Post by kumar on Jan 5, 2010 21:02:24 GMT -4
Lenore fell quickly into sleep, her immediate challenges and worries dealt with for the time being, and a strange sense of hollowness swallowing her as she drifted off.
Her concerns, however, demanded her attention, even in her sleep.
~She walked quietly through the streets of her native city, the beautiful halls and elegant spires glittering in the moonlight. She ran her hand over the smooth stone bricks, and took in the marvelous smells of the desert night. In their aviaries, birds of many exotic kinds sang their full-throated and joyous songs. The street side menageries hummed with the dying activity of the day, and the crescent moon bathed the world in a blue-white glow, despite the last failing rays of the sun peeking over the western horizon.
Languidly, Lenore slowly wandered the streets, the sheen from her sari capturing her eye in direct contrast to the dark skin and glowing sari of the matching figure that walked beside her. Lauja, in her brilliant blue gown, smiled over at Lenore, holding her hand out as she used to when they were both just the merchant's daughters. Lenore happily grasped her sister's hand, and was led through the streets calmly, but with a growing sense of urgency. Down one road and through an alley, and then back up the main boulevard, they traveled to the magnificent buildings at the crest of the dunes.
Lauja urged Lenore to start climbing, telling her of danger nearby, and the need for haste. So, obediently and with rising frantic heartbeat, Lenore began the long climb. Mismatched bits of the stone steps reached out, tearing her sari and revealing her training outfit underneath, the dull greens, grays and browns peeking through. Lauja yelled to her to ignore them, and so faster she climbed. It seemed that no matter her speed or determination, the peak of the steps did not come any closer to her, nor she them. She started using her hands to help her climb, all four limbs pushing off in steady rhythm in her flight to the peak.
Suddenly, she realized Lauja's voice had stopped. She turned to look back over her shoulder as she fled, breathing raggedly and the pain in her chest nearly unbearable from her heartbeat. As she glanced back, Lauja's form was overcome with a melting black ink, falling into the bends and folds in her skin, pooling in her eyes and dripping from her limbs. Lenore turned back, and redoubled her effort, noticing now that she ran on not hands and feet, but four inky black paws, and for a moment, she feared the same substance that had taken her sister had begun to corrupt her with it's evil.
It was in this panic that the world came clear to her in a sudden blinding flash.
The stones were tablets.
The tablets bore names.
A list of the dead.
And her sister still chased her.
She finally crested the peak, only to find that where once had stood the most glorious palace in the land, now there stood a small, run-down farmhouse shack. Lenore gazed at it in horror, for she knew what she would find in there. Blood on the walls and floor. Every belonging smashed, ripped, or overturned. Fire damage on the roof and along one entire wall. Pictures torn and half-burned. The body of a young girl. No survivors.
Behind her, she could feel her sister gaining on her, and she knew there was no other place to hide. Without another word, she hurled herself through the doorway, the last straggling bits of her sari streaming through after her, leaving threads and patches on the bent and broken doorframe.
But inside, she did not find what she had expected. Inside, there was a single shaft of moonlight coming in through the broken roof. A pedestal stood in the middle of a room that looked as though it had been abandoned for decades. A tablet stood out on the pedestal. The words came preternaturally clear to her in the dream.
The heir returns.
The stone cries out.
Blood flows.
Earth moves.
Safety flees.
Save the seeds.
With a cry, Lenore fell to her knees, and the world around her went black.~
In her bed, Lenore tossed and turned in the dark and empty room. Soon, she started crying out, rising to a full scream within a matter of minutes as she tried to fight back, her belongings tangling dangerously around her in her sleep.
Her concerns, however, demanded her attention, even in her sleep.
~She walked quietly through the streets of her native city, the beautiful halls and elegant spires glittering in the moonlight. She ran her hand over the smooth stone bricks, and took in the marvelous smells of the desert night. In their aviaries, birds of many exotic kinds sang their full-throated and joyous songs. The street side menageries hummed with the dying activity of the day, and the crescent moon bathed the world in a blue-white glow, despite the last failing rays of the sun peeking over the western horizon.
Languidly, Lenore slowly wandered the streets, the sheen from her sari capturing her eye in direct contrast to the dark skin and glowing sari of the matching figure that walked beside her. Lauja, in her brilliant blue gown, smiled over at Lenore, holding her hand out as she used to when they were both just the merchant's daughters. Lenore happily grasped her sister's hand, and was led through the streets calmly, but with a growing sense of urgency. Down one road and through an alley, and then back up the main boulevard, they traveled to the magnificent buildings at the crest of the dunes.
Lauja urged Lenore to start climbing, telling her of danger nearby, and the need for haste. So, obediently and with rising frantic heartbeat, Lenore began the long climb. Mismatched bits of the stone steps reached out, tearing her sari and revealing her training outfit underneath, the dull greens, grays and browns peeking through. Lauja yelled to her to ignore them, and so faster she climbed. It seemed that no matter her speed or determination, the peak of the steps did not come any closer to her, nor she them. She started using her hands to help her climb, all four limbs pushing off in steady rhythm in her flight to the peak.
Suddenly, she realized Lauja's voice had stopped. She turned to look back over her shoulder as she fled, breathing raggedly and the pain in her chest nearly unbearable from her heartbeat. As she glanced back, Lauja's form was overcome with a melting black ink, falling into the bends and folds in her skin, pooling in her eyes and dripping from her limbs. Lenore turned back, and redoubled her effort, noticing now that she ran on not hands and feet, but four inky black paws, and for a moment, she feared the same substance that had taken her sister had begun to corrupt her with it's evil.
It was in this panic that the world came clear to her in a sudden blinding flash.
The stones were tablets.
The tablets bore names.
A list of the dead.
And her sister still chased her.
She finally crested the peak, only to find that where once had stood the most glorious palace in the land, now there stood a small, run-down farmhouse shack. Lenore gazed at it in horror, for she knew what she would find in there. Blood on the walls and floor. Every belonging smashed, ripped, or overturned. Fire damage on the roof and along one entire wall. Pictures torn and half-burned. The body of a young girl. No survivors.
Behind her, she could feel her sister gaining on her, and she knew there was no other place to hide. Without another word, she hurled herself through the doorway, the last straggling bits of her sari streaming through after her, leaving threads and patches on the bent and broken doorframe.
But inside, she did not find what she had expected. Inside, there was a single shaft of moonlight coming in through the broken roof. A pedestal stood in the middle of a room that looked as though it had been abandoned for decades. A tablet stood out on the pedestal. The words came preternaturally clear to her in the dream.
The heir returns.
The stone cries out.
Blood flows.
Earth moves.
Safety flees.
Save the seeds.
With a cry, Lenore fell to her knees, and the world around her went black.~
In her bed, Lenore tossed and turned in the dark and empty room. Soon, she started crying out, rising to a full scream within a matter of minutes as she tried to fight back, her belongings tangling dangerously around her in her sleep.