Purple Lights and Thunder Snow

The universe is shifting. The veil is being lifted. But how did it all begin, and what will happen when we can see the stars again? This episode shares a letter from one of the beacons, Hum, with regards to his return and the removal of the anchor.

For more details about the Star Jelly Files visit www.starjellyfiles.com
To support the podcast, visit my Patreon page at www.patreon.com/starjellyfiles

Transcript

The Star Jelly Files

Episode One

Purple Lights and Thunder Snow

I have some surprising and predictable news. You are not alone in this neighborhood called space. There are trillions of universes and lifeforms that exist. If you choose to continue to listen, you must be prepared to meet them and experience their worlds.  

The universe is shifting. I can see the rippled trails of stars gliding across the sky. I have been watching the growing movements for months, years really, waiting for a greater sign of what direction the universe might take. We didn’t really know if it was actually going to untie itself and begin its journey or if we would have to help it along. The universe had been debating for some time after all, but It’s finally made a decision, and so have I. Its begun. No turning back, no hesitating. The universe hasn’t moved like this is so long that most of you probably don’t know what it means or what it feels like. the lore has long been lost within the pages of decomposing books. faded stone, and lost memory chips, but some of us still remember. 

I am one of the record keepers. My job, as one might imagine, is to collect and keep stories from all edges of the universe regardless of their content. For a great many years, these stories have stayed tucked away for safe keeping in leather bound journals, old Jelly Jars, and in the memories of those that collected them. Until now my records have never been shared with anybody except the beacons. but they say it is time. They say it is time to share these stories with any being who wishes to see beyond their own skies, and into the worlds that exist past the edges of what is known. Shared with those who want to explore what else is out there. I agree. That’s why I’m here.

Before we get start you should know that time is not linear and frankly not relevant. The Beacons bend time to fit their needs, and you will experience many different generations through their eyes. If you choose to continue listening to these files be warned that you will never see your world or your stars in the same way again.

Now back to the beginning, the universe is shifting, and I am so excited that this broadcast is making it through to you. Frankly it took more than a little magic and luck to make this happen, and I wasn’t quite sure it would actually work until now. So here we are. I should probably start our story at the beginning. Even though there are those I work with that thinks it would be more fun to start in the middle. And I know you are asking yourself a great many questions now. Who are the beacons is likely one of them, and who am I really? What kind of stories will I share? But we really should start our journey with a very specific story. Our story begins with the purple lights; they love to be the center of attention so some of us like to tease them by pretending they don’t bother us. Leaving them out of stories from time to time until they find the mistake. But we really should start with their part of things. They, after all, are not as easy going as they appear to be. Not to mention their renowned abilities in strategic planning. Their flashy colors are just a distraction from their intellect. That way they can surprise you. Of course, I am not actually talking about lights, that is just how they appear on your world. The disguise they chose so they can blend in, or not, as they see fit. But more about that later.

This first story came to me in an old jelly jar made of copper with small sheets of glitter encrusted paper inside. Their story written out in tiny script. I will never forgive them for the glitter that still tracks across my home. 500 years in and it still isn’t gone. I have taken their story and translated it the best I could for your world. Their language is long winded, and they enjoy including tangents of thought as they arrive. So, I Have tried to leave out the parts that we don’t need right now so we can concentrate on the important part. How they made the universe move.

Letter from Hum with regards to his return and the removal of the anchor.

 Hello Again Astra,

The council let me know that you needed more details about the current chain of events so that you could share them out to everyone. A more formal statement then me just dropping by and filling you in. I am still not convinced that my story is the best place to start but here are the details regardless. If you need more just let me know. I will be in the area for a while now as we both know. I will try and stop by and visit as soon as I can. Even if we don’t need to share stories in person, I still want your recipe for that apple jelly you sent me.  We also need to discuss a few things before our next council meeting. The apprentice program is stalled, and I want your opinion.

Now with regards to your information request, I am going to try to be detailed with how the locals and the world itself reacts to us in case any other council members decide that they need to visit. Some of this you will know already, but I think you will find some of it surprising. I know I did the first time I visited. This timeline began more than a few years ago when the planet was just waking up for its 5th cycle. At first visiting this planet was not much of an event. The first time we arrived no one noticed. We arrived silently with a light dusting of snow, and in the darkness that surrounds two in the morning. We floated down from the stars hoping the soft light we emit would blend in with the weather. We floated down through the densely filled forests and smells of pine to land at our destination. To find Bert who had been stationed there. But as time moved forward, each time we visited to check in, the land was rapidly evolving. More so than most worlds and more so than in previous cycles. The forest turned into a town, not quite a city, and with each visit we no longer arrived unnoticed.

The children would always see us first. Would see us before we had a chance to get where we were going. The children would stare wide eyed up into the snow-covered sky and watch as me and my traveling companions, a grouping of small purple lights when visiting this world, floated down to the street. The children would follow in trails of laughter and dancing as we made our way down the road to the edge of town. We would swirl in elaborate patterns that the children would copy with their footprints in the quickly deepening snow. 

The older members of the town never seemed to notice us much, or more accurately they chose not to. There was always a handful of adults that would remember us, greet us, and just nod in our direction. Those few that never stopped believing as they aged. Never closed their eyes to the possibility of something more being out there. But It was the children who kept the tradition of greeting us during each storm alive. Over time the dancing and laughter turned in to a merry game that we looked forward to, and the children hoped for. At one point, I can’t remember whose idea it was, we began arriving not just with snow, but with rumbles of thunder that shook the world around us. We would fall to Earth surrounded by the storm that we had conjured. You see we knew the children enjoyed playing and dancing in the snow, and in reality, it was a great way to really start to connect with the beings of the world. To show them we were real and not just some optical illusion they noticed in the sky. 

We decided that we would announce our arrival and would bring the weather that the children adored with us. It reminded me at least of the children of our world, and the fun they have in the changing weather. We continued this practice for years, always greeting the town members who chose to see us. That is until the year we stopped visiting. The year where the townsfolk all began forgetting and explaining away the lights, they had all grown up knowing. We were gone long enough that the habit was to forget and explain us away. Bert told us in her letters that it only took a matter of years. But not everyone forgot as you can imagine. Some things stick with you as you age if you let it.

So, it makes sense that the first person to see us return, and the first person to run to Bert’s house to tell her, was an age bent women who had once danced with the purple lights beneath the stars and snow. But Bert didn’t need Opal to tell her that we had returned. She had seen the snow, heard the thunder, and even seen us floating amongst the trees working their way towards her home. I could see her watching us from her front door. Kitchen light on and her shadow casting out into her front yard. She knew it was only a matter of time until we returned. She knows as well as anyone of us that radio silence does not mean gone forever. Especially, since she had just woken up the dragon. She had summoned us with her actions and there was no taking that back. We would visit and stay until I felt it was time to leave. 

I could see Opal walking quickly towards Bert’s house. A small stone cottage surrounded by towering pine trees that sat at the edge of town and the woods respectively. Opal’s feet were sinking deep into the snow as she made her way down the sidewalk that wasn’t there when she was a kid, or at least the last time I was there. The hem of her flannel pants was dark blue from the Icy water that had creeped up her legs and seemed to be weighing her down as she trudged forward. I imagine she was wishing for more speed as she tried to beat me to our shared destination. Although wising for more speed would have been a fanciful wish at that point in her life. She was 97 years old at that point, speed was likely not one of her most prominent skills anymore, but she had surprised me before. She stopped for a moment allowing her gaze to drift up to the sky and me. We were almost directly above her. We were sitting along the row of pine trees that led to Bert’s house. 

It had been so long since we had seen each other I wondered if she actually believed I was there. It had been so long since we had had the opportunity to talk, I had no idea what to say or do to break our standoff. I considered just ignoring her and moving on to Bert’s to beat her there. I was on a deadline, but something told me not talking to her might complicate things more than I would like. To me it looked like she was having the same internal argument. Both of us with a mission, both of us torn about which road would make things happen the way we needed them to. It looked like she was trying to think of the right thing to do. Run ahead of us or confront us. I don’t know if she really realized it was me floating there before her or if she thought It was some unknown being from my world. Either way she seemed to make up her mind and didn’t bother to linger.

Opal turned and started making her way further down the road reaching the place where it turned from a smooth paved surface into rough stone and frozen dirt. I could see the tension in her shoulders and the not-so-subtle stomp of each footstep. Her anger floated in the air up to me as she intended.  We also got moving. Rushing ahead of her and preparing to land on Bert’s front steps. I looked behind me to see if Opal was still following us. I was still trying to decide if I should send someone back to help her. Mad at me or not I didn’t want to leave her out in the snow alone, but the decision was taken from me. As I turned, I caught sight of her as she slipped on something, ice or snow or mud, and fell forward her arms stretched out before her to break her fall. 

I made a split decision; I would have to talk to Opal first. I popped into existence on the road beside her and looped my arms around her waist before she hit the ground, quickly helping her to stand up and turning her to face me. Against protocol I know. I know. Things get more dangerous as the cycles continue on these types of worlds, but it was a calculated risk. We were in the middle of the woods, in the dark, in the snow. Better to save her and maybe be seen by the others than let her break. Opal glared at me as I put her back on the ground. I noticed now she wasn’t actually wearing any shoes. She had run out of her house in the middle of the night in the snow without shoes. Despite my disbelief at her actual appearance that night, no shoes, snow-soaked clothes, gray hair braided down her back instead of the brown it used to be. She still had the fire that we saw in her when she was younger. That thirst for information that drove her ever forward every time we visited. I couldn’t help but smile. I could feel the familiar smile lines creep up around my now human eyes as I spoke. A familiar feeling even though it had been a while since I had felt it.  

Opal stared back at me as if she was flustered, but I think it was more that she was in a state of shock. She knew that if she ever saw me again, I would likely be unchanged, but seeing and experiencing that reality is very different then knowing it. I mean I guess I could have changed myself to look older, but that isn’t something I usually think about doing on most worlds. I just pop into my default form, like a preset on one of Vi’s computers.  I know it is different for you, you like to change things up, but my smile lines, Indigo eyes, and long silver hair just feel right for me. And I would be lying if I said I didn’t miss wearing Earth clothes. Nothing quite compares to a pair of jeans and soft t-shirt. Anyway, I’m rambling. This is why I prefer to tell you my stories in person. You can just cut me off. Anyway, after a moment of letting Opal adjust to me actually being there, I started pulling her towards Bert’s house. Bert had come out to the front steps waving us forward. I thought Opal was going to yell at me, protest, drag her feet until I told her where I had been and why I was back, but she didn’t. She just let me lead her into the house. Well really, I rushed her inside. I was afraid Opal would freeze before I got her there or would lose a toe. When we got her into the kitchen and seated by the wood stove all she bothered to say to me, or Bert was “you’re late. Now tell me what is going on so I can help.”

Bert and I looked at each other in silent conversation. I was amused, and you would be too, that she has decided to keep her original human form. No changes at all. Some on the council might think her decision to keep her short stature, freckles across her nose, and short brown hair made her sentimental in her old age. We know better. A good routine can make some things easier. She was settled in and ready. Bert had waited as long as I had to begin. 

After looking at her awhile and talking in silence we decided to not tell Opal any details but to let her watch. I turned to Opal and said she was capable of figuring out what was going on by herself, and that she could watch and listen. This was the first true test for her. To see how badly she really wanted to move forward with the proposal we had offered her years before. To see if she still really wanted to know what else is out there. She didn’t argue. Just stood up and waited for further instructions on what was going to happen next. 

Bert and Opal changed into some winter clothes. You know the type. Waterproof footwear, hats and long sleeves and pants. Then we were off. 

The soft glow of Bert’s porch light followed us into the back yard. I love the soft light that emitted from human houses out onto the snow. It is one of the few moments where light becomes sentient on their world. When it can tell you how it feels. It didn’t follow us for long but it wanted to. I walked behind Bert’s house and into the woods. Opal and Bert close behind me, and my traveling companions floating around us. Keeping watch. As we walked deeper into the pine forest their soft purple glow lighted the way for Opal and served as a reminder of our backup for Bert and me. We didn’t talk. We just walked.   

As we walked deeper into the woods, each step taking us further away from the house lights and the human world, I thought about what I should actually tell Opal about myself and our work if it ever came down to it. She knows we are beacons. She has known since she was young. She learned more than any human I met if only from the never-ending questions she would throw at us every time we visited, and I can only imagine the continued questions she has asked Bert over the years. She is one of the few humans that never stopped believing, but instead wanted to learn more. To see more. Bert and I haven’t had a chance to talk about it yet. What to do about Opal. That is one of the things I would like your advice on.  She knows that I am an Elder, a caretaker, and one who is specifically tasked with ensuring the barriers between worlds are kept closed and safe. She knows that in the olden days, thousands of years ago, the doors between worlds were left open so that travelers who wished to explore could. And she knows that didn’t turn out well which is why the process was changed. She knows that when I used to visit that I spent most of my time preventing conflict that resulted from beings who used the thresholds to gain power. So, when the rules were changed, the doors kept locked, and when I placed the anchor, she knew I was going to leave until it was time to open the doors again. So, Opal must know that the reason I was back and visiting Bert was because it was time to open the doors back up. Opal really should be made an apprentice, but we both know that is a complicated decision. 

I remained lost in thought about what I should share with Opal as we kept walking deeper and deeper into the winter silence that overtakes their world from time to time. All lights except those from us had disappeared from view, and all I could feel was the deepening darkness that the surrounding trees imposed upon me. I don’t know if the humans notice but it is in the dark that the Earth and trees really wake up. Normally the energy from Earth hides from those that observe it, but Bert and I were always new and interesting when we came around. Something new to explore and learn about. It made the trees wake up faster, I think. As an aside you should know that most of the local residents avoided the woods, because it is so easy to become lost in the tangle of trees and because most say it feels alive. This is because Bert and I enable that woods to stay more awake regardless of the time of day by the existence of the anchor. To keep things safe. If you or any of the other council members decide to visit know that the Earth is awake there all the time. 

There came a time as we continued to walk where with each step we took forward the forest began to come visually alive around us, and golden lights began to radiate from each tree as they awoke further. They cast warm shadows across our skin and the forest floor. It made it look as if we were walking through stardust like on your home world. Small fractals of light reflecting off each piece of snow and ice as we moved. I could feel that the light that each tree cast upon our path was their way of saying hello. They recognized that I could communicate with them, remembered me, and they were welcoming me into their world again. Their light continued to brighten as we reached the barrier at the edge of the forest. The place where the world of Earth began to fade into something else. It was time to work. I decided to figure out what to do about Opal later, and to concentrate on the problem at hand. It wouldn’t do to be distracted, and I could count on Bert to keep an eye on Opal.

The barrier came into view after about an hour of walking through the woods. The old stone wall sat at the bottom of a shallow hill and gave off the feeling that it was waiting for us. It radiated a feeling of welcome. Just as the trees around it had. I stepped over the old stone wall and a meditative state came over me as it usually does when I approach the barrier. Switching my mind into gear for my next task. The whispers also began almost immediately. They had apparently decided they wanted to spend some time with us. Their chatters rippled through the quiet of the forest and they wrapped themselves around me. You will be surprised to know that their ability to journey to new worlds has expanded. I hadn’t expected them to greet us on Earth, but there they were.  “Welcome back Hum! they said. We have been waiting for you. Is it time? 

I glanced over my shoulder and could see Bert looking at me and Opal glancing all around her. The whispers had decided they wanted everyone to hear them not just Bert and I. I wondered if Opal could tell where they were coming from. Most humans would think the voices were coming from around them, from somewhere in the trees, but if you pay close attention on Earth you can tell that they are coming from the sky. The whispers don’t have a physical body that anyone could ever see on Earth. I think they enjoy that. Just being floating voices that get to annoy any beacon that happens to stop by. I didn’t answer them. They already knew why I was there. I just continued to walk forward. They continued to talk. “You used to be more exciting! They used to call you Maker of Doom!  You used to bring us glorious tales. But now all you do is ignore us. What happened to you?” they said. Their soft giggles echoed through the air as they finished their taunt. I decided it was best to ask them to stop. I turned toward the sky, letting them know I knew where they were, and told them that was enough and to just watch us work if them wouldn’t leave. They listened. I don’t think they will next time we are there. 

After crossing the barrier, it didn’t take us long to reach the edge of the forest. The trees, snow, and darkness had faded away, and we were surrounded by a night sky. Not the night sky of Earth, but of the beacon’s home. Our home. The center of it all. The trees were replaced by a field filled with magenta, blue, and yellow stars. There was no floor or ground beneath our feet, just an endless expanse of night sky. The lights of the stars danced off us and the lingering snowflakes that were dotted across our clothes. That was my favorite part of the journey to the anchor. When the solid world faded, and I entered into the space in between. We didn’t float as one might image you would when surrounded by stars on most worlds but walked across the invisible floor that sat beneath our feet. I had almost lulled myself into complete relaxation as I listed to the echo of each of my steps and gazed into the lights that were reflecting back at me, when the anchor came into view.

It sat there, waiting, a few steps in front of us. A large silver anchor, much like what you would find on a large boat on most worlds, encased in a large reflective black glass stone. The string that tied the anchor to its grounding point out in space a matching glowing silver. It swayed slightly back and forth even though there was no wind. Someone was already tugging on it. Waiting for it to be removed. I have a few ideas about who it might be that we can talk about later. The sound it produces was also still there. A deep vibration that you can feel move through you. It was very much awake. I don’t think it ever went into hibernation like we thought it would, and I didn’t have time to ask it then. That conversation would have to be for later. I turned back and faced Bert and Opal. I said to Bert that all I had to do was release the anchor from its holding place and things would-be set-in motion. I would begin the chain reaction that would reintroduce Earth back into the universe. For so long the anchor had prevented the universe from growing. Once removed things would fly into motion, the universe would no longer be invisible to Earth, and the dragon would be able to answer Bert’s call.  Bert didn’t say anything out loud. She just nodded that she was ready. A small piece of panic started to work its way into my heart as I stood there and stretched out my hand. Reintroductions don’t always go well, and no one was or is in agreement about this decision. That panic has stayed with me until now, but I grabbed the anchor and pulled it from its rock anyway. It made a small clink sound as it was finally freed. I let it go so that it could begin its journey back into the sky.  It rushed upward and shrunk until it was out of sight. The universe had changed in that moment even though not many knew it yet. It will only be a matter of time before those that were pulling on the anchor’s strings will make an appearance. I think they only waited because Bert and I were there. 

The young ones always asked me what I was doing when the anchors were put in place, what kind of life I was living during such an eventful time. I always responded with “doing laundry probably” but the truth is I had been the one putting the anchors in place. Until now the only other beings that knew about my involvement where the other beacons. Now everyone knows, I guess. Or at least those who are paying attention. But that isn’t the important part or important question. The question the young ones should have been asking me is what will happen when the anchors are removed, and I would have told them that beings would begin to notice that their skies were changing, evolving. Some would notice more slowly than others. Some planets would ignore the changes and call them fake; some would embrace and research them. Some would notice the sudden addition of stars and movement in their skies as a bad omen, others would see it as good. But one thing that will always happen when we make these decisions is that things will change, beings that have not been heard from in many long years will wake up, and the universe around us will being to move again. I have set the chain reaction in motion Astra. No going back now. Time and the letters from the other beacons will tell us if we made the right decision. I think we did for the record. I anticipate that you will also receive a letter from Bert as well. Detailing her experiences with these events. She may be able to answer more questions about Opal for you than I am.

A few last notes, I am sure you are wanting for more details about some of the things I have written about. I will try and send them to you in another letter, or we can discuss things next time I visit if you prefer. But I think a letter might be better. From what I understand this letter isn’t just for the council, the beacons, but you plan to broadcast it out to a bunch of newly awoken planets. Good luck with that. Sounds terrifying and difficult, but I will give you as much information as you want.  Also, I planted the journals for Milo to find like you asked. I also reached out to Vi and Linc. They are onboard and will be sending you more details as well once their anchors are also set free. 

Until later. 

Love Hum

I think Hum left a lot out of his letters on purpose. I know you all still have lots of questions and are probably a little bit confused about what just happened in that letter. But, I promise you, other perspectives will bring more clarity. Tune in next time for our next broadcast and a letter from another beacon.

Thank you for listening to this episode of the Star Jelly Files podcast. I hope you enjoyed this episode and that you are having a great day. The Star Jelly Files is written, produced, voice acted, and created by me, Elizabeth Hamblett. If you would like to support the podcast and gain access to bonus content check out my Patreon at www.patreon.com/starjellyfiles. The link is also in the description.

Copyright 2021 Elizabeth Hamblett. All Rights Reserved.