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Back The Occurrence Save as PDF
Chapters (117)
  1. Cover
  2. Title
  3. Copyright
  4. Contents
  5. PART ONE: Up From Buried Light
  6. 1
  7. 2
  8. 3
  9. 4
  10. 5
  11. 6
  12. 7
  13. 8
  14. 9
  15. 10
  16. 11
  17. 12
  18. PART TWO: Re-Entry
  19. 13
  20. 14
  21. 15
  22. 16
  23. 17
  24. 18
  25. 19
  26. 20
  27. 21
  28. PART THREE: Convergence
  29. 22
  30. 23
  31. 24
  32. 25
  33. 26
  34. 27
  35. 28
  36. 29
  37. 30
  38. 31
  39. 32
  40. 33
  41. 34
  42. 35
  43. 36
  44. 37
  45. 38
  46. 39
  47. 40
  48. 41
  49. PART FOUR: Surrender
  50. 42
  51. 43
  52. 44
  53. 45
  54. 46
  55. 47
  56. 48
  57. 49
  58. 50
  59. 51
  60. 52
  61. 53
  62. 54
  63. 55
  64. 56
  65. 57
  66. PART FIVE: The Tablets
  67. 58
  68. 59
  69. 60
  70. 61
  71. 62
  72. 63
  73. 64
  74. 65
  75. PART SIX: The Trial
  76. 66
  77. 67
  78. 68
  79. PART SEVEN: The Cave of Memory
  80. 69
  81. 70
  82. 71
  83. 72
  84. 73
  85. 74
  86. 75
  87. 76
  88. 77
  89. 78
  90. 79
  91. 80
  92. 81
  93. 82
  94. 83
  95. PART EIGHT: Guardians
  96. 84
  97. 85
  98. 86
  99. 87
  100. 88
  101. 89
  102. 90
  103. 91
  104. 92
  105. 93
  106. 94
  107. PART NINE: Into Buried Light
  108. 95
  109. 96
  110. 97
  111. 98
  112. 99
  113. 100
  114. 101
  115. 102
  116. 103
  117. Acknowledgments

The dining room of dark, heavy wood and stone with faded frescoes on the walls from centuries before was familiar to Jhana-Merise. She knew of déjà vu. But this was more than what she knew. This shock of awareness went through her. A vibration, as if she were a string instrument. Some unseen hand brushed across her body. The same trembling she felt when she cured the young boy in the burn unit. The same trembling when she came out of the coma.

Breakfast was spent in silence, yet the curious eyes of the nuns scanned this young visitor.

Jhana-Merise discovered the way to connect in the silence was through a smile, and her openness seemed to melt some of the crusted corners of the curious women.

Later that morning, Jhana-Merise knocked on the opened door to Sister Helen’s office. Helen looked up from her reading.

“Jhana-Merise, please, come in.”

Jhana-Merise entered. She looked around the room. It was an ascetic space with two wooden chairs, a journeyman’s desk, and a handmade crucifix on the wall behind the nun.

“I can’t stay,” Jhana-Merise said.

“I know.”

“Will you help me convince my father?”

“Of what?”

“That he needs to take me to America.”

Sister Helen knew this would be the last time she would see her. That Jhana-Merise was young, and youth deserved joy, didn’t dissuade her from believing the journey ahead for father and daughter was necessary, and perilous. Helen knew transformation came at great cost. The man on the cross behind her had paid the ultimate price for preaching oneness and love. And, as she looked into the young girl’s eyes, she imagined what those who’d been at that man’s side might have felt, the sorrow and expectation of helping to birth a new world.

Helen would pray for Jhana-Merise and Vincente’s safe passage into their new world.

“Are you afraid?” Sister Helen asked.

“What is there to fear in knowing we’re not alone?”

Helen cried.

PART THREE: Convergence

PART THREE

Convergence

22

22

Thursday, September 17

Dominique’s eyes darted to the walls, the books, the African artifacts in Adrien Kurt’s Washington, D.C. office. Anything to avoid his eyes. She was afraid of what she might be compelled to reveal. She was empowered by the experience in the warehouse, emboldened even. She also thought she could be going insane. Would Kurt believe her if she told him about the words written in the sunlight?

She knew he’d worked for the government in some therapeutic capacity before he entered the private sector, but never could find out what that was. And she’d tried. All she could find was that he’d worked with soldiers at Walter Reed, in Maryland. She’d sensed there might be more to that story, but chose not to be a journalist in her own therapy. He was a mystery to her.