Charlie's Dream by Jamie Rowboat Read Free Book Online Page B

evolution of higher awareness in society. I've lived all over the world in wildly contrasting circumstances and I have assisted some of the world's great leaders through peacetime and wars, but I have been in England for nearly a hundred years and in this area for more than eighty of them. There you are, your first glimpse of who I really am."
    "Whaa?" was all that Marie could force from her lips as she sought the stability of the sofa. Gemma didn't say anything, but sat down next to her to await her reaction.
    "Have you ever been married?" she asked after a prolonged silence.
    "Hah, of all the questions that I was ready for, that was not one of them," laughed Gemma, slapping her hands on her knees.
    "It was the first thing that came into my mind. Anyway, the rest is just too bizarre to question at the moment."
    "I've never been married. I have had some extraordinary relationships, but my life has been one of the wanderer and that doesn't fit very well with marriage. I always knew that it would be very hard to have a family and then live longer than my children and even my grandchildren. We wizards need to live fairly solitary lives, otherwise it becomes impossible for us to serve our purpose effectively."
    "Mm, that sounds rather lonely, but what is your purpose?" asked Marie.
    "I told you, we're here to serve the path of higher awareness, or the magic, as elves call it. We have to make sure the magic doesn't die out and to assist any who should search for it with the correct intent."
    "But what is the magic?"
    "The magic of connectedness, Marie. The blissful feeling you are able to have whilst living in a body. Instead of being isolated and alone, with thoughts of fear and difficulty, the human experience in its higher state is one of the most perfect in the known universe. To have a human body and to feel its individuality, and yet sense your connection to the universe, is one of the most sought after feelings for any soul. There are many on earth who have served to maintain the presence of this greater awareness, so that when humans start looking in the right direction, they will be able to find the path."
    "You mean like Jesus, or Buddha?"
    "Well, yes, but they're the obvious ones. Over the centuries, there have been many more who have served from the shadows without ever being recognised by humanity for their immense courage."
    "But how do you become connected?"
    "You don't have to become connected, you already are, it's just humans don't sense this while they are in fear. The secret is to wake up from the dream that makes you believe you aren't," answered Gemma.
    "Are you awake?" asked Marie, staring at Gemma intently.
    "It's all a matter of degrees, I'm more awake than some and less than others. But now, I think we should get the cottage warm and we'll talk more in a while. My old bones need warming up and I'm very hungry. Is that okay?" asked Gemma.
    They hadn't moved since coming inside and now the darkness encouraged them to get organised, as the cottage was really cold. Within half an hour, they had a roaring fire in the hearth and a pot of pasta sauce bubbling away on the tiny stove, which filled the air with the smell of garlic.
    They sat by the fire eating their meal from two little wooden bowls and Marie felt genuinely excited. Watching Gemma slurp on the strands of pasta like a ten-year-old, it seemed incomprehensible to Marie to imagine how much this humble mystic had seen in her long life. After they finished their simple dinner, Gemma crouched in front of the fire and threw on a large log. As the sparks screamed upwards and the fire crackled with new life, Gemma spun around and knelt, with the fire silhouetting her.
    "It's time I told you my story. It'll have to be a heavily summarised version, or we'll be here all night. Is that all right by you?" asked Gemma, her eyes gleaming with intent. Marie just nodded her approval.
    "I was born in 1595 and my parents were killed in 1598, when I was nearly five and