The cave was full of darkness. It
clung to every crack and crevice. Black shadows upon black stones. Ériu did not
think that this obscure darkness could be any colder, any more uninviting. But
it was. It tore into her skin with a terrifying velocity, like black tendrils
lashing her skin. Ériu was out picking vegetables and fruit like she had always
done. Basket in hand and off she would trot, the gentle warmth of summer
springing her step as she filled her basket with juicy strawberries and those
sweet, crunchy apples mother would sometimes bake into apple pies. But there
was no apple pie here, no warmth, no light, only darkness and her sad thoughts
to keep her company.
How could this happen to her, it was a normal day, only she
had wandered into this cave. She had never seen it before and wanted to explore
the inside. She cursed her stupid curiosity, because of it, she was lost. From
what she could remember, she was deep inside the cave, having slid her way down
a hill of muck and tumbling rocks when the sensation began to overcome her. It
stiffened her entire body and crept along her skin, slicing into her muscles
and tendons, instantly rendering her nothing more than a conscious rock, much
like the cold, hard walls that surrounded her. Only they were inanimate and
dead. Before she completely blacked out, the manipulative effect had invaded
her nerves, sending millions of tiny electric shocks all over her body. Every
toe, every finger vibrated with a burning intensity. Tears fell from her
twinkling eyes, splashing her knees as she thought about the feeling.
No, she thought, this is not the end. She grabbed one of the soggy apples that
scattered the cave floor and took a huge bite out of it, ripping it almost in
half. Juice dribbled down her chin.
If it was to be her demise, she would not die hungry. She devoured three more
apples greedily before taking many deep breaths to calm her quivering torso.
Ériu felt her way up the spiky rock wall, hand pushed hard into the slick rock
to steady her own legs, still weak from the shocks that had made her pass out.
She yearned for her own bed, and the soft kisses her mother would place on her
forehead every night. That thought seemed to instil hope in the young girl, but
Ériu knew better than to hope. Hope wouldn’t save her life, only action would.
What need her of hope when she was encased in this black prison. This abyss was
terminal.
There was no way of telling where she was going; she had no sense of direction
or position. She could not even tell which way was forward, and which way was
back. Soon, she let the darkness guide her, trusting in her instincts rather
than letting fear grip hold of her, exactly what mother had always taught her
to do. The sweeping abyss seemed to swallow her more as she edged her way along
the cold crevice, opening up unto a beyond which seemed to swallow her more the
further she walked. By now, she had quickened her pace, and was no longer
scurrying along the wall like some terrified beetle. Her fingers brushed
against the cave wall as she moved briskly through the darkness. She felt as if
she was going to slam face first into a wall at any second, but she kept on
moving, she had no intention of stopping, the only thing she had left was her
ability to move and she put it to good use, walking in a straight line, seeking
an end that was no more in sight than her own hand in front of her face.
Then she saw it… A dim orange glow flickered in the distance. In the darkness,
it looked like Ériu was peering at lava through the tip of a needle, for some
reason, she smiled when she gazed upon it. The light flickered and danced in
her vision, being the first thing to tickle her senses, it sent her brain into
overdrive, causing the strange hue to morph and grow, igniting into colours she
never seen before. Her vision seemed to swarm with dancing images and shapes
inconceivable to her young mind. Quickly, her eyes began to adjust to the warm
glow of the mesmerising light and she became obsessed with it. Ériu was drawn
towards not only the light, but the company light brings in the lonely despair
of darkness. Suddenly, she felt hopeful again, this light would bring her home,
back to mother and the warm log fire that Ériu loved nothing more than to curl
up beside, feeling the warm tickle of the flame on her feet.
The ember glow was not far, and the next thing she knew, she was sprinting
towards it, her face etched with a lolling smile.
Her smile melted into a wide-eyed gape when she saw what was producing the
light.
A small, burning orb, about the size of a large orange hung low in the murky
air. It seemed to emanate with moxie and an animated vigour as Ériu gazed,
awestruck at the sight before her. She had never seen anything like this
before, nor could she ever hope to again, surely she was the first person to
see something like this?
“Hello,” whispered Ériu in her soft rural tone.
Soft as her voice was, it was not strong, and strength is what she needed right
now.
“Hello!” she repeated. This time however, her voice was loud and clear, cutting
through the shuddersome silence that engulfed the cave.
“Can you help me get home?”
Ériu nearly jumped twenty feet in the air when she heard the orb exhale with a
low humming noise. Almost like a sighing bear, nestling in to hibernate out the
winter. Her heart pounded even harder in her chest when the orb began to slowly
drift forward. Ériu followed dutifully, her eyes fixed on the effervescent
sphere of energy. Both orb and girl quickened their pace, until Ériu was
tearing after the leering ball, like a child after sweets. This time, she did
not care about what was ahead, or behind her, only the light and comforting
heat of the xanthic orb.
Ériu let out an ear-piercing wail as colour and light exploded upon her vision.
She was brought to her knees by a relentless barrage of senses the moment she
emerged from the void of the hollow.
She could not believe her own two eyes as to what she was seeing before her.
This was not home…This was nowhere she had ever seen before.
The ocean in front of her sparkled and glittered. It was a
blanket of sapphires that caressed the shores of the land. She had never seen
anything so beautiful in her life. In fact, Ériu had never even seen the sea;
she had never had a chance. It was a frighteningly expansive sight, and as Ériu
knelt before it, she wanted to hide beneath a rock in case the tides swallowed
her up. Perhaps the sea was simply much closer to home than she imagined, and
the cave she got lost in was a secret passage to the sea! But that was a stupid
thought… mother always told her that they lived right in the centre of Ireland
and it would take a very long time to travel to the ocean. Mother was always
right, and she mustn’t forget that.
The young girl gasped as the air around her whipped and cracked, dispersing
around her like she was some kind of infection. Her auburn hair seemed to
float, suspended in a gentle weightlessness. Ériu closed her eyes and listened
to her heart pump blood. It was soothing to her, giving her hope and fortitude,
but also exposing just how fragile she really was. Nothing more than a living
being, so weak, she was brought to her knees by a torrent of nature. She was a
servant of nature, and for some reason, she felt at ease gazing at the blueness
of the sea.
Strangely, Ériu felt revitalised and elevated in this mystical world, instantly
jumping to her feet. The mouth of the cave faced the sea, and was surrounded by
steep grassy mounds the entire way around it. She had no other option than to
climb up, as the only other one would be to go to the sea and after all, living
so far away from it meant she never learnt to swim.
The grass was soft and buoyant as she clawed her way up the large hill. Ériu
loved nothing more than to walk in her bare feet, especially on grass such as
this, which seemed to nuzzle and caress her naked toes. It reminded her of the
pond beside her house where she used to cool off on hot summer days. The water
used to massage her feet and soak up her troubles. She had nothing to care
about then. She scolded her naivety. You
cannot act like a baby anymore. Beyond the cover of the hills hid an
overflowing forest. For a moment she was captivated by it. Birch trees reached
high into the air, tightly packed together, with their shaggy green foliage
hanging low to the ground. The path through led into darkness, and was shrouded
by a veil of hanging shrubbery.
Thud, thud, thud, thud, thud, thud.
She stopped breathing.
Thud, thud, thud,
thud, thud, thud.
It was coming from inside the forest. She wanted to turn and
run, but something stopped her. I can’t
move. She slowly wandered towards the forest, meandering along carelessly
to the beats of the wood. Thud, thud,
thud, thud, thud, thud. Ériu was conscious that she was not in control of
her own body. She tried to scream but her mouth would not open, her voice box
wouldn’t respond. She thought back to the shock in the cave, and how much it
hurt her. I don’t think I can face that
again. The closer she came to the forest, the harder she wanted to turn
back. But she couldn’t. I need to go in.
And then she saw it.
A face stared out at her from the jungle. The pale complexion and the bushy brown
hair was unmistakable against the greyness of the surrounding forest. She stood
at the edge of the tree line, frozen in place like a sculpted statue. She
wanted to cry out to the person and ask for help. But she couldn’t even speak
or move. Is he doing this to me?
Ériu let out a grunt as her face smashed into the grass. The ringing in her
ears made her teeth chatter. For how long she lay there, she could not tell.
The sharp taste of blood mixed with her salty tears woke her from her daze,
causing her to sit up quickly. She
was cold and it was beginning to get dark. A deep shade of red was dispersing
throughout the sky, sending shafts of red light glinting through gaps in the
cloud. The sky is tainted. That
scared her and she couldn’t afford to be scared. Right now, she had to be
brave. For mother. Ériu knew she had
to go after the face. The face in the bushes could be her one chance of getting
home.
With that, she stood up and darted into the trees. She flitted past them with a
spectral grace, glancing off trees and jumping high over fallen branches. Soon
she was deep in the forest. Surrounded by a marauding blackness which made her
feel like she was being suffocated in a box. Nevertheless, she pressed on, her
ears pricked up listening for the thuds again. Thud, thud, thud, thud, thud, thud. She grinded to a halt. Her head turned towards the direction
the noise was coming from and she began to run, her strides becoming long and
swift as she navigated her way through the swirling forest. This time, she was
approaching the noise of her own free will and would not be rendered helpless
so easily again. Her cascading dash had now become a slow trot and she jogged
through the forest with a rhythmic agility. She had not noticed it before, she
had been running to fast to hear anything; But the gentle chirp of the forest
had been replaced by a bouncing flow of throbbing beats, a drumming that
reverberated throughout the wildwood, vibrating individual leaves from their
nesting places. Ériu’s own heart seemed to be beating in time with the
mysterious rhythm. She clutched her hands tightly to her chest, feeling the
gentle thump of the muscle that she so relied on. Each beat was precious, each
beat was life, and life meant getting home. The drumming was getting louder and
louder with each step. By now, young Ériu had stopped jogging and was creeping
through the dim shadows on the canopy floor. Ahead of her lay a huge clearing
in the trees. She ducked behind some tree roots and took a deep breath before
taking a look.
The clearing was misty and grey, the only colour came from
the shafts of dying light that penetrated through the leaves of the tall trees
and caused strange shadows to dance across the milky grove. Stone formations
surrounded the outside, perfectly cut rock stacked high into the air , standing
firm like the Roman soldiers she read about in her history book. What really caught Ériu’s attention was
the man standing in the centre of the clearing. He was ghostly pale with a
deathly stare and hair that seemed to be trying to run away from him. It was
long and shaggy and merged with the beard on his face as if two mangy brown
dogs were trying to mate on his head. The drum he beat was small, but the skin
seemed to explode every time the strange man hit it. He wore very little, other
than a long billowing cloak that was pinned tightly around his neck and a small
loincloth that barely covered his manhood. I
am embarrassed, I should be scared, but I’m embarrassed. If he tries to hurt me
I will cut it off and feed it to him. Her bravado did not last long when he
began to sing, his voice a sweet cacophony of echo and thunder.
Every word cut through Ériu like a sharp blade.
Oh passes Ériu
With her flaming locks,
The saga of saints
Over, as she stops.
Oh passes Ériu
And none can deny.
Returned now to home
To calm stormy skies.
Oh passes Ériu
Tyrants did do war,
With saintly wisdom
They ravaged a storm.
Oh passes Ériu
A princess to the grove
Oh passes Ériu
A spirit of love.
He said my name. He
knows who I am, and he knows I’m here.
“You can come out now girl, there is no need to hide from me,” he cackled in
a hoarse tone. His speaking voice was nothing like the gentle voice that had
erupted from him when he sang. It ripped and scratched at her eardrums. She
cowered behind the roots of the tree, all bravery evaporated out of her,
leaving her a trembling hulk of a girl in the face of this aloof man. “Girl,”
he commanded, “stand up or I will make you stand up.” If I stand up, he will attack me, I need to get out of he-
Her body froze up. Oh no, please not
this, not again. The more she tried to fight it and move, the more intense
the imperious effect was.
“I will not hurt you, I am trying to help you.”
Liar, liar, liar. She wanted to
scream and shout at him, to attack him, to hurt him, to kill him, but she
couldn't even move. Her body began to move of its own accord, and before she
knew it, she had sauntered past the stacked stones and into the dim glow of the
sunlit expanse. She faced the old man’s leering face. Up close, his features
were cracked and broken, wrinkles and pockmarks covered the entirety of his
face. He looks like an old mutt. They
faced each other like they were about to duel. He still beats his drum. What kind of monster is this man?
He released her from his death grip and she dropped from the air with an
unnatural poise, landing softly on her knees before the cloaked figure.
“Who are you.” She croaked weakly, unable to muster any courage as she stared
him down. “Why are you doing this to me?” Tears began to fall from her eyes.
Ériu felt weak and ashamed at herself. He stopped beating his drum and began to
speak, his deep voice seeped in knowledge and history.
“Crying does not make you weak little one, pearls thrive in the wetness of the
ocean, becoming brighter and more precious than any other jewel. You my sweet darling
are the shimmering gem we have all been waiting for.” He walked towards her,
extending his arm for her to take. Ériu’s wet eyes glared at his, His eyes are black, there is no colour.
She was reluctant to accept his help but she took his rough hand anyway and let
him guide her to her feet.
“I want to go home, can you please help me?” she whimpered, shifting her weight
from one foot to another, occupying her mind in this awkward moment. The old
man gazed at her with a quiet intention, before saying the word that made her
heart sink.
“No,” still holding her hand, he brought himself close to her face so his inky
black eyes were level with hers. “You see Ériu, this land upon which you have
found yourself has been waiting for your return. For thousands of years the
balance of our ancient continent has been upset, the spirits are embroiled in an
age of despair and darkness and they need their vessel to appease them. You,
young princess, are the vessel.”
She felt like her head was about to explode. Why does he call me princess? She felt nothing but confusion and
annoyance as he stared at her with a longing expectance. “Shut up!” she
bellowed, done was she trying to reason with this psycho. “Take me home, now,
and stop talking of this spirit nonsense, there is no such thing.”
“I am afraid Ériu, there is and you will not be going anywhere. Ever.”
I should of known, he is going to hurt
me.
“Oh I am not just going to hurt you,” he goaded as a twisted grin appeared
on his face. “For you see princess, I
am a Dread Sage and we draw our power from instability and imbalance in the
world. You are the only thing that stands between me and ultimate power and I
am not about to give that up.”
With that, Ériu turned and ran, sprinting as fast as she could towards the
cover of the forest. However the old Sage had other plans and Ériu felt her
feet give way from beneath her, sliding to a halt on the soft grass. She
quickly turned on to her back but the old man was already upon her, a blade
brandished in his hand. Where did he get
that? She backed up until her head banged against one of the grey stones.
She kicked and screamed and clawed at his beard, tearing shreds away from the
already patchy facial hair.
“I truly am sorry,” he lamented. As he spoke the words he grabbed the scruff of
her long dress and buried the knife deep in her gut. She grunted as blood
spattered from her mouth. Ériu lay there with her hands clasped around the hilt
of the dirk; it felt exactly as she would of expected cold steel too feel stuck
inside her. A wild abyss surrounded her and she was back in the darkness of the
cave. She smelt apple pie and thought of mother.
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