Angels of the Anasazi

Contents

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Chapter 17

Chapter 18

Chapter 19

Chapter 20

Chapter 21

This book is dedicated to:

My wife Connie, for her help and support during the twenty plus years working on this story.

My Dad Roger Mastin, a true believer who accompanied me on my last trip to the Canyon in 2010 and inspired the religious aspect of the story. He died just two months after the trip.

My only son, Michael killed in 1988 by a drunk driver at the age of twenty-two and lives with God in the Heavens.

Chapter 1

The shadow of the tree line slowly withdrew from the canyon floor as the sun moved higher into the clear blue sky. The calls and whistles from the birds, combined with the sound of the small stream of water as it rippled over the rock floor, created a musical lullaby. Those sounds, in contrast to the rugged landscape, added to the peaceful spirit of this small canyon. A hawk was slowly circling overhead as it kept constant lookout for a meal that it could silently swoop down and get.

A cooler breeze came down the canyon as the wind stirred slightly. The hawk adjusted his wings to stay in the same pattern of flight as he too became aware of the change in the wind. A little squirrel moved along the edge of the rocks, staying under the overhanging brush, to keep out of sight of the hungry hawk. The squirrel abruptly stopped and ducked behind a rock outcropping as he noticed something strange on a flat ledge in the canyon floor. He slowly moved his head out to see what was lying so still. He sensed no danger and moved slowly from his hidden place to investigate. The hawk had not noticed and moved farther down the canyon and was now out of sight of the watchful little squirrel. The squirrel ventured closer to the sleeping figure.

Shadows of the canyon wall had covered the still form, but sunlight had now edged closer to the head of the sleeping form and its warmth and brightness began to awaken it. The little squirrel noticed a slight movement and crouched down, ready to run if needed. He was wary of the four-legged cats that visited this small canyon to drink from the fresh water and escape the heat of the day, but this was not anything like them. Could this be one of the two-legged creatures he had seen before the last snow melted? Several of the creatures came and left after collecting some water in round pots they carried with them.

The creature slowly moved his leg, and the fingers of one hand slowly extended. Soon it opened one eye and then the other as it awoke from the deep sleep that had kept it so still. The little squirrel saw this movement and quickly darted to safety behind a small bush, but he kept his attention on the stirring figure. He still sensed no danger, yet caution was his nature and this was a time to be cautious. The squirrel determined that this was certainly one of the two-legged creatures. What the little squirrel did not know was that this creature is a man, and in time, these men would dominate all creatures.

When the man had fully awakened, he looked around and saw the steam of water had collected itself into a small depression in the rocky canyon floor. He kneeled down, carefully putting his lips into the water to try it. Seemingly safe to drink, he satisfied his thirst and then submerged his head into the water as if to revive his senses. He wiped the water from his face and shook it from his hair while looking up into the blue sky overhead.

‘What is this place?’ he wondered.

Small white clouds had now joined with the blue of the sky adding to the colors he saw before him. The multi colored rocks around him contrasted with the green of the small trees and bushes in this small canyon. Red, grey and brown bands of color were visible in the walls that rose on both sides of him.

‘Why am I here?’ he thought. He searched his mind for answers to his questions. His memory failed to provide him with the answers he needed as though wiped clean of everything before this moment. He looked over his well-muscled body to see if he was injured in any way. All appeared fine except for a small cut on his chest that was already beginning to heal. He felt a tender spot on his forehead and bent down to see his reflection in a pool of water. He could see a swollen area and some dried blood. This injury had also begun to heal. He was over six feet tall and had the body of a mature man with an athletic build. He could tell from his reflection that he appeared to be around the age of twenty with light hair and blue eyes.

He was clothed in a wrap of white cloth that covered his loins, held in place with a cord the color of the blue sky. A single golden ring hung around his neck as a type of necklace that had no beginning or end. His hands explored the necklace, and it seemed there was no way to take it off, as it was too small to remove over his head.

His feet were bare, and he felt the warmth of the sunlit rock, as he stood all alone in this lonely and strange new world. His mind raced with questions of where he had come from and how he got to this place. The landscape that he saw before him was unfamiliar.

Are there other people like me in this place, and what kind of creatures will I find? he spoke aloud. Hearing his own voice broke the spell, and from the corner of his eye, he noticed something moving. The little squirrel ran quickly up the canyon floor and away from the startling sounds.

Do not be afraid of me little one, the man said. The little squirrel heard him but seemed to move even faster to the cover of the brush. It ran from sight and, once again, the man felt all alone.

The man decided to follow the flow of the water as it made the journey to lower ground. He understood the laws of nature that caused water to seek its level and hoped it would lead him to others, like himself, who needed the water to survive. He realized he needed to stay near water, for he had no way of taking any with him. His thoughts turned to food and what he could find that would satisfy that basic need. The air to breathe was fresh and cleaner than usual.

Usual to what? he spoke aloud again.

How could he recognize the things around him? How could he understand so much in the environment but not know things about himself? He only hoped that would change in time. The flood of questions came again, and he dropped his head and stared at the water that continued to flow at his feet. He would have to find the answers to these questions as he explored this new place. He knew that he must move forward and see what would happen next. The answer to his past and future lay ahead.

The small canyon began to grow larger as he continued to follow the small stream. It finally ended in a large canyon that extended for some distance ahead. Tall walls framed the low ground of the canyon, as a picture that was beautiful but harsh. He followed the small stream as it continued down one side of the large canyon.

The sun was directly overhead now, but it was not extremely hot. In the far distance, he could see mountains with snow still resting on the peaks. He saw some flowering plants and felt this must be the spring of the year.

He walked for some time and still had not seen anything moving except the grass blowing in the wind. Overhead he could see an occasional bird or hawk moving from one side of the canyon to the other, as if keeping watch on his movements and alerting all things on the path before him.

The rough ground had begun to take its toll on his bare feet. He was stopping more often to rest and allow them to recover before moving on. As he started up a slight rise on the path, he wondered if he would see any sign of life when he reached the top. As he scanned the horizon, he felt certain he saw something ahead that appeared different from the natural surroundings. It gave him hope of finding some kind of life. He quickened his pace, as he felt a new surge of energy flow through him, with the thought of this potential discovery.

As he approached the unusual shape, it became more obvious that it was a structure created by something or someone and not formed by nature. He slowed his pace some as he grew closer, to see if there was anything occupying what seemed to be some kind of dwelling. He did not want to walk into any danger, as he was not sure what to expect.

Hello, he cautiously spoke. Is anyone there? There was no sounds or movement, so he called out again. Hello! Is anyone there? I mean no harm!

He continued walking forward as no sounds or movement resulted from the sound of his words. The dwelling, built by human hands, appeared unoccupied at the present. Built both in and out of the ground, it had short walls with a covering over the top forming a roof. As he walked closer, he could see broken pieces of what appeared to be an object, perhaps a pot or cup. As he reached the small doorway, he carefully stooped to look inside, aware that danger could still await him. It appeared to be empty, and from the condition of grass mats left on the dirt floor, it seemed to have been that way for quite some time. The people that lived here had abandoned their home and moved away.

Moved to where? he muttered to himself, as he looked into the distance with a sense of loneliness overcoming him once again.

At least he had found some shelter as the sun had started to reach the rim of the canyon and darkness would soon be upon him.

With light still coming through the small doorway, he pushed some of the remaining mats into a bed for himself and felt it was comfortable enough to rest. The little stream had finally disappeared before he reached this place and he knew he would go back to quench his thirst before beginning a new day. He sat outside leaning against the mud wall of the dwelling until the light had disappeared, replaced by an unbelievable number of stars. He recognized the familiar night sky and the distant stars as they moved across the heavens, but the patterns they made were strange and did not stir any memories.

He was asleep in the dwelling, when he heard the sound of a distant animal. It was calling into the night, much as he had called out, for something to hear him. No answer came to the animal’s call, and it soon grew silent, perhaps feeling as lonely as the man who heard his call.

Before he returned to sleep, he had noticed it appeared to be lighter outside, and he wondered if this place had short nights. He arose and went to the door to see if the sun was beginning to rise. Instead of the sun, an object in the sky that bathed the land with soft light greeted him. He stood looking for some time, and it appeared to move across the sky just like the sun. The night air was much cooler now and the light provided no warmth at all. He had recognized the warming sun, but he did remember a name for a light such as this during the night.

He returned to his bed and soon fell asleep. He did not dream, and the night passed silently. The animal that had been howling passed where he was sleeping and moved on down the canyon. He was unaware of this and slept until the sun brought a new day.

The man awoke as the sun began to warm the air, and he stepped outside his temporary home to stretch his legs, as the low ceiling of the house preventing him from doing so inside. He wondered if the people who lived here were smaller and did not need the height. Perhaps they were satisfied to squat or sit as he had done while inside. As he started back up the trail to get some water, he became aware of a feeling in his stomach that reminded him that he had not yet found food. He began to wonder how long he could endure.

After drinking his fill and washing the dust from his body, he was prepared to continue his journey. He looked at the water. It had always been close, but now that it seemed to stop at this spot, he became concerned that water might be the most serious of his needs. He knew he could go without food, but finding another source of water would be more beneficial. Unfortunately, there was no other choice but to continue forward.

He had been walking for most of the day with no sign of water or food. He was hoping to find another shelter and not have to sleep out in the open. When the sun began to reach the far canyon wall, he picked up his pace to make as much progress as possible before the light was gone. The light provided by the white object at night was not enough to travel after dark on this rough ground, and he felt it would not be safe to continue walking. As the sunlight began to cast shadows on the wall of this side of the canyon, it made it harder to make out the features of the rock face. What looked like another overhang became only a shadow. The strange and shadowed shapes played tricks on his mind.

When it was almost too dark to go any farther, he noticed a gap in the canyon wall ahead. Was it a shadow? Could this possibly be another smaller canyon with water? It joined this large canyon in the same way as the small one from which he had started his journey. He tried to make it before it got too dark but had to give up after falling several times. He found a place with some soft ground between two boulders that had fallen from the canyon face and he stopped for the night. Even the thirst and hunger he felt could not overcome his exhaustion and he fell fast asleep.

A slight stirring of the morning air awakened the sleeping man as the first light of the day brought the same strange shadows to the opposite canyon wall. The hunger and thirst was now taking its toll on his body, and he knew he must go on. When he reached the entrance to this smaller canyon, he continued following the trail others had traveled before. It seemed to be the way to go as both animals and men, he hoped like himself, had the same need for food and water. While making his way up this canyon, he saw an area before him that seemed greener than anything else did and he hoped it meant water would be there.

As he approached the site, a herd of deer suddenly bolted across to the other side of the canyon, and he watched them as they ran away. He realized that the male and females, followed by small babies, meant that life in this place could not be as harsh as he felt. He was right, as water was the reason the deer stopped before being scared away by his presence. The deer had made the water muddy, and he had to go farther up the canyon to find a clear pool for him to drink. His spirit lifted as he fell to his knees to taste the fresh water.

Little did he know that he had been very fortunate, as water was particularly hard to find in this arid land. Anything traveling without knowing where to find water could easily die.

Thank you God for this nourishment to my body for you are the giver of life, said the man without thinking.

He paused and looked to the heavens, puzzled that he did not fully remember why he felt the need to give thanks to God. He wondered why he had spoken to a God he could not remember. Would this God speak to him or even hear his thanks? Would it help to ask God to show him the way and provide food?

Somehow, he felt fortunate to have found water and this good fortune might not always be with him. He decided it was time to move on. This particular canyon was quite long, and as he moved along its side, there was no escape from the sun. The sun had risen and crossed the sky directly overhead, and he was not able to find the morning or evening shade, as he had the last few days.

He continued following the path as it headed up the canyon, and he could see many flowering plants. He wondered if any of them would be suitable for food. He knew that nature provided many nourishing plants but, also, produced others that could cause death if eaten. The hunger had not become so severe that he would take that chance.

In the distance, he thought he could see another overhang of rock that may provide shelter from the sun. He realized it was time for some rest, for his feet were beginning to be a real problem. Most of the surface on which he had been walking was dried ground with cracks in the surface like open mouths awaiting a drink of water. There were some grass and small bushes, but they were always thin enough to reveal the parched ground. The small trail he had been following sometimes crossed rock outcroppings. He continued to walk over the rocky area for fear of losing the trail. This proved exceedingly difficult and painful to his bare feet.

As he finally reached the resting spot, thoughts of who he was and why he was here once again took control. Did someone send him here? Would he die, abandoned, in this place? If someone sent him here, why had they not prepared him for this trip, knowing the environment that he would be facing? Was he to prove himself in some way? Could they have sent him here knowing that he could die? Is this what is going to become of him in the end? The questions seemed endless.

As he sat looking up to the sky, he could see a hawk slowly moving above, watching for any movement on the ground. It was flying high and could see over this vast landscape using the air as his kingdom. If only he could fly as the hawk, he could see what this land had in store for him. Was he heading toward people and sources of food, or was he going to walk endlessly to die of starvation? Sitting under the rock ledge, waiting for the hottest part of the day to pass, he thought if this is the spring of the year, how hot it must be in the summertime!

It was time to keep moving for he did not want the sun to set again before he found shelter or water. He knew that this would be a long, uncomfortable night, if he made it through the night. The walls grew closer, and the floor got more rugged as he came closer to the end of the canyon. He could only pray that the path would show him a way up the walls.

He thought he could see another building of some sort near the wall of the canyon. Was he dreaming? Was the hunger and thirst playing tricks on his mind? No, something was there, and he moved faster toward it, afraid it would vanish from sight.

It is real, he said aloud, as he got closer.

Hello! Is anyone there? He shouted, seeing that this was a much larger building.

Again, his spirit fell, as it seemed abandoned just like the one he had found his first day of walking. Could the people who lived here have walked away and never returned or were they killed or driven out by something or someone? As he approached the house he found this one to be different from the other, it was not in the ground at all.

This building had walls constructed out of stones and some rooms with doors and windows. It took much more work to build this house and required skills that the other builder did not use. The interior had hard stone floors and the walls covered with a smooth material. He could see that wood, cut from small trees, supported the roof, and he could stand up in this home, as his head did not touch the ceiling.

He discovered a skin from some animal over one of the windows. He thought it must have been to keep out the wind. Could he make some sort of foot covering from it that would ease the pain of walking? Now that he was at the end of this canyon, he must climb to the top to see a way out, and he needed something on his feet. He found some pieces of broken pottery. He would use the jagged edges to cut the skin into smaller pieces.

At least I have found shelter, he said aloud. Now if I can find food and water, I may survive another day.

There was no food found near this building and the prospects for water nearby did not look good. The sun would still be up for some time, and he needed to see if he could find some water or food. He stepped back out of the building and looked around the steep canyon walls that were now on three sides. The only way to go was up, as he already knew nothing was back the way he came. He walked around the rocky walls and saw the best place to climb.

He had shelter, but he was tired and hungry so any climb would have to wait until after he rested the night. He could see where water ran down the canyon walls after rain, but no water appeared to be here now. The people who had lived here had arranged stones to divert the rainwater into what looked to be an area they used to grow food. He decided that if there was enough rain and you had a way to contain water to drink until the next rain, you could live in this place. If that was the case, why did they leave?

I am here! he shouted, as loud as possible, and from this place, it caused an echo within the canyon. I will find you! he shouted, listening to the words repeat until it was silent once more. The sun was gone for the day, and as the stars began to twinkle in the dark sky, it gave him hope that the new day would be better.

He rolled the tattered remnant of the skin to rest his head upon as he lay on the floor, and even with hunger and thirst, sleep came quickly. This night, unlike the ones before, he dreamed. He dreamed of rivers of water, crops growing in gardens and of trees heavy with fruit. He did not dream of people or of anything about his past. He dreamed of sweet music carried on the wind as if a flute was playing just for him. He slept as the music played on. All night he dreamed of the sweet music and it soothed his aches and lifted his spirit. He was at peace, and the night was good.

The morning sun brought a new dawn, and as he awoke to the new day, he felt better. Even the hunger and thirst was not bad. As soon as there was enough light, he started to cut the skin into strips, hoping he would get enough to wrap his feet. It was hard work using the pieces of broken pottery, but he finally had enough to cover both feet, tying the ends around his ankles. He tried them out and found they did provide protection from the rocks. This was to be a better day.

As he stood there, contemplating his climb out of the canyon, he heard the hauntingly beautiful flute music of his dreams. He closed his eyes a moment in an attempt to capture the melody in his mind.

I’m not dreaming, he said, as his head snapped around to the direction of the sound.

Where are you? he shouted to the empty canyon. No voice responded but the music was still there, as if calling to him. He eagerly began his climb, up the rock wall, knowing that someone was there. He was not alone anymore. His hands reached for firm rocks, so they could pull him up, as his feet found solid support to push his body upward. He looked ahead for the best way to continue his climb and his tired body responded to the demands. He was standing on a small ledge when he heard the flute music stop.

While listening for the flute, he heard another sound near him. Looking down he saw a large rattlesnake that had been sunning itself, coiled up ready to strike. The snake struck at his leg but for some reason the fangs stopped without biting him. He quickly moved away and left the snake to his resting spot.

He continued farther up the canyon wall. The flute music kept calling to him as he climbed higher and higher and his arms and legs seemed to move without him willing them. Higher he climbed, unaware that he was marking his journey, as his bleeding hands were leaving bloody prints behind.

He finally found himself on a flat plateau. He turned toward the sound of the flute and there, at last, was another being like him. The flute player was sitting under a small tree a short distance away. The stranger motioned for him to come forward.

Ancient Rock Art of Kokopelli

Chapter 2

As he slowly approached the man, he wondered if he would be able to communicate with him. The man quickly answered the question, as he spoke to him clearly, I have been waiting for you. Come have some water and something to eat.

The man was small in height and the color of his skin was brown, quite possibly from exposure to the sun. The man had long black hair and wore a headband with four colorful feathers. He was dressed in a red robe, tied at the waist. Beneath the robe he covered his loins with some kind of short pants, and was wearing sturdy sandals woven from fibers. He had a flute carved from wood and decorated with inlaid green gemstones.

The man did not appear to have any weapon but did have a pack for carrying supplies and a long water pot wrapped in the same kind of fibers as the sandals. The woven fiber formed a rope that allowed him to carry it around his neck. He was smiling and appeared as excited to see him, as he was to have finally found another person. He handed the pot of water to him for a drink. He opened his pack and took out some bread, took a bite before extending it toward him, as if to show it was safe to eat.

This is food for the Gods, he said, and the water is pure.

No sweeter words could have come to his ears, as he was thirsty and could not have gone much longer without food. Without speaking, he accepted the pot of water and quenched his thirst. He noticed the man was smiling at him. He returned the smile as he returned the pot of water. He extended one hand for the bread and the other in friendship, as the two-shook hands.

Thank you, he said, as he grasped the man’s hand. What is your name, and what did you mean when you said you were waiting for me?

I am Kokopelli, said the man. The Priests have said you would come again, and when I saw the small star, coming from the Mother Moon, I knew you would be here. God has sent one of his sons again, and the people will honor you as a God.

I am not a God, he replied, shaking his head. Do you think a God would be in need of food and water? I also bleed and feel pain, he said, as he showed him the bleeding hands.

Kokopelli looked at