Temples of the Mist

AN EPIC OF FAITH AND LOVE The ancient Mayan amulet opened a door that couldn't be closed at my whim. The visions were frightening - from the Mayan lady at Chichen Itza with her premonition, to the woman and child forced to jump to their deaths into the Sacred Well. I was 17 years old and had just been told about my parents' freak airplane accident in the Lacandon Jungle of Chiapas, Mexico. It devastated me beyond belief. The only bright star was hope that she was alive somewhere, and that I would find her. My other bright star was Dune - a guy who seemed to read me like a book and whose sparkling eyes took me to a special place. It was that place where every girl wanted to go. I lost my breath and grew warm all over at the sight of him. Butterflies and tingling usually followed every time he touched me. He was the only one that seemed to help me overcome the overwhelming grief. My journey to find her would force me to face evil head-on, and I would see the worst in people; but I would also find genuine kindness and love from friends and strangers. The powerful and beautiful spotted jaguar that followed me around would guide me on that journey of self-awareness, love, and knowledge that could save mother earth before it was too late, but to get there I would have to travel back in time and face unspeakable horrors. There was a heavy mist making the visibility difficult as the Lacandon Jungle canopy came up over the horizon. It was damp, green, full of life, sounds and smells. Just over the next mountain were the most precious of Mayan cities and the ruins that had withstood time.