Erupting into long panicked strides, Cory was able to keep out of the yeti’s grasp. Her ape-like yeti arms swung rhythmically, keeping her balanced.
Focused straight ahead, she could see clearly on either side without turning her head. The sound of the yeti’s feet pounding the frozen ground behind, told her how close it was.
Too close.
Cory surveyed the terrain as they thundered across a large valley of glacial ice that stretched for miles. There were hills in the distance to her left and further away, straight ahead and to her right, were mountains.
The voice again entered in her mind. “Go to the mountains”.
Cory followed the call.
The ground was uneven. Wind had swept away loose snow leaving slick icy patches. Cory didn’t falter, her clawed feet gripped the surface with each stride. She ran up small rises then down the other side with ease and sailed over wide crevasses as if they were cracks in a walkway instead of three and four metre expanses. The wind combed through the long hair that covered her body and she marvelled at her agility, her speed and her strength when the thick ice occasionally cracked under her weight. If she hadn’t been terrified, she might have enjoyed the sensations.
The clouds parted, letting the crescent-shaped moon and distant stars illuminate the landscape. Mountains were taller against the horizon and shapes that had been indistinguishable masses were now distinct craggy rock slopes. She ascended swiftly with the yeti still close behind.
A powerful wind picked up the higher she climbed blowing ice shards into her face. She lowered her head to shield her eyes and rushed up the slope, hoping that this would be the undoing of the real yeti.
Hours faded. Cory ran tirelessly. The yeti showed no sign of giving up the chase.
They ran, as if in tandem, across frozen stream beds and along narrow cliffs with sure footing.
Nearing the treeless peak, the voice again called to her. “You can do it!”
Convinced her mother was guiding her she yelled, “I’m coming!”
Eerie fingers of mist reached down from the summit. Without slowing her pace, Cory ran into the freezing fog, listening for her mother’s voice. She blocked out the sounds of the wind and the shriek from the yeti as she pushed into the vapour. The deeper she travelled into the thickening cloud, the clearer she heard the voice that called to her. “You’re almost here!”
Gusts whipped more violently. Cory kept going, stumbling across the rough terrain when lights flashed in front of her. She stopped, mesmerized by flickers of light.
“Who’s there?” She bellowed, trying to be heard above the howl of the wind. “
There was no answer. Just the bizarre flashes of light. She moved closer, hoping to see something that would explain the phenomena when a transparent ghost-like face materialized where the flashes had been. It had long flowing white hair, bushy white eyebrows extending down to its moustache that connected to a long white beard.
“Who are you?” She called out in her yeti voice. “Can you help me?”
The wind wailed and the apparition disappeared with a blast of frigid air that pushed Cory backwards a few steps.
Leaning forward into the powerful current, she fell to her knees, struggling to regain her footing. Once on her feet again, she steeled herself and headed in the direction the image had been.
More brilliant bursts of light were ahead. She pressed on, her progress impeded by the gale pushing against her.
The yeti roared viciously.
A searing pain hit Cory’s back. Her knees buckled. She slumped forward. Her face hit the snow.
The blackness that followed was almost a relief.
***
Darkness gave way to brightness as Cory drifted upward, away from her collapsed yeti body. Without emotion she saw blood on the back of her transformed self. The real yeti had gone.
Serenely, she lifted her arms and looked at her hands. They were human. She didn’t remember transforming. She looked down at the rest of her body that was as human as her hands. Her skin was very pale and… transparent.
Tranquillity washed over her the further she rose away from the ground. She smiled with acceptance. This felt every bit as natural as anything else she had ever done.
Her rise levelled. There was no ground below, only a brilliant whiteness, without form or density.
“Impressive.” A deep unfamiliar voice came out of nowhere.
Calmly Cory looked around, but saw no one. “Who’s there? Was that you I saw before?
The voice didn’t’ answer her question. “Only the very special can do what you have done.”
“What have I done?”
The voice chuckled. “Ah, my dear. Many may change but you have become two.”
Cory again looked at her transparent hands and wiggled her fingers. “Two?”
“When your body on earth was in peril, your life’s energy took refuge.”
Cory shook her head. “I don’t understand.”
“Of course you don’t. But you will.”
“When?”
“In time.”
“How do I get back to being only one?”
“In time.”
There was silence. Utter and complete silence. Finally, Cory called to the voice. “I was trying to find my mother.”
“It’s what we all want.”
“We? Who are we? Who are you?”
The voice didn’t answer right away. “You must believe.”
Cory was bewildered but not in the least anxious. “Believe in what?”
“Yourself.”
Cory smiled. That sounded like what her mother would say. “Where am I? Where are you?”
“I will take you home.”
Cory turned completely around. She saw only the whiteness of an abyss.
“Trust me.” The voice was now no more than a whisper. “Let your mind be free. I will guide you.”
Cory yawned. Her eyelids fluttered. “I’m very tired.”
“Then sleep. I will show you the way.”
“Who are you,” she asked, closing her eyes.
“They call me Maheetek.”
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