A (very) short story

[becky-spence.livejournal.com]

"I can’t think of anything worse than to miss one of Them!"
Aline had spoken with such vehemence, such anger, Aria had wondered, but not dared ask, what had happened to her.

Aria dreamed. She dreamed of gleaming spires, and wide, open corridors, filled with impossibly beautiful flowers and strangely lifelike marble statues. She dreamed of a sumptuous room, dominated by a large four poster bed, decorated with spun silver moonbeams and brightly coloured rainbow silks. Her gaze drifted over, but did not linger, on the delicate-looking silver collar attached to the bed by a sturdy chain, glossing over the recollection of the punishments associated with it. She ran her hands over the gown which had been laid out for her on the bed, all shimmering and shifting silvers and cobwebs, sheer and closefitting, and as she did so, the thought became reality, and she walked from the room with the gown swishing against the ground as she stepped.

She glided down corridors, feet only lightly touching the ground, with an exotic perfume, enticing yet subtle, trailing in her wake. Her fingers brushed against the faces of the statues as she passed, lightly caressing and familiar, but her eyes did not see the figures who were still able to scurry about underfoot. The ones who had gone before were always invisible, and no thought was given to a time when she might join them, for such a thing was impossible, for he would never forsake her...

She dreamed of a ballroom, vast and bright, cunningly hidden lights illuminating the spaces above, and within filled with a sea of faces, at once breathtaking and beautiful yet haughty, cruel and imposing. They moved around the room like spun sugar, all perfectly in time with the dance, but her gaze found only one face in the crowd, and she was lost, forever lost in brilliant violet eyes and a rakish smile. He held out a hand towards her, and her own began to rise up to meet it, to share in the dance, be held in his arms, oh so very tightly...

She woke with a scream echoing around the walls of the room. The dream, so clear and terrifying only a moment before, faded away, and the more she clutched at the fragments to try and remember what had scared her so much, the more they skittered away out of reach…

Comments

[annwfyn.livejournal.com]

Only just read this. It is very pretty. I like...