(Backtrack to when the first fire was made) Knowing that everyone is out of immediate danger I start walking up the beach, and I notice all sorts of things beginning to wash up on shore. A golden scarf goes floating by my feet as a wave comes up and licks at me. It looks like golden seaweed flowing by, I scoop it up, it's silk. It's like butter in my hands. Mostly pieces of boat debris, I have to jump to avoid a large chunk of the boat that comes in with the next wave. I decide to stop looking for useful items and to just stand, facing the ocean, I thank God for getting us to dry land so quickly. And I thank the dolphins for all there help, I hear a splash in the distance and realize that the dolphins heard my appreciation. I focus on letting go of the problem, knowing that God will provide us with everything we need, when we need it. Something hits my foot. I CAN'T BELIEVE IT. My medicine bag. And since I was smart enough to put everything in ziplocks, all the contents were dry. My healing stone, I hold it in my hand and feel the warmth of the Mother Mary and of Isis, both spirits have blessed this stone, and God's healing power flows stronger through me with their help. Even my glass pipe does not have so much as a scratch or a nick. Funny, I'm shipwrecked, with half a dress on, I do not know if I am going to live through even one more day, and here I am excited about a rock, a pipe and some herbs. My heart swells and tears off joy burst forth like the floodgates. My heart begins to race, I am so happy, I cannot contain myself. It looks like nothing more that a small leather pouch with a long string, too big to be a necklace, more like a hip pack, but right now it is the most beautiful thing I have ever see. As I throw it across my shoulder, all my hair stand on end, my body tingles with excitement, like a girl going on her first date. My skin tingles, and though I feel my feet touching the sand, I feel as if I'm lifting off the ground. I turn to see that they have the fire going, and people are beginning to move around and gather themselves. As I turn to look at the dense forest of the island, the darkness quickly fades. As I ascend higher, the colors of the forest burst to life, as if a black balloon had blocked my vision, and been suddenly popped.
As my vision adjusts to the bright colors, I realize the pattern. I see clearly which plants are poisonous, and which plants are food. And there is a whole pharmacy and kitchen at my disposal. I quickly run about gathering things I can use. I find berries, and roots, and some wild tomatoes and spinach. There is plaintains, bananas and mangos. Coconuts, the milk will do us all some good. I also collect a few things to make some salves and grab some bark off a tree "chewing it will eleviate pain".
I head back towards the group, they have extinguished the fire, but I can see them clearly. The bright auras of there spirits dancing and swirling with each other. I can see the truth. This was not all just by chance. Everything happens for a reason, these are not strangers, we have all been together before, many times, and this tragic event, is actually a miraculous reunion. Again my excitement is overwhelming I have an uncontrollable urge to hug everyone and remind them that every thing is alright. But as I get closer to them, I can see the heavy looks on their faces, and the darkeness of their auras swell and recede like a throbbing wound. "Look what I found, guys, hey ... .. .." I'm still a few yards away, but they should hear me, then it occured to me that they cannot see me know. They are so heavy with despair, and I am so elevated with joy, that we are in two different 'dimensions', the differences between our states is too great, and they cannot see me. Being invisible is fun and all, but not very effective at a time like this. It's hard to make yourself be depressed on purpose, I have to consious talk myself into a lower feeling, I suddenly thought of my kids, my heart sank like a rock, "when am I going to see my kids agains." In the blink of an eye, the beauty of the forest was again veiled in darkeness. I could no longer see the group, but I could hear them.
Everyone stopped what they were doing, I guess I startled them, but they immediately gave out a big sigh of relief to see it was just me. And then I saw a glimmer of hope in their eyes as they started realizing what was in the huge bundle I carried. I asked the man with the hammer if he would be ever so kind as to crack open a couple of the coconuts so we could all have something to drink. I layed the edibles on a large wood plank that had washed ashore, for everyone to dine on buffet style. I gave a piece of bark to each of the injured and told them to chew on the bark, not eat it, just chew on it until it is nothing but fibers left, and save the thin strands of fiber, lay them out flat and let them dry a bit, I can use them like a bandage. I turn back to the ocean and find a large dish shaped shell, and quickly begin to grind up some roots, and leaves, until it becomes a thick sticky salve. As they dig a pit to get the second fire going, I silently go around and doctor all the wounds, the salve has a antiseptic, and a bonding abilty, and is like paste, then apply the fibers from the bark with has a natural pain killer, and the fibers dry somewhat stiff, protecting the wound with a scab-like bandage.
