Chapter 9

A Chapter by Rasheem

Beyond the highest flying bird in the sky, beyond the highest fluffy cloud sitting as if were still under the earths soil was sky lee the world’s most dangerous inescapable prison. There wasn’t so much as a breeze blowing here. Inside the prison Ezekiel snored louder than a wild animal. Gabriel laid his back on the wall in front of Ezekiel analyzing the old man.

“How in the f**k is he still alive?” Gabriel wondered.

Ezekiel had taken multiple gun shots all over his body surely if not most of them hit a major artery. As Gabriel studies Ezekiel he notices that all of his wounds have completely healed. Ezekiel didn’t have a scratch on him it looked like they gave him a jumpsuit full of holes.Gabriel begins pacing back and forth in the cell.

“This place is really bad news at some point it’s going to teleport us back to that mysterious island. I need to be on my s**t before that happens.” Gabriel looks at Ezekiel.

“The old man did say I’m his protege and after what I’ve just seen I’m all on-board with the idea. If I can learn how to take multiple gunshots without dyeing I will be in pretty good shape.” Gabriel places his hand on Ezekiel’s shoulder shaking him until he woke up.

Ezekiel opened on eye. “What is it kid?”

“Alright old man I will be your protege teach me how to survive from gunshot wounds”

Ezekiel chuckled softly. “You probably will never be able to take a speeding bullet head on without dyeing.”

“Why not you did it with that power of chi or was it energy?”

Ezekiel yawned then sat up on his bunk he plucked some earwax out of his left ear.

“I want to see some hands on demonstration of these three great powers.” Gabriel demanded

Ezekiel chuckled. “Kid I can’t show you a demonstration of all three because I only know one and that is the power of chi.”

“OK old man you have my full cooperation seeing that I’m going to be here for the rest of my life might as well learn how to fight.”

Ezekiel grins slightly “I like the look in your eyes kid but learning chi is not easy. Only five percent of the world’s population knows what chi is and how to use it.”

Gabriel scratched the balled spot on top of his head. “This chi must be an incredible power if only so few have ever even heard of it is the practice a secret known only to a secret society?”

“Good question kid and your right chi are only known by a small group of people known as the Rajons.”

Gabriel leans his back on the wall facing Ezekiel absorbing everything the old man was telling him.

“There is a clear orb the size of a grapefruit placed in the middle of your chest right next to your heart. It’s filled with this substance so pure that it cannot be seen with the naked eye this substance is known as chi. Chi flows around in this orb untapped. By that I mean the ball has not been broken once the seal is released the substance known as chi will flow throughout your bloodstream. You will either die immediately. Or you will be born again not as a man but a divine one someone who can use powers known only to the gods.”

Gabriel pulls himself off the wall staring at Ezekiel hard “Wait i could die trying learn Chi?”

Ezekiel began rubbing on his snow white beard. “The only people that die never knew it was in them. They released the chi by mistake. Once it hits your blood stream you will experience a high twenty times harder than the strongest drug on this planet. If you’re not ready for it your body will go in to shock.”

Gabriel paced back and forth. “How do they release chi by accident especially if they don’t even know what it is?”

Ezekiel wrapped his middle finger around his beard pulling it lightly. “There are only two known ways to release chi the long and tireless way which is months and months of gruesome training or having a near death experience. In those cases you have maybe two no a one percent chance of making it out alive and becoming a divine being.”

Gabriel shakes his head. “Damn it the first option sounds too long and the second option sound too dangerous.”

“Where going to go with the first option since I have no way of knowing for sure if you would survive being badly injured. If I knew without a doubt you would survive I’d just break your neck right now and save both of us a lot of time.”

Gabriel squint his eyes at the old man wondering if he was actually serious. “Thanks for the kindness I guess. Ever since I was a little boy I wanted to be a soldier someone who symbolizes courage and strength even after knowing I can die I still want to obtain this power.”

“You’re in luck kid the first step in using chi is weakening the ball to a point were only a little chi flows out. You need to be in a high place I’m not talking about up a hill or climbing some mountain but thousands of feet off the ground. The traditional practice of chi takes place only on one mountain and that is the tallest mountain in the world mount Rajon. It’s convenient for us that were on a floating island thousands of feet off the ground.”

Ezekiel stood up he circled around Gabriel analyzing him closely. “The Chi inside of you is great I wonder what kind of power you will possess.”

“Are you saying that everyone who taps into chi have different powers?”

“Yes everyone who taps into their chi develops their own unique gift. Now let’s begin training you’re not going to like this but I need you to sit down with your legs crossed and your hands pressed together like you’re praying to the gods.”

Gabriel grins lightly. “S**t that sounds easy why wouldn’t I like that?”

“You have to sit still in that same position without moving a muscle for weeks or maybe months.”

Gabriel’s small grin disappeared immediately “Are you serious!?”

Ezekiel stops his observation now standing face to face with Gabriel “I am this is the first step I told you learning to use chi will be the hardest thing you ever had to learn.”

“But that’s impossible assuming I could even hold that position for the duration I would die of starvation.”

Ezekiel shakes his head slowly “You won’t die of starvation if you hold that form exactly like I tell you. After about a week your body will enter a dormant state you won’t even realize you’re holding the position. You will have an outer body experience marking the beginning of your trials.”

“What do you mean by trials?”

“You will find yourself in a plain of which I do not know but it is in the realm were the god of chi chidori resides.”

Gabriel’s eyes grew wide. “The god of chi… One of the three gods you mentioned earlier. Will I have an encounter with him?”

“Maybe and maybe not but you will be tested by the spirits of chi. these test will be hard and confusing. They will try to make you go mad; don’t let them succeed if you feel yourself losing your sense of awareness pull back.”

“This sounds dangerous but something inside me is feeling excited! What happens if I can’t pull myself back?”

“You will be stuck there until you do. I know people who are still on mount Rajon in a dormant state they’ve been that way for years. Some come back after a year while others don’t come back until ten years later. There are people even exceeding that time frame still in that state.”

“Oh wow I thought you said this training will take months? People have been on step one for years!? That’s insane!”

“Everyone is different Gabriel I have this gut feeling it won’t take you that long to find yourself.”

“What about you old man how long you were in a dormant state before you came back?”

“I was there for three weeks but it felt like three years when I awakened my chi was flowing through my veins. I felt like I could kill someone by simply snapping my fingers.”

Gabriel looks down at the ground he thinks back on everything the old man has told him thus far nodding his head slowly. “OK old man I don’t know why but I trust you let’s begin.”

Ezekiel flashes his milk white teeth that looked like it belonged to a tooth model for a crest commercial. “When you enter the realm of chi time will flow differently what’s an hour out here is like a day there. So it will seem like you’ve been gone for a really long time and in a sense you are but just keep in mind its only in that realm.”

Gabriel nods his head he takes several deep breathes then sits on the floor crossing his legs and placing his hands in a form of prayer.

“Good kid now hold that position if you have an itch don’t scratch it. If you feel like you have to sneeze don’t any type of movement and you will disrupt your transition meaning you will have to start all over again.”

Ezekiel watches Gabriel as he sits still. A grin forms on Ezekiel’s face. “This kid has the potential to change the world. The chi inside him is larger than anyone I ever came across.”

Ezekiel lays back on the bottom bunk then closes his eyes.

“Don’t move kid you will be in the realm of chi sooner than you think.”

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© 2018 Rasheem

Author's Note

Not any action in this chapter but it still serves purpose for the story ahead

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Reviews

barleygirl

I’m very impressed with how much better your writing & storytelling have become, over the course of these chapters! Your opening to this chapter is much more creative, using good imagery and a strong sense of the relationship between these two characters. I think it might be a good idea to remind your readers about the fact that this prison (mentioned in the first paragraph) is floating among the clouds. You mention this later, but I think it’s good to start off with this reminder, since we might have forgotten this important detail about the setting.
I’m amazed at how well you tell a story thru mostly dialogue – something many writers have trouble learning to do. The conversation sounds realistic & it also tells us about the story and the characters. Good use of side comments, such as the old man plucking earwax . . . these are the details that keep your story fun & lighthearted, even tho the main storyline is about a serious topic of fighting & war. Another good detail is about scratching the bald spot on his head (“balled” should be spelled “bald”) – this is the way to show us how your characters look/smell/sound, as well as letting us hear their conversation.
Definitely your best chapter so far & good luck continuing your story! (((HUGS))) Fondly, Margie

I forgot to mention this . . . using “Crest commercial” as a way to show how white one’s teeth are – this might not be a good example, since not every country in the world or every person is familiar with certain American brands of toothpaste or even with TV commercials. I think there could be a better way to show how “white” teeth are, without using an example from ordinary consumerism. Your story has nothing to do with consumerism, so stick with your extraordinary cloud-filled imagery here, my friend . . .