“Finally. Finally. I found you my queen of the world. Gaia mother to all that is now and to all that has been. Your temple which has been lost for so many years has finally been found, I have found you.” Years I had searched for the lost temple of Gaia. I studied the legends preserved at museums and followed the path that none have dared to venture. So I stayed there, fallen to my knees in sheer awe of what I had discovered. It’s beauty had been disclosed through the years of its solitude with dirt and vegetation, however it still holds it’s beauty knowing Gaia’s power had surrounded her own self. I scurried to my feet, this was not the time for admirment. I needed to know of what I had read was true, if Gaia herself had buried herself in this temple. All I wanted to do was thank her for the beauty that she had surrounded me in. I wanted to thank her for bringing me life and keeping me strong with the fruits of her labor.

Walked to the entrance of the temple, each step carried a heavy weight with it. I was both excited and scared for what I might find within. The door was kept shut with vines and rocks that had taken their positions in the most inconvenient way possible. I reached for my machete which I held in a satchel attached to my belt. As I gripped the leather handle I had this feeling, that this wasn’t the way. I came here to seek out Gaia, using something that wasn’t made by here didn’t feel right for this. Letting go of my weapon I instead reached out for a vine, with as much strength as I could muster I ripped it away from the door. One by one I took away the plants which blocked my path. By the time I was done I had already begun to sweat. The vines had gripped themselves to the building extremely well, just Gaia’s creations doing what they were created to do. I looked down at the rocks, the last thing in my path to entering Gaia’s temple. I began to remove the large rocks one by one. It was a slow process, one man moving a dozen heavy rocks was going to take time.

I touched my hand to the newly revealed panel. On it read text from a different language, I believed it to be Latin. It’s always Latin, isn’t it?
“Intrare domum ad probandum vos Gaia.” I read allowed, thinking of what it translated to.
“To enter this temple, prove you are one with Gaia..I believe anyway.” It made me think, truly, how was I one with Gaia. Then it hit me, the answer was clear and simple.
“We are all one with Gaia, are we not? We are her creations and are surrounded with even more of her creations. I don’t think you can become any more of her than to be a product of her own labor.”

As I muttered my last few words the doors opened, it was a slow and dusty movement. These doors hadn’t been opened in years so it was understandable that they were not in the best condition. I entered the temple, at last I was inside. I coughed as I breathed in the dry and musty air. It was a big difference from the moist and refreshing air in the jungle. There was little light within the actual temple, only a couple small rhombus shaped widows too far out of reach. Most of them had vines blocking the majority of light. Out of my pocket I grabbed a small red lighter. It took me a few clicks to get it to light, I still appreciated the small bit of light it provided me though.

I continued forward, deeper into the temple. I eventually came to something unusual. Instead of another doorway or hallway it ended with a large hole in the stone wall leading to a small cave. It didn’t look man made so it had to be Gaia’s work, so I trusted it. I placed my hand onto the cool cave wall, while the air was less dry in the cave it was much more musty. It even had a slight odor to it. Deeper into my endeavor I followed. The cave twisted and turned, changed shape so many times from too much space to almost not enough. My biggest fear was to run into a spiderweb, luckily however I did not, or at least I don’t think I did.

Suddenly however the next breath I took was so refreshing, so clean and it even had a slight flowery scent. I thrusted myself forward, I saw the light at the end of the tunnel, or so they say. What I came upon was better than even I could dream. It was almost like a utopia. The grass was a shade of green I hadn’t seen in a long time. It was so vibrant, so healthy looking. I was surrounded my never before seen flora and fauna. There were plants with leaves so big I could use them as shelter. There were flowers with colors so pigmented it was almost looking like a edited photo, their petals, each unique it shape and design. Hidden within I saw a snow white deer with large and intricate horns. It fur was almost iridescent. In the sky I saw a large bird with baby blue feathers and a dark black beak, It’s wingspan maybe a yard at length.

I ventured into this new wilderness, admiring the new species as I ventured, trying to find her. I eventually came upon this clearing, a large cliffside with a waterfall. Sitting on a rock was a beacon of pure energy and life. As my eyes adjusted to her shining glory I saw her. The woman I had spent my life searching for. Her hair was long and snow white, thick and full. Covering her body wasn’t clothing, but rather a single iridescent color that faded into her skin at its ends. She didn’t appear to have legs, her dress just faded away as it ended.

This was Gaia. The woman I had dedicated my life to finding. No legend or imagery could accurately depict what I saw before me. Finally I had made it. I could thank her for everything. I reached out to her only to have my world fade to black around me. In the darkness there is nothing, I can’t feel or touch anything. In the nothingness I hear a voice.

“You are not worthy.”