How I Went to the Past

Nigkala Tales Pt. 04: How I went to the Past

A terrible accident leads to good times

Thanks to my editor kenjisato. Also, to LanguageTool. Combined, they put me right. Any problems left all belong to me.

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My tale continues with the story of me having my left hand amputated. Yes, I do have a perfectly normal working left hand now, but for a time I didn't. That accident started a chain of events that led to me unexpectedly traveling back in time to Sumeria. Here is how it happened....

"Someone call 9-1-1! Call 9-1-1!" That is all that penetrated the pain in my left hand. I passed out shortly after that. Earlier that day, we were doing a complex fight scene on a cluttered stage. It involved jumping from place to place, as I chased the villain, swinging my sword the whole time. All week, we were plagued with minor glitches and mishaps. The actor playing the villain messed up his lines a few times, and missed his mark a time or two, so the director had us do it over, and over, and over. Each time, we had to reset the scene, and take our places. We had been at it for hours. Later footage revealed the villain made a misstep, and to complicate matters, one part of the set was not secured properly. This caused him to fall back into me, knocking me down into another part of the set. Somehow, this all combined to knock over a heavy statue on the set. It landed on my hand, crushing it, and nearly severing it at the wrist. I was spewing blood, and if someone hadn't made a tight tourniquet around my wrist, I could have bled to death in minutes.

My next memory was waking in a hospital bed, with aches and pains all over, and in traction. The next few days were blurry as the pain meds kept the pain down to reasonable levels at the cost of focus. I had several trips to surgery to make assorted repairs. When they let me experience more pain so I could focus, they told me what happened. They also told me that they could not save my hand, even though they tried. The next few days, I talked with a number of people. I spoke with the doctor, with Filipe, with my agent, and with the director and producers. The doctors didn't like releasing me to work half days, and the director didn't like having to reverse some sets to film my right hand as my left. Still, we were able to finish filming only a month overdue. My agent, and the studio, managed to keep my amputation a secret, and put out the story that I was taking a break from filming because of the dangerous situation I had been in. They also mentioned that after twelve films, I would be taking a break for inspiration. The director had to use existing footage from earlier takes to make the scene, as well as some creative script editing to make that scene work.

While I was working half days, I spent several hours each day in a meditative state focusing my mind on healing my body. However, my body image was me without my left hand. I was eating a lot, but not gaining weight because the food energy was going into repairing my body. The main result of this was that despite all the surgery and the damage my body had taken, the only evidence of the trauma after a month, was my missing hand. I spent the next month resting at home, and considering my options. My kids were devastated to learn what had happened, and Filipe was dismayed, but they supported me. I asked them all to keep it a secret, and they did. Near the end of that month, I had an epiphany. My mind caused my body to grow extra breasts, why not use it to regrow my hand?

Over the course of the next two weeks, I mapped out a plan, but I needed a reputable doctor to oversee my plan and to measure and record it all. I also told my family a bit of my plan, but not all of it, as I was unsure of their support of my methods. In the end, we expanded the guest bungalow in the backyard into a two apartment bungalow with a secret lower level that would serve as a training area for me and a measurement and recording lab for the doctor. My research for a medical person resulted in me hiring Dr. John Henry Holiday. I checked, and it seemed he was a fan of the old western, and even had his name legally changed. We came to an agreement, and I had him measure me in all sorts of ways. He checked blood components, x-rayed my arm to show the current state, and took pictures. I made sure he recorded everything with date, time, and place. I wanted to, someday, leave this information to posterity. I paid him well to keep silent. I also kept a journal to record my feelings, thoughts, and actions through this process.

I knew I would have to hide from the public to keep the amputation secret. So I arranged to video conference for the occasional interviews and other things to let people 'see' me about without seeing my missing hand. I stayed inside most of the time, with my missing hand completely hidden when I went between the house and the bungalow. It worked, as no paparazzi found out about me. I spent a lot of time with my kids.

We spent a month recording a baseline before I began my body image hypnosis. I built the idea that my body could regenerate just like a lizard's tail. I already knew there had been advances that let fingertips regenerate, so I incorporated that knowledge into my body image. Each day started with measuring my arm. Each week my blood was analyzed. Just over three weeks had passed when Doc Holiday spotted a change in my measurements. While he indicated it could be measurement error, I knew it was not. Two weeks later, he finally admitted something was happening. I just reinforced my body image and ensured I ate a suitable diet for creating new flesh and bone. When the growth reached a quarter inch, he admitted to me that he didn't believe it was possible, but it seemed to be working. It took nearly a year before the hand was fully regrown. It took another month of training before it had calluses like my right hand. While I trained, Doc wrote up everything, describing his own journey from believing I was a nut to true belief in the power of the mind. I gave him a big bonus, and secretly hypnotized him to not speak of this until I was dead or had given permission. My family was overjoyed, but they were skeptical of how I claimed to have done it.

After the doctor left, I invited the people I worked with on the film to show them I was fully recovered. I asked them to continue to keep the secret of what really happened that day, especially as I was now whole. The studio was somewhat different, and it took some of my whammy to make them play nice. I spoke to my agent, and had him visit. "It's a miracle!"

I smiled. "Yes, and I feel ready to rejoin the world."

"So, you want to get back in the game?"

I nodded. "Can you find a way to make my absence seem 'normal', and just a brief hiatus rather than any hint of trauma?"

"Hmmm. We could say you were searching for inspiration for the next movie, and then have you 'inspired'. What do you think of that?"

"I think that works, but what would inspire me sufficiently?"

"Well, I recall seeing some random news that some archaeologists are working on some sites in the Mideast, possibly even Sumer. We could have you do some sightseeing, and perhaps join some at a dig. I think that would work."

I thought about it for a bit. "Nigkala is from Kish. Is that one of the sights?"

"If not, I think a suitable infusion of capital would encourage them to do something." We discussed how to do that, and finally came up with a plan for me to tour the ancient city of Kish, with a photographer and a Hollywood journalist. We would also contact the archaeologists. I would leave in three weeks.

My youngest, at four, took a lot of explaining to, telling him I would be away for a few months. My oldest just asked me not to miss his graduation from high school. My husband just asked me to take notes of any significant sexual encounters I had, as he wanted to hear all about whom I did, and what I did with him or her. He also gave me a new phone and solar charger. He even included a couple extra memory cards. I promised to take lots of pictures.

I met my team when I got off the plane, as they were knowledgeable locals. While there, I spoke with several archaeologists and historians to learn more about the real home of the character I played. I had been there about two months when I decided to make myself better blend in by making a few outfits in the current local style, and even one in a historically accurate style.

The day after the historical outfit was completed, there was huge news: a new level was discovered in the ancient ziggurat temple to Inanna, the same goddess Nigkala worshipped. Three days later, I was invited to the discovery, along with my crew. I wore the historical outfit. The lead archaeologist John Maxwell commented on the accuracy of my outfit. "Where did I buy it?"

"I didn't. I made it myself. I finished it a few days ago, as part of my effort to look my part."

"Wow. I am impressed. You have an eye for detail that any museum curator would love." John led us to the temple, and after a short briefing on the rules, led us inside. Surprisingly, this new level was taller than the others, which I quickly noticed since I didn't have to duck here. One or another archaeologist would describe what we were next to, while my crew would record everything. Sometimes, an archaeologist had me hold something they carefully put in my hands, while another described it and my crew filmed.

They described the walls as telling the story of the reappearance of Nigkala. When they made to leave, I pointed to the statue in the next room. "What about that statue?"

"What statue? You're just pointing at a wall." They started turning to walk out.

"This statue." And I walked toward it. Going through the entry seemed difficult, but I pushed against the unexpected resistance. Suddenly I felt a little dizzy.

I learned much later that they saw me walk into the wall and both the wall and I faded from sight as the hidden room was revealed. This spooked them, and it took them several days before they had the courage to enter. Nothing happened, but they found that the statue looked exactly like me, and even dressed as I had been dressed. Of me, there was no sign. They searched everywhere. Many were worried until I showed up months later.

I waited for the dizziness to pass. I turned around to wave to the others to follow me, but there was no one there. Instead, it seemed this room was surrounded by foggy walls. I thought it must be whatever made me dizzy until I heard a feminine voice say, "The evil warrior Lumiri has come to take over my city. He even boasted his champion was a better warrior than the heroine Nigkala, and dared me to bring Nigkala out of time to fight. I, the goddess Inanna, have done so, but not with the warrior he wished. I have brought you to kill his champion and then him. I shall reward you well."

I spoke to the voice and said, "I have never killed. I do not know if I can."

Inanna replied, "You have been trained to kill. I will give you the will to be the warrior I need tomorrow." Suddenly, it felt silent and empty. The fog disappeared, and with it, the soft light. I waited a few minutes in the dark, but nothing changed. So I left the room, carefully retracing my steps and going slowly, feeling my way out.

I found the ramp and got to the level's entrance. The entry was covered over. I pushed, and then pushed harder. I felt it shift before suddenly breaking open. Only a little light came, and I realized it must be night, not day, even though less than an hour ago it was mid-morning. Climbing out, I saw that the entry had been hidden by a false wall and that debris littered the floor where it broke open. I could hear sounds coming from above. It seems the sounds carried well, as I went up four stories before I came upon people chanting. When they noticed me, they cried out, almost in unison, "NIGKALA!" The chanting stopped, and they all bowed to me, before the middle-aged woman leading the chant rose up and came to me and asked if I was indeed sent by the goddess.

Their words were difficult to understand, but I quickly realized they spoke in Sumerian and not the language spoken by the people of my day. Slowly, I managed to tell them Inanna brought me here to kill Lumiri and his champion. I then told them I had difficulty understanding the language as I had learned it differently. They told me to sit, and tried to help, but it was not until the younger priestess brought out a clay tablet to remind the older priestess about the city's history, that this changed. I asked to see it, and when they handed it to me, I pointed to the first line asking what it said. With that done, I sounded out the second line, and they were surprised at my literacy. They corrected a few mistakes, so I went on to the third line. By the time I finished reading the tablet, I had learned the difference between what I knew and how it was really pronounced. I then asked when the fight would happen, and learned it would happen in the morning, a scant few hours away. I then said I should sleep, and asked for one of the ladies to show me where to relieve myself, and then to sleep. They had no place to sleep, so it being a warm night, I removed my clothes to use them as a pillow. Several gasped at seeing four breasts, but I felt it was more important to sleep.

I woke at first light, dressed, and began stretching to relieve the kinks of the night. The others soon woke, and when a voice called us, I looked at the older man, who I had learned was the king of the city. He stood proud, and waved us to follow. When the first of our group went out, there was a loud roar, with savage laughter and confident assurance we could do nothing. It got louder when King Lugalkish appeared. When I came out last, it wavered, and broke up with many wondering if I was Nigkala. The older priestess, Meinanna, guided me to stand to one side of the king, and she went to the other. A squad of warriors surrounded us, and told us to go with them. They took us to the market, but all the stalls were shoved aside to make an arena.

It was there that I first saw Lumiri. He looked shocked to see my giant figure, but quickly shrugged it off. He then spoke of how his people had invaded the town, and were in control. He then demanded surrender, but offered us a chance to fight his champion.

The king shouted, "We will fight!"

Lumiri laughed, saying "So be it!" He then called, "Bring out the mountain!" Shortly, a giant, nearly eight feet tall, and likely twice my weight, came out of the crowd. He then said, "Send forth your champion."

Without hesitation, I kicked off my shoes and dropped my purse before striding forth into the center. I replied, "I, Nigkala, shall fight for Inanna and this city!" There was much laughter and derision since my opponent had a spear, sword and armor and I had nothing. Yet there was some doubt, as my name brought fear into them as well. Calmly, I said loudly to my opponent, "Are you ready to die?"

He roared, yelling, "I shall kill you!" and then threw the spear. As I was expecting him to attack, I used my martial arts training to redirect the spear. Seeing his attack casually diverted, he ran at me intending to deliver an overhead blow.

Again, I redirected this attack, and even managed to make him fall as he went past me. I then ran to the spear, and using my foot, I flicked the spear into my hands. I then turned and faced my opponent who had collected himself and regained his feet. I called out to Lumiri, "This oaf is your champion?" As expected, there was another inarticulate cry and he came at me again. But, at least, he had learned I was no easy target, and he wanted to close with me. Each time he did, I batted away his sword and danced around him.

After a few minutes, I saw that he was tiring, so instead of dancing away, I closed and delivered a numbing blow to his sword hand. I swiftly followed that with a hit by my spear to knock the sword out of his hand. Before he could react, I tossed aside the spear and proceeded to fight hand to hand. The crowd loved this, because they thought he would use his greater power to crush me. I could tell he thought so as well as he said, "Foolish woman, now you die."

Try as he might, he could not get a grip on me, while I was delivering body blows to vital organs. It was hard with all that armor, but after one especially good kick, he staggered back and wiped his mouth. That is when everyone noticed the blood there. I said, "Who is the fool?" He growled and then waded back in with even more anger and determination. One of the first lessons my sensei had taught me was to never let your emotions get in the way of your fighting. This oaf never learned that lesson, so I continued to taunt him.

One of my later hits momentarily stunned him, and I used that to get his helmet off. I then shifted to attacks to his face more often. He moved his guard up toward his face, so I gave him full force with a kick between the legs. While he was recovering from that, I hit him hard in the ears. I saw he was quite disoriented for a few seconds, so I gave a final punch into his throat and everyone heard it crunch. He fell, gurgling and died a few seconds later. I then walked over to the spear, and flicked it up with my foot. I then cried out, "Lumiri, for your part in this -- you too shall die." I then threw the spear and gutted him, and even managed to get the point stuck into the back of the chair he sat on.

The crowd grew silent, and I let it be for a few moments before I called out, "Who will swear loyalty to this city?"

Again, it was quiet, but then there was a soft buzzing from one side. A few moments later, a squad of men came forth, stopped before me, and then went to one knee as their leader said, "We will serve this city."

I used my stare on him, and commanded, "Tell me what is truly on your heart about this service."

He replied, "I thought Lukala was the greatest warrior ever, but I was wrong. While he was larger and stronger, he clearly was not the greatest. I want to be trained by you." I then stared at the others, and they all agreed.

"Your service is accepted. Go protect King Lugalkish." I then looked out to the invaders, and asked, "Any others?"

Soon another group came, also desiring to serve the city. But this time, when I stared and asked their truth, their leader said, "I will lie in wait for you to drop your guard, and then I shall kill you."

I then rushed him and picked him up in one hand by the neck and lifted him several feet off the ground. "Your evil has killed you." I then closed my hand, crushing his throat. With the other, I grabbed his sword and rushed the others of his squad. They all died before any could stand.

I then called out, "Sire, what shall be done with the rest?"

He was quiet, then he said in a loud voice, "If you will truly serve, I will accept you. If you falsely serve, I shall kill you. If you will not serve, drop your weapons and flee or I shall surely kill you." At this, a few came forth to me to proclaim their service. I gave them my stare and learned their truth, and if it was questionable, I asked the king to decide. As I did this, most of the invaders fled. By noon, there was no more sign of invaders besides the dead bodies.

Meinanna called to me and told me to follow. I carried Lukala's sword, put my shoes on and picked up my purse. We soon came to a small tavern, where food and drink was given to us for saving the city. It was while we ate that she told me she sent Gemeinanna to prepare a place for me at the temple. After an extended meal, we wound our way back to the temple. As we traveled to the temple (a tall ziggurat) she told me about the invasion, and how it came to be.

"Are you truly Nigkala?"