Journeys
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Not all that long ago, there was a young, happy Trelli who comfortably lived at her family’s home with all her relatives. She would either play or pick aloara fruit all day with her friends, family, or both. She was also so well-known as a runner that her name was Hiahnin, which means “Runner.” She was so good at running that she could run through the jungle without getting trapped by any of the predators lurking in the jungle. This was because the only thing better than her running was her ability to See what she could not see with her eyes, an ability called the Sense.
One day, Hiahnin was picking aloara fruit with her friend Yethrone when she felt a sudden cool breeze on her face that felt very strange. She was also filling with a strange feeling that something was happening that she did not understand. She told her friend about this, describing the feeling. Since her friend was older, maybe she knew what it meant. Her friend looked very worried indeed, and told her to gather up the fruit they had picked to take it back. They ran together all the way back to the family’s hill house (a house built into the side of a hill).
When they got there, they saw that the father of Hiahnin’s mother was lying off on the edge of the clearing around the house. Hiahnin’s parents grabbed her and Yethrone and held them back.
“It is not safe to go too near grand-father. He is not well,” her father, Jayrah, said sadly.
“What do you mean, ‘not well’? It is always safe with grand-father.”
Yethrone’s head sunk. “Hiahnin, I think I know what is wrong. But ask your father anyway.”
“What is wrong, father?” Hiahnin asked, confused.
“Your… your grand-father has caught the deadly brain fungus called Voong. There is no cure. Soon he will get up and wander through the forest. The Voong Flowers growing there will detect that he has been infected by Voong, and they will end his life before he can suffer.”
“WHAT? WE MUST SAVE HIS LIFE THEN!!!”
Jayrah looked at Hiahnin calmly, and said, “Would you rather he died instantly and painlessly, or suffer excruciating pain for the last weeks of his life. Those are the only two options. We will need to move, as well. This area is no longer safe.”
Hiahnin simply could not take any more of these sudden things anymore. After hearing about having to move, she finally got over her shock and began weeping. Yethrone held her close and cried with her. It was not long before the entire family began weeping as well, holding on to one another. In between sobs, they spoke of how much they would miss him, how much they missed him already.
***
Later that night, Hiahnin just could not sleep. They had already packed up their things and were moving, making sure to walk by Voong Flowers so that they wouldn’t spread the deadly disease any further, if any of them had it. Luckily, no one else did. Lying awake on the ground, looking at the stars, Hiahnin wondered what would happen to grand-father after he died. She had been told that people who die go to a beautiful place of light to rest their souls after living life. And when they were all rested up, they had the option of coming back to life, or staying behind. They also could go back whenever they wanted to, rest as long as they chose. Yet she did not know for certain, for she had never seen it. I have to see it, she thought.
So as soon as they got close to a city, she asked her family if they could stop by at the local temple, and asked which deity might be best to speak with about the afterlife. Her family well understood her need, and so they told her that they would all be going to the temple of Zirrovahn, the Deity of the Afterlife. And so they did.
When they got there, they were greeted by the High Priestess of Zirrovahn herself. She came forward, looking very peaceful and loving, and said,
“I am High Priestess Ahnabahn of the Temple of Zirrovahn. I Sense you seek answers about the Beyond. I can help, I have been there and back.”
“Oh?” Hiahnin asked, though she was chewing on a piece of leaf.
“Humans would call it a near-death experience. I call it a death-and-re-life experience.”
“Well, then… is it true what they say happens when we die?”
“Well, this process of death can be thought of differently by different cultures, and the Place of Light is called by many names, but yes, it is true. It is a different experience for everyone, though, as no two eyes see the same world. The Place of Light, or Heaven, is different things to different people. It is whatever the person is most comfortable with.”
“Does it hurt to die?”
“Sometimes it hurts up until you die, but death itself is when the body and soul release each other for whatever reason, with intent to not rejoin. In other words, when you die, your soul either chooses to leave, or the body can no longer be used. Though, if one were to be able to completely union with one’s soul, we could fix the body no matter what, and live as long as we chose. We are not yet that far advanced, however. But death itself does not hurt, though the means to get to death sometimes do.”
“What if… what if I’m afraid to die?” Hiahnin asked, sounding worried.
“There is an easy remedy for that. People who have died and then were told that it was not yet their time to die, like myself, no longer fear death. This is because once they’ve seen what is on the other side of life, they see that life never really ends. Death is just when the soul and the body part ways, like two friends going on a journey apart from each other.”
Hiahnin thought about this for a few minutes. Then she sighed. “I’m still not sure I can believe in something I cannot or have not seen and… and remembered. That’s another thing… if we come back to be reborn, why don’t we remember our old lives?”
“Would you want to have to remember the memories of millions of people your soul was in the past? Our souls get bored with light and beauty and peace all the time, so they are reborn millions upon millions of times, and not just on the planet they’re used to, or the species they are used to being. All living beings have souls, and they all choose to be reborn. Yet your soul would prefer staying on the same level of the game, or a higher level. It is unlikely you will be reborn as a worm, for example. But think about it, that would be a lot of memories to have.”
She sighed. “Indeed it would.” Then she looked up at Ahnabahn. “I’m still not sure enough of it, though, to be unafraid—” Hiahnin stood, silent for a moment, looking pale, then collapsed.
Everyone, the priestess included, huddled around Hiahnin when this happened. The priestess took her pulse, then said, sounding shocked, “She… appears to be… dead!”
***
Hiahnin rose above her body, watching the people huddled around her. She was right, that didn’t hurt at all. But they’re so worried! I should go back! But how?
She drifted through the air, until she saw a beautiful blue road made of light going into outer space, and many souls were floating along this road, some going toward the bright blue star, some coming back from it. She stopped one of the souls and asked, Where does this road go?
Why, said the soul, it goes to the Other Side, of course. Then he went on his way. She shrugged, and went on down the road.
When she finally got to the blue star, she discovered that it was a gateway to another place, the Place of Light. She just walked in, like the other souls were doing. Then, Hiahnin didn’t know where to look first. Everything was so beautiful that she just had to look. She was in the middle of looking at a very beautiful and very large painting when she bumped into someone.
“I’m sorry. Who are you?”
“I am Ahn, an Eternal Guardian. Some humans call us angels. Are you new here?” Hiahnin couldn’t help but think that even the people here were beautiful, for this Guardian was tall, handsome, and looked serene and loving.
“Oh… oh, yes. Yes, I’m new here. I… I have a problem, though.”
“What is your problem?”
“I feel sad that I left my family behind, right after grand-father had to be left to die, for he had the Voong brain fungus.”
Ahn closed his eyes for a moment, then opened them up again and said, “Your soul chose this death-experience for a very good reason. Come, I will show you something.”
Not knowing what else to do, she followed him. It was not long before she saw something that made her feel happy again. “GRAND-FATHER!”
They ran up to each other and hugged. “Yes, my dear one. It is me. I was watching you, once I got up here. I know your sorrow. Do not feel bad, Hiahnin my dear. What was done was necessary. In fact, I would have had it no other way, had I been in my right mind at the time. You may stay here for a little while, Hiahnin, but it is not your time to die. You have much living yet to do. Right now, your parents have figured out why you died, and are trying to help you. It will be soon time to return to your body.”
“What… what happened? To me, I mean.”
“That piece of leaf you were chewing on got stuck, and you choked on it and died. We’d better finish up here, you’ll have to go back very soon now.”
“I love you, grand-father. I will miss you.”
“I love you, as well. And I will miss you too. Don’t be afraid to talk to me. I may not answer you, but I will be able to hear you. And tell the rest of the family that I love them, miss them, and that it is okay the choice they made. You tell them that now, okay?”
“Yes, grand-father. I will. Bye! Love you!”
“Bye! Love you too! I will see you again in the future!”
She was about to say goodbye once more when she felt herself being pulled very quickly back into her body. Ahn and her grand-father waved goodbye as she went back, and before she knew it, she was back in her body.
She opened her eyes and saw all her family, and the priestess. “It is a miracle!” her father shouted out.
“Indeed, it was. I do believe you had a death-experience?”
Hiahnin nodded, and told them all about it.
“… and then he asked me to tell you all that he will miss you, and that he loves us all, and not to worry about the decision you made. He would’ve ‘had it no other way,’ as he said.”
And from that day onward, she never feared death ever again. For the rest of her life, she often spoke to her grand-father and others who had passed on. She also passed her story on to her children, and the story became a solid part of the stories that her family told. When she finally passed on herself, at a ripe old age of 250, she embraced death lovingly. Her final words were, “It is such a beautiful place. I can hardly wait to see it again. I never did get to look at that painting as long as I wanted.”
The moral of this
story is that death is only scary because we do not remember experiencing it.
Have not fear for death, for it is just a rest between lives.