The Ice Maiden's Tale by Lisa Preziosi

Author:Lisa Preziosi [Preziosi, Lisa]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Xist Publishing
Published: 2017-05-11T07:00:00+00:00

g

Sebastian searched for an escape route from the ballroom, but the ominous figures surrounded him on all sides. Their cold, hard fingers twined around his limbs. Whenever they touched him, a deep chill spread through his body, like his bones had been dipped in ice water and were now frozen. His panic and horror shifted to an icy calmness. His heartbeat slowed its frantic pace and an odd sort of peacefulness filled his mind. The ghastly figures pulled him up to stand. As he stared at their emaciated faces, they no longer seemed grotesque. There was a strange beauty to them now, like dead flowers. When the hint of a spring blossom glimmers through the decay.

One by one the figures walked toward the mirrors and crossed the threshold. Like a fish stuck on a hook, Sebastian had no choice but to move where they pulled him. There was no argument in his mind—no struggle in his soul. The only desire left inside him was the impulse to follow. And so, he walked toward one of the bronze mirrors and stepped through.

Sebastian felt a frigid gust of air and a sensation like falling. Colors swirled around him and in a moment he was in the glittering ballroom. Filling his nostrils was the scent of flowers, wine, and sweet cakes. Filling his ears was a lively and cheerful minuet. The figures turned away from Sebastian and began to dance once more. All around him they spun.

Sebastian turned to face the master staircase and its golden throne. He felt his will returning to him and began to remember why he had come to this castle in the first place. He moved up the stairs and toward the painting. On this side of the mirror, the painting was covered in golden brocade. Sebastian couldn’t fight the sudden desire to see what was hidden behind the cloth.

He reached the top of the stairs and stood in front of the painting. Grabbing the heavy fabric, he felt it stiff and scratchy against his sore hands. Sebastian pulled. It fell to the floor revealing a painting of a large spiral staircase.

A vague sense of disappointment flooded Sebastian. He had not known what to expect, but this seemed so ordinary. Sebastian moved his face closer to see if he had missed anything and reached up to touch the paint. It felt wet against his fingers and when he pulled back there was paint on his hand. It doesn’t look wet, he thought. What kind of magic is this?

As if in response to Sebastian’s thoughts, the colors of the painting began to run. They poured from the frame like a waterfall and splashed over him. The liquid smelled foul, like dirt and swamp. He tried to back away, but bumped into the back of the golden throne. More and more liquid poured from the painting oozing onto the floor and splashing over everything. Suddenly a giant wave came crashing through the painting, washing over Sebastian’s head. The liquid was heavier than water; heavier than paint.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.