Status: Finally finished. :)
The Nagual
No Longer a Secret
"Where are you going?"
The owl-turned-woman left the hut, her soft, gingery hair bouncing behind her like a dress train. Felia rushed out to catch up with her.
"Kahili!"
She called and called her name but the morphling just wouldn't budge. At that point, Felia stopped in her tracks, watching the strangest woman she ever met leave her. Stranger than me. she thought.
"You know . . ." the woman started, not stopping, "I can't stop. I'm on a schedule. And you wouldn't know if I'm trying to lead you somewhere by standing there watching me leave now would you!" her shout died down to a whisper as Kahili disappeared behind the tall brushes and into the uninhabited jungle that Felia was afraid to enter.
Felia stepped up to the edge of the jungle. She was still able to hear the sound of Kahili's bare feet against the grass but she knew that if she wanted to keep following this madwoman, she would have to enter the jungle. You don't know what could be in there. Felia thought to herself. There could be anything. But she heard the laughter of the other woman that sounded like bells ringing. Holding her breath as if she were to dive into freezing water, she pushed back the tall brushes and entered the jungle.
The sound of cicadas immediately buzzed into her ear. The trees here had thicker trunks and were less spaced out than by the shore where the hut and the closest thing to civilization was. The feeling of loneliness creeped up her back and she all of a sudden started to run. It was, as Felia thought, like God had pushed her forward into this dark place where she didn't have any bearings. But again, like a light at the end of the tunnel, she heard the voice of Kahili again.
"Not giving up yet are you?" The playfulness rung in her voice and she started to sing a song that Felia never heard of. It was eerie and sounded like a lullaby but she was grateful for the sound. Now she could finally have an idea where Kahili might be or, at least, in what direction this woman was trying to lead her in.
Vines hung low from the tree branches and Felia had to pass between them with caution. Who knows what could have been lurking by her feet at that moment? Felia was not one to disturb anything nasty so she walked with light steps, paranoid of each stride she took.
"Got you." Kahili came out from the side and grabbed onto Felia, making her jump.
"Don't . . . do that." Felia said, her words broken by a gasp.
"Here." the woman said. She led Felia by the hand to the edge of a clearing that was blocked by tall grass. "Are you ready?"
Felia looked at Kahili, wondering what would wait behind the grass. An animal? A human? Something out of this world? Furrowing her brow, she said, "Yes. I'm ready."
Kahili nodded, placed a gentle hand on the grass, and moved it aside so that the two of them could enter the clearing. "This is it." Kahili said, taking a step in.
The clearing was slightly larger than a common dressing room. Though, despite the size and the crowded feeling that arose in Felia's stomach, the grass here was short and soft; barely reaching past the top of Felia's feet. It felt like walking on a fur rug. Felia smiled at this.
"Do you like it here?" Kahili said.
Felia stopped in her tracks. She could hear an exotic bird call above her. Somewhere near, a stream trickled pleasantly. She didn't feel claustrophobic at all. She felt, instead, protected. So she nodded. "Yes." she said. "I love it."
Kahili nodded as well. "Good." said she. "I'm glad."
Felia smiled. She turned around, slowly, in a circle. She breathed in the perfumes of the jungle, caressed the wet grass that curled under her feet with her toes, and felt the small breeze that met her sweat-burdened neck.
"Because now," Kahili spoke again, moving closer to Felia, "you can be your true self here."
Felia turned her head sharply toward the woman. Her calm world was brought to an end. She shivered as she felt the hands of the woman at her shoulders.
"Don't tell me you had no knowledge of this . . . ability of yours."
"I knew I was . . . different than a lot of other people-"
"You call talking to animals different than a lot of other people? Then, honey, I just can't imagine what you'd call your other ability." Kahili said, smiling at her.
Felia watched her as Kahili moved to her other side. "I have . . . abilities?"
Kahili nodded, knowing more than Felia could have ever wanted to know. She smiled at her and leaned in to whisper in her ear, "Felia . . . you can morph, too."
The owl-turned-woman left the hut, her soft, gingery hair bouncing behind her like a dress train. Felia rushed out to catch up with her.
"Kahili!"
She called and called her name but the morphling just wouldn't budge. At that point, Felia stopped in her tracks, watching the strangest woman she ever met leave her. Stranger than me. she thought.
"You know . . ." the woman started, not stopping, "I can't stop. I'm on a schedule. And you wouldn't know if I'm trying to lead you somewhere by standing there watching me leave now would you!" her shout died down to a whisper as Kahili disappeared behind the tall brushes and into the uninhabited jungle that Felia was afraid to enter.
Felia stepped up to the edge of the jungle. She was still able to hear the sound of Kahili's bare feet against the grass but she knew that if she wanted to keep following this madwoman, she would have to enter the jungle. You don't know what could be in there. Felia thought to herself. There could be anything. But she heard the laughter of the other woman that sounded like bells ringing. Holding her breath as if she were to dive into freezing water, she pushed back the tall brushes and entered the jungle.
The sound of cicadas immediately buzzed into her ear. The trees here had thicker trunks and were less spaced out than by the shore where the hut and the closest thing to civilization was. The feeling of loneliness creeped up her back and she all of a sudden started to run. It was, as Felia thought, like God had pushed her forward into this dark place where she didn't have any bearings. But again, like a light at the end of the tunnel, she heard the voice of Kahili again.
"Not giving up yet are you?" The playfulness rung in her voice and she started to sing a song that Felia never heard of. It was eerie and sounded like a lullaby but she was grateful for the sound. Now she could finally have an idea where Kahili might be or, at least, in what direction this woman was trying to lead her in.
Vines hung low from the tree branches and Felia had to pass between them with caution. Who knows what could have been lurking by her feet at that moment? Felia was not one to disturb anything nasty so she walked with light steps, paranoid of each stride she took.
"Got you." Kahili came out from the side and grabbed onto Felia, making her jump.
"Don't . . . do that." Felia said, her words broken by a gasp.
"Here." the woman said. She led Felia by the hand to the edge of a clearing that was blocked by tall grass. "Are you ready?"
Felia looked at Kahili, wondering what would wait behind the grass. An animal? A human? Something out of this world? Furrowing her brow, she said, "Yes. I'm ready."
Kahili nodded, placed a gentle hand on the grass, and moved it aside so that the two of them could enter the clearing. "This is it." Kahili said, taking a step in.
The clearing was slightly larger than a common dressing room. Though, despite the size and the crowded feeling that arose in Felia's stomach, the grass here was short and soft; barely reaching past the top of Felia's feet. It felt like walking on a fur rug. Felia smiled at this.
"Do you like it here?" Kahili said.
Felia stopped in her tracks. She could hear an exotic bird call above her. Somewhere near, a stream trickled pleasantly. She didn't feel claustrophobic at all. She felt, instead, protected. So she nodded. "Yes." she said. "I love it."
Kahili nodded as well. "Good." said she. "I'm glad."
Felia smiled. She turned around, slowly, in a circle. She breathed in the perfumes of the jungle, caressed the wet grass that curled under her feet with her toes, and felt the small breeze that met her sweat-burdened neck.
"Because now," Kahili spoke again, moving closer to Felia, "you can be your true self here."
Felia turned her head sharply toward the woman. Her calm world was brought to an end. She shivered as she felt the hands of the woman at her shoulders.
"Don't tell me you had no knowledge of this . . . ability of yours."
"I knew I was . . . different than a lot of other people-"
"You call talking to animals different than a lot of other people? Then, honey, I just can't imagine what you'd call your other ability." Kahili said, smiling at her.
Felia watched her as Kahili moved to her other side. "I have . . . abilities?"
Kahili nodded, knowing more than Felia could have ever wanted to know. She smiled at her and leaned in to whisper in her ear, "Felia . . . you can morph, too."