Heavenly Creatures

By Jenna Ji Min Lee

Three thousand years ago, Tara and her older brother were eaten by wolves after their mother abandoned them in the forest. The problem is, Tara doesn't remember any of that. It's only when she meets Sun Wukong, the heavenly Monkey King, that she begins to have dreams and flashbacks to her past lives. Sun convinces Tara to embark on a spiritual quest to unravel her present-day traumas by diving into her past, which is inextricably linked to the present. This book is a retelling of the beloved Buddhist legend of Avalokitesvara and Mahasthamaprapta, influenced by eastern and western spiritual traditions. It will most resonate with lovers of fantasy, those interested in eastern teachings, and those who enjoy things that are off the beaten path.

• Language: English
• Publisher: BookBaby
• Release date: Jan 25, 2023
• ISBN: 9781667886398

Book preview

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HEAVENLY CREATURES

© 2023, Jenna Ji Min Lee.

All rights reserved. This book or any portion thereof may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever without the express written permission of the publisher except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

Hard cover ISBN: 978-1-66788-638-1

eBook ISBN: 978-1-66788-639-8

Category (Middle Grade/Young Adult)

Genre (Fantasy/Metaphysical Fiction/Historical Fiction)

Contents

Prologue

Chapter 1: Monkey

Chapter 2: Mouse

Chapter 3: Dragon

Chapter 4: Friday

Chapter 5: Incorporeal

Chapter 6: Corporeal

Chapter 7: A Soul from Purgatory

Chapter 8: A Talk with the Dragon

Chapter 9: Tara

Chapter 10: Dreams or Memories

Chapter 11: Red Pill

Chapter 12: Avalokitesvara

Chapter 13: Valley of the Gods

Chapter 14: Sun Wukong

Chapter 15: Mother

Chapter 16: Day Two

Chapter 17: Days Three to Twenty-One

Chapter 18: Days Twenty-Two to Forty-Nine

Chapter 19: Day Fifty

Chapter 20: An Eye for an Eye

Chapter 21: Day Fifty-One

Chapter 22: Days Fifty-Two to Sixty

Chapter 23: Merkaba

Chapter 24: Alone

Chapter 25: The Heart Sutra

Chapter 26: Rabbit

Chapter 27: The Game

Chapter 28: Two Weeks Later

Chapter 29: Soul Confessions

Chapter 30: Rebirth

Chapter 31: The Desert

Chapter 32: Home

Chapter 33: Home Again

Chapter 34: A Semblance of Peace

Chapter 35: A Miracle

Chapter 36: Three Thousand Years Prior

Chapter 37: The End and Beginning

Acknowledgments & Afterword

About the Author

Prologue

Tara held the glass ball up to the light. The light shone through it, refracting into a rainbow on the cream carpet. The other children suddenly quieted, and Tara looked over to see the orphanage’s matron walking over with a couple.

This is Tara. She’s five years old, very quiet, very well-behaved, the matron said, smiling at Tara.

Tara didn’t smile back, but she looked at the couple who had come to see her. They looked sad, and the emotion drew her to them. She, too, had held a sense of solemnity deep within herself after the accident. But the couple seemed to see none of that sadness in her, for they smiled as they looked into her eyes.

What a bright girl, the mother cooed, holding out her arms shyly. Tara smiled very slightly and hugged the woman.

We’ll take her, the woman mouthed to the matron.

When the Hand of God finally crumbled to dust, Sun Wukong crawled out of its grip and shook himself. A thousand years of solitude and silence had changed him. He felt himself a being of stone, just like the prison that had trapped him. Any bitterness or anger at heaven had melted away. Any sadness, any regret, any hope. He felt as the angels did—peaceful and dead—for unlike them, the lights had yet to fill his being. Which was ironic because the sun shone unusually brightly on that day.

Chapter 1

Monkey

The new boy saw me first. It was at our tri-annual track meet, and one of the competitors, a girl with the name Kali on her jersey, nicked me with her shoe as she passed. My unpraiseworthy temper flared at this injustice as I planned how to get even with her. During our next warm up run, I kicked the back of her knee as I ran past.

Except, I didn’t expect what happened next. Kali fell with a sickening crunch, and a second later she was screaming as blood ran down her chin.

Hey! Hey! My coach ran towards me, red-faced. What the hell are you doing? Get off the track!

Kali’s coach and a sports therapist ran up beside her, and my heart sank as I looked at her face. The words ‘I’m sorry’ died in my mouth as I realized how monumentally I had screwed up. There was no coming back from this one.

I was escorted off the field, but not before making eye contact with a boy in the stands. I barely registered his face, but he had noticed me all right.

We don’t understand… My mother’s voice carried out into the hall, where I stood as I hesitated before entering the principal’s office. Tara is such a good kid. She would never do something like this.

The principal motioned for me to enter, which I meekly did.

What we’re thinking is that perhaps Tara has some repressed emotions from… the accident, the principal said, glancing at me. I stared at my clenched hands, my gaze hardening. We suggest a one-week suspension and some therapy.

My mother sighed, and I looked at her sadly, knowing I had disappointed her.

Yes, mother said. That sounds reasonable.

On the Monday after my suspension, I noticed the new boy as I walked into calculus. As the class went on, I noticed that he kept staring at me. I felt embarrassed and angry at the attention, which I assumed was because he had formed an opinion of me as some kind of rampant troublemaker. The next time he looked at me, I aggressively stared back, taking the chance to study him. His hair looked like he had been electrocuted, and his face was curiously expressionless.

I considered telling him to cut it out, but he was sitting across the aisle, and I didn’t want to disturb the class on my first day back.

Instead, the next time I caught his eye, I scowled fiercely, putting on the most unattractive glower I could muster. That put a stop to it, and I solved my problem set in peace for the next forty minutes of mind-numbing bliss.

My last class of the day was astronomy, aka hell. I slumped into my chair and complained to Ana, my best friend.

Why do we need to learn this again?

Speak for yourself! Ana flipped her blonde hair over her shoulder primly. "I’m going to be a physicist."

Oh right, I muttered, rolling my eyes but smiling. Lucky you. I’m probably going to be a starving artist.

Ana laughed. Oh Tara, you can stay with me until you make it.

Thanks for your faith in me, I said. But I might just have to learn a trade.

The new boy chose that moment to enter the classroom and make eye contact with me.

Oh boy, I said. Here we go.

Ana glanced over at where I was looking then turned back to me, giggling.

Ooh, is that Sun? You know, he won every single race at the track meet. Ana glanced at me, as if remembering. She smiled weakly. It was a good distraction from… you know.

I weakly smiled back. Thanks for giving me the updates.

All right! Mr. Kirby walked into the room, which quieted a hair of a decibel. All right, students! The poor man cleared his throat. Now, let’s partner up, please.

I turned to Ana, but she had already partnered with the boy next to her. Typical boy-crazy Ana. I turned to the chair behind me only to find the new boy smirking at me.

You’re Tara, right?

I was too dumfounded to reply. He took pity on me and took out his notebook, which looked like he had fished it out of a dumpster.

It’s your lucky day, partner.

Chapter 2

Mouse

Okay, you caught me. The truth is, I’m shy. And the new boy was cute, very cute. Not to beat a dead horse, but the new boy was the kind of guy Ana would have loved to have staring at her.

So it’s only natural that I was suspicious of him.

I sighed. Okay, how should we split this?

The new boy shrugged. I dunno. Any thoughts?

I suggested we split it so we each did every other section. He agreed easily. I hesitated as I wrote my name at the top. What’s your full name? I asked, indicating the blank at the top of my worksheet.

It’s… He hemmed, and I frowned.

You don’t have a name?

He scratched the back of his neck, which was way too cute to be fair.

My name is Sun Wukong, he said. Miraculously,