Flight Of Fancy

CHAPTER 1: INVITATION

The night is dark, it's cold and it's raining. My kind of weather. It inspires me to write and I'm working on my latest book. It's the story of a gargoyle who falls in love with a vampire.

Surprise! I'm a writer, one who writes romances all about mythical creatures and the many misadventures I can contrive.

The only light in the room comes from my laptop which sits upon my desk. It casts shadows on the walls all around me and I watch them to gather some inspiration. The flickering causes them to jump and dance all around the walls. Unfortunately, my head's gone dry so I decide to step out on the balcony to soak in the atmosphere.

The rain is coming down steadily and I let it roll down my face and through my shoulder length hair as I run my fingers through the strands that hang loose. After which I place my hands down on the smooth, stone surface of the railing. I look to the moon that is hanging low in a crescent shape. I'd prefer it to be full, but what can you do.

"Mister Rhys?" a voice calls out.

I turn around and see, nothing. I rub my eyes and strain to pierce the darkness that surrounds me, my eyes aren't very good in the dark, probably from staring at a computer screen in the dark all the time. I was mistaken there is something there, something small. I walk forward to get a better look and slowly it comes into focus.

Standing right in front of me, on what should have been nothing but smooth railing, is a small, strange statue of a woman. I advance even further, it looks kind of like one of those Russian nesting dolls, the ones that open up and reveal another smaller one underneath, but something's different though I'm not quite sure what.

"Mister Jeremiah Rhys?" the tiny statue calls out with the same voice as before while her hand beckons toward me.

I focus on the strange, stone doll as I blink several times. Am I going crazy or had the statue spoken? I look about but can see no one else there and there's not enough darkness to cover another individual. All the same, my logic is failing me in the face of such an obscure mystery. Is it possible that it had spoken to me?

I lean forward and feel more than a little silly. "Yes?" I address the stone statue as I focus all of my attention on the little statue.

"Are you Mister Jeremiah Rhys?" The statue, yes the statue, speaks and points her finger at me.

"I am he," I reveal myself as I squat down to put myself just below her eye-line.

"Just so," the little statue proclaims as she hammers a fist into her open hand. "Will you come with me?"

"Where do you plan to take me?" I make my request as I rock back on my heels.

"To the kingdom of the Black Emerald," the little statue explains and points a finger straight up into the sky.

I stare in wonder as far as my limited vision allows, but all I can see are the rain-clouds which continue to cover the world below with precipitation. As such I let my imagination take over and I envision a castle high up in the clouds composed entirely of black emeralds. It's a strange yet welcoming sight.

I look to the tiny woman. "Yes, I will go with you," I speak with a mind that is struggling with itself to stay serious yet give in to whimsy.

"Excellent!" the statue chirps and raises her hands high into the air..

The balcony upon which I stand begins to rumble and shake, causing me to fall against the railing and bang my elbow bruising it badly. I'm not the strongest of men. But I haven't the time to focus on my minor injury as the balcony tears itself away from the house and rises into the air.