Isolation

Trouble

Out of breath I finally made it to the end of the long staircase, this is the area where father jails the Island’s criminals. I’m not supposed to ever be here but I get so curious. I walk around to every cell to see all of the chained felons that fill our basement. Except for this one area, I’ve never been able to get into the door that leads the way to the really bad criminals. I hear there are only a few in there but there is one that is special and has been there for over a hundred years. Isolated from all the others, he did something dreadful very long ago. No one ever talks about what he did though, it just makes me even more curious. And just my luck, Jackie left the door unlocked today.

I pull the door open, it must have been feeding time and she forgot to lock the main door back. But, I guess it doesn’t matter, it’s a door to many doors. I decide to tug on a few and all of them are locked. Soon, my attention was drawn to one door and all the others seemed to fall away into darkness. I didn’t even realize my feet were moving until I stood directly in front of this door and reached for the handle. “Rayven!” Oh crap, Jackie! I turn on my heels and face her. “What are you doing down here? You’re in big trouble missy. I’m taking you to your father.”

“Have I not said it enough Rayven?” My father's baritone voice coated my skin like sticky silk. A black man’s essence and the presence of a God. His skin was like pure copper, his locks reaching to his waist, and his cold icy grey eyes much like my own. “You know I do not enjoy repeating myself, young lady. And for you to go beyond that door. Surely you don’t realize you could have been killed had you opened that man’s door.” My father has never yelled at me, but he certainly gets his point across. “Omri, my love, I think she understands now.” I looked down at my feet as my Mother consoled a worried but clearly upset father. My mother was just as beautiful as my father was handsome, a Nubian queen. I get my softer features from her although I look much like my father. Her crinkled brown hair falls midway down her back, dark eyes that sparkle with humor and love, an hourglass frame, and flawless skin

I go to my room once my father has dismissed me and change my clothes before crawling into my bed for a nap. I begin to dream of darkness then all of a sudden there is fire circling all around me. A dark figure steps into the circle with me and all I can see are eyes created from sapphire stones. His presence turns my fire into Earth toned smoke and somehow he seems a bit familiar to me. I reach out to touch his missing face but he pulls away and disappears. I find myself falling and my heart racing as I plunge into darkness.

When I wake, I’m near a river deep in the forest behind my home. I’ve always had a habit of sleepwalking, but I’ve never been so far from home. I should head back, I look toward the stars as my guide. My father taught me how to find my way home if I’d ever gotten lost in this forest when I was much younger. “Well, well, well. Princess, to what do we owe the pleasure of seeing you this evening?” A male voice growled from behind me. My heart skipped a beat as my stomach fell in fear. I turned as a centaur emerged from the shadows and towered over me, saliva dripping from his lips. “Leave her Acheron. If her parents find out she ran into us they will hunt us down.” There was another one? This one also a male. “Then maybe they don’t have to find out Dion. She’s pretty far from home and still a babe. How old are you child of Omri?” I was too scared to answer him. I actually may have forgotten how to speak either way considering I spend very little time doing the activity. “I asked you a question!” He leaned his enormous frame down and got in my face, his hand wrapping around my neck and crushing me into the nearest tree. I pass out from the force.