The Journey

A swollen moon - nestled among bright stars - rose over the grassland. Tall grass waving in the soft breeze. Stars shedding their pure light on the waiting man. Waiting silently.

The movement caught my eye. Such beauty and lithe grace. He shines in the moonlight; silver streak tearing through the dark grass as the space-fabric is torn by countless alien suns. Suns now lending their light to his eyes. How beautiful they were: gleaming golden orbs. How beautiful they were! Gleaming, golden orbs. Eyes so bright to make the gentle moon jealous. The eyes were the same colour as his rider's. I knew this man better than I knew myself. We had traveled for endless eternity through this god-forsaken place together. Searching for a way home.

"Any news?" "Nothing, not a god-damned thing!" He barked while dismounting. "Damn! That was looking so promising. What next? That was our last hope! What next?" "We will find a way. Just be cam. And have faith."

His words, however well meant, did little to calm me. I felt that he, too, did not believe what he said. Did he really believe we could find it? Did he really believe everything would be alright? No.

"Come on, it's getting late and I'm stuffed. Lets get some sleep and we'll see what we can do in the morning." He immediately collapsed into the soft grass with me following.

The rest improved my mood, if only slightly. "What are we going to do?" I asked. "I could think of one thing!" His eyes beaming whilst a mischievous grin spread. "Anyway is it such a bad thing being stuck here? I don't mind at all." "Well, you wouldn't. You have a one-track mind.""That's not fair, I think of other things as well." It's just that I think of one thing more than others. It is only natural. I am a man.
"That still doesn't solve our immediate problem. What are we going to do?" I was starting to get anxious; wanting to get on with something even if that something wasn't as fun as it could have been. "Come on, let's get going; the day is getting older" I ordered him.

We both mounted our steeds and shipped out. "Let's try East" I offered. "Maybe the rising sun will give us some clues." I could see him chewing his mental cud and could not argue.

East did hold clues. Arrow-head cairns - pointing us towards the dawn - glowed eerily in the pallid light as we rode and rode. The great plains stretched to infinity; the horizon broken only by scattered trees and rocky outcrops. We saw it. A ray of hope shone in a dim world. A gossamer tracery of light ignited within both of us. Drawing closer it spread seeping into every part of us, warming us, and spurring us on more surely than any danger could.

A stone building - enclosed by tall walls of white stone gleaming orange in the new day's sun - unfolded as we rode nearer. Behind the walls, huge, lush trees peeped, standing sentinel. The building around which the walls stood appeared to be some form of temple. The open gates welcomed us like long-lost lovers. But we would not got inside just yet; the joy of looking was too great for the moment.

Through the gates we could see the inner gardens were burdened with fragrant blossoms and jade grass. The Sandalwood's scent was so intensely intoxicating - stirring things deep-down. High, lilting voices accompanied the scent lazing on the breeze. The atmosphere of calm contracted to the morning's riding.

Riding between the gates, my companion arched his back and stared up at the deep portico. The outline of his chin and neck drizzled shivers down my spine as flashes of memory raced through my mind; he was indeed mine. He collapsed against a Sandalwood trunk, overcome by the calm. He gripped my hand and pulled me down next to him."James...we've got to..." I weakly protested as he pulled me to him and gently probed my lips open with his tongue. "Don't worry."

God I wanted him. Wanted to combine with him; wanted to become one. The spiced air was not helping.

"I love you James." "I love you too." He kissed me again, his tongue becoming more insistent, forcing itself into me. Our tongues danced the complicated dance that have almost become second nature to them. Almost. Between us, electricity crackled the air. Our desire made visible by its shocking intensity.

I was so happy there with James in paradise. "I love you" I repeated in the tone he had used. "Please don't ever let me go. I want to spend the rest of my life with you."

We did not continue looking for a way out. Why look for your original home when you have found one that is so much better? My home is with James, his with me. We stayed, contented in our own Eden. We do not need to return to the suffering of the world.