The Hidden Path (WINNER OF THE BEAUTY AWARD for Spiritual)

Prologue

My heart longs to be dissolved

In wings of air

And fly in the unhorizoned sky.

I long to open up

All my heart-doors

In the delight of my liberation-life.

May my life begin

With the breath of a new hope.

- Sri Chinmoy

I was standing on the flat roof of an incredibly tall skyscraper.

Friends, family members and people I did not know were crowding its surface, engaged in all kinds of activities. Some were casually walking, some talking, while others were goofing around, jumping or dancing.

I, for my part, cautiously approached the railing running along the edge of the roof, curious for a glimpse of the abyss below.

On my way, I took in the scene surrounding me in more detail. It struck me how everybody moved about without care. Nobody seemed to be even aware of the fact that they were in real danger of falling off the roof and tumbling to their certain death, should they accidentally stumble.

As I was pondering this thought, I realized with slight trepidation that my sister was standing very close to the edge. Which would not have been reason for real concern, had she not suddenly raised her arms, and, in one fluid motion, placed them on the floor while at the same time lifting up her legs into a handstand.

No! I screamed inwardly, Don't do this! You might fall off the roof! It's too dangerous!

I really wanted her to put the feet back on the floor and herself out of harms way!

With Tina's back to me, I had no way of communicating the feeling of extreme uneasiness that suddenly came over me. I wanted to scream at her to beware, but she was simply too far away.

Please, stop it! I don't want you to get hurt! I inwardly begged her, frozen to the spot.

After that, everything happened too fast for me to even take another step:

My sister, whose legs had already begun their descent, straightened into the handstand once again, twisting in the process!

But not on her own accord, no! It was me, or rather: my own fears, which forced her into the change of movement through some kind of energetic connection that had been created by my intense emotions!

Within the blink of an eye, Tina's back was towards the railing, which only reached up to her shoulders in her upside-down position. A new, stronger surge of fear caused me to cry out aloud, creating a wave of energy that reached my sister through our connection and... pushed her!

She lost her balance and - feet first - fell off the roof!

"No!" I shrieked, rushing towards the edge, dreading what I would find looking down.

In a state of panic, I bent over the railing.

But to my great relief, I immediately spotted my sister safe and sound! It appeared that she had landed on a wide ledge, which protruded from the wall of the skyscraper about three meters below the level I was standing on.

Releasing the deep breath I did not realize I had been holding, I turned away from the scene. Crossing the wide plane before me, I kept my eyes on the ground, but my thoughts on all those people around me. I would really like to put them under a glass-dome... or chain them to the ground to keep them safe, I mused. But they probably would not really appreciate it, I guess.

Suddenly, the realization hit, causing me to raise my head in wonder: I could not possibly protect anybody from the dangers of life, no matter how much I would like to keep them all safe, secure and close to me!

Besides... in the end, I actually have to let go of everybody, one way or another!

Deep in thought, I reached the other side of the roof, which was bare of any railing.

Looking down, I perceived a huge ocean hundreds of meters below, spreading as far as I could see. Its deep blue, wavy surface glittered in the golden sunlight, as if studded with myriad tiny diamonds.

I absentmindedly put my hand on an enormous black nail. Right beside me, it was lopsidedly stuck into the black, crumbly surface, which reminded me of cooled off lava-stones.

On impulse, I pulled it out of the ground.

The surface around the nail crumbled as it broke free from its prison, causing a few small stones to skip across the surface before falling off the roof. My eyes followed their journey and suddenly, I felt a pang in my chest.

Fear.

This was what it was all about, I realized: I was afraid!

Afraid for those I knew and also afraid for myself. Afraid of falling...

My thoughts drifted back to the scene, which had just played out in front of me: how the fear of my sister falling had been the cause for her doing so. My thoughts had made her turn and lose balance. They had pushed her.

Dazed, I raised my eyes again, only to see everybody still recklessly moving about. Shaking my head, I turned back to gazing at the shining expanse of water below.

But if I am afraid of falling, I have to jump!

There was no other way to overcome my fears.

I took a deep breath and - only hesitating for a moment - jumped head first off the edge of the roof.

As I was tumbling faster and faster towards the infinite blue beyond, my body started to dissolve into light, beginning with my limbs.

For a brief moment, I reconsidered: is this what I truly want? Somehow, I knew I would still be able to stop the process and the fall, if I really tried.

But the answer came immediately and confidently: Yes!

Closing my eyes, I surrendered myself entirely.

Within a few moments, my whole body, every single cell in it, grew swiftly lighter and brighter, until in one instant ... I exploded into light ....

I woke up with a start, breathing heavily.

A feeling of complete lightness, in all senses of the word, flooded my entire being.

My decision was made. I had taken the step.

I dedicate my first chapter to Bhashini, my incredibly selfless and dedicated editor and a more talented writer than I could hope to be :) ! She has written some of the cutest stories for children you will ever read and two truly compelling fantasy novels. The number of reads of all of her books are proof that I am not exaggerating... Please, see for yourself!