Dreaming in Silver and Gold

Chapter 6

Deep within the darkness of the underworld, the three fates watched the tangled threads of life. Their voices echoed off the caves as they spun their songs of life and death.  Lachesis sings of the things that were, Clotho the things that are, and Atropos the things that have yet to pass.

“Sisters.” Clotho hissed. “Look.”

The ancient beings gathered around a thread pulled tight by Clotho. 

“I see nothing out of the ordinary,” Lachesis answered.

“Look closer.” Clotho insisted.

“It’s…it’s changing color.”

"Yes, it is,”

“But that only happens…”

“When an Archangel is being crowned.” Clotho cackled with glee. Sure enough, the golden thread was slowly turning into a shade of the purest silver. Anything that could cut through the boredom of immortality was interesting to Clotho and this was certainly something new. “And there are no new archangels set to be crowned. All positions are filled, but sisters look even closer at the thread.”

Atropos squinted as she appraised the smooth material. “It belongs to a mortal?”

“A mortal who is tied to the King of the Underworld in more ways than one it would seem.” Clotho smiled. “She has quite a future in store for her.”

“Should we give the little mortal a glimpse of her future?” Atropos asked her sisters. The two nodded with amusement.

“Oh, winds of the future, find your way to the little mortal and give her visions of the grandeur that awaits her,” Atropos muttered and opened her palm. A silver feather sat on the wrinkled skin and the fates gathered around to inspect it.

“Well, well, it certainly was getting boring around here. It looks like that is going to change, sisters.”

They blew the feather up, up, up into the air and it floated away on the winds of fate.

“Will you hurry up?” Liz shifted impatiently by the door.

“Hold on one second.” Elias snapped as he grabbed a piece of toast off the table and attempted to down his tea at the same time.

“Well I’m hungry and I want to make it back to the dorm in time for breakfast,” Liz replied.

“Look, it’s not my fault you can’t eat any food in the underworld. It’s law. No mortal can eat the food or you get trapped here. Would you like to be trapped here?” Elias said. He was trying to balance his bag and tea in one hand while he buttered his toast with the other.

“Normally I would say no but that pastry looks rather good,” Liz said.

“Well, that’s something I never heard before.” Elias smiled. “A mortal trapped in the underworld all because they couldn’t turn down a pastry.”

Elias turned and walked towards the door. He went to take a bite of his toast and adjust his bag but forgot there was tea also in his hand. He dropped the cup but before it hit the ground Liz caught it.

“Huh.” She squinted at the cup and sat it down on the table as if it had burned her.

“What is it? Nice save by the way.” Elias walked past her and led her down a hallway.

“Nothing.” Liz shook her head. “I just had a weird case of deja vu. It was almost as if I knew you were going to drop that cup. I think I dreamt about it last night.”

“You dreamt about me dropping a teacup? You aren’t very creative.” Elias said.

“It’s not like I can control my subconscious and you being clumsy wasn’t the onlything that was in my dream. I think the underworld has a weird affect on me.” Liz shrugged. “Where are we going?”