Mirror of Love

A man and woman meet through a mirror that connected the United States of America with Kaligala. At the end of part 1 they jump together through the mirror.

We splashed out of an orange waterfall. All portals weren't mirrors after all. We arrived as naked as when we left. I should be embarrassed I thought, but I wasn't. I felt at peace as though being naked with this lovely creature was the way life was meant to be. The thought struck me that I didn't even know her name.

"Who are you?"

"Althea."

"Beautiful name for a lovely woman." In Kaligala I would have felt silly or flirtatious to call a naked woman beautiful as though I was trying to seduce her or something. But, I felt different here. I couldn't put my finger on it yet, but in that instant I knew that some basic law of nature had changed.

"Let's explore," she said at last.

We turned from the waterfall and gazed at the open space that fell away from the ledge where we stood. We were perched at the edge of a cliff high in the air like birds staring down from above. Only we didn't have wings and we needed something to get out of there.

Althea slipped her arm around me and I turned to her with a smile enjoying the warmth and softness of her skin. As I stared down at the dizzying ground far below, I could barely make out the objects. Then, things cleared up a little. Some brown specks moved around. The specks grew larger and turned into small rabbits hiding in the long green grasses. I no longer felt dizzy. I could see the water droplets on the rocks below. Everything was so clear now as though I had the most powerful binoculars in existence.

I turned so I could speak to Althea, but she had disappeared. A large eagle stared at me from where she had been standing just moments before. I reached out to the eagle and we touched feathers. Then, Althea slipped over the edge, tumbled for a second, and with powerful beats of her wings climbed higher into the sky. Before I knew it, I was beside her, racing with the wind in my face. I liked the way my feathers tickled when we plunged downward, speeding like bullets for the unsuspecting rabbit that ventured a little too far into the tall grass.

We flew around familiarizing ourselves with the way the downdrafts grabbed us. I started a contest to see who could fly the highest without flapping wings. We moved them slightly to catch the wind, but the rules allowed no actual flapping. Althea was the best. She had a natural feel for updrafts and quickly caught one that shot her upward. I tried to follow, but by the time I got there, the wind had died and I was left flat winged -- stalled, dead in the air. I languished in the lower altitudes until she had pity on me and returned.

She looked very smug with her long claws dangling in the wind, circling slowly downward to where I waited.

"Very clever my dear. Or was it beginners luck?" My voice was raspy even for an eagle.

"Pure textbook," she laughed. "I saw this island far in the distance in the middle of a sea. It had a tall mountain with eagles circling it."

"How could you see so far? That must be ten miles away."

"We're eagles remember -- those binocular eyes." She twitched her wing in a way that reminded me of a dark haired woman in a maple bedroom waking up and staring at me with eyes like black holes, deep and deeper, looking into another world.

"Let's go check it out then!"

So, we flapped our wings in earnest, climbing high in the sky until both of us could see the island. The living land flowed beneath us where the waterfall turned into a river. It sliced through a valley filled with greenery and trees and scurrying animals. I looked down as the river emptied into the blue-green sea. A world of fish lived under the surface and if I was hungrier, I might have stopped for a quick salmon snack, but Althea was single-minded today,her eyes focused on the island ahead of us.

Soon, it loomed dark against the green water, its tall mountain slate-black and speckled with white like diamonds against a velvet bedding. Far above the highest peak, five large adult eagles circled as though guarding the island from intruders. That's how I felt as we approached the group and the largest bird sped toward us, its beak scarred from some recent fight.

"Ho", the strange bird called. "Who flies there?"

"Strangers," Althea responded quickly. "We're newcomers from far away and saw all of you circling round and round."

"And what of it?" The stranger's voice was harsh and forbidding.

"It's strange -- odd. Eagles don't flock."

Inwardly I cringed when Althea said this. Didn't she notice that different rules governed this land. Of course, maybe she did know. Perhaps she was more in tune with things than I was. Maybe it was I who was detached. I thought how I had always been this way, detached and analyzing everything. My greatest desire was to enjoy the moment, the passion, not as a third person, but with complete abandon. And this was not the time to be introspective.

The eagle stared at Althea with his beady little eyes glittering as they reflected the orange sun. "Yes, we do flock now. It isn't normal, but these aren't normal times. The Persuader has arrived."

"The Persuader?" I responded.

He turned his head toward me and shot me with the full force of his glance. "A powerful eagle, completely white, pure like snow. He is changing everything." The strange eagle stopped talking and stared at me unblinking. I felt like turning away from the intensity of his eyes, but knew it would be a mistake.

At last, he looked away. "I don't think you are one of them." He was talking more to himself than to us. "They have shifty eyes."

"What are you talking about?" Althea's feathers ruffled back and forth as though a strong wind were blowing over them. Was this impatience? Nervousness? I was still learning about her.

"The Persuader has an army of eagles now. They are taking over the world. Our island is one of the few safe places left." He glanced past us toward the land we had come from. "They're coming for us. It's just a matter of time."

"What's so bad about the Persuader? Does he take your food?"

The giant eagle shot me a hard look. "He changes us somehow." He stared away as though deep in thought. "He makes us all do the same things." His eyes no longer focused, but gazed past me. "My brother was large like me and could fly faster and higher than all the other eagles. He would never flock. Not Gabriel. I was so proud of him.

"But, the Persuader came and changed all that. Gabriel began to fly with everyone else. He was no longer Gabriel, but something else, a stranger. Even his body seemed smaller somehow."

Althea glanced at me before speaking. "I can handle a little mental brainwashing. Sticks and stones and all that. Bring on the Persuader. I'm ready baby." She jerked her wings back and forth which caused her to bounce up and down like a prize fighter dancing around a ring.

I started laughing and stopped paying attention until I slipped on a downdraft. Then, Althea laughed. The giant eagle couldn't help himself and a grin slipped across his beak.

"That's the way my giant friend," Althea encouraged. "You've got to laugh. The Persuader will never beat a good belly laugh."

"How do you know all that?" The grin was gone and his feathers curled above his eyes.

"We have him where I come from too."

"And how do you beat him?"

"Two ways. Laugh and dream."

That stopped him. It stopped me too. Athea had truth in her. Its simplicity bowled me over. I stopped moving for a second and just floated in the air. Maybe that was why we connected across time and space. She was just perfect for me. I felt as though I had been searching for this missing puzzle piece all my life and suddenly floating right in front of me was the missing piece -- a perfect connection for my jagged edges.

We arrived at the top of the mountain and joined the other circling eagles. Michael, our new friend, introduced us to the group. They were beautiful eagles, not because of nicely colored feathers and abundance of wing strength, but something else that seemed to flow out of them. It was this spirit that each of them had. I had sensed it before with a person or two who I would meet and wonder about, but never this strong. It was as if all the best and most beautiful eagles in the universe were gathered on top of this island preparing to protect all of reality from some age-old evil.

The seven of us circled the mountain, around and around, tirelessly waiting. As we circled, my mind wandered in and out and I asked myself if this was real or just my imagination. What was real anyway? Weren't my fantasies and dreams as valuable as the day to day drudgery of sitting in front of a console creating fictitious worlds.

"Seven is the perfect number you know," Althea remarked.

"I've heard that. How does that apply to us?" I asked.

"There are seven of us now. Whatever is going to happen can happen. We are complete, ready to begin."

"I'd prefer waiting a while. This Persuader sounds nasty."

"Oh no. He isn't nasty," Michael said. "He's like an angel of light -- white and pure. He'll be wonderful. You'll like him, maybe love him. The problem is loving him too much. Then you are no longer yourself."

"Eagles flying low from the SouthWest!" a small gray-feathered bird cried out.

We watched as the flock approached. It was huge. Hundreds of birds, maybe thousands, flying wing to wing in perfect formation moved toward us like a black ink spot spreading through a paper towel. As they came closer, they flew up into the higher altitudes blocking the sun like an eclipse. A shadow slipped over the island and a darkness covered my heart.

But, I had an idea. "Remember the way to fight them!!" I shouted. "Laugh and dream. Dream of a land where each of us can have our own perch with our private ideas and thoughts. No one can tell us how to feel or who to love."

"And follow your heart!" Althea's voice boomed before the sound from a thousand wings silenced us.

And that's what we did. The darkness covered us and I felt the cold fingers of fear squeeze my heart, but I held on to Althea's tail and I felt another bird hold on to mine and we circled that mountain around and around, seven of us, the perfect number.

*****************

I started to dream.

I sat at a bar with a friend. We were watching the women pass by. I hated bars and this one more than most. I hated myself for being here. The women were all perfect -- poised, confident, hair in place, smiles frozen around perfectly white even teeth. My friend kept mentioning the nice features of this woman or that one and I smiled politely. I was sure they were all wonderful and their skin would be flawless and they would move with well timed passion. Yet something was missing. I couldn't put my finger on it. I just felt uncomfortable.

I stared at the tall man across from me for a moment wondering what made him so different from me. It wasn't his black hair with the white streak down the center. Or the mustache and goatee. It was something else. Something in the way his eyes gleamed as he gazed toward the stream of undulating flesh. It was as though he was here for a completely different reason from me. I was lonely, desperately so. The evenings alone at my console creating worlds of romance and mystery always left me feeling empty. I didn't want an imaginary love no matter how sensual and vivid. I needed the real thing. True love in a bar! The only thing worse would be signing up for those internet romance services. I did that a few times. It always left me with this smoky taste in my mouth, not much different from imagining a steak and yet not quite getting the flavor right.

My friend had this habit of clicking his fingernails together. Perhaps he did it when he was nervous. Was his confidence a mere mask to cover hidden insecurities? Or was I thinking too much again. I did that sometimes. It was as if all these waves of feeling and thought poured into my heart and mind. I would feel something and wonder what caused it?

Most of the time I couldn't trace the source and assumed my imagination was racing again. But, other times I knew exactly why I felt the way I did. A person across the room wanted to talk to me or was angry with me or a friend on another island was thinking of me. That happened a lot. My mind would grab hold of these powerful thoughts about a friend and then later I would find that my friend had been thinking of me also.

The clicking sound annoyed me. I was already tired of this place and wished to leave.

"Check out the blond at 1 o'clock." He liked giving directions according to the face of the old analog clocks that existed only in museums now.

The blond was attractive. I was sure of that. Bret Hammond wouldn't have said that if it wasn't true. Yet I felt nothing. I yawned. "She certainly has a nice tan and slender legs," I responded politely.

"Go over and ask her to dance." He nudged me with his elbow.

"Why don't you?"

"I'm not the one who won't leave his cabin unless his best friend drags him to a bar."

"There must be a better place to meet people than here."

Bret started laughing. "Right!! You mean at work. You could meet someone at work. Click on your consol at the people icon and start talking. Make an imaginary lover just for yourself. Don Buford the great master of imaginary worlds makes the perfect woman." He continued laughing quietly to himself.

"But, it's so sudden. All these people. I don't know them at all. It takes time to know people."

"Of course it does. But, ya' gotta start somewhere, right?"

"What do I say?"

"Anything you want. But, you must follow the first commandment of love."

"What's that?"

"Never tell the truth."

"What!!"

"Women don't want to know the truth. They want a fantasy. Tell them you're a doctor or a lawyer or an airline pilot -- something exciting or dangerous is best."

"And why do I do all of this?"

"So they want to be with you. They'll laugh and titter away and maybe come home with you. When they find out you're not a doctor, you can find someone else." He laughed again. "It's great fun."

"A smart woman would see through all that. What would I gain anyway?"

Bret put his glass mug down on the table with a splat as a puddle of beer squirted into the air. "You get a moment of forgetfulness is all. That's all you ever get. A small slice of time when you don't feel alone anymore." He was staring into the crowd with his eyes wide and glassy as if he had had too much beer. I knew otherwise.

I reached out and touched his arm. "Maybe, we can make a true connection. Perhaps our hearts can actually care for another and be loved in return."

"I thought that once. I was a bigger fool than you in those days. No longer. Never again. Never give all your heart. It is the second commandment of love."

"You're a regular rule book on love. Any others?"

"One more. Never love too long."

"So that's love is it? Lie, hold back, and run when it's hard."

"No. Being hard is good." Bret started laughing and then tried to drain his already empty beer mug.

*****************

Then I was back with the eagles, my dream completed. The armada of birds hovered over the island, almost blocking the sun from our view. A large white one separated from the rest. Accompanying him was a second even larger bird. I waited for Michael to speak.

"This is our home. Please return to where you came from." Michael's voice cracked. "We don't want your kind here."

"What do you mean our kind?" The white eagle had a pleasant voice. I watched him closely. He was completely white except for a black streak along the top of his head. He didn't bob up and down the way Michael did, but floated in the air, motionless and still. I wondered how he could do that without moving his wings.

"I know what you're doing. You're trying to play mind-games on us." Michael snapped the words out, barely moving his beak.

"Not at all." The white eagle smiled peacefully as he clicked his claws together. "You don't have to listen to anything I tell you. I am not going to hurt you. I just want you to realize that your life can be so much happier."

"What do you mean?"

The Persuader's claws clicked like an old grandfather clock, louder and louder and I had trouble concentrating. They reminded me of something from long ago, but I couldn't remember.

"You're already so wonderful." His smile increased. "I don't even need to say much. It's as if your hearts already know how you should feel. You can join us if you want or stay here." He raised a wing into the air. "Peace be with you my brother."

"I'm no brother of yours." Michael's voice had an edge to it. "I'm onto your mind games. What do you think we are doing that's so great?"

The white eagle grinned in a way that showed the inside of his mouth. "You're flocking together. You no longer stand alone. You care for each other. You work for a common purpose. It's so wonderful to see the caring and love you show." He waved a wing at the thousands of eagles. "Like all of us. We all work together. We're a team."

"He's right," said the large eagle, flying in place beside his white leader.

"Gabriel," Michael addressed the other eagle. "You're my brother. Are you sure you know what you're doing?" Michael paused in mid-air as if contemplating the thoughts swirling around him. I was thinking about it also. The white eagle had a valid point. Eagles, like people were stronger together. Yet, something bothered me. I couldn't quite identify it. Perhaps the white eagle was lying about this new togetherness. Maybe it was just a ploy until he had more power.

"I'm positive," Gabriel replied. "I broke my wing last week. See it's still bent." He waved the hurt wing. "I couldn't hunt and would've died, but all the other eagles helped me. I would've starved if it hadn't been for the Savior. He's the coming king from beyond time to heal our pain and suffering."

I had waited long enough. "I see a problem with all this togetherness." They all looked at me. The white eagle flew over and floated directly in front of my face looking into my blues eyes with his gray ones. They were soft eyes, like water. An eagle could fly into those eyes and stay there forever. I wanted to do that.

"What's bothering you my friend?" His voice was soft, silky soft. "Don't you want to love and be cherished in return?"

"Of course I do." I hadn't meant for my voice to sound so harsh. "I just want to know who decides what we all do in our new togetherness. Can I decide for all of us?"

"I'm sure your ideas are wonderful. We all want your input." The white eagle smiled at me.

I tried to make my voice as liquid and soft as his. "Thank you. You're so kind." Then, I shouted to the thousands. "How beautiful is our togetherness. How wonderful that we have each other." I glanced at the white eagle. He was beaming. So, I continued.

"We have so much to give. Let's search our hearts and find that one thing we crave more than anything else. Do you want to fly higher? Do you want to skim over the ocean and admire the colors reflected by the orange sun? Do you want to sing songs? Do you love another eagle and want to find her? My friends, follow your heart's desire. Let's do it together. Let's stop our calm beating of wings and find our passion. Follow your passion. Follow your heart."

The white eagle was no longer smiling. The feathers above his gray eyes curled. His eyes blazed into mine as though he wished a mere look could destroy. Then, he rose high into the air and disappeared.

The other eagles began to disperse. Some flew high into the air. Others dove toward the water to catch fish. One began this loud cawing sound that reminded me of chalk scraping against a blackboard. Was that an eagle song I wondered? My ears were still too human to handle such harmony.