Suddenly the lake began to roil. A golden light rose from its depths until the waters were gleaming with the glorious colour. A strange, rhythmic moaning assaulted her ears, accompanied by a celestial voice singing in a language unknown to her. She began to feel a fear creeping over her. Suddenly there was a disturbance in the water. Strong ripples moved toward her, and from the centre of the ripples two figures emerged. The first was dark and sinister. Long matted hair cascaded down its back. Flowing robes draped its body, and its mouth was open in a toothless smile. It was evil. It moaned.
Just behind this specter another figure emerged. Cascading golden hair, azure blue eyes and diaphanous silver garments made it breathtakingly beautiful. A Naiad, whose celestial singing poured out of its mouth. Oh, how it sang.
Isla was transfixed. She could not move. She wanted to run as far and as fast as she could. Who were they? What did they want of her? Where did they come from? Were they the mythical spirits of the lake? They came out of the lake and moved toward her. The evil one approached her. It moved, in a floating motion, followed by the lovely one with a smile so sweet it took away almost all her terror. Each took one of her hands. One had a cold scaly claw. The other had a hand soft and silky, like the petal of a full-blown rose.
As they approached the lake her terror returned. “No,” she cried “I will drown.”
“Don’t be afraid”, said the Naiad. “You will be able to breathe just as you do on land.” The water was as warm as a summer sea. Down they went. Strange creatures surrounded them. Lovely sea anemones with tentacles in jewel-like hues. Clams with tight-shut shells, keeping their secrets. Tiny fish darting here and there, as if they weren’t sure where they were heading.
“Where are we going?” she asked.
“To the Chambers of Two Choices,” replied the evil one.
The water got darker and darker. Soon the gaping mouth of a cavern appeared. Her former foreboding returned, but there was no hope of breaking away and resurfacing to her familiar world. All three floated into the cavern, which widened into a large room. As her eyes grew accustomed to the dark, she saw the walls were made of a type of rock which was encrusted with tiny flecks of crystal. The light of tall black candles caused the crystal to glitter and cast long shadows on the floor. Shelves lined the walls and housed an assortment of gross beings of different shapes and sizes. Some had neatly folded wings. Others had webbed feet with fluorescent green nails. A single unblinking eye was centered on each forehead. Toothless mouths sent forth the moans she used to hear during the night. Their bodies were covered with matted hair, except for their heads, which were bald and shiny. Evil permeated the room, as did the noxious aroma of decay. A sumptuously upholstered chair sat in the centre of the room. A slightly smaller version sat next to it. The evil one sat in the larger chair and patted the seat of the other, indicating she should sit. It was extraordinarily comfortable. She felt she was cocooned in warmth and light. Slowly she fell asleep.
