Mother

***The following is an excerpt from Raina's Story **** 

Sure, Raina thought to herself sardonically. I’m flying through the air inside a giant tree located in a completely different realm.

Feeling completely overwhelmed by her ever-increasing accumulation of questions, and having evidently fulfilled her lifetime quota of surprise, confusion, and fear combined, Raina forced herself to accept what she was experiencing.  She looked around in wonder as they whizzed past floor after floor of similar corridors.  She determined that this “Royal Cypress,” as Bartle had called it, must be at least 100 stories high. It’s like, the King of trees.

About 10 floors into their flight, Raina saw one of the corridor doors open. A beautiful auburn-haired woman stepped out with two small children in tow.  Two floors later, a man in a three-piece moss-colored suit jumped over the banister on his level, and soared diagonally downward. As they climbed higher and higher similarly dressed men began to appear walking hurriedly between doors, and fluttering across the vast diameter. The more men they saw the louder it became. Soon the space began to murmur with whispering tones akin to those Raina had heard from adults in hospital waiting rooms and courthouse hearings. There was an imperative yet clandestine quality to the sound.

Finally, one of the men caught sight of them.  He nodded at Bartle, and aimed a quizzical smirk in Raina’s direction. Not sure how to respond, she looked down at her feet.  Unprepared for the sight of a thousand feet below her, Raina gasped with surprise and jerked in Bartle’s arms. He squeezed her tighter.

“Careful Love,” he advised. “We’re nearly there.”

She felt their pace slowing, and looked to see a ceiling cover of brilliant needled leaves. Her body shifted as Bartle hovered horizontally. Raina tiled her head back down. Just ahead of her she saw a beautiful russet set of arched double doors chiseled with an ornate crown resting atop two folded wings. On either side, sat two incredibly life-like owl statues, each armed with purple shields and silver swords.

“Wow!” she breathed in as they touched ground.

“These,” Bartle gestured ahead, “are Mother’s quarters.”

To be continued...