I walked into the medium-sized office where Getta was engrossed in conversation with someone. As she noticed me, she politely ended the call and motioned for me to come closer. Feeling nervous and conflicted within myself, I took a deep breath and approached her.
"Hello, a nice beginning," she greeted me warmly. "Come and have a seat near me. I'll need your ID number."
"Hi, yeah," I replied, hurriedly taking the offered chair.
I fidgeted in the chair, my leg shaking with nerves. Getta glanced at me and then handed me an event ticket, instructing me to find three suitable people to join a mission to Earth next week.
"What mission?" I asked, puzzled.
"To find the history books before Cattelor does," she explained, surprising me by mentioning my family lineage as a [Dweller] descendant. I wondered how she knew about it and why she cared.
As she got up from her chair, Getta began sharing her childhood dream of finding her parents, making the mission to Earth even more significant to her. She believed that even if they were no longer alive, there might be humans on Earth who held valuable knowledge from our ancestors. She expressed concern about the rise of narcissism, the lack of balance between feminine and masculine energies, and how reliance on robotic instruments hindered our creative and problem-solving abilities. The urgency of the mission hit me when she mentioned the crucial need to find new ways to attain oxygen before we ran out.
The following week, I attended an event for the first time, filled with intrinsic thoughts about my role and the people I needed to bring along for the mission. The event touched on the loneliness pandemic and the importance of staying human, which had its origins on Earth and spread throughout the galaxy. The speaker discussed the prevalence of narcissism, leaving us all pondering our emptiness despite having abundant resources.
At the event, I found myself pushed into a side room with others, where a man tried to persuade us to write a book in exchange for GalaxyCoins. Feeling uneasy about his proposition, I declined and left the room. As I was heading towards the lobby with a cup of coffee, I had a strange encounter with another man whose eyes locked with mine. It felt like magic, but I quickly dismissed the feeling and returned to the main area.
A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.
Little did I know that this man, like a ghost following me, would remain in my thoughts for years to come, as if cupid had struck us with an unexplainable connection.
Despite the distractions, my focus remained on the mission. I reached out to contacts and researched ancient texts about hero's journeys, seeking individuals who would embark on this crucial quest to Earth with me. Every step brought me closer to the realization that destiny was guiding me, and my purpose was more profound than I had ever imagined.
After mingling with the event organizers in the lobby, I shared my excitement about the mission to Earth and my desire to meet potential collaborators. One of the organizers, a woman, took a moment to inquire if I had something specific in mind. I paused for a moment and mentioned the speaker from the stage, suggesting he might know people who would be willing to assist me.
Understanding my intent, she led me to the speaker, LaAlma, who attentively listened to my request. He asked me to join him at a nearby table, where he inquired about any recent unusual or abnormal circumstances I had experienced. I opened up about my repeating dreams, and to my surprise, he astutely asked if there was a cat in them. Taken aback by the accuracy, I wondered how he could know. LaAlma smiled and explained that the cat represented a guide, leading those on the hero's journey through their mission. This concept, known in ancient civilizations, intrigued me, and I asked him to explain further.
LaAlma described the hero's journey as a personal path summoned by fate for each individual. It was the hero's responsibility to accept the calling, or else face obstacles and challenges until they embraced it. Once the hero accepted their path, it would be filled with opportunities, and doors that were closed to others would open for them. Those who lived by someone else's wishes or sought to be a mere copy of their parents would find their paths blocked. Jealousy, he explained, stemmed from a desire to possess something others had but couldn't attain.
He continued to elaborate on the hero's journey, explaining that when a person accepted their calling, the right people would appear in their life to offer guidance, tools, and expertise for their adventure. The hero's life would transform from ordinary to extraordinary when something unexpectedly unusual happened. It was in the extraordinary world that they realized what they sought had always been within themselves. By overcoming obstacles and learning vital lessons, they returned to the ordinary world with newfound wisdom to share with others.
LaAlma emphasized that every circumstance in life happened for a reason, and we must ask ourselves, "For what reason?" Even instances that seemed abusive without reason could serve as signs to lead us to new environments and specific knowledge. He spoke about the internal monster that tortured us when we took on the opinions of others as our own, and how understanding this could free us from manipulation. By fighting for our path and desires, we found inner motivation and joy in life.
Feeling inspired and armed with the contact list from the conversation, I returned home after dinner with my mom. In the middle of the night, I woke up feeling thirsty and discovered a neon light shining in my garden, moving with an almost playful energy. It appeared like a fluid pet without eyes or a mouth. Curious, I tried to touch it gently, and it responded with giggles and quirky sounds before darting away.
Amazed by this extraordinary experience, I recorded it to convince myself that it was not just a dream. Despite my efforts to sleep, I couldn't stop thinking about the man I had encountered in the hall, whom I playfully nicknamed "dude with red shoes." His presence lingered in my thoughts like a gentle but persistent whisper, leaving me to wonder about the possibilities the universe had in store for us.