THE MISSING PIECE

THE MISSING PIECE

Joshua checked his headgear was secure before going out for supplies, it was second nature to him for he had never been outside without it. He rubbed the heart shaped locket between his fingers as if for luck.

The sky looked dark and toxic; it had been three years since the big volcanic eruption that had taken away the sun, but that was the straw that had broken civilisations back; he was only a child then but he remembered, the pandemic, the protests and then marshal law that sent the world in to a downward spiral. The streets were quiet, there was nothing of value in this area. Joshua was equally wary of all people, (his life depended on it) and so he kept out of the way, staying on the outskirts of town and only came out when the need arose.

He’d discovered an overgrown allotment almost two miles away set up in a cave with a hydroponic polytunnel; he had managed to utilise photon crystals to power it. This had become his lifeline, he already had so many physical challenges and he had to keep on top of his health.

Joshua would have been called a child prodigy if such a thing still existed, although he was as large as a man since he was eleven years old, his IQ was well over 170 putting him in the same category as Einstein. This was wholly down to his late mother Dr Sarah Chapman, leading scientist in epigenetics, who won a Nobel prize for her work to eradicate Alzheimer’s Disease.

Joshua made his way to the cave, slowly and methodically, always approaching from a different direction and always covering his tracks.

He had just collected some vegetables when he heard some rustling and footsteps, he dowsed the light and sat waiting with a lump hammer in his hand. Joshua was extremely strong even as a small child he could best any boy at arm wrestling, even those twice his size and age. However, he hated violence and only used it as a last resort. He was very surprised to see a young woman approach the polytunnel, she looked no more than 17 or so, long blond hair and painfully thin. She opened the tent and gasped, and then laughed at what she saw. Joshua secreted behind some rocks thought it was the most beautiful sound he had ever heard, almost musical. The girl grabbed some food and hurried away skipping.

‘Damn’ thought Joshua, ‘she will bring back others, I will have to move everything.’

The next few hours were spent relocating all of his setup further into the tunnels of the cave, he hadn’t explored them completely but he had mapped out several miles. That done he returned home exhausted.

As he lay on his bed that night he thought about the girl, she looked different in some way but he could not put his finger on it, he drifted off to sleep and dreamt. He dreamt that the girl was an angel sent by his mother to help him. When he awoke the next morning, so strong were his feelings from the dream that he decided to return to the cave and see if she came back. Joshua packed some supplies, he had a speech generating device (SGD) that allowed him to communicate as eloquently as he thought, which his oversized tongue would not allow.

Arriving at the cave Joshua got to work creating several vantage points and hidey holes for him to use, being so strong it was easy for him to move rocks and boulders to block off passageways. He then made himself comfortable and nodded off, once more the dreams came, he was re-living the last conversation with his mother. She was placing the locket around his thick neck and saying, “Never forget how to use it, promise me Joshua, you will never forget to use it!”

He awoke with a start, he was safe in his hidey hole, no sound outside, he relaxed and thought about the dream, he had gone over that conversation many times in the past trying to make sense of it; he had even looked in to the idea that the gold locket was some sort of component to a weapon, but eventually he had come to the conclusion that his mother was telling him to maintain his good nature despite what lay ahead. He rubbed the locket once more as if in doing so he would be able to gain some insight. His reverie was disturbed by the sound of footsteps, he peeped out and saw the girl, to his surprise she was alone. She was looking around for the polytunnel and then she sat down with a sigh. He was fascinated with her face she looked ethereal and innocent, she put her head in her hands and began to weep. He couldn’t bear it, he activated his SGD “Please don’t cry” the electronic voice echoed in the cave.

Startled the girl jumped up “Who are you?”

“Don’t be scared I won’t hurt you.”

“Where are you? I can’t see you.”

“I’ll come out but please don’t run away.”

As Joshua revealed himself the girl gasped,

“Wow you’re big! Are you a robot?”

“No I’m flesh and blood, it’s just my real voice doesn’t work properly.”

“Is that why you are wearing that helmet thingy?”

Joshua had forgotten about his headgear,

“Oh… yes   lots of scars.”

“Is this your cave?” she asked.

“Well not really, I use it to grow the food.”

“I was coming back for some more, that’s why I was crying because my dreams led me here and when the food was gone, I didn’t know what to do next, but now I feel better because I’ve met you, you must be the missing piece.”

“The missing piece of what?” Joshua was intrigued but a bit uncomfortable with what she was coming out with.

“I’m not sure, my guides have not revealed that to me yet.”

Joshua looked panicked “There are others?”

The girl giggled, “Not on the earth plane silly! Anyway, my names Angela but all my friends call me Angel.”

Joshua raised his eyebrows, “I’m Joshua.”

Joshua led Angel round to the new location of the polytunnel and as they ate, they traded stories. Angel had been raised in a single parent family like Joshua but that was where the similarity ended. Angels mum had been a Shaman and she had been cultivated from a young age to open up and interact with the multi-dimensional reality and spirit realms that exist in the universe, preparing her for some sort of mission which apparently he was the missing piece for. They talked and they ate and eventually tired Angel fell asleep with her head in his lap. Long ago Joshua has resigned himself to the fact that he would never have a girlfriend, his intelligence wouldn’t allow any other possibilities, but in this moment, he dared to hope. He also drifted off with the nearest thing to bliss he had ever felt.

“Joshua wake up! I know what we are supposed to do! We will generate a powerful love energy, and in three days we will express it naked under the full moon and heal the planet!”

She was dancing around and so full of joy that he couldn’t help smiling but deep down inside the cold finger of dread was at work. ‘Love?’ ‘Naked?’ ‘Oh no!’

Angel was convinced that there was a crystal cave within and that was where they needed to be, Joshua was going along with everything but internally he was in turmoil.

After two days of searching, eating and sleeping he had to voice his concerns.

“Angel, what if we don’t find the cave?”

“Don’t worry we will I’ve seen it in a vision.”

Joshua was not used to using his intuition, he preferred scientific facts, and although he was totally smitten with Angel he couldn’t see past her being repulsed by him if he revealed his true self. He also knew that he never felt so alive than he did in her company and so he would see this mission through even if it meant she would reject him inevitably. They were on day three, full moon day and Joshua had resigned himself to this being their last day together. Only a few hours in to their search of the unchartered caves they came upon it, it was like a pink jewel, a vaulted cavern with an opening at the apex where the light filtered through.

Angel squealed, “I told you this is what I saw in my vision.” and she started dancing around.

Joshua quietly sat down and started unpacking their backpacks, she sat beside him.

“Why aren’t you happy? Everything is going to be alright now.”

“Did any of your visions show what I am like?”

“I was told I would meet a man of noble and pure intentions who would join me in creating a love energy that would heal the planet, there is nothing that I have learned about you that makes me doubt it.”

“But you haven’t seen me yet!” Joshua tapped on his headgear.

Angel looked crestfallen, “I am disappointed that you think me so shallow that I can’t see past your scars.” She walked away from him.

Joshua wallowed in his own misery, she’d left him and he deserved it, he hadn’t even told her the truth, he was a coward. He was so angry with himself, he stood up, he was going to find her and tell her the truth and be done with it. Marching up the passageway they collided, “I’m sorry I’m a fool.” She blurted.

“So am I.” said Joshua.

Back in the rose quartz cavern Joshua spoke, “I haven’t told you the whole truth.”

“About your scars?” said Angel.

“Actually, I was born like this,” Joshua started to unfasten his headgear.

“I started wearing this when the law about birth defects changed and the SGD allows me to sound normal.”

As he revealed his natural face to her he searched her eyes for the revulsion that would surely follow, her expression did not change, she just continued smiling at him with her eyes shining. She pounced on him giggling, kissing him all over his large moon face, he couldn’t help but became swept along and giggled and kissed her back. Laying there in each other’s arms but with his own insecurities he couldn’t help but ask.

“So, you don’t mind then?”

“Mind about what?”

“My Downs Syndrome.”

“What’s that?”

“The name for my condition.”

Angel looked at Joshua and smiled, “I am attracted to auras hearts and spirits and yours are lovely.”

That night as they prepared for their love ceremony, Joshua was nervous.

“I’m a virgin!” he exclaimed

“Its ok so am I and we just have to express love so we can go slow.

When the moon shone through to the pink cave, they joined hands and Angel spoke,

“I call on the ancestors and all the guardians to witness this union of love energy.

Let it be magnified by the full moon and the rose quartz.

Our hearts are true let the healing of the planet begin.

They began by just kissing and holding each other and this intensified until they both declared love from their hearts a most unique and special vibration, there began a butterfly effect.