the Tao



The staff sent pulsation of a soundless energy to any eye that dared spy it.. its strong entwood beared the inscription of an unknown language, its edges exact as a knife's edge.. and curves as graceful as smoke dancing in the moonlight. It held a gnarled appearance similar to a very old and wise oak, carrying with it the knowledge of all the ages. This staff would not be un-done by any mortals will..perhaps even a god.

The closer the boy got to the curious cane ... the closer he edged evernear, the more his eyes were trained to recognize subtle blurs of light that seemed to dance to a rhythm he could not hear. He closed his eyes while facing the ancient artifact, and the beings became suddenly clear! His mind wove the picture. The more he relaxed his mind, the more he began to notice the sprites, which were chanting slowly, jumping out at him suddenly to blow a certain scentless incense to his nostrils, conjured from what seemed to be their very fingertips. They danced in a celebration of every color imaginable..and some more the boy had never been prepared to comprehend..they glanced at him only shortly as they paused from their blissful dance.. their concentration only broken for a moment to inspect the boy.. then returned to their ritual as quickly as they came and went.. blinking in and out of reality as he knew it.. oh the joy in their eyes! Music began to entrance the boy, as he swayed back and forth as their naked bodies moved in and out of the smoke that began to rise suddenly..skewing their figures. their numbers increased..or was it just his imagination? perhaps it was only one that encircled the ancient staff..gleefully playing tricks on him. As if his mind had been penetrated, she suddenly came to a halt..kneeling to the visitor's presence..hands sprawled upon his feet as he edges closer..as an unkown force was pulling him..chanting his name..begging...

The black haired sprite rose her head gently and slowly..revealing her flourescent eyes to him..he knew she meant to pierce his gaze with her own... her long flowing hair entwined with the staff, the texture of the staff melted with her hair..spreading through it like they were mirrors. Declaring her allegance..both the staff and the naked being began to pulsate and breathe as if on a completely mirror like wavelength..giving off a faint hue of yellow and bright white-blue.. growing strong and stronger as they both breathed together as one being..

she groped for the boy's hand..the boy,entranced, took a timid step further..the sprite longed for his companionship..the love in her eyes shot straight through him and penetrated his heart.. he was unable to resist any longer..

Once the connection was made.. the boys mind flashed images that soon became his whole reality.. he was atop a mountain..overlooking the slowly creeping silver mist below, washing upon the mountain's unmoving base like ocean waves carressing beach rocks. He sensed a warm essence behind him.. he slowly turned to find her smiling, those same piercing eyes..so familiar..he was sure he saw them before. He looked down at his hands.. they were slightly more aged than before... he was older..in body and mind. She understood at once that he had met this realization. Time itself began to slow to a passionate and comfortable speed.. a bird became animated precisely in every movement nearby, gliding above as if completely submerged in an unseen water.. he took a few seconds for his gaze to meet the sprite's again, yet when he did, he was entranced yet again by the wonderfully welcoming smile that was slowly growing on her face.. her arms raising inch by inch.. time itself began to slow a bit more...therefore allowing the lad's mind to catch up. His vision suddenly POPPED as he was instantly able to see everything in his sight, including everything in his peripheral..as a unyfing panoramic.. the sleek, dry rocks began to sprout colonies of fourescent green moss. The moss spread like wildfire as her smile slowly widened to a grin. He then noticed slight pools of water being absorbed and re-absorbed into the moss, giving way to more life. Tiny sprouts of stems bloomed into beautiful flower of yellow and red. Vines twirled and danced at his feet. at once he realized that these vines had turned to silky snakes, peering innocently back at him. There was no room for fear..for he felt ultimately connected with everything living..how could such a powerful force have existed all this time, yet he had felt disconnected for so many years? Before he could finish this thought, he sensed something above him..a wave of relief came as he saw millions of tiny droplets gliding to meet the earth below, very slowly. The sprite and his hands connected. He felt an electricy surge through his body..and it seemed to then spread to the ground below him, for strange plants unbeknownst to his eye..and the creatures..! ..so many miniscule floating beings sprouting not from the ground.. but seemingly from the invisible electric currents that came into contact with the already flourishing life at his heels..just as the raindrops made contact with his forehead.. tingles spread all over his body..rushing through his veins and organs like a wilfire... and then the flames came.. engulfing him and her, swirling and twisting the tongues of heat warmed their hearts, joining their souls into one essence.. time began to return to normal..then speed up..producing a kind of rushed-clarity. The vortex of life surrounding them was blissful.. he felt the sudden urge to pierce the night sky with a scream of extacy, and then proceed through the atmousphere to reach the far corners of space, yet before he could project his mind there, before he could blink, he felt a sudden WOOSH travel from his ears to his brain, and ..bewildered..he lay on a hardwood floor staring up at a ceiling with random holes in it. He sat up slowly, feeling a new sense of calmness pulsing through him. He then realized that the staff was awaiting him on the table. He sat there, staring at the instrument of visions for a few moments. The connection had been made. He knew, even before the voice entered his mind, telling him "Fear not, the elements of the earth favor you. Continue your respect for them and hold them in your heart forever, for you are part of a family that is of the Tao.." He pushed himself up off the ground, stepped with confidence to the staff that seemed to be bathed in a golden sunlight. He closed his eyes, grasped the staff...its lenght adjusted to his body. He took his new walking stick and proceeded out the door behind him, into the vast world that was waiting..he had no idea what adventures were awaiting him; nonetheless, he stepped confidently into the woods..making his way towards the mountains..humming a newly aquired tune in his head...