Chapter 3

…Growing up I always feared my dreams, always having brushes with death that were too close for comfort, then waking up with unexplainable cuts, burns or bruises that would litter my body. However I can say that there was one thing that remained a constant in my nightmares; a mysterious dark-haired stranger, never once looking quite the same but the same, nevertheless…

Right now though this dream I was in was different, I felt an unperturbed warmth as I curled up in the black void. I noticed the stillness of my mind as i slipped further into my subconsciousness. I've never slept with such serenity before and honestly I never wanted to wake up .

"Go through the door".

"Aurelia go through the door but you have to hurry child".

I squeezed my eyes tighter in annoyance, who was trying to wake me? I didn't want to wake up, nothing but pain and sadness was waiting for me if I woke, here I felt tranquil.

"Child! WAKE UP!" The womans voice urged.

I flicked my eyes open at the scratchy voice demanding me to go through some door, half expecting to cuss someone out for waking me up, I instead found myself alone at a large stone palisade with vines creeping up the walls and a black ornate door between two gnarled trees facing me.

sitting up, I stretched out my stiff limbs surprised the clothes I wore to the club were now replaced with a black corseted dress that was knee length in the front and trailed out behind me, my bare feet chilled as i stood firmly on the rough stone floor.

Where was i?

Oh right I must be dreaming.

Although a feeling of deja-vu swept over me, this strange place was nothing like the places I had explored in my dreams, I could feel, smell and hear things differently, like a haze had been wiped from my mind.

"GO through the damn door child!"

scanning around the room I found no source of the voice, just blank walls, myself and the mysterious door. Sighing I stepped towards the door hesitantly afraid of what was behind the door.

"it's just a dream, the voice is just my imagination and I'm not actually going clinically insane" I tried to convict myself, not giving a second thought to yanking the door open.

I went speechless as the door revealed the treasure hidden behind it. A dusky forest that looked plagued by the aftermath of a harsh winter, tall deadened oak trees twisted their gnarled branches towards the sky like claws trying to claim any bit of light that may have filtered through the grey miserable clouds. Dead and browning leaves littered the forest floor like a dirty old quilt and a soft white fog wisped around the ground hiding any creatures that may of been lurking by.

Somewhere around me a raven cawed causing me to frantically spin around, only finding the black door which I had come from had now closed behind me with no way of opening it.

CAW!

twirling around again I came face to face with an abnormally large raven for the second time. Fear and anxiety crept through my veins like ice.

This bird was easily the size of a large cat.

I took a tentative step back from the gleaming fowl with obsidian eyes. The bird sat motionless almost having me believe it was stuffed except for the occasional movement of its beady eyes observing me.

The birds empty eyes captivated my own, almost laughing at my helplessness and I couldn't help but think back to the deceased cab driver. His skeletal face and the foul black tar that dripped from his lips haunted my mind.

Feeling bile rise in my throat, i swallowed it back down before looking back at the bird perched precariously on a dry branch. The image reminded me of a poem I had in a book at home, The raven by Edgar Allen Poe.

CAW! CAW! CAW!

The ravens caw grated my ears bringing me back from my wandering reverie. Tilting his head and squawking at me again I watched suddenly intrigued as the bird flew a few feet ahead only to squabble at me again.

"Do you want me to follow you? I asked slightly dismissing the silly thought.

cawing with a newfound vigor the bird flew a few feet ahead and waiting for me expectantly.

"Well what's the worst that could happen? my death waiting for me around the corner? " I muttered to myself sarcastically before walking towards the unusually behaved bird.

I followed the raven deeper into the ghostly forest, reciting Poe's poem from memory.

"Once upon a midnight dreary, while I pondered, weak and weary,

Over many a quaint and curious volume of forgotten lore—

While I nodded, nearly napping, suddenly there came a tapping,

As of some one gently rapping, rapping at my chamber door—

"'Tis some visitor," I muttered, "tapping at my chamber door—

Only this and nothing more."

Ah, distinctly I remember it was in the bleak December;

And each separate dying ember wrought its ghost upon the floor.

Eagerly I wished the morrow;—vainly I had sought to borrow

From my books surcease of sorrow—sorrow for the lost Lenore—

For the rare and radiant maiden whom the angels name Lenore—

Nameless here for evermore"

i quietly continued reciting the poem to fill the utter silence the crow and I began to wind back and forth across the land. The trees took on a more sinister look the deeper we went into the woods. While it had become apparent the bird was trying to lead me somewhere i couldn't help but feel a little bit spooked.

"who knew what monster or vile creature is out there waiting to try and claim my soul this time around." my mind teased as goosebumps rippled along my skin.

Eventually we came around to a large hedge gnarled and twisted with sharp thorns. The density of its thicket practically impossible to get though. The raven cocked his head animatedly one last time before flying over the hedge and leaving me at the mercy of the forest.

"You stupid..stupid bird!" I shrieked "what am I supposed to do now!"

Kicking up some of the dirt and huffing angrily i plopped myself on the decaying forest floor unsure of what to do next. A small mouse scuttled past my feet along the forest floor before disappearing underneath a withered old oak tree growing between the two sections of hedge wall. Moving towards the tree, I dropped down on my hands and knees brushing away some of the over grown roots to reveal a small tunnel at the base of it trunk that was wide enough to fit through if I wiggled on my belly.

I stood staring into the hole, contemplating if I should go through and face whatever danger could be on the other side or to deal with the dangers out here alone.

"Presently my soul grew stronger; hesitating then no longer," I whispered to myself before finally deciding my odds were better on the other side then just standing around. I crouched down low and dragged myself through the dirty rabbit hole, my heart racing a mile a minute.

"Now i know how Alice felt falling down that rabbit hole." I cursed in my head feeling the wet earth cling to my skin grotesquely and wriggling worms fall into my hair.

Once I was through, I rubbed the dirt from my eyes and brushed the worms from my hair, discarding my previous disgust because of the enchanting sight before me.

I was in a decaying garden; the greying dewy grass grew uncut and the unkempt trees were losing their color, but the air suddenly felt calmer as though whatever macabre had spread through the forest had left this place untouched.

"Where was I?"

Even though the forest i had emerged from had some familiarity to it, I knew I had never come across this sacred place. Something isn't right. It was starting to seem as if this place was more than just a mere dream perhaps I was lost in some forest instead.

CAW

The annoying bird let out a trumpet of irritating calls, signaling its whereabouts within the garden and once again interrupting me from my wandering thoughts.

"impatient little bird are we? i mused

CAW, CAW

Following the noise with a sigh, I walked about the abandoned garden in peace. The dying weeping willows, the littering of browning leaf piles and gnarled vines covering every square inch of the garden had preserved the ancient beauty of the place.

"A magical secret Garden."

A small smile graced my face at the reference to one of my favorite novels, a faint reminder of the short lived happiness I had as a child.

Stepping around a large weeping willow tree a small clearing came into my view, a cracked marble fountain sat in the center of the space with a beautiful old statue on display . Unable to pull my eyes away from the magnificent sight I walked up to the statue, collapsing to my knees before it. My heart pounded as I tried to find an explanation to what I was seeing in front of me.

The statue although obviously ancient was of a handsome man, solid in stature with large wings that pointed to the heavens and a womanly figure in his arms as if protecting her from lurking evils. What shook me to the core was the fact the woman looked exactly like me from the current length of my hair to the startling embellished sword that pierced her heart was right where I had a strange lightening shape birthmark just under my collarbone.

I sat in disbelief for moments taking in the untouched empyrean beauty of the art. It was as though they were frozen in time and here I was intruding on sacred grounds. Although the stone woman looked like me, I couldn't help but feel like an imposter in my own skin. Getting up I sat beneath the watchful gaze of the stone pair. Gazing deeply into the murky water beneath them, I skimmed the cool water with my fingers disturbing the water lilies with their wake. A sangfroid feeling washed over me putting me in a hypnotic state of mind. The urge to sing filled my heart and lungs like the fates were pushing me to do so. Unsure off what to say, I let the words flow freely from me.

"My heart, my heart

My wandering heart, I will not say goodbye

Leave me now, forever more,

I still won't say goodbye. My heart, my heart, my traveling heart, I will not say goodbye. hear me now, ill wait -for your return, I will not say goodbye."

The despairing tune started out as a soft hum but soon I was singing its saddening tune as if it was weaved within my soul. I danced a wispy ballet around the dull grass feeling a heavy remorse weigh on my shoulders like a blanket. A never ending sorrow.

I stood up straight wiping the forming tears from my pale eyes. My heart broke for the stone figures and their tragic love, yet i did not know who they were.

"Whoever they are, their love must of known no bounds."

I gazed at the ethereal pair a while longer feeling their magic hang in the air. My gaze wandered along the rest of the clearing until it came upon an overgrown archway leading to a barren orchard of dead wisteria trees. A small charcoal grey fox sat in the entrance peering at me with its enormous amber eyes.

"Hey there little guy" I cooed as I slowly knelt to the ground in order not to scare the little creature away.

Hesitantly he outstretched his nose sniffing the air with caution. I waited patiently as he tiptoed towards me before sitting in front of me while wrapping his long bushy tail around his dainty black paws.

"it's okay I won't hurt you" I whispered, outstretching my hand.

Large amber eyes blinked up at me before his black button nose pushed into my palm welcomingly.

"awe your too cute" I giggled as the small creature rolled over with glee as I scratched his belly.

!!CAW!!

The large raven perched itself on the beautiful statue causing the foxes ears to point forward and a snort to come from his small jaws.

The raven flew away unaffected by the fox's sudden change in behavior, just as the fox got up and started prancing out of the garden. I stilled with equivocation, did I want to leave the safety of the garden? or should I follow the little grey animal?

As if sensing my hesitancy, the fox sat down and blinked its predatory eyes at me with comfort. Making a hasty decision I stood up and followed the fox into the deserted orchard, leaving the safety of the garden behind.

"okay let's go" I muttered as I followed the dark fox down the path of listless wisterias.

The walk was long, and i could feel myself tiring but the fox kept me good company. I smiled in amusement as I watched the fox pounce on moths that fluttered by in our wake huffing with dissatisfaction at defeat when they escaped his grasp.

I noticed as time seemed to tick away that the sky was starting to darken as night crept upon us.

"A full day had passed already? That fact i had not been killed yet was nothing short of a miracle."

Yawning i rubbed the sleep from my eyes fitfully in a lame attempt to stay awake.

"Maybe if i fall asleep I'll wake up back at home! and Maybe following the fox was a dumb idea..."

Turning its head around as if it heard my thoughts the fox ducked under a brush of bushes and disappeared from my view.

"Not again..." I groaned.

Following the fox through the bush I found him waiting just a little off our original path at the base of wisteria tree that's roots were hollowed out just enough to fit a person snuggly without being seen from the footpath.

Nodding my head gratefully, I curled against the hollow, surprised by the comfort the moss growing there had provided. Once I was comfortable the fox curled at my feet and soon I fell into a restless slumber.