Road Tripping Pt. 06.5 - Time Trip Pt. 01

Time Tripping is the first part of many stories of the past lives and dreams of some of the main characters of the hinted at and more throughout the Road Tripping series. Reading chapter 6 of Road Tripping will help with your understanding of the second part of this story. The first part is set in the 1980's about 9 months before the main story begins and the second part is set deep in the past. All sexualized characters or over 18. I hope all enjoy and have liked the whole series so far. Have a great New Year. Back in a few weeks S. L.

July 14, 1986. Star had experienced the strange recurring dream for over a decade. Quitting smoking along with Joe a few days earlier had made her dreams even move vivid. They had begun almost as her and Joe had begun to date after being friends for several years before. It always started the same way with her awakening in an unfamiliar room. All was different from the world she lived in and the bedroom she later shared with Joe.

The walls were not the painted plaster and wallpaper that was in their bedroom and home in Vermont. These walls were of stone that had been painted on white plaster. The paintings on the wall were of outdoor scenes of unfamiliar plants and animals in a stylized form which reminded her of things she had seen in some PBS documentaries. The images on the walls were not of the classic Greek times but more like the earlier Minoan's of Crete somewhat but even still there were differences. These images were still not the same and did not truly look like any she had seen in the TV documentaries, many books she had read, or in National Geographic magazine which she read every month. It confused her a little, but the art was very well done and there were more than just visual or stylistic differences.

These works of art appeared to be very freshly done. Not faded and chipped from the thousands of years. Even the newly opened tombs showed signs of the years in peeling or flaking. There was none of this here. These had to have painted within the last ten or twenty years. The wall scenery was one of the constants of this location. Other things changed with the times of Star's life or the others in the past.

Most of the time Star awoke in this room she was alone, but at times Joe was next to her sleeping and she never disturbed him. At other times there was a woman in the room with her, either standing in the open porch looking out to sea, or twice entangled deeply in passionate lovemaking, but in none of these times did she see the face of the woman, only her tall athletic body and her long brown and sometimes braided hair.

At times when she had been pregnant with her first three children she was sometimes with child in the dreams. Her body had changed a lot over the fourteen years and three children. When she had met Joe at seventeen, she as skinny five foot one and barely 95 pounds. Now at thirty-one she had boobs, size dependent on state of pregnancy and hips and round little ass on her now 120ish pounds after their third child Europa.

The scenery in the room changed with the years and seasons. There was a large doorway leading to a balcony that the sea could be heard and smelled coming from there, if the wind was right. There were large tapestry's that were not hung over the balcony door unless there was cold or storms and one over the apparent entrance to this sleeping chamber of hers. It was on one of these that Star saw her first familiar thing and began to understand things from this time she should not have.

The familiar thing was the enlarged version of the Purple Mushrooms that were taken for more of their insights than their visual hallucinations. Star had done these on many special occasions and a few times for fun, but over time she had come to know that these Mushrooms did have unusual properties and that two or more people on them at the same time could have deeply connected experiences together. Star had received the spores to grow these from the teacher of her and her mother in spiritual matters. All she had told her was that they were ancient, rare, and powerful! She and a few others she knew maintained small secret gardens of these mushrooms.

These were fully mature with the redlines and the bright yellow streak across the cap. The closer to the shape of a lightning bolt the stronger Star had learned over the years.

The thing that she should not have understood was the form of writing on the tapestries. Aside from English, Star could read, write, and speak Latin, and French. She could speak a little Spanish, read some Greek and speak some badly. With help from a translated copy of the Egyptian Book of the Dead, she could slowly read the ancient Hieroglyphics. Star was always a teacher and communicator at heart and the gift of languages helped her bring and pass knowledge to those willing to learn. Even the ten-year-old's in her class who hated literature.

The writing on the tapestry's was unlike any she had seen anywhere. It had some Egyptian influences in the pictogram portions but there were other abstract forms of multiple characters interspersed that were more like the verbs to the pictured nouns. What struck her was the ability to tell this, their meaning, and the stylized numbers they used including a symbol for zero.

The use of a zero or null equivalent was one not in use to her knowledge for many centuries in the future from this time. There were poems for good harvest, gentle and plentiful rains, and stability of the land which kind of confused her, since there was no sign of war or disruption here. The numbers and other writings had to do with lunar, solar and celestial cycles she thought.

As she was studying and trying to memorize all this, the smell of coffee and sounds of a two-year-old girl crawling into the strange bed with her brought her to turn to face Europa snuggling in next to her while Joe came into their room in Vermont with a cup of coffee and a sweet roll.

So much better than a Salem, Star thought to herself while the nicotine demon screamed at her freeing body and soul! No! I Must win for her and the next one's she thought to herself with a smile. Her friends had told her it was as tough as any of the harder drugs they had beaten. Ed and Val had both been deep into the worst of it and had cleaned up six years ago cigarettes included.

They both would have a beer or two in the lot before shows and only smoke pot inside at the show. They never said anything to anyone about what they did themselves but had helped out others Star had steered their way.

She had only wished for a few more moments to study the items and writing in her dream and then a little more alone time with Joe. The Strange dream and the lack of cigs had left her horny and looking forward to when they could be alone again.

Early Fall, 2014 B.C.E. Island in the Southern Aegean Sea

It had been a difficult day! Theirs was a small and ordered society and usually very peaceful in their isolated land. Less than one hundred square miles and surrounded by treacherous reefs and high cliffs on most sides. There was only one approach to the small harbor unless you were in the smallest of boats, a two man at most with strong current and tides near the reef and halfway within from currents swirling through the coral heads. Only experienced captains took their ship into their harbor and only at the highest of tides

The actions of one who was born and had lived there all of his life now forced the worst punishment short of death they could sentence a man too. The man to be punished had badly hurt a woman and her mate in a jealous rage, then run to the main sanctuary of the land.

Once in there he came into the place where children of the land were being taught, frightening Zephyra's two in their classes and many others there. Just as he turned to begin to try and take one of the children, Myrine, who had been teaching in another room, got him from behind with a piece of firewood to the back of his head.

It had all happened in only a moment, but it had been a bad scare to all there. Zephyra and her mother Basilia were there in a moment to comfort the children, while Myrine and two of their few actual military men took the prisoner to a healer after he was tied up.

This may have been the ruling and spiritual center of the small land, but this was also where all were taught their ways and knowledge of the past and the world around them. Zephyra was now the spiritual leader of these people while her mother Basilia, was more of the political leader after her husband died 10 years ago in an accident.

The next day there was a gathering of ten of the elders of the land with Basilia presiding over it. No one had died even though the woman would need a time to recover from her physical injuries and those in her mind would take longer to heal. Her less injured mate stood as her witness as did the teacher of the class of young children assaulted the previous day. A bronze knife with a blade the length of a man's longest finger was found in his hand when Myrine had knocked him unconscious

The father of the attacker pled for mercy, but he knew it the was only the restraint of Zephyra that had kept Myrine from hitting him again with the log and preventing the need for a trial. With what he had done, there would be no objections to his expulsion once he had threatened the children.

His fate was to be left the gods of the wind and sea to decide if he deserved their mercy for his actions. He was given three days of water in a small boat and sent out with the next tide. If the gods felt, he deserved to live they would see him to a new shore where he could begin a new life. If he was not deserving of life but should not suffer, the sea and its denizens would take him soon without suffering. If not, he would slowly die of thirst and heat until the gods thought, he had suffered enough and let him die.

No one there wanted to have to do this, but an example must be made to show all that this was the result of the jealously they taught the children was dangerous as any vice or ill. No one in their land was rich and none were poor. All were fed with the labor of all and well housed in stone houses built and maintained over the centuries. They kept their population low with the methods they knew to limit families and by timing and some herbs which could hinder conception, but most found other happy ways to keep mates entertained when no babies were desired.

Jealously was one of the things which could destroy a society like this who's main goals aside from the health and happiness of those who lived there was to keep and pass on knowledge of the past and other prophecies to leaders of other lands near and far. They would lead ceremonies with their mushrooms of InSite to help the leaders of other lands lead their people wisely. They may not have agreed with all that went on in these lands, but they felt it was their duty to enlighten all. The leaders of many lands knew of their reputation over almost a thousand years and there were calls for their consul, enlightenment, and the loan of some of their educators to various courts in the eastern Mediterranean Sea.

Basilia had been to Egypt, before Zephyra was born, for the installation of pharaoh, Mentuhotep the Second. He was the new leader of a powerful dynasty that had later re-united the Upper and Lower lands of the Nile to the south.

Once or twice a year when the moon and tides were right and if the gods allowed the weather to be favorable, they would send out two or three of their male graduates who wished to travel and pass their learning to the world around them. Two strong kingdoms nearby guaranteed their employment as teachers for their courts and the wealthy or passage to further places they had studied of. After a few years many would return with what they had learned outside to add to the whole's knowledge. Ninety percent of this was passed on orally but limited writing on plaster, tapestry, and smaller weavings were used to accumulate and pass knowledge on to further generations.

The Sacred purple mushrooms gave the property of deep InSite and visions of past and future events to some in the sleeping and waking dreams of those who partook of them in the right times for them and the sacred celebration times all their souls shared in together. As a member of the ruling family and spiritual leaders of the land, It was one of Zephyra's responsibilities to oversee their cultivation and protection. Her older sister, who was to lead them after her mother passed or decided to step down, had taken the spores of some to hidden places on three lands far away but well mapped, to make sure if a tragedy took all here, they would continue for someone to retrieve them. They were too sacred and powerful to be allowed to die out.

It had been passed down in their histories, that over 700 years earlier a Goat had eaten half a year's crop and learned to talk. The Goat told of the future and that one day this beautiful land would be destroyed in fire and earthquakes from one of the nearby islands and they needed to be prepared when the signs came. Fortunately, the goat had given them a time still hundreds of years away but the movements of the earth, at times very violently, told them that paradise was not forever for the people.

It had been only the third time in Zephyra's life an expulsion had taken place and the first since her mother became ruler. The whole last three days had left her badly shaken, and she was relieved to see the boat follow the tide over the horizon. It had been the threat to her children and the others, that had left her most upset of all, but the need to project strength had forced her to keep up a strong front for all to see. The victims of all ages needed to see this from her.

After the sun had gone below the horizon, and the houses of the leaders of the land had all grown quiet. Many had gone to their chambers for the night. Zephyra's mate Jonas was with their children for the third night in a row to help calm them. All in the land from the youngest to the oldest had witnessed the expulsion and all knew well if he survived, he was still never allowed here again. All the children here were raised to see both the beauty and reality of life.

Myrine brought a large pitcher of wine mixed with stems from the sacred mushrooms to share with Zephyra and try and calm themselves further with. Zephyra had made a meal with some hemp leaves added and some of the sticky hemp buds were in a bronze incense burner to add to the pleasant smoke from rare incense she put in ones away from their small table and couch the women shared. Two lamps in stands and one on the table gave the room a smoky golden light. She would burn both for times when she needed calm. Her chamber was not that large and with the tapestries hung on the balcony and the entrance allowed the pleasant smoke hang in the air to warm the night with the wine.

With all of her responsibilities, it was only really Myrine and Jonas she could confide in and not be a Priestess around, just herself. Myrine was one of the few from outside the land and she did not inherit some of the inhibitions around her that some people did because of her rank and communications with the Gods of their times. Myrine had also been designated protector of the school by Zephyra and her family at her maturity ceremony. All thought it would only be a ceremonial title until she was standing over the unconscious assailant.

Myrine, her mother, two sisters and two other women had been the only survivors of a shipwreck which had happened when she was five. They were saved by the fishermen of the land and taken in as those spared by the gods.

Myrine's mother Theresa had been a healer in her land before they had been forced to flee to the sea from invaders. There had been over fifty of them in the boat when it had wrecked on the reef killing all except the women in the small boat, including her father who had put all in there before the larger ship broke up and he all others were lost. Myrine remembered all of it to this day, but Zephyra's teaching had given her the strength to face these things knowing they had happened, but they were in the past and there was nothing she could do for them but honor their memory.

Theresa, as a skilled healer quickly came to work closely with the leaders of the land and Zephyra who was eight years older took Myrine under her wing, becoming her teacher, friend, mentor, and when the age was reached, they had joined as lovers too.

In this land there was no judgement about who and how you loved. The people here were free to explore all who they were in art, music, stories and in the many ways they expressed love for their mates and friends if all accepted with love and without jealousy or anger. Some couples both mixed and same kept to themselves and some others shared in whatever ways they wanted with other. Still others stayed unattached but had a few or many various relations with others. A few chose an aesthetic life and kept themselves focused on their personal missions in their lives.

Before the sun had set both women had a chance to bathe in the stone pool cut into the living rock leading to the western shore. It was fed by the smallest of the springs in the island and its waters fed several gardens above and below. Several of these bathing pools had been carved into the stone of the land from some of the over a dozen springs for all to use and share since fresh water was scare here and these pools came only after the plants, animals, and people had gotten enough for their needs. Great cisterns had been cut into the rock below to store more from rainfall runoff for dry times when some of these springs ran dry for a time. Work that ALL participated in at times to continue to enlarge and maintain them.

It had felt good to be able to just hold the other and watch the sun set. Jonas had joined them for a time as had her mother to enjoy the warmth of the Gods of the Sky on this late day in the pool. Jonas and Basilia had other duties to attend to and Myrine and Zephyra were left to relax before drying and wrapping against the chill of the oncoming night. In five minutes Myrine was asking for the drapery to be pulled aside so she could enter with their wine. The air was heavy with the hemp and incense, and she could feel that there would be a magical joining in the night. In four days, the next cycle of the sky began, and Zephyra would be dressed in the elaborate headpieces and hairstyles for their rituals. It was a time of personal purity for her too. When these times ended for Zephyra, her and Jonas would all join together although Myrine remained pure in one sense for the one who called from her dreams.

The women sat, both, both draped in simple cloths fastened at the shoulders and on both sides against the cold outside of the room. There were no other fires than the small lamps and the three burners in the room of hemp and of incense. Both were happy to be able to relax. No one would disturb them except Jonas if there was an emergency with the children. Each woman had a simple silver cup with a stylized first initial of their name engraved on their cup. It was likely the fanciest item either woman "Owned" in their lives. Both lived in rooms and in ways that were hardly much larger or fancier than the people throughout their small land. All else here was just for the offices and the work for the good of the people and their honoring and communication with the gods.

They poured a full cup each of the wine and sat to eat some of the breads and many vegetables they had and let the wine and smoke let them feel deeper peace and closeness for their joining. Myrine had brought a honey cake bread for them to share after as both women relaxed talking of the week ahead and what plans they had to begin the day after tomorrow for the new cycle. If there were small mistakes in form or the words the Gods were known to forgive. It was the sincerity of the effort and Priestess that was judged they felt, and the evidence had born out.