The Many Lives of Ladybird Jenkins 2023
by April Martin 2023
"I remember being born." Those were the only words scratched onto the expensive, boutique paper. The pen moved with deliberate precision, held by a hand as delicate as porcelain. Her skin, pale and smooth, contrasted sharply with the dark ink. Her face, too, was doll-like, with eyes that seemed to hold the weight of countless lifetimes. The thinness of her wrists and the length of her fingers made her the perfect pianist, the ideal harpist. She pressed the pen too hard, leaving a tiny puncture in the paper. Her hand trembled as she dipped the pen into the inkwell again. How long had it been? Ladybird glanced up at the clock. 11:25 p.m. The glow from the lamp made the room feel nostalgic, like those childhood nights spent by the Christmas tree, wrapped in a blanket of safety and comfort. She figured she could manage another 45 minutes.
She looked back at the paper. "I remember being born." What an odd way to start, she thought. But isn't that the only way to start—at the beginning? Dipping the pen again, she let her mind wander. "I remember being born... Not the physical act, but that abrupt light. I know now that I will not 'head toward the light' next time someone gently guides me that way. But here I am again, having gone toward the light, and now I have to do it all over again."
Ladybird had been through many lives, each with its unique challenges and lessons. She was on life number 27, each life vastly different. The puzzle she sought to solve was the greatest question known to man: what is the meaning of existence? Every time she failed to unlock the mysteries of one life, she would have to repeat it in another form or fashion.
Turning the page, she dipped the pen and began to scribble nonsensically.
"All the soul searching and meditating—is it just a way to get back into the safety of our mother's womb? Back to the darkness and silence we seek, only to find that it was the darkness of the womb, the darkness of nothingness, that we craved all along. And those of us who are seeking, searching tirelessly for most of our lives, are just trying to find the safety of our mother's womb... Now, weave that story into one that involves Gaia. Mother Earth, she is the mother, and consciousness is what swims inside her belly. It's the dark stillness of the collective conscience that we are striving to get back to. Maybe Freud was right after all... All our issues do stem from the fact that we have womb/vagina issues. Being ripped away from the beautiful silence and thrust into a world of chaos and confusion. Is this why people inadvertently hate their mothers and blame them for this?"
Ladybird paused, contemplating the weight of her thoughts. This quest for truth was both a curse and a blessing. The search, the desire to know more than what the average person cares to know, consumed her every day, every second. Each world she was dropped into gave her different clues to the puzzle. But the quest was relentless, and the answers were elusive.
In this current life, she was living in 2077, a world that combined cyberpunk aesthetics with Victorian elegance. The technology of this era fascinated her. She marveled at the gadgets and the vast repository of knowledge available at her fingertips. Yet, it was the same technology that had fragmented the truth, making it harder to discern reality from illusion.
Ladybird was the CEO of the Indovian Academy, located in the Alps of Emeron. She had chosen this destination specifically to study under the Indovian monks who inhabited the region. Her team consisted of brilliant minds from the Indova galaxy, each living in different realms. Together, they worked to preserve wisdom, knowledge, and truth.
One of the greatest challenges they faced was navigating the digital glitches that threatened to destroy the fabric of reality. These glitches were becoming more frequent, causing overlaps in timelines and universes. Ladybird knew that understanding and fixing these glitches was crucial to their survival.
The monks had taught her the art of balance, using a device called the Compass of Balance. This personal calibrated guidance system helped them navigate through the chaos. The compass was not just a tool; it was a philosophy, a code of inner knowing and strength.
Her journey often involved lucid dreaming, facilitated by a virtual reality machine. In her dreams, she found herself in Emmeron, a world she had always been drawn to because of its medieval fantasy tales. Here, she would spend most of her time learning lessons and creating the set and setting for the world.
Despite the virtual reality, Ladybird's connections to the real world were strong. Her interactions with her team, the development of characters in both worlds, and her relentless pursuit of truth kept her grounded.
One of the most profound lessons she learned was that reincarnation was not just about coming back; it was about growth and choice. Some lives celebrated reincarnation as a privilege, but it was only a privilege if it was a choice. Ladybird's experiences taught her that each life was an opportunity to unlock new mysteries and grow closer to understanding the essence of existence.
As she sat at her desk, the words flowed effortlessly onto the paper. She wrote about the Boson Implosion, a cosmic event that had splintered the Indovian galaxy into seven realms. Each realm was strong in one area but deficient in others. The balance of light waves was crucial to sustain life, and the special glasses issued by Amagination Studios helped safeguard them from the effects of light diffusion.
Her writing also delved into the complexities of time looping and the disorientation it caused. At Amagination Studios, they trained rigorously to structure themselves around these challenges, allowing them to function properly and continue their mission. The monks had taught her that discipline, strength, and courage were essential to activate the Compass of Balance and navigate through the chaos.
Ladybird glanced at the clock again. Midnight was approaching, but she felt invigorated. The quest for truth was never-ending, but each step brought her closer to understanding the puzzle of existence. She dipped the pen into the inkwell once more and continued to write, knowing that her journey was far from over.