Total Consciousness

Chapter-16: State of In Between

“I’ll survive little friend,” said Diego, “for the both of us.” He walked deeper into the cavern and waved at Chuey.     

      The large cavern roared. Two gushing waterfalls crashed down at opposite ends from each other. The water shot out from a height of a thousand meters, creating a mist of sweet liquorish moisture that clung to the air.

     Much cooler than the torched lit cavern, a multitude of small boulders glowed and illuminated the space all around. And, between the two falls, there stood a large pyramid, similar to the pyramid at Chicen Itza, in the Yucatan.

     “That’s where I need to go,” said Diego. He stepped into lukewarm water. The path forward to the pyramid lay submerged half a meter under water. Large clam shells, the size of cartwheels, glowed along both sides of the submerged path. The turquoise light, from the large shells, inhaled and exhaled at a slow rhythm as he walked by.

     Swirls and splashes waved into Diego as he waded on through his path. He paused at the edge of the pyramid and gazed up. The stone structure reached a height of five hundred meters and had a steep incline on all its sides. He jumped and struggled with the first step out of the water. It extended much higher than the rest. Each additional step only required both hands and feet to climb up, where progress upward resembled more of a crawl climb than stepping up stairs.

     By the time Diego reached the last step, his legs were thick, heavy and hot. Adding to his discomfort, his lower back, shoulders and arms burned with fatigue. He rested.

     At the top of the pyramid, there lay a square pool of water in the middle of the stone floor. One owl cauldron stood positioned in each corner of the pool and carried a turquoise flame on its back. Each owl leaned forward, inward on the pool with extended wings, frozen in a menacing attack position.

     A much sweeter taste lingered at the top of the pyramid. It sickened Diego with each breath. His head hurt with the smell of over ripe plums, pomegranates and tangerines. To make matters worse, he lifted dust from the stone blocks with each step. He sneezed into a gag and struggled not to vomit. The rising dust smelled of rotten apples and of charred corn husks and burnt hair.

     Sweat covered Diego’s body. The heat from the turquoise flames made him feel anxious and feverish. Each step closer to the pool and his body grew heavier, and heavier. Yet, more disturbing, with each step he placed, a vice grip squeezed on his chest and back with intense pressure, making it harder to breathe.  

     More fear poured out of Diego, the closer he approached the edge of the pool. His heartbeat pulsed in his eyes and ears, forcing him to close his eyelids tight and to gnash his teeth under immense strain. He trembled and swallowed with each shallow breath. His ears popped and crackled, while his sight blurred.

     Diego struggled to keep his balance. He opened his eyes and peered down into the placid pool of water at his feet. Only darkness and void looked back at him. He looked again. Still, no reflection, only deep nothingness covered with disappointment.   

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Thank you

     I appreciate your time in reading this blog post. Next Tuesday I will post the next part of Chapter Sixteen: State of In Between, from my novel: Guerrero of Passions.

     If you have an interest in learning more about my writing, philosophy of metaphysics, or my self-development books, you are welcome to explore my website, totalconsciousnesses.com on WordPress. Or, if you prefer, you can spend some time on my Substack, totalfreewill.substack.com

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     Thanks again for your time.