UnSeelie Dreams VIII

He fell through the stone and into rich darkness which opened up into what seemed like infinity. Before he could figure out what was happening to him, he landed with a hard thud on a marble floor. The room grew dim as he sank into unconsciousness.

Low buzzing sounds filled his ears as he slowly came to, dazed he lay there letting the cold sink in to his bones. His heart beat resounded all around him and his stomach rolled with nausea.

Where am I? he thought with fearful confusion. He gingerly turned to look up at the cathedral ceilings and the delicate carved arches so high above him. The room was massive and long, much like a hall, and appeared empty. He studied the design on the onyx and alabaster columns and archs.

Everywhere wolves, butterflies, and other odd animals were etched or molded beginning at the bases and moving around the whole area. Wolves chasing butterflies. The details were amazingly clear and so very life like, he could almost see them moving now.

His stomach pitched again, reminding him of how long it had been since he had eaten. He closed his eyes and lay still for a moment just to try to settle it down. The ringing in his ears had stopped and he felt more stable.

He opened his eyes and decided to sit up, so he slowly pushed himself to a sitting position. He began to notice the rest of the room. The marble of the floor was in a chessboard style of onyx and alabaster while the walls were as scarlet as blood. He could pick out at least four tapestries hanging from between the columns which filled the hall.

Delicate yet sudden movement made him feel dizzy and he lay his head on his arms to get his balance back. He could see the chase of wolves and butterflies out of the corner of his eye, but as he tried to pinpoint where it was coming from, it disappeared and the carvings remained still.

He tried to push himself to a standing position, as he leaned against one of the columns he felt something brush by his leg. Startled, he fell back against the stone and looked down to see what it was but nothing was there. Only the wolves and butterflies.

Do not turn around, whispered the voice.

He pushed away from the column, a little shaken but feeling more clear headed with as the voice spoke to him. The room stretched out for miles. Dusting himself off he headed forward like the voice told him.

"Just call me, Alice." he muttered under his voice.

He took his time cautiously moving forward. As he went the columns and tapestries whirled with life when he passed by, and strangely began to notice that light and dark bisected him with each step.

He stopped walking, at first thinking all of this was a figment of his imagination, as the hall kept growing darker behind him. Whispering noises floated around him with just a barest hint of discussion, like a radio signal he could not pinpoint.

Don't look back, the voice warned.

Scarlet walls glowed as a hunter trapped a unicorn with a maiden's kiss in the flowing tapetries. The woman was hauntinng beautiful, her long wild tresses shone like the rising sun and her silken skin as sweet as fresh cream. Her amber eyes glowed and called to him, seducing him to stray from his the hallway, to stop and stare, stay awhile, mesmerized and entrapped by the vision of her.

Don't stop. Don't look back.

What would it hurt to just look? he thought as he found himself studying the woman closely. He could not pull away from her. He so wanted to sink down and kneel at her feet, lay his tired head on her lap and just rest. He reached out his hand to feel the fabric, touch her face, when he heard the baying of hounds and his own heart bursting with panic.