Just to be safe I held my shaking hands over my fluttering heart. I felt the pulse come to a comforting pace under my fingertips before I was distracted by light. How pitiful it is to be fascinated by light, but I didn’t notice. I was practically giddy as I hurriedly scrambled out of the bed. Fatigue made my legs give, and I greeted the floor, face down; my arms didn’t even think to catch me. A lesson learned, I cautiously peeled myself off the floor and eagerly crawled to the light. My hand passed into the beam and it was beautiful. I let it warm the palm of my hand and flipped it over to touch my fingertips. How clean and kept my hand looked after so long in darkness under the new found light.
Then there was a flutter, and the light shined onto my face. I looked up and slowly let my eyes adjust. Through the curtains there was a sliver of what was waiting for me beyond the dark. My hands pushed the black curtains to the side, and I pulled myself up shakily.
Stepping into the light was like lifting a veil from my eyes. Everything was bright, and everything was beautiful, shining and glowing with sunshine. The light came from the vaulted glass ceiling. The sun generously flowed into the room easily through the giant, transparent panes of glass.
Even without the sunlight, the room would have been absolutely beautiful. A silky, plush off white rug softened my steps as I stumbled into the middle of the huge space before me. Cream and blue lace draped around the four posts of a bed, forming a curtain to the left. Past the bed, on the right, there was a cherry vanity table. Exploring, I slowly crossed the room.
I stepped in front of the mirror to see a beautiful girl. Her hair was trimmed and combed, and her face was clean and fresh. I felt like I almost belonged in this beautiful world. There was this buzzing of thoughts, almost static in my ear. Wincing, I turned around, and the static slowly went away.
The lace curtains were pulled back to reveal a dress lying on the bed, blue and cream, matching the scheme of the room.
I pulled the dress over my head; it fit perfectly. The top was stiff, like a corset, and the skirt came down to my ankles in the front and dragged a short, voluminous train in the back. I took a couple steps around, turning so I could see the dress behind me.
There on the floor, lay a pair of flat shiny slippers that matched the dress. They happened to fit my feet rather nicely. After I put them on I walked over the vanity table again. Sitting in front of the mirror, I brushed my hair with the brush that lay on its surface. Right as I finished getting the last of the knots out, I heard a sound.
When I turned my head to find it, I couldn’t see anything. After standing up and completing a full circle I slumped over on the bed, but there it was again, something like the clanking of glass. I raised my head to see little section of the wall slightly ajar, revealing a hidden door.