I never thought she would fall into the sacred well. She was just standing there, looking down into the depths of the green-colored well water, when suddenly a force like a gust of wind swept her off of her feet, and she went tumbling in a couple of somersaults through the air. She splashed through the water feet first.
I stood about nine feet from her when I heard her scream, “Help!” I was trying to inspect all aspects of the well, including the 191 foot diameter of the round area. I was even trying to imagine the Mayan sacrifices to the rain-god Chac, and all the treasures that were at the bottom of the sacred well.
I stared at the ripples of waves that splashed around the watery hole through which my wife had just disappeared. “Oh, my God,” I cried. I didn’t even think twice about what I did next. It was as if my instinctual animal nature took over, and I leaped like a jaguar into the sacred well. I felt a powerful surge of energy course through my body as I broke the surface of the water and plunged down into the depths of the mysterious well.
When I opened my eyes and looked down, I could see a funnel, like a whirlpool of swirling water, pointing downward. About 20 feet below me was my wife, with her long flowing brown hair. She was being pulled down, as I was, through this downward spiraling funnel. Air bubbles swirled upward from her body, and I thought she was struggling to breathe.
All at once a light appeared at the bottom of the deep well, and I saw a cave-like entrance to another world. An extended hand grabbed my wife and pulled her into this cave, from which a stream of golden light was shining. As I came near the entrance, I could see two large beady blue-green eyes staring at me.
“Stay back!” roared the voice of the watery creature. The sound struck my ears like a large clap of thunder. However, the outstretched arms and the pleading cries for help from my wife told me that I needed to save her.
“What do you want my wife for?” I asked. I was close enough to the entrance now, and I could feel an air passageway blowing in my direction.
“She is to be sacrificed on the altar in the Temple of Kukulcan in honor of me, the rain-god Chac!” Waves of tiny pellets of hail struck my face as the rain-god spoke his terrifying words.
“No!” I yelled. “She belongs to me!” I plunged through the entrance of the cave in pursuit of the underwater deity who had stolen my wife. For a split second a beam of light bounced on a mound of treasure just before I passed through the entrance. I was almost tempted to stop and inspect the golden bracelets and jade jewels that lay before me, but I didn’t want to lose sight of the fleeing Chac, whose arm was clutching my wife tightly around her waist.
The moment I stepped through the portal of the entrance to the cave, something magical happened. Instantly I was standing on solid ground. A jungle canopy surrounded me on all sides. A wide trail lay before me. A bird flew overhead. I recognized the long green feathers of the Quetzal bird. He was a messenger and a sign from the heavens that I should follow him. I ran up the trail in pursuit of the bird, who seemed to be leading me to my wife.
The legendary bird of the Americas was now leading me toward a large open space in a secret area of the jungle. Before me stood the Temple of Kukulcan, the Wind-god. The Quetzal bird fluttered above my head one last time and then flew up into an avocado tree to feed on the small walnut-sized fruit. I thanked the bird for leading me to this sacred site.
“What an amazing site!” I thought. The four-sided pyramid-temple was like something from another world, another time. Mayan people in many-colored clothes were congregating for what looked like an important ceremony. I didn’t realize at the time that it was their most sacred holiday—the coming of Quetzalcoatl or Kukulcan, as he was known to the Mayan people.
All at once I saw the rain-god Chac ascending the stairs of the pyramid. He was now carrying my wife in both of his wide, wet arms. “Stop!” I yelled at the top of my voice. “CHAC!” I screamed. He turned around and cast his watery blue eyes at me. My eyes instantly watered with tears and I cried. I watched through watery eyes as he carried my wife up the stairs as a sacrifice to the rain-god.
Something unusual began to happen as Chac reached the top of the stairs. The plaza where thousands of people were watching the spectacle unfold became still, and the voices of the people no longer bounced back and forth like echoes. A stillness settled over the ancient world and a flash of light like a fiery beam appeared out of the sky. The reddish beam of light seemed to come directly from a ray of the sun-god and it started descending down the side of the stairs. It seemed to be a giant serpent twisting its way to the bottom of the stairway. This was the feathered-serpent god, Quetzalcoatl. He had descended to earth this spring equinox as he had done every year at this spring season. It was a sure sign that the rains would come and the harvest would be plentiful.
I suddenly awoke from the dazzling display of Light and realized that I needed to save my wife. I ran to the stairs and flew like a powerful jaguar up the beam of light shining on the stairs. I felt as if I was ascending into a sacred place reserved only for priests and gods. I didn’t care! I needed to save my wife.
As I stepped to the top of the 91st step, an awesome sure of power raced through my inner being. I felt a burning sensation all over my body. The sun was so powerful at this elevation that I felt like I was being blinded by it. I quickly took the last step and entered the small temple at the top of the pyramid.
I came face to face with Chac, the rain-god, and with Quetzalcoatl, the wind-god.
“You have risked your life to come up here,” said the feathered wind-god Quetzalcoatl.
“My life means nothing to me without my wife,” I replied. “She is the Treasure of my life.”
“Because you were willing to sacrifice your life for your wife, we will release her. Your love was stronger than our magic!” said Quetzalcoatl.
He beckoned my wife and me to sit on the jaguar throne in the inner temple so he could bestow his blessing on us. He gave me quetzal feathers to wear on my head, and he gave my wife a jade necklace.
As my wife and I descended the 91 steps, the crowd cheered as if we were actually the bride and groom of the spring festival. A small cloud appeared above the temple and started showering us with golden raindrops. A rainbow appeared in the sky to the east, where the sun was throwing golden marigold-like flowers on the people.
It was at moment that I suddenly came to my senses and realized that I had been staring like a hypnotized man into the sacred well water. I had experienced a Vision of Ancient Times. My wife was now by my side, holding my hand.
“What were you thinking about, Chuck?” she asked. “You looked like you were in another world.”
“I was,” I replied. “I’ll tell you all about it on the way to the pyramid. Oh, and by the way, I love you, Kate.”
“Me, too,” she answered, as we walked hand in hand toward the Temple of Kukulcan.
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