The Labyrinth

 Hey everyone! I've scraped by previous story and wrote a new one. This is probably going to be the one I'm going to submit for my Fiction Assignment that's due next Monday! I really hope you can tell me what do you think of the story, and how I can improve it! Really appreciate the comments! Thank You!

Love You.
xoxo pamela

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“Hear that?” she asked Alison.

“Hear what? There’s nothing to hear!” Alison cried out, desperate to pick up what that woman was hearing.

“Exactly. Silence is the sound of death. Do you know what comes after death my dear?” She asked again, this time, a sinister smile plastering Lilith’s scarred face.

“… No.” Alison replied, fear coursing through her veins as she eyed Lilith warily.

“Well, I can’t die, so I don’t know either…”

“Alison! Run!” Luc’s voice resonated through the room.

Taking the instant Lilith was distracted by Luc’s voice, Alison ran.

This room was no ordinary room. The room Lilith took Alison to had mirrors in every corner, each one reflecting different parts of one’s soul. This room had no windows, the walls bare with the sole exception of the peeling wallpapers, from lack of use – or to keep the dark energy from escaping, Alison didn’t know.

Escaping this room was no easy feat either. The room was carefully crafted, so much like a labyrinth, except for its lack of a fixed escape route. The door to the outside world shifted locations, never planting itself to one wall for too long. Unlike the rest of the Underworld, portals could not be used in this room, nor could you find any around.

One thing was certain, though. In this moment, every one of Alison’s senses screamed at her to run.

“You reek of fear Ali… It makes me hungry.” Lilith’s words a caress that sent shivers down Alison’s spine. Alison didn’t have to see Lilith to picture Lilith’s widening smile, her snake-like tongue licking her scaly lips as she sneered her words.

“Ali!”

“Drake?” How did he get in?

“Behind you!”

Glad to have a companion, Alison turned instantly, finding herself facing Drake – or something that looked like him. The Drake before her had his auburn hair replaced with a pale blond that hurt to look at under the harsh lighting of the room. His clothes were disheveled, splattered with dirt and torn in some places.

Drake would never look this bad…

Wary, Alison kept her focus on him as she put a hand up, as if it could protect her from any attacks from ‘Drake’.

“Ali! It’s really me!”

“Ali! Run!” Luc’s voice resounded once more.

Deciding that finding her escape was more important, Ali turned away from ‘Drake’ and ran. She had to find that wall. She had to get out of this room alive. She had to stay alive to be with Luc this time round, and she wasn’t going to let anybody stop her from being with her love.

*

“Walls that wind to confine,
Door awaken, be free to move.
Portals banned, spells revoked.

Protect the trapped soul within these walls,
And may he be the master of all that belongs here.

A key within is one escape,
The only other would be me.”

As the dark-haired woman wove the final pieces of her spell, a sudden gale picked up in the stale room, blowing hair away from her face. The woman had her eyes closed, concentrating on perfecting this spell, oblivious to what was happening in the room – this spell had to be flawless; there was no room for mistakes. The woman chanted louder.

The burst of power in the room was undeniable as the wind blew apart all the furniture that had once made the room majestic. The windows in the room that once looked out to the woman’s beloved garden now morphed into looking glasses – mirrors – reflecting the ugliness that had come upon the room in the recent time.

Gone was the canopy bed of gold that took up most of the space, morphing to form walls together with the other fixtures in the room as the gale tore them apart.

As the tempest died down along with the woman’s mantra, the morphing stopped and the room took on its new structure. It was now bare, with the exception of the ripped wallpapers. Walls had twined around the woman as she constructed her spell, mirrors created to reflect the evil in whoever entered.

When the woman finally opened her eyes, she saw that her enchantment had worked.

“I swear Lilith’s blood will be on my hands.” She spoke with conviction, her heart set on avenging her lost friend.

As she stared into a mirror, she saw the sunken depths of her cheeks, the dark circles around her eyes, her lips set in a grim line. She’d looked like this since she lost one of her closest friends, Hunter.

I will rip her to shreds. I swear it.

*

Alison’s eyes widened as she awakened from her memory.

Recollections of her past lives often took a toll on her body, immobilizing her as they replayed themselves in her mind. When she felt wisps of her memory tugging at her, urging her to remember, Alison had stopped her running and slumped by a wall.

Now, she was re-energized. She had new motivation to escape – no, to destroy – Lilith.

“Hunter!” Alison exclaimed as she realized the blond boy she ran into before had been one of her closest confidantes throughout her immortality.

Being Drake’s twin, Hunter had the same features as Drake with their pale complexion, defined jawlines and moody-looking, emerald-green eyes that sparkled with mischief. The only way one could tell the other apart was through their hair, with Drake’s auburn hair being a strong contrast against Hunter’s platinum blond hair.

With her flashback, Alison recalled the curse Lilith had cast upon the room to bind Hunter’s soul within it. Alison remembered how she had tried weaving thousands of spells, hoping to bring back Hunter’s spirit. The enchantment she put onto the room had been done out of desperation, when she believed she would never be able to reverse the spell.

At the thought, Alison started to cry, tears wetting her face. Angry tears at Lilith for taking her beloved friend away from her, frustrated tears at her not being able to break the curse, and tears of longing, missing the times she once spent with Hunter.

“Don’t cry sweetheart.”

“Hunter.” Alison croaked, looking at Hunter through her tears.

“Your enchantment helped, you know. I can move within these rooms normally. I didn’t realize it until a few centuries ago. Perhaps I’m still the numbskull who needs you around.”

In spite of the situation, Alison laughed at Hunter’s ignorance. The boy had always been this way since she first saw him.

“If it helps, I didn’t know what the spell would do either.” Alison chuckled.

Hunter raised an eyebrow at Alison’s confession.

“So you thought it would do me good to turn my room into a maze?”

“I didn’t mean to do that…”

“I know sweetheart.”

“But now, you must run.” Hunter’s tone was now grave, a stark contrast against his previous tender voice.

Right on cue, Lilith appeared before them.

“There you are sweet Ali… And you found a friend I see…” Lilith sneered.

“Perhaps I shall trap you with him.”

The triumphant look on Lilith’s face said it all. Lilith was certain of Alison’s fate. She believed Alison would not survive her. The smug smile on Lilith’s face brought forward the hatred Alison felt towards Lilith.

A burning rage bubbled within Alison as the need to destroy Lilith consumed her, but Alison knew she was no match for Lilith in her current state. She had not gotten back recollections of her power and spells; the extent of her capabilities was a blob of uncertainty against Lilith’s practiced skills.

As of now, Alison’s best option was to escape this labyrinth of a room.

But… How?

A key would be one escape,
The other would be me.

The words of her own spell rang in Alison’s ears and in that instant, all was clear.

Alison could escape. She was her own key to leaving the room. The only thing between her and her escape now was her memories.

Short Story: Hidden

This is another of my concoctions after creative writing class. Personally I feel this isn't as good as my first (see A Reunion of Sorts), but I would really hope for some pointers on how to improve! Plus, I think my title sounds a bit weird with regards to the piece. I hope you guys will enjoy this too!

Remember! Constructive feedback - Hell, any feedback - is always welcome!

xoxo pamela

“You’re staying here.” My mother’s voice commanded from behind the door.

It’s no fun being locked up in this room. The lights never go out, the gems sparkle under the lights as you walk around the room. The walls are forever clean, painted a white as the wings of Heaven’s angels. It smells of purity here. Of beauty and all that is holy. But that isn’t all. I have to put up with the incessant singing of the spirits, their voices melding as they sang every goddamn hymn there is on Earth, and then some.

I hate her. It’s not as if this imprisonment will make me change my mind.

“You know I don’t want to do this, but I have to.” My mother whispered behind that damn door that kept me from my love. That is another thing I hate about this place. The whispers are louder than they should be, and with a mother who can hear your every thought, you can never hide anything.

“He’s not right for you, Alison.” My mother sighed, leaving soon after. I could tell this from the sound of her wings flapping, leaving her place on the other side of the door.

Him. Luc. My love. I miss him, so much.

*

“You’re a beautiful sight…” the words of a man drifted in the wind.

Another one. I thought, irritated. I had started to love my simple life of caring for the plants in my garden. I had found peace watching my roses bloom a striking blood red under my touch, my apple trees growing those sweet-smelling, juicy fruits humans are always trying to produce. They will never get them like mine. My apples are planted from the purest of dirt that can only be found in the skies above.

“You’re not supposed to be here.” I stated to the stranger, a hint of frustration in my tone. How many times do I have to tell them? I have no wish to pursue a relationship with anyone!

“They say the most beautiful things belong here… I see that is true. If I knew I’d find you in this garden… I would have come for you sooner my love.” The man spoke again, his eyes never leaving my own.

This man was charming. His dark skin an alarming contrast against the light from the skies, his blond curls moving softly against the breeze, his blue eyes the color of the skies when it was at its faintest. His exotic beauty definitely belonged in my garden, but something about this man screamed danger. And that voice…

My mother had warned me against accepting tokens of love from any of the winged men. This stranger in my garden was no winged man. Handsome, definitely, but he did not possess the white wings upon his back, as had all the others who’ve tried to win my affection.

The man had barely spoken much. He hadn’t even tried to win me over, but I knew with such absolute certainty that this was the man I wanted. No, wanting him isn’t representative of how I truly feel about him. He was mere steps away from me, and yet I craved to be by his side – for all of eternity.

There was something in his movements, his looks, and his voice that called me to him. My limbs were urging me to move towards him, to close the intolerable gap that existed between our two bodies. My senses, however, had decided to tune themselves to his every movement and word ever since I realized his presence in my beloved garden.

“My mother made this garden for my protection. She will come to take you away the moment she realized your presence…” I babbled as my feet brought me to him. It seemed that my brain had stopped working coherently the instant I recognized my lure towards this man.

The man stopped me, his hand covering my mouth, “Sh. My love. I’m here to take you away. To bring you to another land you’ll come to love. A land where you’ll never wish for anything, somewhere I can keep you safe.” the man whispered by my ear, his breath like a soft caress against my skin.

My head warned me of the dangers, but my heart had taken a course of its own. I wanted – no, needed – to be with this man. I’d do anything to be with him, I’d give up everything, even if it meant losing my precious garden.

“I don’t even know your name…” I whispered, my voice soft, clearly affected by his presence.

“Luc. Call me Luc, my love.”

Luc. So this is his name. Being so near him allowed me to smell the wood smoke on his skin, the smell reminding me of death and burning desire. He smelt of that and something else, something alluring, something absolutely dangerous.

My mind screamed for me to run, but my heart was in control. Locked in his eyes, I was unaware of the portal that appeared beside the ground where we stood, and the future that lay before me.

By the time I sensed the portal, I was falling through it, the burn of Luc’s eyes etching into me as I fell.

*

It was millenniums ago when that happened, the day I fell.

Nobody remembers the exact day it happened, myself included. I know my mother sent out the lesser ones in search of me, and her frustration when none could locate my whereabouts. I recall her fury that shook the Earth the day she realized Luc had brought me to his world, her rage scorching the lands of the Earth as her inner light flared in response to her anger.

When that happened, I knew I had to save the lands. Plants were shriveling under the harsh consequences from my mother’s outburst, the people starving from food shortages. Yet, all I could think about was being with Luc. Hell, I still want to be with Luc.

*

“Your mother will come for you love.” Luc told me on a day we decided to take a leisurely stroll in one of the many gardens.

After spending so much time here, I would have thought I’d visited all the gardens in this world… but this was obviously one I’ve never been.

This garden started off with rows of exotic flowers, each one more bizarre than the next. The peonies were a striking sapphire blue, the daisies white, speckled with blood-red spots, and the roses… they were as black as the shadows, yet, they were in full bloom in spite of it.

In the middle of this garden stood a tree like no other. It’s bark and branches were a faded shade of gold, its leaves those of silver, and it appeared to bear fruits that resembled the luscious apples I used to grow in my old garden. It looked like something that belonged to my mother’s world...

“The Tree of Knowledge.” stated Luc, a hint of a grin brightening his face.

My mother told me many stories, but one she always repeated was the one when the humans first fell into temptation. Before me now stood the one tree that caused the damnation of the humans. That tree was none other than The Tree of Knowledge.

*

I still remember the fruit Luc plucked off the tree for me that very day. On the outside, it was an apple from every point of view, but its inside was filled with small, red seeds, like the inside of the modern day pomegranates. Luc fed me the seeds that day, assuring me that I wouldn’t be damned since I wasn’t human.

I don’t regret eating the seeds. Ever.

It’s the only thing that now binds me to Luc’s world. It allows me to travel between the worlds, to stay with Luc in his world before my mother would come for me again.

The humans learnt of my story centuries after, and now it stands as one of the most popular myths. How they heard of this I will never know. Perhaps one of the fallen told my tale on my behalf – after all I were friends with some of them. But the humans got one thing wrong, my mother is the one who abducted me, not Luc. Luc did not commit all the sins they accused him of, kidnapping, rape… Luc only loved me through it all, and I, him.

I’ve always wondered who I really am, and now I know for a certainty. I am who the humans call Persephone.

Short Story: A Reunion of Sorts

I've started taking a course on creative writing. While I may have only attended one session at the point of this post, I DID make an effort to compose my short story even though it wasn't compulsory.

This piece is now open to everyone who reads my blog for constructive feedback and criticism. I'm not going to make up excuses to defend myself from any criticism, but I would definitely like to know how you readers feel about it.

Disclaimer: The story below is purely fictional and is entirely written by me.

xoxo pamela

A Reunion of Sorts

The garden looked familiar. Yet, Alison could sense that this was no longer the same garden as the one in her own backyard. The apple trees that lined the gardens no longer bore any fruit, their apples now littered below the canopies, black with rot. The red roses that she admired everyday were gone too. In their place were roses with petals onyx black. Her beloved rose bushes now held an air of danger with their vines out of control, their thorns sharper than she’d ever seen them. 

Gone was the cool breeze that tickled her skin every time she stood in her garden. Instead, Alison was now greeted with stale, humid air that clung to her skin at every opportunity. The sweet aroma of her roses was now interlaced with those of the rotting apples, the smell making her stomach hurl. 

Where is this place? She thought, a frown marring her pale, flawless skin as she tried to make sense of her surroundings. 
 
‘She’s here!’ A whisper sounded in the bushes. 

‘Who’s there?’ Alison called out, her voice now laced with fear. It was one thing to be alone in this garden – if she could still call it that – but another to hear the voice of another in it with her. 

Instead of a reply, Alison found herself treated to the sound of music playing just behind the rose bushes. The sounds of a string quartet playing the most beautiful music filled the air, and yet, Alison could see no further than the rose bushes. 

Should I check it out? Alison questioned herself. Her growing curiosity of what she would find and the eerily beautiful tune of the violins made her shiver. She tried looking beyond the bushes once more, but all she met was the same pitch-black darkness. 

‘Come on Ali, you travelled through the portal. You’re afraid of nothing, remember?’ Alison murmured to herself, hoping this would bring her the courage she needed to step forth. After a few moments of hesitation, Alison started towards the darkness beyond the bushes. 

Just as she reached the gap between the black rose bushes, she found herself distracted by the sound of wings flapping, a sound that seemed to add to the beauty of the music the quartet still played.
‘Is that an eagle? Eagles aren’t supposed to be out at night...”Alison wondered, speaking more to herself than anybody else. 

‘That’s not an eagle, you foolish girl. That’s Master Luc.’ A snarky voice sounded beside her. 

Surprised that there was truly another with her, Alison looked to both sides, trying to find the owner of that voice. When she found no one, she decided to call out, ‘Who’s there?’ she asked, no longer caring if that person heard her fear. 

‘Down here girlie.’ The voice sounded, this time irritated.

When Alison looked down, she found herself staring eye to eye with the most bizarre creature she had ever seen. His eyes were like that of a cat’s, yellow with black irises, his skin scaly like those of an alligator’s, and he possessed the body of a falcon with nostrils that breathed smoke. 

‘What are you?’ Alison questioned the creature. 

‘What am I? What AM I? I’m a dragon you fool! Don’t you learn about my kind in school anymore?’ 

‘You don’t have the right to speak to her in that tone, Draca.’ Came a voice from behind her. Turning her body to see what other otherworldly creature this voice belonged to, she found herself now facing the most beautiful creature she had ever seen. 

His wings furled as she stared, giving here mere seconds to admire his large wingspan. His wings were onyx, like that of the roses that lay in the bushes on both sides of her. With nothing but a pair of body-hugging leather pants that hung low on his waist, Alison took the time to admire his olive skin, a stark contrast against his platinum blond hair and pale, icy blue eyes that seemed to burn as they connected with hers.
For a moment, Alison could have sworn she felt a breeze kick up in the stale air, but that was quickly forgotten when she recognized the incessant flutter of her heart since she locked eyes with this blond stranger. As their eyes stayed connected, Alison found herself at a loss for words, her previous fears forgotten amidst the emergence of a new one.

Love will come. It will come dangerous and overpowering. The fortune-teller had warned. 

Back at the carnival booth, she had scoffed at the lady who she thought made her earnings through lies and tales. Alison did not believe in love. Love was for the hare-brained cheerleaders in her high school. She knew better. Her mother’s four ex-husbands were enough proof of it. 

This is can’t be love. It doesn’t exist. Alison chanted to herself. 

Not that it helped. Overpowered with this foreign feeling, Alison’s body decided to take its own course and she found herself walking towards the blond stranger, noticing that he was doing the same. It was as if they were being pulled towards each other, not wanting any separation between the two of them. 

The music, air and stench were long forgotten, and all she could think of was the blue of his eyes and the crooked, yet incredibly charming smile he now wore as they met in between. 

I need to feel him. 

Not long after, she felt his hand upon her cheek – as if she willed it – and was surprised that she managed to catch his whisper even as her strong feelings for this strange man seemed to possess her entire being.

‘I’ve missed you, my queen.’