If you are reading this now and haven’t read the first chapter, go back and read chapter one!

Chapter 2 – The Labyrinth Library of Light

The Journey Back

After reliving the visions, Tommy knew what he had to do. He had to discover what there is to learn in that tree! He also had to find that goddess! Tired and disoriented, Tommy did not know what was real. He was so lost in the wonderful world of his past visions, he didn’t know if he could trust himself. If that tree was real, was SHE real too? He felt his mind racing faster and he finally caught himself, took a few deep breaths, and recentered.

Tommy looked around to scan his environment. To his surprise, he wasn’t as far away from the Oasis as he originally thought. He had only an hour’s flight back. As he began his trip back, he gazed upon his surroundings in a completely new light. His senses had awakened! What was once a bleak and desolate place became a beautiful yet harsh landscape. The wind had always cut and whipped, but it also carved beauty in the rocks. The plants and animals out here were thriving as well. Tommy felt a wave of gratitude for his life and a newfound sense of purpose in his life. He had a source of knowledge to tap into, a new path to tread, and then there is her…

The Tree

Finally, Tommy reached the Oasis. He first went home to take a nap, eat, and rest. Despite being gone for so long, his family and friends didn’t notice how long he had been gone because he already had a reputation for long absent exploring. Tommy’s excitement and newfound quest wouldn’t let him sleep. Instead, he decided to set out for the old Sentinal tree deep in the heart of the old rainforest, a place of history and ancestral wisdom.

When he reached the tree, he was in awe of its size and its wonder. It was just as he remembered it. The tree stood alone above the rest of the canopy due to its enormous size. The deep brown bark was just as he remembered. A spiraling thick single column spreading to the heavens, with a wide stretching canopy. Tommy circled the tree, becoming integrated into the buzz of life surrounding it. The biodiversity was so dense and rich, he felt deep within him that this was the heartbeat of the Oasis. He followed the spiraling bark down to the base and the buzz grew to a deep hum and explosion of life. Suddenly, the childhood memory of feeling like a loner and an outcast was beginning to fade away. This was a vibrant and interconnected community with each organism and species playing a vital role in its health.

Tommy took a moment to just bask in the glory and bliss of the moment. That abundance he had always been searching for felt palpable right here and now. As he assimilated to where he was and what beauty surrounded him, he was reminded of his new path. To descend the caverns beneath the earth and navigate to find the knowledge hidden within! What an exciting adventure he had laid before him.

The Caverns

If memory had served him right, the way to the center of the tree (his destination), was through the pool filled caves in this lagoon-like paradise. After examining the area, he remembered where to go. As he descended, the light of the sun dimmed into virtual darkness, forcing him to go slow. “I was already happy to move slow as this was rich, uncharted territory in his beloved Oasis!” As he said those words in his mind, he was filled with joy and love for his home. Had he ever truly referred to his home as his beloved?

Tommy continued to descend, gazing at the wonderful intricate drawings on the walls of the caves, as well as the natural beauty of the rock and water relationship that had carved and smoothed beautiful formations in the caves. While the light was still with him, he could see the different colors of the rocks, metals that illustrated a deeper beauty within these caverns. Finally, Tommy descended far enough that the light of the sun seemed to be too dim to guide him.

Darkness

Tommy began to move ever slowly towards the darkness. He had never been acustomed to this blinding darkness. Even in the darkest of times, he always had the stars or the moon to comfort him. But now he was completely covered in darkness. As he traveled deeper, his eyes began to adjust. Tommy could hear the gentle flow of water at the base of the cavern, but couldn’t hear anything else. He was alone.

Tommy’s thoughts began to race again. This time, his thoughts were far darker and filled with fear. He felt himself losing his grip. “Can i make it?” “Will I die down here?” “This is scary!” In that moment he remembered what calmed him down in his moment of overexcitement. He paused, took a few deep breaths. This had worked before, but he was struggling to overcome his fear.

The breathing had helped. It had given his mind space to reasses the situation. He was scared, but he remembered he was in a beautiful, ancestral place, with wonder to be discovered beneath! Just as he reminded himself of that, he was present enough to notice the faintest light emitting from deep within one of the caverns ahead. Tommy felt a flood of relief, joy, and excitement as he began travelling cautiously towards the light.

The Library

The light led down deep into the earth, where it finally reached the far tips of the Sentinal tree’s root system. The roots looked as if they were alive and beaming with light from within! As Tommy traversed up the network of roots, he finally got to one of the the larger spiraling roots that would ascend to the surface. Drawn to the light of this root, he noticed as he got closer that this root was filled with books! It contained knowledge he needed and desired.

The first books Tommy saw were none other than ancient historical texts of this tree and this place over time. “How amazing that he would be beginning this journey by learning about the past?” Before diving into these books, he thought it would be nice to explore some more.

Tommy ascended up the root system, peering around and soaking in all the light of knowledge this tree had to share. As he ascended, the light become so bright and overwhelming that he had to pause. He realized that he had finally reached the base of the Sentinal tree. The spiral of roots created a centralized beam of light within the tree that illuminated the rocks and minerals and earth below the tree. Tommy had reached the library he envisioned! Now in its presence, he saw the ancient wooden doors in front of him, with mineral light creating a look of stained glass windows throughout the exterior. He opened the doors without hesitation and was met with a blinding white light that floored him. He closed his eyes and basked in the light, knowing he was exactly where he was meant to be in this moment.

Stay tuned for Chapter 3!!