Anna Jinghua, Seer of Time, Travel and Transcendence...

By Kristina Evans

Anna Jinghua returned to her ancestral home. It was meant to be a holiday with friends but every hundred years there is a disturbance.
The time wasn’t right to travel as a prediction was unfolding. She could have returned home but instead, followed a trail of tales where she accepted the inevitable.
Being a seer of the future, there were many threads to weave and with the help of immortals, she learned of a diversion. Mars isn’t a place for the future but a connection with the past.
To get to your destination, all YOU need to do, is look into a mirror

• Language: English
• Publisher: Kristina Evans
• Release date: Dec 27, 2022
• ISBN: 9781005572303

Kristina Evans

Kristina Evans spent her childhood in Wales and while the adults shared stories at the local pub, she stayed at home with spirits of a different kind. Her grandmother provided protection but the experience remained until the family moved to Australia. Kristina learned how to block out the supernatural and being busy helped to strengthen the barrier.As time passed, energies tried to make contact and signs were provided but always ignored. Then a change of events found the author writing. Kristina was asked to work in a shop and experienced boredom. Trying to keep busy was impossible so she took up reading and heard the voice. Hoping that it was the chatterbox in her head going into overdrive, she turned to scrap-booking and wrote in her daughter's book.For a moment, the voice was gone but once pen was put to paper, she knew she was no longer writing about her daughter. The spirit came through with her message for others so Kristina left the shop and opened a laptop to allow spirits to share their stories of what they learnt when they lived amongst us.

Book preview

Chapter one

Through Anna’s eyes

‘Anna,’ whispered a soothing voice.

I wondered who was speaking or if it was the wind as my window was open. During the night, I had been given messages and as I observed a pecking bird of bluish-black on my sill, I considered that the creature might have interfered whilst in my sleep state. My mother had always said that birds provided messages. If her statement was correct then I would soon be travelling to China. I felt myself lapsing into the darkness again. More messages were to come but then I heard the Asian accent blended with a hint of Scottish and knew it was my mother.

‘Anna Jinghua, you need to wake up, now! I need to speak with you.’

I expected a lecture so I kept my eyes closed. I’d heard it all before so I didn’t need to hear it again. She should leave me alone and live her own life. But then again, I need to live my own life.

‘I know you’re awake!’ Her Scottish accent grew stronger as she became more determined.

‘Alright.’ I gave in and opened my eyes but I couldn’t look at her.

Our arguing had grown and we both were to blame. Being her only child, I knew she wanted what was best for me. She was concerned with my future as I had stopped looking for work. After finishing my degree in astronomy, I wasn’t able to find a job so I did my master’s degree. Being able to teach astronomy gave my mother hope of a long-term career but I finished and I’m still unemployed. I considered a PhD and have been pushed into research. I’ve always known that there is something I must find but she doesn’t understand.

‘It’s the afternoon and you are asleep,’ she complained as she sat on my bed to look at my book about Confucius. ‘He was a man with morals despite living in poverty. He didn’t think of himself but of others. Confucius was a tall man who rose above all while treating everyone and everything as one. What have you learned from him?’

I went to answer but she reminded me that his feet were planted into the earth and his head was not in the stars.

‘Actually Mum, graves have been found in China of people who were tall. They were not Chinese but they were from China. And there is evidence that they lived within prosperity and as they were wealthy and could eat better, they grew taller than most. But you now tell me that he was tall despite being poor. Sometimes, you must look beyond what you see. There are three things that cannot be hidden: The sun, the moon, and the truth.’

Her white skin lined as she smiled. ‘You just quoted Buddha.’

‘How do you know? Nothing is set in stone,’ I said with a raised voice as I sat up.

I waited for her bite but instead, she stood. I couldn’t believe that she would walk away from an argument. She was a woman of high spirits who could put my Celtic father in his place but now she was leaving. For a moment, I was shocked but then she closed the door and turned to face me. The smile had gone and with her long dark hair pushed behind her ears, she walked towards me.

‘I was going to wait until you were independent but I think you will be studying forever, so I will give you something from my past which will hopefully, help you towards your future.’

A small egg-shaped box appeared from her jacket pocket and as she placed it into my hand, she begged me not to sell it for money.

‘I won’t,’ I answered, realising why she had been so desperate for me to go to work.

The metal object was held together by a serpent and once I lifted its head, arrows appeared in the form of a ring. Taking the jewellery from its enclosure, I studied the spears which formed a triangle around a stone. I was mesmerised and as I placed it onto my finger, my mother grabbed my hand.

‘This is to be worn on your wedding finger,’ she said as she moved it away from my middle finger. ‘It wouldn’t have fitted on your healing finger anyway.’

At that moment, our relationship changed. The energy in the room was different and instead of arguing with my mother, I wanted to hug her. There was a connection between us and as she slid the ring up my finger, I saw a life that seemed futuristic but I knew it was my mother’s past. My head began to spin and as I considered vertigo, I clung to the bedding.

‘It’s alright,’ she said, ‘breathe.’

Breathing was difficult as all I could do was spin. I screamed then stopped when a banging came from behind the door. ‘Are you alright, Neven?’

‘It’s alright Morogh, just another vertigo attack. She’s okay!’

My mother stroked my face as I sank into the bed.

As she tucked me inside the bedding, I closed my eyes and saw what the spiral was. It was a connection with everything. The energy made sense and, at that moment, I realised that I had always felt it. The years I had spent looking up at the stars, wanting to go home. It was now making sense. I was being shown my connection with my mother and my father.

I saw my mother near a lake. She had belonged to a tribe near Tibet. It was a small settlement who were mainly women. They lived as one with no marriage and no partners. The men fished and a glimpse of a funeral produced a decorated horse who circled the deceased. I followed the animal and again saw the energy as the spirit of the horse escorted the soul to another realm. Colours transformed in front of me as I woke with a start.

‘Are you alright?’ asked Neven as she stroked my hand.

‘I saw a tribe of women. I think they were from the past.’

My mother shook her head. ‘My past.’

‘You told me, you were from a respectable family in Hong Kong. They sent you over here to study and that’s where you met Dad. They disowned you when you married because he isn’t Chinese. This is not the family I pictured when you told me that story.’

She looked at the floor as she declared that she came from the tribe I had seen.

I grabbed her hand. ‘Why didn’t you tell me the truth about your family?’

‘I wanted you to have a normal life. Go to school with the other kids, get a job, and live like everyone else.’

‘Your life was natural to you. Just because your husband showed you a different life, doesn’t mean that what you had before is not normal.’

‘Maybe Confucius is rubbing off on you.’ She laughed.

A glow appeared from the center of the triangle, filling the room with distortion.

Anna adjusted her eyesight. ‘If you come from a tribe that doesn’t believe in marriage then why have you put this ring on my wedding finger? Are you and Dad even married? Is that why we have a Chinese family name?’

My mother took my hand and smiled warmly as she explained about my father visiting the village during his travels through China. He had been interested in his past and the Silk Road but his path changed when he stumbled upon the home where Neven lived.

A rift had been created as others had been attracted to Morogh but he remained faithful and ignored the flirtation of the other women. When other men had visited the village, Morogh had complained about their way of life so decided to take Neven back to his home in Scotland to marry. Because of her background, they decided to keep her family name.

I took her hand and studied her wedding ring of pewter which displayed Celtic symbolism. ‘Where did my ring come from?’

‘It is a ring worn by few. It connects you with what is hidden. It is also a way for your soulmate to keep an eye on you. You need someone to watch over you when you go back to China.’

I sat up with a start.

‘Just for a holiday. I want you to see a different life as I have a feeling that a life of normality is not for you. You are destined to be in the future. I was selfish. I didn’t want to lose you but if you end up with your soulmate then I know you will be safe.’

My head began to spin again but this time it wasn’t vertigo but an overload of information. Was my fascination with the universe meant to be? Was I here to help humans with their transition into the future? I had always believed that we would live elsewhere. People were focused on going to Mars but there was more to the intergalactic travel which only a few understood. Making sense of it all was difficult as I knew the answer but I couldn’t translate it. I knew my present was love and it would be given if I helped humanity.

A buzz from my phone reminded me of my reality. I was late. Friends were waiting for me at a cafe to discuss courses that had become available at the university so, putting my otherworldly information aside, I rugged up with a jacket lined with fake fur to brave the cold outside. Picking up my bag, it complained, threatening to break with the weight of the books inside so I flicked through what was needed as I headed for my bedroom door then I heard my parents.

My father was not happy. He didn’t want me to go to China but it didn’t matter because I wasn’t going. I had to meet my friends and if I could decide what next to study then I would be too busy to travel. His worries were for nothing and I quickly put his mind at ease as I walked past to disappear through the front doorway.

His smiling face was on my mind as I left the house which was sandwiched between others. A grey sky promised rain but nothing could dampen my spirits as I continued to move away from my street to the bustle of a town which accommodated a university.

‘Anna!’ shouted a friend who had spotted me dodging other students.

I waved in acknowledgment, nearly dropping my bag as I became unbalanced.

‘Hi guys,’ I said as I pulled out a chair to join them.

‘Hi,’ answered Sisi along with the others.

My Scottish friends, who I had grown up with, smiled before returning to their books, except for Sisi who had noticed my new jewellery. Her fascination for stones was uncontrollable as she grabbed my hand to study a moonstone melded into the triangle of pewter.

‘Who gave you this?’ she demanded attracting attention from the others. ‘How can you be engaged?’

Suddenly there was silence as all faces were upon me. Intrigued eyes focused on me as they waited in anticipation for information regarding my mysterious fiance.

‘I’m not engaged,’ I said but my friends didn’t believe me.

Sisi’s almond eyes turned darker as she continued to question me. She didn’t believe me but then it was difficult to explain why I had promised my mother, I would wear a ring on my wedding finger.

‘Can I look at the ring?’ asked Lil who was equally fascinated with the moonstone. ‘I’m not interested with who gave it to you. I’m curious as to what elixir can be created from the stone.’

We had always joked about her attraction to remedies as she was always creating potions from flowers and weeds. We often considered her a witch in a former life but Lil didn’t study it for long asRanja had noticed the box in my hand.

The serpent grabbed her attention as her research of the sea had taken her to the water-horse. Her studies had brought on an interesting theory of a civilisation that lived beneath the water and she believed the species was the connection between the past and the future. Ranja was sure our origins began from the water and some continued to live under the depths along with other animal life which survived underwater during the destruction of the life on land.

‘Who gave this to you, if it wasn’t your fiance?’ asked Sisi wanting to get back to the subject of the mystery man.

‘Cut the sarcasm,’ I said as I took the ring back, ‘my mother gave it to me.’

‘But why wear it on that finger?’ asked Ranja sipping her coffee.

‘Is it an Asian thing?’ questioned Sisi understanding my mother as her Egyptian mother had unusual traditions which Sisi didn’t agree with.

Lil giggled. ‘I’m glad I come from a Celtic family and don’t have to put up with your traditions from other cultures.’

‘I don’t have to run into the cold water on New Year’s Day,’ said Sisi as she pointed out Lil’s family tradition.

‘Alright,’ said Lil as she sat back in her seat and dispersed her floral perfume into the air, ‘you have a point.’

‘I have to go to the library,’ said Sisi. ‘Do you want to come?’

I stood up as I put my ring back on my finger.

‘You would tell us if you were seeing someone,’ pushed Lil.

‘Of course, she would,’ stated Ranja.

Normally, the library was a place of solitude but as we got closer, I felt the buzz in the air. People were excited with the diversion from the books which were needed for the courses. A caravan of gypsies had pulled over and with tables and chairs set up in the courtyard, I couldn’t help but be intrigued.

‘Where are you going?’ asked Sisi as I motioned for them to follow me.

‘You don’t believe in all that,’ stated Ranja. ‘There is nothing scientific with psychics.’

‘Then why are they used to help with police investigations!’ declared Lil.

I laughed at their discussion but there was no harm in paying a little money to get my palm read even if it did come from my mother’s allowance.

Chapter two

Through the Author’s eyes

Anna sat opposite a woman with flowers braided through her hair. Stains blended in with the colourful dress and the missing makeup showed a lack of cleanliness. For a moment, Anna wondered if she should allow the woman to hold her hand but once contact was made, Anna saw a soul filled with love. The feeling produced a different image; one of a woman who was naturally beautiful. As Anna stared at her perfectly formed face, she listened as the woman spoke with a calming tone.

‘Your threads are weak,’ said the gypsy. ‘You are not yet living your true life. Just like the ring you wear which has not been given to you by your soulmate. He will come but only after you have created a strong weave. There is much for you to do but first, you must find out about your past. The woman who had this ring is immortal. Within the walls of the Forbidden Palace, you will find out about her.’

‘That’s exciting,’ said Lil. ‘You have to go to China to find out.’

‘My mother said the same thing,’ said Anna.

‘What about my future spouse?’ interrupted Lil as she pushed her way in front of the gypsy.

‘Your future lies with the fairies,’ said the gypsy as she looked at Lil.

‘Of course,’ scoffed Ranja, ‘you can tell Lil belongs with the flowers. You don’t need to be psychic to figure that one out!’

The gypsy glared at Ranja as she declared that she would find her evidence under the water.

‘How did she know that?’ stated Sisi as she tied her black hair back into a ponytail. ‘Can you tell me anything?’

The gypsy stared at her and saw what she had once been. ‘You will find the truth in your past also.’

‘Do you mean I have to go to Egypt?’ asked Sisi.

A nod meant that she was going to travel.

‘It’s strange, isn’t it,’ stated Sisi. ‘I come here today to work out my next subjects and I end up speaking to someone who reiterates what my mother told me yesterday.’

‘Does she want you to go to Egypt?’ questioned Anna. ‘My mother wants me to go to China so maybe we could travel together.’

‘We should all go,’ suggested Lil. ‘I want to visit China to find out about the remedies which were once created. I believe in Asian medicine. There was a man who healed with the use of the earth. You think about it. Medicines were made with plants but pharmaceutical companies couldn’t patent a natural remedy so they created chemicals and paid off doctors to promote their drugs to make money. People are slowly turning back to natural therapies but there are still many who are addicted to modern medicine.’

‘I think medicine will change again,’ said another student who had been listening to their conversation. ‘I’m studying to be a doctor and I think in the future, there will be a way to inject microscopic robots into the body that will attach themselves to cells and organs or whatever is damaged, to help with the healing process. Or maybe, humans can be inserted with nanobots at birth which would mean that the body would be healed continuously from the inside.’

‘Wouldn’t that make us robots?’ asked Anna.

The student looked up at the sky as she processed the notion. ‘Maybe.’

‘Would we live forever if that was the case?’ pushed Lil.

‘If our bodies were robotic then what would happen to our souls?’ asked Ranja. ‘Would our consciousness interact with the brain of a body that had no senses?’

Anna went to stand up to join the conversation but the gypsy still had her hand. As she pulled away, Anna was told that she must travel soon. Not knowing who to speak to as the chatter had raised her curiosity, she turned away from the psychic to listen to the scientific research.

‘I think in the past, people lived longer because they used what was on the planet,’ stated Lil over the voices of others who had entered the discussion. ‘Look at Li Ching-Yuen. He was a person who lived in peace with nature. For nearly forty years, he lived on a diet of herbs like, lingzhi, goji berries, wild ginseng, he shoo wu, and gotu kola. He drank rice wine and worked as a herbalist. Most of his time was spent in the mountains collecting plants and in seventeen-forty-nine, when he was seventy-one, he was asked to join the Chinese army to teach martial arts. I mean how incredible is that!’

‘Maybe the wine had something to do with it,’ interrupted one of the students.

Laughter paused the conversation, creating a divide between those who believed in past knowledge and those who researched for the future which would ultimately take them back to their origins.

As the girls moved away from the discussion, Anna stated that she believed the answers were in the past.

‘Why do you say that?’ interjected one of the students who wasn’t finished with the philosophy of ancient doctors.

Anna turned to face him. ‘Well look at Bian Que. He was an exceptional doctor who lived over two-thousand years ago. He possessed incredible skills in medicine, was gifted with clairvoyance, and was well-known as a doctor who could perform miracles. His knowledge of healing was extraordinary so, Bian Que was referred to as the Doctor of Miracles. Originally, he was not a man of medicine.’

‘What was he?’ asked Lil as she stood near the curious student.

‘He had worked as a hotel manager. Then one day, he was approached by an elderly patron who was impressed by the ten years of Bian Que’s kind and attentive services. The person gave him his knowledge of medicine and his supernatural abilities as a gift. Bian Que was given a packet of medicine with instructions for its use, and a set of medical books before the man mysteriously disappeared. Bian Que took the medicine and thirty days later, he could see through solid objects. In a brief period of time, after studying the books, he was able to control his X-ray vision and had knowledge of diseases. He could diagnose and treat illnesses. He travelled through ancient China and treated the poor and rich as equals. His information grew with the use of herbal medicine, acupuncture, massage, surgery, and anaesthetics.’

The student laughed. ‘So, you’re studying mythology.’

‘No,’ stated Anna. ‘Even in Liangcheng there is a stone carving that has been unearthed and shows a waterside pavilion overlooking a lake full of fish, turtles, and waterfowl. In the upper right corner, it portrays the divine healer, Bian Que, in a form of a bird with a human head treating three sick people.’

‘See,’ said the student, ‘a bird with a human head. Really! Come on, sounds like the Egyptian, Thoth.’

Sisi interrupted, ‘Thoth had a head of a bird, you idiot!’

‘Besides,’ stated Anna, ‘his existence has been proven. It probably would have remained in the realm of mythology if it had not been for a discovery made in two-thousand-thirteen. A team of scientists unearthed nine-hundred-and-twenty bamboo tiles from Laoguan Mountain which mentioned internal medicine, surgery, gynaecology, dermatology, ophthalmology, and traumatology. And another one-hundred-and-eighty-four tiles were related to the medical treatment of horses. It is considered one of the most significant veterinarian works in ancient China. Another figurine has also been unearthed with nine medical books. Major acupoints were marked out and are thought to be a key to deciphering the origin of acupuncture treatment. So, you have a lot to learn from him. Especially as Bian Que lived a humble life, and not one that involved taking photos of himself every lunch break. Yes, I’ve seen you and it’s pathetic. You will never be admired as a deity doctor!’

‘I think we should go now,’ stated Lil grabbing Anna by the arm.

Anna stepped away as she replayed what she had said to the student. The information had come out of her mouth despite not knowing why. Suddenly, Anna knew there were answers beyond the stars and despite everyone having different theories, the goal was the same. She knew what her next move was and abandoned the course selection to organise a trip to an ancient land.

‘Where are you going?’ asked Ranja who was keen to leave the discussion as her beliefs were underwater.

‘I have to go,’ said Anna buttoning up her jacket to leave the shelter of the buildings which surrounded the courtyard.

‘I’ll come with you,’ said Sisi. ‘I’m done with this conversation. Besides, if they think that they can save humanity then they need to stop talking and get on with it because according to Isaac Newton, the world will end in the year two-thousand-and-sixty.’

Ranja scoffed. ‘It’s been prophesized many times and it has never happened.’

‘Yes, it has,’ stated Lil. ‘What about the end of the dinosaurs, the flood, the ice age?’

‘Alright,’ said Ranja struggling to put her bag over her shoulder.

‘So, looking at the past and how they worked with nature should help us in the future. Or maybe, it’s too late!’ stated Anna.

‘I think we should be spending money to look within our planet and under the water,’ said Ranja. ‘This planet is mainly water. Our bodies are mainly water. We don’t know what’s underneath. I still think that after the flood, some found a way to live below.’

For a moment, there was silence as they contemplated the future and what it would be like. Their technology was taken for granted but not long ago, it would have been incomprehensible.

Lil broke the silence, ‘What if the prophecies for the end of the world are a warning to give us a deadline to sort out our problems!’

‘Does it matter anyway?’ asked Sisi. ‘We are all one energy so if the planet did end then would we return to the mothership! Is it a waste of time searching because we will find it when we leave our bodies!’

Anna shook her head. ‘You’re making my head hurt. I know one thing and that is, I have to find out about my past before I can focus on the future.’

‘Do you think our mothers planned this?’ questioned Sisi.

Anna shrugged her shoulders, knowing that her life would never be the same again. For years, she had studied the stars and had contemplated being one of the volunteers to live on Mars. There was a pull in her heart to leave Earth but she had never known why. Some had worried that she was suicidal but she knew she couldn’t cut her path short. Riding it out was her only option. Study had kept her mind busy but now going on a trip with a friend was going to be an eye-opener and she knew that an experience beyond her imagination was coming up.

The street divided, taking the girls in different directions.

Chapter three

Mirror, mirror, mirror on the wall

Ranja was the first to reach her gate and as it swung open, she thought of her friends who were not going to be at the university. She had grown up with Sisi and Anna and would miss them terribly. Taking off her hat, she looked at her reflection in the glass door and wondered if she should step outside of her comfort zone. All she knew was study and theory so maybe it was time for practicality.

She knew she couldn’t live at home forever and where she wanted to go, wasn’t far away. She believed there was more to the waters of Scotland than the monster and as she studied her womanly shape, she knew there was no turning back to the girl she once was. No longer could she hide behind the front door. A broad smile enhanced her red lips and as she unwrapped her scarf from her neck, her long brown hair fell down her back.

A glow shone from her pale cheeks and as she closed the door, she inhaled the smell of her mother’s cooking which filled the small house.

‘Is that you Ranja?’ called out her mother.

‘It is!’ she answered as she hung up her coat on the rack of hooks next to the doorway.

‘I thought you were at school for the rest of the day,’ said her mother putting on the kettle and retrieving biscuits from the pantry.

‘We were but something strange happened. Gypsies turned up and Anna had her hand read.’

‘Oh, you don’t believe in all that nonsense,’ said her mother as she wiped her hands on her apron. ‘They’re only after money.’

‘I know, I know but Anna was convinced with what the woman had to say. It resonated with what her mother had given her before meeting up with us.’

Her mother sat on the stool interested in what had gone on.

‘Her mum gave her a ring and some information about her past and now she’s thinking about going to China. And Sisi is thinking of going to Egypt.’

‘I don’t want you travelling with them,’ demanded her mother. ‘I don’t think those countries are safe now. Stay in Scotland!’

‘Mum,’ said Ranja as she took out a couple of cups. ‘I don’t think anywhere is safe but after our discussions today, I feel as if I have a purpose and I think I have been put with my friends to find out how to help humanity and save the planet. That’s what I want to talk to you about. I’m thinking of deferring from university so I can travel through Scotland, Wales, and Ireland. I think that if I follow the water, my answer will be given. It is here somewhere and it’s time for me to search for it.’

‘Why can’t you stay at home?’ asked her mother as she stood up to grab the kettle. ‘You can research from here.’

Their eyes met and Ranja felt the connection. ‘I’m not going to another country. Well, maybe Ireland but that’s not far.’

Ranja was the only girl in a house full of boys and her mother would miss her company. She hugged her daughter as if for the last time, bringing tears to Ranja’s eyes. ‘I’m not going just yet Mum.’

‘I know,’ her mother said as she released herself from the embrace to grab the milk.‘I wonder how Sisi’s mother is taking the news?’

‘She suggested it.’ Ranja took a biscuit that was made with too much butter and whiskey.

‘I wonder if she meant it?’ queried Ranja’s mother but music distracted their thoughts and as they stared at the phone on the bench, a picture of Sisi’s mother appeared.

‘We are about to find out,’ said Ranja as she placed her finger on the phone.

The voice coming through the speaker was one of concern. Sisi’s mother blamed herself for mentioning her daughter’s past. She hadn’t expected Sisi to take off so soon. Pleading with Ranja, she hoped she would come over and postpone Sisi’s plans.

Ranja put on her coat and headed out the doorway to walk to a house at the end of the street.

With a knock, she was inside a home where the Egyptian influence was apparent. Ranja was used to a cramped house and was always surprised at the empty feeling which crept through her when she visited a home filled with minimalism. Sisi being an only child meant that there was no need to fit in items belonging to others. There were no smelly boots left at the front door from soccer-mad brothers. Instead, the smell of incense filled the air. The aroma of hearty meals was replaced with spices and herbs. For a moment, Ranja laughed as she thought that Lil should be the one living with Sisi’s mother.

‘Ranja,’ said Sisi with an element of surprise.

‘Our mothers are on the phone,’ said Ranja taking off her coat. ‘Your mum is worried and wants me to make you see some sense.’

‘Do you think I shouldn’t go?’ quizzed Sisi turning back to the lounge room decorated with Egyptian artefacts. ‘I think that if I don’t go now, I might not go at all.’

‘I think your mum is worried with what is going on at the moment. Egypt is close to where the problems are but then again, we are in range as well.’

‘Maybe we should head for the highlands,’ joked Sisi.

‘I don’t think it would matter. You know me. I think we should be under the water.’

For a change, Sisi agreed with her friend. ‘But then again, Anna thinks there is a chance that we can live on other planets. It seems that we are heading that way. We thought the earth was flat then we discovered the planet is round then we go to the moon. Now we are going to Mars. When you think about it, it’s happening very quickly. Who knows, we might be living on other planets soon. New galaxies are being found and there have to be planets out there that we can live on.’

‘My mother told me that the Chinese believe their ancestors came down from the moon to establish their celestial empire on Earth,’ interjected Ranja.

‘Strange for your mother to know of ancient China!’

‘Her interest is dragons. She said that luminous globes landed here and were occupied by powerful beings. Apparently, the eighth chapter of a very ancient manuscript tells of an idyllic time when all living creatures on Earth lived in peace and harmony. Mum thinks it is when the dragons came to teach us wisdom.’Ranja sighed as she sat on the couch. ‘Don’t you think it’s strange that, out of all our friends, it’s the four of us who are interested in doing something to save this planet. I feel as if there has been a change but people are still materialistic. How can our small group make a difference? Is it worth trying? I feel like not bothering sometimes.’

‘I know how you feel,’ said Sisi, ‘but my mind has been changed today. Why, I don’t know so maybe others can change straight away. I just feel as if I have to go to Egypt especially after what I saw.’

Curiosity got the better of Ranja.

‘It’s nothing really.’

Her friend glared at her so she admitted to an odd occurrence. ‘I was in the bathroom and when I looked in the mirror, I saw myself as an ancient Egyptian. The headgear and everything. Please keep it to yourself. The others will think I’m crazy.’

‘I felt differently when I saw my reflection. Mind you, the reflection was of me but I think something is going on.’

‘Maybe we should ask Anna if she’s experienced anything odd in the mirror!’Sisi wondered why she wasn’t worried and why she had not reacted when the vision had presented itself.

‘Let’s go and see Anna,’ said Ranja getting to her feet.

‘I’m going to Anna’s place!’ called out Sisias she quickly escaped by pushing through the solid door painted black centuries before.

‘I’m thinking about travelling around the Celtic countries. There are so many stories connected to the water,’ said Ranja as they made their way to Anna’s home.

‘It’s as if we have been given a mission,’ said Sisi pulling up the neckline of her jumper to shield her from the cold.

‘Do you think the gypsies had anything to do with it?’ askedRanja. ‘I know I’m not one for the supernatural but today has been weird.’

What had been discussed during the day, played through their minds as they walked along the grey street with budded branches stretching out from garden beds.

‘Anna,’ said Sisi, ‘where are you going?’

‘Your mothers are on the phone with my mum. I think they're blaming her for the travel bug,’ said Anna.

‘Is your mum having doubts about you going to China?’ questioned Sisi.

‘Our mothers want us to leave home and then, when we say we are going, they want us to stay,’ stated Anna.

‘It’s ridiculous!’ declared Ranja. ‘We are adults.’

‘Let’s go the travel agent,’ said Anna feeling the excitement growing inside of her. ‘We don’t have to book anything but we can find out about prices.’

‘What about Lil?’ asked Sisi.

‘We can pick her up on the way,’ said Ranja who had already considered her friend. ‘I’m sure my mother would have included her in the conversation.’

There was no other choice as their curiosity had been aroused so they made their way over to a house surrounded by garden beds.

‘Lil loves her flowers,’ stated Ranja.

‘And her herbs,’ stated Sisi as she rubbed rosemary through her fingers to inhale the aroma.

‘Don’t forget weeds.’ Anna laughed at the madness of the garden.

A door handle turned as Lil came out to greet them. ‘I was wondering who was laughing.’

‘Is your mother chatting to our mothers?’ asked Anna.

Lil rolled her eyes as she shook her head in disbelief. Something as trivial as taking a holiday had created such chaos among the mothers. If her friends hadn’t appeared, Lil would have left the house as she was being lectured on the dangers of travel. ‘Going overseas wasn’t even on my agenda.’

The girls motioned for her to follow them toward the travel agent.

‘I was heading for the forest to clear my head,’ said Lil as she escaped her home. ‘It’s funny isn’t it that I was the one who was not going anywhere and now I’m thinking of leaving. Especially, if you all leave.’

Sisi had to ask, ‘This sounds insane but have you experienced any weird reflections?’

Lil was the first to answer, ‘I have. I went to take a photo of my garden for social media. The camera turned to me and I hadn’t touched the screen. The strange thing was that my phone showed me being pulled by the weeds.’

‘Now that’s weird!’ declared Ranja as she stared at Anna.

As Anna nodded, she admitted to seeing her reflection in the window of a car. ‘I had to look twice because I was falling through space. It was the stardust that was dragging me. I wasn’t going to say anything because I thought I was hallucinating.’

‘The trees will help heal us,’ announced Lil as she pushed to walk faster.

Outside of suburbia, lay a small woodland that the girls had visited many times. Narrow pathways took walkers away from day-to-day life and through large trees that provided homes for wildlife. Many birdwatchers spent hours with binoculars waiting for the interaction between species but for the friends, it was the solitude away from the university and clean air that was the drawcard.

‘I feel as if my eyes have been opened,’ said Anna. ‘If that makes any sense. I’m noticing things now. I’m looking at a blackbird which is ridiculous really. I should be looking at men. Is there something wrong with me?’

‘You’re right,’ stated Sisi, ‘we should be out having a good time and not carrying the weight of the world on our shoulders. Why don’t we have boyfriends?’

Negativity fuelled the conversation but stopped when a bird swooped at them.

‘What’s going on today?’ asked Lil ducking for cover.

‘It’s spring,’ stated Ranja.

‘No, that’s not the reason,’ stated a voice from behind them.

They turned around to see a woman, graceful with dark features. Her dress flowed as she moved towards them. At first, they wondered if she was part of the gypsy group that had invaded their town but this woman was spellbinding. Dark eyes glared into their souls and at first, the friends didn’t know what to do. It was as if they were trapped in time or another realm.

‘Do not fear me,’ whispered the woman. ‘My name is Bran Black and I am here to