The Fates

Part of a story, that I don't know how to finish, or if I even will ever finish it.

 

It was the most beautiful thing I’d ever seen. The vibrant colors of the string of life, each so unique, blended into a living tapestry, full of energy. I was stunned. The rest of the room faded into the background. Time seemed to slow, as I drew closer to the tapestry. All I could think was that I wanted to touch it, to search out the individual strings, and follow them along their paths.

“My dear, what do you think you are doing?”

I whipped around, startled and scared to be found in a room I shouldn’t, so far away from the populated areas of the castle. The speaker was an older woman, with dirty bandages wrapped around her head, covering her eyes. She was one of the King’s three fortune tellers, the owners of the tapestry.

“My dear,” she repeated, “are you lost? This is not the place for young ladies like you.”

As she spoke, she moved towards me. Still frozen from the shock, I simply stayed where I was, looking at her with a rather stupid look on my face. My mouth might have even been open. At least, until her hand reached out and grabbed my arm. I tried to pull away, her hands icy and her grip hard, but she was strong.  I took a step back, trying to increase the distance between us.

At this, the old woman pulled me forward, away from the tapestry with such force, that I was thrown to the floor.

“Foolish child,” her voice now a screech “be careful of the strings.”

After examining the tapestry for a very long time, examining each side, and running her hand along the edges in spots, she turned back to where I still lay on the floor.

“What would you have done if they’d broken,” she asked; her voice back to its normal sound, smooth and low.

“I’m sorry,” I finally managed to say.

“Well, I suppose it’s alright, dear.” She began walking around me to a low table by the door, I hadn’t seen before. “Get up off the floor; you’ll ruin your dresses, sweet.”

How she managed to find her way around I couldn’t tell. She didn’t move like she was blind, but I had seen the bandages, knew she could have seen through them.

She pulled out a chair in invitation for me to relocate myself to the table. I did as she requested, mumbling a thanks as I sat. The chair was hard, plain wood, as was the table. There were carvings in the table though, images of three women, sometimes being prayed to, sometimes alone. It was almost as beautiful as the tapestry, but without the pulsing feeling of life.

“It’s a beautiful piece of work,” I said, referring to the table, but she seemed to infer another meaning.

“Yes, my sisters and I have been working for a long time on that, but we still have not neared the end.”

“Oh, the tapestry? Yes, it’s the most amazing thing I’ve ever seen. I’m sorry, but I meant the table before.”

She laughed at that, and moving toward the tapestry again sighed. “Yes, the table. It was a gift, from old friends.”

“Did they make it themselves?”

“I believe so. It was in celebration of a birth… or something like that. Anyway, sweet, were you looking for something?”

“Oh!” I jumped up from the table, remembering the ball that was going on, the one I had snuck out of. “I’m so sorry, no, I was just a little tired from all the noise, and went in search of fresh air. I should probably be heading back.”

“Of course, of course, the ball. Well, I won’t keep you…but, dearest?”

“Yes?”

“If I were you, I wouldn’t come back here. My sisters are not as friendly as I am; they would not be happy to find you here.”

“Yes, I’m really so sorry…I don’t know what I was thinking,” I said, as I moved to the doorway. “Well…good bye, then.”

As I was walking down the hallway, towards the sounds of the band and laughter, I thought I heard her say something in response, but I wasn’t sure, and after looking at the empty doorway, continued back to the party.

Author's Note

I would appreciate any comments or suggestions, like I said, it's kind of stuck where it is right now.

Reviews

[Aranee]

Wow. No, really, wow :D
This is a wonderful piece of writing. Very intriguing. Very mysterioso.
I like it a lot :). The Fates were also called the Moirae in Greek mythology.
You could have like a small little excerpt in the beginning of the Fates weaving the tapestry.
And you could explain what the tapestry stands for.

Are you planning on makig it into a book?
I think it would be a great story :D Just have to think up of some twisted plot.
Anyways. Happy Writings :B

Your story was great.