Magnificent Milky Way
That evening, over at Brad's, we found a teepee structure
about eight feet high. By the time we arrived, Brad had moved the
heated rocks from the fire pit into the hole inside the teepee. The
teepee's outer surface consisted of blankets, old rugs, and plastic,
anything that would capture heat. It was dug out inside leaving a
hole to contain the hot rocks and an earthen ridge to sit on. There
was enough room for about five or six people. On this occasion,
though, we stuffed ourselves into the hot confining space. We were
ten sweaty, swarthy, nude bodies unbearably packed in a primitive
oven, unable to breath, and waiting to see who would be the first to
freak out.
By throwing water on the rocks, Brad created more scorching
steam. Three of the ten participants left the sauna right away. When
Brad asked if we wanted to open the tepee flap, all voices, in
unison, responded, "Yes." When the flap opened, the two lesbian
chicks, Connie and Jill, left, leaving Pete, Brad, Jerry, Sheri, and
I inside the now less suffocating oven. After a while, Jerry
suggested that we run down to the beach and jump into the ocean.
Pete and Brad thought Jerry's idea was crazy, but Sherri got
excited. I remained uncommitted. When the two of them ducked through
the open teepee flap, and started running down to the beach, I
hesitated and then took off after them.
The sauna was a long way from the beach, probably 150 yards
or more. Daylight had gone, but light reflected off the bleached
white driftwood logs. Once I made it through that obstacle course, I
noticed light illuminated the beach sand also. I looked for the
moon, but all I found were stars, billions of them. The light, all
around me, was starlight. I slowed my pace. I was awe struck by the
sky. The architecture of sky was like nothing I had ever seen
before. The Milky Way was even more three dimensional and bright
than it had been on that California mountaintop. It was
breathtakingly beautiful.
When I got closer to the water's edge, I could see Jerry and
Sherri were already waist deep in the water. I was cold and getting
colder, but I didn't want to embarrass myself by not getting wet.
Gritting my teeth, I walked into the ocean. It was painful. With
each step I said to myself, "Bad idea! Bad idea!" Then I looked
skyward, opened my arms and spun round till I fell full force into
the cold water. Splashing my way out to where Jerry and Sherri were
standing, they appeared to be frozen stiff. When I got close enough
to talk to them I noticed something else, they were unnaturally
quiet. As I approached, Sherri looked at me and said, "Have you seen
it?" I said, "Seen what?" "This," she said, as she moved her arm
through the water and a green light trailed behind the motion.
Amazed, I moved my own arm and saw the same green glow. I moved my
leg and there it was again. Jerry began to walk through the water
and his whole submerged body lit up like a green lantern. Amazed, I
was about to ask, "What's going on?" But before I could get the
words out, a four-foot streak of green light darted between the
three of us. "What's that?" I exclaimed. "A fish," replied
Sherri. "If you stand long enough," she said, " you will see fish
swimming all around you. They look like bullets of green light." We
watched as the glowing fish swam around us, hoping, at least in my
case, that their light did not take on man-eater proportions.
In that magic moment, watching the starlight beam off Jerry's
glistening face and off the more beautiful face and chest of Sherri,
I forgot about being cold. Jeweled bodies in front of me, the
translucent Milky Way above me, and green, glowing fish below me, I
began to feel as if I was entering some kind of sensory overload.
Ever so slowly I moved through the water, my senses in retreat until
they became concentrated at a point somewhere outside of my body. It
was as if I had somehow crossed over from here to there, there being
somewhere outside my role as observer. Then, suddenly, after
stepping on a sharp object, I was sucked back into cold reality. My
pain was a wake up call. "We'd better get back to the fire," Jerry
said, "or risk becoming frozen corpses." Before bolting, I took one
last look at the spectacular sky and felt very thankful to be alive!
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