There is a marble platform centered on four white pillars that stretch downward forever, obscured by cloud and mist, hanging in the void of space. It is the last concrete form of existence in this plane at the end of all worlds. Countless lifeforms, trillions beyond trillions, huddle clustered together at the outer edges-- for, in the center the platform is sloped inward, to the mouth of a vast, dark hole. I watch as a seal, hissing, is pulled down toward the inevitable. It flails desperately to regain ground, and in doing so, knocks the girl next to it down the slope as well. Together they plummet toward the creeping darkness, screaming the same fear in their separate native tongues.
At the last moment, the girl manages to grab ahold of something at the edge of the Pit-- a small bit of shrubbery, perhaps-- while the seal goes sailing past her into the darkness, I leap from my place as an observer in the sky and plummet toward the girl. I know I must rescue her. Just as I reach her, however, the branch snaps, and she falls. I have no chance but to fly down after and hope to catch her. As I emerge below, the scene changes. I look above me-- there is the locked, tangible, wooden face of a trapdoor. I am holding a small oil lamp, and lift it before me to see a series of steps leading ever downward. Horrible smells, and the faint echo of screams, waft up from the below. As I go farther down, the steps seem to increase in size and roughness, so that soon I am climbing backwards down a steep ravine, then traipsing along a flat meadow-like land filled with dead flowers, then descending upon a cliff once more. There are strange carvings in the stone which make for good, deep footholds, but are occasionally filled with slime or seem to pierce so deeply into the rock that a cave-dweller could make them his home. It is unearthly, to say the least.
Wails of banshee terror grow in intensity as I descend, and I almost feel as if they are coming from the rock itself. I decide not to climb, but rather fly down more quickly, since the girl fell rather fast, and may not have found the steps, and may be falling still... I would hate to think of her body, broken on whatever ground this Abyss must eventually have, all because I could not catch her in time. Suddenly, a giant wall of flames rears up before me, blinding me. The glass of my lantern shatters. I drop it in surprise, and try to shield my face from the heat, searching for a way out of the Maze of the Beast which has arisen from the flames. I am beginning to feel a little out of my depth.
Then, I see Him. He comes from a door on the left, and cools the flames in his path as he walks. Beside him is the girl. She clutches something tightly in her hands, and tears stand shining in her eyes as she gazes up at the Man. He stops in front of a studded bronze door, turns to hug her, then pushes it open. A sharp cacophony of yowls and cackles and screams issues forth, then it is closed again.
The girl, shuddering, turns away, and notices me. "Hello?" she asks cautiously. "Who is there?" I step closer to her, now the flames have died down and I can safely walk. I lift up my hands in a sign of peace.
"My name is the Dream Weaver, but you can call me Art. I followed you here because I wanted to make sure you were okay. But, I see your Friend has already taken care of that."
She sniffles, wipes her nose on her sleeve. "He was so brave. He found me when they were about to tear me apart and just commanded them to stop and they did. Then, He spoke to the Beast and got him to accept His life as repayment instead of mine. I will never forget what he did for me." She unfolds her hands, and in the center of her palms lies a small, golden key. Suddenly, the stairs behind me start crashing down, dust filling the air. When it clears, a golden door stands tall, shining with an even more unearthly light.
I want to follow the girl, to make sure it is not merely another trap, but the calm in her eyes convinces me this is a real goodness. I bid her farewell, and take the secret tunnel exit behind the door that leads back to my own realm. I sit on my hammock, mulling over the things I have seen, and wondering whether the end of our Universe will come about in a similar fashion. And whether I, too, will someday get to walk through the Golden Door...
No comments:
Post a Comment