HOLES IN THE FABRIC: Bk 1 The Weaver Prophecy

Chapter 24: Doorways to the Past

         Moana awoke late still tired. The pains she had been feeling since arriving had disappeared along with her thoughts. Emptied out.  She felt a little spaced out. It was an unusual space, cleaned inside out. She was confident that what she was doing would help her find the children. Still unsure of how though, she was happy to follow the Tohunga’s instructions for now.

       Since she awoke however she had been a little clumsier than usual. She was unsure why, perhaps the lack of sleep?  She had banged and bashed herself all about the camp. Moana was heartily sick of it now, with grazes and scratches all over, she was determined to be more mindful.

        Moana cast her eye about, looking for Mihi- her one friend in the camp and saw her over the way with the other women, tending a fire. Mihi caught her eye and waved. Moana walked towards her smiling, she was hungry again and the food smelt damn good. The others turned to watch, just as they did, Moana’s big toe, managed to somehow get squashed into the side of a small rock in her path.

“Shit.”The words flew out of Moana’s mouth, as her leg wobbled sideways, her arms waving like helicopter blades as she tried to regain her balance. She stumbled forward and with a last leg swing in a valiant effort to regain her balance, slipped and flew up into the air and crashed down flat onto her butt. The women burst out in laughter. The men smirked and pretended they hadn’t seen.

“You okay there Moana?” Mihi called

“Yes. I’m fine.”  Embarrassment never killed anyone.

“Just take it easy eh.” Mihi was grinning from ear to ear.

Moana nodded her head, and pulled herself up. What on earth had gotten into her today?  Moana shook it off and walked over to the fire. Yet just before she got there the strap on her garment broke and fell from her shoulder exposing her breast. Moana quickly grabbed the bodice of the top and pulled it up.

“What now?” She growled. The strap was broken. She begrudgingly left the food and walked back to her mat, picking up and tossing the offending rock into the forest as she did. Her blue gown was laid out on the mat to dry. She bent down and felt the gown. It was bone dry. The fabric was so soft and silky. She glanced at the others all dressed in traditional Maori clothes and again at the gown. She pulled the Maori garment from her body and pulled back on her gown. She felt Hutu’s soft pouch within it. As she touched it she immediately remembered the warmth and love of those she had met in the cavern. It gave her strength.

       Then it started. First a slipping, a merging, a shifting within- a weight inside herself. A man fell smack bang inside of her body, inside of her skin, inside of her head, inside of her being. One moment she was just Moana, the next there he was. An unknown man inside of her. Not in a sexual way, nothing that simple. It was as if he had zipped open her back and stepped inside her skin. Moana’s body tensed into a state of shock. She could feel the man making himself comfortable inside her. Not only could she sense him, she could feel his feelings. A wave of smug satisfaction creeped through her that was not her own. She had heard voices before, felt guides whisper to her, but nothing like this. Never before had she had a ‘hitchhiker’.

            “This feels good.”The voice of the man uttered inside her head. Moana’s skin crawled. She didn’t like his energy at all. A slow terror was creeping up inside her.

            “What do you want?” Moana said in her head.

            “To feel alive again.”

            “Go and get your own body.” Moana’s skin crawled as she spat out the words.

            “There is no need, I have yours,” came the reply.