Her Red City (WattyAwards2013 entry- new version)

Her Red City-Chapter Two, 'Many Souls'. Part 3

I sat on worn leather, staring through paper-thin glass windows out onto the cobbled, weaving streets. Those buildings...it was as if the whole city were a dream. I ate my apple, finding I was starving, and let the juice drip down my chin. I was shell-shocked, but I kept repeating to myself, ‘this is happening. You can’t stop it happening, so just accept that it is.’ It worked, mostly. I distracted myself with the view. Ivory towers climbed above looming banks, office blocks jostled with crumbling temples, and in the centre of it all stood a colossal cathedral, all steeples and balconies and gargoyle detailing. And, of course, all red. Small bird-like creatures flitted about over the passers-by and between the buildings.

‘Excuse me’, I half-shouted to the driver over the clatter of the wheels against the stones, ‘what do people call this place?'

'Why, it's not so hard to guess, lass', he yelled back jovially, 'this is the Red City! Guardians of the All- that's the Universe to you, I'm supposin'- come here to be all regal and that. Or if you're lucky like me, you get to drive those high 'n mighties around all day. No offense, o' course, m'am.'

I thought for a minute about that, and asked,

'Am I...unlucky, then?'

'Unlucky? Hm...it's not my place to say, lass.'

He refused to say any more than that, so I shut my eyes and tried to make sense of what I knew, soon realising that I knew precious little.

The journey didn't last very long; most of the 'Red City' stretched up towards the sky rather than outwards, and must have been only 3 miles across. As we came to a halt I looked up to finding we were drawing up to the entrance of that Cathedral, and it was even more imposing up close. The architectural detailing was both awe-inspiring and haunting, and, beneath a door wide as a giant's yawning mouth, stood a gnarled old man, with curling horns and skin the colour of worn blue jeans. He wore a grey servant's uniform.

'Alright, lass, come on. This is your stop' announced my driver, seeing that I wasn't getting out. I hurriedly opened the door and stepped onto the street, slamming the door in my haste, which of course shattered the glass window. Shards rained down and I danced out of the way, looking guiltily up from the cab driver to the old man, who squinted at us through thick spectacles.

'I'm sorry sir-'

'Ah, don't worry yourself none. Happens often enough' he said, calming his beautiful horse, which had panicked a little at the sound, 'you gone on, now. I got places to be! Pleasure servin' ye, lass.'

With that he tossed me another apple and winked, before encouraging the horse to 'trot on'. The door closed by itself and I was left on the street surrounded by winking slivers of window.

The old rickety man inched down the stone steps leading from the entrance, and timidly inquired, 'Majesty? Are you ready?'

I took one last look above me at the City, letting myself get lost for a second in the sweeping path of the avian creatures and the sheer scale of my new world. Then I nodded and followed him inside.