“Welcome Ritual”
Excerpt from “Osi and Isi: A Tale of Twin Flames”: “The colonists were all gathered in the sea cave. A fire burned in the center of the dry space at the side of the turquoise waters. The flames caused what looked like spirits to dance in jumps and jerks against the wet sides of the rock walls. Smoke from the fire moved in a straight column up through the navel-like opening at the top of the cavern. Aiyana was chanting some verses that she had prepared for the ritual. They called for the powers of the earth and the sky and all the sacred beings to welcome those who were coming. Everyone sat in a circle around the fire, with two spots conspicuously empty. Splotches of orange and yellow irregularly lit up the surface of the blue water at the center of the cave.”