Soulmates (15 page)

“I’m sorry,” said Presley.

“I carry this with me every day. I’ve just never spoken the words of that terrible event out loud. I felt so helpless,” Manna took another deep breath and cleared his throat.

“So this Rapt Ferry, the device that brought us here, how does it work?” asked Presley.

Manna walked over to the corner of the room and then suddenly disappeared.

Presley looked around the room, “Where did he go?”

“Look out there!” Jesse pointed out the large window. Manna stood outside under a magnificent arbor with large blooms hanging from it. Surrounding him was an enormous garden. He then suddenly appeared back in the room.
“You see?” said Manna.

“How did you do that?” asked Jesse in amazement.

“We were able to make a prototype of the Rapt Ferry here at the castle. We figured out how to manipulate matter, break it down into its smallest form, and transport it to a precise destination. However, we were unsuccessful at transporting matter over far distances. So, in order to go back to Earth, you’ll have to find the Rapt Ferry that sent you here.”

“So, the Rapt Ferry is like a port hole?” questioned Presley.

“Yes,” replied Manna.

“I see. Hopefully we can make it there without being captured first,” Presley mumbled. “Will you do that again?” asked Presley.

“What? Disappear?” Manna said.

“Yes,” she answered.

Instantly, Manna was back outside at the garden again. They watched as light blue wings protruded out from Manna’s back. He flapped his wings several times before he was lifted from the ground. He flew up to the window and unlatched the lock from the outside. Once inside, they watched in wonder as his massive wings folded into his back.

“Porits have wings?” Jesse questioned.

“Of course we have wings,” Manna smiled.

“So, the winged bones that we saw on our way here, those were the porits’ bones? Fiend killed them all?” Jesse asked.

“Yes, they essentially destroyed themselves. But, not only did the porits get greedy; the leaders of our world got greedy first. They were more worried about advancing politically than how it would affect the universe and our world.

“The porits never questioned their leadership. They got increasingly materialistic and the leaders became careless. They were supposed to lead by example. Everyone wanted more things, and by doing so, they destroyed themselves and our planet. Greed. Power. Envy.

“You can see our planet now. Once again it’s beautiful and balanced. It took many years to come back from the devastation that the leaders and the porits left it in. We knew that if the people and our government didn’t change, it would be the end of our civilization. We told the world leaders and we told the porits about Fiend taking over Delcon’s body, but greed is powerful and they didn’t want to hear it. They didn’t want to change. They advanced the technology under Fiend’s command despite global catastrophe.”

“Why did Fiend have to take over Delcon’s body? Why didn’t he just destroy the porits and take their souls himself?” Jesse pressed.

“Because Fiend is a spirit. He has to be given
consent
before he can take a soul. The porits agreed and they inevitably, destroyed themselves,” Manna explained.

“Paulette must have agreed to go with him, too,” Presley said suddenly.

“Yes,” said Manna.

“Did she give him her soul?” asked Jesse.

“I don’t know. I’m certain that he tried to persuade her to give up her soul since that’s what gives him power. She must have signed a contract,” Manna added.

“Yeah, but what would he persuade her with?” asked Presley.

“Well, what does she want more than anything?” asked Manna.

“She wants to go home,” Jesse said sadly.

Chapter Ten

“We
will
find and save Paulette,” Jesse said confidently.

“What if we can’t find her? I mean, it’s going to be hard enough just finding the port hole,” Presley said as she nervously bit her thumb.

“We have to find her. I knew coming here was too dangerous. I have to get you home,” Jesse looked down. “I don’t want you to leave, but I know now that you must. It will never be safe here. I wish that there was a way
—
I would do anything if there was a way,” said Jesse.

Presley’s look turned into a hard stare. “You don’t even know me. How is it that your feelings for me are so strong when I have only known you for a few days? I don’t understand,” she said.

“You wouldn’t believe me even if I told you,” Jesse looked at her hopelessly.

“Try me.”

Jesse eyes focused on Manna. “You may not believe me, Presley, but maybe you would believe Manna. Manna, please, help me tell her. Help me make her understand.

“I don’t think so,” Manna shook his head. “I’m sorry. I just don’t see the advantages of telling her,” he said.

“Please, Manna. I’ve been here unwillingly for years. I’ve lost my entire life. I was forced to give up my life. Please, give Presley a reading. It’s the only way that she will understand,” he pleaded.

“Understand what?” Presley asked.

“You
do
have the same feelings for me as I do for you. You
have
too,” he urged. “You do. I know that you do. I can feel it. Aren’t you at least curious about where this feeling comes from?”

Presley was curious. She didn’t understand her feelings for him. But, she was also scared of uncovering the truth. Scared of the unknown. Cautiously, she nodded.

“I’m
begging
you to read her," Jesse pleaded.

The despair in Jesse’s eyes convinced Manna and he slowly walked over to a cushioned bench. Resting his head on a small pillow, he placed his hands on his chest and shut his eyes. After a few moments of silence, he opened them. They appeared to be black. His eyelids began to flutter vigorously. A few moments later, once in a deep trance, he asked, “What is your question?”

“Why do I love this girl, Presley?” Jesse asked as he looked deeply into Presley’s eyes. Presley looked sharply at Jesse, surprised by his use of the word love.

Still in a deep trance, Manna replied, “In another life, in another time, she was your fiancée. In this other life her name was Emily Rose, and the two of you were to be married a week after Jesse disappeared. You’re soulmates, destined to be together. In each life you have the chance to find each other. However, since Jesse is stuck on Porha, neither of you are able to connect with your
true
soulmate. You two were once madly in love with each other. Then he was suddenly taken.

“Emily Rose, who has lived many lives since, is presently reincarnated as Presley Dae. Emily was so confused when Jesse disappeared. She thought Jesse had left her. She thought that maybe Jesse didn’t want to marry her.

“Then word came along that another young girl, Sarah, had also disappeared at the same time. As the years went by with no word from Jesse or Sarah, Emily and Jesse’s parents determined they ran off together.

In every life you have the chance to connect with your soulmate. Presley doesn’t have a soulmate on Earth, and so she still feels lonely and lost in her life today,” he said slowly.

Presley’s eyes began to fill with tears as Manna continued the reading. “She longs to be loved and desired, but she hasn’t been able to make such a connection with anyone because
Jesse
is her soulmate and he’s unattainable to her. She will go on in her life looking for love, but it will be destined to fail, for no love will ever match what she once had in another life, in another time with Jesse.”

As Manna came out of his trance his eyes slowly opened and gradually began to change to green. After his eyes returned to their natural shade of pale blue, he asked, “Was the information helpful?”

Presley looked stunned as she stared at Jesse, “So, I was in love with you in another life?”

“Yes,” replied Jesse. “I knew right away when you first came here." He took hold of Presley’s arm and turned it over. He pointed to a small birthmark on her forearm. I noticed that birthmark on your arm shortly after you came here. Emily had the same birthmark, it stunned me at first, and I thought that it was only a coincidence. But as soon as I touched you, I felt an undeniable connection. I felt an energy that was very familiar,” he said.

Presley looked down at her birthmark. “I felt as if I knew you too, but I just couldn’t make sense out of it,” she confessed.

“I hesitated telling you. I know how crazy this must sound and I know that you are going back. I prayed that if I could only see you one more time I’d tell you how much I love you and how sorry I was that we didn’t get the chance to be married,” he rambled.

Presley was trying to make sense of the information as she turned to Manna. “What does this mean exactly? You’re saying that in another life I was Emily, and then I was reincarnated over one hundred and fifty years later-into me?”

“Yes. You have much more to learn. That’s why you came back again,” Manna told her.

“Okay, what exactly am I supposed to learn? Like physics and calculus?” she said sarcastically.

“No. It’s not about what you learn in a textbook or how educated you are. Life is about how much you grow spiritually. How you are enlightened in each life determines how many times you come back. The unfortunate part for you is that your soulmate, your life partner if you will, is trapped here. So, in each life you’ll never be capable of a deep loving connection with anyone. So, more than likely, you have been trying to find Jesse in each of these lives,” Manna replied.

“I’ve been trying to find Jesse?”

“Yes, and you did! Subconsciously -you found me.” Jesse took her hand.

“But I don’t remember being Emily. Wouldn’t I have some recollection of her?” Presley questioned.

“That depends on how intuitive you are. Some people have extremely strong feelings of déja vu, when you experience the feeling of having done something before or visiting a place that you feel like you’ve been before, but never have. Maybe you lived there or did something in a previous life and you’re remembering bits of it in your current life. Some people remember their name in another life or where they lived. They just don’t talk about these things openly in your world for fear of being thought of as crazy. Knowing the information now might prompt some memories of your former life with Jesse,” explained Manna.

“Am I the same person that I was?” Presley shook her head, confusing herself with the question. I mean, is Presley the same person as Emily?” she asked.

“Yes and no,” replied Manna. “Of course your appearance is different, but your
soul
is the same. Your body is just a casing which holds your soul. But your soul is eternal so when your external body dies your soul lives on. The soul that once lived in Emily now lives on in you, Presley. See, your body and your brain are connected which allows for your body movements, speech, and so on. But your mind and your soul are connected, and that is where you find who you are. But the body and brain are not eternally connected to your mind and soul. Together they all help you achieve a higher degree of enlightenment, but the body only lasts for a short period of time, and when it dies your spirit lives on eternally,” Manna took a deep breath.

“Think of it like this; your body is a radio and your soul is like the radio waves. Say the radio, your body, broke. Just because the radio broke doesn’t mean the radio waves are broken as well. If you get a new radio, a new body, it would pick up on the same radio waves as the old radio. Do you understand? Your spirit is like the radio waves because it doesn’t die. Your body may die, but it’s only a transmitter, anyway. Your soul lives on eternally
—
forever.”

“Okay,” Presley looked at Jesse as she unsuccessfully tried to recall a memory of him in her former life. Then she remembered her dream. Her heart began to pound. “Can Jesse come back with me? Is there a way?” she asked abruptly without thinking.

Manna shook his head. He picked up The Book of Codes and flipped through several of the pages. He stopped and turned the book to us so that they could see the drawing.