text;

[bearshermark]

In the vision I had, there was a giant, floating tree called Yggdrasil. Someone in it said its leaves were responsible for death and rebirth or something. So I looked it up, and it's something from a myth.

I can't stop thinking about it.

A past life. Other worlds. Is the Bureau saying that reincarnation is real?

I'm so confused. I don't know what to tell my mom. She's going to think I'm crazy.

Advice would be great, if anyone has any.

Sorry for the trouble.

Comments

[bearshermark]

That's cool.

I'm Elliott Naeuri. I'm seventeen. I like plants. I live in Queens. Um.. Now I can't think of a fifth thing.

Oh man, this really sucks.

[darkforcerising]

What's your favorite color?

[bearshermark]

Green, yeah.

Plants.

Trees are cool. Very cool. Hope we never run out of those.

[darkforcerising]

Don't worry, the Earth will survive.

[bearshermark]

Good to know.

I'm gonna go lay down.

Thanks for the reality check thing.

[darkforcerising]

Np

[temptationaccomplished]

Dear lord, are they not teaching the classics anymore? I'd heard the American school system was lacking, but really. Hamlet? Shakespeare?

[bearshermark]

If it helps, that was my guess. But I didn't expect anyone to really be making references to classic literature.

Where did you find that information on Yggdrasil? A specific site or book? Or just general knowledge, since you seem well-read?

[traceofeffort]

I'm Lisa! Nice to meet you, Elliott. And I know the feeling - I've got a lot on my plate too, but I don't wanna let this go, you know? I think I can find the time between papers to do a little research of my own. I want answers too. And I don't think the Bureau's going to hand them out.

text;

[missingache]

If I tried to tell my mom about this, she'd think it was just some story I'm writing.

I don't think some people will ever believe us unless we have hard evidence.

[bearshermark]

I wonder what would be hard enough evidence.

[howkickassiam]

Serious question, are you having, like

Panic attacks, that kind of thing, over this?

Because I don't think it's good to worry that much over something like this we can't control

[bearshermark]

I'm doing better than I was.

I think it just that no one's home and I can't talk to even my friends about it because it feels like if I say something I'm going to sound crazy and maybe I am, I don't know.

It's a lot and I don't really know what to do. The reality check thing helping though.

Just kind of wish I could stop thinking about it.

[howkickassiam]

Maybe you can do some, like, meditation?

I have not been doing it formally but just kind of sitting and taking some deep breaths and calming down has helped

[bearshermark]

Yeah. I'm trying that. Watching some Youtube videos. Thanks.

Are you doing okay?

[bearshermark]

Maybe we could meet at a library on a weekend day to share what we've found?

[traceofeffort]

Yeah! I'd like that. I dunno how much we'll come up with, but maybe it'll be enough to make some headway.

[She doesn't reply for a second, before she adds:] This might be weird to say, but it'll reassure me a lot to figure out what's going on, even just a little.

[bearshermark]

That doesn't sound weird at all. Having something to look up and read about is helping to keep me grounded right now.

I've never wanted to do homework more in my life.

I hope you're doing okay.

[traceofeffort]

I'm... maybe not as okay as I'd like to be. But I'm telling myself it'll be all right. The answers will come, one way or another, and we'll figure out what the hell's going on, and we'll make it okay.

And don't let your teachers catch you being excited to study! They'll just make it an assignment. And then look at you strangely when you do it anyway. Probably won't even give you extra credit!

[missingache]

Probably something outlandish, like sudden magic powers.

[bearshermark]

I wanted to say that's definitely impossible but I guess I wonder what counts as magic, now.

Floating trees and memories of past lives. I wonder if we can really explain that sort of thing, if it's real.

[bearshermark]

That sounds like a good way to look at it.

Do you have any time tomorrow? I can't focus on my actual homework for anything. Plus the less time I spend at home the better, until my mom gets back at least.

[temptationaccomplished]

Apologies; seemed apropos in the moment.

General knowledge, or something read quite some time ago, I'm afraid. Aside from a few notable deities and the gist of some of its major events, I don't know a great deal more about Norse mythology.

I'm absolutely certain the New York Public Library system would have something on the topic, if you fail to find enough on the World Wide Web. Librarians are excellent resources. I cannot make any personal recommendations, though I believe I saw that author Neil Gaiman released a book retelling some of the stories a few years back. But you may want to seek out something more academic if you desire/require anything in-depth.

[traceofeffort]

Tomorrow? Yeah, I think I can do that! It'll be good for me too, I think. Between the paper I'm supposed to be working on and all of this, I need the break too. Well, "break", but still. Better for my head, and that's close enough.

[bearshermark]

It sounds like it's gonna be a lot of extra homework on top of what I already have, but I need to know everything, I think.

Thanks, I'll look into all of that.