eye of the storm

Back on the boat, Chi was still shivering from shock. Her mind was full of questions.

Who am I? Why don't I remember anything? Where am I?

One by one, the_pilot replied with guttural laughter between sips of pale ale and bad singing.

HO HO HO! FOR THE LAST TIME, I CAN'T TELL YOU, spirit! YOU HAVE TO FIGURE IT OUT.🐦

ALL I CAN SAY IS, YOU GOTTA FIND THE SHEPHERD. HE HAS ALL THE ANSWERS HO HO HO 🐦

Chi felt scared. But at least the_pilot didn't want to harm her.

She looked out the window. The rain was starting to get heavier and the winds started to get stronger.

+WHOOSH+

A gale rocked the_hemingway to and fro. Chi felt her stomach churn.

the_pilot had warned her to not look into the sky, for doing so was bad luck.

But chi could not resist.

The moons had vanished a day ago. She thought she might have imagined it, but almost seemed as if a large eye appeared in the sky and opened its eyes momentarily.

Right at when the eclipse had happened, she felt an intense pain in her chest. It was as if a part of her had died. She had never felt a pain that intense.

When she looked at her chest, she could see that indeed, there was a clean hole in her chest. She could put her hand and see it emerge from the other side.

Something was calling to her.

+CRACK+

Thunder and lightning. Right ahead was an approaching storm.

BUCKLE UP spirit, THIS PART'S GOING TO BE FUN! HO HO HO. 🐦

that's usually a bad thing, chi muttered to herself.

+CRACK+

the_pilot revved up the engine as the_hemingway went to full throttle. The rusty parts started to rattle. A pipe burst somewhere but the_pilot didn't seem to care.

+ZOOOOM+

Full speed ahead. The vessel disappeared into the storm.

==

-BLIP-

Time seemed to have stopped. The rain sat still against the window sill like tiny specks of paint on a canvas.

the_hemingway drifted slowly into an invisible wall of sound for what seemed like hours.

And then all at once it emerged on the other side of the storm.

calm

The boat descended slowly onto a clearing. The rain had subsided. She could see an open paddy field in the distance.

WE ARE HERE spirit. ALL GOOD. YOU'RE WITH THE BEST PILOT IN SILENT VALLEY HO HO HO 🎶 🐦

The boat crashed to the ground.

HO HO HO DID I MENTION THE ONLY PILOT IN SILENT VALLEY? HO HO HO

Chi slowly stepped out of her seat. She could see that the rain was beginning to stop and the flood was receding.

NOT SO FAST HO HO HO. A PILOT IS ALWAYS PAID HIS DUES. 🎶 🐦

Chi snapped her fingers and summoned the orb. She had already paid old bird three times during the trip for all sorts of mundane things from asking simple questions to using the vessel's restroom.

THANK YOU MISS. I'LL BE OFF 🎶 🐦

As he began to turn around, he paused.

OH BUT ONE LAST THING spirit. the_shepherd TOLD ME TO GIVE YOU THIS. HO HO HO 🎶 🐦

He handed her a tattered note.

It read:

Find me in the land South of the_spiral And North of the_moon To a place Under the deep below Reckon with the_probe Enter North

West of the moon? What did that mean?, she thought

She looked up. the_pilot was getting ready to leave.

Where do I need to go?

the_pilot laughed.

HO HO HO. NORTH! YOU MUST GO NORTH, he pointed his stick haphazardly to his right.

the_hemingway rose up above the clearing in the trees.

+ZOOM+

It was gone.

Chi was alone. But she knew one thing for certain.

She had to find the_shepherd. He would have all the answers.

So north she walked, as the mist began to settle on silent_valley.