Lim Aear

Chapter 3


She touched the metallic green leaf with the golden threads that lay in her palm with her fingertips. It had been eight days since the incident at the beach. The doctors had kept her in the hospital for observation that night, and the next morning they released her. They had given her some pills to ease any headaches she might have, and told her the bump would subside in two or three days. And so it had. The side of her head felt only a little tender when she touched it and she suffered a few headaches at night, which were, too, subsiding.

Elaine had stepped out of the house only in order to be questioned by the police. They had been very insistent on the man who had saved her and she knew why. She had seen officers examine carefully the rope with which he had tied up her attacker, before it was sent to the main quarters for further examination. And she had seen it herself: it was a gray rope, velvet in touch, but deathly painful when someone struggled against it, according to the attacker’s testimony. He had said that for a few seconds it burnt him and then froze him in the strangest way. The police officers asked her at least ten times to give them the exact description of the man, but she could not tell them more than she remembered. Finally, they had left her alone, after she refused to press charges on the attacker, not wanting to get involved with any trials.

Her thoughts returned to her savior. After she had woken up the next morning of the attack and was able to think straight, the picture of him that she had in her mind, had become clearer: it was that of a young man, with long blond hair and silvery-blue eyes. She had never seen eyes with such color before. They seemed almost… unnatural. His face had gentle features and wore a worried expression when he had looked upon her. His dark brows were furrowed and his lips were set in a thin line.

Was it the clear worry in his features and the look of concentration on his face that made him so manly beautiful and magical, or his gentle and melodic voice?

What did he say to me? she wondered. Was he from another country? And what language were the words he had said in? They didn’t sound familiar. But even though she did not know their meaning, the way the words flowed over her senses like a song had managed to soothe her.

She had to return it. To give it back to him. Thank him for saving her. It was the least she could do. But she didn’t know where to find him. He had disappeared as suddenly as he had appeared. And she didn’t even know his name!

She got up and headed to the beach. There was still light, and she needed some fresh air. After all, she had stayed in her house for seven days, refusing to see any of her friends who had learned what happened and rushed to see her. Fortunately for her, her friends were discreet enough not to call her parents, otherwise they would have got the first flight home and would have been back in a matter of hours. Being alone, however, hadn’t helped her much, but she wasn’t sure if company would have helped her either. The only thing she was sure about, was that she needed to think and there was only one place to do that: the flat rock at the base of the rocky hill, where she had spent many hours just watching the sea, thinking, dreaming, hoping.

Elaine was probably the only person who knew how to approach and get on the flat rock. She had to go behind the bushes, then climb some rocks and reach it from behind. Those bushes would be a problem, though. Every year they seemed taller and wilder.

She walked to the bushes and was surprised to find a path laid down before her. Was this always here? she wondered, confusion clouding her thoughts. Last week she had attempted to visit her favorite spot, but the bushes were so thick, that it had been impossible. Maybe someone else came here after me and made a path, she thought and started walking.

Suddenly the leaf felt warm in her hand. She stopped, reaching the rocks she had to climb, and opened her palm to look at it.

Nothing strange. It was cool again.

Did I hit my head THAT hard??

She turned around and her heart made a leap. The path was gone! She looked around her, trying to find the way she had come from, but the only thing she could see was bushes! She took a calming breath and tried not to panic. Alright, it’s not like I’m in the middle of nowhere! There must be a way out to the beach…

Her gaze fell to the rocks and hope rose in her heart. She would climb up to the flat rock, which was visible from the beach, and then people would see her and get her down… somehow. Eight days and I’ve already gotten into major trouble twice… Go El! She went carefully around another rock in order to find some kind of a step to pull herself up and froze mid-step.

There was a cave. And light was coming out from the deep. Maybe it’s the person who made the path! She walked carefully towards the entrance and peered inside.

Stairs??

And where was the light coming from?

“Hello?”

No answer.

“Is anybody down there?” she tried again.

More silence.

Well, then I’ll have to come down to you! she thought and stepped inside the cave.

It wasn’t a dark, scary cave. It was more like a kind of a tunnel, made by men’s hands. She started walking down the stairs, her senses heightened to their peak in case of any danger. She noticed the torches on the walls. Definitely someone down there! Deeper and deeper she went, until after some minutes, she came across a rocky wall.

Great. Dead end.

The leaf felt warm again. Her eyes went to her hand to find the leaf glowing. Startled she dropped it to the ground and took a few steps back.

“What the fuck??” she exclaimed, looking around and trying to fit the pieces together in the puzzle.

Rock, rock, rock and… rock. Why would someone built the stairs in the first place if there was only a dead end? There must be an opening somewhere. She started feeling the walls around her and stopped when she found cravings on the wall at the end of the stairs. She tried to make something out of them, but they didn’t make sense to her. Her fingers moved higher to find a craving that looked like…

The leaf!

She turned and looked at it. Could it be the key to her answer? She picked it up hesitantly and brought it to the wall. It was still shining. She lifted it up to the craving and fitted it in. The leaf gave out a blinding light and the wall parted noiselessly, as if it was made of feathers.

Elaine stood still in shock. That couldn’t be happening! Had she stepped into Wonderland?? Maybe she was still in the hospital in a coma! She tried to move, but her legs stayed rooted to the ground. The light ceased and she was able to see more stairs. A part of her screamed for her to get out as quickly as possible and forget about the cave, but another part urged her to go on. Just who had built all of this? And how could a wall of solid rock part so easily putting only a leaf in the right place? She pulled the leaf off the rocky “entrance” and started walking down the stairs. The rocky wall closed back behind her and she immediately regretted her decision. She panicked for a moment and pushed at the wall with all her might, but it was as if it had never opened. She turned towards the stairs again and took a few calming breaths, trying to slow the wild beating of her heart.

Thank God for the torches. At least she didn’t have to face the dark.

The stairs were endless. She kept descending them, wondering how many feet she was under the earth’s surface. She noted the air was fresh and not at all close, as it should be in a cave. She took another turn and stopped right on her heels.

Now that was certainly a dream.

A whole world was at her feet, her being on the highest point. There was a road in front of her that lead to a small forest, and beyond that, a whole city could be seen, built downhill until it reached a lake. Elaine could not see the shores on the opposite side of the lake. The houses were built on several levels, connected by beautiful bridges. Flowers and trees decorated the whole city, making it look as if it was taken out of a fairytale. Elaine had never seen such architecture and felt as if words could not be enough to describe its beauty and elegance. At the highest spot of the city farthest from her, an imposing marble castle towered over the other houses, its gate and rocky walls able to be seen from afar.

An underground city… and a forest… in a cave… I’m DEFINITELY hallucinating!!

Hesitantly she walked down the last few steps and followed the road that lead to the forest and, after that, to the city.

Maybe the people who live here could help me, she thought and tried to make herself feel at ease, after going through surprise, fear, relief and utter shock in no more than fifteen minutes.

She kept strolling in the forest at a slow pace, watching her surroundings. There was even grass on the ground! She had never seen most of the trees and all of them were so tall, that she couldn’t see the top of the cave…

…or whatever it is! she thought and chuckled as she pictured herself as Alice in Wonderland.

“Do not move, or my arrow will be your death,” a strong, yet gentle voice commanded and she froze.