Moonlit Sonata
The luminescent rays of moonlight cut a swathe through the damp fog of night. A small lantern was clutched in the palm of a boy of about eighteen years, illuminating the forgotten pathway with a radiant sliver of light. With each step the boy took, his feet grew lighter, and his will to finish his journey grew ever more present. It had taken many years to finally reach this point, and he would not let his destination slip through his fingers like grains of sand.
The rocks of the pathway were ethereal in origin, and shone with a lustrous glow, the ground was unyielding under his feet, overgrown with vines and littered with debris from years upon years of neglect. He had stopped for a short moment to gather his thoughts when a shimmering specter beckoned softly in the distance, inviting him into the dark twilight of the place beyond the path. He shrugged the specter’s invitation off lightly. He had heard of the legends of this place long ago, and would not be made a fool by entities that saw him as a plaything.
As the path grew narrower with each step, the cloudiness of the wood let up gingerly, seeming to grant the traveler reprieve as his journey was nearing its end. Finally his objective appeared softly over the horizon. It was a building of more centuries than I could ever imagine, a castle of Gothic origin that towered over the forest like a benevolent god, a being of flesh and blood had not inhabited it in quite some time, that much was clear.
It had been long kept in a state of neglect and disrepair, the granite long chipped and cracked, the stained glass broken and faded from the elements, however a lone flag still hung from the topmost tower, its ripped canvas blowing softly in the wind, as it had for millennia before.
The traveler stopped to stare at the marvelous beauty of the structure, its visage burning deeply into his mind. He knew this was the place he spent so long searching for. He was drawn to it for obvious reasons, but it felt as though a strange power was calling for him, calling him to enter its large ebony doors. As he took the final steps towards the entryway, he extended a hand cautiously, running his fingers delicately across the fine wood of the door, it hummed with a life unseen to the naked eye, it was if a strong force emanated from the structure, calling all wayward folk to discover the secrets within.
He took a deep breath, and held it.
He pressed his hand into the door, and pushed it open, the monolith screeched to life as if it were a sleeping beast, then as the gateway pulled to a halt, he could see the inside for the first time. It was a parlor room decorated with such grandeur that it would not be rare to see it today in the private residences of royalty. The brilliant red carpet accentuated the room with a bright splash of color that the solid stone walls so sorely lacked. Tapestries and painting littered the hall, each one tastefully placed and standing tall, not a single one was cracked or in disarray.
The stares of the paintings filled the traveler with a sick feeling in his gut, their dead eyes cutting deep into the fabric of his soul, he knew the people painted were long deceased, but their confident smiles made it seem as they still inhabited the manor.
Each step from then on was agony, the wood beneath the carpet creaked loudly with every step, and he feared that something that lied in waiting in the darkness could possibly hear him. He tried not to concentrate on his irrational fears, he had something to finish, and he didn’t care if the devil himself stood in his way.
At the end of the foreboding hallway laid a small golden pedestal, its elegance and shimmer untouched by the dinge and decay that had befallen its dwelling. At the top of the pedestal sat a small trophy box, free from age and rot, it looked as though it had been dusted that very day. Behind the glass of the box lain a Necklace, its links created from the finest sapphires and held together with white gold threading, it was a feat of luxurious engineering that even would be revered today.
The necklace called out for him to touch it, it was if it had a strong grip on his consciousness, drawing the traveler ever closer to it, he knew that he shouldn’t dare touch it, but the urge was far too strong for him to handle.
With a solid step, he closed the distance between himself and the golden stand, he was so close to his prize that he could almost taste it, it had eluded him for so many decades, and now was so near that it almost froze him in place.
After a lengthy moment of longing, he reached out softly; caressing the stones with his fingers, and that was the last thing he saw.
A new place and time.
The traveler awoke with a headache that could tremble even the strongest of men; he appeared to be in a vibrant forest, the sounds of birds and wildlife all around him. The first thing that struck him as odd was the shade of green that once enveloped his senses, it was no longer the dark earthy green that he had remembered, but was now an almost sickening shade of lime.
He no longer felt as though he had to be vigilant within the wood, it was as if the trees themselves protected him within their domain. It was like as if a vigor unknown to him defended this place from creatures of ill intent.
Feeling safe within his thoughts, he trekked forwards, following the sound of rushing water he had heard off in the distance. After a considerable amount of walking, the sound of hastening liquid was almost all he could hear, subsequently after stepping through a tiny clearing in the trees; he was face to face with a roaring mouth of a river. The water was of such clarity that it was jarring, as if pollution had never even once come close to touching the majestic beauty of the area.
He took a knee and extended his hands into the water, cupping them lightly. Filling his hands with the clear elixir, he brought them to his mouth and gulped quickly, it had been so long since he was blessed with a cool drink, but it was he saw next that made his blood run cold.
Off on the other side of the river, was a woman of such beauty of such resplendence it froze him in place, her olive skin was taut and accented the muscles she showcased proudly. Her hair was that of a rainbow, each strand a different glittering shade of gorgeous color. She wore an outfit that was similar to a suit one would wear for athletic training; however she had foregone a top, instead preferring a bright blue sports bra to pair with the somewhat baggy pants.
He was in awe of her, and had resigned to watching her from a distance; she was deeply involved with her physical fitness, that much was obvious. As she had apparently come all of this way to train undisturbed.
Although honestly he did not know what he meant by all of this way, he had no idea where he could possibly be, for all he knew, they were both a couple of hundred feet from a highway. But that seemed very far-fetched, as no sounds of traffic permeated the thick forest. Perhaps the woods existed in a world of their own
.
No, no that’s just silly. Of course not, he had to be around some form of modern civilization, there was just no possible way that he and this woman were the only two inhabitants of the area. He struggled with the thought of introducing himself to her, but as he ran all of the possibilities of their chance first encounter, he felt it was better to stick to himself for the time being.
With a final look back at the girl, he took a step backward and trudged deeper into the wood, if he was responsible for all creation, why couldn’t he remember this place?
He would find where the artifact had taken him, if it was the last thing he managed to do.
Thank You, and Goodnight.
