My Year Abroad

Chapter 40

"I'm not sure how you're in this form, but I have no doubt that your home is the spirit world," Gabriella declared.

'Those are just legends.'

May sat down and examined the amount of blood nearby. Healing from a wound like this wasn't possible, but she watched it happen. She tried to rationalize the experience and thought of any other possibility.

"He's never had this problem before," Megan told Gabriella.

"You've healed from worse?" May asked.

"I've been stabbed in the heart, and besides a little pain I was fine," Cameron stated.

"After you healed Jacob he spoke of a mirrored version of our world," Gabriella announced.

"That's where I saw them. The sky was filled with swirling lights, and there was an odd sensation radiating from the land." Cameron replied.

"You need to think it out before you use the power." Megan cautioned.

"I'm sorry," Kinsey told Cameron.

"Don't be," Cameron replied.

Seeing Kinsey smiling Megan crossed her arms, and looked away.

"I don't think healing was the problem. How often do you go there?" Gabriella asked.

"That was the first time, but I've sensed that before. It was on a mountain in the Mojave." Cameron replied.

"You were drawn to it," Gabriella rummaged through her bag.

"It was more of a curiosity," Cameron stated.

Gabriella retrieved some sweet grass, and white sage to get started.

"If you don't frequent the spirit world the power will fade. Are you familiar with meditation?" Gabriella prepared several bowls of sweetgrass.

Gabriella placed them on the ground in a formation before lighting the sage in her hands. She approached Cameron while cleaning the room. May was no longer needed, but she was sticking around in an attempt to understand.

"I used to dabble in to get away from things, but I started back up recently," Cameron told Gabriella.

"How could something like that affect it?" Megan asked.

Cameron wanted to see if it really worked. One of the pots was still on to boil, and Cameron grabbed it from the stove. In an instant, his eyes turned blue as the steel froze along with the boiling water inside. He placed it back on the counter as it gradually thawed.

"You shouldn't be wasting it like that." Megan scolded.

"I wanted to see if it worked," Cameron replied.

"Take a seat." Gabriella gestured at the circle.

"I'm thankful for all the help, but we should get back on the road," Megan announced.

"What if we're in a pinch again, and it doesn't work?" Cameron asked.

"That's why I got onto you." Megan scoffed.

"Jacob knows the backroads really well and has a headstart. That should buy you a day at least." Henry told Megan.

"What are you talking about?" Cameron investigated.

That was when Cameron learned of their intervention. Thanks to them they were chasing after Jacob's RV, and in a few hours, traffic should resume to its usual pace. With a bit of breathing room, Megan ceased her complaints. Cameron took his spot in the circle as they ignited the herbs.

During meditation, it would typically take Cameron thirty minutes to an hour to enter a deep state. He wasn't sure if it was due to the previous experience, or the herbs, but he achieved it swiftly. Cameron could see a portal opening in the darkness of his mind, and he tried to approach it but the distance wouldn't change.

After trying a few more times Cameron gave up and sat down to meditate once more. It took some time, but he could sense the same energy from before. Cameron kept his eyes closed, but lifted his hand in its direction. Gradually the power flowed towards his palm as the markings returned once more.

Cameron was in his astral form leaving him free of human attachments including clothing. One could see the markings around his heart pulsating. It began to glow as a prism appeared over his heart.

The others watched it appear on Cameron's physical body as he began to levitate. Lights began to flicker momentarily before settling. They all watched carefully as an aurora appeared beneath him that gradually circled around him.

'It's so beautiful.' Megan reached for the lights as her hand halted in place.

"Smart choice," Jordan stated.

"I didn't stop." Megan pushed harder, but it was no different than forcing magnets together.

May reached for her phone, but the keypad was going erratic. The full battery was sapped to one percent in an instant. Megan noticed and was prepared to scold the woman, but she reassured it was for scientific purposes.

"If she wanted to turn us in it would've happened long ago," Jordan told Megan.

"That said you should be careful about taking videos. Even if it uploads to the cloud authorities could see it." Jordan cautioned.

"I knew who you were the minute I showed up. The story on tv just seemed sketchy to me. A nationwide manhunt for the murder of one man? Who's that naive." May stated.

"It was self-defense actually," Henry announced.

"T-that's right. He hit Cameron with his car, and then abducted the both of us." Megan covered her stomach.

"As you can see no one would believe us." Jordan sighed.

"Can you blame them?" May asked.

"With today's world and lifestyle choices, it's easy to get distracted from our spiritual needs," Gabriella stated.

"What did you give him earlier?" Jordan investigated.

"It was a special tea used in certain healing ceremonies. I wasn't sure it would work under these conditions, but the situation seemed urgent." Gabriella replied.

"It's peyote. That's why I was hesitant about giving it to a dying man." May stated.

"It worked didn't it." Megan crossed her arms.

"How was I supposed to know he was a spirit or whatever," May argued.

"He's actually an alien. The whole flying saucers with little men thing is real." Jordan replied.

"Now that's nonsense." May was organizing her bag.

"I wish it was." Megan sat down exhausted from their journey.

'What the hell is going on?' May pinched her cheek firmly and winced immediately.

"Do that as many times as you want, but it won't change anything. I wish this was a dream. At least then we're getting sleep." Megan sighed.