Page 106 of The Last Session

“Yes.” Her words felt like a relief.

“Well, of course you do.” She blinked. “You died in a desert.”

I glanced at Jonah. “Okay…”

“Listen.” Moon touched my arm. “This is going to make the regression so much faster and easier for you. And the solstice is in two days; we don’t have much time. Thistemezcalwill wake everything up. I know you’ve been dreaming about it a little, but it’s time for a boost. Now.” She glanced around her. “Let me grab Catherine.”

Catherine had stayed in her room that afternoon. I’d wanted to check on her, but I also hadn’t wanted to say anything that might accidentallychange her mind. I had the feeling it wouldn’t be hard for that to happen.

Jonah rubbed his face as Moon left. “I hate this kind of shit too.”

“It’s just sohot.” I paused. “Haven’t people died in sweat lodges before? You know, ones that are run by people who don’t really know what they’re doing?”

“Well, that’s encouraging.”

“Hi, guys!” Sol came out of the tent, his shirtless chest shining with sweat. He slicked back his hair. “You ready to get started?”

“Yeah…” I winced. “I’m sorry, I really don’t like saunas.”

“I feel you. But you can step out at any time. We encourage people to check in with their bodies and take care of themselves.” He squinted, his blue eyes matching the clear sky.

At least it was a mild day, probably in the low sixties. I glanced at Jonah, and he shrugged. Sol held the canvas flap back for me to enter.

It was hot, but at least I could breathe. It didn’t look like they were pouring water on the rocks, so the heat felt dry. The cushions were set in a circle, and I took one next to Karen. It was dark in here, the only light from the sunlight filtering in through the doorway. Grace was moving the rocks with a stick, while Steven glowered at me from the other side.Yikes. Sorry, dude.He had to know I hadn’t meant any harm by mentioning Talia, didn’t he?

I felt unnerved again; the last thing I wanted to do with this group delusion was another session. But maybe I could think of it like field research. How many people got to witness something like this? Shared psychotic disorder, mass psychogenic illness otherwise known as hysteria… People could deeply affect each other in an unconscious but very real way. There was one I’d been particularly fascinated with after hearing about it in school:choreomania, which referred to crowds bursting into spontaneous fits of manic dancing in medieval Europe.

“Okay!” Moon ushered Catherine inside. To my relief, Catherine looked slightly better than she had that morning: more awake and alert. She sat across from me, near Steven. Her eyes met mine, but she said nothing.

“So.” Settling next to Catherine, Moon looked at each of us in turn. “I’m going to start by telling you a story. We think of how things aretoday—the massive amounts of suffering—as normal. But they weren’t always that way. Modern female scholars realized that ancient artifacts proving tribal violence were actually misread. Because it’s all interpretation. And so of course we’d see bones and rocks as arrows and weapons. We now know that up until a certain point in prehistory, humans lived together more or less in a state of harmony. There was still conflict, of course; it wasn’t perfect. But communities were much more equitable. Women held positions of power. There were priestesses.” She looked meaningfully at Catherine and me. “Everyone mattered. But then nomadic groups started taking over these peaceful communities. And they had to defend themselves to survive. Now our societies descend from those legacies of violence.” She paused, blinking. “It leads to so much unhappiness. Emptiness, loneliness, fear. Those in charge sell us stories about soulmates as just one way to placate us. We do need connection, but not in the way we’ve been told.”

“Hear, hear,” Karen muttered softly.

“Thousands of years ago, our past life selves gave in to the fear and violence. But today, we’ve been given the opportunity to make it right.” She got to her feet. “Thea? Catherine? Can you come here?”

Here we go.I went to stand beside her. The tent just accommodated my head; Sol and Jonah would have to stoop. With the space now enclosed, it was definitely hotter. Sweat was already beading at my temples. I forced myself to take a deep breath. I could do this. I would take a break, just not literally one minute in.

Moon took our hands. “Catherine, when you were thirteen you dreamed of a male and female leader. In the movie version it was a pharaoh and queen, but I believe Sol and I were much less than that. Likely elected leaders of a village. And you and Thea were the twin priestesses. There was something special about you two. Your mother knew, didn’t she?”

There was a beat. Then, Karen got to her feet. Her face glowed with sweat. “I knew.”

“Thank you, Mother.” Moon nodded with her chin. “Did Father know?”

Steven stood. “No, but I trusted my wife.”

It felt strange to watch him participate. A little embarrassing, like watching a disgruntled grandfather forced to do improv.

“Because…”

“Because she was smart.” He shrugged. “Calculating. She wanted them to have a better life than us.”

“Did she.” Catherine’s voice was bitter. I glanced over; she was glaring at Karen.

“You doubt that?” Moon asked her.

“I think she did it more for herself than for us.” Catherine’s tone was scornful. “She wanted that respect. That esteem.”

“I’m sorry.” Karen’s voice was a pleading warble. “I didn’t know what would happen.”

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