Brian Pratt - Shades of the past

As he moves ever closer to the dais, the girl stops her song and turns to look at him. For the first time, recognition comes as their eyes meet. “Cassie?” he asks in bewilderment. It can’t be, she’s been dead for over a year. If that is Cassie, then the man hanging next to her must be…Tinok.

A ripple seems to flow through the shadows as he works his way closer to the dais. They fear to go into the light coming from the dais as much as that of the medallion and move aside. He finally reaches the edge of the dais and sees that the man hanging there is indeed Tinok. Bruised, cut and looking to have been tortured, he hangs there limp.

Cassie moves to the edge of the dais and stands there before him. “You haven’t much time,” she tells him.

“ Time?” he asks. “Time for what?”

Turing to glance back at Tinok she says, “My love is almost lost to me.” She begins to sing again her lament for her beloved.

“ What do you mean?” he says interrupting her. “How will he be lost to you?”

Growing quiet she turns back to him. “You’ve killed him,” she accuses.

“ Me?” he asks aghast.

“ When the Shroud of Killian blinds the giant’s eye a second time, the knife will fall,” she says. Then she tilts her head back and begins wailing.

“ What knife?” he asks but she turns her back to him and again moves to her beloved’s side.

Suddenly, a wall of the Tunnel of Love collapses as fire rages through. The shadows which had surrounded him vanish as the fire spreads rapidly. A crack sounds from above and the ceiling collapses over the dais.

“ Cassie!” he cries but both Cassie and Tinok are lost amid the flames. Turning away from the dais, James finds the shadows have now completely disappeared. Running for the entrance, he flees for his life.

Around him, smoke billows down the tunnel from the fire raging behind him. The walls on either side flare as fire consumes them. He rounds a corner and sees the entrance, the fire has already begun to consume it. Doubling his speed, he bolts for freedom. Just as he reaches the opening the ceiling collapses and he dives through barely in time.

The carnival is on fire. Looking around, he can’t find anyway through. Pulling his shirt over his head to provide some protection, he moves to the rail and vaults over. Racing through the carnival, he tries to escape.

Eyes watering from the smoke, he runs through the midway practically blind. Then as he passes the side of the fun house, the wall gives way and the flaming structure crashes down upon him. Trapped beneath the burning wall, he tries to escape but the fire reaches him and begins to burn.

“ Ahhh!”

Screaming, he bolts upright in the back of the wagon. Hands flailing as he tries to extinguish the flames, he hits Miko in the side of the head.

“Calm down James!” Miko cries out as he grabs James’ flailing arms.

Eyes snapping open, he sees Miko staring at him with deep concern. “What?” he asks.

“Thank goodness you woke up,” Miko tells him. “You had us worried.”

James looks down at himself and sees his clothes untouched by the fire. He puts his hand on his shirt to make sure it’s real and pain erupts from his chest. Pulling up his shirt, he sees that his entire chest is covered in burns.

Then it comes back to him. The fire in his dream had burned him in the real world. “Cassie!” he cries out. Looking around he sees Jiron riding closer with a grin on his face.

“Cassie?” Jiron asks then looks to Miko who shrugs.

‘ When the Shroud of Killian blinds the giant’s eye a second time, the knife will fall,’ she had said.

“What did you say?” Brother Willim asks from his seat next to the driver.

Not realizing he had spoken aloud he glances to the brother. “When the Shroud of Killian blinds the giant’s eye a second time, the knife will fall,” he repeats. Glancing around at the others he can see they think him mad. Just then, Illan rides up. Before he has a chance to say anything James holds up his hand ands says, “Listen!”

The dream is already beginning to fade but parts of it still remain crystal clear. He tells them of finding Cassie and Tinok and of what she said.

“It wasn’t just a dream either,” he states. Lifting up his shirt he shows them the burns upon his chest.

They look to Miko who says, “There were no burns on him earlier.”

“But what does it mean?” asks Jiron.

“The Shroud of Killian blinding the giant’s eye refers to the time in the moon’s cycle when it turns black,” Illan explains. “It’s an old tale that my grandmother told me when I was younger.”

“She said that I didn’t have much time.”

“The moon turns dark in three days,” Brother Willim says. “The second time will be a month after that.

“Then in a little over a month,” he says, “the knife will fall.”