Past Lives

The cobalt night sky was brilliant with stars that were normally barely seen in the cities of smog and dust.

On this night, there was no moon to illuminate the eerie surreal landscape of old half-forgotten ruins and of gnarled twisted oaks surrounding the site, which harbored the seen an the unholy unseen.

The dark hooded figures were now chanting again, an age-old incantation that spoke to Jasmine of ancient powers reawakening after lying dormant for ages.

As they chanted, they continued to circle the bonfire, occasionally throwing into the flames, pungent incense and powders taken from pouches by their sides.

Each time they threw a handful of powder into the fire, the flames would jump and burn bright blue, or deep purple, or a sickly green. The smell carried on the gusting wind was sometimes acrid, at other times metallic.

The bonfire would sizzle and pop as if it was a funeral pyre, cremating a dead body. The flames cast deep black shadows that leaped and danced along the charred walls, taking on a macabre life of its own.

The drum beats pummeled into the night, awakening strange horned, hoofed beasts which prowled beyond the reaches of the firelight, growling out their hunger. Above them, hidden deep within the gnarled trees, hoot owls added their staccato 'hooo-hooo, hoooooot' cries.

The old man stared out into the mountain ranges, beyond the relic towers of the Champa past and uttered a few chants before turning back to Anh Hai.

"Your people have scattered to the four corners of the Earth and have mingled their blood with that of other races. There are only vestiges of the pure race of Champa still living in isolated pockets of the wilderness."

"And of my children?"

"Your wife gave up your only son to a peasant family and the child grew up living a normal ordinary life. His blood has now been diluted many times with the Vietnamese people, as well as humans of other races. To fight them now would be akin to fighting your own people."

"What about her jewels and the scepter?"

"Her jewels are exactly where they should be. The scepter has been taken by fools who do not know of its power. It has been melted down to be used by these fools as ornaments which they hang on earlobes and noses like cattle to be led."

"The jewels were supposed to have been buried along with the Queen. Where are they now?"

Tong Li shook his head. There was nothing left for him to say to Anh Hai.

He turned to Jasmine, the same vacant look in his whitened eyes.

"As for you, there is much that pulls you back here. Be very careful when dealing with that which is not of this world. Stay true to yourself, and above all, do not follow ONLY what you feel is right because feelings can often be wrong."

"What must I do?" She asked.

"Use your logic and thinking in combination with your feelings to arrive at the correct answer. Only in this manner can you come to the correct conclusion."

Jasmine pressed her lips together. What the old man said did not answer any of her questions. Perhaps a more direct question could reveal information she could use.

"Why am I here? What is my role in all of this?"

"This is part of what is samsara, your fate. Things that happen to you in this lifetime are sometimes governed by others' fates as they deal with their pasts."

He paused for a moment as his blank white eyes narrowed in concentration.

"At this time, your fate is to surf on the wake of the currents that have been triggered by previous events. Try not to drown and the waves will carry you to shore."

"The past is what I remember from my childhood days until this moment." Jasmine closed her eyes. "I don't remember anything beyond that."

"The past encompasses much more than that which one can remember. It is a blessing."

Tong Li's voice shook, as if he was reliving ancient memories.

"If you had to remember everything that ever happened to you in all your past lives, you would be frozen with indecision each time you need to make decisions to any present life situation. You may even base today's decisions on past experiences which may not be the best decision for this life's realities."

"Past lives? We're talking about reincarnation, right?" Jasmine stared at Tong Li. "How can I find out about my past life?"

He turned and stared directly at her with his sightless eyes.

"You have residual threads of memories within your mind. They have the ability to lead you back. If you work at separating the individual strands, your past lives can be revealed to you."

"You mean I can remember my past life?" Jasmine's eyes widened.

"The way to remembering is sometimes dangerous." Tong Li shook his head. "Your journey backwards may not give you a way to return to the present."

"Are you saying we should just leave well enough alone?"

"That is your choice, just as it was your choice to be here."

Jasmine shook her head.

"I had no choice in this matter. I was kidnapped here."

"We all have choices. You could have stayed across the ocean, where you came from. Yet, here you are." He waved his arms around him.

"You can choose to become a part of what is to come, or you can choose to ignore it and walk away. No one, not even he," Tong Li pointed at Anh Hai, "can force this decision on you. It is your choice. Do you accept this?"

Jasmine closed her eyes, feeling the cold wind at her back, and the heat of the crackling bonfire at her face.

There was no happy medium, no all-over warmth. It was either complete immersion in the cold of the jungle night, or total consumption in the heat of the flames. There was no middle ground.

She was either going to embrace whatever the old man offered, or forever remain ignorant of whatever forces had molded her into being.

And she had to make a decision.

Right now.

Jasmine took a deep breath and looked up at the old man.

"Fine. I accept."