I didn’t remember driving back to Ashland, but I must have, because the next thing I recalled was waking up on the floor of my apartment. I was still fully clothed with my shoes on, and evidently I’d tried to make a bed on the living-room floor out of sofa cushions and blankets. I had no idea why I hadn’t made it to the bedroom, but I was probably in quite a state, since two of the lamps were knocked over and the coffee table was propped up against the wall on its side.
My abdomen was still in severe pain, and I felt completely drained and had a throbbing headache. I slowly began to remember what happened in Yreka, and when the terrifying memories returned, I knew that I needed some serious help. I considered going to the hospital, but I wasn’t sure how to explain to the doctors what had happened. In fact, I wasn’t sure how to explain to myself what had happened. I finally decided that Robert was my best bet, and I hoped I could find him at the Co-op, because I knew I didn’t have the energy to make it to his tipi.
As I staggered outside, I noticed Martika’s car parked at an angle on the sidewalk, with the backside jutting into the street. Underneath the bumper were two trash cans that had emptied their contents all over the sidewalk. I knew the car should be moved and the garbage picked up, but I barely had enough energy to walk. And with my head swimming like it was, I knew I wasn’t in any state to drive. So I stumbled down the hill to the Co-op, and as soon as I approached, Robert ran up to me.
“What happened to you?” he asked with genuine concern that I’d never heard from him before.
“The swing set . . .” I said in a shaky voice. “My stomach hurts.”
“I bet it hurts—you have a huge black cloud around your torso. We should go to your apartment now; you’re in need of some serious healing.”
He slung Puppy Don over his shoulder like a bag of rice and with his hand on the small of my back, guided me up the hill. As we neared my apartment, he saw Martika’s car parked on the sidewalk and shook his head compassionately.
“I should have given you some protection,” he said as I unlocked my door. “I didn’t think they would be after you so quickly.”
“Who is after me?”
“We’ll talk about that later. Why don’t you grab a pillow and some blankets and join me in the backyard. This will be much easier in nature.”
I found some extra bedding and met Robert outside. He had just finished moving the cedar picnic table under the large madrone tree.
“Lie down on the table, faceup, and close your eyes,” he said as he took the bedding and folded it to create a makeshift bed on top of the picnic table. “We need to get to work.”
Robert put one hand on my abdomen and the other on my forehead and began to breathe deeply. He moved his hands to different parts of my body and inhaled through his nose and exhaled loudly out of his mouth. Then he began mumbling in a barely discernible voice.
“Uh-huh. Yes, I know. Yes. Oh, I see. You’ll be okay. You can be open without being vulnerable. Uh-huh. Okay. There. I understand.”
He then put his thumb and forefinger on either side of my arm and firmly squeezed toward my hand while abruptly pulling on my fingers as if he was extracting tar out of each one.
I opened my eyes and saw seven dragonflies flying in triangles over my head. I could almost touch them with my nose as they appeared to canvass the space immediately above me. There was also a single bright blue dragonfly that was hovering about a foot above the triangle, apparently supervising the procession.
“Fairy spirits,” I said feebly.
“Yes, you’re lucky. They’re helping a lot today.”
As soon as Robert had finished with all ten fingers, he moved to my legs and did the same with my toes. As he did so, a warm sensation flowed through my limbs, and I could feel the color return to my face. Once he finished, the pain in my stomach began to throb with even more intensity.
“My stomach,” I said.
“Shhh . . . I know . . . I’m going to work on your stomach next.”
He slowly moved his hands up the sides of my torso and rested both of them on my lower abdomen. He started to breathe even more deeply than before. As he exhaled, he started coughing uncontrollably but kept his hands on me. After his third breathing and coughing fit, there was a huge rush of energy that filled my entire torso, starting with my abdomen and flooding into my heart and up my spine. I felt whole again, as if I’d just woken from the dead. I opened my eyes and could see Robert bent over with tears streaming down his face.
“I’m so sorry,” he said, making no effort to hide his tears.
“What happened?”
“You were bitten.”
“Bitten?” I was confused. “By what?”
He continued as if he hadn’t heard the question: “. . . and after you were bitten, they attached an energy cord to your abdomen. That’s why you were drained. They were literally sucking the energy right out of you.”
“Who did this to me?” I was starting to get angry. “And why would they do that?”
“Because you are getting too powerful.”
“Who did this to me?” I was getting very annoyed that he wouldn’t answer me. “Robert, tell me who did this to me!”
“There are two modes of thought about this type of thing. The most popular view is that it is never acknowledged under any circumstances, and most spiritual people will even go as far as denying it exists.”
“What exists? Robert, stop talking in circles and tell me what happened to me!”
“Evil,” he said as he looked to the ground. “Evil,” he repeated after a long pause. “Many healers believe that if you acknowledge evil, then you give it more power. But sometimes, not knowing it exists is more dangerous than ignoring it. It’s a dilemma I’ve faced for many years, and although many elders say to avoid giving it any power at all costs, in your case you need to know so you can protect yourself.”
My head was spinning, “What does evil have to do with me?”
“It wants to stop you, and unfortunately, I don’t think this will be the last time it will try.”
“Stop me from what?”
“From bringing more light into the world. You are destined to be a great healer, and you’ve attracted the attention of evil. Right now you don’t have all of your tools, so at this point in time you’re the most vulnerable. If it can stop you now, then you will never be a threat.”
“But why did it happen in Yreka? In the park?”
“Actually, Yreka contains many negative energy portals. It’s between Mount Ashland and Mount Shasta, which are two powerful positive energy vortexes. In fact, Shasta is one of the most powerful vortexes in all of North America.”
“But why would there be so much negative energy in between two positive places?”
“Because the dark follows the light. It’s like a moth to a flame: it can’t get too close or it will disappear, but it can’t keep itself from being attracted. All spiritual leaders have a constant struggle with negative forces, and when someone is transitioning to an enlightened soul, that’s when they are most vulnerable.”
“Why didn’t you warn me?”
“I didn’t think . . .” His words trailed off. “. . . Yes, I should have warned you, and I’m sorry.”
“But why did it happen? Why was it so important for me to go to Yreka?”
“You were drawn there because your soul is starting to communicate on multiple levels, and you are quickly opening up to other dimensions.”
“What does that mean?” I was more confused than ever.
“It means you are now opening up to the spirit world; and you can see, hear, and—in this case—feel energy on a soul level, in addition to your physical reality. Most people’s senses have been trained to focus on only what’s happening in the physical world, but you’re quickly overcoming those arbitrary limitations.”
“So does that mean I went to Yreka because I was finally able to hear the spirit world calling?”
“Yes, that’s part of it. But now you need to learn to protect yourself until you can discern light from dark energy.”
“And how do I do that?”
“You’ll need to find a teacher who can train you about these things, but in the meantime you should be careful, and be wary of being called to the spirit world while you’re still vulnerable.”
“Can’t you teach me?”
“No,” he chuckled. “I’m in the physical world for the time being. You need to find a teacher you can trust who’s already in the spirit world.”
“And how will I know who I can trust?”
“Listen to your heart—you will know. And if you’re not sure, then the answer is probably no. We can talk about this more later, but I’m going to the store to get some supplies to finish today’s healing—I’ll be right back.”
After he left, I went inside my apartment. I opened the refrigerator to pour myself a glass of water and found the car keys sitting inside on the butter tray. Shaking my head and letting out a long sigh, I decided to move the car to a more respectable parking place and return the garbage to the crushed bins.
While I was picking up the trash, I reflected on what Robert had said. I didn’t want to go back to Yreka, that was for sure. And I definitely didn’t want to risk finding myself in such a terrifying situation again. But on some level I felt that there was something in the spirit world that was part of my destiny. Although I knew I needed to recover from what had happened in Yreka, I felt that whatever it was had permanently changed me and there was no going back.
About twenty minutes later, Robert let himself inside my apartment carrying a small paper bag. “I’m going to make you a healing bath,” he said. I followed him as he went into my bathroom and turned on the tap. “I cut a rather large energy cord that was attached to you, and you now have a big hole in your abdomen where it was. This bath of sea salt and cider vinegar will help you heal.”
The entire apartment filled with the pungent smell of vinegar, and after a few minutes, he turned off the tap and gestured for me to get in the tub.
“I want you to soak for twenty minutes and then crawl in your bed and rest for the remainder of the day. I’ll stop by and check on you tomorrow, but I think you’re going to be okay.”
He let himself out of my apartment, and I submerged myself in the pungent bath. I soaked for his prescribed twenty minutes and began to feel much better. Worn-out but better. I was definitely upset with Robert for not warning me about what might be after me, but I also felt blessed that I had someone guiding me through these experiences.
I wasn’t sure what was in store for me, but I felt that I was on the edge of something very significant. It was as if my life was becoming bigger than myself, and I was about to bear responsibilities that were of great consequence. However, I was worried: if a simple swing set could do what it did to me, how would I have the strength to be of service to anyone else? I tried to garner the trust that the universe wasn’t going to give me anything I couldn’t handle, and resolved to stay as grounded as possible during what was turning out to be an unforgettable journey.