The Evion

Chapter 4

CHAPTER 4 

            The room before them was strangely lit, and filled with the sound like clinking bits of glass. The dancing arcs of reflected light spun about the grime-covered glass, shifting the shadows of the dense vines beyond, and there in the center of the room, towering as a majestic pillar to the sky, stood a broad tree, lush and lively. Hanging as if by spider threads were perfectly symmetrical diamonds, shaped and cut as if the master of all jewelers had hewn them himself. Their brilliance seemed to reflect more light of each facet than there was in the entire room, and they spun about, tantalizing, mesmerizing as hypnosis.

            Charlie and Jesse both rose to their feet and slowly walked closer to the wide and flawless trunk of the tree. Jesse did not have to check the book to make sure they were on the right track. She knew they had found what they sought.

            For a moment in time, the two children simply gazed upon the dancing reflections of the trees perfectly grown gems, amazed at the timeless nature of the tree. It stood tall, as if it had been growing since the dawn of time, but remained flawless, unmarked by defects of age or wear.

            As Jesse approached the tree further, a diamond descended from the tree, slowly lowering as if given a queue. Jesse stood before it, looking into the depths of the gem, and she raised her hand to touch the bright stone.

            “Wait!” Charlie snapped, jerking his sister’s hand away.

            “What?” Jesse asked. She peered at her brother with an estranged expression.

            “I don’t know.” Charlie replied. “I just got a bad feeling. You know how the stories go. People get drawn in by some beautiful and strange object, then the moment they touch it, something horrible happens.”

            “Psh.” Jesse replied. “You’ve been watching too many scary movies. Sirens are beautiful, but they are scary-beautiful. Is this scary?” She asked. Charlie thought for a moment.

            He had to admit, it was not. It was many things, but none of them frightening. It was as captivating as a waterfall, as inspiring as a mountain range, and as tranquil as a tropical beach. It was as lovely as it was mysterious, and though Charlie did not at all understand what he saw, he was certainly not scared of it. Jesse looked back to the jewel again.

            “Charlie, there’s something in here.” She said.

            “What?” Charlie asked. He stepped closer and peered into the diamond as well.

            “I see something in here. Like looking at the reflection from water. There is something inside the jewel.”

            Charlie shifted his gaze up and down, watching the diamond as it turned steadily in the light. He saw a great many colors reflected from within the depths of the gem, but there was no reflection of some other scene.

            “I don’t see it. What does it look like?” He asked. There was no doubt in his voice. His sister knew he asked not because he didn’t believe her, but because he knew that this was yet another thing that only Jesse alone could see.

            “It’s mostly white, like clouds. There is blue sky, and a shape off in the distance. It looks like a building, but not quite like a house.” Jesse said. She picked up the jewel and gazed deeper into it. Charlie came up beside her to look as well. He knew he could not see it, but the shifting colors inside the gem were captivating enough to entice a closer look. He reached forward to grab hold of the diamond as well. Jesse passed it to him. The moment his fingers touched the surface of the stone, everything around them went silent. It was as if time itself had halted. There was not just a quiet, but a stillness to everything that was unlike anything the twins had felt before.