Rebirth

There was cosmic dust all around, in the vast darkness that surrounded everything. Trickling in more light, the dust culminating and clumping. Forming shapes and colors, a section of what we know as a bright blue sky. Crisp and fluffy clouds taking form, the bright and luscious green leaves stretching into sturdy tree trunks.

The cosmic dust shifting in its version of time, speedy for us. Right before ones eyes.

The roots from the tree evoke a space to be rooted in, prickly and tickle-y grass, wilfdlowers of all varieties, more trees, now bees and buzzing sounds. Trickles of moisture appear in the space, rain.

A new form gathering from the cosmic dust, from the grassy ground. A mound of a different texture of dust, but all the same. Dirt. A vibration from the mound shakes into a peculiar shape, one that could resemble a mini mountain range in the middle of a field. With peaks and valleys. More vibrations, dusting off the dust. More definition, and color deferentiation from the grassy valley and trees. A new combination of shapes and colors emerges and starts to take form. A human, a woman. Laying on the grass. In her natural state, her skin kissing the ground.

Bernie opened her eyes, everything was so bright and intangible, out of focus. Muffled noises of unknown sounds. The shapes started to become recognizable the crisp blue sky, white whimsical clouds, and leafy branches consumed her vision. A symphony of harmony from all the creatures filled her ears.

A deep sense and knowing, a comfort she’d known before but haven’t felt in a decent time exuded from her center. She felt safe, whole, peaceful, Home.

Then a surge of energy pulsed through her entire body, the surge of energy subdued into a thump and pat at the upper center of her dimensions. Now a wave of slight panic festering, as images, memories, feelings, emotions, etc… started to submerge

Bernie now had some sense of consciousness.

Her sheer like, loose clothing, almost felt like it wasn’t there layered her body. She felt refreshed and young, despite living on earth for 94 years. She still knew she was in her body.

She’s laying on what she understands as grass, it smells crisp and full of sunshine.

“Hi—- that was really cool to witness, happy to have you here. I’m Joans.”

A tall, slender woman with a dark brown messy bob haircut greeted Bernie perched in a perfect tree on the edge of the grassy field. She jumped down gracefully and started walking towards Bernie, her lightweight navy colored pants and shirt moving with the wind.

Bernie was a smidge startled just at the added sound of Joans’ voice, but she felt as if it was an old friend stopping by for a visit. Even though she had very little idea of why she now found herself lying in the middle of seemingly Nowhere.

“Hi Joans, I’m Bernie. What was cool to witness? Where are we?”

Bernie asked slowly, not even fully invested in getting the answers, as she felt really blissful. She looked down and noticed her outfit was a periwinkle dress, but still very lightweight like Joans’.

“Let’s take a nice walk, maybe more will be revealed.”

As Joans finished her sentence while lending Bernie a hand to get up, a pathway cleared and a big wooden sign reading “follow the signs”.

The two women smiled at each other and proceeded to the cleared pathway. That seemed pretty straight onward. As they were walking barefoot on the grass, it then shifted into alternating bricks of grass and sand. A seamless and pleasurable experience just for the sake to feel different textures beneath your feet. The weather was perfect, sunny and breezy.

The row of trees, the natural railings for the trail started to sift down into less tall trees and more of tall shrubbery as Joans and Bernie silently trotted along. Birds chirping, flying across the sky.

The bushes that surrounded them was mostly green with sprinkled bright colors, mainly orange and yellow.

Bernie was drawn to one plant in particular, moving up closer to examine the intricacies. For what looked like a green gemstone stitched with pure gold and hung from a branch, and then she spotted another, and another, and soon realized the whole bush was covered in them.

Joans was right beside Bernie, amazed at how many natural gems kept revealing themselves the more they looked.

“Oh wow, Bernie, look over here” Joans pointed at what had the same shape of the green and gold gemstone, but had orange and black swirled in a transparent casing.

Completely in-awe, they crouched and quickly scouted a few more like this on the branches farther back.

“These things are so cool,—“

Joans and Bernie both looked at each other quickly in slight confusion since they both agreed audibly but not sure who it was who said that. It was as if the words were spoken in their head by another person but they both heard it.

“—-we caught it just in time too..”

They both looked down and noticed a little kid a sitting by their feet looking up at the chrysalis. Little brown curls of hair covered his head, he was the size of a toddler, maybe two years old.

Neither of them were shocked in the unexpected presence of this sweet soul but rather very curious.

This little boy simply looked up at the both of them, gave them a smile and pointed to the moving transparent gem.

The three of them simply witnessed the movement, the transparent casing splitting, the orange and black blob expanding out. Sway from side to side, wiggling out. The crinkled wings of a monarch butterfly stretch and pump into their shape as it dangles upside down held by delicate but perfectly engineered legs.

“I never thought I’d get to witness that before, that was absolutely beautiful.” Joans expressed still staring at the creature that just emerged with such grace right in from of them. It was as if time stood still.

Bernie had tears in her eyes, the gentle tears tickled her pale cheek. Words were never really her strongest tools of communication, but her observant silence in this moment felt right.

The little boy got up and walked to the closest bunch of flowers, sniffed them with a deep inhale and exhaled with an “ahh”.

“Wanna keep walking? There’s so much more to explore and my nap time is almost over.”

It occured to Joans that this little boy wasn’t speaking out loud, but it was telepathy. She looked over at Bernie to see if she came to this realization too but she was in her own reflections, blissfully watching the butterfly get ready to take flight. Joans looked back at the little boy who was now playing with sticks.

“Where are your parent’s kiddo? What’s your name?”

Joans inquired.

“You can call me T, you and Bernie are my great grammas, duh!”

T casually revealed this truth and almost simulteniously started running away towards a row of magically appearing puddles.

It started to rain, heavy but still a lovely sun shower.

Bernie made her way over to Joans once the butterfly took flight.

“We’re great grandmothers, did you know that? That’s our great grandson.”

Joans stood next to Bernie as they watched T jump joyously in all of the puddles.

Neither of them really knew what was going on, but it also didn’t matter because both Bernie and Joans felt their whole being fill with joy and love, they didn’t have the nagging urge to figure what all this meant right now, but rather just felt that moment for all that it was. Bernie took T’s lead and ran to the puddles, Joans was close behind. The sound of giggles and feelings of freedom filled their whole world for this moment. Simple yet magical.

Bernie noticed T started to look opaque, “what’s happening T?”

T jumped one last time, “Oh naptime is nearly over, I got get back to mama, I’ll be back tomorrow!”

The rain softened, Joans and Bernie stood soaking wet staring at the puddle T was just jumping in.