The Meeting of Tenbul: Excerpt from Twilight Existence

After a flash of light and rushing noise that sounded like an ocean inside her head, Lara found herself on hard rocky ground that she stumbled and fell on. Ouch! She landed hard upon the rocks and scraped her hands and knees trying to catch her fall. The first thing she noticed, besides her strange surroundings, was that she was in excruciating pain. She felt as if she was on fire. She screamed and jumped up wildly. She looked at herself expecting flames to be leaping up all over her. She did see wispy smoke streams rising but didn’t appear to be aflame. In the next moment, she realized that when the sun touched her flesh, her skin would instantly turn red then start to blister and smoke. She covered herself as best she could with her simple dress and thin cloak and looked around quickly for shelter. She had found herself in this strange new place for less then 10 seconds, but she determined this most certainly was Hell. Lara made the mistake of looking up into the sky for she instantly went blind. She stumbled to her knees in fear and shock and let out a thin tortured wail. I am going to die here, she thought, if I’m not dead already.

A shadow fell over her then-she knew as the pain lessened. She hoped it was a cloud or that night had fallen. Maybe I can survive this, she thought. She felt something heavy and soft thrown atop her, and startled she struggled to her feet-but only stumbled and fell again. My God, she cried. Please help me. No tears sprung from her eyes in her anguish and curious at this, she stopped struggling. It was then she realized that someone was speaking to her.

“Please stop moving little one.” A low calm voice said to her. “You are badly hurt. I’m trying to help you.” It was a man’s voice, but the gentleness of it calmed her and she rested against the stone ground under the soft musty blanket he had thrown on her. For a moment all was peaceful and dark and warm. She promptly passed out.

Lara awoke to find herself in a little cave. She felt heavy and with despair realized she was heavily chained. She felt some comfort though as she was bandaged with a cooling ointment covering the burned spots on her skin. Her mood improved considerably also, for she found she could see again. She felt strong and alert, and even though she was heavily chained, she stood up easily and found the chains to be as light as feathers. , Why, they aren't heavy at all! She thought, I wonder why I thought so? She could easily pull them from the cave walls she was chained to and walk around, but she didn’t want to upset her rescuer if his weak attempt at binding her was destroyed. She decided to sit back down and wait to see what would happen next.

She could see she was in a small chamber of the cave that only occupied herself and three cold stone walls that looked out into a larger chamber. She could see a small fire burning cheerfully in the next chamber but nothing else. A small beetle was crawling on the uneven stone floor and without thinking, she grabbed it and popped it into her mouth. She crunched into it once, and realizing what she did, spit it out with a little cry of disgust. Why would I do that?! She realized she was extremely hungry and thirsty and hoped the man who rescued her would come back soon. Her ears pricked up as she heard a distant shuffle and listened intently for the source. It was the little man, and he was approximately a half mile from the cave, laboring as if he was carrying something. As soon as Lara determined this, her eyes widened-as she had never had such good hearing before and was amazed at this new ability. She listening carefully and aside from the crackling of the little fire, she heard a tiny trickling of water nearby and the scurrying of many beetles elsewhere in the cave. She stood up again, and again was undecided about breaking her chains. She was very hungry, and even though the man was nearby, she didn’t think she could wait. She growled with hunger, and instantly stopped herself and sat back down. 'What is wrong with me?!' She put her head in her hands, and tried to calm herself down. Deep breathes Lara. Deep breaths. She picked her head immediately when she realized she hadn’t been breathing. Listening carefully, she didn’t even hear her heart. She closed her mouth and nose, but found she didn’t need to breathe. I am dead! She thought and then: Calm down you silly fool, if you were dead you wouldn’t be so hungry. She had a lot of questions for the little man who rescued her, and with extreme effort and concentration, she kept herself calm for his return.

Concentrating so hard on not ripping off her chains and running in search of food and drink, she almost didn’t notice the man. She felt his presence and looked up to see a little man of about 5 ft tall and heavily cloaked in what looked like three or four different robes of different colors. He was bearded, and carrying a bucket. He was looking in at her from the outer chamber and she was surprised to see he seemed afraid of her. She opened her mouth to ask who he was and why he would chain her and the extreme loudness of her voice frightened her into silence. She meant to talk normally but it was as if a thousand banshees poured from her throat. The little man cringed and ducked his head as if she had thrown her shoe at him. He then approached her slowly, and in his low calming voice said. “I’m surprised you didn’t break those chains.” She decided to try whispering, and she said: “I think I can, but I thought that would be terribly rude.” Then, “THERE IS SOMETHING WRONG WITH ME!” She couldn’t help blurting out. The man stumbled to his knees, holding his hands to his ears. The bucket he was holding fell and toppled over. What flowed out steadily was something so sweet smelling and warm, that before Lara could think, she pulled off one chain in her attempt to grab it, and drank from it liberally. Then when that was all gone she crawled upon the cave floor lapping at any that had spilled. “Oh this is so delicious” she whispered shivering from the pleasure of it. “What is this?!”

The little man stood up and backed away from her. “That is blood child! My word, don’t you realize you are a vampire?!”

Lara instantly stopped and was still. Blood? But, she became ill at the mere thought or sight of blood. And she was drinking… She felt cold suddenly and before she could think another thought, had passed out again.

When she woke again, she found herself no longer chained and now covered in the heavy musty blanket again near the cheerful fire. The little man was there as well crouching as if to run, and it looked like he had some sort of weapon in his hand. “Please” she whispered, waving a hand at him. “Don’t be afraid. I think…” She choked on her words, and cried without tears again “I think I am more frightened then you are. And right now, I desperately need a friend.” She shook in a shaky breath she didn’t need to take, and said quietly controlling her booming voice much better. “My name is Lara Loveling, and I think Queen Raven has damned me to hell.”

At the name Raven, the little man cocked his head and stroked his beard absentmindedly. “Raven?!” She’s still alive? But she must be over 300 years old!”

Lara shrugged and shook her head. She didn’t know how old the evil witch queen was, nor care. She only wanted to be with her sisters and mother again, and have this strange affliction removed. The little man looked at her then with some interest, and stood up and brushed the dust off his dirty robes. Then to Lara’s embarrassment, he bowed as deeply as his small frame would allow. “Pleased to meet you Princess Lara, I am The Tenbul, the seer and magician, and will be of service to you in any way I can.” Lara couldn’t help but smile at the strange little man, and felt hopeful he could help her find her way back to herself as well as her dear family.