Earthbound: Gaiya #1

Since as long as I could remember I had a deep love, almost longing for Australia. It was like bordering on a need. I read what I could about it, watched what I was able to which back in the 80’s was Crocodile Dundee and Mad Max.

I always felt out of place in Saskatoon, especially in winter. The images of Australia’s long sandy beaches, shark infested they may be, was where I needed to be. My parents said one day we’d go. But as I got older it became apparent that the only way I’d get there was under my own steam. Not that they didn’t want me to go, it was the fact we were poor. We had a roof over our heads but the dream of an overseas holiday was just that, a dream.

I did well at school which got me a scholarship to the University of Saskatchewan for tertiary study. And in 1992, my second year of philosophy, I found out that they had an exchange program with the University of Sydney. I wrote my mum a letter to ask if it was okay and had a long agonising week waiting for her reply, which was a phone call via the Dean’s office saying yes. I was so happy I jumped about and pulled the phone out of the wall, the Dean wasn’t too impressed with me though.

So in 1993 I boarded flight AU-22 at Saskatoon International Airport for the longest flight of my life…actually my first flight EVER! Twenty two hours with a stopover in Los Angeles and arriving appropriately on the 26^th of January which is Australia Day, the national day. I couldn’t sleep! I couldn’t watch the in-flight movies which were A Few Good Men and A Muppets Christmas Carol! I couldn’t eat! I was too damn excited! Though it was pitch black I pressed my face to that window as I felt Australia getting closer with every second.

And though I was bleary eyed and cramped when daylight lit up that beautiful coastline I knew I was home. The plane banked over the water and came in for a text book landing. I was unbuckled, despite the seatbelt sign still being on, and waiting at the doors to get off. The stewardess smiled and put me into a spare seat until they’d done their thing.

The doors opened. I swear I heard music. And as I stepped out, waving goodbye to the lovely crew, my foot touched down.

My eyes opened.

And I screamed.

Then I blacked out.

“WELCOME HOME GAIYA”

I found myself standing on red sand in the presence of the largest snake I’ve ever seen. It was all the colours of the rainbow and was as long as east was to west.

To be continued....

I'm glad you decided to go with the Dream time, I admit I don't know near as much about it as I do other mythologies but it is an interesting one.

@batkevin74: Jumping right into the awakening of the god. Pretty badass imagery at the end there too. Very cool. ...I would have laughed if you'd used this to bring back The Quoll as a god. :D

P.S. Title is Gaiyu, but the snake calls the character Gaiya. Which is it, or is that still to be explained?

@cbishop: I think it's a typo on my part. Gotta get my hands on the book...

@joshmightbe:I know a little, so the rest will be courtesy of google and whatever I make up

@batkevin74: Its what google is for

@joshmightbe: True but this books presence on the interweb is limited

@batkevin74: I was talking about your response to my post.

@batkevin74: Interesting start. I'm not familiar with this mythology at all, but I'm usually a big fan of your writing so I'm looking forward to where you're going to go with this.

Ohh Indiginous Mythologhy, loved some of the stories I was told when I was living out in Austraila

@impurestcheese: you've been here, cool!

@delphic:I'm not all that familiar with them either so it serves two purposes :)

@batkevin74: Ah, "a" and not "u," huh? Cool, cool. :)

@cbishop: yeah checked the spelling and edited

Bumped