Everything began to slow. The deer was sinking next to him, just staring at him. Then the deer began to glow a brilliant white and light shot forth from the animal like an explosion.
The panic left him and he found himself lying in the snow at the edge of the woods. He was no longer wet and his body felt warm and comfortable. Blinking several times he saw a glowing form standing before him. The light slowly faded away revealing a magnificent warrior wearing silver armor and a helm with two large deer horns. The warrior was carrying a silver shield embossed with a blue and silver oak tree.
The figure stepped towards Jonas and kneeled at his feet. The soldier took off the great helm to reveal long flowing black hair and a face so beautiful that Jonas couldn’t breathe. Her beauty and presence was overwhelming.
“You did well, Jonas,” the lady whispered to him. Her voice was soft, but powerful.
“Who are you?” he asked.
“You will know soon enough. Why did you try to rescue the deer?” asked the raven haired woman.
“I don’t know. It needed my help. I didn’t have time to think about it.”
“But you are a cripple. You can barely move,” she said with no hint of scorn.
“I was better off than the deer,” Jonas replied smoothly.
The lady smiled and touched his arm with her gauntlet covered hand. “Well spoken,” she replied, her melodic voice warming him to his soul. “Now, wake up, we will meet again”. Her hand glowed brightly as she touched him and Jonas felt a powerful surge of energy enter his body and warm his very soul. He didn’t ever want the feeling to go away. The warmth flowed through his body and exploded within him.
Jonas awoke with a jolt, his back arching and his body rigid. He was sweating profusely and breathing hard as he struggled to regain control of his body. After a few moments he was able to relax and he looked around the cave hoping to find the warrior woman. The dream seemed so real, but she was nowhere to be seen, the cave was empty; the fire burning low next to him.
Getting up, he looked around the room for his crutch. Then it struck him. I just got up on my own! Jonas screamed in his head. I didn’t use my crutch! Jonas suddenly stumbled, his right leg giving out on him. As he neared the ground he put out his right hand to brace his fall, and his body complied with his will, his arm lurching out to cushion his decent. He stopped himself from falling, something he had never been able to do. Jonas was now on his knees and he was staring at his hands in shock. He tried to wiggle his fingers and to his surprise they moved slowly, like they were frozen, but they moved as he commanded them too. They were sore and tight, but he could move them, although somewhat awkwardly. Jonas’s lips parted and his teeth emerged in a smile of wonder and happiness.
“I can move my hands,” he commented to himself with more surprise. Jonas looked around for his crutch and saw it lying next to him. Instead of reaching for it, he used his arms and legs to try and lift his body off the ground. His thin frame slowly rose until he was standing and wobbling on his own feet. He focused on his muscles and willed his body to stop shaking. It took him several seconds but he was finally able to keep his body relatively still. He smiled again, and on a whim he tried to jump. To anyone watching it would have looked pathetic. His body lifted off the ground several inches before he landed on his feet and stumbled to the ground again. To Jonas it felt wonderful and he began to laugh and roll on the ground uncontrollably.
Fil walked into the cave carrying a load of firewood. He looked at Jonas on the ground with bewilderment and concern. Looking around to find the source of Jonas’s amusement he asked, “Jonas, what’s so funny? Are you okay?”
Jonas stopped rolling around, slowly lifting his body off the ground, smiling the entire time.
Fil stared at him, dropping the wood he was holding onto the ground, his mouth agape with shock. “What happened? You are moving your body! You look different…your face looks different. You look normal…meaning no offense,” he replied