the sliding door, swinging Bobby’s legs outward and then pulling him to a standing position. Pulling down Bobby’s Bermuda shorts, he quickly changed the adult diaper, putting the dirty one into a plastic bag and giving it to Sylvia for disposal.

Lucas, since Bobby is being cooperative, perhaps this would be a good time to have dinner.

Good idea. My stomach’s growling. Let’s see if we can find some fast food. Continuing on West Lake Street, they turned left on North Mt. Shasta Blvd and looked for a good place to eat.

Bobby looked out the window. The noises in his head were strangely quiet, and the visions that constantly attacked his brain had lessened. He saw other cars driving down the street and people scurrying around in front of the buildings. It was unnerving. He had never seen anything like this before. He was usually afraid of people and their feelings and noises that overwhelmed his senses. He hated cars and didn’t want to go anywhere besides his comfortable, sparsely-decorated bedroom with its angel picture on the wall. But now he felt calmer. He grabbed his stuffed bear and hugged it tightly. It would help him with these new feelings.

There aren’t many fast food places, more like a bunch of little restaurants. This is a tourist town, Sylvia noted.

Yeah, I could do with a nutritious meal, Lucas replied. Lucas was not a tall man, but he was muscular, which gave him an excuse to enjoy a good meal. Not that he needed an excuse. Caring for Bobby all these years kept his bones and muscles strong and young.

Look! There’s a parking lot by that restaurant. And they have outdoor dining. Maybe we could bring our food outside and not try to get Bobby inside where he would bother other people. She pulled into the lot and parked by the outdoor dining section. I think we’re in luck. I’ll go get a menu. She left the car and walked around to the front door.

Lucas looked back at Bobby, who was gripping his stuffed bear tightly and looking intently at a nearby waving flag. Opening the sliding door, he decided to talk to Bobby to see if he might want to walk around a bit. He knew Bobby wouldn’t understand him, but sometimes a slow and quiet tone of voice was soothing to Bobby’s nerves.

Hey, buddy, want to take a walk? Bobby looked at him, swung his legs out the door, and stood up. Wow, Lucas thought. This has never happened before. He recalled how it took three of them to even get him into the car in the first place. Bobby hated cars. Cars were way too noisy, and he didn’t understand why he had to get into a machine that tortured his nerves and senses.

Sylvia returned with a menu, her jaw dropping in amazement as she saw her son standing at the side of the van. What in the world… she began.

He’s awfully quiet. Let’s take advantage of this time. Maybe he’ll sit at one of those tables with us and we can eat like regular people.

With the arm of a parent under each shoulder, Bobby was walked over to a nearby table. He bent his knees awkwardly and settled onto the chair, still tightly hugging his bear. Lucas and Sylvia sat down on either side of him and looked at the menu. This was too good to be true. The three of them were actually sitting at a table in peace and quiet. Several people at adjacent tables gave them a quick glance but eventually went back to their own conversations.

Lucas gave the waitress their orders. Bobby’s favorite meal was tomato soup and grilled cheese sandwiches with milk. When it came, Sylvia helped him with the soup and the milk, as he wasn’t terribly coordinated. But he always did well enough with getting a sandwich to his mouth, and for that they were grateful. Lucas splurged with a steak and Sylvia had eggplant parmesan. Soon they were quite full. Life is good, Lucas thought.

***

Emotions and choices. How interesting. I come from a happy place where life was easy. Whatever we wanted, we got. It just happened naturally.

Rose and Ellie smiled at each other and walked on through what the traveler would later learn was a residential park. They opened the door of one of the small circular buildings and went inside. The three women took seats that surrounded a round dining table on which rested some fruits and breads and a carafe of water.

First of all, Rose said, you need a name. We can’t call you ‘traveler’ forever.

My mermaid name was Maya.

Maya it is, Ellie said. That’s a very spiritual name, especially in this part of the world. Let us show you your new home. It is small but has everything you need. You are in the great room, with a seating and food preparation area. Now come with me. Walking down the hall, she pointed out the other two rooms.

This is the bedroom, where you will sleep at night. You are used to floating during your rest time, but your body is different now. You will find the bed very comfortable. There are Earth clothes in the closet here—underwear and dresses and pants and shirts. Wear what you feel comfortable in. And this, she continued as they walked across the hall, is the bathroom. It has a toilet, where you will relieve yourself. Your new body works a bit differently than your previous one. You’ll know when you need to use the toilet and the toilet paper. Just sit on it and your body will do what it needs to do. You are actually used to elimination from the use of your previous body. And this, she pointed to the tub and shower, is where you will clean your body. The water can come either out of the lower nozzle to create a pool of water for a bath or out of this upper nozzle to produce a spray, like a waterfall. She demonstrated the workings of the nozzles and the plug to the drain.

Ellie turned to the sink and turned the faucets on and off. Hot and cold water. A sink provides a small pool of water for washing face and hands as well as brushing teeth. She gave Maya a tooth brush and a small jar of paste. Towels are here in the cabinet for drying off.

This life seems to require a lot of…things…to sustain it.

Ellie laughed. Yes, you’re right, it does. It is evening now on Earth. You’re familiar with natural light and darkness, but we create our own cycles here. We do our best to mimic what is happening outside. After a bite to eat, you can rest until morning. In the morning we’ll bring you more food to start your day. Then we’ll teach you how to gather your own food.

Rose and Ellie left so that Maya could discover things on her own. Maya took a few bites of the sweet fruit her companions had left. Several bites of bread were followed by a long drink of water. She was surprised at how clear and crisp the water was. The seawater that was filtered through the gills of the Mer people was okay, but it contained a lot of impurities, especially recently. The waters of the world had become polluted with not only man-made objects like plastic bottles but also with oil. It seemed like Earth people didn’t know how to build an oil refinery that was safe not only for themselves but for the plants and animals of the seas. Maya had known of dolphins and whales that had to change their eating and breeding grounds due to extreme pollution. But it wasn’t all the fault of the men. Ocean temperatures were rising, which affected smaller animals like seals and fish. The salmon had to go farther north to spawn, which required them to overcome their natural impulse to go back to the place where they had spawned the previous year.

The Mer people were traditionally in close contact with all the life in the sea. Maya realized that she would miss all that now that she was a land-based individual. She felt a deep sense of loss at this connection. She was going to have to talk with her teachers about that. Perhaps they could help her make new connections with land people.

Suddenly tired, Maya walked into her bedroom. Taking off her garment, she slipped between the sheets. She rested her head on the small pillow. Feeling the loss of her previous life but looking forward to the new one, she quickly dropped off to sleep.

***

Luckily, it only took the two of them to get Bobby back into the van. He seemed content to sit by the window without trying to take the seat belt off. Starting the van, Lucas continued on North Mt. Shasta Blvd., which merged back onto the freeway on the north side of town. Sylvia was thankful that Bobby was looking out the window, enjoying what was left of the daylight.

Bobby hugged his bear, gazing at the big mountain in the distance. Tears filled his eyes, as he felt he was leaving a friend. Sadness filled his heart, and the horrible visions and garbled noises once again filled his mind. He whimpered softly but soon burst into a screaming fit, totally overwhelmed by the returning sensations he could not control. He kicked at the door, struggling to escape from his seat belt. Life had returned to normal—his normal.

Sylvia covered her ears, trying not to make a decision she knew she would have to make. It would delay their trek north, but their sanity was important. She could not survive the trip to Ashland with Bobby screaming the whole way. They had suffered enough yesterday.

Lucas, take the next exit and turn around. I can’t take this screaming anymore.

What good will that do us? We need to get out of California soon. I have a job interview next week and can’t be late!

Bobby was quiet in Shasta. It’s almost dark and we need to get a motel anyway. Please, please can we overnight in Shasta?

Lucas tried to hide his irritation. He had planned to make it to Ashland by nightfall. He was annoyed at the delay and angry at Bobby’s screaming. It was not a good day on the road. But Sylvia had a point. He took the next exit at Weed and turned around, heading south on I-5. Taking the now-familiar northern exit, he stopped at one of the motels near the freeway. Lucas checked them in and was able to get a ground floor room. Sylvia sighed in relief as Bobby once again settled down, seeming to be more aware of his surroundings. They got him into his pajamas and into bed before collapsing onto their own bed. Soon they heard his gentle snoring.

Race you to the shower, Sylvia teased.

Lucas smiled. Ladies first.

Sylvia grabbed her pajamas and slipped into the bathroom. She stood in the shower, tears rolling down her cheeks as the warm water relaxed her muscles and nerves. What was it about this place that made Bobby so calm? If he would be calm forever, she would live here forever.

Raising a disabled child was not easy. In the beginning, the school district had provided early childhood education classes for Bobby and other disabled children.