Diary of The Journal Keeper

Entry Number Thirteen

“As I look back on my last journal entry, I owe you dear Reader an apology for ending so abruptly. When I recognized Gawen’s face was indeed the one I saw in the background of the faerie images, I was so taken aback, that all I could do is lay down my pen and ponder the mystery of it all. Besides the obvious question of how he could appear in 175 year old photos; I had to really question why, after having spent much time staring into those pictures, I had never noticed his face before. Words escaped me; all I could do was go back in my memory and revisit the experiences that summer spent in the company of my now, very intriguing, traveling partners. Looking for clues into Gawen’s age-old identity, I tried to remember every detail of what we had talked about over those months spent traveling. It had seemed only by chance that we first met, when in fact now, he appears to be an intricate piece of this puzzle. Coinciding with my return home and Gawen’s face appearing in the prints, the image called “Anam Cara” had fully transformed revealing two faeries seated high up in the tree. Gawen had explained to me when we first met on the “Blue Moon” that “Anam Cara” was a very old Celtic term meaning “soul friend.” He said soul friends are “connected in the most ancient of ways and you know immediately that you are safe to reveal your deepest thoughts, for no judgment would ever be passed.” Remembering Gawen as I stared at the image, I began to believe that perhaps I had been in the presence of my own soul friends that summer and felt the magic of “Anam & Cara” magically transform three strangers into the closest of friends. That thought made me ponder the possibility that maybe it wasn’t just moonlight that transformed the images, but perhaps they were being revealed to me according to my needs as well. Could this be their way of communicating with me? To add to the mystery, two more images have inexplicably changed since my return, revealing the secret faerie portraits beneath their black and white camouflage. One was named “Maira” and the other strangely titled, “Spirit of the Land.” In the past I had referred to the old journal, where the Journal Keeper had kept meticulous notes on each faerie, organized by name. I was confused because I could not find these last three faerie names in the journal. How else could I find out who these new beings were? Then I remembered something very important...”

“Something I have never shared before. When I found the chest in the stump of the tree that fateful night, as you already know, it contained the Journal of 1829, and something else... a second journal. This journal was much older then the first and when I looked through the worn pages, I could not read a single word as it was written in some sort of ancient writing. Then I discovered a note that had been tucked away under its fragile cover. It was a warning to the finder of the journal not to try to decipher its contents until “Pangia” had returned. This of course made no sense to me, but I put it safely away. Two years passed and it remained untouched until the image labeled “Spirit of the Land” began to shift in color. I was mesmerized by its transformation as beautiful red and golden hues lit up the paper. When she fully emerged she was beautifully serene. But who was she? Without the journal to help me, her meaning would be lost. Then I noticed up in the top left corner, inscribed ever so lightly the word “Pangia.” Could this be the Pangia I was waiting for? Yes, it seemed “The Spirit of the Land – Pangia” had arrived. I immediately dug up the second journal, not knowing how I would be able to translate its ancient text. I opened the first page and before I could even begin to decipher it, the words began to disappear and in a moment, I was staring at a blank page. Frantic I closed the book, fearing that the ancient secrets would be lost forever because of my misjudgment. Obviously, I had done something terribly wrong. In disbelief, I had to look once more, to make sure that my eyes had not deceived me. Slowly, I reopened it; then unbelievably the words reappeared, but had now been translated into legible English. Euphoric, I felt reassured by the magic before my eyes; surely this was a sign that I was doing something very right. These new faeries somehow seemed so different. Who were they and what was it they wanted me to understand? Now I had a whole new journal to decipher. Where would it lead me and what secrets would it reveal next?”

I will continue my journey with you when we meet again, dear friend. J.K.