Unforgiven Dreams ✔️

Chapter 24

Dedicating this chapter to awesomeness45801 :)
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As soon as Keith finished this sentence, I heard a loud crash behind me. I quickly turned back as dust and brittle filled up the air, rays of light streamed inside, going places they've never been before.

There was a sleigh.

I'm not even kidding. A turquoise wooden sleigh with white borders, but strangely, no animals were tied to it. I was half disappointed that Rudolph wasn't there. Only two ropes lay astray in front. I heard someone cough, and come up from under the sleigh, which had almost overturned now.

A lady hmph-ed as she straightened her round golden spectacles and grunted, straightening the sleigh by shoving herself to one side. "We cannot waste anytime, child! Come!" She hollered, her voice sweet and strict. Before I could ask her who she was, what was she doing here and where did she want to take me, I heard a very faint but familiar growl.

Thanatos. Shit.

My eyes found Keith and I searched for some answers. All he said was,"You need to go!"

"B-b-but what about you?"

"I'll hold back Thanatos, for now, just hurry already!" He almost begged now, his eyes not leaving the bars.

I wasn't let to protest as the Sleigh Lady tugged me by my arm, pulling me into the vehicle. She nodded stiffly at Keith for a moment before yanking the ropes and the sleigh came to life, soaring straight outside the hole it'd previously made in the wall. "Hold on tightly!" She exclaimed. I found an old, tattered leather seatbelt and held onto it. Wow, this thing was loaded with top-notch safety facilities. "Farewell, Sophie." Keith whispered as we disappeared.

Realisation drained into me as I registered the phrase. Wait. He was the one who saved me from Morpehus?

Gasp.

The atmosphere hit my face with heat and now, I could see the Orange-red sky. The huge, seven storey grey building we just broke out of was becoming smaller and smaller as we flew farther from it. It was like seven giant rings arranged on top of each other. No window, except on alternate floors. That explains all the darkness and suffocating feeling inside.

I peeped down from the sleigh now.

Holy moly.

The land below was vast, but barren, nothing like normal fields. It was covered with cracks almost everywhere and a black, viscous fluid flowed through like a river. I swear I could see it bubbling.

Just on my right, was a complete pitch black palace, with its cutting edges and shiny gleam surrounding it. Tiny cloaked figures rushed through a metal gate, some were stationery as they stood gawking at us.

I took my time to scrutinise the Sleigh Lady completely. She'd worn a lavender gown, which stuck to her body like her second skin and little white pearls adorned the bodice. Her face, although glowing, was slightly wrinkled. Forty-five? Fifty?

"Wh-wh-who're you?" I stuttered, after I was done observing.

"Marjorie, dear." She gave me a genuine smile which kind of relaxed my on-steroids heart.

"I'm Sophie." I replied and this for some reason made her chuckle. "I know, child. Heavens, everyone knows!"

Is this how Harry Potter felt? The girl who lived. Eesh.