The Scar (Chapter 7)

Kohath’s Visit

“Linda…Linda”
She was stumbling through a sea of darkness and the voice was coming from somewhere ahead of her in the darkness. She stumbled forward in the direction of the voice her hands straight out in front of her.
Her necklace began to glow slightly lighting up the cavern. “Linda” the voice was barely above a whisper now and she looked in the direction of the voice but didn’t see anyone. A hissing sound filled her ears and she spun around. On the other side of the cavern was a large snakelike creature Saliva dripped from it fangs as it stared at her it stretched itself to its full height and she had to crane her neck in order to keep it in her sights. She gulped and turned to run when she heard the voice again. “Wait Linda, don't run.”
“But if I don’t I’ll be eaten.” She yelled into the darkness.
“Trust me.”
“I don’t even know you.”
“Trust me.” The voice said again. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath then turned back to the snake right as it lounged. A bright light came out of nowhere making her fall to the ground and cover her eyes she heard a scream from the monster and then all was still. She opened her eyes and looked around. The snake was gone and the only light was the light coming from her necklace. And from the semi-darkness she heard the whisper again. “Linda.” It bounced off the walls so many times that she couldn’t tell where it was coming from.
“Who are you?” She shouted into the shadows.
“One who has waited long for you?” A man suddenly stepped out of the shadows followed closely by two others who were still hidden by the shadows so she couldn’t make them out. But the man had stepped completely into the light now and she noticed that the closer he got to her the brighter her necklace got.
It took Linda a moment to find her voice again but when she did it came out as barely above a whisper. “Are...are you Kohath.
The man nodded his head and as he did the darkness around her melted away and she found herself in the most beautiful garden she had ever seen. She had to blink to adjust to the sudden light and when she did she was surprised to notice that the light was coming from Kohath himself. The two people standing behind him were clearer now and she could tell that it was a man and woman both looking at her with gentle, loving eyes.
“Why are you here?” She asked Kohath
He smiled gently at her in a way that made her feel a bit uncomfortable and she shifted nervously to her other foot. “Linda I have longed for this day since the day you were born. You are my precious daughter and I long for you to put your faith in me.”
“But I’m not very religious. Never have been and never want to be. Where were you all those times when I needed you? Where were you when my parents died or when Brenda picks on me or when Cindy’s mom got in that accident? All those times that Cindy prayed for her mom to get better only to find that she’d never be able to walk again. Where’s the fairness in all that. And if you had kept my parents alive I wouldn’t have to deal with Brenda or the embarrassment of being the only person on earth without a green thumb. Did you ever think of that when you took them away from me? How can I put my faith in someone who has let me down time and time again? No, the only person who’s never let me down is me and that’s the only person I’ll ever trust. Me.”
Kohath hadn’t said a word the entire time Linda talked and now as she finished he just shook his head and looked at her with sad eyes. “Very well Linda. If that’s the way you want it then that’s your choice. But whenever you’re ready I’ll be waiting.”
Suddenly it went black again. And from the blackness came voices. They were the voices of the man and woman.
“Leena, Leena, Leena” the man chided her “You think you have found yourself but you are still lost. And until you are found you can not find us”
“Oh Leena, Leena.” The women sounded sad as she spoke “You must accept who you are, you are not an earthling you are a Imaginese and you must accept it and until you do we will never be found.”
“Who are you?” Linda asked.
“To some I am known as Layka to others Kayla but I believe you know me best as mother.”
“Mom?”
“My darling daughter you must find us, you must accept who you are if you ever hope to find us.”
“That’s impossible how can I find you, you’re dead.” Kayla laughed a crystal clear laugh that hung in the darkness. “What do I have to do? How do I find you?” Linda screamed into the darkness.
“You must believe Leena.” Gaylin’s voice echoed from behind her. “Believe in Kohath that is the only way you will ever find us.”
“I can’t believe in Kohath. I’m not that type of person.”
Her mother’s voice was sad as it echoed through the darkness. “Then you will never find us.”
“No, there’s got to be more. Mother, don’t leave me…Dad?”
“Do not fail us Leena Elopee.” Her father’s voice was barely a whisper that sounded in her soul
“Mom? Dad?...MOM?”
Linda awoke in a sweat. Her heart was beating wildly. She pushed her self up. With her father’s words running through her mind. ‘Believe in Kohath’ and ‘do not fail us Leena Elopee.’ How was she supposed to put her trust in Kohath? He had done nothing to prove that he was worth her time. She put her head in her hands and concentrated on her breathing. And thought about the dream, it seemed so real. Like somehow Kohath had somehow transported her to another place and he really had stood in front of her and told her to trust him. And what about her parents? Could they really be alive somehow? And if they were was it worth denying the one person who could return them to her? I can’t! She thought and she felt her eyes begin to well up in tears. Once I say yes I’ll be no better than a slave. I’ve lived this long with out them I refuse to give up everything I’ve ever known just to meet them. I don’t even know them. The tears were coming down her cheeks harder now and she did something she never thought she would do. She began to pray. Kohath I don’t know you and I have no reason to trust you. But here’s your chance to prove that I can. If you’re really as great as Rowel says give me a way to see him again somehow.
Her bedroom door squeaked as Mary poked her head into the room “Are you alright? I thought I heard you scream.”
Linda wiped the tears from her eyes. “I’m fine it was just a bad dream.”
“Well I got something that might cheer you up hurry up and get dressed I have something I want to show you.”
Linda got up and got dressed as fast as she could. Everyone else in the house was still sleeping when Linda and Mary slipped out of the house. Mary and her husband and son would be leaving the next morning to go back to Chicago where they lived and Linda had been hoping her and Mary would get a couple of hours alone before they left. But Linda could barely concentrate on what Mary was saying. Something about Kyle starting preschool in September and how fast time flies cause it seemed like just yesterday she was 12 years old and watching Linda stumble around the farm and now it was her own son who was the munchkin.
But Linda’s mind was on her dream and what her father said. She was so wrapped in her thoughts that she almost bumped into Mary. Linda looked around she had no idea where she was. “Ok close your eyes” commanded Mary. Linda sighed and did as she was told.
“Ok you can open them”
When she opened her eyes she couldn’t help but gasp. For sitting before her was the most beautiful spacepod she had ever seen. On the door was a Wiper flower and on the back the name had rusted and she couldn’t quite make it out but she could barley make out the letter A at the end of the word as she looked closer she also made out a very faded L. Leena? No that’s impossible Linda looked at Mary aghast. “How did you…?”
“When I was younger I used to walk in these woods too, especially after we found you. I thought it was so cool that aliens had actually been here. When I was about your age I found it hidden in some bushes. Of course I hid it and figured I’d give it to you when I gave you the necklace. I believe it was you’re parents and since they died I guess it would be yours now.”
Linda looked back at the pod and gulped she looked back at the name and could barley make out the letter K. Layka. Her mother’s birth name. Linda looked back at Mary. Mary was staring at the name as well as if trying to figure out what it said. “It says Layka.” Linda answered the unspoken thought. Mary looked at her the question visible in her eyes. “The name, it’s says Layka. That was my mother…my real mother.” Mary nodded and looked back at the ship. Linda almost told Mary right there about her dream but she didn’t. Instead she reached over and gave her a great big hug. Mary dug into her pocket and handed over the key that had been hidden with Linda. Then Linda jumped into the pod and started up the engine it rattled from the neglect and weather it had endured over the years. Linda looked out at Mary. Mary nodded and smiled. “Go ahead.”
Linda smiled back. And suddenly the most surprising thought entered her head: Kohath had answered her prayer. She couldn’t believe he had done it not to mention that he had done it so soon. She had expected it to take months or years before she saw them again but now with the feel of the steering wheel in her hands and the rumble of the machine in her ears she couldn’t believe it was true. She smiled and turned to Mary. “I’ll be back in a couple hours, I promise.” With that she took off to Imaginess. She would spend a whole morning there and hopefully get that engine fixed and she would still be back in time for lunch.
She couldn’t wait to see her friends again. What a surprise it would be for the Rowan’s to see her so soon and she was sure Rowel would be interested in hearing about her dream and that somehow his aunt and uncle were still alive. And she was sure he’d be even more interested in hearing about how she had decided to trust Kohath as well. After all how could she not. Rowel had shown her the proof but she had chosen to ignore it and look at only the bad things that had happened to her. But Kohath hadn’t given up and she couldn’t ignore it anymore. For as long as she was alive how ever long that ended up being she would follow Kohath in every way she knew how. She just needed to learn how to do that and she knew just who could teach her.