Kristie Cook - Purpose

One horrified scream ripped through my throat.

An answering roar resonated from somewhere else.

My heart stopped beating.

My lungs stopped breathing.

My body hung in the air.

Then I was falling…falling…falling forever…until darkness overcame me.

I lay perfectly still with my eyes closed for several minutes as I assessed myself.

No shivers. No burning. The air didn’t feel frozen around me. My body temperature finally felt perfectly comfortable. The luxurious cotton sheets felt satiny against my bare skin and I knew I was naked. I also knew I’d returned to the physical world, my world, not that eerie soul-sucking place. I prayed to never return there again.

My heart beat a normal, steady rhythm. The Amadis mark no longer burned, but the skin felt slightly taut. My chest and lungs felt good as I breathed naturally. I sucked in a deeper breath. No pain, no hole. The feeling of my chest ripping open had been so real, I was almost surprised I now felt no damage.

The scents came clearer than ever before and I determined the people in the house hadn’t changed—Mom, Rina, Owen and Tristan. Strange sound bytes of conversations over the last—last what? I had no idea how long I’d been in that room—hours or days reverberated in my mind, reminding me of Tristan’s absence. But he didn’t leave. He’s still here. I comforted myself with that thought.

My hearing was better, too, but the sounds were not painfully loud. Footsteps paced against hard tile in the kitchen. The two hearts close by beat steadily, while one in the kitchen pounded harder. The other out there raced, as if pushed to its physical limits. What are they doing out there? I could still hear the rumbling train, too, but it sounded deeper and faster now. What is that?

I opened my eyes. The room seemed bright for an instant, but my eyes immediately adjusted. I stared at the ceiling and I could see every little swirl and divot in the textured paint as if looking through a magnifying glass. I looked around and the vibrant colors astounded me—colors I’d never seen before. Mom sat on the bed on my left, and I noticed how her hair was not simply auburn or chestnut, but a million different shades of browns and reds, each strand slightly different from all the others. It was breathtaking.

On the far wall behind her hung an African safari painting, keeping with the theme of the room’s décor. I saw each brush stroke and the tiny initials “TK” in the bottom corner. Tristan must have painted it many years ago. Now I noticed all the little details he had captured—the different colors of the desert sand, the ridges of giraffes’ hooves, the pond’s ripples. Had I not noticed before because I hadn’t paid enough attention? Or because now I could see so much more clearly?

The painful sensory overload had disappeared, leaving my senses exponentially more powerful.

That potent energy still ran through my blood and muscles and nerves, but not the icy or burning forces. Just pleasant warmth. This is good energy. This is Amadis power. I had no doubt.

And an odd but delightful feeling filled my entire body, every cell, deep into the very core of my being. Into my soul.

Is it over?

“Yes, dear, it is over,” Rina’s voice answered in my mind.

She sat on the bed to my right, looking majestic and glorious, although she didn’t wear the usual formal gown, but a black shirt and black jeans, just like Mom. Only Mom wore a cotton scoop-neck T and Rina wore a shimmery silk tank. Rina took my hand and closed her eyes. I could feel her power, but not as strong as it used to be—at least, not relative to my own. I could tell she assessed me.

“Simply amazing,” she said aloud.

“Magnificent, as you always said,” Mom agreed, giving my other hand a squeeze. “How do you feel, honey?”

“Um, good.” My voice surprised me. I expected the words to come out in a croak or even just a whisper after everything I’d been through, but my voice came clear and strong. “Is Dorian okay?”

I had to be sure. Doubt lingered from the bizarre experience. Things might have changed since the last time I’d been fully aware of everything.

“Of course he is. He’s at the Amadis mansion. He’s in good hands,” Mom said.

I wanted to hold him and know for sure. And I couldn’t wait for the three of us to be united, but I also knew he was safer there than here right now.

“What about Sheree?”

“She’s stable,” Mom said. “One of our best counselors is working with her now.”

“So she’s not converted yet?”

“Conversion can take weeks or months…or longer,” Rina said.

“Oh.” I had no sense of how much time had passed, but it seemed it’d already been a long time since they’d left. I felt as though I’d slept for days. “How long was I out of it?”

“We returned about seven hours ago. Not long,” Mom answered.

“That’s it?”

“It happened very fast,” Rina confirmed.

I sat up in the bed, holding the sheet to my chest to cover my nakedness. The door remained closed and only Mom and Rina were in the room, but their eyes stayed glued to me, making me self-conscious.

“What, exactly, happened?” I asked.

“You’ve completed the Ang’dora,” Mom answered simply. “You want to see?”

She and Rina helped me out of bed, but I really didn’t need any assistance. My body felt perfect—strong, healthy, full of power. As we walked into the adjoining bathroom, though, I was glad they were there. Because I staggered with shock when I saw myself in the mirror. They both beamed.

“Tha-that’s…that’s me?” I breathed. Of course, it had to be. Who else would be standing naked between Mom and Rina with that shocked look on her face and the bright red Amadis mark on her chest? It took me a moment to make sense of the vision.

I was…beautiful.

Not pretty. Not even gorgeous like a model or a movie star. But beautiful. Like Mom and Rina and Tristan beautiful.

My features hadn’t really changed—my eyes were still the same almond shape and mahogany brown and my nose, lips and chin were still shaped the same. They were all just…better. I couldn’t pinpoint exactly what looked different, but there was definitely something. My skin looked like golden silk, perfectly smooth. And my hair shone vibrantly like Mom’s in a million shades of reds and browns. And I’d aged backwards even more. It would be hard to pass for much older than twenty. It’s like I am nineteen again. Like I’ve gone back to where my real life left off.

My body had changed, too. Unfortunately, I hadn’t grown at all. I was still small. But my muscles were more defined, yet in a feminine way. And I was…curvier.

“Wow,” I breathed as I lifted my boobs in my hands. They were fuller than they’d ever been, even bigger than when I’d been pregnant. Mom and Rina chuckled.

“Exquisite,” Rina said.

“Stunning,” Mom added.

“How?” I asked, running my hands over my body, still trying to grasp that the reflection in the mirror actually belonged to me.

“We revert to the single point in time when our bodies were physically, mentally and emotionally strongest,” Rina explained. “Then the Amadis power multiplies those strengths. The beauty comes from within—our faith, hope and love shining through.”

Love. The pleasurable feeling I couldn’t pinpoint earlier flowing through my body and soul. More love than I thought any person—or being—could possibly hold. In fact, it overflowed and I wanted to wrap Mom and Rina within it. If I weren’t naked, I would have pulled them into me.

“So this is where I stay forever? Looking like this?” I asked.

“Pretty much,” Mom answered.