Dyna-Mike

1.

October 1972

In all honesty, I have to tell you it wasn't my fault. Seriously. I know it's hard to believe, all things considered, but it's the truth. All right, I can see that you're skeptical. Maybe I should start at the beginning.

My name is Samual Weatherspoon, and it all started in the fall of 1972 when I was walking to school. I was a new sophomore at Fairmont High, having transferred there from the local parochial school after having been asked not to re-enroll, since my grades were, well, an embarrassment to the institution. I was a little disappointed about being rejected, but I never liked the place; it was too strict and isolated from the rest of the world.

The passing cars were filled with the sounds of Jimi Hendrix's "Electric Ladyland", Pink Floyd's "The Wall", Led Zeppelin's "Hangman" and Black Sabbath's "Iron Man", as I walked along the old streets on my way to class. Approaching the campus, I mused how everybody had long hair (except me, my father wouldn't permit it), how all the girls were throwing their virginity away at parties (except to me), how the parking lot was filled with the aroma of cheap marijuana, and how cigarette butts littered the street corners adjacent to the school in staggering abundance. The air was crisp and cool on this overcast morning, and the surrounding sounds were strangely subdued as I made my trek toward the hallowed institution of knowledge, such as it was.

The old Fairmont community library always struck me as an interesting local landmark. It was squarely in the middle of a massive and perfectly circular plot of land, right at the center of town. It was old, sprawling, faded brown, and surrounded by bushes and trees, which the local children loved to play and climb in. There was a particularly thick concentration of foliage in the rear, where the "stoners" came to party the school hours away on those frequent occasions when the nearby school parking lot was overly supervised by a suspicious faculty. Quite a few young ladies lost their honor in that hidden thicket of shrubbery over the years. I used to peek inside the roomy, cave-like, leaf-walled clearing in the center out of curiosity from time to time, wondering who might be inside, and up to what mysterious activities.

On this particular morning, I felt so inclined, so I veered away from my destination in favor of the virtual den of iniquity. As the steam from my breath preceded me into the enclosure of thick bushes, I felt an eerie sense of disconnection from the rest of my surroundings. The ambient sounds gradually faded away, until there was complete silence as I reached the inner sanctum of the hideaway. At first I didn't notice, but the air was no longer cold. Around me were leaves and branches of all shapes and sizes, forming the natural walls and ceiling; effectively insulating me from the outside world, and blocking nearly all the daylight without. There were discarded cigarette packs, empty beer cans, several quilts and blankets strewn about on the ground, and a small pair of flowered panties dangling on a branch at the far side of the enclosure. Not a particularly romantic setting, but then again I supposed the teenage girl who had left without her unmentionables was probably just here for the experience and bragging rights rather than a sentimental honeymoon.

I heard a giggle behind me; soft, gay and magical; feminine, playful and enticing. I turned to look, but I was alone. Again I heard the laughter, this time louder, and friendlier than before. I slowly surveyed the entire area, but there was no one there. A third time the musical notes of merriment rang in my ears, and I was fully perplexed.

"Samual, why do you look so bewildered?" asked the soft fairy-like voice.

"Um, where are you?" I asked nervously.

"Close your eyes, Samual. To see me you must leave behind your surroundings", came the fantasy voice again.

Now, I consider myself to be a pretty normal guy. I mean, I've got an imagination as flexible as the next fellow. But this was just plain weird! I chalked it up to a practical joke, and decided to play along.

"Okay, my eyes are closed. Now what?" I obeyed.

I could feel her presence, whoever she was, but no rustling of leaves revealed where she had been hiding.

"Remember, keep your eyes closed, Samual, or the magic will end…." She sang lightly.

I felt fingertips brushing lightly on my forearm, as she moved toward me. I could smell the fragrance of sweet flowers as her hair swished past, filling my senses. She stopped in front of me, and gently placed her delicate hands on my cheeks, caressing my face. One small hand curled around my neck, drawing me nearer. I felt her breath, fresh and sweet, as she pulled closer. I thrilled as my head lowered, and gave myself to her kiss. All too soon, she pulled away.

"Don't peek!" she warned in a smiling voice. I kept my eyes firmly shut. She took my hand firmly in hers, and instructed me,

"Hold on tight!" I gripped her hand as tightly as I could without hurting her. She laughed again. "Ready?"

"For anything!" I gushed.

"Here we go!" she exclaimed. I felt a bit unnerved. My stomach began to feel queasy, and the ground became unsteady beneath my feet. My head was swirling, and I felt disoriented. Then I became aware my shoes were no longer touching the ground at all! I tapped around with my feet, but met only thin air!

"What's happening?" I called, alarmed.

"Don't open your eyes!" her reassuring voice came, clear as a bell. "You must trust me, Samual."

"Okay…okay…." I replied uneasily.

I felt a growing rush of air about me, as if I were in motion, floating like a kite on a lazily windy afternoon. Sounds began to whirl around me, confusing sounds, accompanied by strange odors and weird sensations I could not describe if I tried, sounds completely foreign to me, smells indescribable, and sensations unknown and alien. My tightly closed eyelids went blindingly bright, then dark as midnight, then bright again, continuously oscillating between subdued shading and oppressive brilliance.

This went on for a time, and then there was the feeling of cessation. Everything slowed, and I found myself in absolute solitude. The light was gray now, and constant. The only presence in this vacuum was she, my mysterious guide and companion, and the grip of her hand in mine.

"It's time, Samual. Open your eyes." I couldn't. For some reason I was afraid, very afraid. "It's okay. You can trust me," She reassured.

"I do. Okay, here goes…" I slowly opened my eyes and blinked.

What happened next is probably going to seem unbelievable. I can still hardly believe it myself. There are times I swear I must have imagined the whole thing, but the fact remains: it really happened.

All around me was swirling fog, although it was warm, not cold and bitter. A soft, glowing luminescence was everywhere, reflecting twinkling miniscule lights like microscopic stars which floated in the airborne eddies and currents like dust as the swirling clouds moved silently, endlessly, eternally. Below me and above me were the mists; I was floating with no floor, no ceiling, no walls, no structures, nothing. I was suspended in this aura of unreality, in absolute silence.

Yet the silence was no longer eerie or frightening. It was peaceful, calming, and comfortable. To be perfectly accurate, it was delightful. After peering around in an attempt to orient myself to no avail for a time, I remembered my companion, and her hand in mine. Slowly my eyes crept down my arm, until I saw our clasped hands. Her flesh was glowing, white, almost see-through in its unusual opaque beauty. I followed her slight arm up to her shoulder, and then gazed at her lithe form, adorned in a simple yet dazzling gown that reached below her feet. Her hair was almost as long as her gown, and white as electric snow; it floated and sparkled with the swirling mists, interacting with them, almost dancing. Within her tresses, a myriad of tiny rainbows seemed to appear and disappear as she moved, her hair constantly changing and reacting to every nuance. Her face was soft and bright as a moonbeam, unimaginably beautiful, a picture of eternal youth caught in absolute perfection, glowing and radiating with an effervescent shimmer. She was the size of a thirteen year-old girl, but carried herself with the bearing of a regal queen. When she moved, the mists moved with her, as if they were part of her, connected to her in some way. When I looked into her eyes, I fell inside, and saw the universe in its entire vast expanse. I found myself caught, unable to look away, forgetting to breathe as I basked in the timeless wonder of her magnificence.

She broke my gaze by looking away for a moment, and I realized I was faint from lack of oxygen.

"Breathe, silly!" she said with a laugh in her voice.

I gulped and ravenously inhaled a deep breath, beginning to stabilize. I was stunned with wonder and amazement.

"Who are you? What are you? What is this place? Why did you bring me here? How…" I stammered.

"One thing at a time!" she laughed merrily. "There is no hurry in this place!" She was quiet, smiling, looking curiously at me. "Samual, I am Gabrielae, the Fair. I am from a plane of existence far from here both in time and space. I am destined to be your Companion-Guide! I have been sent to seek you out, to prepare you, and to enlighten you in preparation for the Gifts of Eden. I have brought you to this place, the place of my dominion, a place without time or form, the place in which I dwell, because I cannot be seen in your world. I have been watching you for a long time, Samual. You have been Chosen." She smiled sweetly.

"But why me?" I asked, overwhelmed with confusion.

"I have long watched you and your people, and followed you. It was necessary, for the Gifts of Eden may be granted only to the worthy. I had to ensure you were in fact worthy of the Gifts. It was by chance that I decided to follow your movements above all others. There was nothing guiding my decision, other than Fate herself. But once I began, I found myself drawn to you, caring about you, wanting to speak to you, yet unable to all the while. I went to the Council of the Fair and asked you be considered as the Recipient of the Gifts, and in their benevolence they granted my request. How overjoyed I was! For my affection for you had grown great with time, and it meant I would finally be revealed to you!" She was quiet, and her smile faded.

"What is wrong?" I asked, worried now.

"Now that we have met, we must again part. If you choose to accept the Gifts of Eden, you must first accept a Quest, which will bring you through many hardships and struggles. You may succeed, then again you may fail. But you must decide if you are willing now to try." She took my other hand into hers, and looked deeply into my eyes. Once more, I felt myself falling, falling away from myself, into the expanse of the universe, forgetting myself as I fell. I heard her voice echoing in the distance as she asked, "Will you accept the Quest?"

"Okay…I guess…I will…" I murmured, as everything went dark and I lost all consciousness.

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