Prologue

Peace in the Middle East had been celebrated after many years of human sacrifice and suffering. Many had asked if the death toll had really been worth the centuries of fighting, loss of life and all the sorrow that had ensued. Eventually, the realisation dawned that there could be no winners, only losers, whatever creed. Those leaders which had reigned with fear and violence had long since been eradicated and the climate of the world had changed, some would say, beyond recognition over the last 50 years. Egypt was no longer the desert-like country that it used to be in the last century and of which the peoples of the late 1900s would remember. Rainfall had increased dramatically and desert land was fast disappearing. Rivers now flowed past the great pyramids and the Sphinx was surrounded by a vast lake, in some parts as deep as a small ocean. Sadly these holy lands which had been renowned for their structural wonders, where tales of early miracles and intelligent life had been born, were now of little interest. They had once been at the heart of many archaeological expeditions, evoking thought and theories that perhaps mysterious beings may have once inhabited the Earth and built these wondrous structures, maybe even inspiring the growth and evolution of our ancient ancestors.

Certainly climatically, the changes were very profound and some islands that had once flourished and supported a significant eco system to give life to human and the animal populations had disappeared under water, lost forever. Major devastation had occurred decades ago, causing astronomical changes for mankind. Technology, which had been growing steadily until that point, was forced through necessity to advance at a greater pace to another level and in this transition came the birth of the Transnanite Regenerating Intelligence Governing Over Mankind; generally referred to as T.R.I.G.O.M. … This in turn marked the beginning of the greatest change the Earth and its inhabitants could ever imagine possible but perhaps not even the most advanced technology would be its saviour and only ancient knowledge could truly ensure the continuation of Mankind.

Chapter One

EYGPT – 2183

Torri looked up at the night sky and as ever was in awe of the vastness of the universe. She had always appreciated the beauty of the many constellations of twinkling stars. Although she knew that they were millions of miles away, they looked so bright and vibrant, almost as if they were there to light the way to some secret place. It was here on the banks of the Nile, alone on her favourite spot by the shimmering light of the Egyptian moon that she found time to reflect. It was when she was here more than anywhere else that she felt the loss of her grandfather, she missed him so much. His protective arms around her whenever she needed comfort; his words of wisdom, whenever she felt lost. Oh she missed him so much. She had been only fifteen when he had passed, but she had known that it was going to happen, she had seen it in one of her many visions. It had come to her one evening, quickly and without warning, as they always did. She had been unable to contain her tears but knew that she could do nothing to prevent what must be. She had reached the tender age of three when these visions had first started and as a young child she had been frightened and bewildered, not understanding what was happening. They were so vivid that many times she felt that she was physically there, witnessing whatever event was being shown to her. At first she had not been able to tell anyone, in fear that she would be ridiculed or even that she would get into trouble. Her grandfather had been the first person she had found the courage to confide in with the hope that he would make things better as he always did. He, more than anyone had understood her and accepted her “gift” as he explained it to her, which had made her love him even more. He had never judged her or lost his patience; her kind gentle grandfather had given her the precious gift of his unconditional love. Reflecting back now and although at the time it hadn’t seemed strange that he had shown no surprise at her revelation, she was sure that he too had a gift and so he had been able to understand her completely. He had been her guiding star, helping her along, what started out as a rocky path, before she was able to finally accept her “gift”. A gift that sometimes made her feel alone and vulnerable, she felt different, even from her own mother and father but even at her loneliest times she could feel her destiny beckoning and it gave her hope. Spiritualism was nothing new and it had been fairly widespread and accepted many years ago but now, not many people actually practised it or made it common knowledge that they had such a gift. Torri believed that perhaps it was not looked too kindly on by the T.R.I.G.O.M. board, but after all it was not controllable. She often had an overwhelming feeling that her destiny was connected to her gift and during some of her visions, her conscious mind faded from reality so that she was actually in the place and time of the event that she was being shown, feeling, hearing; all her senses alive with the moment. It was not uncommon for her to feel weak and nauseous for some time after but she had learned how to cope and tried to live her life as normally as possible. Now, years later and after having had many experiences of this kind, she knew that whatever role she had in the future it would take all of her courage and faith but that she was becoming stronger and stronger and so she had learned not to be frightened; instead she embraced her gift, knowing that one day it would be needed.

Chapter Two

Most of her childhood education, as with all children of her age, had been spent alone in her computer room, her parents providing her only guidance but at the age of eight she had been overjoyed when she had found out that she had been chosen by the T.R.I.G.O.M. learning council to be one of a select few children to be given an opportunity to attend an experimental learning class. This had been set up on a trial basis to assess whether or not physical activity could promote a higher level of learning. She was so excited that instead of being alone by the computer, she would actually get the chance to meet and interact with other children. Although her parents had not seemed too keen on this idea at first, she had managed to persuade them to let her try it. Torri secretly thought that they had consented in the end to get some peace from her constant chatter. She hadn’t been able to stop talking about it and had bombarded them with pleas to let her go. She was not the usual quiet child of the time and frustrated her parents by her insatiable appetite to learn. She would always be asking questions if there was something that she didn’t understand and added to her liking for the outdoors her parents had become very worried that she wouldn’t fit into the society created by T.R.I.G.O.M. They just could not understand her and where possible they tried to discourage her outdoor activities so that attention would not be drawn to them. She was so thankful that they had allowed her to go to these classes and, whatever their reasons, she had felt overjoyed and couldn’t wait to tell her beloved grandfather that they had finally said yes. She knew that he would be pleased for her.

This opportunity had given her the chance to make friends with other children of her own age, share their interests and play together, which was now a thing of the past. She had been nervous on her first day but as soon as she entered the learning room her nerves disappeared being replaced with excitement, expectations and an eagerness to learn. She loved the days when she attended these classes and made many friends but she had also experienced first-hand, childish cruelty and adult prejudice when her “gift” became common knowledge. Many times she had come home full of the things that she had learned and eagerly talking about her friends but there had been days when she came home in tears after being teased by a fellow classmate or rebuked by one of the adult overseers. The adults were less understanding of her and who didn’t seem to have much time for this strange child, as some of them cruelly thought of her. Once again her grandfather had always been there with a hug and words of reassurance, making everything better. Now at twenty-four she was able to look back and cherish the times that they had spent together, reflecting upon his wise words which had always given her so much courage. Her other comfort and whom she had been able to confide in had been her friend who she had met on her first day at her learning class all those years ago. She had arrived with her brother, a quiet boy prone to sulking and who didn’t seem to like the friendship that she had formed with his sister. He always seemed so jealous and possessive, Torri had not liked him at all but her friendship with his sister had prospered and grown even so.

It had been such a sad day for Torri when she had been told that her classes were to end. The learning board had not liked the interaction classes which encouraged students to be active and to form physical friendships which could not always be controlled. They preferred instead to revert back to the individual learning that T.R.I.G.O.M. provided where physical interaction was not necessary and control was easier, sat in a solitary learning room. The experiment had not met with their expectations, they had added no further explanations and all facilities had been withdrawn.

However, their friendship had lasted long after the learning classes had ceased, their bond strengthened and nurtured by many long chats through the computer links. Torri had been so upset to say goodbye to her friend, there was a sadness about her but she had not had any visions or premonitions about her future which was unusual, only a strong sense that they both needed a friend and confidante. She had been frantic with worry when their communication had suddenly stopped and more than a little shocked that she had no idea why, even when she tried to draw on her own spiritual ability. Her only comfort was that she knew she was alive to fulfil her own destiny and that one day their paths would meet again.

ENGLAND – 2183

The vehicle seemed to come from nowhere … Joshua had been in a world of his own; full of excitement having just left the academy, such a rarity these days to attend a meeting, rather than alone and through the computer. Although great advancements had been made in the last decade with special eye chips implanted at birth which, when activated enabled the viewer to experience amazing visual 3D images, it was still a poor second to actually being at a venue physically and being able to embrace the atmosphere it generated. To hear someone talking provoked feeling and an intensity that a computer link, no matter how advanced, just could not create. He had been enthralled by the words of the professor, whom he had greatly admired since his tutorial days and whose works in the computer library system had first inspired him to pursue his interest in ancient history. Although not a widely popular subject in this modern society or even greatly encouraged as it involved a good deal of physical activities, he had not been deterred by the negativity of others in his choice to pursue this path of learning. It had paid off as he was now well on his way to becoming a respected researcher and philosopher in this field with his debates of ancient relics and symbols in the modern world and their possible significance to the future. His papers exploring his theories on ancient artefacts investigated the authenticity of many of these discoveries. He had even managed to get some of his writings accepted into the computer library system and this was indeed a great achievement for someone so young. They had created interest within the history section, often used as references or chosen topics by the monthly debating groups. These were groups of people from all over the world, linked by the holographic conferencing system, who liked to put forward or discuss issues, usually on a monthly basis. These groups were initially formed and promoted to help when great cultural and technical changes had taken place, it was a way of communication, helping and encouraging people to attain acceptance in a changing world. Now, however, it was more of a social gathering to practise conversational arts and strengthen friendship links although they were still monitored closely by T.R.I.G.O.M.

“These artefacts bring us knowledge to embrace and hold the key to understanding our past but what of our future?” He was mulling over the meaning of the professor’s words when the vehicle hit. He hadn’t been concentrating on the road. All vehicles were strictly controlled by T.R.I.G.O.M. and any form of accident or incident happened very rarely. Pedestrians, who were few and far between, would never pay too much attention to the roads or have any fear of a vehicle hitting them. The vehicles with their highly adapted scanners and programs should have made it impossible for accidents to happen. The impact was sudden, followed by a sharp pain down his right hand side and a searing pain in his head. He was fading in and out of consciousness, but through the black mist that kept engulfing him, he saw a man staring down at him as he lay badly injured and unable to move; his piercing blue eyes showing no emotion. The events that followed were hazy but he vaguely remembered hearing panicked voices shouting as emergency vehicles approached. He thought the approaching vehicles had made the man jump but he couldn’t be sure and after closing his eyes for a moment again, the man had disappeared. Perhaps it was a figment of his imagination brought on by shock and pain. Just before he completely passed out he saw the blue emergency Air Disc land and felt himself being lifted up.

Chapter Three

The computer’s emergency M.I.R. (Medical Intelligence Robot) had worked quickly and tirelessly to revive Joshua and just on the last attempt to revive him, his heart started to beat. The monitor’s sudden bleep drew relieved looks by the crash team technicians, who had been observing on the monitoring screens. They were there to ensure that the computer systems were functioning correctly. Human doctors still worked in the hospitals, but their role had evolved into a more technical supervisory one, with computers taking over the main work load, performing the day to day routine work and all of the intricate operations.

Human contact with patients had been restricted within all hospitals to reduce the risk of infections. This had come into force in the latter part of 2070, after the outbreak of an extremely voracious virus which had affected 30 % of the world’s human population. Now, cleanliness was of the highest level and monitored closely by the main frame computer which would automatically shut off any contaminated areas if detected. Appearance enhancing procedures accounted for the majority of patients in hospitals, reflecting both the vast medical advancements which had been made regarding major illnesses but sadly reflecting a regression of the human race, due to vanity and materialistic obsessions. In the past, hospitals had been sued for large sums of money when the old monetary systems existed, by patients recovering from these procedures, when the risk of infection was high, causing deformities and fatalities. Ironically, money had been the underlying source of infection as cleanliness and the wellbeing of people within the hospitals had suffered because of lack of funding and expenditure; the importance put on cost values above all else. This at least had been eradicated and money was of no importance.

After the relief of his resuscitation, Joshua was now ready to be transferred to the recovery room and in accordance to customary procedures; this is where he would be left until he regained consciousness. After a few hours his eyes opened slowly, the light of the room causing him pain as he tried to focus on his surroundings. He was in a small bright room which smelt of disinfectant with an odd sound which he couldn’t place. Nurses had long been replaced with artificial intelligence units, linked to the main frame computer which controlled the main support functions of this modern society. The sound he couldn’t place was the constant hum of the computer, usually a sound that was so low that people did not realise it was there. Maybe it was because he had been unconscious for so long and had not been able to hear the humming noise but it now appeared to be getting louder and his head started to thump with the sound. He tried to open his eyes again but the brightness of the room intensified the pain in his head. The computer, which was monitoring his vital signs, detected his eye movement, instantly recognising the pain reaction to the bright light and within a split second the blinds had closed automatically, dimming the light to a softer level, relieving some of his discomfort. The bed started to adjust itself to a partial sitting position, the computer automatically executing its programme to ensure the patient has the highest level of comfort and relief. Spontaneously, a message had been generated notifying the Doctors that the patient had regained consciousness. Josh wanted to speak, but his mouth felt so dry, he started to panic. Once again the computer acted immediately and he felt his throat being sprayed with a fine mist of water administered from the tubes that he was attached to. Every need was catered for, the computer linked to him by very fine silvery optic strands which had become a temporary part of his body. He slowly started to remember who he was and vaguely recalled the vehicle heading towards him, he had thought intentionally and then he could remember nothing else. As he became more aware of his surroundings, a distant dream of a bright light filled his mind but then a sharp pain in his right arm dispelled all other thoughts. As he was now in a sitting position, he could see that his arm was in the break tube, his bones being mended by the “repair machine,” he knew that it would not be long before his broken arm would be mended. Just then a man appeared wearing a white coat and smiled at Joshua. Although this was unusual for any human contact, Joshua was feeling somewhat disorientated and just looked at the man as he approached, not even wondering why he was in his room. This small white haired man smiled warmly at him and although by now Joshua had started to feel very light headed and sick he noticed that the man was looking at his arm. The room had started spinning and a hazy mist was covering his vision. He was beginning to feel very uncomfortable. Just before Josh passed out again, he thought he felt the man touch his arm; it started to tingle. The mist got thicker before his eyes; he couldn’t see anymore. His arm started to burn slightly and then darkness took over. He was once again drifting in and out of consciousness, uncertain of what was reality. He thought he heard a soft voice whispering his name, a strange vibration flowing through his body as he thought he could see shadowy silhouettes in the distance. Then a bright light in the distance seemed to draw him near. In this dream-like state he felt very much alive. He thought he heard a distant voice, so soft that at first he thought it was music but then he heard, “Joshua you have work to do so that we all may have hope again for the future.” Joshua didn’t feel afraid, but strangely calmed by this voice which instilled an odd feeling of recognition which he couldn’t quite place.

“Where am I?” He knew he had not actually uttered the words but that he had said them and they had been heard and understood.

“You are safe, in a place that you know but can’t remember. The old order is soon to change and so we must prepare for the new. You will need to travel to fulfil your chosen path and amongst the artefacts you will learn the reason of your existence through one who is as special as you. Do not be afraid you will know what to do but now you will return back along the bridge of light, to the heavy burden which is your physical body.”

Joshua had felt so free and as light as a feather then suddenly it was like a weight pushing him back, which he could not stop. He wanted to go further into the light but knew that this could not be and in that one instant everything was clear and he understood, then darkness enveloped him again and this knowledge had returned to the recesses of his mind which he could not access.

Chapter Four

Torri got up from her favourite place by the Nile to return home. The night air had become cool and she shivered slightly as she wrapped her shawl tighter around her shoulders. She had been slightly troubled by a sudden image of a young man in a hospital bed. As she saw him lying there a sharp shooting pain in her right arm made her jump, such was the force of the pain. The face was of a stranger but she felt she knew him. She had felt a wave of love engulf her at this strange recognition followed by panic which she couldn’t explain. Having tried to make sense of this vision and her feelings, she had decided that she was tired and it was time to go. Time, as ever, had flown and she had not been aware of the lateness of the hour. Time seemed to pass more quickly for everyone nowadays and she wasn’t sure if this was just imagination or if it was a scientific fact and the Earth was in some way changing its rotation, perhaps in preparation of things to come! She was surprised at these thoughts; were they hers or was it perhaps part of a premonition or vision yet to come? Her head full of past and future contemplations, she was glad to reach her bed …

It had now been a couple of weeks since Joshua had been released from the hospital but he had not felt the same since the accident. He had become quiet and withdrawn, not being able to forget his experience. He became agitated and on edge for no reason, almost as if he felt he should be somewhere else or doing something different and it was getting frustrating. His arm ached a lot and it sometimes felt so hot he could barely touch it. The constant numbness followed by the sensation of pins and needles being pushed into his arm was more intensified at night preventing him from sleeping properly. Josh had always been a good sleeper. He cherished the fond memories of his mother taking great delight to tease his father whenever she could, telling everyone that Josh could sleep through anything; even the loudest volume that the computer could generate of his father’s beloved Orchestral Music. His father loved all music with a passion, mostly preferring the old Operatic Music which was harder and harder to obtain or the new music compilations that T.R.I.G.O.M. supplied to everyone. His father had insisted on programming all varieties of music into the family computer which was timed to blast out every morning to wake the household, a cause thoroughly lost on Joshua as he always slept soundly, causing much laughter from his mother and great frustration from his father. This sleep deprivation was causing him some concern and even his work, which he loved, did nothing to lift him out of this dark mood. Learning of ancient civilisations and handling the precious artefacts usually brought him elation and wonder, but now other thoughts were beginning to cross his mind as he started to remember more details about his accident and the events afterwards. Whose was that soft voice? Did he imagine it? And lately the face of a young girl seemed to fill his thoughts. The accident itself troubled him. All vehicles were supposed to be controlled by T.R.I.G.O.M., so how did it happen? As he had been recovering in the hospital, he had time to think and ponder over the circumstances of his accident. Towards the end of his stay in hospital he had been visited by various medical staff in person, not just the robots attending. He had asked questions but everyone seemed to be a little vague and he got the feeling that he was being steered away from any form of investigation. Once he had got back home and had the use of his T.R.I.G.O.M. link he had wanted to initiate a full enquiry. T.R.I.G.O.M. would not give out any information and all he got back was that the details were classified and not obtainable. The more he thought about it the more frustrated he got, he was even thinking of making an appointment to see the council, something that nobody had ever done before to his knowledge. He was putting together his application to do just that when the telephone rang.

Chapter Five

“Hi, Josh, it’s Patrick.” Joshua smiled, recognising the Irish lilt as that of his old school pal. He had not heard from him for over a year but he had not thought much of it. It was his usual pattern, either falling for a vision of beauty, usually blonde and loud, or throwing himself into some project which would consume him completely.

“If it’s not my long lost Irish Leprechaun,” Josh jokingly answered. “Thought you had fallen off the face of the Earth, but as usual, like a bad penny …”

They both laughed, enjoying their special bond which never lessened, no matter how long the absence had been since they had last seen each other. Josh felt his spirits lifting almost immediately, the first time in days he had actually felt like his usual self, without that foreboding feeling and those troubled thoughts in his mind. “Hey, listen, Josh, got this job, researching in the Middle East, Egypt to be precise, a private commission, regarding some ancient symbols and some sort of predictions and possible ancient aliens. Probably a load of rubbish, but who did I think might like the challenge and even be remotely interested in the quest?” He was laughing now, knowing Josh only too well, he would want to snap his hands off for this chance. Patrick liked a good time, beer, sun and the odd Egyptian beauty but they both shared a passion for adventure and the love of ancient artefacts. He knew Josh’s appetite for knowledge was unquenchable and his natural curiosity would be aroused so that he would want to know more about the commission that he spoke of. His love of ancient history, with its never ending mysteries would be too much for Josh to resist he was certain. Patrick needed Josh for this trip, without him it wasn’t going to happen. Patrick had nerve and bravado but Josh had the imagination and knowledge to solve ancient mysteries or at least put a good theory together. He had been right, even though Josh tried to control his excitement with a coolness and blasé response. “Well I am not really doing much at the moment and could do with a change, after the accident, life has been a bit dull so perhaps I might take you up on that.”

“Pick you up at 8.30 tomorrow, my friend,” Patrick responded.

“What, that quick? There’s no way I will be ready in time.”

“Eey be gorra, stop being a wuss.” Patrick put on his comical Irish lingo which always made Josh laugh. “Throw a few things into a bag and you’ll be set, see you tomorrow.” With that Patrick put the phone down, a large grin covering his face, not giving Josh a chance to reply.

Josh was also smiling although with a hint of panic. He liked to be organised, well planned and certainly wasn’t used to having to pack without having at least two days’ notice and even that would be pushing it. It was, however, quite a nice feeling to be doing something spontaneous; it felt like a breath of fresh air. He had wanted to get away for some time, so this was the opportunity he had been waiting for, not planned, totally random.

He had managed to find his travel bag and as he started to throw a few things into it, his mind began to wonder about the reasons he was actually going to Egypt. His conversation with Patrick had been brief with little detail, usual for Patrick but was he imagining it or was there a kind of urgency in his voice? He wondered who it was that had commissioned this visit. Predictions, what was that all about? A glimmer of a memory and something about travelling, but the memory was vague and would not clear. So what of this project? Aliens? He found himself smiling at the thought. He had heard theories that the Earth had once been visited in ancient times, hence the cave drawings, with rumours of visits in later times. A few people had endeavoured to write books on the subject, even suggesting that some religious beliefs had stemmed from off worldly visitors which had then been incorporated into history in whatever form could be understood at that time. How would you describe a spaceship to people from an ancient time? A cloud in the sky? A burning ball of light? He thought that this hypothesis had been well covered before, so nothing new there, but what ancient symbols could there be that had not been fully investigated before? His interest was intensified and he couldn’t help wondering who wanted to know. So many questions started to buzz through his head. Yes this is what he needed, a distraction from his dark thoughts, an interest, something to wet his appetite and stimulate his thoughts …

Chapter Six

Although not having slept for more than a few hours, Josh was up at six. Having become bored of trying to sleep and failing, he jumped into the shower. As the hot water poured on to his body, he felt calmer and his tense muscles started to relax. The hot water always eased his aching arm; the relief from the pain was always welcome. He wished he could stand for hours just enjoying the hot water flowing over him relaxing and cleansing his body. He was now feeling more revitalised and awake, lifting his head upwards to feel the water on his face. As he closed his eyes, a face began to form in his mind. It was slightly blurred but he could make out the fine features of a young woman’s face, delicate but strong features, revealing a beauty he had never seen before, but then in a flash it was gone. It was the girl in his thoughts. He opened his eyes, the water still pouring over his face …

Torri woke up with a start. The dream had been very vivid, the man’s face was so clear, she could almost touch it. His short dark hair framed his strong jaw line and complimented his large dark brown eyes. He was running towards her, shouting her name but as he was about to touch her she woke. This, she remembered, was the face she had seen before, when she had felt the pain in her arm. She felt she should know him but still could not recall him. Her gift had taught her long ago, that nothing happened by chance and things were sent to her for a reason. Not that things were always clear straight away but would become clear when the time was right. She closed her eyes again in a last effort to get some sleep, but try as she might, sleep would not come. Restless yet strangely excited, she got out of bed and decided to go to the one place that always gave her comfort and calmed her in times of stress or worry. Throwing on her jogging bottoms and a light sweater, she left her small clean home and headed towards the Nile. Just a ten minute walk, the fresh early morning air felt so good on her hot flushed cheeks. She needed to clear her head and there was something about the atmosphere at her favourite place which always instilled calmness in her so that she could relax or think clearly if she needed to. Why she felt such turmoil, she wasn’t sure, just a feeling that came from deep within her being, oddly familiar but she just couldn’t place it. At last she arrived and as she knelt down she immediately felt the calmness wash over her and she started to feel more relaxed. She gazed over the waters of the Nile, never ceasing to appreciate its beauty. Sunrise was still a few hours away but it was eerily quiet, almost too quiet and she realised that she had not even heard the usual tooting of the local owl that she had fondly called Olly. It was rare these days to have any local birds or wildlife so she had been overjoyed to discover Olly’s existence. Every time she came here to find some peace, he always seemed to be there in the distance, giving out the occasional hoot almost as if he was reassuring her that he was there. Of course she had no idea if Olly was male or female but she always referred to him in the masculine. Sometimes she even found herself talking to him, laughing at herself silently to think that he could understand her, but he had become a friend and they seemed to share in the serenity of this special place. She was suddenly distracted from her thoughts about Olly as her eyes were drawn to the water, the moonlight was casting a silvery light on the gentle ripples and as she gazed at the light, it seemed to grow brighter until it looked almost like a circle of light hovering on the water’s surface. She had become mesmerised looking at the light, her thoughts wandering to the old beliefs of lights being that of Astral Messengers. She was smiling at these thoughts, thinking it was just a trick of the moon but it didn’t seem to be going away so she slowly stood up to look closer. It was now a definite circle completely filled with light but not too bright to hurt her eyes. It held her transfixed; she couldn’t seem to look away and her heart began to race. The circle of light appeared to come closer to her, slowly at first and then in a burst of energy. The circle of light was over her in a flash. It was too quick for her to move and completely covered her, the light was so bright. A surge of heat consumed her body and as quickly as it had come, it disappeared; she felt the release from its grip. Feeling drained and faint, she fell to her knees, quickly putting out her hands in front of her to stop herself from falling on her face. After a few minutes she began to feel a little steadier so she slowly put her hands out in front of her. They were trembling, she felt so weak. Her left wrist felt hot and as she looked down she saw that around her wrist was the most exquisite bracelet. It appeared to be made of solid gold although it wasn’t heavy. It had one single charm hanging from it. There was no clasp, it was a perfect fit, not tight but flush to her wrist so that it would not go over her hand as she tried to remove it. The single charm glistened in the moonlight. It was circular in shape with a gold edge but the centre of it seemed to be transparent with a faint violet hue. It felt warm to the touch and as she frantically tried to remove the bracelet, it got warmer and warmer until it began to feel uncomfortable. When she stopped trying to get it off, it began to drop in temperature and felt more comfortable. She sat back down, her heart pounding in the aftermath of this strange experience. She had to try and make some sense of this. She was, after all, used to experiencing unusual events of a spiritual nature but this was not her usual vision, it had been a real physical event with the bracelet as solid proof that it had happened, as if she could ever doubt it. What was this bracelet for and why had she got it? Questions, questions, but no answers. She took a closer look at it. Golden and bright but on closer inspection she could just make out some strange symbols within the violet hue of the charm. They were hardly noticeable at first but she found that as she stared at the charm they appeared to glow one by one, appearing in a sequence; each one coming to the front becoming larger before the next symbol started to appear. They seemed to pulse with the violet hue, almost like a heartbeat. What did they mean? An ancient language, signs of something, a warning, a message? What? What? What? …

She knew she had to find out, this after all was probably why she had been chosen to wear it and she had no doubt that she had been chosen. Perhaps she knew someone who could help her. That was the feeling she was consumed with as she quickly got up to return home; any thoughts of trying to remove it, strangely gone …

Chapter Seven