I remember the rain on that night. I saw how it dripped from the clouds, wetting the earth that so needed its grasp. I saw how the blood mixed in with it, creating a contrast so bold that it captured my gaze, not allowing me to let it go.
It danced with the rain, the blood changing it to a deep red. The music of their dance echoed in my ears, wrapping me in this broken pleasure of waiting. My body was so bent and bruised that the darkness of the sky had hidden the bruising of my skin in it's own darken grasp. Hours had passed of me resting in that forest. My hands had turned blue and my head felt like it was pop, the gash my side had endured finally taking a turn.
There was a muted sound. One of horror, of panic. The ground shook gently as they scrambled to me. Falling to their knees, they took me into their arms. The wind hit my face softly, pellets of rain hugging my skin as they traveled with me. They had stopped talking, choosing to bite their tongue. We were much too far out for many to hear.
My gaze was wilting with grief and exhaustion as the sky of water fell into nothing but black. When my eyes finally allowed me to awake, it was soft. The light was softly dancing from the candle next to the window. My body had been stripped of my former clothing and changed into a larger dress shirt with briefs covering my most intimate parts. The room was a cream yellow color with detailed paintings of flowers, baby breath, and bluebells. They were not colored in, simply sketched then traced onto the walls. The curtains were a white, patterned lace. The sky outside of the glassed windows was a deep, dark black making the curtains a brighter color. The four-post bed I was cradled in held golden, silkened sheets with white feathered pillows and a thick golden comforter with white flowers, daisies, sunflowers, and lilacs, stitched and sewn into the softness and comforting warmth of the blanket. The four-postered bed had silk the color of pure gold draped like a flag on the top, gently reaching towards me.
The haze hovering over my senses felt like a cloud that had taken them. Was this part of the undead? Where those of dead travel? With effort I pulled my hand from under the golden comfort, placing it over my chest, still feeling the numb cry of my heart. I was living and was seeming to be in a heavenly place.
I pulled my back from the plush mattress, feeling a sudden shock travel my body. I lifted my new shirt, seeing cotton bandages wrap around my midriff, slightly stained by a crimson splotch that was slowly growing. Ah. Despite the painful throbs of my side, I escaped from the warmth of the bed, my feet cold from the...marble floor? I looked down, the ground was a brown marble with golden markings.
I traveled around the room. The table by the bed had three books, two of each written in Latin while one was in french. There was a chest by the bottom of the bed, barred with an iron lock. The table by the window, which had a white lace tablecloth, had nothing but the small twitching candle and a swan feathered pen.
Next to the dark wood door, there was a dresser. I opened it, discovering it held gowns and dress shirts of all kinds. Silken, lace and cotton. Down the last door, a chamber of clothing was filled with beautiful gowns and dress shirts. I allowed myself out of the room, candle gently in hand, leaving the golden room in favor for the darkly lit hallway.
The hallway had windows to the right reaching to the ceiling, which was very high up and had a domed, dark marble roof. I walked forward, each window spaced about six feet apart and there were a number of them down this long hallway. To the left, was some kind of balcony, with marble beams leading to the roof, and with a dark marble fence all around. Looking over the balcony, I saw the ground level of this castle-like building. It was quite far, if I had jumped it would have hurt exponentially. I walked, keeping my hand on the balcony railing to steady myself, as my side was being a horrible nuisance. I walked the cold floor until I met a staircase, one that led me to the ground level. I cautiously walked down and once I got to the platform before heading down the next steps, I saw another staircase. It was reaching towards my own being, leading itself to the stone platform that I was standing on.
I sighed deeply, causing the candle to shudder. Standing there, watching as the candlewick bounced on its wax pedestal, I heard a piano playing a gorgeous melody. It echoed through the marble walls and made me jump slightly. I knew the song immediately. It was Clair De Lune, one of the songs that I memorized for hearing my mother hum it to me as a babe.
My feet padded down the stairs, searching for the source. My side aches but my heart leapt as something here was familiar to me, I just needed to find the source.
My ears led me into a hallway to the left of the stairs. My source of light threatened to go out as I ran as best I could down the cold hallway. The pain in my side sharpened bringing tears to my eyes, blurring my vision. As I ran, the sky outside of the square windows lit up the halls, golden beams cast through and my eyes brightened as my eyes fell upon a room, the one where the music was coming from.
Grasping the handle, I opened the door, music filling my senses as a man stopped playing, only to look up at me and have his face glow with everlasting joy.
