The Pilgrim's Egress

Anne in the Stone.

The fire place was small, but it was impressive. The mantle was carved out of what looked to be basalt. Dark shiny back facets with not regular order or design. Rough hewn into the shape of a workable mantle for this small fireplace.

As Thad wiped the dust from the front, the shiny faces of the basalt seemed to absorb any light. It was almost as if he could see the golden light reflected off the table feet drawn into the facets carved into the stone fireplace. As he stared at the shimmering blackness he felt himself drawn closer and closer until his nose was practically touching the stone. He peered deep and longingly into the dark as he made out shapes in the darkness.

In the darkness he saw Anne. Anne was fair and white and shone like gold, but she was surrounded by a constant darkness. Anne had been Thad's greatest love, but she was lost. Lost in a dream. Thad questioned in his heart if he had ever really known her in his waking life? Was Anne all a dream? But he could see her now either reflected or shining out of the dark black stone. She was lost, she looked around and lowered her eyes. She raised her head again and turned and looked straight at Thad. Could this dream girl, this reflection see him? She reached out for him, but at the same time drew back. In his dream she had been pure light, shining and white and gold.

He thought he could remember his last few moments of sleep now. He had been dreaming of Anne. Anne had been growing dark, the light was going out and she was retreating back to the stone. He ran toward her and cried for her not to go. To fight the dark and the cold stone. She did return to the stone and the darkness. When she had returned to the darkness, that was the moment that Thad had woken up. Thad felt he had his first real clue as to what had happened to him. He had been asleep in the loving embrace of a shining golden dream. The dream turned dark and he had woken up.
It was far from all the answers to his questions but it was a start.

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