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Uriel Fox and the Pilgrimage to the Other Side

John Zurn

    Loneliness can feel like a curse for people living a life of sadness. Whether this alienation results from behavior idiosyncrasies or unfavorable circumstances, this feeling can be devastating and long lasting. It can even take over a person’s entire emotional life. For Uriel Fox, this malady had gradually consumed him to the point that he needed to end his sojourns through the countryside. It finally drained him of purpose and enthusiasm and left him on an obscure railroad bridge.
    For many years, Uriel felt the urgency to travel alone, and he easily took care of his own needs. His many adventures and informal interventions had sometimes rescued individuals or even entire towns. However, he always departed before he was truly rewarded or actually punished. Instead, Uriel Fox would simply find the nearest road and disappear.
    Yet, at last he felt tired, anxious, and dejected. He grew weary of his journeying and, he concluded there was no place he wished to visit or reside. In thinking about the past, he remembered the citizens of most towns seemed shortsighted and selfish. The darkness of that moment gradually expanded with the twilight, and Uriel realized he had reached a crossroad in his life.
    Uriel despondently began crossing the railroad bridge when he noticed the faint silhouette of a young man preparing to leap from the bridge. “Hey,” Uriel cried out as he approached the figure.
    The teenage boy heard Uriel and yelled back, “Leave me alone!”
    Uriel began to run and quickly caught up to the young man. “What are you doing here?” Uriel asked with less urgency in his voice.
    “I’m looking down at the water, that’s all,” the young man replied dishonestly.
    “It’s all right,” Uriel asserted. “Sometimes I feel like jumping too. What’s your name?”
    “My name is Ryan,” the teen replied. “I’m running away from my third foster home, and now I’m homeless.”
    “I’ve heard they can be rough,” Uriel observed.
    “Mostly the men seem to be drunks and sometimes they’re hitters too,” Ryan said with rebellion in his voice.
    “But that doesn’t mean you must jump off the bridge, Ryan,” Uriel offered.
    “It’s not just the foster homes,” Ryan continued. “I have no friends at school, and sometimes other students push me around - and don’t lecture me about telling adults. It just made everything worse.”
    “All right, I’ll make a deal with you. After we talk, if you still want to jump, I won’t stand in your way,” Uriel promised.
    “That sounds fair,” Ryan answered, “but don’t be surprised if you can’t change my mind.”
    “Here’s the thing,” Uriel said carefully. “I have been pretty depressed myself, and I’ve been feeling alone, but then I find you, so it made me think. I could sure use a helper or friend if I am to continue my sojourn around the country.”
    “Actually, I’d like that,” Ryan admitted. “I certainly won’t be missed at school or the foster home. They all considered me a burden. They don’t seem to really care about me at all. Besides, I’m eighteen, and I doubt they’d even come looking for me.”
    “I see your point, Ryan,” Uriel agreed. “But where shall we go?”
    “Uriel, you’ve traveled to many places, I expect. Is there any place you’d wish to visit for the first time?” Ryan asked.
    After thinking carefully, Uriel answered, “There is one destination I’ve heard rumors about for years, but the stories seem too bizarre to be true.”
    “What are you talking about?” Ryan asked intently.
    “Out west in the mountains, somewhere near the Grand Canyon, there appears to be a hidden waterfall that has a secret passage behind it.”
    Now Ryan’s interest soared, “What’s behind the falls?”
    “Explorers tell me that behind the waterfall is the gateway to another world!”
    Ryan now felt disappointed. “Did you mention ‘another world’ because you saw I was ready to jump off the railroad bridge?”
    “No,” Uriel stated flatly. “However, our situation did remind me of the waterfall legend. In fact, I’ve heard the story from a number of travelers including a Native American Indian. They all claimed that the story might be true, but they‘d never been there. Of course, whoever did travel to the other side probably would remain there anyway, so we could never actually know of its veracity.”
    “Truthfully,” Ryan replied energetically. “I have nothing to lose. Just a little while ago, I felt ready to die, but now I have some hope, at least!”
    Uriel smiled, “Good, but now I need you to promise that you’ll follow my directives at all times even if they don’t appear to make sense to you.”
    “I promise,” Ryan answered, “So how do we reach the Grand Canyon?”
    “We need to hide behind the thick bushes behind us and catch the freight train headed for Colorado,” Uriel answered.
    Ryan immediately felt excited. “Do we leave now?”
    “No,” Uriel replied patiently. “The freight train will rumble past at about noon tomorrow.”
    Since neither explorer had any food or money, they dined on unripe apples. Then they held vigil through the night and the next morning. Around noon, they stationed themselves near the bushes next to the train track. Uriel believed the train would reduce speed as it passed over the river. Uriel’s experienced eye waited for the exact moment when the right open freight car would pass, and then Uriel and Ryan jumped simultaneously. As soon as they pulled themselves into the box car, the pungent odor of sweat and urine overwhelmed their senses. Nevertheless, at least, they had begun the first leg of their adventure.
    As the freight train clicked along for several days making the rhythmic sound almost hypnotic, Uriel and Ryan slept easily. Yet, after a few days, Uriel roused himself and recognized that the train was approaching the Colorado Station. He knew that they needed to make the jump from the train before it stopped. Unfortunately, the train seemed to be speeding faster than when they first jumped, and this proved to be more difficult for Ryan. Finally, Uriel grabbed his friend and gave him a strong push.
    While they both rolled down the embankment, Ryan became angry. But when he complained, Uriel snapped, “If we hadn’t jumped off right here, the railroad officials would have arrested us!”
    Ryan understood Uriel’s logic, but he didn’t appreciate his behavior. “I could have broken my arm!” he yelled.
    Uriel answered, “No other way presented itself.”
    “I know. I know,” Ryan answered somewhat apologetically.
    “Don’t worry about it,” Uriel replied. “Come on. We must get out of here before we’re seen.”
    The two companions immediately stood up, and set out for a clump of spruce trees. Uriel grabbed his compass from his front pocket and realized they needed to travel southwest. The reality of their situation, however, now began to truly to resonate within him. They had no money, provisions or suitable clothes. Uriel had learned how to survive in this position, so he knew how to acquire the resources they needed.
    First, Uriel and Ryan spent two days collecting recyclable cans and bottles. They combed the highways, garbage cans and even dumpsters. In the dumpsters they occasionally found edible food that remained partially wrapped. This strategy of collecting recyclables and searching dumpsters allowed them to earn some cash but not nearly enough for their trip.
    Their next strategy involved standing on a busy city intersection and simply begging. This method of acquiring money seemed very frustrating at first with only pennies and nickels thrown into their tattered hats. However, later in the day a young compassionate woman passed by, who could see the drama of the whole street instead of simply staring straight ahead. She quickly noticed them and their sincerity. The woman almost instinctively pulled two one hundred dollar bills from her purse and handed both men one of the bills. Uriel and Ryan thanked her profusely, and as soon as she disappeared down the street, the companions headed for the nearest grocery store and then entered the thrift shop.
    In the city’s thrift store, Uriel and Ryan purchased clothes, jackets and boots and gathered other necessities like tents, sleeping bags, and canteens. Since they’d been sleeping under evergreen branches for several nights, these purchases made the following night far more comfortable, and the extra cash also allowed them to take a bus to the Grand Canyon.
    Uriel and Ryan reached the Grand Canyon in a few hours and hiked directly to the Bright Angel Trail. Their survival skills and ability to improvise had been tested, so their confidence improved dramatically. Thanks to the generosity of an unknown woman, they would now test their abilities in much more challenging conditions.
     As they hiked down the steep switchbacks on the trail, Uriel and Ryan finally reached a small water station called Venetian Gardens. After stopping to quench their thirst and fill their canteens, they both observed a glint of light in the distance on the far side of a canyon wall. Ryan also noticed tall bushes near the point of light which could indicate the presence of water.
    They decided prudence would be more important than haste, so they rested for several hours at Venetian gardens before continuing their quest. They then pretended to turn back up the Bright Angel Trail, but instead they hiked toward the flash of light in the distance. However, as they climbed ever closer, it suddenly began to rain. The cold rain was like an epiphany both cooling them off and allowing them to rest on a boulder. Uriel and Ryan enjoyed watching the rain race down the canyon walls as it seemed to be desperately seeking the Colorado River. They felt motivated to continue, and they would either joyfully discover the secret waterfall or be bitterly disappointed if they failed.
    The end of the brief deluge allowed them to continue, and Uriel rediscovered the point of light. They passed by rock formations and clinging shrubs until they finally approached what appeared to be a small but fast moving waterfall. Excitedly seeking the truth, they both climbed up the steep slope adjacent to the falls and peered behind it.
    Directly behind the falls, a six foot wide entrance could be seen by the excited explorers. It appeared truly magnificent and restored their faith in their search. Nevertheless, the ambiguous entrance appeared murky and impenetrable. They couldn’t discover if the passage led horizontally forward or dropped vertically. Both men studied the obscure space; and while they stood considering their choices, Ryan impulsively leapt into the darkness. He immediately fell thirty feet into the abyss breaking both his arms.
    Uriel called down to Ryan, but Ryan yelled out, “Don’t come down here, it’s dangerous.”
    Yet Uriel now apprehended the vertical nature of the cave, and began grabbing possible hand holds in order to reach his injured friend. After a few wobbly steps, Uriel slipped to the bottom and cracked his head on the wall. He lost consciousness before he collided with the cave floor.
    It appeared to be one of the darkest moments of Ryan’s life. He felt very apprehensive and realized he might be bleeding. Ryan also had no idea of Uriel’s condition in the pitch dark, so he yelled repeatedly and then listened. The hours seemed like days as Ryan waited for Uriel to regain his ability to communicate.
    Suddenly, a primitive door like structure opened and Ryan could make out the appearance of a very short being with others behind him. The curious being who appeared to be the leader exclaimed to his companions, “He can see us!”
    Uriel finally woke up when he heard the odd sounding voice and somehow seemed to identify their possible origin. “Are you from our planet or a different one?”
    “Neither,” the being replied, “We are from this place but it’s a different space. Your trauma and isolation have been so severely felt that it pushed you into this space, which is slightly different from your own. Now, we must get both of you to safety so you can heal.”
    “Were we meant to fall into this space?” Ryan asked.
    “No,” the leader replied. “But you did, nevertheless.”
    The small group of strangers led Ryan and Uriel through an almost endless maze of tunnels helping the interlopers to walk. Uriel gradually became more lucid and soon began firing off questions. “Are you the individuals described in all the legends concerning the waterfall? Is your home at the end of these tunnels? Will we be allowed to return to our world?”
    The leader introduced himself as Arbus and answered, “You both can leave at any time. But, if you explain your experiences to beings of your own world, no one will believe you, and you won’t remember how to return here.”
    “But who are you?” Ryan asked, “And how did you get here?”
    Arbus answered Ryan’s question in a way Ryan could understand. “We are the last remnants of a tribe that once numbered in the thousands. Then we became victims of a slaughtering hoard of soldiers who nearly exterminated us. Fortunately, our chief and our council of elders discovered a fold in space that allows us to exist in a slightly different realm. We all then decided to leave your world forever. Our realm is rarely found by individuals from your space. Honestly, we don’t know what to do with you. I’m sure your clan will come looking for you soon. If they do, a break in the folded space could occur.”
    Uriel assured Arbus and his fellow beings that no one would be looking for them, “We have no families except each other. We are independent.”
    Arbus then spoke more forcefully, “You can’t stay here. You don’t belong with us. You must return to your own world.”
    Ryan felt irritated by Arbus’s cold statement. “You’re right. We don’t belong here or anywhere else!”
    Uriel immediately turned to Ryan and said, “Ryan, we must leave here. We can’t spend our entire lives in this tiny enclave. Eventually, we will surely become restless or worse.”
    Then turning to Arbus, Uriel asked, “How do we leave here and return to our own world?”
    “The same way you journeyed here,” another Tribal member interjected.
    “Don’t you remember the steep cave we fell into behind the waterfall?” Ryan complained sarcastically.
    “That cavern slope will be reversed when you leave, and you will fall back into the other world. Then you’ll both forget everything you know about us,” Arbus asserted.
    Uriel seemed confused, “How can we possibly forget our injuries and this fold in space?”
    A third tribal member interrupted, “If you remember us and attempt to find us again, you will be seen as delusional, and you will doubt your world and our own. Besides, do you think we want ‘tourists’ here?”
    Both Ryan and Uriel clearly understood the solemn and sarcastic words of Arbus’ tribal member, but still they felt very surprised. It seemed incredible that they would forget their experience behind the falls, but regardless, they could do nothing until their injuries healed. After they were healthy, they now realized their visit would be over.
    When they did fully recover, they both received a prayer blessing from Arbus which was actually a powerful memory spell. Within minutes they were escorted back to the tunnel entrance. The rock door and angle in the cave were reversed as they had been told, and Uriel and Ryan slid back out of the cave and plunged into a tiny pond under the waterfall.
    “How did we get here?” Ryan asked as he crawled out of the water. “The last thing I remember is the light over the canyon wall.”
    Uriel replied, “There are hundreds of those lights that the sun creates as it reflects off the canyon. Honestly, I think that waterfall story is probably a foolish myth.”
    “It seems like the story was a ridiculous myth and a waste of time!” Ryan observed. “So, now what do we do?”
    “We must locate the nearest road,” Uriel answered, “and then we start hiking. I hope you’ll still travel with me?”
    “Of course,” Ryan said confidently. “I might be poor, but I’m happier now than I’ve been in a long time.”
    “That’s good to hear,” Uriel replied. “I guess I’ve been doing better too.”

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