The Dysfunctional Goddess

 

Geo had been leaning against the window that faced the expanding side of the new universe.  He was watching, trying to see if he could make any sense of the patterns of light and darkness that he was seeing.  Sure there were stars, he realized, but there was something deeper than “just stars” that made the night sky seem so steady to him.

 

And then of course he realized it.  “The Constellations,” he said.

 

“What?” said Shiara.  She had her boot and sock off and was picking at her toe.

 

“Will the constellations in our new universe be the same as the old ones?” he asked.

 

“I don’t know,” she said.  “I kinda doubt it, though.  Unless we are creating a universe you are already familiar with.  You’ve been on Earth, and then the Test Project… you know, though, if we are re-creating material from the test, the sky might be the same….yes, it might!”  Shiara continued looking at her foot.  “Dang! I’ve got a blister from this boot…”

 

“You are a real together goddess,” he said and took a drink from his Canteen.  This time it tasted like spring water and sweet, fresh melons.  Watching him drink from the gift that The Voices had sent him reminded her of the package they had also sent him.  She leaned back and grabbed the package, focusing her attention on the Spirit Voices within her. Yes.  He can open the top layer.  No, Shiara, not any of yours yet.

 

“Of all the luck—“she said.

 

“What are you talking about?” he said.

 

“Ohwh!  I’ve just been talking to The Voices.  They say you can open part of your present, but I can’t open any of mine yet.”

 

“I get to open part of that package?”

 

“Yeah, and I don’t get to—“

 

“Shiara, give me the package.”

 

She held it in her hands and pouted.  “They hate me, that’s what.  It’s that Third Voice, he hates me for sure.”

 

"Shiara, give me the package!"

 

She stared at him, holding tightly to the package. 

 

"You know," he said, "I have heard of people going crazy when they are marooned in weird places like this.  Shiara, have you ever had any kind of psychological counseling?”

 

She looked at him as if he were covered with mud.

 

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4:36:34 PM