CHARLOTTE VI

The day went by, and Grandmother Turtle kept swimming peacefully without pausing. Charlotte fell asleep using her backpack as a pillow when it became dark.

The following day when she woke up, a white fog was suspended on top of the lake. Grandmother Turtle was still swimming, but Charlotte couldn’t see her head. The fog was too heavy, like dense white clouds. 

‘Good morning!’ Grandmother Turtle said. 

‘Hi. Good morning. Are you okay? I can’t see anything with this fog.’

‘You have to go through it to see….’

Charlotte stayed still and breathed deeply. The anguish she was carrying came out, and she began to cry. All of a sudden, her body felt heavy. She was tired of being confused. She was tired of being in the middle of something without understanding. The optimism of her journey started to feel like a burden. Her cry became louder. And although Grandmother Turtle had decided not to interfere in her process of letting go, she asked:

‘Is there anything you want to share?’

‘No,’ Charlotte answered right away. ‘I don’t want to listen to your wise words. I am tired of wisdom—my body aches. My life was okay. I didn’t need this. I can’t take it any longer.

Grandmother Turtle let her talk and complain, but she continued swimming, not even suggesting the chance of returning.

‘Where am I? Why is this happening to me?’ Charlotte kept crying out loud. ‘I don’t want to know what I am doing, where I am going. I miss my old life. Why can’t I go back? Why can’t I go and get it back?’

The fog was still dense, and Charlotte couldn’t think or do other things than getting all her frustration out. She covered her face with her hands and cried. And when the fairies became visible all around the lake, she couldn’t see them.

The fairies of the lagoon liked to surprise the visitors during their darkest moments. They are invisible to those who choose to remain held in their drama. Only those who keep their hope sparkling even during the foggiest times can feel them. 

Charlotte’s cry didn’t let her see. She hid her face between her hands. She was sobbing.

And Grandmother Turtle didn’t say much. She had already warned her about making peace with sadness. There was nothing else she could do. She respected Charlotte’s free will and couldn’t interfere in her emotional choices. 

The sky was full of points of light. Little fairies everywhere. They danced and played with one another. Some of them lay on top of Grandmother Turtle’s head.

Time went by, and Charlotte’s cry became softer. She even became tired of crying. She washed her face with her clothes, blew her nose, and when she finally opened her eyes, a group of fairies was waiting for her. She remained silent. She was observing them. The look on her face was still sad, but she was calmer. She was emotionally tired. The fairies liked to play with each other. There was one, a little clumsy and innocent one, that made Charlotte smile.

The fog was gradually dissolving. 

‘Better?’ Grandmother Turtle broke up the silence.

The fairies got closer to Charlotte, and she touched them. They were delicate. 

‘Where do they come from?’ Charlotte asked.

‘Oh no. They have always been here. They are lake fairies. It was you who were not here to see them.’

‘What do you mean?’

‘You said you wanted to return to the Illusion, and you did. Instead of contemplating the perfection of the fog, you cried, suffered, and denied your wisdom. But there is no correct way of getting through it. Just enjoy’.

The wind began to play its music. It felt like several flutes playing at the same time. The fairies intensified their dancing and started to follow the wind’s rhythm. It was hard to tell the difference between the sky, the wind, the fairies, and the water. 

Charlotte lay down and contemplated the music and the dance of lights in the sky. She put her hands on the back of her head and relaxed. She wondered how her emotions could change rapidly with such intensity but didn’t want to overthink it.

Suddenly, a fairy sat on the top of Charlotte’s feet. She was tiny. 

‘Hi,’ Charlotte said with a sweet voice, almost like talking to a child.

The fairy giggled. Charlotte smiled, and the fairy’s giggle became louder. 

‘You are adorable. What is your name?’ Charlotte asked. 

But the fairy didn’t respond. Instead, she smiled back and giggled. Two more fairies came down and sat on Charlotte’s feet, right next to the first one. They looked into each other, and all three giggled and moved their wings joyfully. 

‘My name is Charlotte,’ she insisted. But none of them responded. Instead, they flew around Charlotte’s body and began playing with her hair. They started to make a braid. Each one of them held a different strand of fair. 

‘Fairies!’ Grandmother Turtle exclaimed. ‘They are known for being great listeners. I guess it is you who must do the talking.’

The fairies kept moving from one side to another around Charlotte’s head, braiding her hair. 

‘I am new here, you know,’ Charlotte started. ‘I am from the surface. I come from London. I live in a house in Hammersmith with my parents and my older brother. Oh, and our dog. His name is Puppy. He is not a puppy anymore, but I named him when he was a puppy. Do you have dogs here?’

Charlotte made a pause after her question, and the fairies were already lying down on top of her stomach, ready to listen to Charlotte’s story. Charlotte continued:

‘I miss Puppy. I arrived here a couple of days ago. I was on my way back home from the British Museum. I had to go there for a school assignment. Oh no, I forgot something. Before that, I was more thirsty than usual on my way to the museum. And then I was looking at my favorite store, which is a store of magic. There are many books and cards with drawings of fairies like you in there.’

The fairies smiled and hugged each other as if they had done something right. 

‘I was standing in front of my favorite store when a man with a bike and a cart approached. He was selling second-hand books. And, of course, I am curious, so I looked through the titles. And I found one without a title on the cover. And it struck my attention. However, Charles didn’t want to show it to me. He gave me another book called The War of Orion, and what I know after that is that on my way back home, I got into a particularly empty train. I arrived at an empty station, a station I had never seen before in my life. And I am pretty good with underground station names. I used to play a game with my dad every morning during breakfast with the table set with London’s underground stations. 

I walked around this empty station until I got inside an elevator. And since then, everything has become surreal. Since then, everything has made me feel that what happens on the surface is surreal. 

The elevator’s door opened, and I was at Charles’ house.’

The fairies smiled and giggled when they heard about Charles’ house.

‘Do you know Charles?’ Charlotte asked, and the fairies nodded. 

‘Oh, and do you know Charles’ house?’ And they nodded again. 

‘Oh, so you understand my journey. The next day I came from there. And I met Grandmother Turtle, who handed me an Old Manuscript, the one I had seen in Charles’ cart back in London. It is inside my bag.’

And before Charlotte could even suggest opening the Old Manuscript, Grandmother Turtle stopped. A big old lady opened her arms in the form of a hug that could hold the water of the entire lagoon. She made a reverence to Grandmother Turtle, paying her respect.

‘It has been a long time since I have had the honor to see Grandmother Turtle swimming in the waters of this lagoon. My pleasure is infinite,’ the old lady said. She looked like a human-sized fairy. ‘What brings you here?’ she asked.

‘On top of me lies the answer. Her name is Charlotte. She just arrived from the surface. We are on our way to Unow’, Grandmother turtle said.

Charlotte stood up and smiled.

‘I see you made good fairy friends, Charlotte,’ the old lady said.

‘Well, they proved to be great listeners,’ Charlotte said.

‘They listen wisely but aren’t very good at keeping secrets, I must confess, the lady said, and they all laughed. ‘My respect and blessings to your journey, Charlotte. This lake welcomes those who can keep their heart pure even during times of confusion. Only a pure heart can a fairy see’, the old lady said and vanished into the water.

The following day Charlotte woke up right before they arrived at the shore. She was hungry and could feel that Grandmother turtle’s pace was slower. The fairies were gone. They were by themselves again. 

The wind started blowing and helped them reach the shore. They rested for a bit in silence. 

‘You must be hungry. Every single bit of food on this island is pure and rich in nutrients.’ Grandmother Turtle was the first one to break the silence.

‘It seems like you are saying goodbye,’ Charlotte said.

The giant turtle looked deeply into Charlotte’s eyes, and with a profound loving voice, she explained: ‘you must continue by yourself. But remember, you are never alone. Feel the oneness.’

‘But..’ Charlotte tried to interrupt.

‘Listen closely. In Unow lives the Library of the Universe or at least part of it. Behind this cliff, there is a path, follow it, and you will soon be on the other side.’

Charlotte was confused, but she got up and hugged Grandmother Turtle. Then she left.

Behind the cliff, a path became visible, and she began to walk. It wasn’t clear where the trail ended, but it seemed that it headed to the island’s central peak.

She stopped by a fresh stream to get some water, and when she looked at her face reflected in the water, she couldn’t recognize herself. Her face made her laugh as if she couldn’t truly identify with that face anymore.

If I return to the surface, to the life I had, will it ever be the same? she asked herself.

There was something inside her that had changed forever. And she could feel there was no comeback. She had ripped away a veil of the world, and even if she tried to put it back, she would always know that the veil existed. And in some way, that made her sad because the way she saw the world was dying, and she couldn’t stop it, even if she tried.

She remained to contemplate the fresh stream in silence. She was enjoying the time by herself. It was the first time since she arrived that she was by herself.

This must be how being autonomous feels, she thought. To be in charge of your path. To be free to choose your destiny. To make decisions that can change the outcome of your life in a significant way. She had always felt unique or different when comparing herself with her friends. This uniqueness had nothing to do with being mature, having a remarkable career, or being responsible. Her uniqueness was about being conscious of her multidimensionality, how the universe works, the illusions that humanity holds, and connecting with a planetary purpose. It was about transcendence. And she wasn’t sure she was ready for it, but at the same time, she knew there was no way to unawaken herself. 

In the afternoon, when she was less than a mile away from the island’s central peak, an eagle began to fly on top of her. Charlotte kept walking until the eagle landed in front of her. 

‘Hi, I am Charlotte. I am on my way to Unow’, she said. She wasn’t sure that the eagle could talk to her, but nothing would surprise her at that point.

‘I know who you are, and I am here to welcome you and make sure you get to the peak safely,’ the eagle said and began to fly very slowly and very low next to Charlotte, who resumed walking. 

‘Thank you for taking care of me,’ she said.

‘Of course. I wouldn’t miss this opportunity. Many get to the door, try to grasp what lies behind in Unow, and then walk away. And I want to make sure you are not one of those. I will be there for you if you come to doubt. Trust me, those who have seen a part and then pretend to be blind suffer more than those who never even wondered. But those who can let go of the fear and open the door…oh wait and see’.

When she got to the highest peak of the island, a whole new city appeared on the other side of the island. The city was bright and radiant. 

‘How are you feeling?’ The eagle asked.

‘This place keeps surprising me at every moment,’ Charlotte answered.

‘This is too much for many. They get here. They appreciate the view but are not ready to open the door’.

‘I was wondering about the door you mentioned. Where is it?’

‘I was wondering when you would ask,’ the eagle said, and a giant portal was drawn in the air. It was an etheric door full of geometric figures and colors.

‘Welcome to Unow, Charlotte.’

And she took a deep breath. She knew she was ready, but at the same time, she was a bit scared. But she didn’t doubt it. She opened the door.

And the door didn’t take her to a new physical place but gave her a new perception of everything around her. She was still at the highest peak staring at the shining city, but she could see with more detail. 

‘How far is the city? How long will it take to get there?’ Charlotte asked the eagle, which now looked different. Full pink radiant electric circuits shaped her body.

‘Oh no. You don’t need to walk there. You are already there. Try it. Try to feel the place where you are in the city. Now close your eyes. Start by visualizing the pace and let yourself go. Now open your eyes!

Voilá!’ the eagle said. 

Charlotte was standing in the middle of the luminescent city. 

‘How is this even possible?’, she cried out loud with a sense of surprise and joy.

‘It is with the consciousness that you travel, not with your legs any longer. I am glad you opened the door. Do you know why? Because now many other doors may be opened.’

Charlotte didn’t fully understand what that meant but she was used to not understanding anything anymore. 

‘Where should I go now?’, she asked. She looked around and she realized that she had never seen a place so well integrated with nature before. Every building had a geometric form that matched perfect sequences of trees and rocks. There were colorful beings of all kinds flying, walking, and moving around effortlessly. 

‘You should go to the Big Library. You need to understand what brought you here to know where you are going. The cause will always guide you to the effect. Remember that,’ the eagle said. 

Charlotte closed her eyes and visualized the Big Library. And when she opened them, she realized that she was not at the place she was visualizing but she did not doubt that she was at the Big Library. Not even in her dreams, she could have imagined a library of that size. It seemed infinite. So many aisles, books, such a magnificent never-ending height, colors, lights coming and going like neural connections.

She started walking around the main aisles and leafing through the different titles on the shelves. She wondered if Charle’s job had something to do with the Big Library.

Suddenly, her backpack began to heat up. She opened the bag and immediately realized that the book “The War of Orion” was really hot.

She opened it and started reading it. After going through the introduction she realized that the pages of the book were erasing themselves. And in an instant, they were empty. 

‘A blank page, huh? Let me help you with that mystery,’ a voice said.