Time Elapsed

Chapter 3

Clare awoke by the soft morning sun beating down on her cold, wet body; she felt free but so cold like she had just fallen slap bang into the centre of an iceberg. Finally coming too she attempted to move. 'huh?' thought Clare as she heaved her body upright but instead of sitting upright she colapsed into the water with a huge splash soaking her already damp clothes. This really woke her up quickly gearing herself up and doggy paddling to the side panting fervently this was no pond she had fallen it was a huge lake by the edge of a even bigger mountain with thousands of years of history hidden deep inside. Gazing thoughtlessly up at the the magnificent tower she thought about the fact she had never climbed to the top of a mountain before. Carelessly she began sinking into the water going lower and lower until the hair on the top of her head was the only thing visible from a fishermans view; Scared Clare began to panic slapping the water carlessly trying to get herself out of this mess but before a minuet she had run out of breath and her face was becoming blue holding her neck and gasping for air Clare started to sink deeper into the depths of the lake. She hadn't been sinking for long when her body turned upright as if lying on a bed and slowly arose from the water and began to hover.

A blue misty fog now surrounded her inching all over her body, crawling into every depth. A beautiful glow, she had no control over, when she would awaken she would have no remembering of the incident, but another might, one who saw, one who saved her... He sat there by the waters edge, a fishing rod in one hand, a sandwich in the other. It was cucumber and cheese his 'Favorite' anyway he was just minding his own business; when out the corner of his eye he saw her... for a moment he thought she was just be a dead fish floating but it was far to big to be a fish! The girl's hand moved slightly as she began to stir and once again sunk into the water the so called 'spell' as one might say had worn off or had stopped working in any case. Shocked and now completely and utterly perplexed he bounded in the water without a second thought. Swimming against the currents he swam, he had to save the girl 'maybe she was the one?'

'NO don't be silly' said the voice in his head 'she can't be the one she's just a normal... awfully dressed girl! It was like she wasn't from around here, maybe that was what the strange, sudden storm was? It couldn't have been only very powerful sorcerers could conger such a confusing spell' he began to dive deeper to retrieve the girl, suddenly feel the impact of cold water on his chest he searched around to find no trace of her, giving up he let out his last breath, and hurriedly swam to the top for air only to find that when looking back over to where his stuff was he saw the young girl lying peacefully on the rocky surface, breathing softly and consistently, that wasn't the only strange thing, she was completely dry, maybe he was just seeing things...

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Clare awoke by the soft sound of doves tweeting gently in the hot summer sun, it was peaceful, quiet and the bed was so... hard it was like she was lying on a path of stone! As she hastily opened her eyes, Clare was not where she thought she was but in a bedroom, fairly empty and quite bleak, the only object was a shabby poor crafted chest of draws forced in the corner; it was rotting in the corners like the rest of the room it smelt musty and damp. In Clares opinon this was not a very good combination. But although she was not in a very imposing room it was pleasant with a pleasing sensation of peace and harmony all rapped up in one.

This was all very well, being a such a lovely place (well in some ways at least) but where was this place exactly. Clare sat bolt upright jerking the bed to and fro, her breath slowly increased until she was panting intensely. Droplets of sweat descended down her face 'where am I?' She thought...

'Oh good you're awake it's taken you long enough.' Clare's eyes slowly gazed up to find a tall imposing figure silhouetted in the eroding doorway.

'How... how long have I um been out?' asked Clare quickly gazing down at her feet again. She didn't know what it was but the figure in the doorway but she had a slight uneasy feel about him, maybe it was his patronizing tone or just the way he stood bold and strong in the doorway acting like he was the superior intellectual of this place.