Hushwood

v. lovely things

"Do you smell that?" Arienne murmured.

She saw Tobrym take a deep breath, then let it out all at once. The forest was overcast, but it must have been near midday. He looked at her with concern in his eyes. "I do."

"It..." She trailed off, slowly turning in a circle, her eyes scanning the slender black trees that knelt around them. The scent was delicious, as thick as syrup and as sweet as vanilla. It was heavy and dizzying, but it held a soft, airy quality that made her feel lightheaded. "It's lovely."

"Lovely is dangerous," Tobrym reminded her firmly. "We need to keep moving."

Bindi's face flashed like a ghost through Ari's thoughts. She squeezed her eyes shut, briefly blocking out the subtle chaos of the Hushwood. "You're right. Let's go."

They picked their way through the dense woods, but it was odd...the smell never went away. It's almost as if it's following us, she thought, frowning slightly. But that didn't make sense. Then again, nothing did.

Tobrym paused. "Shh," he said, voice hushed. "Hear that?"

Arienne froze, listening, but there was nothing. "Hear what?"

"The voice! It just—" He spun around. His eyes widened, then sharpened with concern. "Bindi?"

Heart pounding, Ari turned, but there was nothing there. "Tobrym, I don't think...," she began. She turned to face him. The glade was empty. He too had vanished.

Something's wrong.

"Tobrym?" she whispered. "B-Bindi?"

Ari stepped back, trying to quell a rising flood of panic. With no warning, the ground tilted backwards like a sheet pulled out from under her, and Ari screamed as she plunged headfirst into darkness.

The world twisted and flipped; she landed on her hands and knees in a dark, cold room made of stone. The only sound was the echo of her own shaky breathing. Hesitantly, she stood. She was alone. The only way out of the room was a small window, from which slanted a beam of murky light.

Something's wrong...

Gathering her courage, Arienne strode towards the window, determined to find some way out of this dismal cell. But the closer she came to it, the farther away it seemed. She quickened her pace. A vast distance seemed to unravel between her and the light as the window shrank rapidly away from her.

Arienne cursed, halting and putting her head in her hands. I can't get out, I can't... Where was Tobrym? He saw Bindi. Was she safe?

She opened her eyes. Then she blinked. What?

She was standing in a beautiful garden, with a sweeping blue sky overhead and a labyrinth of apple trees and bright flowers around her. A shadow of music hung in the air, like a memory of a song sung long ago. Hush, little baby, don't you cry...

Ari shook the echoes away and studied the strange, unfamiliar landscape around her. It—it was beautiful. It'd been so long since she'd seen a garden. She didn't remember it, but she knew she had once, before the end of all things. Gardens were real, once, she thought, breathless with confusion and shock. I saw one. And somehow, I'm seeing one now.

How did I get here?

She reached out a pale hand, testing the air. It didn't waver or break. Am I really here? She couldn't fathom any other explanation; and in any case, her mind was so fuzzy. It was hard to think clearly...

Walking over to a tree, she gazed up at the ruby apples that hung there. They were so beautiful. And Arienne knew that she dare not touch them, but there was something about this place, something still and static and enticing, and it drew her in even as she strained to break free. The air was so silent, so motionless, and yet so full of something—an invisible, potent force that she could not name. It buzzed in the back of her skull, like an incessant, inaudible ringing that refused to go away.