was it that said through pain comes change? I couldn’t remember but it made sense. If I were to take away the challenges of these people’s existence what service would I be doing them? It would take away their sense of accomplishment, maybe their sense of purpose.
Humphrey may have been right to a certain extent but I felt his convictions were a bit extreme. I didn’t think offering a little help could hurt-- but then again where would I draw the line? If there was a divine plan I was given my power for a reason. To use it irresponsibly would be wrong. I knew this. But to not use it at all would be just as bad.
Eventually we reached the other side of the bewildered crowd. Thana turned to me and spoke. “I think we shouldn't stop for supplies. We should have enough for now and Humphrey will take care of us when we get to his cottage.”
“Whatever you think is best.”
“Again I feel I need to thank you for respecting my wishes-- and also for helping Shesu and her son.”
“You don’t need to thank me, I enjoyed helping them.” I smiled to myself. If the woman ever did rub that coin she was in for a surprise. When their backs were turned I had used the web to create a solid gold coin covered in brown chalk. It was worth enough to pay for a certified doctor and then some-- just in case. Again I thought, a little help can't hurt.
The mighty Dessa Forest appeared on the horizon. It was extremely dense and as Thana had said the horses would not be able to get through. We found the hiding place her father had cleared out long ago. It was a small pocket just inside the wood, partially overgrown from years of disuse, and cut out at the site of a natural spring. The horses would have grass to eat as well as plenty of fresh water.
Thana located a crude gate made of twisted sticks and brush, disentangled it from the overgrowth, and pulled it across the opening. The gate had a dual purpose. Not only did it camouflage the hiding place but it would also keep the horses from wandering off.
The path through the gnarled wood was still partially formed so we didn’t have to hack much. An occasional tree branch needed to be cut but for the most part, it was passable.
My mind drifted. So many bizarre things had happened in this strange world, it was hard to sort through it all. The thing troubling me most was the fact that I was apparently playing a part in some kind of experiment and the guys running it were unwilling to tell me where I was, how I got here, or the purpose behind it all. If I could only unravel that mystery then maybe I’d be able to figure out the dynamics of this place-- which might help us to combat Gaza.
Before my contact with the outside world this place had been mystical, almost awe-inspiring. But now that I knew others like myself were in control somehow it wasn’t the same. The magic was watered down; it saddened me.
As I had thought all along, I was no god. I merely possessed the power to effect this place. The others were no different. --But what I couldn't figure out was how the people of this world fit into the mixture. They must have been created for the experiment, synthetic simulations perhaps, but they were so real . When I helped the woman and her son not once did it occur to me that they might only be computer simulations. I was completely immersed in the event. Even if I’d felt sure they were simulations I still would have felt compelled to help them. After all, who was I to judge?
I looked at Thana walking in front of me. Every detail about her seemed real. She approached a branch, reached out, snapped it, then continued on. Her shoes crunched upon the leaves on the ground and her hand absently brushed a strand of hair off her face. I could faintly smell her musk oil perfume. If she was a simulation she was the most complicated simulation I’d ever seen or heard about.
It ate at me. This place was too real to be virtual, yet too different to be real.
A person under hypnosis could
Humphrey may have been right to a certain extent but I felt his convictions were a bit extreme. I didn’t think offering a little help could hurt-- but then again where would I draw the line? If there was a divine plan I was given my power for a reason. To use it irresponsibly would be wrong. I knew this. But to not use it at all would be just as bad.
Eventually we reached the other side of the bewildered crowd. Thana turned to me and spoke. “I think we shouldn't stop for supplies. We should have enough for now and Humphrey will take care of us when we get to his cottage.”
“Whatever you think is best.”
“Again I feel I need to thank you for respecting my wishes-- and also for helping Shesu and her son.”
“You don’t need to thank me, I enjoyed helping them.” I smiled to myself. If the woman ever did rub that coin she was in for a surprise. When their backs were turned I had used the web to create a solid gold coin covered in brown chalk. It was worth enough to pay for a certified doctor and then some-- just in case. Again I thought, a little help can't hurt.
The mighty Dessa Forest appeared on the horizon. It was extremely dense and as Thana had said the horses would not be able to get through. We found the hiding place her father had cleared out long ago. It was a small pocket just inside the wood, partially overgrown from years of disuse, and cut out at the site of a natural spring. The horses would have grass to eat as well as plenty of fresh water.
Thana located a crude gate made of twisted sticks and brush, disentangled it from the overgrowth, and pulled it across the opening. The gate had a dual purpose. Not only did it camouflage the hiding place but it would also keep the horses from wandering off.
The path through the gnarled wood was still partially formed so we didn’t have to hack much. An occasional tree branch needed to be cut but for the most part, it was passable.
My mind drifted. So many bizarre things had happened in this strange world, it was hard to sort through it all. The thing troubling me most was the fact that I was apparently playing a part in some kind of experiment and the guys running it were unwilling to tell me where I was, how I got here, or the purpose behind it all. If I could only unravel that mystery then maybe I’d be able to figure out the dynamics of this place-- which might help us to combat Gaza.
Before my contact with the outside world this place had been mystical, almost awe-inspiring. But now that I knew others like myself were in control somehow it wasn’t the same. The magic was watered down; it saddened me.
As I had thought all along, I was no god. I merely possessed the power to effect this place. The others were no different. --But what I couldn't figure out was how the people of this world fit into the mixture. They must have been created for the experiment, synthetic simulations perhaps, but they were so real . When I helped the woman and her son not once did it occur to me that they might only be computer simulations. I was completely immersed in the event. Even if I’d felt sure they were simulations I still would have felt compelled to help them. After all, who was I to judge?
I looked at Thana walking in front of me. Every detail about her seemed real. She approached a branch, reached out, snapped it, then continued on. Her shoes crunched upon the leaves on the ground and her hand absently brushed a strand of hair off her face. I could faintly smell her musk oil perfume. If she was a simulation she was the most complicated simulation I’d ever seen or heard about.
It ate at me. This place was too real to be virtual, yet too different to be real.
A person under hypnosis could
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