The Magical Island: Bedtime Tale

So just take a moment to allow your eyes to close and allow yourself to begin to relax and as you begin to comfortably fall asleep.

I don't know whether you'll drift asleep faster to the sound of my voice or whether it'll be to the spaces between my words and as you comfortably fall asleep I'm just going to tell this bedtime story in the background and the ship bobs up and down on the ocean waves as they undulate beneath that ship,

Rising the waves,

Descending the waves sometimes splashing through the waves,

Those waves breaking on the front of the ship,

The spray slapping the sea-faring squirrel barnacle in the face as they hold on and excitedly steer around this storm and the storm whips up that sea air,

The dark clouds spiraling overhead,

The rain lashing on the deck of the ship,

The monkeys climbing the masts,

Managing the sails,

The monkeys taking cover in the barrels tied to the deck of that ship and yet the squirrel excitedly cheers into the storm,

Waving their hat in the air knowing that they'll beat this storm and they can enjoy the calm ocean when the storm passes as the ship continues to rock and roll and the wood continues to creak and water continues to splash onto the deck,

A taste of that salty sea air,

Of that spray mixed with rain,

The distant and low rumbling and cracking of thunder,

The eerie illumination of lightning flickering through the clouds and after many hours the storm eventually begins to calm down,

The monkeys come out of those barrels they survey the ship,

Set to business making repairs and fixing the things that were broken during the storm,

Fixing the sails as the ship bobs gently on the calm ocean with that storm fading into the distance and Barnacle heads into the captain's cabin to sit down with his parrot Bill for a cup of tea and he enjoys that cup of tea while surveying his notebooks and the maps to check that they're still on course for the island they're trying to find,

Barnacle calls in the first mate Legolas the three-legged iguana to come and take a look at the maps to get their take on those maps and Legolas looks at the maps and walks around the maps and flicks open a really old science magazine and scans down a page in that magazine and in that magazine looks at some long-lost ruins and then looks back at the map and says that that one island looks like it might have some of the features that are in the image from the science magazine so that's the island to head for and they're traveling across ocean where there's hundreds of small islands dotted across the map and trusting Legolas Barnacle heads back out onto the deck and can see a rainbow behind them in the direction of the storm and the low Sun casting the most beautiful golden light across the sea out before them they start to head towards the Sun and they make slow progress at first until all of the sails are repaired and once all of those sails are repaired they stretch them all out and the ship powers along Barnacle steering towards that island and as they near the island they slow down and they see some dolphins come alongside the ship leaping over the bow waves of the ship they see a narwhal reaching the water before diving back down and then they see that island coming into view the greens of the trees,

The golden sand rolling hills and they drop anchor a short distance from the island and Barnacle gets in a small sailing boat,

Slowed down to the sea and rose gets in a small rowboat,

Slowed down to the sea and rose over to the island and rose the boat up onto the beach jumps from the boat onto that golden sand takes a look at the map chooses the direction to head and sets off into the heart of this island and it doesn't take them long on entering the forest on the island listening to the sounds of the forest birds seeing the most beautiful birds in the trees to see on the forest floor ancient ruins being reclaimed by nature and they continue following that map the sounds of the leaves rustling overhead the rustling of each footstep through the undergrowth the way the light of the sun flickers through those leaves it's golden setting sunlight casting the softest shade and as the sun sets,

So Barnacle sets up a camp here in the forest lights a campfire and enjoys something to eat and drink hears the sounds change as night time sets in before drifting gently and peacefully asleep and during the night,

Barnacle hears a sound a gentle rustling coming from within this forest and so he leaves the tent he follows that sound heading deeper into the forest in the pitch black barely able to see the outline of the trees hearing the wind rustle through the leaves overhead and then seeing a gentle ghostly glow coming from deep in this forest and on approaching that ghostly glow seeing that it looks like a goat walking among the trees and the movements of the goat's mouth make it look like it's screaming except that there's no sound coming from its mouth it's just a faint hum like the sound of bells coming from that apparition as it moves among the trees but it still looks like it's screaming and Barnacle approaches and it's as if that ghost doesn't notice them or acknowledge them they get right up next to it it seems to be almost like it's on autopilot and Barnacle gets around in front of that goat and looks straight into its eyes and it looks like it's screaming straight at them and then Barnacle reaches out and touches that apparition and it sends a slight tingle through their body as if there's something there or at least the energy of something there but as they touch it that contact makes them hear it and in their mind they can hear it screaming and it's only when they touch it and can hear it that it seems to look at them as if it now notices them as if that contact has made them share realities and they stop screaming for a moment and Barnacle asks them who they are and why they're screaming and they explain that they're a screaming goat that in life all they did was screamed it's an evolutionary survival mechanism yes it means they can be heard but it's such an unbearable scream that nothing goes anywhere near them the trouble is it can be very lonely when you scream all the time and they say that nothing ever truly disappears from this world it just transforms and the only way that Barnacle can hold any conversation is by remaining in physical contact and the screaming goat explains that they just follow almost a program of behavior now that they're just here as energy but there is one being here that they may find interesting and that is the hexagon and it's like a dragon but with many wings and those wings beat in a pattern almost like a wave passing down their body with the front two wings flapping down and as they go down just after that the next two wings go down and then the next and the next by the time the last two wings descend the first two wings are rising up and they rise up at a slight angle cutting through the air and they've got a long body a slender body and a long whip-like tail and they've got long fur that starts near their ears,

Travels down their neck and flows off beneath the front two wings and they have four legs almost like the legs of a lizard and a long snout and they let out large bursts of golden flames and you always know when one's nearby because they sniff in before their burst of flames as you hear that sharp,

Deep sniff sound as they take in vast amounts of air and then they let out that burst of flame in pulses that almost sound like a tee-hee-hee-hee-hee sound and they are some of the oldest creatures here and there's one in this area and so Barnacle continues to explore and listen listening out for any unusual sounds and they frequently stop and stand in silence just listening sometimes almost holding their breath and closing their eyes to really focus on the individual sounds in this forest and they wonder whether it would be better to head back to camp and wait until morning but they feel awake now and as they continue exploring they see something just almost out the corner of their eye something there but almost unseen in the darkness like a shadow against the night swinging left and right left and right almost hypnotically swinging left and right left and right and they get closer and closer and they don't feel like there's much wind and so they don't feel like this swinging is something being blown in the wind and as they get nearer and nearer they realize it seems like something unusual hanging from the tree and their eyes are now reasonably well adapted to the dark and yet they still can't see much but they can see some glowing eyes almost piercing blue with gentle purple pulsing around the blue eyes and those blue eyes are at the end of whatever is swinging and they stop and wonder and watch and then they realize it's a feather boa one of the rarest types of snakes that you can see a snake that's covered in downy feathers overlaid with the most beautiful iridescent peacock-like feathers and it's just swinging from the tree like a pendulum swinging left and right left and right and as it notices barnacle so it stops swinging raises its head up gets its head to the same height as barnacle's head and in an almost hypnotic voice begins to talk to barnacle and its movements and its stare seem to lock barnacle's attention almost as if it's hypnotizing barnacle and barnacle feels themselves becoming very still very focused even in this darkness they feel like their peripheral vision is getting even darker they feel a deep sense of calmness setting in through their body as this feather boa talks to them in the most friendly but deep and meaningful way you seem like you're out late you're not from this island you're exploring to see what you can find you're in search of ancient ruins to find something left behind and you're searching for the cherry trees the ones hidden deep within that are perched within a rock garden with an elaborate stone figurine and that garden is deeply tranquil containing the most delicate etchings and you're searching for the hexagon to find that which is within and they share that they can actually help if you let them access your mind with a two-way connection and barnacle feels that from what they were saying they probably already had access to their mind it felt like they were reading their mind already but the feather boa said that you just have to rest one foot gently on their neck and barnacle does that and instantly gets a flash of the island as this feather boa sees it almost like a view of the island in infrared where the darkness isn't a problem and they see in different shades of blues and reds a very different type of view of this island but because they can see in infrared they can see the heat signature of where that hexagon has been and so they think the feather boa they decide it would be sensible to safely make their way back to camp find their way where they've got to go in the morning when it's lighter back at camp they rest back down and once again drift peacefully asleep and while drifting asleep they ponder the journey tomorrow and as they drift and fall asleep they imagine themselves in an unusual world a land of giant creatures and they're flying on the back of a giant dragonfly a bit like flying on a dragon steering and weaving that dragonfly above a vast lake weaving around and dodging other giant dragonflies dodging large falling rocks passing beneath floating islands towering waterfalls some tumbling from those floating islands and rumbling down beside them and the dragonfly's reactions so quick as they dart and turn and weave and dive down in front of a waterfall power through the spray at the foot of the waterfall exploding out of that spray at high speed racing their way down a river weaving between boulders rising from the water before turning into forest and at high speed powering through that forest barnacle feeling like they're just on for the ride as the dragonfly flies rapidly dodging the trees coming out into a clearing flying so fast over the clearing leaving a wake in the grass behind them catching the tops of some dandelion which explode up into the air the scents of the meadow filling barnacle senses and then that dragonfly flying rapidly at a glowing blue portal passing into that portal and then disappearing as they roll and land on the ground the other side of the portal and as they look up they find that they seem to be standing on the moon only the moon is slightly soft and every movement releases a gentle cloud and they realize this is a mushroom like a giant mushroom a giant fungus floating in space so large it has its own gravity its own atmosphere and with every step puffs of spores gently rise from the surface and float in the air and each spore carries the delicate sound of a tinkling bell and as the spores interact so the tinkling bells interact and sing together and barnacle walks around the moon can smell that mushroom scent from this mushroom and can see a planet down below with this moon gently circling that planet and that planet being full of so much water barely any land and giant ice caps and as they walk around the moon so they see a bit of broken off mushroom and they climb into that bit of mushroom like a ball of mushroom and gently roll around the moon pushed softly by the breeze rolling inside that ball of mushroom so soft to touch until they see what looks like a cave in the distance and they roll in the direction of that cave and when its near the cave they tilt back a little bringing their ball to a halt they scramble their way out they wander into the cave to explore it they call out into the cave their voice muffled by the soft walls of this mushroom cave but they hear a noise in this cave and so as they walk into the cave following that noise they encounter a dog and its a really friendly dog and it introduces itself as Milton and Barnacle sits down and begins to talk with Milton asking Milton about this place saying that to them this is just a dream but it feels so real and lucid and Milton says this isn't just a dream this is so much more than a dream this is a deep state of reality buried within your consciousness and the dog says that perhaps their dad will be able to explain it better and the dog heads off and says just sit there and meditate for a moment while I go and find my dad my dad will be hidden around here somewhere he likes to hide away where he can be alone with his thoughts exploring his consciousness exploring the deeper natures of reality but I'll go seek him and when I find him I'll return but for now just stay here and meditate and Milton places something on the ground flicks a switch and a gentle light emanates from that object and Barnacle gazes at that light while Milton wanders off and as Barnacle gazes at that light they notice a gentle pulse within the light they feel their breathing synchronizing with that pulsing and that pulsing softly slowing down and they find their peripheral vision gently fading away as all that fills their attention is that soft light to the point that they can almost feel delight as they gaze at it and their breathing continues to slow and while they gaze at the light they have this sense that the light is containing numbers from 600 599 598 597 and they feel themselves almost instinctively beginning to count down those numbers 596 595 594 593 going deeper and deeper 592 591 590 589 and as they count those numbers 590 592 they begin to lose their place and so they pick up after their mind has wandered a moment with where they last remember counting 590 589 588 and every time they lose their place and can't remember the number they were on whether it was perhaps 589 or 588 or 591 or 593 or 582 they lose their place and focusing deeper and harder and more effortlessly they carry on counting from where they last remember finding themselves almost absorbed in what seems like a puzzle or some kind of game to them to try in vain to try really hard in vain to count down all the way down and they really try to hold their focus enough to not let the mind wander and drift and dream and float elsewhere distracted by losing count of those numbers they really try to do that and the harder they try to count the more their eyes get heavier and the more their eyes get heavier and heavier and those eyelids want to close the more they find themselves drifting into that game trying so hard to do well at that game until their eyes close and they find themselves lost in thought find themselves exploring the most beautiful landscape rolling green meadows filled with magnolia trees with the softest silkiest flowers and they find touching those petals so hypnotic so relaxing so deeply tranquil like they're connecting with some aspect of themselves that's deeper than they've ever gone before and then they hear a voice in their mind beginning to bring them back to the moment and as they open their eyes the light has been turned off but delight remains and before them is Milton and his dad and he introduces his dad and says this is Eric and my dad has been here for such a long time he can explain to you the secrets of this place this is a deep part of you of your mind it's somewhere to explore and everything here is in the form of a metaphor and so Eric begins to guide Barnacle through a meditative process they tell Barnacle to gaze back into delight to absorb yourself in delight and as you absorb yourself in delight you can listen to the sound of my voice and while you listen to the sound of my voice you can just say what you see and Barnacle explains that what they see is a lamb sleeping in a bed and the bed is made of rice and the rice is floating on a lake of perfectly still water and as it floats on that lake it turns gently in the water the lamb resting and sleeping on that bed the moonlight beating down silvery glow illuminating the landscape with that silvery glow the moonlight sparkling on the surface of the water the deep blue in the night sky surrounding the moon the dark green of the night time leaves of bushy trees around the lake the faintest gentle sound of the water lapping on the shore of the lake and that lamb breathing so calmly,

So relaxed in bed and Eric guides Barnacle deeper says just take a moment to connect with the lamb's thoughts imagine yourself becoming one with the lamb what's the lamb dreaming about and Barnacle focuses in the most comfortable way synchronizing their breathing with the lamb's breathing and as they do they begin to see inside the lamb's mind and the lamb is in a field on a beautiful spring day and the lamb is munching away on some grass almost lost in thought and next to the lamb is the mother and from time to time the lamb will look up and just count how many of those other sheep are in this field with them 1,

2,

3 counting those sheep but every now and then the mother will get in the way or the sheep will move and the lamb will start counting again and have to pay even more attention to counting 1,

2,

3 4 becoming deeper and deeper absorbed and then the mom says to the little lamb it's ok you don't need to try and count the sheep I can tell you now there's a hundred of us here in this field and so the lamb ignores the mom and decides to check 100 99 98 97 96 95 and deeper absorbed in the counting 94 93 92 nope,

Someone's moved 100 99 98 97 96 and so Barnacle observes that the lamb is counting to check how many sheep are in the field and Eric guides Barnacle deeper and deeper into the experience until there's a moment of clarity where Barnacle sees what looks like a queen somebody wearing a crown gracefully walking towards him and he notices as they're walking towards him the landscape around them changes to a court and he finds that he's kneeling within this court and the queen is approaching and the queen walks right up to him and places a chain around his neck and on that chain is a symbol and she looks at him and says you're now ready and with that he begins to drift back from that meditation and Eric says now you're ready and the mushroom begins to fade and he hears the morning sounds in the forest and opens his eyes to the dappled light gently dancing on his tent he leaves the tent and smells the fresh air he packs everything away and begins to continue exploring this forest and as he explores the forest he listens out for that hexagon and eventually he thinks he can hear it flying high overhead and he still has some residual abilities from that feather boa and through the trees he can see the faint sign of a heat signature and he keeps his eyes on that spot while navigating through the trees to a clearing and in the clearing he cools down that hexagon which flies down gracefully lands before him and that powerful creature walks in thuds along the ground and Barnacle heads over to the hexagon and on the back of the hexagon is a saddle and the hexagon glances at Barnacle and his back and so Barnacle jumps on the back of the hexagon and it launches in the air its wings flapping its body gently undulating as it flies and it seems to instinctively know where it's going and it flies beyond the clearing it flies over tall hills to the far side of the island and near the far side of the island it lands beside some old ruins of an ancient Roman aqueduct and water's still passing along that but as its ruins the water's just pouring like waterfalls off the end of the ruins and these ruins have been like this for so long there's a pool beneath both sides where water falls down and has been eroding the ground and in the centre of this aqueduct which has two rows of flowing water is an entrance into the hill and the entrance has a stone doorway with a worn and weathered wooden door and Barnacle opens the door and walks through that door into the hill but inside the hill instead of finding darkness they find the most beautiful rock garden and surrounding the rock garden are bright yellow daffodils the scent of which wafts into Barnacle's nostrils and in the centre of this rock garden is a stone figurine and at the foot of the figurine is an etching and the etching seems to be some symbols and Barnacle explores that etching and recognises the stone figurine as being that queen and touches near his neck and finds that that chain is still around his neck as a symbol that matches the etching and so he walks around the back of that stone figurine and behind the legs of the figurine tucked just up against the heels is a jewellery box he takes off that chain he places the etching within what looks like a keyhole and as he twists it it turns and clicks and the jewellery box pops open and as it pops open so a small figure rises up tinkling music begins and that figure dances to the music and beneath the figure is a small folded letter and Barnacle takes that letter reads the letter and finds that it shares about this place about a magical bubble surrounding this island where dreams come true and so Barnacle sits beneath one of the cherry trees here in this garden reading the writing in that letter learning that there is no physical treasure as they had thought they'd be seeking the treasure is the island itself the magic that it holds its ability to expand consciousness that the experience on that mush moon and the experience here are all connected just different layers of consciousness and he folds that letter back up and places it back into the jewellery box and places the jewellery box back in place and as he places that back and pushes it back against the heels of the stone figurine so something falls from within the crown of the figurine and lands at his feet and he picks that up and it's a small egg-shaped container and he carefully opens that egg-shaped container and inside he finds a small model of some scales and some writing around the model saying everything balances out and this special surprise is just for him to take and inside that egg is a rolled up bit of paper explaining it's a gift from the land to remind him of his connection to this place and on the other side of that rolled up paper is a series of words which if read will trigger that meditation psychically bringing him back to here and he leaves this space and he gets a lift back on the hexagon all the way back across the land back to the beach he started on it thuds down onto the soft white sand he dismounts pushes his boat back out into the water scrambles into the boat rows back to his ship and back on his ship he begins his journey home Legolas asking him what his journey was like if he made any discoveries and Barnacle explains he found himself and he places the scales on the edge of his desk sits back in the captain's chair with a cup of tea and ponders that experience knowing he's got many weeks of journey to get home and as night time falls and the ship gently rocks he writes up his log of his journey writing in detail about his experience before settling down in bed enjoying the gentle rocking of the ship almost rocking and lulling him to sleep as he begins to drift and float so peacefully and so comfortably relaxed asleep into slumberland