Marked by Fate title will change to Illuminated

Chapter 9

Chapter 9

Flowers upon flowers began to fill up along the wall. The stone arched corridor began to give way to a beautiful new entrance way, this one encased to show no sign of stone or wood, but millions of flowers. Flowers here and flowers there, everywhere she looked was flowers. The overwhelming fragrance was hypnotic, sweet and sour perfumes washed through her body in a cloud of aromas. She could find hints of one’s she knew like, Lavender one of the strongest scents, Hibiscus, Peach Flower, Roses, and Forget-me-not, they lined the floors and the ceilings in graceful placement. The flowers that grew around the arches made the stones invisible under the petals and cascades of fragrant flowers. Little pots of odd looking ferns and spiral trees no taller than the length of her arm. were perched in precarious spots along the path. The path its self had a rainbow effect as she walked along.

She began to wonder if she was lost. She hadn’t heard anyone or seen anyone along the way. She figured she should turn around and walk back and see if she missed an opening along the way having been so distracted. Out of the corner of her eye, before she turned, a very small animal appeared and stopped in front of her. It was a deer. Bailey thought her head was playing tricks on her because there was no way there are deer that small. The little deer walked up to her and looked up, it was no higher than the middle of her calf, about 10 inches high, curious she bent down and asked “Do you know where I can find my friend Ben?” not expecting an answer or even for it to understand her, but to her surprise the little deer headed forward the way she was going before. Unsure of what to do she hesitated but only for a moment, then dug in her heels of her ballerina slippers and followed the tiny creature.

They walked through the flower arched path and past more little potted plants, past beautifully sculpted bench seats and around tall monumental fountains. Bailey noticed that coming up it seemed to lead into an open area; pacing just a bit faster as curiosity bit her in the butt, the little deer lead the way as the flowers began to separate; there on the other side of a circular garden looking like a girl in his gown and pants, was Ben. He was standing with several very tall statuesque people. Ben looked up as she walked in, Bailey was so happy to see him; a smile gleamed on her face from ear to ear it felt like a life time walking in that corridor and now a little piece of home stood in front of her, well as close to home as she could get.

“Geez missy you take forever” he said after stepping away from the tall elegant men. “I am starving let’s eat.”

“Ya food that sounds great I am so hungery, its not even funny” she said

“Hey, did you fall in a lake or something, what’s wrong with your hair?”

“Figures once again, he’s such an asshole, I don’t know why I put up with him that's it after food I'm going to tear him a new one” The smile faded and an uncaring blankness reproached her face. She walked around the circle and past the fountain, the flowers smelled the same as in the flowers in the tunnel, as she neared Ben , she noticed he had a sort of constipated look on his face. Stopping a few feet away she decided that it was her turn to do a throw down.

“I washed it for your FYI. And why is your face all bunched like that? What’s wrong with you? Do you have cramps? Do you want some Midol?”

“Yowza, aren’t we touchy today huh? Alright I see your in a bad mood I won’t say anything, I'll just feed the grouch queen and then you can be sleeping beauty again hows that?”

Bailey went to reply to Ben when she heard a very quiet giggle beside her, she had forgotten about the people that were gathered with Ben when she had arrived, panic stricken she looked over in an apologetic plead “I am so sorry” she said “You will have to forgive me, Ben just knows how to sink his teeth under my skin, and I forgot there was company present” saying this in the most respectful and adult way she could manage.