For days now, Ashley has been following the force that has been pulling her soul west. West, from her Platworth family home in Cambridge, Ohio, forcing her to leave the family fortune and comfortable surroundings that her mother and father had left to her years earlier.

Having come from a family of adventurers and fortune seekers, she recognized the force pulling her as a force that needed her utmost attention. Even though she really couldn’t explain to anyone where she was going before she left, she only knew within herself that this was something that she needed to do.

As the train stopped in Northfork Colorado, she peered from the train to the mountains with a gaze of a path about to come to an end. She felt that what was beckoning to her, was here. Here in the very mountains that she now faced.

She then walked back to the cabin that she was staying in during the train ride and retrieved the back pack and the many things that would be needed for the high mountain hike. For some reason, the force that had driven her here made her know that the equipment that she had brought along would be needed in some way.

After trekking up the mountains for a day and a-half, Ashley started hearing a strange sound. Comforting, but yet unsettling, the sound urged her forward. The sound became stronger and stronger as she climbed minute by minute. She climbed up rocky and thick brush areas.

Finally, she came upon an opening where an Indian elder dressed in ritual skins and strange facial paint was sitting next to a camp fire. The Indian seemed in some trance, chanting on and on and quitting only when Ashley stepped within a blood red circle that was marked upon the ground around the campfire and the elder. The elder raised his head to look up to view Ashley’s face, “you have come.”

Ashley felt that this was where the force that had been driving her to. She then sat across the camp fire from the elder. “Why have you summoned me here,” she asked.

“The reasons why you are here are within,” he said, as he turned and motioned towards a cave opening that suddenly appeared.

Shocked, at the sudden appearance of the cave opening she asked, “What is in there?” She stood up and walked up to the dark opening.

“Many things to many, but little to only a very few. That which is within, is only for you; for it is only you that it has summoned.”

“Oh geesh, I suppose I am supposed to be scared or something,” she smugly replied as she turned and the sight of him began to fade away.

“Perhaps, you may be. After all, the caves of consciousness are yours and yours alone. Made for no one; but yet, are dreams of and for many.”

Shocked, at the sudden disappearance of the Indian, she turned back towards the opening of the cave. “Well, I didn’t come all this way for nothing,” she replied. She then removed her back pack, reached inside, pulled out a flashlight and turned it on before proceeding into the mouth of the cave after putting her backpack back on.

After taking several steps into the cave her flashlight flickered and then went dead. Before she could react the mouth of the cave suddenly slammed shut shutting out all sunlight. Ashley quickly spun around to look in the direction from which she had come from. In the darkness, she reached out in front of herself as to feel for the entrance. Suddenly, the opening reappeared and disappeared again. When this occurred the sudden burst of sunlight slammed into the optic nerves of her eyes and the light slammed onto her brain only to be deprived of it again. This sent her brain spinning into a darkness of its own. She passed out and collapsed onto the damp floor of the cave.

As time passed, she slowly awoke to hear a voice. “Ahhhhhhh, awake at last. I like my meals better when they are moving. It makes the meal much more enjoyable.”

She opened her eyes and saw a cave that was stretching out in front of her, and it was fully lit. Remembering that she has heard a voice she searched for the source of the words. She slowly turned until she found herself face to face with a fearsome green dragon. In shock of the size of the beast, she slumped backwards as to quickly move away from the beast which sat no more than five feet from her.

She leaned back onto her hands as to take in the full view of the dragon. “Oh, my God!”

The dragon lunged its great head forward and placed its nose against her chest and shoved her back until she was up against the wall of the cave. It then raised its head to look Ashley directly into the face. “No praying! I hate it when my meals pray for hope when there is none,” the dragon stormed.

“There is always hope,” she exclaimed as she stood up, ”always!” Fearful of her life she started shaking uncontrollably.

“Ahhhhhh, you shake with fear. And even now you speak to me of hope? Hope for what?”

Ashley looked at the dragon as it spoke, she noticed large pieces of flesh that were caught within the dragons teeth. As the dragon spoke, she could smell the foul stench from the rotted flesh within its breath. So foul was the stench, she couldn’t help but to raise her left arm up to her nose as to block the stench that now turned her stomach.

“I hope that you will set me free and not eat me,” Ashley replied.

“Perhaps, I will play with you first,” the dragon replied as he curled back and swung its great tail around as to block any chance she may have to escape. “ Give me one good reason why I shouldn’t eat you.”

Seeing no chance to escape what stood before her Ashley lunged forward and slapped the dragon on the nose and stood before the beast. “Go ahead, eat me and be done with it,” she exclaimed, “or set me free. I have no fear of you!”

Angered at her action the dragon pulled its tail around her body and pulled her ever closer to his mouth. “Do you have so little regard for life, even if it is your own? Are you so lonely in life since your mother and father have died, that you don’t even care about your own life anymore,” the dragon questioned in an outraged voice.

“How could you ,” she tried to reply.

“How could I know? How could I have any idea of what you have been through in life?” The dragon then stood up and walked around her as she stood in total shock of the dragon’s reply. “I am an ever seeing being. I see within your heart, within your soul.” The dragon gave a smug glance at Ashley. “You disgust me for what I see within you. From what I see, I would cause you more harm by letting you live rather than eating you. But, perhaps eating you isn’t what I have in mind.”

Ashley stood before the beast and screamed, “what do you know of my pain, of my fears. How can anyone know the burden that I have carried over the years?”

“Just thinking of eating you leaves a bad taste in my mouth. Do you believe that you are the only one in this world that has pains or burdens?” The dragon reared back and roared onto Ashley’s face, “How dare you!”

Ashley fell to her knees, and began to cry. She looked up into the dragon’s eyes, “How can I ever think of anything in life, when life has taken those that I love from me?” reaching her arms out to the dragon in a begging gesture she cried, “what do I have left in life?”

The dragon moved toward Ashley, “ahhhhh now you see. You are now asking the very questions that you should have been asking yourself for a long time now.” The dragon motioned its head towards Ashley’s body and encouraged her to her feet. “I am not going to eat you girl; that is not my purpose here. So put your mind at ease.”

“I don’t understand,” Ashley replied as she looked up into the dragon’s face through tear filled eyes.

“You will. Move on, leave me. May you finally come to terms with who you are before your journey is over here.” The dragon moved his head to her side and pushed her away. “Now go, move on. Move on, before I get hungry again.”

Ashley started walking away slowly, backwards as to keep an eye on the dragon. After walking several feet away she turned and walked towards an opening within the wall of the cavern. She climbed through the hole and found herself within another lit cavern. Upon entering the cavern she leaned against the wall and cried, relieved to be alive still. After a few minutes, still shaking, she stood and looked forward for an exit to the cave.

Across the small cavern she noticed another hole within the wall. Slowly she walked towards the opening and tried to peer into the next cavern but couldn’t see into it because there was a short tunnel that connected the two caverns together. She slowly crawled through the tunnel and entered the next cavern.

The cavern was lightly lit and she was barely able to see more than forty feet in front of herself. She couldn’t see the other side of the cavern but she could hear water running and could faintly hear another sound; a sound of someone weeping. As she listened intently, it sounded like more than one person crying.

Slowly she walked forward until she came upon what seemed like an endless pool of water. She slowly walked around the pool until she could see the image of someone sitting next to the pool. The closer that she walked towards the person more and more people came into view.

There were many men, women and children sitting around the pond and they were all crying. As they cried their tears fell into the pond. As she approached them she could see that the pond exited into a stream that flowed into an opening of the cavern.

As she walked forward, she stopped and rested her hand upon one of the women’s shoulders. “Why do weep so,” Ashley asked as she knelt beside the woman.

“I so loved my child, that when he died my life stopped,” the woman said as she turned to show Ashley the corpse of her child that she held in her arms. “The death of my child ended my life, and now I can only grieve my loss.”

Startled at the view of the child in the woman’s arms, Ashley stepped backwards. “Oh, my God,” Ashley exclaimed as she threw her hands to her mouth as to stop the words from coming from her mouth.

All of us here are here to grieve, and as we do our tears form this pool, known to us as the Pool of Tears. Are you here to grieve as well?”

Ashley looked around to see a small boy who was holding a corpse of a dog, and a man to the boys right was holding the corpse of his deceased wife. ”She never really had a chance at life. We had so many plans to live,” the man claimed as Ashley walked towards him. “My tears are never ending, thus I help to fill the pool. Are you here to help fill the pool?”

Ashley shook her head as tears filled her eyes “No, No! I can’t, I won’t. I must move on in life with my grief.” She looked around her to the many people within the cavern. ”Don’t you see? Grief is a strength that can be drawn from. You can be stronger than this, if you’ll only draw strength from the memory of those which have brought you here.

Ashley then walked towards the lady with the child. “You, yes, you have suffered a great loss with the passing of your child, but can you not bear another? Bear another and raise that one with the very same passion and love that you had for this one. Come on, stand up and find that strength that is within you to continue to live your life as you would like. Love of a child for you hasn’t ended, it has only begun.”

The woman laid her child down upon the ground and approached Ashley, “Do you believe that I should walk away and not ever think of this child again?” She then turned and held her arm outstretched towards her child and spoke to Ashley, “do you honestly believe that I should just forget that my child ever existed? How dare you!”

“No, not at all. It is simply as I said, embrace the thoughts and memories of those who have passed on, but move on with strength knowing that if they could tell you themselves, that this is what they would wish. If they could tell you that right now, they would, and in your hearts you know that to be true.” Ashley turned to speak to everyone within the cavern, “continue your lives. Move forward.”

The little boy with the dog stepped forward after setting his dog down; “She is right. I see that now.” He approached Ashley and looked up to her; “Thank you for releasing me” As he spoke to Ashley, his figure faded and disappeared.

“You see,” Ashley said as she motioned to where the boy once stood, “You don’t have to remain here. There is no harm in continuing on.”

One by one, the people in the cavern laid down their burdens and faded back to existence from where they came. As they did, the flow of tears slowed and the pool level became lower and lower until the flowing completely stopped and all the people were gone. After the last person disappeared the pool completely went dry, exposing an opening in the cavern where the tears flowed through.

Ashley stood upon the edge of where the pool once was, and then sat at the edge of the pool as to collect her thoughts of the passing moments and what she had done. Not just for those who where once here, but for herself too. To her, it all seemed like a dream.

After gathering herself up, Ashley walked through the dimly lit cavern and down into the now emptied pool so that she could enter the opening where the waters were flowing through. The opening was large enough that she was able to stand upright and walk into it. The opening was an entrance to a long dark tunnel. She started walking down the tunnel. As she walked through the tunnel, she noticed that the tunnel seemed to have a very slight downward incline to it.

After walking slowly through the tunnel for about five minutes, a light faintly shown itself up ahead. The closer she walked to the light, the more it appeared that the light was coming from a wall at the end of the tunnel about a sixty yard distance ahead. Still walking forward, she began to notice a small opening at the bottom of the wall. As she reached the wall, she found that the wall wasn’t the end of the tunnel, but actually it was a corner of a turn in the tunnel that turned to the right. The tunnel to the right was opened up two feet above the main tunnel floor, but maintained the ceiling of the original tunnel that Ashley now stood in. The light that illuminated the wall was coming from the end of this tunnel. It was a bright light. a light that shown through the long distance of the tunnel.

Ashley began to notice that the water from the pool of tears had drained through the small opening in the wall. The opening was too small for her to use, but large enough to allow the waters to flow through. This became obvious to her, seeing how the floor of the tunnel to the right was dry.

Ashley stepped up and started walking towards the light down the tunnel. After a few steps, Ashley heard a scream that chilled her to the bone and made her freeze in her tracks. The long scream subsided and Ashley slowly continued down the tunnel. Slowly and cautiously she came within a few feet of the end of the tunnel after a few minutes. She calmly sat down on the floor of the tunnel and tried to listen as to try to figure out what was in the cavern that she had heard scream earlier.

As she listened intently, she could hear heavy breathing and the sounds of chains. Chains being pulled tightly and the strain of someone struggling with something. She could feel a pulsing of a heavy breeze that came from the cavern.

All of the sudden a fierce scream, a loud sound of chains and a strong breeze came at Ashley with its fullness of force, and suddenly diminished as quickly as it began. Ashley slowly peered around the corner of the opening of the tunnel and her mouth dropped open at the sight at what she then saw. She then stood up and slowly walked into the cavern.

Before her stood a tall, fully winged angel. At its ankles and wrists were thick shackles that had chains attached to them that were firmly anchored at the other end to the wall of the cavern.

As she looked up she could see that the cavern ceiling was opened up to the sky, but with no way to reach the top of the cavern because of the smooth vertical walls.

“Will you help me,” the angel asked as it sat upon the floor facing Ashley.

“I don’t know what I can do. You appear to have much more strength than I have and I just heard you trying to struggle free several times before I came in here.” Ashley sat upon the floor many feet away from the creature just in case this was some sick joke of some kind. “Why are you here?”

“I have been placed here because of dreams. Dreams to soar on my own for myself.” As the creature spoke, it pulled slowly at the shackles and chains that held it.

“Are you truly an angel,” Ashley asked. “what is your name?”

“This I am. My name is Syreda.

“Were you placed here by God, and if so what did dreams have to do with this?”

Sadly, Syreda looked into Ashley’s eyes and replied, ”no child, God did not place me here. I was placed here for punishment by other angels such as I.” Relaxing, she spoke to Ashley, “for centuries I have served man and have helped man through many ordeals. After many centuries, I started feeling the very same things that many people of humanity feel. The need to dream and seek fulfillment of their dreams.”

“We all have dreams. Why should you be so different and not be allowed to dream,” Ashley questioned.

“It is all the way of things and what I was supposed to be allowed for myself,” Syreda replied as she bowed her head. “My purpose is supposed to be for others and not for myself I suppose.”

“You appear very strong. So why is it that you can’t break what binds you here?”

“If I were able to reach the shackle that binds me here, I could smash them. As you can see though, my hands are shackled in such a way that I can’t bring my hands together enough to be able to smash the shackles,” Syreda explained as she brought her hands towards each other as to show that they couldn’t reach each other due to the shortness of the chains.

“Perhaps I can help you.” Ashley stood up and walked closer to Syreda.

“Why would you do that?”

“Well, If I do, I hope that you will help me to escape here. As you can see, there is only one way out of here,” Ashley replied, motioning towards the open ceiling and the sky. “The tunnel leads nowhere, this I already know. So, if I free you will you help me to escape?”

“Yes, I will,” Syreda replied hopefully as Ashley approached her.

“Ok, let’s try this then. Bring your hands as close together as you can.” Ashley removed her backpack and began removing the shoulder strap from it. She laced the strap trough one shackle at Syredas’ wrist and laced it through the shackle on her other wrist and buckled the two ends of the strap together. Ashley then removed a foot long flashlight and placed it within the loop and began turning the flashlight end over end twisting the loop of the strap tighter and tighter. As the loop tightened it pulled the shackles closer and closer together. Finally the shackles started to strain under the tension. As the tension increased it became harder and harder for Ashley to twist the loop. She strained to turn the flashlight and keep it from slipping from her grip. Finally one of the shackles shattered under the strain.

As the shackle shattered, Ashley gathered up the strap and undid the strap from the shackle that remained around Syredas’ left wrist.

Syreda looked towards Ashley, “ok, now stand back.” Syreda took her right hand and raised it above her head and brought it down squarely onto the shackle around her left wrist. When her fist hit the shackle, it shattered and broke open. She fell to a sitting position upon the floor of the cavern. She then brought both fists above her head and brought them down on both shackles at her ankles and they shattered upon impact.

Ashley walked up to Syreda, took her by the hand and helped her to her feet.

As Syreda raised to her feet. She unfurled her wings and moved them quickly to take flight. As the wings fanned, the quick burst of air from them blew Ashley across the floor of the cavern. “I am free, I am finally free,” Syreda screamed as she quickly raised from the floor and flew out of the cavern.

“Hey, wait,” Ashley screamed to Syreda as she watched her fly from the cavern. She sat on the floor of the cavern and watched as Syreda flew away and out of view.

Ashley stood up and walked towards her backpack and suddenly felt a strong breeze behind her. She spun around and saw Syreda softly land onto the floor.

“I’m sorry, if I scared you, but I just had to stretch my wings. I promised that I would take you from here, and I will. But, I want to show you something if you’ll allow me.”

“Oh, ok. What is it,” Ashley replied as she walked towards Syreda.

As Syreda laughed as she took Ashley into her arms and turned her around to take a hold of her from behind, “you will see.”

Ashley took her hands and held onto Syredas’ arms tightly as they lifted off from the ground. “Dreams are what you seek, then dreams you shall have. Hold on tight and prepare for more than you could ever wish for,” Syreda said as she flew faster and faster just above the ground.

As they flew faster and faster, the air moved swiftly across Ashley’s skin. A burning sensation began from the extremely fast moving air. Finally, the burning sensation began to make her scream in pain.

Suddenly, the burning sensation stopped and Ashley opened her eyes to realize that the air had ceased to move around her anymore. As Ashley and Syreda now proceeded in their flight, a transparent bubble began to develop and was now blocking out the high winds of their flight.

As they moved across the ground, Ashley looked up to Syreda, “what is happening?”

“This is here to protect us from flight and where we must go. Behold!”

Ashley looked away from Syreda as she closed her eyes and their speed increased tremendously and they now began to take flight straight up into the heavens. Faster and faster they went. Flying away from Earth and towards the moon. Still increasing in speed, space now passed before Ashley so fast that it was almost becoming a blur. Familiar planets streaked by as their speed still increased. Galaxies, nebulas and pulsars streaked by at an almost freakish rate of speed. Finally, darkness enveloped Ashley’s mind as everything slipped from her sight and her mind slipped into unconsciousness.

Syreda softly spoke to Ashley, “Ashley; Ashley? Open your eyes and behold my dear.”

Slowly, Ashley sat up and looked around as she cleared her mind. Startled at what she saw, she quickly shuffled backwards across the floor.

Syreda knelt down behind Ashley and spoke softly into her ear, “hold on, hold on. Everything is ok. Trust me, it’s ok.”

Ashley slowly stood up amazed at what she saw before her. “Where are we? What is all of this?” She reached out and touched the transparent bubble that still encased them. “Are we still ok in here?”

“We are fine in here. The air in here will sustain us, but only for a short while. We will be heading back way before it won’t though. As for all of this,” Syreda held out her arms as she turned, “all of this is a world of no dreams, or what is left of it. It is barren and its inhabitants were solemn creatures with no expectations, goals, desires, or feelings. They couldn’t interact or even feel. They just merely evolved , existed and then died.” As she spoke the bubble raised up and started moving. It moved across the surface of the planet to reveal huge vast areas of empty lands. “ They are gone now. No future, no great cities, no legacy, nothing to remind us that they were ever here. Do believe me when I say they were here.”

Just as Ashley started to contemplate what Syreda was saying, everything began moving again. This time when Ashley awoke, she could see that everything had changed.

“Have we moved again,” Ashley asked Syreda as she stood up again.

“Yes, we have”

“This all looks so beautiful.” Looking around, Ashley could see what appeared to be great city spires of an illuminating color of blue off into the distance, and she looked down onto what appeared to be a great coastline along a seemingly red to silver water front.. As she looked skyward her sight took in three moons, one of which possessed multicolored rings. “How beautiful.”

“It is isn’t it? Let me show you something even more beautiful. Something so unique that even you will find it hard to fathom,” Syreda said as the bubble moved down from the higher elevation from where they were viewing everything from a high vantage point.

Down they flew into the spire city and they slipped through the wall of one of the buildings and entered into a vast room. After entering into the room, all motion ceased.

“What is this place Syreda?” Ashley looked around and saw lightly lit globes moving about the room.

“These are a small fraction of the beings that live upon this world. Through their dreams they have evolved into beings that have built their world through their dreams and desires. Here, there is nothing that they need for. Through their collective thoughts they have built their cities and made it possible for them to never need anything.”

Syreda turned to Ashley, “so you see how important dreams can be. It may be thousands of generations before we can evolve to this point. To the point that all wars, hunger and pollution can be fully eliminated. To a point where hate and vanity will be nothing more than a distant memory. So distant that to even think of such things will be inconceivable.”

“That is hard to believe. How could dreams ever build all of this or even help them to evolve?” Ashley stood up and looked around. “I don’t believe this. This is some sick joke because this is impossible.”

As Ashley said this, hundreds of the globes gathered around the bubble. As they did Ashley turned and looked around. “What are they doing?” Ashley asked.

“As you began this quest, you have learned many things and have seen things that you have found, how should I say it; unusual. Perhaps you have learned many things about life from within the caves of consciousness.” Syreda moved towards the inner wall of the bubble as the globes that gathered outside and started to glow with intensity. Syreda looked towards some of the globes. “Yes, it is time. Time to share if you wish and we thank you.”

Ashley came up behind Syreda, “what are you talking about? Are they talking to you?”

Syreda turned and took ahold of Ashley and sat her down and then laid her down on the floor of the bubble. Suddenly, Ashley became unconscious.

“Ashley, Ashley dear. Time to get up.”

Ashleys’ eyes snapped open as she barely caught the sight of someone leaving her room. Ashley leaped up from her bed and ran into the hallway just in time to see a woman walking down the hall. “Mom, is that you?”

The woman turned and looked at her, “Ah, you’re up. Well, come down and join your father and I for breakfast, honey. Your breakfast is getting cold.”

Ashley ran down the hall and gave her mother a hug. “It’s you. It is really you!”

“Yes dear it is really me.” Surprised at Ashleys’ comment, she returned the hug that Ashley was giving her. “My, your acting awfully strange today. Is everything ok?”

“Yes, I think so. It’s just that I,” Ashley stopped in midsentence knowing that she was only going to sound crazy. “Yes, I will be right down,” she said as she slowly turned and headed back to her room.

Confused, she walked back into her room and there within her room was Syreda. Floating around her was several of the glowing globes. “This is such a nice dream don’t you think,” Syreda asked as she stood up from the bed and walked towards the window.

“How dare you! Why are you doing this to me,” Ashley asked, enraged.

“So, you don’t believe that this could possibly be real?” Syreda walked over towards Ashley as Ashley took a step backwards. Syreda continued advancing and put her arms around Ashley. “This is a dream that you have wanted for so long and now that you have it you are now going to refuse and deny it?” She stepped back and motioned towards the many things in the room. “Feel the bed. Is it not real? Look out the window and tell me that the very sunlight that hits your face isn’t real.” Syreda looked into Ashley’s eyes as the globes came closer.

“This is a gift that we are giving to you. You are no younger, you are no older. Everything is as it seems and it is real. They are things of your dreams, a reality of your desires.” Syreda took Ashley by the shoulders. “Don’t mistake this as not being real. Know that this is the power of dreams and desire. Know that this is what your dreams have been about. You spoke of it yourself in the caves of consciousness. Even now you find that perhaps what you thought of life and dreams aren’t exactly what you thought.”

Syreda walked towards the window. “Perhaps you are the first of the thousands of generations that will be needed for mankind to evolve. Farewell, Ashley.”

Ashley stood there and watched as the globes and Syreda faded and disappeared.