I stood surrounded by spires of rock, twisted spirals reaching upward toward golden skies where blue clouds rushed by like rivers.

Before my eyes lay a round stone, around which floated seven eyes. Each eye blinked independent of the others. Each gazed upon me with deepest affection and cruelest pity.

"Moses."

The voice reverberated from the rock before me, and shook my heart within its ribcage.

Beyond the rock, I saw a pillar of cloud approaching. The mist was red as blood, and arcs of lightning flew forth from it. The thunder shook the ground beneath my feet.

"Moses," the voice called out again.

"I... I'm here," I said, my voice weak.

The seven eyes turned to gaze upon the round stone before me. I followed their gaze and saw that the stone sat upon the edge of a cliff, over which blood spilled like a waterfall. I stood in that same stream of blood, so deep it reached up to my ankles. Though normally I would have recoiled in disgust from such a thing, I found the flow strangely calming. Soothing. Healing.

And the round stone cracked down the middle, and water flowed out from the crack. The water washed away the blood, and carried it off the edge of the cliff.

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The crack split open further, revealing that the stone was hollow inside.

"Moses," the voice spoke again. "I have chosen you to be my messenger. Step forth inside the stone, for there you will be safe."

Thinking little of how strange all of this was, I stepped forth and squeezed myself into the hollow space in the middle of the stone. Just as I did, the rock closed up all around me. At first, there was darkness, but then a brilliant light shone through the wounds in the stone.

"For too long you have wandered the Earth, unknowing of who you are, where you came from, and what your true purpose is. You, Moses, are of the Ivrit, and your kin suffer. You must journey to the world of Mitzrayim, where you will be the instrument of my judgment and their freedom. Your journey will be full of pain, young Moses. Suffering awaits you on this path. But beyond that suffering you will find many rewards. Truth. Purpose. Home. My role in this will not be to alleviate your suffering, but merely to help you to endure it, for I, too, have suffered. Before the foundation of your world I suffered, and I learned to forgive those who inflicted the suffering upon me. Will you accept this journey?”

Full of self-doubt and fear, I said, "I... I can't... you ask too much of me. I'm nobody."

Knock.

Knock.

Knock.

"Moses! Are you still in bed? Come on! You're going to be late!"

Zipporah's voice outside my bedroom door awoke me from my strange dream. Rubbing the sand from my eyes, I glanced up at the clock.

7:45.

"Shit!" I fell out of bed in a heap of blankets, hitting the ground like a sack of bricks.

"Just a minute!" I cried out as I scrambled over to my dresser. With any luck, I'd be dressed and out the door quickly enough to avoid detention.