Dawnstar heard the now familiar click of the door downstairs. She sat cross-legged atop the soft bed, in the centre. She unfolded her wings, and allowed them to hang loosely over the bed. She vigorously rubbed her hands together over the saucer of dried granules, focussing intently on the heat being generated. She gently blew across her fingers and closed her eyes. She quickly opened her eyes again, watching a bright spark of light appear. The granules on the saucer moved slightly, but nothing else happened.

She went through the process again. More intensely she focussed, this time not only on the heat being generated but the ignition of the flame. She blew across her fingers again, closing her eyes. When she reopened them this time, the spark of light was brighter, but still the flame didn’t appear.

She tried a third time. The spark generated this time was hot enough to ignite a small flame on the saucer. Again, she gently blew, across the saucer this time. The small flame grew slightly larger, drawing the granules into it.

Dawnstar noticed the scent of sage mixed in with other aromas. The flame vanished and a small plume of smoke rose from the saucer. She reached back for the cup on the bedside table and circled it around the smoke. First she circled clockwise, then anticlockwise. She passed the cup through the smoke three times, and then inhaled some of the smoke. She took three sips of tea, and returned the cup to the table. She inhaled the smoke again, and then swallowed the cooling liquid. She folded her arms and closed her eyes.

In her mind, her eyes were open. The circular room looked dark, with rays of light becoming more visible through the swirling smoke. The smoke lessened in intensity, becoming more of a yellowish mist. An altar was before her, with two wooden poles either side. As the mist cleared further, she could see the different sections on each pole, each section holding four faces looking out in four directions. At the top of the left pole, she saw the head of a wolf carved into the wood. On top of the right pole, an eagle’s head was carved.

“You now see the totems, child.” A male voice cut through the silence. “Your ancestors are gathering. They await your question.”

“Welcome, Dawnstar.” A female voice followed. “We are ready. Our connection is weak. The mists are circling again.”

“You are out of time.” Another male voice said.

“No.” Dawnstar answered firmly. “I have yet to begin.”

“You interrupt, child.” The second male voice continued. “You are out of time on the Ancestral Plain. Your physical presence exists prior to your astral one.”

“That is the reason I am speaking with you.” Dawnstar heard her voice echo around the room. “I have become trapped in the past. A surge of energy has brought me to this place, this time. I need your help to return home.”

“Do you know the source of the surge, child?” the woman’s voice asked. “Finding the source will provide the answers you seek.”

“I know not the source.” Dawnstar stated. “It was an accident. An explosion.”

“It was not an accident, child.” The first male voice said. “We can see a second being with you in the physical and outside of the astral. This being holds both the answers and the means you seek.”

“Who is this being? Where are they?”

“We see that they too are seeking answers.” The second male said. “Remember child, they seek what you seek. We see that you sought them prior to the temporal rift. Therein exists one answer. Therein exists a pathway for your journey.”

“Who is this being? Are they here with me? On Earth? In this time?” Dawnstar noticed the echo of her voice diminishing. The room was filling with more of the yellow mist. She could no longer make out the heads of the wolf or the eagle atop the poles.

“Our connection weakens further.” The woman said. “We see you will find your answers. We see you will return home. We can help no longer with your journey.”

“Wait!” Dawnstar shouted. “Who is the being? Please mention a name, or give me a description so I can track them.”

“We can help no longer with your journey.” All three voices said in unison.”At this time.” the woman’s voice added, feebly. “You already have the answers.” She continued.

“Please!” Dawnstar shouted again, her voice’s echo now completely gone. The altar and the totems had now been consumed by the yellow mist, and the light was beginning to fade. “Please, tell me a name at least…” Dawnstar noticed a loud bang from outside of the Ancestor’s Realm. “A n…” the first male voice cut out entirely as the whole room was swallowed by darkness, replaced by a third male voice. “Nan? Who are you?”

Dawnstar blinked tightly. She reopened her eyes and was still surrounded by darkness. She could smell a faint hint of sage. The room was silent. She felt cold. She could also feel her body shaking and became aware of pressure on her right arm. Somebody was physically shaking her. “Who’s there?” she tried to ask but made no sound. She blinked again. The shaking stopped. She could no longer feel anything, see anything or hear anything. The hint of sage still surrounded her. She became aware of a falling sensation as she realised she had become trapped in a world between worlds.

“Ryan? What are you doin’ here?” Mabel asked. “And what’ve you done to her?”

“Nothing, Nan. Auntie She asked me to come round to check on you. I got no answer from the door so let myself in, and shouted you. I got no answer and noticed a smell of burning which brought me up here. Then I saw her on the bed. I tried to wake her up, but she just fell back like that. Is she dead?”

——–

This is the sixth instalment of my fan fiction tale based on the DC Comics character Dawnstar. The first part can be found here, the second here, and the third here. The fourth part is here, and the fifth here. Dawnstar was created by Paul Levitz and Mike Grell. All other characters are of my own creation.

“Yes, that’s right. The plumber will call round on Thursday morning and fit your washer. What was that? Yes. I see. Ah, no… not now. Mention it to him when he’s there, and he’ll take a look. Charge? Just ask him before, he’ll let you know. He may be able to fix it for you then as well. OK. Bye!” Sheila placed the receiver on the cradle. The bell above the door jingled and she looked up.

“Morning, Sheila!”

“Morning, Cyril. The road seems busy today, doesn’t it?”

“Have you not seen the news?” Cyril asked, removing his coat.

“Not had time this morning,” Sheila said, typing an entry into a calendar on her computer. “There. Anything interesting?”

“Interesting?” Cyril pointed back to the door. “They’ve got roadblocks across the town, and diversions everywhere. That’s why I’m late.”

“Why’s that, Cyril. I didn’t notice anything when I walked in.”

“The news is saying two explosions ‘appened over Rodderswych last night. One was up high in the sky, and a second, they’re saying, over by Cabbles Green. Doesn’t your sister live over that way?”

“She does, Cyril. On the Rodderswych Road. I was there this morning… nothin’ out of the ordinary, I saw. The road was quiet though, thinking about it.” Sheila bit the inside of her bottom lip nervously.

“They’d’ve closed it.” Cyril gestured over to the police station across the road. “According to the news, that BSA is involved.”

“What? Cows?” Sheila was confused.

“Eh? No… the Space Agency. They’re saying something came from up there.” Cyril pointed upwards this time.

“Up there? Like in heaven?” Sheila tapped her desk nervously.

“Heaven? Sheila, no. From outer space. You know what this means, don’t you? Aliens.”

“Aliens? Oh no!” Sheila began to worry.

“So you didn’t see any little green men on your way in this morning?” Cyril laughed.

“No…” Sheila thought. “Not little green men…”

“Best get on, love!” Cyril said. “Call me if anything urgent comes in.”

“Will do. Cyril, can you cover the desk for a few minutes? I’ll just nip outside to make a phone call.”

“OK, love. But look out for them you know whats!” He laughed again.

Sheila retrieved her mobile phone from her bag in the drawer on the desk, and quickly walked outside. Cyril wondered why she hadn’t used the desk phone, but then sat back in the chair and started looking through the details on the on-screen calendar.

Outside, Sheila walked into the alley at the side of the building, and then into the car park at the back. Keying in Mabel’s number, she stopped herself before making the call. She scrolled through her contacts and called a different number. A groggy voice answered.

“Ryan? It’s Auntie Sheila. Are you up?”

“I am now, Auntie Sheila. What’s up?”

“You need to get round to your Nan’s quick. There’s somethin’ going on, and you need to make sure she’s alright. You know how she is.”

“Why? What?”

“Just go round an’ tell ‘er they’re looking. She’ll know what you mean.”

“Why don’t you just call her, Auntie She?”

“Can’t love. You need to go round. When you get there, you’ll know. Be quick now, love. Got to get back.” Sheila ended the call and ran back into the shop.

***

“The future?” Dawnstar was shocked. “So I’m trapped. Without a time sphere I have no way of returning.”

“A time sphere, love?” Mabel was curious.

“It’s a craft we use on occasion to visit different time periods.”

“You’re taking this all very well, pet.” Mabel offered, reassuringly. “Mind you, I think I am too. It’s not every day you meet an Angel. Or an alien from the future!” She chuckled, but Dawnstar stared out into space. Through the window, Mabel noticed George standing outside their neighbour’s gate. “What’s ‘e up to?” She asked.

“Mabel. Could I have more tea? And do you have any sage I could burn?”

“Tea? Why of course, love. There’s still some in th’pot. I bet you’re parched. But sage? No, I don’t normally ‘ave that.”

“I need to try a meditation to contact my ancestors.” Dawnstar explained. “Sage will provide the smoke I need to inhale to allow me to begin my journey. I also need a quiet space.”

“Well, it’s quiet up in our bedroom, love. You can use that. And the bed’s lovely and comfy too, so you’ll be away in seconds! You’re welcome to lie on that. ‘Ang on… will sage and onion stuffing do?”

“Sage and onion stuffing? I do not know what that is, but as long as sage is present, it should be enough. I need it dry so I can spark the Flame of Enlightenment through it.”

“Well, it’s dry love. I ‘ave to make it up with a pint of boiling water. Do you need the full box?”

“Box? No,” Dawnstar pointed to the sofa. “The round plate you gave me earlier that I placed beside me… an amount on that will be sufficient.”

“And you burn it?” Mabel asked. “Do you want some matches?”

“Matches?”

“To light the fire. Ooh, you won’t burn the duvet, will you?”

“No, I can channel the energies to ignite the flame, and it will be extinguished as soon as the smoke appears. I just need to inhale the smoke and my meditation will commence. I mustn’t be disturbed, however, as I could become trapped in the Ancestor’s Realm.”

“Tell you what love, I’ll get you your sage and onion on a saucer, and take you up to our room. When you’re settled, I’ll nip next door and stop George from phonin’ the police. I know that’s what he’s up to.” Mabel went to the kitchen and opened the stuffing mix, pouring some onto a saucer. She poured another cup of tea, and then walked Dawnstar upstairs to the bedroom at the back of the house.

“Thank you, Mabel. You have been really kind to me.”

“No problems, love. I’ll just be next door.”

——-

This is the fifth part of my fan fiction tale based on the DC Comics character Dawnstar. The first part can be found here, the second here, and the third here. The fourth part is here. Dawnstar was created by Paul Levitz and Mike Grell. All other characters are of my own creation.

She looked up at the sky through the hole she’d created. Clouds were covering the pale blue quickly; the rains were coming. Looking at the sky, she remembered her home on Starhaven, and the arc from the galaxy centre that shone brightly from the dusk hours and throughout the night. She remembered the bright orange skies from the starrise, her favourite time of the day. And she remembered…

“There you are, love,” the woman who helped her the night before interrupted her thoughts, “we thought you’d gone back to ‘eaven.”

“No, I’ve come for this.” Dawnstar showed Mabel the ring on her right hand.

“Ooh, I can tell what yer saying!” Mabel smiled.

“Yes… it’s this ring. It has a translator and local transmitter, enabling us to understand each other.”

“That’s handy.” Mabel said, noticing Dawnstar’s expression. “What’s up, love? Oh, where’s me manners? I’m Mabel. Mabel Green. And George Green is me ‘usband. My sister, Sheila, who you just met, has just gone to work. I was about to do the dishes when I saw the patio open and the shed door open, so thought I’d come out.”

“I’m Dawnstar.”

“’Ow lovely. Come in again and ‘ave a nice cuppa. Now we can understand each other, we can ‘ave a nice chat.”

“A cuppa?”

“Yes, a cup of tea. A drink.” Mabel mimed sipping a hot drink.

“Ah. I see. Tea. Yes, I am a little thirsty. Thank you.”

Dawnstar followed Mabel back into the house. Mabel motioned for Dawnstar to return to the living room. “I’ll just put the kettle on. Won’t be two ticks.”

George was bent forward in his chair tying his shoelaces as she walked in. She noticed the drapes over the window had been opened, filling the room with starlight. He sat back with a heavy sigh. “This job gets harder every day!” he moaned, looking over at his winged visitor who’d sat on the edge of the sofa.

“You need to raise your foot, rather than bending to it.” Dawnstar suggested, causing George to splutter.

“Flippin’ ‘eck! I weren’t expectin’ an answer, pet!”

“Mabel tells me you are George. I am Dawnstar. I would like to thank you for helping me last night.”

“It was all Mabel’s doing really, Dawnstar.” George stood. “But you’re welcome. We don’t get many Angels falling through our shed very often!”

“I am not an Angel!” Dawnstar smiled. “I’m merely a person, a human, as are you and Mabel.”

“But you’ve got them wings!” George said, flapping his arms.

“A lot of my tribe have, but not all. Not all the people of my planet have wings.”

“Your planet? You’re an alien?” George spluttered once more.

“Here we are!” Mabel walked into the living room carrying a tray with a teapot, three cups and saucers, a small plate of biscuits and a small jug of milk. “Where are you going?” she asked George.

“I’m going to get the paper, May, before they sell out. I’ve normally got it by now.” He looked at Dawnstar.

“Don’t you go blamin’ ‘er for you being late, George Green.”

“I’m not blaming her, Mabel. I’m just saying, that’s all.” He looked back at Dawnstar. “I’ll not be too long, pet. The shop’s just two streets away an’ we can carry on chatting when I get back.” Dawnstar watched as George walked out of the room, gently taking Mabel with him. “I’m going to next door’s first,” she heard him whisper when they were both outside the door, “to use their phone to phone the police. She says she’s an alien.”

“You will do no such thing, George Green!” Mabel said loudly and sternly. “She’s a guest in our ‘ouse regardless of where she’s from.” Dawnstar smiled as Mabel brought her voice down to a whisper. Dawnstar heard another door open and close, and Mabel re-entered the room shortly afterwards. She stood. “No, no, love, don’t get up. You sit back down and I’ll bring your tea over to you. Would you like milk?”

“Milk?” Dawnstar asked. “In tea?”

“Ooh, yes!” Mabel smiled, as she poured the steaming liquid from the teapot into two cups. “You’ve got to have milk in yer tea. Mind, if you don’t like it, you don’t ‘ave to ‘ave it. So, George tells me you’re an alien?”

“I suppose I am.” Dawnstar took the cup off the saucer Mabel was offering her, and then took the saucer and placed it onto the sofa beside her. She sipped the hot liquid, failing to hide the look of disgust on her face.

“What’s up, love? Is it too strong?”

“No. It’s fine.” Dawnstar lied. She took another sip, strangely enjoying it this time.

“What planet are you from, Dawn?” Mabel gently asked.

“Dawnstar. My name is Dawnstar, Mabel. My people do not shorten names, although I have been called Dawny by some friends from other planets. I think Dawn will be fine here. I apologise. I am from Starhaven, a wonderful planet close to the centre of this galaxy.”

“Don’t worry about it, love. I shorten everyone’s name, apart from George’s. I lengthen his. So, what brings you to us then? To Earth? You’re not invadin’ us are you? You seem too nice to be doing that.”

Dawnstar laughed. “No, I’m not invading. Earth has changed since last I was here. The air seems different. There’s a taste to it I do not recognise, that the wind carries.”

“You’ve been ‘ere before then, love? When was that?”

“I have spent quite a lot of time on Earth, Mabel, as well as other planets, although for the past couple of your Earth years I have been away. I was last here in 3177.”

“Thirty..!” Mabel choked as she spat her tea back into her cup. Coughing, she spluttered “Thirty one seventy seven?!” Dawnstar watched Mabel retrieve a cloth tucked up inside her arm covering and dab her nose and mouth. “Sorry love. You’re not only an alien, you’re from the future!”

===================

This is the fourth instalment of my fan fiction tale based on the DC Comics character Dawnstar. The first part can be found here, the second here, and the third here. Dawnstar was created by Paul Levitz and Mike Grell, with Starhaven being a planet from the DC Universe. All other characters are of my own creation.

Her shoulders ached. The left side of her body too. Her wings ached most of all. She heard voices coming from outside of the room – a strange language; familiar, yet ancient. She opened her eyes and looked around. A man slept on a seat opposite. Looking further around the room, she saw it comfortably decorated, with various pieces of furniture spread around the edges. Paintings and pictures adorned the walls, and a large one on the wall opposite the bed on which she lay featured who she thought was a younger version of the sleeping man and a woman. She looked at her right hand and realised her ring was missing. She noticed the voices become louder outside the door, so she pulled the blanket over her again and pretended to sleep. Through one partly opened eye, she saw a woman enter the room, stand in the centre and look over to the man. The woman said something indecipherable, and an equally inaudible voice came from the other side of the door. The woman walked over to where she lay and the other woman entered the room, standing just inside the door. The man remained sleeping. She knew they were talking about her, but couldn’t understand their words. She had to track her ring which would help her to do this. She focussed. She could feel the ring nearby. Outside. She could sense a musty smell. She picked up the smell of rotting wood… dried soil… rusting metal. The combination of smells she sensed confused her. She had to get through that door. She heard the other woman step into the room and decided to act now.

She leapt off the bed flinging the blanket to the floor. She ferociously flapped her wings sending objects scattering around the room. She almost laughed as the first woman to enter the room started lifting and lowering her arms whilst speaking at her in her garbled tongue. Her moment to get out of the room was taken from her as the other woman slammed the door shut.

“I need my ring!” She shouted. “I need my ring!”

“I nood mey rung tyut!” The woman by the door said.

The commotion caused the man to awaken. He shouted something to the woman by the door, who replied. She wanted to know what they were saying. The woman by the door ran out through it and returned carrying a package which she handed to the man. The man took an object out of the package and started breaking it up, tossing pieces onto the floor.

She picked up the scent of bread. She realised she was hungry. The man and the woman were still speaking to each other. She needed to calm things down. She sensed these people were trying to help her, not keep her captive. She stopped flapping her wings and sat calmly in the centre of the room. The two women were now blocking the door.

“I need my ring!” She said again. The man gestured for her to eat as she looked over to the second woman to come into the room. She remembered now she had helped her to walk inside before she slept. In fact the man and this woman had. “I need my ring!” she pleaded in desperation, as she picked up a piece of bread. The bread was edible. Bland, but edible. She picked up a couple of other pieces and ate them too.

She remembered the way they walked into the room. In her mind, she back-tracked the route they took. Through the door. Through another set of transparent doors. Across a field surrounded by numerous different plants and shrubs. Into a small room. Yes! This is the room that smells of musty, rotting wood, she realised. In her mind she could see the ring covered in fragments of wood and pottery.

She stood as calmly as she could, and walked toward the two women by the door. She pointed to the door, smiling at them as she did. Calmly, she motioned for them to both move inside the room, which they did in haste. She noticed the look of fear on their faces. The man stood and comforted the woman who had brought the package of bread into the room. The other woman bent to pick up one of the artefacts she had accidentally knocked to the floor.

She followed the path she saw in her mind and walked out through the double transparent doors. She crossed the field. The starlight was bright. She hadn’t thought of the star while she was in the room. She realised there were no windows in there. The air was cool. It was early in the day. She approached the small room and found a broken door. She pulled it open and stepped inside to the musty darkness.

The image of her missing ring was clear in her mind. She walked between old wooden units, bending to lift a rotting pole with a bent, rusty and sharp item connected to it. She put it on top of one of the units. With her foot, she moved some of the broken wooden fragments side to side. She looked up and saw the hole in the ceiling of the room.

She remembered the way she fell through it. She remembered the energy surge that sent her flying across the galaxy. She remembered the heat as she entered this planet’s atmosphere. She remembered landing on this wooden room and then falling through it in the darkness before blacking out for a few minutes.

She remembered how gently the elderly couple helped her up and walked her to the bed where she slept soundly. She remembered the aches in her body.

She saw the gold of her ring between two of the wooden slats that made up the floor. She bent and retrieved the ring, and placed it onto the third finger on her right hand.

And finally she remembered her name.

Dawnstar.

—–

This is the third instalment of my fan fiction tale based on the DC Comics character Dawnstar. The first part can be found here, and the second here. Dawnstar was created by Paul Levitz and Mike Grell. All other characters are of my own creation.