SHADOW STAR

  In the distance of the light, a face began to appear, a face which was comforting but I did not recognize. It spoke to me. The first time I did not understand; however, the second time I heard clearly the words, ‘Shadow Star’. Once again, in a low whisper, ‘Shadow Star’, so I answered, ‘Yes’. At once the face seemed more at ease and it said, ‘Welcome, welcome… home’.

  Then I was awake, in my room, but it was dark. Venessa was not to be found. Sitting there in the dark I was shaking in a cold sweat. The dream seemed more real than any other dream I had ever had. What did it all mean, if anything? Scared, very scared I felt as I went through the dream once again in my head. The last thing in my mind was the strong whisper, ‘welcome… home’.

  Chapter 11

  The sun started to rise and I felt much better. After a shower, I was getting dressed when she flew in.

  “Good to see you up”, she said.

  I said nothing. What was I to say?

  “Time to get right back out there, you know.” Venessa demanded lightly.

  “Why?”

  “Because it is the best thing and I said so that’s why.”

  “Now you sound like my mother.”

  “Maybe you need a little mothering. Besides there are some things a new Star Person should know. For example, listen to those who are more experienced.”

  We left through the window although I did not know what she had in mind. I was still sore and stiff, so Venessa sort of massaged my sore joints. This felt great and my body loosened up. Where else would she take me but the moon; again. I was still very sore and did not really want to do anything but go back to bed. The moon would not have been my first choice but it was private.

  I still had my dream vivid in my mind so when she let me rest, I told her about it. She listened with interest. She did not seem too surprised by the details of my dream. I asked her if becoming Shadow Star was changing me more than I thought. The simple answer was yes. I was still Patrick Wright but a whole lot more. She told me I was now part of a larger whole I was only starting to

  recognize. The Star People were each individuals but more connected to each other than other people. She felt my dream was more intense than I was used to dreams being because of my association with the Star People now.

  I wanted to know what she thought about the dream itself. She was hesitant to tell me but she said it must have something to do with the war and my involvement in it. The prophecy about the three year war was not full of information on the war itself, just the end result would be successful because of me. She did not want to speculate on the darkness and pain I had felt. I persisted but she would not add anything else to what she had already told me.

  She said the reason I was there was to learn about proper healing, the Star Person way. She told me the scroll was great information but did not tell me everything I needed to know. The aurora described in the scroll could be manipulated with training and practice. It also could be directed to injuries to speed the healing and recovery process. She taught me a meditation method which placed my mind in a state of rest but fully conscious. In this state, she led me through exercises to focus the aurora where it was most needed. As we were doing this I was aware of Venessa’s presence more intensely even though we were not touching. I told her about this awareness later and she explained I had taken my first steps into a larger world.

  After what seemed several hours, she let me rest. I did have class that afternoon and told I was worried about Sam even though he had seen me the day before. He would want to see me getting around better before he would relax. She laughed at me. We had only been working in the meditation state for about 15 minutes. I was at a complete loss as to my sense of time while meditating and letting the aurora do its thing.

  I did sleep a little and awoke with Venessa staring at me. She said nothing and only watched me slowly wake back up. I had not moved

  much and started to wonder how much the session of meditation had helped me. I started to only bend and flex joints and muscles to see how everything felt and worked. As I moved my head side-to-side I realized the damage from the fight was gone. I could move my head freely. I stood and walked around testing arms and legs as I went. I still was not 100% but felt terrific compared to before we left for the moon. It was amazing. In a very short time I had healed more than I would have normally after a week in a hospital.

  Venessa told me to say thank you and she had much more to teach me when I had time to learn. We needed to go back to the dorm so I could go to class normally. She had more on her mind but it could wait.

  We had to enter the campus in a more secluded area (coming from space) so we could walk back to my dorm. I told her I knew she had more to tell me and wanted to talk more after class. I saw Sam in class again and he looked relieved to see again.

  Feeling much better, I went to lunch as usual. Sam, Joe and Mike were there and we talked as we always do. It was great to be back in the normal groove again. We talked about anything and everything from Sam’s fall to going climbing again when we all could go. Nothing had really changed; for them. I guess I expected something to be different. So much had happened in a short period of time. It was the same semester we had first climbed together the day of the slide, and my discovery of the cave. Finals would be soon enough but in a matter of only a few months my life had completely changed.

  Chapter 12

  I was me but was not me. I was me and something else, something more. Venessa would be waiting for me back at the dorm. I took my time walking back after class just to think about everything. I had taken life in stride, and too much for granted. I could have and would have been killed if Death Star had not arrived to finish off the last Dark Warrior. Venessa had taught me to use the aurora to heal quicker but the memories were still very fresh, and painful. I had not thought about my own mortality much until I was so close to death. Could I ever just be Patrick Wright, college student, again? The short answer was no. I did not choose to find the cave and become Shadow Star.

  The responsibility of being Shadow Star was really beginning to dawn on me. Not only earth depended on me but half the known universe expected me to help save it from the wrath of the other half. This was no game. I had started out wanting to use the scroll’s gifts, the suit and the weapons for myself, as I saw fit. I obeyed the commands of the Keeper and elders out of respect. It was clear to me I had crossed a point of no return. People depended on me to fulfill my role in the events which were unfolding across the reaches of space even now. The vivid dream came hauntingly back to me.

  The last words of the dream were ‘welcome home’, but I did not know the face of the person who spoke those words to me in my dream. Venessa had explained how my dreams would change due to my new status as a Star Person. I wondered what else was changed in me, forever. ‘Welcome home’, but where was that in my dream? All the pain and loud confusion of the dream hung fresh over me. I knew the time ahead for me would not be easy. I could not avoid the inevitable now.

  I felt good and almost fully recovered as I walked back to the dorm. Venessa met me outside the doors, not inside as I had expected. She

  had something on her mind which could not wait any longer. We walked down to a park near campus. I knew she was serious so I just followed her there without saying anything.

  “How are you feeling? I mean really feeling, how well are you now?”

  “Almost back to 100%, thanks to you.”

  “Good. Yes, I did get your message when you were hurt but I was on my way to see you when you called out to me. I had met with the elders. The high elder himself personal gave me a message to relay to you. The elders want to, need to, meet you. They ask if you would come back with me to meet with them.”

  “Wow. I did not expect that. I only thought my contributions would be minimal, here in the sector around earth. Do you have any idea why they need to talk to me in perso
n?”

  “No, the subject must be important or they would have given me something to give you in the form a written message of some type. They must be concerned about the war and getting something sensitive intercepted by the Dark Side.”

  “I understand. When would I need to go and how long would I be gone? I have finals coming up and really do not need to miss any classes now.”

  “A long week-end would do. Do you have any holidays in the near future?”

  “Yes, we have a break for Thanksgiving. We will have several days where I would not be missed here.”

  “Good. Can you plan to come with me then?”

  “Looks like I am out of excuses, yes I will go. Long week-end? Will three days do? I need to be home for Thanksgiving Day at the very least.”

  “It will be ok. I don’t want you to miss anything special with family.”

  “Do you want to go to Thanksgiving dinner with me? If you don’t mind meeting my family it would be fun.”

  “I would love to go.”

  “Great. I don’t tell my family much so they may be surprised to see I am bringing someone home with me.”

  Chapter 13

  I needed to really study for finals. I also knew if I got more involved in the war, as it seemed the elders were intent on me being, I might not be able to come back home again. I never thought I had a fear of death but I thought more about it in the quiet moments. Not that I had too many quiet moments now. Venessa was here and classes were revving up to the ‘finals crunch time’. Professors had their schedules and if they got a little behind they always wanted to rush through material to finish the semester covering all the material for the course. Pity us students. Campus was more quiet and busy than usual. Finals stress had started early.

  Thanksgiving is always a nice break in the fall semester just before finals. My home was not too far from the university but I did not like to go home most week-ends. The guys and the rest of campus life had kept me busy. I felt the ‘responsibility’ of visiting my parents so would go home at least once a month. Sometimes I stretched that to close to two months and I would always get calls wanting to know where I was, he not so subtle hint it had been too long and ‘Mom wanted to see me’. My dad liked to put on that ‘hard ass’ image. I knew better. He would complain about the dog, my dog; but would always walk that same dog every morning very early, as if no one else knew. He liked to take the dog, my dog, with him to work. When he was working on a job out in the countryside, he and the dog went to work every day. She would chase rabbits all day and almost collapse into the truck when it was time to come home. My dog, the dog my dad complained about, probably spent more time with him than me since she went to work with him more times than not.

  I have younger brothers still at home. They took care of the dog, my dog now I was away at school most of the time. She was still my dog. I had raised her and had spent more afternoons and long summer days with only her than I could remember. How many dogs would let you rest your head on them to sleep and would not move

  until you woke up? My dog was that kind of dog. She was loyal to the bone. It was no wonder many a tougher soul than me would get choked up talking about their childhood dogs, long past.

  I had to go home to tell my parents someone would be joining us for Thanksgiving dinner. This was a big deal in my family. There would be a thousand questions, many of which I would not or could not answer. How do you tell your family, ‘Yes, she is an alien but isn’t she nice?’? Where is she from? What is her family like? On and on, I had to come up with a plan which was better than trying to avoid those simple questions. I knew Venessa would not care as long as I told her the earthly back ground I fabricated for her. She had first introduced herself as a foreign student when we first met. I had my starting point.

  Venessa spoke perfect English and had no real accent you could place. She spoke proper so she could be from any place European or where European’s had emigrated. She was not blond, more brunet than anything else so I had no problem choosing Germany as her ‘home country’. She was a quick learner so all I would need to do is tell her the ‘back story’ for her and she would know more about the place in short order than most people who were actually from there.

  She was happy, more so than I could understand at first; I was taking her home and she would be accepted as another citizen of earth, without any hesitation. I told her I needed to tell my family she was coming by myself. She was a big girl, she could stay on campus while I went home to make the announcement/request to bring someone to dinner.

  I had never brought someone home from school. No doubt they would make more about a visitor than I wanted them to.

  “Mom, is it ok if I bring someone with me to Thanksgiving dinner?”

  “Yes, of course Patrick. Who?”

  “Her name is Venessa Ross. She is from Germany.”

  “Oh really.”

  Too late. I knew my mother and the rest of the family would jump to conclusions. I could not tell them about the war. They had no way to know I wanted to feel normal, maybe for the last time. I just went with the expected barrage of questions. The end result was they were excited to meet her. I had broken the ice with my family as far as Venessa was concerned. The thought she was older than all of us put together made me laugh inside. If only my father knew she appeared to be only a little younger when he was born.

  The table was set so to speak. We would go to Thanksgiving dinner at my parent’s house. They would have no idea I was saying good bye, maybe for good. That thought rolled around in my head.

  “Mom and Dad, this is Venessa.” They swarmed around her in spite of my pleas not to. Venessa was in her element. She handled herself with all the grace she always did. I was able to slip away to find my dog. My dog had a funny way of letting you know she was mad at you for being gone too long. I expected the dog’s cold shoulder act but was greeted warmly. Dogs are sensitive animals; maybe she could tell I might not be coming back. She stayed close begging for more attention until I knew I had to go back inside or be missed.

  Mom had out done herself again. Thanksgiving was perfect. We took family pictures outside. It was a bright sunny day. I wanted to remember this day because it may have to hold me for a long time. As I mentioned earlier I had thought about the service but never went. Leaving to meet the elders was sort of being summoned to duty. The ‘Star Person’ in me (how odd that still feels) knew this was my duty. I was honor bound to follow the course to come.

  We said our good-byes. Venessa had ‘passed’ the family test. We said we had finals to study for so needed to go back to campus to study. This was not completely just a story. I did have finals coming but the meeting with the elders felt much like a test. I was nervous and Venessa knew it.

  “Relax, they want to meet you. They must have something important to tell you to ask you to come in person to hear what they need to say. As the final member of the Star People who have significance you may not realize completely for some time yet. This is a special time for you, enjoy it”

  “This has all happened too fast for me to know how to feel about anything for sure anymore. I am honored but I wish I could tell people here what is really happening so they might appreciate life here more and maybe what I am doing.”

  “Don’t worry about not being known as a protector of this world. They need to live in ignorance. There is nothing this world can do anyway. Knowing the truth would cause general panic. Do you want that?”

  “No, I was not thinking about all the possibilities. It is still awfully lonely being the only one from here who does know the truth. It is very tough not being able to talk about it with anyone.”

  “You need to let that go. We both need our rest. We have a long trip and some busy few days ahead of us. You don’t know where you are going. I will have to play escort and tour guide. The war is underway but things are still relatively calm.”

>   We went back to campus. It was strangely quiet. With so many of the students home for the holiday only the diehards were around. The run up to finals had begun. The library would be full, even now. I noticed the library parking lot was busy. We went to the dorm. I

  went in as always. Venessa had to ‘check in’ through the window again. It had been a long day. We had our ‘Star People’ suits set out like so much travel clothes and went to bed. I hoped I would sleep without any dreams again. The dream from the other night still kept me wondering about all the unknowns I was to face, beginning tomorrow.

  Chapter 14

  We woke up while it was still dark. I only had the one suit but it did not seem to get dirty so I would be traveling light. Out of habit I threw a few things in my backpack to take along. Who knows if they have tooth brushes in the ‘Home Sectors’? Venessa watched me with mild amusement but said nothing. She knew I was trying to feel as normal as possible about a situation which was anything but. How do you pack for a week-end trip across the universe?

  “It is time to go.”, is all Venessa said.

  Without comment we went outside to make our departure. I took one long last look around campus trying for maybe the last time to feel like a normal college student. I sighed to myself and then looked in Venessa’s direction. She took that as a sign I was ready to go and we silently left the world I had always called home.