taipan

With each mile that he passed with his car his anger turned from fury to a blinding fire to a pitch black pit of chaos. And yet the pitch black chaos was too small a word as further ahead he went, until there he stood in front of ‘Manerium Somniorum’
The manor of dreams.
Standing at the gates his anger dissipated to a form of fear and melancholy. Christian knew it like he knew the back of his hand that these emotions were his. Whatever he was feeling was an aftermath of what the manor was listening in on. The walls were screaming the story that unfolded between their bricks as the windows tried to leap open, over powered by the yearning need for some kind of a void. An escape from what unfolded. 
The gate of the manor seemed barred from reality. Acutely preoccupied by the nightmare. Participating and escaping every word the manor screamed. Time did not exist beyond these gates. No what was left behind was simply the shadow of broken hearts.
With each second that passed Christian watched a darkness descend upon the manor as thick mists of clouds and shadows formed. Untouched was the reality outside the gate but inside Manerium Somniorum dreamed. 
Dreamed of a heartbroken man. Echoed of an unquenchable thirst. Begged for her return. Pulling every reality into it in its desperation, whispering and moaning Christian or anyone that dared to watch to enter. Enter their dream. Dream their love. And bathe in their despair as a symphony lulled Christian into a heavy sleep. With each ticking minute the manor seemed to draw further and further away, without even realizing his eyes had closed and his body was mesmerized by her. 
By them.
It played out again like a song, starting with a verse. A look. A pair of eyes. A shadow. As translucent darkness shone brightly around a man and interlaced with his soul. And there she stood. It was her form and her face and yet her eyes betrayed who she was. A conscious thought metaphored into her existence, standing right there under the soft glow of his lantern. Christian was the prince and the prince was chaos as their fell in love for the first time. As their skin felt the fleeting graze of her smile and their ears heard the soft whisper of her gown tease the ground. 
There all three souls stood as one falling in love with the same form and yet a different woman. 
"We were never meant for tomorrow ..." 
She said with a trembling voice as her hand reached out for his, so close and yet much like their fates all there was between them were dreams.

Unveiled (MLL)

"Catherine Earnshaw, may you not rest as long as I am living. You said I killed you – haunt me then. The murdered do haunt their murderers. I believe – I know that ghosts have wandered the earth. Be with me always – take any form – drive me mad. Only do not leave me in this abyss where I cannot find you! Oh God! It is unutterable! I cannot live without any life! I cannot live without my soul.

Athena muttered to herself placing the paper between the first page of her new book as she began to read it again.

She had long golden hair. So long that they reached her waist as they shone like the first ray of sunlight. They always smelt like fresh ripe peaches as you weaved your hands through those golden locks.

The closer I walked to her garden or meadow or whatever you would like to call it to join her and her sister play. I was nervous, creeping slowly like a school boy unwilling to go to school as I noticed more and more of her face.

She had the very definition of a sun kissed skin. With freckles scattered all over her cheeks as it rebelled against the brutality she succumbed her skin to. She was fragile but not in a skinny kind of way, but, a feminine sort of way.

"Have you ever played hide and seek Christian?"

"Then play it with me and my sister. You can hide anywhere in my house area. Is that okay?"

And that was that. We became friends just like that.

Athena heard a voice suddenly echo.

"Where is your mother waters?"

She heard her own voice asking.

"In her room…She is always in her room isn't she?"

"Is that why you are always so sad?"

"I am in hole I can't get out of and I think a part of me doesn't even want to … mommy says someday there will be someone who will come and save me … I think God sent you to me to save me … But, I find myself wondering sometimes are you a ghost or are you my madness?"

"I don't know what I am either … perhaps let's just call me your hope."

"Why do you not have a face?"

"You are beautiful despite that …"

Athena heard her laugh echo along the walls of a room she could not see. The image too blurred. But, she smelt musk.

"And what makes you think that?"

"Because a part of recognizes you. Recognizes your face, your smell, your voice , your soul. Almost as if you came from a part of me."

"Perhaps I did." Athena heard herself say with a smile as she continued to say. "I have heard this memory you know. It has not happened yet and yet these memories have already happened and this creates a paradox in my mind. I see and hear memories that have not happened because of the curtain dropped time to time…"

"Somehow I don't think you are telling me this …"

"No, I know I hear this memory remember? It was the first of the paradox's that I recognized so, I have to tell myself what this is … Its time unfolding … Its time confused. Every dream. Every echo. Every memory I recognize and don't at the same time is real… I don't have much time Grey …. I mean Waters."

"Somehow I have a feeling that you yet again revealed something that you didn't want to … promise you will be back?"

"Where else would I be if not here …?"

Chapter 27