Petra [Page 1]

This Graphic Novel was first published more than a dozen years ago.

It has been dusted off and moved to this location,

To make it easier to find and share.

~Sha~

Petra and the New City 

 PAGE 1


     If you could describe Petra Richards in just two words,
they would be, Passionate Unveiler.  Her's is a dual nature of strength and insight,
the ideal vehicle for her high ideals.  Her life's work, for as long as anyone could
remember, was to find and present Truth.  She had been on many journeys
and had received much help from the teachers she had met
and the clues she had uncovered.
    We find our intrepid explorer, taking a quiet break during one of her hiking explorations in the wilderness near her country home.  The peaceful setting is ideally suited for her morning meditation.

    During her meditation, Petra finds herself in what seems to be a beautifully 

decorated, private room.  Many of her recent meditations have brought her 

to this place.  It feels very familiar and yet, she knows it is not of this world.

    Her intuition tells her that this is more than just a vision.  Somewhere this room waits for her.  It is her room, she knows, and more real than anything she has yet known.  "I must go there, but where is it", she ponders.

   Then her mind spreads open, like a camera, zooming out to get a better look.  Now she floats, outside of a huge structure.  "What is this thing. Is it a building or some kind of space ship?", she puzzles.

  It's hard to tell if it is even solid.  One moment it looks like a simple cube, made from some gold colored glass.  Inside the cube is a pyramid, made from the same material.  But, as soon as she thinks she has the shape pinned down, it changes it's appearance.  First it looks like one of those glass skinned office buildings, but when the thought of castles in the air comes to mind, the whole thing starts to look just like the castle at Disneyland, only to be replaced, a moment later, by an Aztec temple.  "This thing's playing tricks on me", she thinks and then it turns into a circus tent.  "Ooooh, I see your game.  Your skin is like a television screen, playing back my own thoughts of what you are."  But where is this place?  She can't see any land marks around it.  It sits in a bubble of light, surrounded by darkness.  Undaunted, she is sure she could divine its location, but she would have to go home first and run her hands over the globe in her living room.

   She makes a beeline for home and, once there, begins to let her fingers do the walking, around the globe. Several times, her finger is drawn to a spot, like an iron to a magnet, but there is no land where her finger points. "Hmmm", she tones, "could there be a new island here? Some writers predict a return of the ancient land of Mu. This spot is over an area that is lighter blue than the rest of the ocean. Let's have a closer look."

   A closer inspection reveals that she has pointed to a spot on the Clarion Fracture Zone, west of Revilla Gigedo Island. Perhaps some activity, along this fault, has formed a new island, as yet undiscovered.

   "Kind of hard to book passage to someplace like that. How am I supposed to get there?"  Then, out of nowhere, she hears a voice from her past. "Use the stones", it chants. She turns, expecting to see the face of her old friend, Mai, the healer that befriended her in Hawaii. Mai was not there, nor could she be. She had passed to the other side, a year ago, at the age of one hundred and ten. "Use the stones", she hears again. "The stones" Petra repeats aloud, "the two gems you gave me on our last visit?"  No reply.

 These two spherical crystals had been given to her by Mai, the last time they talked. Mai had told her that the stones had powers, and would one day take her to a new land.  "Well Mai, this trip certainly qualifies", she said aloud, half expecting Mai to answer.

She remembered that she had left the crystals in her spare backpack, that she stored on the top shelf in the pantry and went immeadiately to fetch them. 

Returning to the livingroom, she sat on the daybed to examine them. When she began to question how these two gems could help get her to the mysterious island, they seemed to take on a life of their own. They began to pulsate with light and her hands began to tingle.  And then, without warning, she found herself several feet above her perch.

"Whoa! Down girl", she exclaimed and down she plunked, into the overstuffed mattress.  A big smile spread across her face as she pulled herself back to an upright position. Another might already be dreaming of gains from the use of such power, but Petra was like a carpenter with a new hammer. She couldn't wait to get banging.  An opportunity to find truth was all the power she needed and once presented with it, she was as unstoppable as a freight train.  Standing up, she slipped a gem into each of her side packs and headed back to the kitchen.

   Long since the master of packing light, she could travel for a month on the contents of her backpack and two side packs. Some homemade pemmican, some nuts and dried fruit and a vial of water purification tablets was all she needed from here. Her trusty Leatherman, a piece of flint, a pocket flashlight, and various other compact, useful tools each had their own custom pockets in her packs. Off to the bedroom to include some extra socks, tops, panties and her poncho and she was ready to fly, literally. If she didn't pack it, this resourceful lass could find or manufacture what she needed, on the spot.  She was pretty sure she wouldn't need any money on this trip, but a handful of gold coins, jingling in her pocket was a good habit that had come in handy on more than one occasion.  A quick call, to her answering service, and she was headed out the front door.

  Every journey begins with the first step and, in this case, a leap of faith. Petra pictured her mysterious island, in her mind's eye and her feet left the ground.

 Up, up and away, she flew, into the afternoon sun.

Petra [Page 2]

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   That her destination was 1400 miles away meant nothing to her, because even though it took several hours, it felt like only minutes. If there had been any bugs, at that altitude, she surely would have been picking them off her teeth, because, for most of the trip, her broad smile made them a vulnerable target.
   Before she knew it, her mystery island loomed before her.

   She began scanning the island, from her high vantage point, but there was no sign of the structure that she had seen in her meditation.  What she did notice was how green the island looked.  How could this chunk of seafloor have become so fertile in such a short time?

   As she zoomed in, another sight attracted her attention. It was a waterfall and she sudenly realized her first flight was beginnng to make her tired and thirsty.  With that thought, she shifted to a feet first position and began a rapid descent.  She had picked out, what looked like a good landing spot on a grass covered knoll, but as she was about to land she realized the plant life was much more mature than she had first calculated and she quickly changed her flight path to avoid a full grown birch.

   Her first flight ended in a splash landing.

   "However did you get to be so big" she asked the out of place tree.  But, if the tree had answered, she didn't hear it, for she had begun to notice something truly wonderful. Far from being an inconvenience, her unplanned bath was the most exhilarating sensation she had ever experienced.  She cupped her hands together and scooped a sample to her lips and then bent to drink directly from the source.  Now she understood the secret of the rapid plant grown on this island, because the way she felt now made it seem like the rest of her life she had been no more than a stone statue. Even the colors seemed brighter. The phrase, "Living Waters", comes to mind. 

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   Petra decided that finding the source of this living water was a challenge equal to that of locating the mysterious structure and that the two mysteries might somehow  be linked.   Since she had yet to spot the structure, what better way to spend her time than a hike along it's banks, enjoying the colorful foliage along the way. The day was getting on and the sun had already dropped below the horizon, but when she got to the top of the falls she was greeted by an unusual site. Above a distant peak, she saw what looked like a miniature sun.  The light, below it, fanned out in a cone and reflected on the living water.

   As the sky darkened around it, it began to take on the shape of the structure that she had seen in her vision. She continued to stare at it, wondering if maybe it was just a mirage or some kind of hallucination, caused by drinking the water.

  But, as the sky darkened, the structure began to look all the more solid.

  And, when the sky had turnned completely black, this now solid form began moving her way.  Attempting to brace herself, for it's arrival, she found she had no foothold.  Her feet now dangled below her.  The structure was not moving.  She had again taken flight and was moving towards it.  It was a short flight, so she only had time for some general observations about the structure.  As in her vision, it appeared to be a pyramid within a cube.  Below the pyramid area there were twelve giant crystals, arranged in three layers.  Each layer revolved in different directions.  It was awesome to think that any crystal could be so large, let alone twelve.  Each of the crystals was a different translucent color and she would have tried to guess what kind of gems they might be, had her attention not been drawn to the features above them.  At the level of the base of the pyramid, on each side, was a row of large spheres, looking all together like a lumenescent pearl necklace.

   She was being drawn towards the right hand sphere of the wall facing her direction.  As she got closer, she could see that each of these spheres was really a swirl of sparkling light, each set in it's own ring. The rings reminded her of the stargates, she had seen in a movie.

   She noticed that each gate had a small sign at the top.  She hadn't been able 

to read the others, but this one was labeled "LEVI".

  She was reasonably sure that this had nothing to do with blue jeans, but could only tell herself to ask about it, given the opportunity, because, as she hovered before this huge pearl, a pair of Angels materialized as she watched in silence.

  Their welcoming smiles made Petra feel very comfortable, despite the fact that she felt they could see and know everything about her. The encounter was all to brief.   The Angels passed their hands over her and then said only, "You may pass.".  As they faded out of site, Petra felt herself being drawn into the swirling sphere of light.

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   Inside the sphere was like being in a blinding snow blizzard.  It was hard to tell which way was forward, but she began to make swimming motions and then walking and in a moment she found herself stepping into a large room.  Or maybe it was a court yard.  It was not easy to tell, because there was bright golden light, streaming in from above and in the center there was a fountain, the sound from which reverberated from the walls.  Along the walls, there were a number of closed doors to be seen.  Her passage through the Levi Gate had somehow quickened her vibrations and she now felt an increased sense of love and joy.

   Feeling like a school girl on spring break, she was irresistibly drawn forward to explore.  The door, at the far end of the hall, seemed almost to be calling her by name and that fountain, could it also contain the same Living Waters, that she had, so recently enjoyed.

   She decided to head for the door, with the idea of stopping, for a quick taste of the water, along the way.  As she approached the fountain, she heard a  click, echo through the hall.

  She studied the door, on the wall to her right, for a moment, to see if it was the source. Satisfied that all was again quiet, she returned her gaze to the direction of the fountain, only to be startled by the sudden appearance of a man, bathed in the golden light from above.  I say man, but to our, now petrafied, Petra, this handsome young man, in such heavenly surroundings, could be no less than a god. 

   "Hello Petra. Welcome to the City of New Jerusalem.", he said with a Nordic  accent.  "What is it that you are looking for?", he asked, ever so kindly.  She felt complete trust in him and began to share her story.  Sensing that he already knew the details, she said only, "I sense that I have a room, in this heavenly palace, and I'm trying to find it."

  " And, do you know the the keyword for this coming age", he asked.  Only one word popped into her mind and she dared speak it. "Service?" 

   His smile assured her that she had spoken well. "My name is Samuel", he offered.  "I'm here to show you to your room, where you will prepare yourself for service", he informed her, as they began walking towards the very door that had first attracted her interest.

   When they arrived, he opened the door for her and explained, "Rest yourself and begin to think of these three things you must do in preparation for this service." 

   "First, mankind is a single living wholeness. How much do you really love them and how much are you prepared to give." 

   "Second, what tools will you need, to increase your power to serve." 

   "Third, you will be part of a group, working together in service.  Begin linking with them, telepathically. Feel your group drawing together".

   "Thanks, Sami", she said as she set foot in her new room.  She had already decided it was okay to call him that, feeling a closeness with him, one gets with friends, family and lovers.  Now, as the door was closing behind her, her attention was quickly taken up by her new habitat. This certainly didn't look like the room in her vision. It was nothing more than a cube, twelve by twelve by twelve, painted with glowing white paint.  "Definitely a fixer-upper", she joked to herself.

  And then, as if in answer, the floor changed to the color of wood. "Cool", she said, "It looks good on you and I shall have a much easier time of telling which way is up."  Somehow, she wasn't the least bit concerned that she was talking to the floor, as if it were a dear friend.  In fact, there was a strange feeling that this whole structure felt more like a living being, rather than just a building.

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  "Well", she told herself, "there's lots to think about.  They might have, at least, provided a folding chair."  Undaunted by the sparseness of her new environment, she decides to have a seat on the floor.  Perhaps some meditating will provide some more clues.

   You can well imagine her surprise, when half way to the floor her bottom was greeted by a plush office chair.  "Whoa!!!"  She waited a few moments, while her heartbeat returned to normal.  "Dorothy is most definitely not in Kansas any more.", she joked to herself.   It was begining to dawn on her, that both the floor and the chair had appeared just after she had thought of them.   Dare she ask for more?   She thought, carefully, remembering countless stories of wasted third wishes, then ventured, directing her question to the room itself, "Can I have the latest in communication devices, so I can talk to someone in the know?"

   In less time than it takes to tell about it, the wall bulged and out slid a desk, topped with a complete computer system.   She knew, right away, that the computer was running a video chat program.  The face on the screen began to smile and Petra could sense that here was a being of great wisdom, power and love.

   ‘Hi Petra.  It’s so good to see you here!  My name is Glenda and I’m here to answer any questions you may have.’ 

   ‘Questions!’, said Petra incredulously.  I have thousands!  Where to begin.’ 

OK, what is this place, who comes here, what’s it made of, where did it come from, how…….’

  ‘Hey, one at a time.’ said Glenda laughing. 

Do your remember at Sunday School hearing about the holy city of New Jerusalem which  is supposed to be in heaven? 

   ‘Yes” said Petra, ‘but it sounded a bit way out to me, even though a part of me wished it was true’.

 

   ‘Well, it is true and this is it!’ said Glenda with a smile.

 

   Petra felt her heart leap within her as she intuitively knew that Glenda spoke the truth. 

   ‘Wow!  I’m in the holy city!?’

 

   ‘Yes, you are.  It is a place of indescribable joy and peace built by the Father Himself for those who are faithful to the Spirit within them. 

   Petra closed her eyes, for a moment, to savor the thought and when she again opened them, her room had adjusted itself to reflect her thinking. The wall behind the desk now sported a beautiful stained glass window.  A quick glance, over each shoulder, reveiled that the room had fashioned itself after a chapel she had once visited in Scotland. 

    ‘Nice touch’ said Glenda,  ‘you learn fast. ’

   ‘So can only Christians come here?’ said Petra thinking of her Buddhist friend back home. 

   ‘Oh no.  It is for anyone who follows the highest that they know, irrespective of beliefs, creeds etc. God loves everyone without favor.  Later, you will learn that the inhabitants come from 12 different star systems.  A bit like Mos Eisley Cantina, in Star Wars, only God is here.’ 

   ‘God is here!!’ said Petra excitedly.  ‘Do I get to meet Him?’ 

   ‘All in good time’ smiled Glenda.  ‘Do you have any other questions about NJ?’

  ‘Did everyone travel here as I did’ asked Petra thinking of her thrilling journey.

  ‘No’, said Glenda.  ‘Most of us come here through a process of visualization.  It enables people of like mind and heart to gather together whenever they like.  For us, this is our real home because this is where our hearts are’. 

   ‘Well, I can feel that!’  said Petra moved by Glenda’s words.

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  ‘I’ll give you a link, from your computer, that will let you read about how most of us get there, before I sign off’.

‘Say, can you tell me about that gate I came through. And what the word “Levi” meant?

   ‘The 12 gates are named after the 12 tribes of Israel which represent the consciousness of humankind.  You came in through the Levi gate.  The Levis are the true teachers of the Word of God; the true priesthood. They are the mediators between God and man and their destiny is to unite all humanity through the Spirit of the One God.  You would do well to ponder on this as you contemplate your life purpose’, said Glenda meaningfully.

‘But enough talk for now’ said Glenda.

 ‘Before I go, here's that link I promised. Just hit the "Home" key, on your keyboard, and you can read all about it.’

  Petra thanked Glenda and was already anticipating their next chat, as she hit the "Home"  key and began to read.

  She finished the article and then got up and turned the computer off. Time now for a little exploration of her expanded chamber.

   Petra loved playing any musical instrument she could get her hands on.  She just knew that the pipe organ, in her room, would have magic qualities and couldn't wait to try a few notes on it.

   As she bent over the keys, she noticed the open music book had nothing written on the pages.  "Perhaps it is waiting for me to write in it.", she mused.  "Or maybe it will write itself.", she added, feeling that either could come to pass, in this wonderous place.

  Then, she pressed a single key, to see if the organ was turned on.  What came out is truly beyond all description. As that single note swelled and reverberated off the stone walls, it seemed not to come from the pipes, but rather from within her very soul. A chill went up her spine and the hair on the back of her neck stood up. The entire room became a blaze of undulating rainbow fire, to the sound of a choir of angels singing hallelujah. She quickly drew her finger away, but the sound seemed to take several seconds to fade to silence.  Her knees felt weak and her skin warm. "Whew", she whistled, "You could play chopsticks and put an end to war, with this thing."

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   Her spirit was willing to go on and on, but the flesh had been through a long day of exploring new worlds.  How long had this day lasted?  She had no way of knowing.  The sun had already set, when she first arrived at the city, but they didn't seem to have night here.  There were four torches, mounted on the columns in her room, yet most of the light did not come from them.  The room was as bright as if it had no roof and it was high noon on a sunny day.  Still, a girl has to get her beauty rest and time to dream of all the wonderful things she had seen so far.

  She began to survey her palace, for a good spot for a bed.  The corner, by the door looked inviting and offered a good vista of her domain.

 And, without hesitation, up from the floor came the very bed she had imagined.

 It looked a little out of place, all by itself, so a chest of drawers popped up, to keep it company.

  She sat down on what had to be the most comfortable matress she had ever experienced and felt sure, that if she didn't disrobe fast, she would wake to find one shoe on and one shoe off.  Back pack, side packs, shoes, socks and shorts came off and landed on the floor.

  One last look around and then she playfully clapped her hands three times and the lights dimmed to the flicker of torches and dawn's first light beyonds the stained glass window.

  She was sound asleep, as soon as her head hit the pillow. 

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   As she began to stir, the room responded with an increase of light.  As she opened her eyes, it took several moments to realize that she was still in her room in the New City and that it wasn't just something she had been dreaming.

   Then, she sat up, with all the excitement of a child on Christmas morning.   But, as she scanned the room, wondering just what delightful discoveries the new day had in store, it began to dawn, in her mind, that something was very different from what it had been.  Inspecting her own form, she couldn't find the words to describe what was different, but a vague analogy of comparing a photo, to the real thing, quickly ran through her mind.

   Well, perhaps she was not fully awake, or it was a trick of the light in this place, but the day was new and there were things to do.  She sprang to her feet and as she headed for the chest of drawers, the bed retreated into the floor.

  She checked the contents of each of the drawers, knowing that she would find something a little less rustic than what she had worn on her journey.  The tan skirt seemed the natural choice, comfortable and a shade less butch than her hiking gear, which she placed in the drawer.  Though the floor looked like stone, it was as soft and warm as plush carpet, so she didn't bother to put on any footwear.

  She was sure that she could find all kinds of ways to keep herself busy, but thought it might be a good idea to try contacting Glenda again, to see if her hosts had an agenda planned for the day.

   She spent a few moments, looking at the equipment.  It looked much like any other computer, except without all the jumble of wires in back.  There was no power chord or cables, but then why should it be any different than from anything else in this place.  She decided that it wasn't even neccesary to turn the thing on, saying simply, "You there, Glenda?"

   Instantly, the face of her guide was on the screen. "G'day, sleeping beauty", Glenda opened with.  Then, "Oh wow, girl, you are becoming."  That left Petra at a loss for words.  Surely her simple skirt addition hadn't made that much of a difference. But then, Glenda added, "I'll bet you haven't conjured up a mirror for your room yet.  Wait, I'll loop the video back, so you can see what I'm talking about."  With that, Glenda lowered her eyes and appeared to be fumbling for the right button to push, then, raising them again, with a wink, said, "check it out!"

-CLICK-

   For at least two seconds, Petra thought her guide must have got the wrong button and brought up someone else's image, but as the face on the screen mirrored her every movement, it hit home with a jolt.  She reeled back, in amazement and might have landed on the floor, if it had not been for the chair, coming out of nowhere and placing itself in the way. 

   That got both of them laughing out loud. When she could finally string a few words together, Petra said, "Yes, I AM BECOMING, aren't I."

 

   "You got it" Glenda responded, between chuckles.  "And that will be an ongoing topic, with the folks you meet here.", she added.  "We'll talk more, later, but right now I have a group of students, gathering in my kitchen and I see you are about to get another visitor of your own."

  "Okay, thanks", Petra replied, still giggling.  Then, as the screen went blank, she heard a knock at her door.  She spun the chair around and stood up. Then, in her sweetest voice, she sang out, "Come in, friend."