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Match C
Jun 18, 2010 5:08:09 GMT -5
Post by James on Jun 18, 2010 5:08:09 GMT -5
Entry One [/center] Alice came groggily too, pulling her long blond hair out of her freckled face with an uncooperative hand. She sat up and leaned against something, although she could not see it to identify it. With a scrub of closed fists she tentatively opened her stark blue eyes before blinking quickly and closing them again. She rolled her tongue around her dry mouth, which felt like it had been stuffed with cotton. "I heard somebody talking out there?" she groaned, wishing the befuddled feeling would disappear. "Who's there?"
"Nobody," the innocent voice returned. It sounded young and soft, and not far away from her ear. It made Alice jump a little then regret having moved. Everything seemed to ache from her head down to her toes, yet she had not worked out or done anything strenuous.
"There is quite obviously somebody there or else there would have been no answer." A hint of irritation showed behind her voice but she tried to hide it. Her eyes were slowly coming in to focus to reveal a forest. The trees went so far and deep that Alice could not see any sign of humanity. The trees were huge too, not the kind you find back home, and covered in a thick carpet of lush, dark green, moss. Flowers sprouted every few inches of all sorts of colors, stripes and patterns. Alice had never seen an itty, bitty, yellow and purple dotted daisy before and had quickly decided that she'd rather not see one too, since it obviously meant she was far from home.
"There you go buggering it up again! Typical! Wood nymphs - all the same!" Alice heard the tiny chastizing voice on the other side of her head.
"It's not like you helped the situation!" The original voice defended itself. "Yeah!" Another piped in. Just how many were there? Alice wondered; and where were they for that matter?
"Quit bickering! Where am I? Where are you? What on Earth is going on!" Alice lost her cool. She wanted answers and not a bunch of bickering nothings that she still could not see. Her head whipped from side to side, causing the blond hair to fly, trying to catch a sight of where the voices were coming from. Silently she prayed that they were coming from somewhere and not just inside her head - for if they were inside her head then things were obviously a lot more dire than she could have ever imagine.
"Sweetheart, I don't know how to say this, so I'm just gonna say it. You not on Earth any more ... and we're fairies."
The words didn't register for Alice for a few moments. “Fae...but, I...” She realized she was babbling like an idiot, but she didn't care too much at the moment. “Not on Earth...but...what?”
“Oh, dear,” one of the high, tiny voices said. “You've gone and confused her, Natae, the poor thing.”
“But...how? This can't be real...” Alice managed to get out, finally realizing what had just been said to her.
“It can, and it is!” a voice cried indignantly.
“Why? Where am I, anyways? Who are...”
“Shhh,” one of the voices said, right at her ear now. “If you slow down, we can answer all your questions.”
“But we don't know anything!” chirped another one of the faeries, Alice supposed. They all sounded alike to her, and their voices came from everywhere.
“Don't tell her that, you simpleton!”
“Wood nymphs, I tell you! They're all morons!” The bantering between the two seemed playful to Alice, and not like these faeries were angry at these wood nymphs.
“Wait, wait, wait!” Alice almost screamed. At once, the voices all quieted. “Can you all show yourselves first?”
“But we're right here!” said one.
“Yeah! Look around, look around!” Alice looked around her, and saw nothing still. Maybe her eyes were still working against her?
“Where?” she asked, her voice getting slightly more panicked.
“D'oh! I forgot!” To Alice's stunned disbelief, one of the orange and red striped flowers on her left began to change shape. Its rounded petals folded back, and from the center of the flower emerged what appeared to be one of the smallest humans ever. Her wings were fluttering madly to keep her in the air and stable, but she didn't seem to have any difficulty with keeping the flapping up. She had long, golden hair, and her eyes seemed to shine like the full moon on a clear, winter night. Her skin was quite fair, and she bore no clothes. Normally, Alice would have been concerned with this, but today she did not bother. A tiny being, no bigger than Alice's hand, was flying around right in front of her eyes. For some reason, she did not care if creature wasn't decent.
“Hello there!” the faerie smiled brightly as she spoke. “I am Natae! And you are?”
As she spoke, more faeries began to emerge from the flowers and plants from around her. Some even came from the tree trunks themselves. They were much greener in coloring, with leaves stuck in their hair. The Wood Nymphs, perhaps? They eyed Alice curiously as they zipped around her on their small, dainty wings.
“I'm...I'm...” Alice tried to begin a sentence, but she was still shocked by what she was seeing. It had a certain...charm to it all, even if she was still very confused. She gulped, took a deep breath, and began again. “I'm Alice...”
“Well, hello, Alice!” the faeries all chanted in time with one another. This caused Alice to giggle a bit, and all the faeries around her to giggle as well. Suddenly, Alice remembered where she was, and frowned thoughtfully.
“This must be a dream, I guess...” she said, half to herself.
“I certainly hope not!” Natae exclaimed cheerfully, oblivious to Alice's current state.
“Wait, what if this IS a dream!” one of the green faeries shouted frantically. She began touching herself, grabbing her hair and face, and pinching her arms. Finally, once she was absolutely, positively certain that she was, in fact, real, she sighed in relief.
“Oh, don't mind Jesana. She's a Wood Nymph,” Natae stated, matter-o-factly. The one called Jesana wagged her finger at Natae, and the rest of the faeries burst out laughing. Jesana joined in as well. No one seemed to know what they were laughing at. Alice smiled a bit, but then got back to business.
“Please...” Alice implored. “If...if this isn't a dream, I'd like to know why I'm...well, here. Wherever here is.”
“I'm sorry, sweetheart, but I'm afraid I can't really answer either question,” Natae answered sadly, sympathizing with Alice's plight.
“You...but...” Alice stammered. “Certainly, you know where we are, right? I mean, you live here!”
“Well, we don't really have a name for this place,” Natae explained. “It's simply the world to us.”
Alice was confused. If these mythical creatures didn't even know where they lived, how could she ever expect to get out?
“The Lady, she might know more. We could take you to her!”
“Yeah, yeah, the Lady, the Lady!” another fairy sang. Within seconds all of them were singing “We'll take her to the Lady, to the Lady!”. Alice couldn't help it. She began to giggle again. Her initial feelings of this place were becoming drowned out with a more prominent emotion: happiness. She was still confused, but, somehow, she felt at peace. This almost seemed like a second home. If this was a dream, it was a good dream.
“Who is this Lady?” she asked, looking for a break in the singing and her own laughing. The name seemed very beautiful, and it was fun to say, so she decided to say it to herself a few more times, to test the sound of it.
Natae giggled and said, “The Lady is our beloved leader! She is the spirit of the Forest, and of the lands beyond. She is this world, and we are all apart of her!”
Alice smiled. Her initial fear was now all but gone, as if it had been sucked out of her. “Well then, I suppose we should go see her. Can you lead the way?”
The faeries all nodded and motioned her to follow, and then they were off. Alice hurriedly got to her feet, and while she had trouble keeping herself balanced at first, she was soon off, chasing after the departing faeries through the brush. She only caught glimpses of them while she raced to catch up, but their laughs filled the air and made it almost impossible not to follow.
As she ran, she took the opportunity to glance quickly at her surroundings. Everything seemed...different, yet somehow the same. More beautiful, yet similar. Flowers were every different colour you could imagine, while the trees rose higher than she could see. She caught glimpses of animals darting here and there. Rabbits hopped along while squirrels raced each other up trees and branches. It was the most amazing thing ever. She found herself laughing along with the faeries as she attempted to catch up.
Suddenly, she found herself in a large clearing. At the center was a small pond, surrounded by rocks and tall grass on all sides. Alice slowed as she entered the glade, and over the grass she saw frogs jumping into the pond and a naked woman laying by the water, gazing into its depths with a smile on her face. The faeries flew to her and she listened intently as they spoke. She turned her gaze onto Alice, who blushed. The woman rose and approached her.
Alice was stunned. The girl was just...so beautiful. She had long, brown hair, big blue eyes, fair skin, and the most radiant smile Alice had ever seen. She moved with a grace Alice did not think existed. Alice was not embarrassed that the girl wore no clothes. Seeing this woman filled Alice with a kind of joy she did not think existed.
“I am the Lady,” she said, in a crystal clear voice. All other sounds in the forest became quiet as soon as she spoke, as if all revered her, even the animals and plants. The faeries settled down on the ground, or on tree branches, and listened quietly to the exchange. “I am told you are Alice. Would I be correct?”
Alice smiled and said, “Yes, Lady, that is my name.”
“Excellent. I am told you came to me seeking answers. I will provide them, if I may here the questions.”
Alice was confused for a second, then remembered what the Lady was talking about. Of course. She still wanted to know why she was here, wherever here was, even if she no longer wished to leave as much. “Well, you see, Lady, I'm not entirely sure how I came here...”
“Say no more. I know you now.” The Lady walked right up to Alice, and brushed aside one blonde lock. She stared intently at Alice, and Alice back at her, then she backed up slowly. “At first I thought you maybe a spirit of her imagining...but no, you are her. I may answer only a few of your questions. In time, you will know your purpose here. I can, however, tell you where we are.”
“Where is that, Lady? The faeries told me this isn't Earth,” Alice said. You are her? What did that mean?
“They are partly correct,” the Lady said, with a sly grin. “In actuality, we are inside your own mind, Alice.”
“My...mind? So, this is only a dream then?”
“You could say that, though it wouldn't be entirely accurate. Instead of seeing this, you are living it.” Seeing the befuddled look on Alice's face, she placed a warm, comforting hand on her shoulder. “If it is a dream, it is an important dream. You are here because you need to be.”
“What do you mean?” Alice asked.
“A few weeks back, a terrible event threw your life off balance. The death of one close to you. Do you remember?”
Alice remembered. She may have broke down crying if she wasn't in such a location that seemed to inspire happiness in everything and everyone. Instead, she simply said, “Yes...I remember.” Dad...
“Since your father's death, you have not been yourself. I have brought you here so that you may experience happiness once more.”
“So...I'm better now? I can go back and be happy again?” Alice didn't know if she would still feel this way after leaving this place. A part of her didn't want to go.
“No, unfortunately,” the Lady said, her smile becoming slightly sad. “Your time here will not be over, I'm afraid. Soon, you must leave this part of your dream, and go on to the next, and finally the third. Afterward, you will understand your purpose here.”
“I still don't understand,” Alice said, worry creeping into her voice. She still remained happy and glad, but something told her she wouldn't for long. What kind of dream was this? What was the next part? “Who are you, anyways? A figment of my imagination?”
The Lady smiled and began to speak. Her voice filled the air from everywhere, not only from the lips of the beautiful woman in front of Alice, but from the faeries as well, from the frogs in the pond, from the birds in the sky. The voice came from them all, a crystal, clear voice, whose words would be etched in Alice's memory for all time. “I am joy. I am happiness and contentment. I am excitement, delight, and laughter. But most of all, I am you, and you are me.”
And without warning, a great blinding flash sent Alice reeling.
***
Alice opened her eyes for the second time, and gradually, her vision began to come into focus. Looking around her, she saw what seemed to be the complete opposite of the beautiful forest she had just left.
All around her were sickly, dying trees. Their trunks were blackened and crippled, with ooze seeping out of huge, gashing wounds. The ground was charred, barren of any life. The sky was red and rain was falling heavy upon the ground. From the distance, Alice could hear wailing over the tempest. The screams tore at her heart, and she got up, realizing that she had to find out where she was. It was obvious there would be no faeries to guide her through this place.
Her feelings of happiness were gone. Now she was terrified. An aura of sadness seemed to hang over this place like a dark, oppressing shadow. What was she supposed to do here? Should she cry for help? No, that would be stupid. She didn't know what kind of...things were here. Maybe...
“This isn't the place for one such as you.”
Startled, Alice jumped and turned around. She was horrified to see a ghastly, robed figure, floating gently a foot above the ground. She could see right through him. The air around him was freezing, and Alice shuddered a bit.
“Well, out with it girl. What brings you here?” asked the ghost. When she remained silent, the ghost continued, in his hollow, echoing voice. “Afraid? Don't you worry, girl, nothing to be afraid of. That is, if you're dead.”
Alice finally worked up the courage to talk. “I...please, sir...or, ghost, where am I?”
“Doesn't even know where she is...” the ghost muttered to himself, not answering the girl directly. Alice really wish she could be rid of this place. She was fighting a compelling battle not to burst into tears at the moment. Her blonde hair was matted against her head and her clothes clung to her body for dear life. She was soaking. “Well, girl, I suppose I can help you. Come with me, then.” With that, he floated off into the dead forest. Alice stood there for a few moments, not knowing whether she should follow, then decided she didn't have much of a choice. She jogged after him.
“Please...what are those awful screams? Who are you? Where...”
“One question at a time, girl. You're giving me a headache, and I'm dead. I am a spirit, a ghost. My life was one of pain and misery, and so my death mirrors how I lived. I am doomed to float through this landscape until the end of time,” he said sadly. “Those screams you hear are the tortured souls of the damned, who are doomed to suffer eternally for crimes committed.”
“So, am I...dead?” Alice asked, not wanting to hear the answer.
“I don't rightly know,” the ghost answered, his dead voice betraying no emotion. “You don't look dead. We shall ask the Lord. Perhaps he will know.”
“The Lord?” Alice asked. She was beginning to notice a few similarities to her previous dream. What could that mean?
“Yes, the Lord. The very lands are shaped by his malice, his anger, and his pain. Everything in this realm is a part of him.”
“Like the Lady...” Alice muttered to herself. The ghost turned to face her.
“Lady?”
“Oh, nothing...never mind.”
The ghost nodded and continued, Alice in tow. Something about this place just made her want to lay down and weep. Weep for all that she had lost...her father...
But the Lady said she would know her purpose here in time, and that she would need to go through two more “dreams”. The Lord would likely tell her more. She had to follow the ghost.
They crossed a bridge over a poisoned, green river. Alice stared into the river and realized that something was staring back. A corpse... She jumped back away from the river and ran off the bridge. The ghost paid her no mind. Everywhere she looked now, she could see skulls or bones littering the ground. Sometimes, she would think she had seen her father's face right in front of her, but the images quickly disappeared. She wished nothing more than to leave this place. Tears were racing down her cheeks. Alice had to get out of here.
Finally, the ghost stopped and pointed one ethereal finger ahead of him. “There,” he spoke, and Alice looked to where he gestured. Her disgust and horror at what she saw made the other atrocities seen here pale in comparison. In the center of a glade was a huge throne made of stone. It sat atop a huge mound of skulls and bones, as well as dismembered body parts. Upon the throne, a frightening figure looked at Alice with disdain, his green eyes piercing Alice's soul to see right into her. He looked to be a corpse, for he had huge wounds in his stomach and sides, and a great deal of flesh had been ripped off from his face. His skin was gray and wrinkled, and he bore no clothes. Alice felt dirty just being near him, as if the air around him were infected with some sort of awful disease. When he spoke, she thought at first her eyes were being assaulted by the sound of a dying frog.
“What is this little thing you bring to me, spirit?”
“This girl has come here against her will. She appears to be alive, and would like answers.”
“And it thinks I would provide them?” The corpse chuckled, which sounded more like a wracking cough to Alice. “Tell me, creature, why would you interrupt my rest?”
Alice searched for the right words as she stood, rooted to the spot. She suddenly broke into a sweat, and gulped before replying. “I...have come here seeking the Lord.” It was the best she could do.
“You have found him, thing. Approach.” She did so, but not of her own accord. It was as if something had taken over her body and was forcing her to move towards the throne. She stopped at the foot of the pile of dead bodies and the Lord's eyes flared to a blinding, green fire as he studied her, as if searching inside her. After several moments, the fire subsided, and his eyes returned to normal.
“So, that is what you are, creature. A lost soul, seeking guidance from your dreams. Pitiful.” He stood up and walked down from his throne to the ground, and stood right in front of Alice. “Your father passed a month ago. From his death, your life turned to sadness. This,” he gestured around him, “this is your work.”
“My...my work?” Alice asked, confused. “What do you mean?”
“You have not been in control of yourself, thing. Your weak mind has not been able to control your emotions, your thoughts. You have brought this realm into being.”
“But...no!” Alice began to cry. “No, that can't be...no! This is all inside my head...”
“That does not make it any less real, fool.”
“You don't know me...this place isn't me! I...I wouldn't make something like this...like you!”
The Lord chuckled. “Oh, you are very wrong, Alice. Very, very wrong.” His eyes flared again, and this time, his voice came not only from the corpse in front of her, but from the ghost as well. The screams in the distance began shouting his words, as did the skulls in the corpse pile. His voice originated from everywhere. “I am sorrow. I am despair and agony. I am death, torture, and your nightmares. But most of all, I am you, and you are me.”
As Alice stood there sobbing, another blinding flash told her that she was leaving the nightmare at last. For a moment she was relieved, and felt a huge burden depart from her body, and then, she blacked out.
***
For the third time, Alice opened her eyes, quickly this time. She was greeted by no faeries or ghosts, no beautiful or horrible landscapes, but rather just a forest. As her sight became less blurred, she realized that it was no trick; this was a real forest. Birds chirped, flowers blossomed, and nothing seemed to be out of the ordinary. The pain and sorrow she had just experienced but moments ago was gone, replaced with a kind of...peace. Not happiness, not quite, but it wasn't sadness. She realized that she was no longer wet, and that the tears that had stained her cheeks were no gone as well.
“Well, this is certainly a change,” Alice said aloud.
“Isn't it, though?” Alice turned around, startled, and was met with the face of someone she had never thought she'd see again.
“D-dad?” she whispered, and he smiled.
“Hello, baby.”
“Dad!” she cried out, and rushed to him, hugging him fondly. He was the same as she remembered. Shaved head, blue eyes, a graying beard. Exactly the same as he was before he died...
“You alright, baby?” he asked, sincerely concerned. They broke apart from the hug and he studied her, worry etched into his face.
“I am now, dad,” she said, as her eyes began to water anew.
“I hope you've been paying attention tonight, Alice. I only have a few things to tell you, then you'll be leaving this dream, forever.”
“Please, dad...” Alice implored. She had just gotten her father back, she was not about to let him go. “I want to know why I went through all this. What was the point? At first I thought it was to show me happiness again...”
“Joy isn't the only emotion we experience, Alice. Ever since the car crash, you've changed. You've become depressed. Sorrow has been your only feeling since I passed, and you had to come to terms with the three you possess.”
“But why did I have to go through that awful, horrible place before? And what is this third emotion?”
“You had to experience what your mind was like, Alice. That is sorrow. That is sadness. You felt it, but you did not truly experience it. To become in balance with yourself once more, you must experience all three emotions, and understand them.”
“What is the third?” she asked again, curious but still very confused. Her father smiled and placed one hand on her shoulder. “Love. It is the link between happiness and sorrow. From it, great joy can be experienced, but at other times, it can bring about only misery and pain. It is your defining characteristic, and something that has been missing from your life for a few weeks now.” Alice noticed other figures coming into view. Her mother, her brother, her friends, her pets...uncles, aunts, cousins, grandparents...a new feeling swelled inside her at seeing them all, at seeing her father.
They began all speaking at once, except this time, instead of them all having the voice of her father, they spoke individually. Alice realized, surprised, that she was chanting along with the rest of them, as if some force was making her say the words that somehow seemed to come naturally.
“I am love. I am your friends, family, and lover. I am that which ties everything together: hope and fear, joy and sorrow, pleasure and anguish. But most of all, I am you, and you are me.”
Alice's father looked at her sadly one last time, then whispered, “I love you, darling. More than you know.” Before she had time to respond, her vision went white again, and she was gone from her father's presence.
***
Alice sat up in bed as quickly as she could. She looked around. Alice was finally back in her bedroom. At long last, after all those dreams...
She knew they hadn't been just dreams. They had seemed real. Perhaps it was as the Lady had said, that they were dreams that she lived through. So...did that mean they were real? This was all too confusing for Alice.
Her father had told her that she had needed to experience her emotions once more, so that she could be brought into balance once more. Had it worked? Was she normal again? Was she no longer depressed?
No, she still felt grief over her father's passing...but she now realized where that grief stemmed from. Love. Love connected happiness and sadness. Without love, life would be nothing. People would go about their lives without truly living. She realized that now. But why go through all that? Surely she could have figured all that on her own...
...Or would she? She heard of some people who never recovered from tragedies. They remained bitter and depressed for the rest of their lives. Perhaps...perhaps her father had come back to show her that she needn't be sad. Her father was still a part of her, and always would be. Just because he no longer existed physically didn't mean she couldn't feel his presence, his love, within her.
Had this all been orchestrated by her father? Alice wasn't sure, but as she closed her eyes and went back to sleep, smiling, she decided that it didn't really matter. It had worked.
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