CYCLE IV

On a warm sunny day, a twenty-seven-year-old Lebanese woman reads beneath a pear tree. Her attention sways, hearing sounds of laughter from a distance. She glances to the side, observing the merriment of children. As she returns to her reading, her book slips from her lap. A handsome, tall man with long dark hair and kind eyes retrieves it for her.

"Always a workaholic?" He playfully asks with a French accent.

The woman smiles, "I'm sorry?"

The Frenchman explains having seen her on several occasions, working for the past few weeks. The Lebanese woman cites how quietly perfect this spot is, compared to the rest of the area. He nods in agreement, understanding what she meant. However, he regretfully discloses that it's private property.

The Frenchman sits beside her, "Don't leave yet..." He asks before offering her a pear.

"Thank you," She kindly accepts.

The French man introduces himself as Emile Corbin, the groundskeeper for the land. The Lebanese woman apologizes for trespassing, introducing herself as Saria Eissa. Saria explains she works at the Center for Scientific Anomaly Research (CSAR), located down the road. The center felt too crowded to think, and while walking one morning, she discovered his spot.

Emile laughs, "It's the quiet beauty." He states as his eyes turn towards Saria. "A beauty unnoticed until you're beside it..."

Saria blushes and looks away. "It must be nice living near a pear tree."

"Ah...You are a Poirier!" He jokingly states.

"Poirier?"

"It's french for one who lives near a pear tree."

Saria laughs in response.

"So, Poirier. What are you researching?"

Saria explains her research involves the Hyland Model, created by CSAR founder Rupert Hyland. He theorizes that human energies go through a cycle/recycle process upon death, transferring to another plane of existence for reuse. Her research involves proving the model's accuracy, with the idea of creating a method for observing their movements. If the Hyland Model is proven correct, the concept of reincarnation becomes a viable possibility.

"Wow, simply amazing!" Emile tells her. "Knowing we all get to live once again..."

"What would you do in another life?" Saria curiously asks.

"Isn't that easy? To continue to love..."

At the age of thirty-four, Saria receives a Nobel Prize. Her theory, known as the Eissa's Movement, accurately predicts that human energy follows a specific pattern/route. This discovery furthers the Hyland Model, as well as the possibility of reincarnation.

"Congratulations, Dr. Eissa..." Dr. Hyland proudly shakes Saria's hand. "...Thanks to your research, my model is one step closer to recognition."

Saria humbly smiles, thanking her boss and mentor for all his encouragement. Dr. Hyland turns to Emile, informing him he is lucky to have married a woman like Saria. He lovingly embraces each of them, wishing the couple would start having as many intelligent and beautiful children as soon as possible.

Emile smiles and agrees with Dr. Hyland, "Well, maybe we can start..." He glances over to Saria mid-conversation, who seemed a bit uncomfortable. "...now that all these years of research are finally over."

Dr. Hyland nods and laughs, apologizing for the years of tedious work. He sees a familiar face in the crowd, shouting for her to come over. German scientist Dr. Alama Dietrich, a forty-nine-year-old woman with shoulder-length dark hair and glasses, walks over.

"Congratulations, Dr. Eissa." Dr. Dietrich states. "Now that you've won a Nobel, will you continue to work at CSAR?"

"No, no." Dr. Hyland replies. "Dr. Eissa deserves a break."

"How wonderful." Dr. Dietrich said condescendingly. "I guess Dr. Hyland will have an opening for a head of research at CSAR?"

"I suppose I do, now that we have proof that human energy travels."

"Actually..." Saria frustratingly interjects. "I have yet to decide if I'll be leaving..."

On the drive to the hotel, Emile and Saria sat in silence. Upset with Saria's decision, Emile angrily drove through the night.

Emile shakes his head. "After five years, I thought a Nobel would change everything..." He shouts.

"You know my work is important..." Saria defends herself.

"And I've supported you...for seven years!" Emile bangs the steering wheel. "Today, your dream came true...what more do you want?"

"There's more to life than having children."

"Not for me—You know I've always wanted a family."

Saria took a deep breath. "Maybe...we should reconsider what we both want."

Saria's words dismayed Emile, causing him to lose sight of the road. A fox suddenly appears, accidentally colliding with them. Emile loses all control, speeding directly into the path of a tree. The flickers of the emergency lights awaken Saria, noticing the blood drip from her head.

Saria turns to see Emile unconscious, "Emile, wake up!" She desperately pleads as smoke rises.

Emile wakes up and tries to move, soon realizing there was no escape for him. His legs crushed, stuck beneath the steering wheel. Knowing the car will quickly be engulfed in flames, he tells Saria to leave and come back with help.

"I can't leave you..." Saria cries.

Emile smiles lovingly. "I'll be fine...everything will be okay."

"You promise?"

"I promise mon, Poirier...now go, find help."

Saria climbs out of the ditch, desperately trying to find anyone. A car stops to help her, but the vehicle Emile is in explodes.

On a cold winter night in the Arctic Ocean, a lone ship surveys the area. A team of scientists from CSAR converges in the ship's lounge, laughing, eating, and celebrating their journey's end.

Dr. Hyland taps his cup with a spoon to toast, gathering the attention of the ship's crew and his colleagues.

"I'd like to thank everyone's help on this expedition..." He humbly states, raising his drink. "....even though we weren't able to locate the endpoint of Eissa's Movement, this does not mean our mission to understand where we go after we die finishes here..."

In the middle of Dr. Hyland's speech, a twenty-seven-year-old woman quietly asks if anyone has seen Dr. Essia. Her name is Gabriella Ospina, the equipment manager for CSAR. A Colombian-born technician with short curly dark hair, green eyes, and a youthful appearance.

"I think I saw her in her room..." A ship's crewman responds.

Gabriella quickly hurries upstairs, passing by a suspicious Dr. Dietrich.

"Dr. Essia!" Gabriella shouts before anxiously entering.

She sees Saria lost in thought, standing in front of a whiteboard. Busy reviewing all the contents on it, the statistics, equations, and photos.

"I'm quite busy, Gabby..." Saria tells her. "Establishing where I went wrong with the endpoint..."

Gabriella clears her throat. "Yes, but—"

"The expedition ends tomorrow...and I need to understand what went wrong."

"But you didn't make a mistake!" Gabriella interrupts before showing Saria the data on her laptop. "We were too early."

Gabriella explains that the endpoint only appears during a specific time of the year, comparing it to a draw bridge revealing itself once lowered. According to the data, the endpoint will appear on an island between here and Baffin Bay. Saria hastily packs her bag, then abruptly leaves to the hanger.

"What do you think you're doing, Dr. Essia?" Dr. Hyland asks. "Are you mad!?"

Saria is surprised by Dr. Hyland, Dr. Dietrich, and Gabriella.

"Dr. Hyland, I—"

"Save the excuses, Dr. Dietrich already informed me!"

Dr. Dietrich smiles contently and contemptibly.

Dr. Hyland slowly walks over to Saria. "I know what this means to you, the sacrifices you've made, and the costs...But the expedition's over..."

Saria struggles to explain her intentions. "My sincerest apologies, Dr. Hyland, but—"

"However, it is not until tomorrow that it ends..."

Saria and Gabriella both smile at one another.

Dr. Hyland looks at Gabriella. "Gather a small team, Ms. Ospina!"

Dr. Hyland, Dr. Essia, Dr. Dietrich, Gabriella, navigator Ren Agawa, photographer Alex Peterson, and first mate Charles Owens arrive on a snow-covered island. The human energy tracker that Saria and Gabriella built begins to flicker, pointing to the island's center. Snowfall obscured their mission, with the cold night making it more difficult. But after hours of trekking through dangerous terrain, they arrive in a clearing that seemed to repel the indigenous wildlife.

"Is this it?" Dr. Hyland enthusiastically asked.

Gabriella checks her device, "Yes, this is it—we're at the end of Essia's Movement."

Dr. Dietrich looks around, unsatisfied. "I don't see anything...are you sure you this is it!?"

"Don't look at me...I used the coordinates Gabriella gave me." Ren replies.

Charles puts his radio away. "In any case, let's wrap it up. The Captain just radioed—a storm's closing, so do whatever you have to do!"

Gabriella continues to check her device. "Just give it a few seconds..."

Suddenly the clouds above them began to shine brightly, in beautiful shimmering colors.

"Is that it!?" Alex shouts, pointing his camera at the lights. "Beautiful..."

"That's not it!" Dr. Dietrich angrily replies. "We came all the way here, just to see the Aurora Borealis?"

"Dr. Essia?" Dr. Hyland looks around for Saria. "Dr. Essia!"

The group left to look for Saria, stumbling upon an opening to a cavern. Ren looks on the ground, finding tread marks that belong to Saria. They carefully entered, following Ren's expert lead. The tightly damped corridors of the cavern opened into a large room, where a baffled Dr. Essia is marveling at a strange glimmer. Similar to the appearance of the Aurora Borealis, the light seemed to refract as though it was a doorway.

Dr. Hyland points to the hole in the ceiling, "It seems to be absorbing the energy from the Aurora." He paused briefly to think. "Essia's Movement and the Aurora are the same..."

"Yes...And it all converges here," Saria adds.

Gabriella quickly unpacks her equipment. "We need to record the data!"

Dr. Hyland embraces Dr. Essia. "Congratulations, it would seem you may receive another Nobel for this..."

Dr. Dietrich seemed quite bothered by Dr. Essia's success, choosing to storm off and ignoring Gabriella's request to assist her. Ren also refused to help, citing that it was not part of his job to assemble equipment. However, an angry Charles coerced him into aiding, as he wanted to leave as soon as possible.

"Simply marvelous..." Dr. Hyland tells Saria. "To think my theory has merits..."

"Do you think it's proof of an afterlife?"

"With the data we have, I can assure you there is."

"So it's plausible to believe Emile's alive? Somewhere out there?"

"Oh, Saria..."

Suddenly Gabriella's equipment begins to malfunction, causing an explosion that shook the cavern. The electricity from the equipment affected the strange glimmer, inducing it to expand and radiate an ominous hum. The cavern begins to cave in, killing Dr. Hyland and trapping Saria.

Lauria Esse was born on a cold winter night in Norway, under the lights of the Aurora Borealis. Locals believed this was a sign of good fortune, while others assumed it to be a myth. But whatever the case may be, Lauria was gifted with exceptional intelligence. At the tender age of sixteen, she had already earned a doctoral and had a lucrative career in research. But no matter how successful or wealthy she became, it never seemed to satisfy her. Until one day, Lauria decided to sell all her possessions and buy a farm.

During a tour of her cherry farm, Lauria met a familiar man.

"Hello!" The man with short dark hair and kind eyes waves. "Do you work here?" He inquired with an English accent.

"Emile?" Lauria subconsciously asked.

"Uh, no..." The man awkwardly laughs. "My name's Emerson, Emerson Walker."

Lauria comes to her senses. "I'm sorry—Yes, I'm the owner...Lauria, Lauria Esse." She stumblingly replies.

"Lovely place you have here, Ms. Esse...." Emerson said with appreciation. "Though I am confused by the Farm's name."

"Oh, why is that?"

"Your surname's Esse, but the farm's called Poirier's Cherry Farm—Why?"

Lauria innocently smiles. "It's French for one who lives near a pear tree."

"But isn't this a cherry farm?" Emerson inquires curiously.

"Yes, although I do have a private pear tree near the house."

Emerson and Lauria both begin to laugh.

TO BE CONTINUED...