Inside the Mind

She came from Ohio. She got off a steel clad bus in the center of town, and dragged her feet to the doors of "Silent Springs, -"the premier retreat for people of discerning tastes".

"Hello I'm here for the retreat", she muttered at the front desk,

The front desk lady had long, shiny black hair and slanted glasses.

"Name?" "Shilo Smith".

Front desk lady nodded to indicate she had found Shilo on the registration list.

She got up from the mahogany barrier, and descended to lead Shiloh into her quarters.

The bed was white and prim, clean and the blinds were bamboo wood, like the floor.

Now that she thought of it the whole hallway was the same wood.

Shiloh put her bags down and wandered out towards the front of the castle sized foyer.

Other people were beginning to mill in. Shiny hair lady was busy showing them each their rooms. Her hair never looked a thread out of place.

An announcement boomed over the intercom, in what had to have been shiny hair lady's voice, "The first meditation begins at 19:00. Please make your way to the meditation stadium promptly."

Shiloh made her way towards the stadium, a large room very similar to a cafeteria at a public school.

People were laid out and sitting down cross legged.

They sat patiently, and some rather impatiently, waiting for the intercom voice to introduce herself.

Finally a man in white robes introduced himself as guru Michael. "Hello all, I am guru Michael, we are so excited for you to join this retreat with us."

"Please have a seat everyone."

Shiloh scanned the room to look at the other participants,. Members? ..

Who are these people?

Her thoughts began to swirl, into a crescendo. That's what they did.

She began to calculate the median income and child bearing status of each person.

But then, they evened out. A little bit of peace crept in...

Shiloh scanned the room to look at the other participants,. Members? ..

Who are these people?

Her thoughts began to

swirl, into a crescendo. That's what they did.

She began to calculate

the median income and child bearing status of each person.

But then, they evened

out. A little bit of peace crept in...

Shiloh wandered back to her “room”. It was more like a bedroom chamber.

Chambers…

Shiloh had some time to read. She could hear voices of laughter outside in the hall. She peeked around the corner.

Men were drinking the Sanga wine and clasping each others shoulders in a brotherly sort of way.

Shiloh took one of her books and began to read, the words blurred together and before she knew it..she had drifted off, the smell of incense lightly dancing under her nose. And into her dreams. 

In the morning she awoke to the smells of granola and eggs.

She made her way to the dining area, where a buffet of healthy foods were being served. Grains, millet, fruit and eggs.

Smoothies and other health food items were served.

Shiny hair came on the intercom again, "The first meditation of the day will begin at 0:00. "

Once again Shiloh made her way down to the corridor to the purple and gold meditation stadium.

She put her headphones in and played a swing dancing tune that she liked from back home.

Shiny hair came around and tapped her on the shoulder. "No earbuds my darling." She said.

There was not really very much affection in the "my darling"

Shiloh acquiesced and she removed the ear buds. The sound of silence surrounded her and was stilted and slow.

She looked around at the other participants, trying to calculate their personalities and median incomes again.

One man was a handsome but modern Indian doctor.

He was dressed in an ill fitting white tunic and red velvet pants.

He had obviously dressed the part.

She looked down at her matted sweat pants. She had chosen a plaid shirt with bleached out stains. Oof.

No, back to her "mind".

Let me try to focus for a few minutes.

Shilohs thoughts swirled again. They leapt and danced like little beads of gold light.

Her body felt electrified, but then, like before, things when dull and dim.

Cars flashed before her eyes. Blood. and glass. Shiloh closed her eyes and tried to keep out the light.

Why had she come here again?

She began to sweat. Sharp ponytail made her way over and put her hand on Shiloh's shoulder.

Shiloh expected a kind word, maybe she would lead her to a medical chamber..There were so many chambers here.

But the lady with black hair simply said, "You do not look well. Please come with me. "

She escorted Shiloh away from the meditation stadium and back to her room.

"Do you have a nurse here?" Shiloh asked resultantly, confused about why she had to ask...and why it wasn't the first choice of the lady with straight hair.

"There is no medical here"

Said the lady with straight hair. Shiloh now noticed that straight hair lady was also lady with gold bangles and lady with giant, ribbed gold necklace.

"If you have a serious issue you may go to Swami Michael's chamber and he will do healing hands on you, if you consent"

Shiloh looked at the ground, the bamboo floor, and then back at straight hair lady.

What are healing hands? Shiloh asked, even though she already sort of knew. She saw the brochure with the glowing hands on the cover, and she assumed it was some kind of energy healing.

A snake flashed in her mind. A gold snake. It was more gold than anything she had ever seen.

Yes...I would like to see Michael. The words came out of her mouth, even though her brain told her to stay in her room and rest, maybe wash her face.

But suddenly she found herself, walking towards a clay door with a gold handle.

The door opened, or she opened it? Shiloh couldn't tell, either way-the door was open and she floated in, glancing around as the room made itself available to her.

The walls were covered in white crystals, "Herkimer diamonds", said the lady with straight hair, in a curt smile, before closing the door behind Shiloh and going away.

Michael was sitting in a purple velvet chair and looking warm and inviting. Come closer my child. He said with a warm, inviting smile.

There was a gold yellow light emanating from his body through his robes.

Shiloh nodded and almost leapt forward.