however , as i regularly transported myself back into the time of his story through the use of my own emerging abilities , engrossed in the fantastic details of his vision , witnessing them to the point of being able to feel the grasses in my hand and the wind on my face , and the smell of the bison herds , i became increasingly aware of a figure lurking in the background , a presence almost unseen at first , but eventually becoming as constant and conspicuous as a buzzing gnat when it is heard , or a faint star that is seen when looking away from it instead of directly at it .