Limelight

Chapter Twenty Three: The Iron Forest

Chapter Twenty Three: The Iron Forest

Date: Unknown. 1910, Time: Unknown.

I needed water, but where was I to find water in this iron hell? Every where I looked there were iron trees! I was stuck, and stuck in an iron forest! I rolled onto my stomach and painstakingly pulled myself to the great, iron tree; the first iron tree that I had laid eyes upon. My arms shook as they grasped one of the strong, iron branches and attempted to heave myself up; they trembled from the strain and finally, they dropped, dropping my body as well.

I then put my arms underneath me and pushed myself up; I now sat on my bottom and leaned against the iron tree, the maker of this misery. I sighed and watched as sweat beads rolled down my arms and jumped off of my fingertips; landing on the noose-like object. Where was my fiancé? Surely it cannot take that long to turn people home! Surely it cannot...surely...surely...all of a sudden, the light for this room of trickery and doom was turned out, and where I thought the sun to be; the moon now rose and it's beams came down upon me.

I smiled and thanked the gods for night! But, what I soon found out was that it was even hotter at night than it was during the day! That evil Vicomte turned up the heat into fooling my head! I sighed and I thought I heard voices...yes, they were voices, indeed! They were familiar voices too! 

One was of the villainous Vicomte, another was of the Persian and the last was....was...the Priest! But, where was the Opera Ghost? Where was my fiancé? It sounded as if the trio was in the room beside this one; but I was far too exhausted to move towards their voices. I quieted my mind and attempted to make out what each of them said; the Vicomte spoke first.

"You'll never find her! For, she's either dead or on the cusp of death as we speak! If I cannot have her as my bride, not one other will either!" yelled the Vicomte, laughing manically afterwards; the Vicomte was certainly right, I felt drained and I could not move...my mouth made words but my voice box dried, so all that came out were little whimpers and horrid sounds.

"What in the devil is that?" Asked the Priest, in urgency.

"I don't know, but whatever it is, it's coming from the next room!" Said the Persian, all of a sudden I heard the Vicomte grunt and then I heard a 'thump!', no doubt the Persian punched him. "You will tell us where she is, Vicomte, if I have to beat it out of you, I will not hesitate to!" Hissed the Persian, I then came up with an idea; I picked up the noose object and I threw it, meaning for it to hit mirrors closest to where the voices originated.

 But, all strength abandoned me and the noose object landed a foot or so shy of the wall; I sighed and attempted to cry, but I had not the water to make tears. I then began to try and call out to my friends, again, all that came out were horrible grunts and groans; the Priest banged on the wall and asked if anyone was in the room, I strained and strained, but all that came out where high-pitched squeaks. I moved forwards a little too far and fell onto my arms, for the only thing that was keeping me up was the iron tree; I didn't hear anything more from the room beside this one, so I turned my attention back to the iron forest. The moon died away and the sun came again; trees, trees everywhere, but not an ounce of shade was given. For, these trees, iron trees, had no leaves; only iron trunks and bare branches.

I rolled onto my back once more and stared high into the sky, I could see the tops of the trees, I could see clouds too; fluffy, white clouds floating carelessly through the sky. Now, I heard the Persian's voice "Is there anyone in there? Was that you, making the sounds a few moments ago?" I smiled and grunted; the Persian's voice was close, very close, I could tell he was just outside this hellish forest. The Priest then asked the Persian what the matter was, and in a solemn voice the Persian replied "That room, to which we hear the voice, is the torture chamber".

Slowly, I stripped down to a small under-dress; which is only thin, white cloth that only runs down to a woman's knees and is fashioned as a V-neck. I had taken off my dress, corset, hoop, camisole, crinoline, petticoat, and bodice; all that was left was my small under-dress, pants (American Translation: underwear) and slip (Modern Translation: Bra). The Persian and Priest continued speaking to one another, but I could not make out what they said; not until the Persian stepped closer to the wall. "Yes, Father, I do think it is her...but I do not have the key to get inside! That Vicomte locked the door, and I doubt, if the  young lady cannot speak, she cannot locate the door in that hellish illusion!"

My heart fell and hopelessness spread over me, all of this happened...on my wedding day, no less! My wedding day...oh, but where is my groom? I closed my eyes again and in my mind's eye, I saw that little key that Gerard had given to me; that little key with the red writing on it...the writing of the word 'life'. My heart jumped to my dried, dusty throat and I smiled; but, did the Persian understand Morse code? I didn't care at that moment, I rolled myself to my stomach and, using only my arms, I drug myself to where the Persian's and the Priest's voices were strongest in this iron hell.

I raised up my hand and let it hit the wall softly once, then hard once, then softly twice more; that is the letter L in Morse code. I heard someone scurry to the wall and then I heard the Priest's voice "Persian, do you have paper and a pen? Good, copy down what I tell you, right now, write down L; good. Elizabeth, we can hear you, child, we have an L so far, pray continue!" I smiled and it the wall softly twice; the letter now being I.

"Right, Persian, copy down I" said the Priest, I then heard the quick scratching of a pen on paper. Next I hit the wall softly, twice, hard once, and softly again; indicating and F. This pattern of communication went on until I had given the Priest and the Persian the sentence 'Life key with Opera Ghost'.

"The key to her life is with the Opera Ghost! We must find him! This is his house, after all." Said the Persian, urgently; the Persian stepped closer to the wall "Do not fret, Elizabeth, we'll get you out of there! Whatever you do, do not touch the Punjab lasso!

We're going to find your fiancé, do not fret!" Yelled the Persian, I then heard quick footfall going away and I heard a door slam shut. I looked down to the noose like object, 'So that's called a Punjab lasso' I thought; I even thought of moving towards it, but I had not the strength, nor the energy. I then turned towards the iron tree with it's iron bark and iron branches; it seemed to elongate and the room began to spin, spinning the iron forest as well, was I spinning? I couldn't tell, all of a sudden I heard a heavenly noise, it was the soft pitter patter of rain!

Rain! Oh, heavenly rain! I joyously opened my mouth to catch the drops, but no drops came to me. I waited and waited as the soft pitter patter grew into rumbles; my mouth opened wider and I waited on the droplets to hit my crisping body, but none did. Sadly, my mouth closed and I looked about this traitorous forest, I heard the rain, I even smelt the rain; yet, this forest hid it from me, this iron forest with no leaves, it hid it from me!

I must get away from this damning forest! I must flee from this forest of iron! But how? Now, I sat up, feeling angry, and very, very thirsty; but, a bit invigorated. I stood and stumbled to the iron tree; then I turned upon the rest of the forest and put my hands out, I was going to get out of there one way or another!

 As I walked out of the forest, my hands hit something warm and I saw my reflection; that's when I remembered that I was in the torture chamber, not a forest! Dirt was in streaks on my cheeks whilst my hair lay limply on my bosom, tortured from the heat; sweat poured from my forehead, and I was the overall image of the word 'overheated'. I sighed and my hands fell to my sides; the little under-dress I wore was soaked and stuck to my body, even the V-neck began to sag down! I turned and began to walk to the other side of the torture chamber when my foot struck something; I gave what I could of a cry and looked down to find a little, black nail sticking out of the floor. I bent down and easily pulled the nail up, revealing several loose floorboards, these I pried up and underneath was water!

Sweet, cold water! As quickly as I could I bent down to the hole and drank several large gulps of water, moistening my throat once more and repairing my cracked lips; I dipped both of my arms into the water and cooled myself down. I bent down for another drink when I beheld a sight that made my stomach churn, my lips were to the water and I opened my eyes; before me, was a decomposing body. I screamed and shot back, spitting and wiping my mouth as my back lay against a mirror; staring at the mangled body in horror. It was a man, a man that had green eyes and brown hair; I never knew the man, thankfully, but that didn't make it less disgusting.

I drank from that water!