The Hidden Truth

It was dark, very dark. I blinked, but that didn’t do a thing. If my hand was numb and centimeters from my face, I would have been clueless it was there, that how dark it was. The temple was deathly quiet, like someone holding their breath. I found myself hissing in pain because my feet screamed at me that there was too much weight on them. There was no point in waiting for my eyesight to adjust. Along with my feet, my throat was dry and sore, my stomach wanted dinner and I had another dull, painful headache. If there was any water in this dreadful place, I had no change of finding some until I could see. As for food, I told myself that I could survive a day or two without food. Finally, it dawned on me that I hadn’t slept for near twenty four hours and my body could not stand anything more. Mirroring my early move, I pressed my back to the scratchy, mildew walk, slid down, curled up into a ball, and lost conscious thought.

Some unknown time I woke up quite suddenly. There was something wrong. I couldn’t put the feeling into words, but my skin crawled, my neck hairs stood on end, and every last part of me told me to run, get away and never return. Run away from what was something I couldn’t answer. The room was dark, but sunlight peeked through cracks and through unseen holes, dappling the room with hints of what lay inside.

The room seemed to be big, judging how my breathing bounced off the walls. Not like the outside of the temple, there was any kind of carvings or details on the walls. I stood up and took a few steps into the middle of the room. Perhaps it was because my nerves hadn’t recovered from all the drama, but I found an unexplainable need to watch my back, turn in place, and nearly jump at ever tiny sound of a rodent scurrying by. The worst, spookiest feeling was in the air. The air seemed to feel alive, oozing a twisted and noxious personality, like death. Unheard, silent voice whispered in my ear no words. From the opposite wall with the entrance was a door way that was simple and inviting. I saw no trap or trick, so I went in.

This room had the same feeling and looks as the other room, but still was noticeable different. The best way I could describe the room was to call it a throne. There was very little of interest in the room except for the steep, narrow stairs that lead up to a platform and on the platform was a great stone chair set high above, over looking the rest of the room. A strange fearless curiosity took over me. I slowly climbed the stairs, with easy and half unconscious of what was going on. When I reached the platform, standing in front of the mighty chair that seemed to radiate power, both immense and malevolence, I snapped out my short lived trance.

“Sit down.”

The voice came from behind the chair, making the chair seem alive. I stared at the chair, ready to swear I knew who that voice belonged to. The mere thought of the owner took my breath away, making me feel meek and venerable. I moved my head to the right, trying to see if my guess was right.

“Sit you should.”

A green, pointy ear poked out from the chair, instantly confirming my guess and sending me into even more startled frame of mind. There was no ghostly, see through look to the green, lined with age and wisdom face that followed the ear. I unconsciously took a step back. How could he be here? Why was he here? He said nothing, but pointy looked from the seat to me. I took the hint and sat down on the cold stone bench, on the far side of the person next to me.

“Expecting you, I have.”

I looked at him in surprise. Not only was he presence confusing the heck out of me, but now he claimed he knew I would come? He knew I would fall into the river, but make it out alive? He knew that I would run like a coward from the Jedi? He knew I would find this temple and walk into this very room? It was incredible to believe. I should my head in disbelief.

“You think I am not a great Jedi?”

Horror at my stupid and rude mistake filled me. I found my voice to reinsure him that I dearly thought he was the greatest Jedi that ever lived, far greater than any living now. He nodded his head and looked at me approvingly and with certain affection. My heart skipped a beat.

“Of course I am. The longest living Jedi I am. Trained and trained many others I have.”

I nodded in agreement, thinking how Luke was his last student and in the darkness of my mind, wish it had been me. I was, by far, the better student.

“I have been watching you.”

I held my tongue, not trusting myself to say something profound or something to make myself look good.

“Served on a council I did, you know.”

Again, I nodded. If he knew me, then surely he knew I knew this. What was his point? I leaned towards him.

“ I judged who was worthy of being a Jedi. Who should be trained.”

I was growing highly impatiently. Obviously he did this and obviously he was going to say something about how I was better than the other Jedi he judged.

“Hmm, interested are you? Why?”

I nearly fell off the chair. Why was he teasing me, playing this stupid game? Why trap me into admitting my feelings to him if he knew me? With a deep, certain breath, I dared to ask him what he thought of me. He looked away for a moment and turned his face, blank and unreadable as the carvings on the outside walls. When he spoke there seemed to be a loud voice of disgust and anger that hit me in the heart.

“A Jedi you have never been.”