Gorillas in a City

Chapter 1

Attunement

Reion Kane found himself standing on the shore of a small island. The only living thing near him was an old, bent willow clinging to the sand on the island’s northern shore. As if not to obscure the vista, small clouds danced along the fringe of a massive violet-blue sky. He walked toward the island shore, expecting to find blue water gently kissing the sand. But instead he discovered the island was floating, though not on water, but on a vast gulf of particulate nothingness—an unimaginable expanse between the island and the world beneath.

Stunned, he fell backward onto the sand in a heap. After a moment, he forced himself to rise and quickly moved toward the middle of the island. Just then, he noticed something strange. It was as though a dark cloud or shadow was creeping through the purple-blue sky toward the island.

As the shadow drifted toward the island it began to take form. It reached for him suddenly. It enveloped not only his body, but his mind as well. The shadow flew toward him, suddenly, in the shape of a human. It sent out tendrils of thoughts and ideas, seizing his consciousness. He tried to look up at the form, but the sun was blinding. He sensed the thing growing in size around him. Without thinking, he broke free and made for the old, gnarled tree.

The bizarre shadow turned, bent on catching Reion. It hovered along the edge of the island, moving slowly toward him. He clung helplessly to the trunk of the old tree, desperate for an anchor into reality. As his fingers searched the gnarled bark for a hold, he felt an unexpected thing and a wave of inexplicable comfort washed over him. He moved behind the tree, putting its bulk between himself and the shadow. Something was beginning to change in him. He relaxed his death grip on the tree trunk. The angst on his face subsided. He thought about the dark figure, and its motives… its implications. Reion considered it, and wondered.

Do not be afraid. I will never harm you. The voice was gentle and familiar.

Fear morphing into curiosity, he moved to the front of the old tree, prepared to face the menacing shadow with new resolve. His eyes scanned the island and the figure before him, absorbing as much information as he could. He studied the shadow-figure. He looked it over, from bottom to top. There were feet; human feet. There was a body, and clothing. The clothing was strangely familiar to him, and the face. The face! There came an instant of shocking realisation. The face, the clothes, the body. The figure was him. Reion was experiencing a manifestation of himself. The dark shadow, now a giant figure. It was a giant version of Reion; unquestionably him.

The figure, some thirty feet high now, reached down and took him. It lifted Reion high above the sandy beach and placed him upon its huge shoulder. Reion looked out. He had an unobstructed view of the massive blue ocean way beneath them, brimming with depth and life incalculable. From somewhere, there came a blinding flash of light. The entire sky and horizon burst into shades of gold and copper orange, enveloping his whole mind and consciousness, holding him a temporary prisoner in her splendour. A wave of immense warmth and comfort broke over him.

It’s beautiful, said the giant, as if in answer to Reion’s thoughts. The familiar voice, his own voice, tore him free from the hypnotic vision of beautiful ocean and sky.

Yes… it is, Reion said, completely overwhelmed by the vision.

It is a gift and one of many. From me, to you, said the giant with a smile.

The huge manifestation offered an outstretched palm. Reion climbed upon it. The giant bent, lowering his hand slowly and carefully down to the white sand. Reion stepped off, sinking into the warm beach. His feet sunk down into the sand, which parted into tiny dunes to accommodate him. There was electricity when he touched the earth. He was suddenly connected and part of the very essence of the world. It was an incredible sensation.

The giant pointed toward the expanse of the blue ocean. The ocean is your gift, it said. Rising up to its full height, the figure looked up toward the sky. The sky and the air you breathe. These also are gifts to you.

The figure knelt down, scooping a handful of pristine white sand. The granules cascaded through its spread fingers. The Earth upon which you live and walk is your gift as well.

Reion considered the words. He tried to imagine what the figure meant. As he pondered the mysterious statement, the giant manifestation wheeled around suddenly, looking up. Its eyes searched the sky in anticipation of something.

And then Reion saw it: a dark form was wheeling above the island, moving at a terrific speed. As it grew nearer, he saw that it was some kind of harrier; a great bird of prey, diving through the golden sky toward him. He wanted to run, but terror held him fast to the ground. As it approached it became clear that it was a hawk, though larger and more terrible to behold than any hawk he had ever seen. With unwavering determination, it dove straight for him, homing in like a missile. With wings spread and talons bared, it slammed into the middle of his forehead.

You are now attuned.

The Reiki Master’s voice woke Reion from his meditation instantly, pulling him back into the real world. He slowly opened his eyes and surveyed the room. He was back. Everything was the same… but somehow different.

The vision was part of his Reiki Attunement, and it was more vivid and powerful than any meditation he had experienced in the past. It had awoken something in him. He couldn’t remember ever feeling so alive. He had been given an experience, a tiny glimpse of the earth and himself as a whole. He had experienced true understanding and knowledge, things he thought he had some understanding of before. Now, he realised the error of his thoughts. It was only now that he understood. He had been given an astoundingly beautiful gift.

With the whole of his heart, he thanked the teacher for the experience. As he walked home, he bathed in the wonder of his newfound revelations. Everything around him seemed more precise. The trees were visibly more crisp and more vivid. The Earth seemed more prominent than he had ever detected. Not just the trees, but everything else… the entire world. He felt like everything was reaching out, trying to communicate things to him. The entire walk home, he bathed in this fresh reality. He never wanted it to end. It was six o’clock and dinnertime when he got back to the house. His parents and two brothers were already at the table when he came in.

Throughout dinner, he tried to describe how he felt to them. He told them passionately about his Reiki initiation and tried to make them understand the change he had experienced. His father dismissed the entire experience as fantasy. No matter how hard he tried to describe the experience, his words fell short. It was indescribable; and unless they were to experience it first hand, they could never understand the significance. He was pouring his heart out to his family, and his own mother was dripping sarcasm. It was terrible. He felt his spirit bend under a terrific weight. He sensed his awareness, his new-found state of enlightenment, begin to falter. He had to check these feelings before he was utterly detached from them. Immediately, he thought back to his meditation, back to that island of wonder and truth, and the violet blue sky and the particle ocean. The self-doubt and reproach were swept away in a wave of peace. He was still attuned. He could find this happiness anytime he wanted. He breathed deeply and excused himself from the table. This was why he seldom came to his family’s house anymore. They were saying things to him, but he could no longer hear them. His armour was knowledge and truth and the words could find no chink in them. He was awake.

I hope you’re not thinking about leaving before we’ve had a game of chess… said Nikolas, the second oldest of the three brothers. At least let me beat you once before you go back to Mya, and anyway, I’d like to hear more about this ‘Attunement’ or whatever it was.

The old wooden chessboard was already set with pieces. Reion threw his coat down and sat across from Nikolas behind the white army. He was always white. With a double jump of Reion’s pawn, the battle had begun.

As they played, it occurred to Reion that the strategies and tactics employed during the match were similar to the struggles and challenges of life in general. The same dramas which he faced in his own existence were being played out now on the chessboard. One piece desires the position of another piece. A battle ensues. To the victor go the spoils, but never without consequences. Every move sent ripples through the game. Every piece, from modest pawn to fierce queen, had a role to play.

Life and chess are the same thing, Reion mused, intertwined and forever locked in contrast. Though the words tumbled from his lips as he played, he knew not from whence the wisdom came.

How so? Nikolas asked.

Well, Reion began, sending a white pawn out into the field of battle. In chess, you are presented with a number of choices. You first have to choose which piece to move and that action has an effect. You then decide where that piece should go, and once again, there are effects… and consequences.

Nikolas freed a knight from the back row, letting the piece come down on a certain square but never letting go of it completely. He took it up and touched it to another space, considering the implications.

With each move you are creating opportunities for others, Reion said. You are creating opportunities for your opponent to evaluate their circumstances, their options. You move, I move. I attack, you counter. It’s a dance.

With a swoop, Reion’s castle occupied the spot held by Nikolas’s bishop. Life guides us, you know?

I don’t understand, admitted Nikolas, studying the board and his choices.

It’s like this: throughout life you are given opportunities to evaluate your choices. Many times, the choices you make are based on decisions that other people have already made. Whether you are aware of it or not, you are constantly reassessing, and evaluating your situation. Just now, I came in with my castle, and you are forced to defend. A consequence of my actions. While you may know your objective, which in this case is to capture my king, what you don’t yet understand is that the road to that success often lies through the roads of others lives and others decisions. You may know where you’re going, Nikolas, but truly, you have no idea how to get there. You have a destination. A target, correct?

Of course, Nikolas said, frustration mounting. My destination is victory. My target is your king.

Exactly, Reion said. Whatever your motivations for making the choices that you do, they always have one thing in common. They are devices for helping you achieve your goals. For bringing you closer to a perceived victory, in chess or in life… we’re always moving. We just have to be sure that we’re always moving in the right direction… forward.

Nikolas sent out another pawn, in the hope of blocking Reion’s advancing army.

But what if the choices I make are the wrong ones? How can you ever know for sure if you’re doing the right thing, or even moving in the right direction? Nikolas asked.

Reion’s queen sailed across the board and landed in front of Nikolas’s row of pawns.

Well, that’s the thing about decisions, Reion began. We’re never really sure if what we’re doing is ‘right’, if that’s what you want to call it. There are always going to be hurdles… roadblocks to our dreams. This is life; this is the way it is. We can’t hope to change it or escape this reality. We can only forge ahead, learning from our mistakes, and hopefully not repeating them. When we meet with opposition in our lives, we are met with more choices. Do we continue down the particular path we have been travelling, or do we adjust and try to find another way forward? Through my meditations, I have discovered that malleability is key. To be able to adjust your goals and plans in light of adversity is often the difference between success and failure, between achievement and despair. It would be nice to believe that I am always rebounding in positive directions after a failure. In truth, I’d like to believe that’s what drives me but to be brutally honest, that’s not always the case. Sometimes, after a particularly brutal defeat we just can’t figure out how to put all the pieces back together. That’s where Reiki and meditation come in. It’s a way to bring balance and peace back into a life fraught with perceived difficulty and chaos.

Nikolas pushed another pawn forward, exposing his last castle. It’s not as easy as you make it out to be… it never is. Life is never an open book, Reion, at least not in my experience. Sometimes the right moves are hardly obvious. Sometimes, when a road seems open and free of turmoil it’s not the road you were looking for. But you take it anyway, hoping that you end up in a better place than when you started.

Reion sent a bishop to lie in wait for Nikolas’s king. It sat there, defiant and opposing.

There are always choices, Nikolas. Even in the darkest hour, there are roads… tributaries to other realities. The key is to consider these ways in the context of their outcomes. It doesn’t pay to choose a path because it seems the easiest, the way with less boulders and thorns. Sometimes we have to walk past the well-tended road and proceed down ways which we know may be dangerous, or at the very least uncomfortable—the road less travelled.

Still… Nikolas began. Those ways, those dark uncomfortable paths and ways you’re talking about…

What about them?

Well, it’s just that… there are no guarantees, you know? I mean, even if you forge ahead through these tribulations, who’s to say that when you arrive at the other side, you’re going to be closer to your destination than if you would have taken an easier route?

Perception. Consideration. That’s how you’ll know. Begin to look at things differently if you hope to change your situation, Nikolas. Look beyond tomorrow and beyond the journey itself… you have to see much deeper into your own journey, to properly and effectively plot your course through life. It’s not enough to simply take each step as it comes, hoping that you will reach your destination. Right now, you are thinking two, maybe three steps ahead. That affords you a view of your situation, for certain. What if you could train yourself to see twelve, thirteen moves ahead and beyond? How much better would you be at choosing paths if you had that kind of information? Don’t you think that kind of insight would ensure positive progression toward your goals?

Of course it would, Nikolas said. He took one of Reion’s pawns with the knight. But it’s impossible. To be able to see that far into the future is impossible. I don’t have magic powers. I can’t see that far.

But you do! Reion shouted. His parents hushed him with sideways glances, but quickly went back to watching their television programme, whilst his youngest brother watched him and Nikolas take to battle on the board.

You do, and we all do, Reion said in a hushed tone. It’s a matter of will. It’s a matter of gaining knowledge. There are ways, Nikolas, I’ve tasted them. I’m starting to experience these things for me now… for the first time in my life, and you know what? It’s amazing. I have clarity and a direction now I’ve never had before. It’s real.

Can you teach me how to do it, too? Nikolas asked.

Maybe. But for right now we’ve said enough. I’m glad we had this conversation Nikolas, I really am.

Me too.

Silence washed over the two brothers as they continued with their game. Reion reflected on the words he just spoke. It always took him by surprise, today especially. It was hard to accept that the knowledge was beyond him. He had to put aside his pride and know he is a vessel for the knowledge. Still the words rang true and a little indulgence in vanity couldn’t do that much harm.

There’s just one more thing that you need to know though, before I get going.

What’s that? Nikolas asked.

Checkmate.

Chapter 2

Flaming Birds

Everything around him was hazy. Reion peered through the fog and saw something completely unexpected; a city, high and impressive. As the haziness dissipated he could see the buildings clearly. They rose up like vast concrete monoliths on each side of him. All around, thousands upon thousands of people were moving through the city like ants. But they all had something in common, a certain vacancy which lived on their faces. It was as though they were all asleep but somehow following the routine of their lives all the while. They seemed completely oblivious to all stimulation, even though stimuli pricked at them from every angle. Bright neon billboards and horns and whistles; the sounds and sights of a living, breathing city. They moved through it unaware, unmoved by the reality of the world around them. They talked into phones. They raced around cars that were stopped by a red light. Like waves of lemmings, they filed into and out of buildings, with total disregard for their fellow human beings. They were beaten down and afraid. They were witless and subordinate. Content to while away the bulk of their days in blissful ignorance.

Slow down and relax, Reion said aloud. There is a world around you; an actual world, and you are passing it by…

Suddenly, the natural motion of the city came to a grinding halt. Screams erupted from all around and echoed throughout the concrete canyons of buildings. Reion wheeled around and what he saw filled him with dread.

Swooping through the sky, weaving in and out of the massive buildings were two huge birds, completely wreathed in flame. They tumbled through the air, crashing their way from building to building, raining destruction upon the mighty city. The people on the streets were helpless to save themselves. Like a punishment meted out from God, the phoenix slew men and women and children alike. From them, there was no escape. These were beasts of penance, unleashed from hell to wreak their savage terror upon the sea of people. Buildings all over the city were aflame. The panic-stricken people formed huge herds, pushing their way through the streets. They trampled one another. Cars ploughed through crowds of them, trying to find a path out of the mayhem. Reion watched the scene unfold with horror. People all around him fell to their knees and begged mercy, swearing oaths and mouthing prayers to an invisible god. People cast themselves out of high-rise windows to escape flame and heat, and landed in sickening red sprays on the sidewalk. In the midst of all this, Reion suddenly became aware of a faraway ringing. The sound seemed to multiply with each passing second until its tone thrummed and resonated in his mind and caused him to clap his hands over his ears. He begged for it to stop. The terror, the ringing… the endless burning and screaming. Something suddenly jolted him awake.

The alarm clock. He gasped and his eyes shot open. In a second he was up, and alert. He slammed the button on the top of the alarm and threw his legs over the edge of the bed. It was a dream. An insane, crazy dream; but a dream nonetheless. He had completely forgotten that it was Thursday.

He couldn’t afford to skip class today. It was Thursday, and that meant Professor Kingsley would be giving a Physics lecture. It was the only reason he even went to the university anymore. Disgusted with the charade, the state of utter disregard for truth most of his classmates seemed to exist in, he rarely spoke to any of them about anything other than a casual hello or goodbye. His other classes, too, were vague and uninteresting. But Physics, Physics! The actual laws of the Universe; the irreproachable laws that govern all of our lives and realities… it was what he lived for. Dissecting the relationships between particles and other forces, matter and energy, time and direction. He never got tired of it.

Somehow Mya managed to sleep through his outburst and the alarm clock. Reion ran his fingers through her hair and listened to her gentle breathing. He leaned down and kissed her softly on the lips. She stirred a little, and mumbled something and smiled before turning over and gathering up the sheets to her chin. Reion kissed the back of her neck and smiled. He knew that she was much more attuned to dreams than he was, and always gained a lot of insight that way. He considered himself to be more attuned during meditation, more logical and affixed in that way. Whereas Mya dreamed deeply and thoughtfully, she seemed to find mainly sleep in her wakeful meditations rather than visions, despite the fact that she had been practicing Reiki a lot longer than he had. He wanted to wake her up and tell her about his dream. He knew that she would be able to analyse it in a way that he could understand. They always helped each other out that way. They made up for one another’s shortcomings, as it were. There was a kinship between them that brought balance to both of their lives.

Reion whispered into her ear and she giggled.

Baby, it’s time for class. He ran his fingers along her cheek.

Five more minutes, she yawned, and blindly reached up and stroked his chin. Just let me snooze for five more…

Alright, five then, Reion agreed. He moved her fringe and kissed her gently on the forehead. He was such a sucker for her. He pulled on his jeans, then searched through a few piles of clothes for a clean shirt and socks. In the kitchen he switched on the television and flicked the kettle to boil. As he threw the tea bag into the mug, he gazed at the reflection of the television in the cupboard glass. There was one of those ‘breaking news’ banners running along the bottom of the screen. He looked back over his shoulder and saw a live shot of the New York City skyline. In the midst of the city, a huge building was belching black smoke up into a perfectly blue morning sky. A chill ran down his spine and through his ribs. He dropped the tea mug and it shattered on the floor. In a second, Mya was up and running into the kitchen, sidestepping to avoid the broken ceramic.

"What is it? Reion… Reion! She grasped his shoulders and shook him, trying to get a response. Reion, what…" She followed the line of his eyes to the television a few feet away, just in time to see a jet airplane disappear into the side of a skyscraper in a cloud of ash and pulverised granite, before erupting out the other side in a spire of flaming jet fuel.

Oh God, she gasped.

Reion sunk to his knees and clasped a hand over his mouth. She put her arms around him. Together, they watched the footage of the two towers being devastated. The plane strikes and the fires; the jumping bodies. The collapse of both monoliths into mountainous tombs. They watched in awed silence as a pit was opened up in the heart of New York, financial capital of the world. For what seemed like hours, neither Mya nor Reion said a word.

I dreamed this, Mya. I dreamed it all. Before it happened… Last night, I had a dream about a city burning and great fiery birds or creatures or something crashing into buildings. People were jumping out of windows and burning. I thought it was the end of the world.

Mya turned to face Reion and wiped tears from his eyes with the sleeve of her sweatshirt. My God, Reion, that’s incredible. Tell me what you saw.

Reion described the whole of his dream, from beginning to end. It was like the script from a macabre movie, a movie playing out on the television in front of him as he spoke. She held on to him as he spoke, as if to give him the strength to continue. Recalling the details felt terrible to him. Mya almost got the sense that he felt guilty for being shown a glimpse of this horror before it actually occurred. It was as though he felt responsible somehow because of his foresight.

You can’t feel that way, Reion, you just can’t, she said, trying to soothe him. You knew that after your Attunement things were going to be different, we talked about this…

But I wasn’t expecting this! he cried. To see visions of horrible things happening and then sit by while they actually happen. I mean, how the hell can anyone prepare themselves for this?

You can’t prepare, she said. You can see things now. Truths. You know that truths are evident whether we choose to acknowledge them or not. You were given a gift yesterday, Reion, a gift that you asked for. A gift that you sought. It didn’t choose you, you chose it. If you want to be awake… if you want to be able to experience truth and actuality on all dimensions, then you have to open yourself up to these experiences. The good and the bad. It’s the only way we’re going to advance. The only way we’re going to know which direction to take. That’s what you wanted, isn’t it?

Yes, of course it is. I’m sorry, I just wasn’t prepared…

Don’t apologise to me, baby. She put her hand behind his neck and drew him close. It’s tough, I know. It can be the hardest thing you’ve ever done… or it can be the easiest and most natural. The choice is yours. No one can decide for you.

I think we should go to our lecture, Reion said, desperate for a distraction from his current mind state. If class isn’t cancelled after all this shit, I mean… He looked silently back toward the television.

I’ll find out, just relax here for a minute, okay?

Alright, Reion agreed. Thank you so much. Mya, for understanding.

She went into the bedroom to find her phone, smiling as she left him. He took a towel and picked up the shards of ceramic from the shattered cup. His hands were trembling a little. This was all so new to him, and so strange. The experiences he’d had the day before; his meditation and Attunement, his walk to his parents’ house along that incredibly vivid street, alive with trees and colours and new sights and smells. That was apparently only the beginning. He had had dreams before, of course, even somewhat vivid dreams after meditation, but to predict future events with accuracy? It was both troubling and exciting. He was scared and suddenly his thoughts began to take over. He reached into the depths of his mind and concluded, if he could figure out a way to utilise these visions to his advantage… then think of the good he could do. The progress he could make as a sentient human being, and citizen of the universe. Reion decided it was the most exciting moment of his life, and his thoughts began to lift his mood. As he knelt there, mopping