"It was a gateway to another realm..."

The journey begins.

 

*

 

 

    It was a little girl that beckoned me. 

She was a
waif, a thin child in a thin dress with cold fingers
reaching out for me, and nothing on her small nimble
feet. 

Feet that … didn’t quite touch the ground.
“It is time,” she urged, her eyes wide, bright, and
blue, as she touched my wool sleeve.  She smelled
sweet; like fruit and flowers.
 

I cannot remember if I was asleep and had been
stirred by her soft voice, or if all the while I had
been awake, or if indeed it was the most likely; a
daydream in a park. 

All I was aware of was that the
picture slipped from my lap and a breeze brushed the
dry leaves from my tear-streaked face as I got to my
feet without a word and hurried after her.

 

  

*                *                *                *                *  
   

 

  Tiny colorful lights twinkled around her bare feet as
she ran, and they left a trail that touched me like
tiny raindrops but did not make me wet. 

They glowed
brighter as they rose up to circle around my hands
like little butterflies, and then flew past, so that
as I glanced back I could see a shimmering rainbow
leading away from us over the grass.
 A small hand clasped my fingers and tugged gently. 

“Hurry, hurry!  It is time.”
 

The world was changing.  The sky no longer a dull
autumn evening sky, but a light shade of purple and
pink, and the sun glowing warm and orange like an
omelet in wisps of milky white clouds. 

And the trees
around us grew larger and larger, slowly surrounding
us, boughs and branches stretched out like arms
holding out amber leafed blankets that swept the air
above us, whispering the tune of a song I could barely
hear even though it still reached me, sweet music
falling and then snatched away like so, so brief
stolen kisses drizzled into my ears.
 

We came to a curtain of leaves and flowers held up by
the trees' overhanging branches. 

It shifted when stirred by
the breeze, a wall of entwined and interwoven
vine-like green and violet stems beneath the fabric of
flowers. 

It was a gateway to another realm.  I, who had
never crossed this path before, knew this.  Could feel it.
She knew I could, and she watched me as I slowly
reached out to touch a yellow rose’s petal. 

It melted away to nothing in my fingers, reappearing once
more as I withdrew my hand.
 

 

Reviews

[Lauren Xena Campbell]

Beautiful, and very poetic introduction. You have me keen to read more; curious as to what lay beyond this 'gateway to another realm'. The centred text added to the effect of your writing, making me feel like I'm reading from an old tome, with it's pages crisp brown, and calligraphy strewn across it like a drawing of words.

The transaction between the two worlds sounds in my mind very pretty and magical. Your descriptions are vivid and grant wondrous splendour. I commend you for your wonderful beginning. I shall look forward to reading more and am defiantly interested in this little girl who seemingly walks on air. Wonderful! And happy writing!

[Ice QueenJen]

It does sound like a dream- so far so good too.