I
walked the long halls determined to find something. Finally I ended up in a
familiar looking corner and I ascended the stairs. When I reached the top I
wasn’t where I thought I would be. The room that housed the stairway had only
the two hallways to my right and left. Behind me was a tiny little cubby room
with a tall, narrow window.
Moving
over to the window, I stared out at the silent landscape. The waves sparkled in
the early morning sunshine as they crashed on the empty shore, their movement a
symbol of the emptiness of time in this place. With a sigh I moved away from
the window choosing the hallway on the right.
This
one was completely unfamiliar and there were no paintings to tell a story. In
fact the hall was devoid of any decoration which seemed to go against the whole
grain of the fantastic castle. My shoes made muted slapping sounds against the
bare stone floor. Even the windows seemed to let in less light.
I
had only taken ten steps down when I noticed a door on my left. My curiosity
got the best of me and I stepped toward the door. I immediately felt the same
sickening sensation that I had experienced on the stairs the evening before.
Determined I grasped the handle and twisted shoving the door open with all of
my strength, fighting the nausea that came with my actions.
As
soon as the door opened the sensation of illness left me. I peered inside the
room nervous at what I would see. The room was as bare as the hallway save a
wooden couch and chair in one corner. The windows were barred and everything
had the distinct impression of a prison.
The
thought entered my head that if I entered the room I might be shut in forever.
I stepped back, slightly afraid, but something out the window caught my eye. I
moved slowly looking back over my shoulder at the door ensuring it was still
open. When I reached the window and looked out a tiny gasp escaped my lips.
The
view out this window was very different from what I had seen during my entire
experience. Smoke drifted across the opening from somewhere to my right. The
ground below instead of devoid of movement was teaming with life, but not the
kind of life I expected.
Below,
in the now visible city and grounds I could see hooded figures moving in the
ever constant dance of the village market. I was surprised at the sudden
appearance of people in this silent place. I turned away from the village to
glance around the room, but it remained the same as before. My gaze returned to
the scene below and I watched for several minutes.
I
never saw any faces and no one ever looked up. It seemed very suspicious to me
and after a while I left the room. I was anxious to talk with someone, but I
also wondered if what I had seen was even real.
I
moved further down the hall and noticed another door on my left. The same
sensation affected me, but I ignored it completely and opened the door. The room was much the same as the first and I
went immediately to the window and viewed the same movement below.
This
went on for three or four rooms. Across from two of these doors were barred
windows looking into the center courtyard of the castle. The pretty gardens and
grapevines were being carefully tended by hooded gardeners and landscapers. I wanted
to shout to get their attention, but I could never open the windows to make the
attempt.
When
I reached the end of the hall I stepped onto the soft carpet of the round stair
rooms. I made my way to the one window and looked out expecting to see what I
had viewed before, but again my eyes met with the silent stillness and
emptiness. There was no longer a village, but only untouched dirt and grass.
The
whole experience was maddening and the questions that filled my mind frustrated
me further. There was no staircase going up at this corner, but I was determined
to find my room so I continued along the next hall. This one was not as barren
as the one before. There were still no carpets, but ahead I could see a large
silver guilt mirror on the wall flanked by two straight-backed, wooden
chairs.
I
reached the mirror and examined my reflection half expecting something to have
changed. Instead I was greeted by my normal brown eyes and slightly disheveled
brown hair. I looked tired and the slight downturn of my mouth gave away the
annoyance I felt.
I
looked at the remainder of the reflection in the mirror and noticed a hall
behind me. I glanced around and saw only a bare wall. I looked back in the
mirror and the hall was there once again. What else could happen in this bizar
place? I reached out my hand to touch the glass, but it kept going encountering
not glass, but air.
I
eyed my reflection carefully figuring I had nothing to lose at this point,
closed my eyes, took a deep breath and stepped through the glass. When I opened
my eyes I could see the frame of the mirror behind me and the hallway I had
just left. Before me was a stone passage lit every ten or fifteen feet by a
single burning torch.
There were no
windows, paintings or furniture adorning the walls, just bare stone that drew
me forward. Somehow this felt right so I moved into the dim passage with determination,
squashing the tiny doubts that had fluttered in my chest.
I
walked for what seemed like hours when I finally came to a solid wooden door. I
reached for the handle wondering if I would come face to face with a monster or
something worse. It turned easily at my touch and swung open.
I
was surprised at the comfortable trappings that greeted me. Soft carpets dotted
the stone floor and a tall bed with filmy curtains stood in the corner. Pretty
chests, bureaus and bookshelves lined the walls.
The
last thing I noticed was a tall, slender woman with dark brown hair and
piercing blue eyes. She stood next to a tiny window and held a beautiful baby
in her arms.
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