The Hallowed Wood

As Jasmine made her way along the path home she heard a familiar voice cry out "hey! wait for me...why are you in such a hurry?" Her friend Chanelle would certainly want to hear all the juicy details of her date with Adonis. It hadn't gone how she expected at all and she was already inventing some alternate narrative that would placate her friend's need for gossip.

Chanelle came running up, out of breath as much from her obvious anticipation as from the running itself. She was a sweet girl and a good friend but never was there anyone who loved to gossip more. Jasmine, weary from the day's events decided to just tell her what really happened even though she knew it would be all over the neighborhood before sunset.

"Sooo...little miss Jasmine...you sure have a sly smile on your face. Like a cat that just ate a little bird. You know I'm dying to know how things went with your Prince Charming. But of course I understand if you would rather keep the intimate details to yourself." This was of course a tricky way of saying "I want to hear every salacious tidbit". "Well, sorry to disappoint but your hero turned out to be a zero" Jasmine replied. "Wait...what? How could you say that about the most eligible bachelor around? He's got it all!" Chanelle said with a confused look. Jasmine lifted her arm to show her friend the bruises that were starting to show from where he had grabbed her like a brute. "Oh, sweetie...what happened?" she asked. Jasmine proceeded to explain how things started out well enough but turned sour when she wouldn't let him have his way with her. "We were walking along the trail by the river, you know, towards the stone towers. He was being the normal charmer until we got to the grove by the old library. Once we were in a private spot he turned to a dark mood and set upon me like a beast. It was like he had ten hands and all of them expected me to submit. I asked him to stop, you know my time at the temple is coming up soon. I wanted to remain pure as the ritual requires but he just laughed at the notion. He said ‘aw heck, nobody takes that seriously any more'. I was starting to get really worried since he was out of his mind but there was a loud noise nearby, like some animal knocking over an old trash pile, and he pulled away. I told him that I wanted to head back and he regained his composure and said 'ok, let's go then little miss purity'. We walked back without saying a word and he left to go with the other guys without even a glance back."

Chanelle just gave her a puzzled look for a moment before responding "I love you like a sister but you can sure be weird sometimes. How are you ever going to find a man if you always take things so seriously? Try and just relax and enjoy yourself sometime. All is good..." Her friend gave her a hug before skipping off towards the park. Jasmine wondered to herself, "how can this kind of thinking be normal?" and continued her walk home.

Lying in bed that night Jasmine couldn't stop thinking about the chaos of the day. In her gut was a gnawing sense of curiosity about something she saw, or imagined she saw. Near the library she could swear there was someone moving down a side path, almost as if they were watching her. She felt silly thinking this as almost no one ever goes to that area due to the dangers of the stone towers. People have been killed or hurt by falling debris and there were stories told to them since birth about the strange creatures that inhabit the place. Ghosts, beasts and the terrible 'tepid hermit' that would steal you away after using dark magic to lure you into the wild. All tales to scare children into compliance to be sure but after spending a little time there she could understand how the atmosphere engendered such flights of fancy. She knew her curiosity had already gotten the better of her and that she wanted to return there again if for no other reason than to confront her childish fears. Replace myth with understanding. It would have to wait for now though as she was expected to meet with the High Priestess to begin her initiation process at the temple. Every girl was expected to provide service to the temple for a period of one year beginning at the age of fertility. Her birthday was tomorrow and compliance was compulsory. The service she would give was to present herself to any man that wanted to take 'communion' with her. Another way of saying 'sex slave' she thought. It was expected if a girl was to be fully embraced by the community and to refuse meant exile. While it was considered an honor to serve she couldn't help feeling used like some everyday tool or farm animal.

As dawn approached the next morning Jasmine reluctantly dragged herself out of bed and realized she would have to hurry or she would be late for the morning rite. It was always performed at the same time, shortly after dawn, and if she was late it would be a very bad start for her time at the temple. There wasn't enough time for breakfast and she was still brushing her hair back from her face as she set out on the path towards the temple. Almost no one was out this early and she noticed how tranquil things were without the usual hustle and bustle. The first rays of light streaming through the tree branches, filled with birds exclaiming their joy at the new day. She envied their innocence, wondering where humanity had taken such a turn toward complexity. She arrived at the temple just as the eunuchs were closing the outer gate. They gave her a polite nod as she hurried past them to the inner courtyard.

As she entered the forum she could see other initiates waiting in a semi circle facing towards a dais. Only those with official business were allowed in for the ritual so this was the first time she or the others had ever seen the items on display. There was a rectangular glass pane in the center of the dais. It was made of black glass like obsidian but arranged in a perfect grid of equally spaced smaller rectangles. On the podium at the front of the dais was another rectangle of glass that was much smaller but given its prominent position she surmised that it must play some central role in the ceremony. She recognized some of the other initiates but didn't know any of them very well. She had a brief moment of regret as she realized how her demeanor had kept her from ever having very many friends. She wished Chanelle was here but her time wouldn't come until next year. She took a seat among the other girls and they all waited in silence for whatever was coming next.

After some time, as the sunlight began to stream into the forum from the east, two eunuchs entered the forum from a hallway on the western side ringing bells and carrying censers with a sweet smelling smoke that wafted through the forum. They proceeded to the dais and took up positions on either side. One of them said in a formal tone"please rise for the High Priestess" and all the girls quickly complied. A moment later a most regal looking woman walked out with four more eunuchs holding the four corners of her dress and they all walked to the dais until the High Priestess was standing directly behind the smaller glass rectangle at the front. The same eunuch that had spoken before rang his bell once and said "you may be seated" and again the initiates complied.

After an obvious dramatic pause the High Priestess began to speak although none of the initiates really understood that meaning of her words. They all assumed it was a mystical incantation that they may one day come to understand:

"From the hallowed wood the elders came
with the tome of the sun in heavens name
when the day comes bright as the waking dawn
the tome will sing our glorious song"

After this the bell was rung once again and the initiates sat breathless and silent for what would come next. The High Priestess looked across the group of young girls seated before her and began to speak in a more personal tone. "Initiates...girls...young women...welcome to the most important day of your young lives. Today we will begin your introduction into the true path of life. I still recall my initiation and how confused I was when I was in your seat and so I say, worry not. In time all will be made clear. Today is merely a beginning but one day you will look back fondly at the time when your eyes were truly opened and you will know that you carry truth. This implies a responsibility of secrecy and you shall not share with anyone outside the temple what you will see here. Before the day is done you will understand why and will not utter even a whisper to the uninitiated. Your responsibility is to learn and obey. Do not question what you do not yet understand, simply open yourself to truth and your liberation will follow. Now, there is something I want to show you that transcends any words that I may convey. The wisdom of the Elders will now be revealed to you, take heed and hold your questions for later."

With that being said the bell rang again and the High Priestess raised her hand in a ceremonial gesture above the glass pane. "Behold, the tome of wisdom!" she said as she touched the top corner of the glass. As soon as she did a light emanated from the tome and it made a sound like a small gong or bell. The High Priestess said in a reverent voice "Presenting the Myth of the Titans!..." and then the single colored light from the tome began to change to motion and form. Music began as if it came from the very air around them and the images became discernable as people and objects, moving as if they were looking in on a secret world somehow contained within the tome itself! The initiates all sat in amazement and wonder. Jasmine recognized the word "Titanic" in the first few minutes before falling into a sort of hypnotic slumber where she was awake yet not. They sat in this state for what seemed like an eternity but she later surmised was but an hour or two. Eventually the images ceased and the tome returned to it's neutral light. Every girl there was in tears and humbled as they knew they had witnessed something truly magical. None of them had ever had such a compelling emotional experience and they knew beyond doubt that their lives had changed forever.

As the initiates sat in stunned silence the High Priestess began to speak again. "This is but a glimpse of what your new life can be like. You are all special. What you have seen here today is only for those who are worthy to receive it. Therefore do not tell anyone of these secrets. When your time as disciples is done you will carry this wisdom into society so as to ensure our continued prosperity. Betray this charge upon pain of death. Now, return to your homes for now and tomorrow morning present yourself to the Maestress of Ceremonies at the Mezzanine where you will begin your service to the Elders." The bells were rung again and the High Priestess gestured towards the same path the girls came in by. All of the girls rose to their feet and began to file out. Jasmine had countless thoughts swirling in her head as she made her way to the exit and almost didn't hear the High Priestess calling her name. "Jasmine...a moment please..." She stopped and turned to the dais where the High Priestess was still standing. "Yes your grace?" she said. The High Priestess replied "I would have a word with you my dear, walk with me." as she began to leave the dais towards the hallway she emerged from earlier.

Jasmine followed without hesitation through the hallway and eventually entered into a large room lit with torches on all sides. The ceiling was so high it was barely visible. Several other passages could be seen leading off in different directions and in the center of the room was a stairway leading down. There was a barely audible sound of crying, a girl in apparent anguish coming from an unknown direction.

After a brief moment of awkward silence the High Priestess approached Jasmine and placing her hands gently on her shoulders said "We have been waiting for you with great anticipation my dear. Several of the order have taken notice of your potential and we expect you to do great things. Just as your mother has. Your temperament is so much like hers. A potential for greatness with equally great potential for sorrow. Yes...I knew her. She served with great honor before embarking upon her pilgrimage. I just wanted to let you know that we have high hopes for you and I hope that you will embrace your new responsibilities as a disciple of Venus. Should you have any concerns please do not hesitate to come to me. The way you see the world is different from the other girls. With the proper guidance this can be a strength but left to your own devices it could become a source of great trouble. Go now and we shall speak again soon."

One of the eunuchs motioned for Jasmine to follow him and they walked together to the main entrance of the temple. With a gentle nod the eunuch withdrew, closing the gate behind him. Jasmine stood there for a moment, puzzled before walking away towards her home. "What a day this had been" she thought as feelings of wonder and fear battled for dominance within her.

Upon approaching her home she noticed a young lanky fellow waiting outside her front door. It was as if he were waiting for someone but Jasmine had no idea who he was and she knew everyone in the village. “Can I help you?” Jasmine asked as she approached. The boy replied awkwardly “Hi, you’re Jasmine...I’ve come to extend an invitation from someone who would very much like to speak with you.” While there was something odd about him there also was a sort of self confidence that worked to his favor. Jasmine thought for a moment to herself “Gods, what now...what a crazy day”. After collecting her manners she smiled politely and said “Well, why not? Please go on.” He replied “My name is Harrison and it’s a pleasure to meet you. There’s someone who lives a brief walk from here who has something to discuss with you prior to your entering service with the temple. The old man you call the hermit I think? Yes, he’s not one for guests usually but he is most eager to speak with you. Please walk with me and I’ll show you the way. I know it’s getting late but I promise you will have time to make it back home before dark.” He waited sheepishly for a moment before Jasmine said “Ok, let’s get on with it then. Plenty of time for surprises in the day right?” Harrison said “Just follow me then” and off they went down the path in the direction of the area near the stone towers Jasmine walked with Adonis before. She recalled thinking she had seen someone that day and began putting it together with the direction they were walking.

After a walk without too much conversation Jasmine and Harrison came to a clearing off to the right of the main path that looked more like a wild game trail that a rabbit would use. Harrison said “It’s just up ahead this way” and motioned down the bunny trail. He went first and after turning a few curves in the brush Jasmine could see an old home set into a hillside. The entire front was grown over in ivy and moss so that it almost completely blended into the surrounding area. The few windows that it had were so dirty that no details of the inside could be seen. Harrison continued to the only door with Jasmine right behind. Harrison opened a deadbolt with an old key he carried on a cord around his waist and opened the creaky old iron and wooden door. They walked into a small room with a small oil lamp burning on a table in the corner. Another door in the back corner of the room had a small light coming from underneath. There was a distinct smell of burning fuel of some sort and a muffled mechanical noise coming from the other side of the door in the corner. Aside from an old rug on the floor there wasn’t much else in the room. Harrison took a seat in one of the chairs at the table and said “He’ll be along in a bit. You’re welcome to have a seat..or stand...whatever...” Jasmine chuckled at how he came across and the surreal day it had been. She was a little tired after the walk and decided to have a seat. As eventful as the day had been she was really more curious about meeting the hermit. This guy was the source of all sorts of tales. The door in the corner opened as she was just beginning to question if coming along was a good idea.

The first thing she noticed about the hermit was how pleasant his smile was. The second thing she noticed was how really, really old he looked. She had never seen anyone so old! “Hi, I’m Harris” the hermit said as he extended his hand. She was familiar with the old custom of shaking hands and offered hers in return. Harris proceeded to pull out a chair and as he adjusted his position to get comfortable he continued talking with Jasmine. “Thank you so much for coming. I know you must be wondering what this is all about so let me start by saying that there are some things you need to know before you report for your service at the temple. Your mother made me promise to have this talk with you so I hope your patience will allow me a little more time to explain further.” Jasmine, usually quick to reply was still stuck on what he had just said about the promise to her mother. She barely remembered her mother but that was the second time today she had come up. First the High Priestess at the temple and now the Tepid Hermit. He waited patiently for her to process what he had just said and Harrison just sat silently with a matter of fact sort of aloofness. Jasmine felt more than a little in over her head but said “Sure, it’s been such an interesting day so far. What could you possibly say that could make it stranger still?” The hermit laughed out loud and said “Well my lovely girl...there is always more to the story.” He looked at her with a moment of silent thought and after this brief pause began to explain to her the whole of what his promise required.

"So, do you want the full version or the short story? Think about that carefully for a moment. I can fulfill my promise to your mother with either so it's up to you how deep of a dive you wish to make. Either way you will be back home cozy in your bed before the moon rises but the full version will inevitably lead to more questions." With that Harris leaned back in his chair and waited patiently for a response. Without hesitation Jasmine replied "The full story of course. I haven't come all this way just to head home with a half-answer." Harris smiled and said "Naturally...I didn't expect anything less. We wouldn't be having this conversation in the first place if you weren't a curious cat. It will be easier to answer your questions if we move to the workshop. Often it is easier to show than to tell." And with that he rose from his chair and walked over to the door in the corner, opened it and with a slight bow gestured towards the open doorway. "After you my dear." he said and Jasmine thought to herself "Well, deeper into the warren then." She could hear all kinds of strange noises coming from the other room as she followed this crazy old man into what turned out to be a huge room carved into the hill side.

She was nearly overwhelmed by all the new sights and sounds. There were all manner of machines clacking and whirring away. And music, although unlike anything she had ever heard. The closest thing that came to mind was 'The Myth of the Titans' she had seen earlier at the temple. She caught herself from falling into an endless stream of questions and focused on following Harris towards a seating area in the back corner. There was a beautiful table with chairs and a sofa in what was obviously an area designed for leisure. Harris said "Sit wherever you like...get comfortable. I'm going to throw together a few treats for us to have as we talk." With that Harris put on a kettle of water and set a few biscuits onto a plate. After a bit he set everything on the table and soon everyone had something to drink and to nibble on. Harris made a cup of tea for Jasmine out of some small red flowers he pulled from a small cloth bag. He mentioned it would help take the edge off her day and help her to sleep better. It smelled sort of like dirty socks but had a pleasant fruity flavor and went well the biscuits. After a few sips she didn't really notice the odd smell any more.

Once everyone was settled into their seats Harris began explaining what Jasmine had been waiting to hear. "So, as you're aware, I knew your mother. She was a brilliant person as well as a friend and colleague. She wanted me to tell you the truth about the world you're living in in hopes that your destiny might be your own to decide. You see Jasmine, there is much more to this world than you have been told. In fact you have been lied to your entire life. Not an overt lie mind you, but a lie of omission. A deliberate plan to keep you, and pretty much everyone else in the world in a state of permanent ignorance. The world today is run by the temple and its coterie of High Priestesses. They would tell you it's their divine right but the truth is that it's an ironic accident of history. As you have today seen some of the technology from older times you can now believe that people used to exist in much larger numbers than our current era. The great towers of stone used to be huge cities. Packed to the brim with people of all sorts. Different colors, languages and beliefs. They had developed their learning to such a degree that it eventually caused them to lose sight of the natural order. Once that happened it was all downhill from there. At that time most people in the world believed that honesty and hard work were to be admired. There was always a small segment of society however that preferred to steal and cheat their way to comfort. Nature has a way of punishing this sort of behavior but this criminal underclass of society managed to survive nonetheless. They had always been limited in their overall proportion of society but that all changed with what the temple calls today 'The Divine Exodus'. There was a great tragedy which befell humanity but that the criminal class was able to escape for the most part. Everyone else died out, leaving the elders of temple order as the sole survivors. They saw this as divine vindication of their beliefs and went out into the world to seek others and to spread their ways. During the many years this ensued, their control became absolute other than the occasional internal conflict. They managed to preserve enough technology from the previous era to solidify their control over the other survivors and also the ability to extend their own life span, although at a terrible cost to their subjects. You see, their healers know how to replace a failing body part with one from a healthy person. That's where you come in. Once they began this process of harvesting organs from their subjects than it was inevitable that a fully industrial farming system would be put in place. This is what formed the origins of our current order. In line with this system of human farming they realized that it wasn't cost effective to breed people willy nilly and instead chose to profile who gets to live based on your compatibility for their needs. And thus it became policy to only allow those to live who might eventually come to serve the temple by providing the spare parts they needed to extend their lives. Every single person you know has some elite cretin that they are matched to. The selection process is based on a remnant technology known as genetic profiling."

Judging by the dazed look on Jasmine's face Harris knew he may need to slow down and allow for the inevitable questions. Jasmine hardly knew where to begin and wanted to embrace the possibility that this was all just the rantings of a crazy old man. She knew better however as she had already learned enough to know it wasn't just a wild story. Forcing herself to confront the reality she began asking a litany of questions in an effort to dispel what was a creeping awareness. "What kind of tragedy could be so great that nearly everyone died?" she asked for starters. Harris replied "It was a plague. A disease that had been engineered to kill as many as possible. By the way, it is only in recent years that I have managed to put the pieces together. I spent most of my life looking for answers to this question. Upon finding out the whole of it I am left somewhat disappointed but with a renewed sense of a divine order. God is real and he has one hell of a sense of humor it turns out. At the beginning of all this the temple elders, who at that time were known as the 'entertainment industry' so hated everyone else that they formed an alliance with a rather nasty group of people from the other side of the world. They really only had one thing in common which was their mutual hatred of anyone who didn’t believe as they did. So, they formed an alliance where the group of foreigners known as 'radical Islam' would release an attack on their enemies and they would share power once the dust settled. Then that ironic thing I mentioned before happened. They planned to use a weapon of disease called 'botulinum toxin' that was stolen from the military. All went to plan as they released the disease and it began to spread. Mother nature however seems to have had her own plan as the disease mutated into a form that was completely new and had no known cure. This resulted in everyone dying over a period of two or three years including those who had themselves perpetrated the attack. Everyone that is except a small group who had been taking injections of the toxin in a vain attempt to preserve their youth. Unknown to them at the time this practice had caused a subtle resistance to form in the recipients which was just enough to give them the edge when the catastrophe struck. Many of the worst examples of humanity thereby managed to take control of the world and everything in it. Over time with no one to oppose them they managed to establish their reign which continues unchallenged to this day.”

With her head reeling from all this new information Jasmine somehow managed to keep it together and asked many more good questions over the next hour or so. Harris did his best to answer all of it while occasionally using the various items in his workshop to better illustrate the point. Having been convinced that everything Harris had told her was true she sat in stunned silence wondering what she was supposed to do with herself now. According to Harris the High Priestess had been waiting for her to come along and provide her with a new liver. It was supposed to be from her Mother but she had fled for her life when the time drew near to be harvested. And now, Jasmine was expected to show up at the temple in just a few short hours to begin her 'service'. She had never had such a powerful range of emotions in her life, much less such conflicting thoughts all at the same time. She wanted to go find the High Priestess and end her life, then after that burn the temple to the ground. Harris anticipated the feelings of anger and vengeance and suggested instead that she seek the answers she needs to lead a long life free of the chains she had been born into. It was all so much to take in she decided that getting some rest would help her to make sense of it all. Harris wished her a good night's rest and with a hug told her to go home and that tomorrow would bring it's own direction. With only a little light left in the day Jasmine started the walk home thinking about how soft and comfortable her bed was going to be.

As Jasmine lay with her head on the pillow looking out the window at the moon she was glad she tried the tea Harris made. She could feel its calming effects still and knew she would have no problems sleeping even after her crazy day.

As the new day began with the sunrise she sat up in bed and set her feet on the floor wondering what the day would hold. She noticed a slip of paper by the door. It seemed that someone had slipped a note under during the night. Reading the note it was clear that she had options other than going to the temple as expected of her. The note read simply
"If you want to know more meet Harrison this morning where the river meets the lake. -signed Harris p.s. good luck".

There was no doubt in her mind that she couldn't continue with her previous life. She began to pack a few things into a bag and left her home without looking back. As she came to the park along the way to the temple she saw her friend Chanelle. As usual Chanelle greeted her with a big smile and asked her if she was excited to begin her time at the temple."How could I not be excited?" She replied and told her friend that she would give her the full report of her first day that evening. Jasmine then continued on the path eastward out of town towards the lake to meet Harrison. She couldn't tell Chanelle, but the truth was she didn't know what the day would hold or if she would ever return to the village again. She recalled what the hermit had said the day before..."There's always more to the story" and quickened her pace in anticipation of what lie ahead.