Until Forever (1st draft)

Part the Third

There are times when a dream is so ridiculously impossible that as soon as you wake you realize that it could only have been a figment of your imagination. There are times when a nightmare is so terrifying that you are elated to open your eyes and discover that the threat isn't real at all. And then there are times when you're not exactly sure whether you've woken up or not---when you're seemingly caught in the uncertain limbo that separates reality from the dream world.

As Geneva regained consciousness and her eyes fluttered open, she found herself paralyzed by confusion in that unsettling dream-or-reality limbo. She had no recollection of what had last happened in her life. She had no idea what time of day or night it was. And she had absolutely no clue where she was as she gazed around her unfamiliar surroundings. For a moment, she almost couldn't remember who she was. So she laid there, unable to move, waiting for her brain to reboot and bring her to her senses.

But it didn't.

Eventually she sat up from the prone position on her back. She was in a small room. A rounded room with no corners. The walls appeared to be bare wood; not boards or siding, but smooth seamless borders that looked like they had been carved into wood. There were no pictures or works of art on the walls, but there were tiny objects protruding from them in a very precise geometric pattern about four inches apart. The series of objects began about halfway up the walls and continued right up to the ceiling.

Geneva turned to the nearest wall and leaned closer. She saw then that each spot in the pattern featured a tiny v-shaped shelf attached to the wall, and nestled within each v-shape was a small gemstone. Every one of them appeared to be approximately the same size, but each one was distinguished by a unique color, shape, or texture.

Geneva swung her legs off the side of the bed she had been laying on, noticing for the first time that it too was round. There were no pillows, but the mounds of plush bedding were warm and comfortable. She sat still on the edge of the bed, sizing up the rest of the small room.

A large, bowl-shaped ceramic container sat on the floor in the center of the room, housing a crackling, popping fire that cast a warm glow throughout the room. The fire bowl was white but decorated with ornate patterns of colorful markings. There wasn't much smoke coming from the fire, but the thin gray wisps that did rise out snaked upwards in a spiral formation before disappearing through a dark opening in the ceiling directly above the fire.

Four small seats were positioned together on one side of the room. They didn't have legs like traditional chairs, but rather looked more like tree stumps that had been sanded and polished to a smooth, shiny finish. A plump cushion sat atop each one, decorated in the same colors that highlighted the ceramic fire bowl.

On the opposite side of the room was a curved cabinet-like structure. Its bowed shape allowed it to be positioned against the wall where it naturally hugged the curve of the room. The lower half of the structure was hidden behind a series of doors, while the upper section was all shelves covered in baskets of varying sizes, wide mugs, and clay canisters. This was the most dominant piece among the sparse furniture, and it made the room look almost like a home. This seemed strange to Geneva, because everything else gave her the appearance of a hideaway designed by some creative kids.

At length, Geneva's gaze found a short, arched doorway toward the side of the bed where her feet had been when she was laying down. Immediately she hopped up off the bed and moved quickly towards it. As she stood, it became clear to her how low the ceiling was.

"Where in the world---?" she muttered, not finishing her question. She grabbed the notch that had been carved into the wooden door to serve as a handle, then swung it open and gasped.

Something was standing in the doorway. Some...thing...

It was...a person. Kind of.

It stood about four feet tall, probably a little more, but definitely about one foot shorter than Geneva's five-foot, five-inch frame. It was thick and stocky, almost egg-shaped, with an emerging oblong protrusion at top that was apparently the head.