The Gateway

An unusual occurence see's Amber escorted to the gateway the mysterious girl at the party had spoken of.

Amber shrugged away the repetitive jolting of her shoulder, pulled her sheets closer to her face and complained in nonsensical murmurs,

‘I’m not going! Stop leaving me alone.’

A moment later she fell back into her dream, only for the urgent prodding to continue, this time accompanied by a gentle, well-spoken voice,

‘Amber… it’s time for you to wake up.’

Amber frowned in the blue glow of her nightlight,

‘Daddy? Is that you?’ she asked hopefully.

‘Regretfully not, dearest- It is I, Norris,’ the voice replied.

In a whoosh of blonde hair Amber sat quickly and rubbed her eyes before looking to the speaker.

‘I’m dreaming aren’t I?’ she asked incredulously of the green dragon that stood on all fours at the side of her bed.

Norris adjusted his long toothy mouth to a ponderous down-turned expression and answered,

‘Perhaps you are dreaming, or something very much like it, but that isn’t important now. You must accompany me to the Gateway.’

Amber raised her eyebrows and laughed. The girl at the party had talked about a gateway and she was intrigued, but she also found it funny to see Norris moving about and talking. Ordinarily he was a puppet that hung on the wall by her bed, less than half the size he was now. He looked real enough to touch; his wings, scales and teeth glittering magnificently by her orange night light. And the way he moved was as graceful as any pixie or fairy Amber had ever read about. She was enjoying this dream so far and wanted it to continue.

‘What’s the Gateway?’ she asked.

Norris’ long neck snaked toward the girl and when their faces were almost touching he said,

‘The Gateway to Dreams and Imaginings, of course’

The fact that Norris spoke as if she really ought to know prevented Amber from pursuing the matter further, so instead she asked,

‘How do we get there?’

Norris looked back to his winged shoulders and smiled,

‘I will carry you to the dawn route on the other side of the world. At the cusp of waking is where the dream worlds and this world meet and it is from there that we can cross over.’

………………………………………..

Norris carried Amber upon his back as they passed through the wall of her bedroom and into the night sky. Amber expected that she would be cold dressed only in her night clothes, but found that she was rather warm. Then she looked to her body and discovered that she had somehow become dressed simply by thinking that she ought to be, but this was only one of many wonders she was to experience.

They were soon far away from 22, Willow Walk and the small town of Bigglesworth and before long beyond England too. They flew across fields, mountains and cities, rivers, lakes and oceans as Norris the dragon carried her toward the sun that broke on the horizon.

Amber whooped with delight as they rushed by the world at breakneck speed,

‘Enjoying the ride?’ Norris asked, to which Amber replied,

‘Yeeeeeeehaaaa!’

‘Hold on tight!’ the dragon warned as he suddenly hurtled upwards into the purple sky.

Amber leant forward and grabbed tightly around Norris’ long neck,

‘Where are you going?’ Amber yelled as the wind rushed by her.

‘The Gateway is at the highest point of dawn- before it touches the waking world. If you look ahead you will begin to see it,’ the dragon advised her.

Amber did as Norris suggested and before long began to see the most amazing spectacle that she had ever laid eyes on.

At first she saw only darkness, but the higher they climbed the more the truth came into focus. At the utmost part of the earth’s atmosphere there appeared the curved horizons of two similar globes that sloped symmetrical above her. She scarcely had time to note that one of these worlds was shrouded in shadow while the other exuded a golden hue that dazzled the eye, before the morning sun glinted across from the horizon of the waking world and illuminated the triangular space between the three worlds.

She stared as if enchanted as the Gateway made its self known to her. The outer three worlds faded from both sight and thought to be replaced by a tunnel vision in which other travellers likewise made their way toward the Gateway.

Amber looked about in fascination as children riding upon flying carpets, winged horses, phoenix, griffins, aircraft, superheroes, other dragons and more flew alongside her and Norris to the same point. She looked earthward and saw that another array of fantastical creatures and craft carried children to the same destination by land and sea. The land and sea were indistinguishable- changing with each passing moment as the landscape acted as a runway that could accommodate all means and modes of transportation.

The Gateway itself was magnificent and reflected the colours of dawn. A cul-de-sac of morning orange and red mountains blotted out the horizon beyond and formed a valley between. At the head of the valley stood a set of gates surrounded by a wall of azure brick with golden inscriptions carved upon it and it was through this entrance that every traveller passed.

As they passed the over the ever changing land and sea, Norris came in to land at the watery beach that fronted the gates and without breaking stride walked on all fours toward the gates. Children chattered endlessly all around- each mind alive with the prospect and promise of uninhibited possibility within.

It all seemed new to Amber yet strangely familiar at the same time.

‘Do I know this place Norris?’ she asked as they approached the entrance to the gateway realm.

Norris nodded and turned his head to say,

‘You have been here many times Amber- every human has, although few of you remember once back in the waking world… and most stop visiting when they are grown.’

Norris’ tone was regretful, but Amber scarcely noticed. She was too fascinated by everything around that went on about her person. A young boy talked to the giant snail on which he rode; his legs around the snail’s neck as he sat upon the edge of its shell,

‘What shall we do today Molly?’ he asked the creature excitedly.

‘Anything you like Steven,’ the snail replied in an adult woman’s voice.

A girl of around ten travelled alone close by. She was dressed as a witch and floated several feet above the ground on her broomstick.

‘Hi there- I’m Hattie the witch!’ she told Amber when they made eye contact.

Amber waved to her, but Hattie’s mind moved to some other happening and no longer thought of the person she had greeted.

‘If you focus on them they will see you as part of their dream world for a while, but this realm is never still and it takes practice to keep a persons attention,’ Norris explained as they came to the towering boundary and walked through its thick walled gates.

Amber told Norris that she understood while taking in the expansive surroundings. The Gateway appeared much bigger once inside of the gates. The mountains loomed large and blotted out the entire skyline except the height of dawn directly above them. Within the valley there were countless creatures and children who milled around the purple coloured grasses and lilac coloured footpaths. Creatures that moved beneath long shrouds acted as guides and silently ushered the travellers to different directions beyond the mountain range.

The mountains had within them carved doorways where, Amber presumed, residents of the Gateway had made their homes. She couldn’t imagine who might live in such a place, but supposed that someone had to help organise such a flurry of comings and goings.

‘Will we be going over the mountains too?’ Amber asked the dragon.

‘I’m afraid this trip is for business rather than pleasure my sweet. There is someone here that you must meet,’ Norris replied solemnly as he walked toward the mountains.

A quartet of the shrouded figures approached the dragon and gestured that he head in the direction of a narrow cave entrance at the right side of the mountain range.

Norris thanked the silent guides and stopped outside.

‘You must go inside alone,’ Norris told her.

‘On my own?’ Amber asked in disbelief, ‘but it’s dark.’

‘I cannot fit into the hollow, but I promise that you will come to no harm,’ Norris assured her.

Amber breathed nervously as Norris wrapped his tail around her middle and lowered her to the ground.

‘I will wait here for you,’ he told her and Amber walked into the crack in the mountain.

……………………………….

The opening led into what was little more than a long winding rocky passageway. Amber made her way along the dark and damp walkway as quickly as she could manage, but began to be afraid when she appeared to be getting no closer to an end. She was on the verge of turning back when she saw a dim glow flickering in the distance, so instead forced her way closer toward it.

As she neared the yellow glow she began to hear whispering echoes that sounded very much as if someone were sobbing helplessly to themselves. Amber proceeded with caution until she arrived at the end of the passageway and peered into what she saw was a candlelit cavern. In the centre of the cavern was a large wood carved throne within which a woman of royal depiction was seated.

Candles which were mounted at strange and various angles upon the craggy walls illuminated an aura around her. Her long blonde hair shimmered as silver as the crown upon her head and her face was hidden beneath the thick strands, but as the woman shuddered and shook before her Amber knew this to be the source of the mournful wailing she had heard on her journey through the passage.

The ornate carvings at the head, arms and legs of the throne punctuated the flickering shadow with an amber hue the varnish refracting in hybrid tone with the yellow of the flame. The entire throne room looked alive- animated by the shifting contrasts of shade and light as the flames pirouetted eternally in changing form- its light causing shadows to dance throughout the cave with mischievous menace. 

‘Hello?’ Amber said softly as she finally stepped into the open space within the mountain, then,

‘Are you okay?’

The woman looked up at Amber for the briefest of moments and then bowed her head once again,

‘No. I’m not okay,’ she wept, ‘the darkness is approaching and soon all will be lost.’

Amber stepped awkwardly toward the throne and noticed that the woman’s body was shrouded in a cloak as black as the deepest night.

‘Who are you?’ the girl asked.

The woman put her hands to her face and answered from beneath her palms,

‘I am… was the Queen of the Gateway Realm, but the King is lost to the Horror’s and will soon return to conquer all worlds.’

The Queen became inconsolable with grief as she spluttered the sentence, ending it with a wail of hopelessness that tugged at Amber’s heart.

‘Is there anything I can do to help? Norris told me that I must see you and there was a girl at the party who said…’

‘Who is Norris?’ the Queen interrupted- her sobbing stopping abruptly as she removed her hands from her tear stained features.

‘Norris is a Dragon…’ Amber began and then thought to elaborate further,

‘Well, he was a puppet, but he came to life tonight and brought me here. I think the girl sent him for me.’

The Queen’s reddened eyes widened with curiosity,

‘A Dragon?’ she asked, ‘and a girl?’

‘Yes, your highness. The girl was at the Halloween party, but she disappeared. She told me to come to the Gateway- that my father and the dream worlds needed me.’

The Queen smiled doubtfully at Amber,

‘But you are only a sweet little child. You could be of no service in such a matter,’ she said kindly.

Amber, unsure of how best to respond remained still and silent. The Queen stood from her throne and drew back the cloak to reveal tattered and torn attire that had once been a silken gown of white. Her flesh beneath the cloak was pallid and gaunt as if the life were being taken from it.

‘The Horror’s have found a way into the Gateway and from here they will walk into the light realm and the waking world,’ the Queen explained,

‘Already they have shrouded me in this cloak of night and soon I will become like them; bitter and twisted with hatred for those who dwell within the daytime.’

The Queen closed her cloak around her aging body and said,

‘Then the Gateway will be theirs for the taking and it will be I that ushers them into the waking thoughts of humans.’

‘Can you not stop them?’ Amber asked, suddenly dismayed and afraid.

The Queen shook her head, as she conceded,

‘I am lost and the Gateway will fall this very night,’ but then glanced at Amber optimistically to say,

‘But perhaps you could stop them… with help. Tell me; do you know of anyone who may assist you on a journey across the dawn of the dream realms?’

Amber frowned and chewed at her bottom lip as she tried to think of someone.

‘I have a brother who might help,’ the girl ventured.

‘How old is this brother of yours?’ the Queen asked with narrowed eyes as she sat back in her throne.

‘He’s thirteen,’ Amber answered.

The Queen stroked her chin in contemplation,

‘An interesting age is thirteen. Between the cusp of child and adult yet truly being neither; a turbulent time quickly forgotten once growing has been achieved,’ she said, more to herself than to Amber. She then returned her attention to the girl and declared,

‘Perhaps you and your brother can be of service after all, but I warn you, it will be a dangerous adventure.’

Amber trembled at the prospect of all the Queen had told her, but put her feelings aside to bravely ask,

‘What do we have to do?’

The Queen puckered her lips and pointed a crooked finger toward the girl,

‘I will tell you my sweet, but first I must bring your brother to you- he will have forgotten his way here.’

Author's Note

Is Amber too young to be a part of an adventure aimed at a readership of around 11+? This was the main sticking point in the original.