Cory basked under the warmth of the heavy blanket. She cracked her eyes open to a bright light. She wasn’t where she thought she should be. She wasn’t in her room at home, wasn’t in Argyle’s cabin, wasn’t floating in a cloud or lying on the frozen ground. The last thing she remembered was floating above her yeti body.
Everything around her was white: the walls, the little table next to the bed, the warm covers. Directly across was a perfectly round opened window covered with a sheer curtain gently fluttering into the room. Golden sunlight streamed in.
A single voice could be heard outside, as if speaking on some kind of loud speaker. Cory couldn’t understand the language and it was like none she had ever heard before.
Her breath caught. Grabbing hold of her covers and pulling them up to her chin, she sat up. There was a stabbing pain in her back. She remembered the yeti…the attack.
She held up a hand. It was human and no longer transparent. She felt for the necklace at her throat but it wasn’t there. Then she remembered putting it in her pack for safekeeping. Safekeeping! The memory of all her possessions strewn across the icy ground where the yeti had destroyed it surfaced.
She looked again at her hand. How did I get back to being me? Heart racing, she listened for the Earth’s music that might identify where she was. It was a sweet, exotic, lively melody, unlike anything she’d ever heard before. A far cry from the lonely music of Ellsmere Island.
Her face screwed up. How did I get here?
Throwing off the covers, she swung her legs out of bed and wobbled upright. She was dizzy. It took a few breaths to steady herself. When she got her balance, she crossed over to the window and opened the curtains. The breeze coming in was warm.
She looked out across a bustling city and gasped. It was not like any place she had ever visited. There wasn’t a car in sight but people dressed in colourful clothing were in abundance, some pulling carts loaded with goods.
The buildings were built like cylinders, broad at their base, narrowing as they reached up so high, they seemed to connect to the sky. Others were wide at their top, narrow at their base. And some of those didn’t seem to touch the ground at all! The buildings had doors and windows with window boxes filled with flowers. Walkways connected to bridges that seemed to link everything together. Looking between the buildings she could see tree lined roads and paths. In the distance there was river and farmland further away.
Standing with her mouth agape, Cory looked up again shielding her eyes against the brilliant sun. Her breath caught when she didn’t see only one…there were at least ten!
“Where the hell am I?”
“Lemuria,” a deep voice said from behind her.
She spun around, gulping when she saw the strange being in the doorway. Its face and hands were completely covered in white hair, like an animal but it had a human-shaped face and features. Wearing a bright red pointed hat and long matching tunic it bowed its head and seemed to offer her a silver cloth.
“I am Tupilek, high priest of Lemuria.”
A priest. It’s a ‘he’, she thought, trembling in place. “You speak English.” Cory willed herself to keep calm, to slow her racing pulse.
“Yes. I have learned over time. It’s not a language that is often spoken here. I’m glad you can understand me. I’m told my Lemurian accent is very strong.”
Cory tried to smile but it came across as a sneer. “I understand you just fine.”
“We were very worried about you.” Tupilek continued. “You were injured and needed medical attention. We thought it best to bring you to the hospital rather than take you home right away.”
Cory tried to pick up his thoughts but they were in a language she didn’t understand, no doubt his native tongue. “I’ve lost my mother. I don’t want to go home without her.”
“You won’t be without your mother.” Tupilek bowed.
Cory’s eyes popped wide. “You know where she is?”
“Of course.”
“You’ll take me to her?”
The priest nodded.
Cory looked down at the green gown she was wearing then back at Tupilek. “How did I get here?” The last thing she remembered was rising into the clouds after being attacked by the yeti.
“Maheetek guided you.”
Cory’s knees buckle. “Maheetek spoke to me,” she said softly, grabbing hold of the window sill to steady herself.
“Yes, I know.” The priest smiled.
“I don’t remember how I got back to…” Cory stopped herself from telling him about separating into two. “I just want to find my mother and go home.”
“You’re well now. I’ll take you, but you must change.”
Cory shook her head. “I don’t know where my things are.”
Tupilek raised his bushy eyebrows. “You should change into your Lemurian form,” he said pointing to himself. “And put this on.” He held out the silver cloth for her to take.
Cory stared at him for several seconds before answering. “How am I meant to do that?”
The priest tilted his head and frowned then lifted the long gown to show her. “It’s really quite simple. You put your head through this hole and your arms through these, and then you tie this belt around your waist.”
Cory frowned. “That’s not what I meant.”
“Oh, I see.” He laughed. “You meant how to change into your Lemurian form? You are like your mother. You have the ability to become whatever you choose. That is why you are who you are.”
“You know who I am?”
“Of course. Now you must change so that I can take you home.”
Cory’s stomach felt like it was doing the tango. She was told never to reveal what she could do to anyone and yet this creature knew all about her. Had her mother told him?
Tupilek laid the garment on the bed. “You must not meet the people as you are because they already know that you’re special. You can now be the person they expect to see.” He backed towards the door.
She shook her head. “I don’t understand any of this. Who are these people and why do they expect to see me as a Lemurian?”
“Because in order for you to go home you must show them that you have arrived. And when you’ve changed you will be able to talk to the people and them to you because they do not speak English as I do.”
He even knew that once she took the form of another she could communicate in that language. Her mother must have told him!
“I’ll step outside while you change. And then I’ll take you home.” He turned to leave. “Praise Maheetek! The prophecy lives!”
Cory stared at the door for several seconds after Tupilek left.
I’m not going anywhere with that thing! I’ve got to get out of here and find Mum. She thought of all the things she could change into to make her escape then looked out the window.
But how would I find her? I don’t even know where I am. She looked back at the door and then at the gown on the bed. He seems to know everything about me, so he must know Mum.
She took a deep breath and closed her eyes, clearing her mind of everything except becoming a Lemurian. Focusing on Tupilek’s appearance, she felt the essence of his being just like she had done when becoming any other creature. The tingling of transformation was instant. Her features didn’t change, nor did the shape of her body but her skin prickled when white hair sprouted. When the prickling subsided, she reached up and swept her fingers down her nose, over her forehead, her chin, her neck all covered with thick silky hair. The backs of her hands and arms were covered too. She pulled the neck of her garment out to look down at her now hair covered body then lifted the gown to see her white hairy legs and bare, hair topped feet.
***
Cory, now transformed into a Lemurian girl, walked with Tupilek down a long sloping corridor of the hospital. The halls were crowded with Lemurians. Many wore long white gowns, more wore the same drab green gown that she had worn minutes earlier and others were in brightly coloured clothes like the ones she had seen from the window. Each one bowed as she passed them.
Now that she could understand the local language, Cory picked up thoughts of the people she passed. They didn’t make a lot of sense but one thing was certain, everyone was definitely interested in her.
It’s her!
Praise Maheetek!
Just as the Sentinel told us!
I never gave up.
The chatter was giving her a headache. “Who are all of these…people,” she whispered, blocking the telepathic barrage.
“Doctors and nurses and patients like you…but not as important of course.” Tupilek chuckled.
Important? “They think I’m special?” Cory asked in a hushed tone. A smile tugged at the corners of her mouth.
“Very special indeed. They are showing their respect as any good Lemurian should do,” he answered.
“Then I should bow too?”
Tupilek’s face lit up. “If you wish,” he said in a questioning tone.
They continued walking down the passage with Cory bowing to each person. When they reached the ground floor, a larger group of Lemurians crowded around.
A shiver ran from the top of Cory’s hairy head down the length of her hairy back. “What’s going on?”
“Word has spread throughout the city about your arrival.”
It was confusing but Cory stopped abruptly and bowed politely to the crowd. The crowd collectively bowed back and Tupilek leaned closer to her. “They love you already!”
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