Dante & The Dark Seed Read online

  “So, how is work, Dad? I know it’s the summer, but it seems like you’ve been taking a lot of time off.”

  “It’s my company, Dante—one of the benefits of owning my own company is I can delegate and have stuff taken care of while I’m away. My sales manager just reeled in a huge contract for our company to manage the landscape on N.C. State’s campus, which means I can take more days like today to enjoy with my family.”

  “That’s awesome, Dad.”

  George pulled into the parking lot and found a spot. His first instinct was to lead them toward the front door, but Dante saw a trail off to the left that led them past a metallic tree as it reflected the light from the sun.

  “This way,” Dante said.

  “Trees aren’t made of metal, are they, Daddy?”

  “No, sweetie, they’re not.”

  While George stayed behind reading the plaques, Dante felt pulled to a reflecting pool surrounded by dark busts. With his feet at the rim, he saw a plaque that read Rodin Court.

  Dante smiled, feeling a set of eyes on him. He need only look across the pond to see a beautiful young woman with long, dark hair, looking back at him.

  Even though Dante was no less than a hundred feet away, he saw her muster a smirk. He was smitten.

  Oh man, he thought.

  She turned her gaze from him, making it seem as though she was studying the dark statue in front of her. Meanwhile, George had a birds-eye view of the lovebirds as they caught their first whiffs of each other. With a goofy grin, George walked closer, but Dante shooed him away.

  George nodded, taking Amy to the other side of the breezeway, and went inside.

  Dante moseyed closer to the young woman, glancing at the statues on the way, but all Dante could think about was her. As he made his way to her, she made her way toward another statue further away. She read the placard, then headed inside.

  Shoot, Dante thought in dismay, thinking he had missed his shot. But the beautiful young woman stood inside, looking at Dante through the one-way glass, giggling at the look of disappointment on his face. Hoping to see her again, he pushed forward, walking through the door, while she went deeper into the museum.

  From the outside, Dante saw the walls were see-through and anyone inside could have stayed there, looking at him. Just then, he caught a feminine fragrance in the air. A smile grew on his face that he couldn’t contain as he pushed forward.

  “So, did you talk to her?” George asked, coming around the corner.

  “Dad, seriously?” Dante looked around hoping his father hadn’t attracted any unwanted attention. “No, not yet. And please, for the love of all that is holy, leave me be until I come to find you.” Dante nodded, hoping George would mimic him.

  George looked to Amy. “Dante is going to look around the museum all by himself, honey.”

  “Can I come?” she asked.

  George smiled. “No, it’s just going to be you and daddy for right now. Okay, sweetie?”

  “Okay, daddy.”

  As George hightailed it out of there, Dante went ahead and began to work his way through the classical portion of the museum. But none of the pieces compelled him, so he got a program and checked the map.

  After seeing that the ancient Egypt exhibit was only a little bit further ahead, his heart began to beat faster. And as he rounded the corner into the Egyptian gallery, he noticed a familiar figure. It was the woman that he had hoped to see.

  She stood there looking at what Dante knew to be a sarcophagus. He smiled, watching while she hunched over, absorbed in what the placard said.

  “I was hoping I’d see you again,” Dante said with a smile.

  He caught her off guard, but all she could do was stand there, blushing, smiling. Their hearts were both at ease like the stillness of a pond. He took another two steps closer, as did she.

  Her skin was olive like his, only hers was a tad darker.

  “I’m Dante.”

  “Like Alighieri?” she asked, in a strong yet cute tone.

  “Like Alighieri.”

  “I’m sure there is an interesting story behind that name. My name is Anora.”

  “There is an interesting story, but I’m hoping that’s ahead of us.”

  Dante reached out, and as they shook each other’s hands, he asked, “So, what made you want to come here today?”

  “The art.” Anora smirked.

  “Hardy har-har,” Dante joked with a smile of his own. “I came here to see the Egypt exhibit.”

  “Well, ya made it. It’s a lot bigger than I thought it was going to be,” Anora said swaying her hips from side to side.

  “Would you want to peruse it with me? I kinda have an affinity for it.”

  She stood there a moment. “Well, I know a thing or two about Egypt, seeing as how I will be a religious studies major at N.C. State this fall.”

  At this point, Dante should have decided what college he was going to, but he had already been accepted to N.C. State. And upon hearing her intentions, he too, knew where he intended to go.

  “Birds of a feather….”

  Flock together! Who is this guy? Anora wondered.

  “Okay, let’s peruse, Dante.”

  “Ya know, I just committed to N.C. State myself, just haven’t decided what major to pursue.”

  “Well, there’s plenty of time to figure it out.”

  The two of them turned to see the crown jewel of the Egypt exhibit—the sarcophagus. “So, what were you looking at on the sarcophagus?” Dante asked.

  Anora hunched over, pointing.

  “I saw a few beautiful lines around its midriff.”

  “Oh, that’s pretty cool. I see different stages of the papyrus plant,” Dante said.

  “They are a culture that believed deeply in rebirth and did not fear death. They saw it as an inevitable step,” Anora added.

  From bud to reed and then flower, the metaphor that was this decoration made a smile grow on both of their faces.

  Turning to Dante, Anora told him, “And if you want to be technical, it’s a coffin.”

  “I like technical. I feel like I’ve seen most of this stuff before in books.”

  “You probably have, still cool to see it all up close.”

  “Yeah, that’s true....”

  Anora felt Dante’s vibe change as he began looking aimless at the other pieces. “I thought you have an affinity for this,” she said, waiting for his answer.

  I can’t tell her….

  Another couple entered the room.

  Yes, you can. There is something about her, Dante told himself. Anora took her eyes off him, sensing he needed some time to gather his thoughts, so she went on perusing the rest of the room.

  Dante walked over noticing that she was staring at a bust of the lion goddess, Sekhmet. It was broken, worn by the great sands, but anyone could still see the ears and snout of a lion, along with the bust of a human. Dante began remembering the massive array of gods who were depicted as part human. From Hawaii’s Kanaloa, who had been portrayed as a squid, Nandi the Hindu cow deity, Ganesha the elephant god, and Ra the well-known Egyptian falcon god, Dante remembered they were all human-like bipeds.

  Be they god, goddess, or deity, Dante felt the inspiration for much of their work had to have come from somewhere greater than themselves.

  And while Dante was deep in thought, Anora said, “I’d thought you’d be a man of more words.”

  Dante shook his head, averting his gaze from the bust, moving closer to Anora.

  “I apologize. I feel the need, to be honest with you. The other day, I had a dream I couldn’t wake from, and in this dream, I saw the Giza Plateau and the pyramids as clearly as I see you now.”

  Anora nodded. “Go on, I’m intrigued.”

  “I even could feel the warmth of the desert on my face, and I could see a huge pillar of light coming from the top of the Great Pyramid.”

  Another person walked in, so Anora leaned in closer. “So, what are you telling me?”r />
  Dante’s eyes got bigger, then he shook his head. “Honestly, I think we’ve been spoon-fed a lie about much of history. I just have a feeling it was much more spectacular than we’re led to believe. Seeing that light from the top of the pyramid, and feeling the sand between my toes, it’s like I was there.”

  Dante’s breathing became erratic, and he began wobbling. But all of it stopped when Anora grabbed his hand.

  “Well, that was unexpected,” he said.

  “What, you almost passing out, or me grabbing your hand?”

  “I’ve never almost passed out in public.”

  “Tell me this, though. You don’t do this with everyone you’re trying to impress?”

  “You're still here, aren’t you?” Dante said.

  They reached the last of the exhibits in the Egyptian wing, where a massive limestone block stood, bleached by sand for millennia. Its plaque read: False Door of Ni-ankh-Snefru.

  “This thing was supposed to protect a crypt, and now it’s here,” Dante said.

  “Funny how that works. We wouldn’t have half as many antiquities in museums if they weren’t ‘relocated.’ Though, I do wonder what it says.”

  “Something along the lines of please don’t touch or curse be upon you,” Dante joked.

  “Probably not too far off.” Anora laughed, and while they walked, they didn’t so much as notice they were still hand in hand. Dante let go of her hand, appreciating the synchronicities of the day.

  The feeling that I would be here at precisely the right time couldn’t have been any more true, Dante thought, as he felt a pressure build in his forehead.

  “You feel okay?” Anora asked.

  “Oh, I feel just fine—great, even.” Dante’s eyes began rolling to the back of his head. “Oh crap, this is new.” His legs began to buckle.

  Anora hurried to grab him by the hand in hopes it would help as it had before. Dante looked into her eyes, not at all able to lift his head. “

  I apologize, this doesn’t normally….”

  Cognizant enough to feel his legs give out underneath him, Dante felt every bit of his body hitting the floor.

  Anora squeezed his hand.

  “This worked the first time,” she said, looking around. “I’m going to get someone that’ll help.”

  Time passed at a sloth’s pace as he laid there, hoping his situation bettered, but Anora came back, grabbing his hand once more, kneeling beside him.

  “The docent I talked to called 911, and if it helps…I believe you.” Not knowing whether Dante could hear anything, she kept talking. “There’s something special about you, Dante. I feel the same way about history.”

  As Dante attempted to smile, everything faded to white.

  Chapter Fifteen

  Pietà

  “Everything is going to be all right, Dante,” Anora said. While Dante’s consciousness was waning, onlookers in the museum grew more curious and, soon, a small crowd gathered. Anora did her best to shoo them away, but their curiosity was similar to a rubbernecker on a highway after an accident—immovable.

  And like nosey onlookers on the road, they, too, blocked the way for those who needed to get through. George noticed the amassing group and saw the reason they huddled, causing his heart to skip a beat. Even though he was comforted when he saw the young woman his son had been eyeing beside him, George still needed to make his way through the crowd. He picked up Amy, putting her on his shoulders, and pushed through.

  The crowd silenced and parted, making way for him to get through, and as George trudged through, Dante became conscious enough to squeeze Anora’s hand.

  George put Amy down and knelt beside Anora.

  “I have no idea what happened. One moment he was fine, and the next moment he fell over,” Anora said.

  “It’s okay, I wish I could say that this was uncommon of late. I’m his father, George.”

  “And I’m Amy,” Amy interjected while shaking Dante’s leg, hoping it would wake him up, but unknown to them, Dante was on a perilous journey not many humans traversed.

  • • •

  Again, his mind took him through a kaleidoscope of vivid colors resembling a roller coaster track, leading him through a bevy of translucent geometric images as they folded inward on themselves. In the foreground of his mind’s eye, Dante began seeing the Giza Plateau.

  Dante gazed upon its beauty, only this time it was illuminated by the light of a full moon. The cool glow made it easy to see that the Great Pyramid had the same smooth sheen that it had in the last dream. Walking closer, he felt a powerful vibration coming from the pyramid. And just as he had in the dream prior, Dante looked up to see a pillar of light beaming out the top, but on this night Orion’s belt was the only constellation that could be seen.

  What does it mean?

  While Dante waited for things to turn, he cast his gaze to the skies above. The star began shining brighter, then the pyramid pulsed, shaking the ground. The sand opened, revealing a pit of nothing but blackness, and Dante fell in.

  As he fell, he hoped, I want to see some light, and the walls began to brighten. The green moss lined the walls filled Dante’s nose with the smell of Earth. Whatever this ancient and evil place represented in his mind, Dante knew this time it wouldn’t end like the rest.

  I must not fear, this is my domain, this is my dream, he hoped as he continued to fall. In an effort to surmount the darkness, he focused on the peaceful messages from the stranger years earlier at the courthouse—the day he was saved from Rip and Freya. I am protected, I am safe, I must not fear.

  The more he relaxed, the faster visions flooded into his mind. In an instant, he remembered breaking through into the realm of love and light, many years ago. Along with visions of the realm on high, he began hearing a buzzing noise. But once again, there was a huge stone sarcophagus at the bottom of the pit, awaiting him.

  I remember the light, Dante thought as he fell toward the tomb. I must not fear.

  “I am protected.”

  The stone slab lid began to slide shut, filling the room with the sound of stone upon stone.

  Dante laid there, remembering the past many times he lay there in terror, waiting for it to end. But not this day. This day, he lay emptying his mind of fear. This day, he filled his mind with love and light as the lid closed tight.

  Not hearing the ominous voice as he had before, Dante began hearing a high pitched whine vibrate throughout, shaking the sarcophagus. A sliver of light pierced through the mossy, limestone wall. The stone blocks began to dissolve and were absorbed in its radiance.

  With a mighty blow, a luminous being crashed through the wall. Oh, how he radiated. ’Twas the being they call Michael from the realm on high, his light piercing the darkness that once filled the room.

  He lifted his hand to his luminous waist and pulled from his sheath a sword that shone as brilliantly as him, raising it.

  He brought down his sword, striking the tomb with ferocity, shattering it into thousands of pieces. Dante and the thousands of pieces of stone floated in the air as the light enveloped all. Re-sheathing his weapon, Michael walked through the cloud of rocks as they hovered there, immobilized by his light. Michael moved the pieces of stone from his path with mere flicks of his wrist.

  Well, this is different, Dante thought.

  A smirk emerged on Michaels's face. “You couldn’t be more right, young one, you are different.”

  Michael walked up to Dante while he floated there, then he raised his hand to Dante's forehead. In an instant, Dante remembered the light beings from all those years ago, raising their finger to his brow.

  “Wait…. Who are you?” Dante asked.

  “I’m a friend, Dante, but now is not the time for introductions. I will see you again when the time comes,” Michael said, raising his glowing finger to Dante’s forehead, touching it. Dante felt pressure in his forehead and a tingling coursed throughout his body.

  Just as it had eight years prior, everything in Dante�
�s sight faded as he fell through the kaleidoscope of fractals.

  The symphony of colors faded into black.

  • • •

  “I’m telling ya, he’s got narcolepsy or somethin’. This happens often, and you’re not going to take him and put him in that ambulance. It’s just not gonna happen, bub,” George said.

  As Dante opened his eyes, he saw he was in the same place, and Anora was still by his side, but her attention was drawn to a more pressing matter. After rubbing his eyes, Dante saw his dad flailing his hands at a couple of EMTs.

  “Oh, you’re awake, that may change some things,” Anora said, smiling at Dante while Amy mimicked George, flailing her hands.

  “Sir, if he is unconscious on the floor, we need to move him elsewhere,” the EMT said.

  “Mr. Luciano,” Anora said.

  George turned to see his son sitting up, then looked back at the EMT. “How about that, he’s awake. Won’t be needing ya after all. Okay, thank you. Buh bye.”

  Leaving the EMT standing there twiddling his thumbs, George knelt beside his son.

  “Can you stand?”

  Dante nodded.

  “Umm, Mr. Luciano? Looks like the EMT needs you to sign something,” Anora said.

  While George went off to sign the papers, Dante and Anora once again had a moment to themselves.

  “Why did you stay?” Dante asked Anora, with a glimmer in his eye.

  “It seemed like the right thing to do. Your dad did have his hands full…and your sister is just too cute.”

  “I am, aren’t I?” Amy chimed.

  “And she’s modest, too,” Dante joked.

  “Are you feeling okay?” Anora asked.

  “Yeah, I’ll just feel better when this stops happening.” Dante stood up, recollecting the occurrence in his dream, not able to look at Anora.

  “You look like you saw a ghost,” Anora said.

  Not knowing how to explain it, Dante started walking toward the front entrance. Anora and Amy followed close behind.

  “Your hair is pretty!” Amy exclaimed, and out of nowhere, she put her hand in Anora’s. At first, Anora looked shocked, but then joy soon took over. Dante smirked as he looked back to see the woman he liked holding Amy’s hand, but his mind kept leading him back to the luminous being that freed him from the tomb.