Chapter 2: Eric. That was weird.

I should have known something was going to happen. I had been warned, after all. And when the old Chinese Park attendant tells you when the heavens start to weep and the sky roars, avoid walking through Heaven’s Gate, I should have listened.

I am a Northman, a Viking by descent. This fact is only important because I love harsh weather, rain, snow, wind, and sea. So, when I was on my late fall vacation to the Wulingyuan scenic interest area in China to visit Heaven's Gate, and a storm rolled in, I was not bothered in the least. Most Asians do not like the rain and have what borders on a phobia about it, that the rain will cause them to become sick. So, I paid my entrance fee of 40 bucks and got ready to climb the nine hundred and ninety-nine steps to the gate of Heaven.

"Mr. Loa Wei, sir, please watch the sky. When the heavens weep and the sky's roar, you must be careful, very careful." His accent was thick but completely understandable. He was an older man and politely bowed to me after he spoke. I did the same.

"Thank you, I will, good sir," I said, returning the bow and heading up the steps.

I took my time, as it was still early in the morning, and I wanted to take in all the beauty this place had to offer. It was an amazing site. The temple was not original, or at least most of it, as it had been destroyed during the communist rise, then it had been rebuilt. The original temple was built during the Tang Dynasty fifteen hundred years ago. The steps lead from the base of a narrow valley, lush with green plants, to the massive stone arch that, when one gazed through while they walked, looked at nothing but the heavens.

The rain started to fall, and many of the other tourists turned back, descending the stairs to try to reach the top on another day. Before long, I was the only one on the stare case. Eight hundred and eighty-eight, BOOM, lightning cracked the sky.

Only one hundred and eleven more steps to go.

I stepped into the courtyard built at the top of the heavens gate stairs directly under the massive stone arch. It was mostly open, with a few awnings built along the side. The only notable feature was a pool built directly in the center of the courtyard that was fed directly from a sacred spring that bubbled up into the center of the heavens gate arch. I was alone, the sole occupant of the courtyard. This did not surprise me, and to know why you need to know a few things.

I was an engineer of sorts, and all my work was consulting. Consulting for NASA, the military, business, and even universities. I did not think I was particularly good, but others would disagree. This allowed me to get paid large sums of money and afforded me huge amounts of free time that I spent traveling the world. I had just broken up with my girlfriend of two years, leaving me in quite a funk at thirty; thus, I decided a trip to a location I had always wanted to see was in order.

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Now ever since I was a kid, I have always had an uncanny knack for timing. Whether it was for a test in school or a field trip, I was always in the right spot at the right time. As I traveled when I got older, this timing continued. Going to a sacred or holy site visited by millions every year, I inevitably would be the only one there when I showed up. This did not happen every time, but more often than not, I would stroll into the place, and it would be just me and whoever was set to attend to the place.

A few years ago, I went to a Tibetan temple, one visited by millions every month. I got up at my usual time and set out early in the morning. I did not see a sole on the climb to the temple, and as the early morning light crested the horizon, I walked through the temple doors. I thought the place might be closed, but no, it was just the monks and me. As I wandered through their compound, taking part in all the activities a normal pilgrim would do, I was alone. I could tell the monks were absolutely confused by me being the sole pilgrim occupant on that day. It was so outside the norm for them that most of them gave me a wide birth, especially after I gave them the smile.

The smile is something I have perfected through countless of these weird happenings. It's a simple little grin that says, "Hey, maybe I'm more than what I'm letting on." Religious people go crazy for it. It inspires a sense of awe in them, and for many, I think it's quite life-changing. The monks responded much the same way, and I was led around by an elderly monk for the rest of the day. Well, until about two o'clock when other pilgrims showed up, and I headed back to my hotel. That time I got to eat a bevy of food cooked by the monks and brought to me as I walked the temple. The old monk just simply smiled and nodded, saying very few words. When I prayed with incense, they gave me the sticks personally and a special bowl to collect the ash and did a bunch of other stuff that was odd. I had learned to just go with it. I've had so many of these experiences that I have to believe there is some sort of universal timing or flow, like the Tao.

So, all that's to say is that when I was the only one at the top of Heaven's Gate during an epic rain and lightning storm, I was not surprised. I just enjoyed it. The energy in the air buzzed like a wild tiger ready to strike; the rain was cool and warm all at the same time and carried with it the fresh smell of life and power. Lightning cracked around the top of Heaven's Gate, the BOOM, rushing through the small valley like the bellow of an angry god.

I lifted my hands to the sky and rain in front of the sacred pool and screamed, "YEAHHHH! HA HA HA HA! WOOO HOOO!"

These moments were great, just nature and me. I always felt powerful when this happened. How could I not? Having this sort of weird timing throughout one's life can really fuck with a person's head. Like when I had my first kiss in a meadow behind my house with a neighbor girl, we were each like twelve or something. We kissed, and at that moment, the field erupted into thousands and thousands of butterflies. It was a rainbow of colors that swirled around us like a tornado of ridiculous beauty. Or like the time I caught a meteorite with my baseball glove in the desert. I had just been out alone throwing a ball up and down, catching it as I gazed at the stars and watched the meteor shower when a bright ball of fire headed right for me. The flames extinguished, but I held my glove up, and a glowing red lump of iron smaller than a golf ball plopped right into it. I wore it around my neck now, on a simple chain. I can't even fathom the probability of that happening.

Lightning arched and cracked around Heaven's gate. The bright white bolts slammed into the sides of the stone arch, spider webbing down. Bolts began striking the pool in front of me.

The water exploded up, steam and spray washing over me. I was in trouble but could do nothing as I was rooted to the spot I stood. A fool with his arms raised to the heavens wearing sky iron around his neck during a furious thunderstorm.

The pool glowed, and a vortex of energy sparked a million swirling dazzling lights in my vision. I felt it then, the bolts that hit me. One, two, three, more. They fried my body and locked me in place until I felt the pull. Like something reached endlessly powerful talons into my gut and yanked. Yanked me towards the pool of glowing water.

I fell into darkness and shadow, no longer held by this world.