Milo's Journey

Chapter 17

Welcome to the Wednesday night bing eof Milo’s Journey. If you are just joining us and haven’t read chapters 1-16 you can back to the beginning here

The rest of the night passed without much excitement. They all knew that their best option was to patiently wait for some sign from beyond the veil that would guide them. Elena, Natalia, and Milo made a pact to keep their spirit guides on high alert for any unusual activity in the spiritual realm. However, Milo understood there were multiple levels of spiritual existence, and the guides they had were closest to the physical plane. They would only sense danger if it was about to manifest in the material world.

Everyone said good night, and Adriana and Diego left with Doña Elena and Colonel Santana. Natalia went into the kitchen to finish cleaning up the dinner dishes. Jose and Milo cleared the table and dried the dishes while Natalia washed. When everything was tidied, Milo and Jose said good night to Natalia and headed up to Milo’s room. Piyelito followed, and as soon as they entered the room, he jumped onto the bed and made himself comfortable at the foot.

“Okay, hermanito, you’re supposed to be sleeping in your own bed—over there in the corner,” Milo said, smiling.

“Rrrrf,” Piyelito replied, laying his head on his paws and thumping his tail once.

“Ahhh, let him stay, Milo. We need a chaperone since we’re going to be sharing a bed for the first time as a couple,” Jose said, smiling and waggling his eyebrows.

Milo laughed. “What am I going to do with you, querido?” he said, hugging Jose.

Jose took the moment to kiss Milo softly on the lips. “I guess you’re going to have to love me for the rest of my life,” Jose said, smiling.

“No, querido. I will love you for the rest of my life,” Milo replied, hugging him tightly.

Milo released Jose and went to his dresser, pulling out a T-shirt, a pair of shorts, and a clean towel. He handed them to Jose.

“You shower first, querido. I want to do a little research,” Milo said, sitting at his desk and opening his laptop.

Jose kissed the top of Milo’s head and headed down the hall to the bathroom. Piyelito jumped off the bed and followed him.

Milo returned from his shower to find Jose lying on the right side of the bed with Piyelito curled beside him. Both were fast asleep. Milo smiled and slipped into the left side of the bed, turning off the light. He smiled again at Jose’s comment about Piyelito being their chaperone.

He closed his eyes and whispered a prayer of thanksgiving for the boy lying beside him. He resolved to always stand by Jose’s side and protect him, no matter the cost. Sleep came quickly, and Milo drifted off.

Milo stumbled into a desolate wasteland. Gnarled, twisted trees lined the barren landscape, and dark hills cast long shadows across the land. Above them, a burning red sun beat down mercilessly, staining everything in a sickly hue, as if the world itself were bleeding. The air was thick with foreboding, as though something malevolent lurked just beyond sight. Milo felt his heart race as he took in the horrific scene.

“Milo, where are we?” Jose asked.

Milo turned and realized Jose was there too. He looked down at his hands and saw the telltale glow.

“Querido, we’re in a dream,” Milo said, taking Jose’s hand.

As their hands touched, Milo felt Jose’s spiritual essence and realized Jose was truly sharing this dream with him. He was not a phantom of the dream world—they were here together.

Suddenly, they heard a bark and saw a black shadow streak toward them.

“Piyelito?” Jose said as the little dog ran up and took his place at his side.

“Milo, what do we do now?” Jose asked, worried.

“Have no fear, querido. Nothing can hurt us here. There must be a reason we’ve come, so we need to let this play out. But I will call for a bit of help,” Milo said calmly.

“Old Man, please attend and bring Jose’s gypsies with you,” Milo called, his voice echoing across the barren land.

“We are here, Caballito,” Juan de Dios said as he appeared, followed by Campanita de Plata and the Gypsy Prince.

“Campanita, I’m so happy to finally meet you. And your Highness, I am honored by your choosing me,” Jose said quietly.

The prince smiled. “Jose, the blood of the Roma flows in your veins. How could we not stand beside you to protect you? My true name is Dacian. You may call it when you need me, and I will come. Hold it close to your heart—it is a word of power, and none may know it.”

He bowed and stepped back beside Campanita.

She smiled gently. “Milo calls me Campanita de Plata, or Silver Bell, but today I gift you my true name—Aurora. Call me by it, and I will come. As Dacian said, keep these names close to your heart. They are words of power, and none may know them.”

“You must keep these names secret, querido,” Milo said, looking into Jose’s eyes. “They are your connection to your spirit guides. Have no fear—these names will never pass my lips. They are safe with me.”

Jose nodded and took a deep breath. “Okay, mi amor. I trust you. But what do we do now? How do we wake up from this dream?”

“Well,” Milo said thoughtfully, “let’s do a bit of exploring and see what we find.”

Milo took Jose’s hand, and together they began to walk. Juan de Dios and the two gypsies followed, while Piyelito remained steadfast at Jose’s side.