Aladdyn : Episode IV : Enter the Lamp
(6) Kingdom

A third of the Grate Island remained above the the surface of Black Lava Bay.

Holden was splayed just off the top of the mound, still passed out from the sound that had walloped him unconscious. With a bright flash, a second wind of word boomed across the realm—

VIZIONARY

A breath of life filled his lungs as the Youth sat up. Catching his breath, he beheld the molten darkness, encroaching upon him; sweat steaming from his skin. By peripheral vision, he observed a Crystal Ladder at the center of the island.

As a slide, the ladder curved out beyond the island, along a swoop that reached through the red sky, where it disappeared inside of an Old Smokey Thunderhead. Along its exponential steeps, a Dark Skeleton clung to the rungs by a single grip. With its shining sights fastened upon him, the creature beckoned—

RITE

BY PAZZAGE sᴇaʀᴄh thᴇ FɪndNøvel.ɴᴇt website on Gøøglᴇ to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

UNTO YOU

Crystalline glints shimmered across the curved posts and the straight rungs of the creation before him. Holden marveled with exceeding marvel, grateful for the lifeline, yet at the same time, suspicious of the opportunity. Getting to his feet, he looked up to the one extending the offer.

“Who are you?!”

A bolt of lighting broke out the thunderhead and struck the ladder.

Holden scampered in place upon the strike. His throat went tight. As waiting for it for open, the creature inclined its attention to the grey billows above it.

Bending its knees, Dark Skeleton bound up from the rungs. Via weightless float, the creature ascended through the heights before disappearing within the Old Smokey Thunderhead.

Relieved to not have its high-beams upon him, Holden relaxed some bit. Putting hands to hips, he contemplated the ladder, pondering whether it was worth climbing into the potentially dangerous unknown. He flared his nostrils, sniffing a scent he recognized.

“Rubber...”

Holden felt his heels on fire.

“Yao!”

He sprung with the shout, planting stance upon the bottom rung. Lifting one boot after the other, he examined the melted resin, webbed between his sole and ladder. Beyond the bottom rung, the last bits of the Grate Island slipped into the abyss; the gold dissolving with a rainbow twist.

NO EZCAPE,

BUT

TO RIZE

He saw no sign of Dark Skeleton. The Youth swallowed, then commenced the climb.

Via careful stride, he walked across the curved and horizontal stretch, balance wavering, but sustaining all the while.

“Should just run up this thing...” said Holden, “Get this ‘fearing heights,’ thing over with...”

Moving legs more quickly, he sped-up his ascent, jogging up the steepening arc. Before each step, he focused on planting the ball of his foot perfectly square on each rung. He stepped on one that fell out clean from beneath him.

The Youth dropped—swung—clapped—caught the rung directly above the gap through which he had fallen. Saved by his fast reaction, his body pendulum’d, forth and back, flushed head-to-toe with adrenaline. Looking down, he watched the displaced beam splatter like paint upon Black Lava Bay. His temper rose quickly. Looking up, he lost it.

“What kind of two-bit operation are you running here?!”

Some time after, still no answer. Holden bit his lip. He was thinking about how his last question had gone over. Grabbing his other hand about the rung, he was about to pull himself up. The ladder began escalating, smoothly shifting along its trajectory towards Old Smokey Thunderhead.

Suddenly, the Youth was swooping up through the sky. He tightened both grips upon the rung, feeling his flight accelerating by the winds through which he was rushing. He closed his eyes just before colliding with the fringes of the thunderhead.

Holden was boxed through billows of stormy weather. With each collision, he managed to hold strong. A densely rain-packed puff completely dismantled his grasp. By his momentum, he splashed up from the Old Smokey Thunderhead—and beyond.

Soaring through sparkling beads, the Youth found himself airborne amidst summits of Crystal Sky. At the peak of his flight, he beheld the open panorama as experiencing something of a holy moment. It stayed with him throughout his fall. The Youth plunged into a fleecy puff of cumulus cloud.

On high, the Noon Sun was shining, illumining a panorama of Heavenly Cloud, continuously evolving by the soft winds, blowing across the scene. Amidst a dollop of fluff, a head bloomed up from the foundation. Holden squirmed about, trying to rise out the downy depths.

Thrashing through the puffs, cushioned about him, he cleared a space and rolled out, then got to his feet. Standing over the ditch, he brushed the cloudy scraps off him as listening to the rumbles of the thunderhead, fading below him. Neither the sooty-red atmosphere nor Black Lava Bay were in sight. The Youth took stock in his new environment.

Behind him, the Crystal Ladder arced through the sky as a giant tusk. He was looking up it as a balmy current drifted across the rungs, continuing in his direction. Turning along its flow, he faced the vantage where three rolling slopes were spread across the cumulus plains; the draft, carving a wavy path up its center.

Along the sway of the river, streams branched across the slopes, illustrating the setting with life. Leaves of grasses and bulbed flowers blossomed from the hillsides. With a soft scoot of boot, he scooped up a flower, swiped his hand and clutched onto its stem. He raised the six-petal’d bulb to his nose and sniffed.

“Do I scent a sign of spring?”

As streams across the plains detailed the scene, the river up the center was crossing over the third hillside. It parted about a white sprig that arose in its path. The vine grew quickly—its breadth, expanding. Moments later, the Cumulus Beanstalk was towering, rising through the sky; its aspect, evolving.

A grid-pattern began appearing across the beanstalk’s exterior, likening its aspect to that of a cylindrical wall. Between the bricks, leafy tendrils began sprouting, outlining a massive door on the face of the beanstalk. Once the outline was complete, the door started tilting from the stalk, directly across from the Youth.

“A Drawbridge...”

Two daisy-chain’d links of branches extended from the stalk, lowering the drawbridge. All along its outward tilt, it revealed the dark realm of the beanstalk’s interior. Far as Holden could tell, not a wince of light entered. Upon completely lowering, the drawbridge rocked the foundation; the door, dissolving across the third hillside before the dark opening.

Beyond the fact that it was still growing through the sky, towards the Sun, the Youth did not know what to make of the Cumulus Beanstalk. As standing on the path that lead to the black hole of the Drawbridge Opening, he felt hesitant to proceed. The cool draft at his back was still blowing in its direction, far ahead of him, carrying cumulus wisps into the darkness, where they disappeared without trace.

“I don’t know...” he said to the flower, “May need a friend going in there...”

Two beams of light shot out from the darkness of the Drawbridge Opening.

In face of the blinding, Holden had started to turn away, but caught himself in the act. Squinting Eastwood, he returned a stare that helped with imagining himself a contender. Though unable to make out what the light was radiating of, he suspected the source; recognized the intensity of its shining, pouring inside of him.

His vision started adjusting as out from the void, Dark Skeleton advanced two steps towards him before halting in place. After the motion, the Youth knew the time had come to make a move. Picturing a showdown, Holden decided to make his impression felt.

“I’ll make this simple, partner,” he started, narrowing his gaze hard, “Got a Long Lost Love to save and no time for drama, but if you’re looking to dance, honey, step right up.”

Placing the stem of the Cloud Flower between his palms, he rubbed them together fast, helicoptering it into flight. With hands free, he raised fists and awaited the creature to react. His tough-guy facade sustained till sight of the flower’s yonder drift distracted his might.

Floating by the same breeze that had carved the river path ahead of him, the flower flew over the hills and across the way. As drifting on course to enter the Drawbridge Opening, Dark Skeleton reached up. With a pinch of its phalanges, it caught the flower by the stem.

Its sights were still beaming upon the Youth as the creature brought the six-petal’d bud to its nasal cavity. While holding it there, lacy threads of the Cloud Flower started sifting into its skull. The petals, bud and stem were sniffed up at once. Holden was wondering what to make of it when he noticed a rise in the windspeed, blowing from behind him.

Cloud Flowers across the plains started bending, bobbling towards Dark Skeleton. By the dozens, they started uprooting, lifting through the air. Moments later, hundreds of flowers were disappearing into the Drawbridge Opening. Though feeling the pull, the Youth stood his ground. Dark Skeleton extended its arm towards him.

Holden’s ears attuned to a sizzling, coming from behind him. Dark tendrils were rising up the Crystal Ladder, superheating as softening the lucid construction. The ladder was collapsing in his direction.

The Youth dashed a quick step. The rungs clapped over him. As he spun about, he watched the rest of it fold along the river path until it reached all the way to the Drawbridge Opening. Standing over the fallen creation, Dark Skeleton honed its focus upon the dark tendrils, still wired across the length of the ladder. Orchestrating its arms, the creature narrated the darkness with calculated precision, transforming the posts and rungs unto dimensions more akin to the rails and ties of a railroad.

As witnessing the transformation take place, a chugging started rumbling from somewhere below him. It was becoming louder; rising quickly. In the distance behind him, a plume of Heavenly Cloud erupted. Out from its midst, a Dark Freight Train roared across the rails, carts topped to the brim with darkness, sloshing along a speedy forward delivery.

Just before it hit, the Youth dove off the tracks. The freight screamed unforgivingly past him along a wild swerve, heading for the opening and the one still standing on the rails.

The steam-engine mowed across the creature. Darkness rushed darkness along a molten exchange. Once every last cart had disappeared within the Drawbridge Opening, all was quiet. Upon the tracks, Dark Skeleton stood right where it had been all along, patiently awaiting Holden and the fight he had welcomed.

* * *

Off the rails, a cabbage patch of Heavenly Cloud was stirring. One by one, the heads of albino veggies started disappearing into the foundation. Something beneath them was wrestling with the underground. Pulling himself up by the roots, the Youth sprouted out the ground and stumbled to his feet. Once steady, he found himself drenched with fluff.

“I’m an abominable snowman...”

Holden thrashed the downy coat off him. No sooner was he in the clear that he saw the creature, down the way, still posed before the opening. He imagined Dark Skeleton was waiting for him.

“If that all you got, best check your reinforcements,” he advised, beating his chest, “Trains, planes, and automobility got nothing on this destiny.”

The creature cupped its right palm about its left elbow; it’s left finger, crossed over its skully-teeth. The Youth figured it was having a pensive moment. Uncomfortable with the silence, Holden decided to ramble on with a tirade.

“For I’ve the might of a Monster!” he started, “The charge of a Wildebeest! The, um... resolve, of a Superhero! And just for the record, ain’ no-how frighted ’bout some bones without breadth of body.”

Dark Skeleton extended an arm towards the Youth.

CALM,

COLLECT,

CONTROL

The Word megaphoned with a blast that knocked Holden back. Upon reorienting his stance, he pondered the words, as well as the immediacy with which his nerves had settled. He was still contemplating when the creature pointed beyond him, towards the opening in the Heavenly Cloud, where just moments ago, the Dark Freight Train had surfaced.

The Youth stepped in its direction, leaping upon the right track of the Crystal Railroad on his way. Balancing across it, he stopped a short distance from the drop-off, where down through the sky, the exponential sweep of tracks reached not to a molten swamp of darkness, but a sparkling terrain of Crystal Slopes.

The Youth marveled with exceeding marvel, unable to believe what he was seeing. As questioning how it was possible, he recounted the interaction that had taken place as the darkness washed across the golden grains; how upon dissolving, the bits had left traces of rainbow threads, glistening across the superheated surface.

“The darkness...” he commented, “It melted the sands, to glass...”

With a rush, the bones clinked into place upon the opposing track, right beside the Youth.

CRЇZTÄL

The jaw of Dark Skeleton had not moved as looking out on luminous realm below them.

Though rattled by its high-speed arrival, Holden maintained his stance upon the rail. For some reason, he suddenly felt no threat posed by the creature. Returning his attention to the glossy hills, the Youth tried making sense of what had just been said.

“You’re saying, it melted the sands, to crystal, yes?”

Dark Skeleton nodded.

ZÄNDZ OF TЇME,

UNTO

CRЇZTӒL

Turning its sights upon him, Holden was blinded by the light.

“Woah, Sunshine...” he said, balance wavering, “Mind easing up some on the brights?”

Magnitude of the eye-hollows dimmed as Holden lost his footing upon the rail. After rubbing his eyes, he surveyed the creature upon the track before him.

Though hardly taller than him, Dark Skeleton stood with perfect posture. Centered before its spine, a dark heart of chaotic tendrils churned within its ribcage. The longer he stared upon it, the more uneasy he became. The fact that the creature was staring unto him did not alleviate his anxiety.

“So who are you anyways?”

The creature was looking down on the unruly mane of hair that nearly reached to the bandanna about his neck. His lean frame was completely suntanned above his frayed jeans and dirtied boots. With the scan complete, it turned its eye-hollows upon Holden.

NO NAME

HATH

Ї

“No name?” said Holden, “O come on,” he added, “Everyone’s got a name...”

Suspicions aroused, the Youth tapped his foot, pondering intently till imagination twinkled in his eye.

“You’re a Genie, aren’t you?”

The creature declined to comment. With the silence, Holden’s suspicions resurrected.

“Why have you come as a Skeleton?”

Bringing both palms together before its chest, the creature clinked its phalanges together.

AM Ї NOT A FRAME?

AM Ї NOT

A FIXTURE?

The Youth scratched his chin, reflecting on the words.

“Mystery of some disguise, far as I can surmise...” he said, “Darkness...”

Following the statement, Dark Skeleton raised a phalange.

DÄÄTH

At a wave of its arm, dark strands unraveled from its grasp, diaphanously flexing across the breeze.

“Daath...” Holden repeated, watching after the tendrils. “You’re saying that’s what you’re made of, correct?”

The creature nodded. The Youth mused.

“Well in that case, I’ll call you Zkeletal Daath...” he said, “What you think of that?”

Dark Skeleton turned its attention to the strands of Daath, curling about its fingers. It clenched its fist with a knuckely-crackle.

ZKÖLETAL DÄÄTH

At the resound of its pronouncement, Holden marveled upon Dark Skeleton.

“Yeah...” he said, stoked nodding his head, “Zkoletal Daath... Though sounds way better when you say it; more powerful.”

Soon after, he realized he had yet to formally introduce himself.

“Well my name’s Holden,” he said, “But those who cross my path tend to call me the Youth.”

Zkoletal Daath turned its bright hollows upon the Youth.

YOU THE LЇGHT,

MY ŽUN

At the statement, the strands of darkness riding the winds suddenly turned in his direction. Once they were too close for comfort, the Youth round-housed—karate-chopped—elbowed—kneed and drop-kicked the cords, reducing them to wisps. Upon completely dissipating, the Youth turned to the creature.

“Not your son,” he said, blowing across his raised knuckles. “Pops was stoned by Medusa and Medusa my mama.”

Holden shook his head.

“But if you think she was a mean one, you shoulda seen the thieves with whom I been running...”

Holden crossed a thumb out before his neck.

Dark Skeleton only kept its bright sights fastened upon him.

TIME

TO ZTART

ANEW

Holden lowered his defenses.

“How so?”

The creature turned its attention beyond Holden, who turned about to face the Drawbridge Opening.

“What’s in there?” he asked, staring on it curiously before looking up the Cumulus Beanstalk. “What’s up there?”

As he idly wondered, Dark Skeleton advanced past him, along the rail, towards the Drawbridge Opening. The Youth stepped back upon the track and watched after it. Though he did not want to be left behind, he felt uncertain as to whether to follow it unto the darkness towards which the creature was headed.

“Hey!” he called, “Where’re you going?”

Zkoletal Daath did not answer, only continued advancing.

Overwhelmed with intrigue, the Youth bit into his lower lip, trying to decide what to do. A part of him wanted to venture into the unknown. He could not help remembering his responsibility to his Long Lost Love.

“Look, buddy,” he called after the creature, “Whatever’s happening here may certainly be something, but this cat’s on Crusade with a Love to save. Can’t afford to get off track...”

Dark Skeleton stopped. It turned its skull to its shoulder, but said nothing. The Youth continued—

“So if you’ll just direct me to the nearest chute or ladder out the clouds, I’ll leave you to your business and be back to reality.”

Dark Skeleton turned about. Extending its palm towards the Youth, it folded its fingers with invitation.

COME

At the gesture, a cumulus bulge rushed up from below the Crystal Tracks. Holden turned around just as it plowed him along its forward roll.

“Oompf!”

Pummeled by the mash carrying him across the plains, Holden fought to land a firm footing. He was still struggling when Zkoletal Daath was swept up along the way. Together, flesh and bones fumbled amidst the swell, rolling down the tracks and disappearing into the Drawbridge Opening.

At the head of the cumulus ripple, the Youth tumbled in the dark without any conception of direction. He had not been flailing long, when high above him appeared a light, towards which he was rising. The higher he ascended, the brighter it shone; the rays extending about him, revealing a cylindrical passage through which he was being rushed.

“A tunnel?!”

He felt vibrations resonating of its enveloping walls. Soon after, he felt tremors coming of the cloud beneath him. He heard rattling; pistons, pounding; a deafening roar that was somehow familiar; an engine, chugging.

“The train!”

The last of the soft wisps of the cloud beneath him slipped into the grill of the Crystal Freight. Spreading his wingspan, he caught on between two of its bars. Summoning all his might, he pushed himself to an upright sit.

Looking back through the grill, Holden gulped over the fiery mechanisms of the engine, churning beneath him. Looking up the freight, he saw through the Engine Room Window. Inside, Dark Skeleton pointed to the vantage ahead, then grabbed onto the cord it tugged.

“Choooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!”

The train shot out from the top of the beanstalk, driving along the rails of a stalk that reached up through the luminous heights of the Crystal Sky. Once its trajectory had aligned with the Noon Sun, its wheels flipped horizontal; the Crystal Freight was transforming. Once the process was complete the Crystal Hovercraft, it swooped a sharp turn.

“Woah!”

The locomotive looped round and round, over and again along a singular circle. Once it had caught up to its tail, Holden found himself just out of reach of the caboose. Wanting to alleviate his fear of heights, he reached for the rail along the cart. Dark Skeleton slammed on the brakes.

Upon braking, the freight loosed the cumulus swell from from its grill. Holden was struck from behind by the forwarded head, which thrust him into the caboose. Meanwhile, the white folds engulfed the hovercraft. Momentum carried the cloud round and round, completely swaddling the carts across the length of the freight, likening its aspect to a ring of Heavenly Cloud.

The Nimbus Halo was floating at peace amidst the Crystal Sky. Along the top of it, the cloud poured into a dark square. Moments later, the Youth stuck his head out and had a look about the crystal-clear summits of open sky.

“Must be Heaven...”

Climbing out the top of the caboose, the Youth scanned his environment. Apart from the Noon Sun, the Nimbus Halo appeared to be highest elevation in all the land. Wanting relative perspective on how high up he was, he advanced towards its outer circumference. He was on his way when Dark Skeleton rose up before him from the foundation of the Nimbus Halo.

“O...” started the Youth, “Hello.”

While the brights of its eye-hollows beamed upon him, the Youth could feel its proximity to him in the icy coolness, waving of its frame, causing the hairs of his arms to stand on end.

“Was on way to check out the view...”

Looking beyond him, Dark Skeleton extended its arm to the inner ring of the Halo.

Turning towards it, the Youth advanced. Once along the interior, he could not believe what he was seeing. He did not know what to make of it. As walking around the inner ring, the Youth marveled with exceeding marvel upon the environment, dynamically evolving across the Heavenly Cloud.

Zkoletal Daath opened its arms to the Noon Sun.

LO,

THY KINGDOM

COME

To the east, the Cumulus Beanstalk was fountaining unto a skyscraper; several sprouting below, adding to the foundation of a metropolis. Mounts and trees in the north were contrasted by sprawling fields in the south, with little houses on the hillsides and prairies in between. In the west, canyons and countryside reached far as the Youth could see; all of the realm, interconnected, along the ebb-and flowing groundwork of a Cloud Ecosystem.

“A Kingdom in the Clouds...”

Coming to a stop along the otherside of the ring, Holden was still marveling with exceeding marvel. He wanted a closer look on the interaction taking place. As indulging in the idle stare, he felt about his chest for the binoculars. Upon remembering he had lost them, a draft rushed his back as scooting the Nimbus Ring beyond the cloud environment below.

Looking along the direction he was suddenly drifting, the Youth beheld the Anvil Stone upon the High Hill, which on its far-side, sloped into the Golden Plane. Far across the expanse, the plane arose unto the Mammoth Mountain. He was imagining the peak was roughly level with their present elevation when the shining brights across from him beamed up from the Cloud Ecosystem and upon him.

Brought back to his present place, the Youth put both palms to his head and combed his unruly locked back, trying to make sense of the realm he had glimpsed.

“Seen some things in my time...” said Holden, “But all this is getting far out as a dream...”

Following the comment, his senses sharpened. Eyes narrowed. As taking a look about, a calm smile crossed his face.

“It’s a dream...” he said, “I mean, honestly, must be...”

Albeit firm in his convictions, there was still much about which the Youth was still curious.

“But before I awake...” he started, looking to Dark Skeleton across from him. “Go ahead and tell how you mean, ‘Thy Kingdom Come’?”

Dark Skeleton extended its arm unto the Cloud Ecosystem.

TO RIZE

THROUGH

YOU,

OF

TRINITY

“Excuse me?”

ALNYTAK,

ALNYLAM,

MYNTAKA

Dark Skeleton pointed on the three moles, aligned on his right shoulder.

ZEAL

UPON YE,

MY ŽUN

Out from each mark on his skin, a strand of darkness emerged and oscillated across the halo’s center, towards Zkoletal Daath. When they had reached its palm, the creature twirled them about its bony fingers. Upon rising beyond their tips, each cord spiraled unto itself, condensing unto three fine points of shining.

CONZTELLATION

ALIGN

THY WAY, THY TRUTH, THY LIFE

Holden thought of the darkness that had jumped from the Black Lava Bay, burning into his shoulder. He reflected upon the only constellation he knew of, which the aligned points, in part, resembled. As sporadic thoughts pinged through his head, he tried hard to make sense of the big picture, beyond.

“You telling me that all along, I’ve been following stars?”

Dark Skeleton raised its palm, boosting the shiny bits through sky as the Youth continued—

“Which, if were true, would technically-maybe mean I’m not necessarily lost from the Crusade, afterall…” he reasoned, his eyes lighting up. “Does this mean I’m still on way to reach her?”

Dark Skeleton was still watching the trinity ascend towards the Sun when Holden questioned further—

“Tell me, Zkoletal Daath, are you my Gurudeva?”

With sights inclined, Dark Skeleton retained focus upon the points as they merged unto lightness. Meanwhile, Holden was still waiting for answers; his patience, being tested.

“You gonna give me the time of day or what?”

Lowering its attention from the heights, it fastened its attention upon the Youth.

“Why don’t you answer when I call on you?”

Dark Skeleton did not respond.

“Got a staring problem, bucko?” he asked, “Or you just stuck?”

Magnitude of Dark Skeleton’s beaming vision brightened twofold upon Holden.

I ZEE BEAUTY,

I ZEE BEAZT;

A YOUTH,

MIZLEAD

Turning about, the creature regarded the setting towards which they were floating.

NONETHELEZZ…

Dark Skeleton returned its attention to the Youth.

DEZTINY,

ARIZING

ANEW—

BEYOND THE LAMP

“Beyond the Lamp...”

Upon repeating, the Youth started pacing along the inner ring of the Nimbus Halo.

“Way you phrase that makes it seem as though we’re inside a Lamp...”

Along the halo’s outer circumference, Dark Skeleton was fastened on the vantage when it reeled its arm back. A black whip unslung from its palm, which uncurled miles above above them. With an overarm throw, it cast the cord cut down through leagues of sky, towards the High Hill, where it cracked about a crystalline handle.

A rapid yo-yo retraction ensued. The vessel coiled up from the Anvil Stone, clinking into the creatures grip with a high-frequency ping.

BEHOLD…

At the order, a dark flame licked out the spout.

LAMP OF VIZION

Dark Skeleton turned about, holing the Crystal Lamp out towards the Youth. Above the flame, the fire flowed and pooled unto a dark sphere.

UPON THE TOUCH,

YOU ENTER

LAMP OF VOID

Within the darkness appeared the image of a Golden Oil Lamp.

Upon seeing the object, Holden’s eyes narrowed. He felt he had seen the object before. As the dark sphere of Maya Illusion continued rising of the Crystal Lamp, he gradually became aware that it was illustrating his former journey into the Golden Oil Lamp—the Lamp of Void.

At the center of a void, a singularity pulsed unto a star, at once, enlightening the realm.

UPON THE TOUCH,

ZTAR,

BORN ON HIGH

Sunshine beamed throughout a Crystal Sky. Waves of golden grains rippled across the land, far as the eye could see. Upon the Grate Dune lay the Youth, who opened his eyes.

Holden was hardly breathing, his mind, beyond the imagery as remembering everything.

“I’m inside a Lamp!?”

Holden pressed his fingertips to his temples.

“But it can’t be real,” he told himself, trying to calm down. “All of this has to be a dream...”

Zkoletal Daath nodded.

ALL IZ DREAM—

ALL IZ CONZCIOUZNEZZ—

LAYERZ OF EXIZTENCE,

AZ YOU WIZH

“O brother,” he said, with a shake of his head, “Honestly though, how I get in these situations? So mixed up in fantasy, all for a Long Lost Love...”

At his word, the Golden Oil Lamp within the Maya Illusion faded to the void. The dark sphere spiraled unto an hourglass physique that evolved unto an old-fashioned blue-white checkered dress. Suddenly, the Youth found himself looking on his Long Lost Love, standing upon the cloud, right across from him.

The Love set down her picnic basket on the technicolored blanket upon which she stood. Straightening up, she pulled the ribbons out her pigtails and shook her mahogany locks free. Via runway step, she modeled the dress; her ruby-red slippers, sparkling grand, rendering the Youth positively awestruck.

“She’s dressed jus’ as she was...” he explained, “Exactly as she was dressed on that fateful day she was stolen away from me...”

“Yip! Yip!”

A black-gray pup popped its head up from the basket.

“Toto!”

The Youth took a knee and extended arms. At the gesture, Toto jumped out the basket, ran and bounded into Holden’s arms with a speed that knocked him upon his back.

“Toto! Oh-ho, easy!” he rejoiced, as the dog went on licking his face, “You’re even real to the touch... like you’re really here...”

At his statement, Holden promptly set Toto aside and sat up; his eyes, wide upon the Love, standing a short distance away between he and Dark Skeleton. While rising to his feet, he studied her attire curiously. When their eyes aligned and locked and remained, he took his time to decide on whether there was truly something there to see.

“And just how far over the rainbow be we?”

As he advanced, the staring contest ran on. They were nearly nose to nose when Holden reached for her waist. At the motion, Love stepped aside. Recognizing her play, he stepped in tango as reaching again. Over and again, with a single step, she avoided his grasp.

Planting hands on his own hips, the Youth bit into his lower lip, still intent on the Love. A short distance away, Toto was lowered to pounce, growling at Dark Skeleton.

“I’m not too content about this, either, pup,” said Holden, with a tap of boot, “Turns out this darling as cute a tease as the real thing—a lady intent on turning a Youth more smitten than a kitten ’fore a saucer full of cream.”

As dwelling on the reality of her presence, something cuddly rubbed against the pantleg of his jeans. Advancing past him, a black-gray kitten came to a stop before a saucer full of cream. When the last streams of the cream finished flowing of the tipped spout, Dark Skeleton leveled the Crystal Lamp, then awaited further questioning.

Holden did not know where to start.

“Explain this,” ordered the Youth, feeling as though this were his chance. “Explain everything,” he added, “How’s that doing that?” he asked, pointing from the vessel to the kitty and saucer.

Dark Skeleton raised the Crystal Lamp.

LAMP OF VIZION

BRING WORD

TO LIFE

The Youth’s eyes magnified.

“Are you saying... that whatever I say...”

As the kit licked the cream, the Youth had a moment.

“This may be fun...”

The Youth nodded.

“Especially with some good company to play along...”

At his word, he turned to where his Long Lost Love had last stood. He looked left—he checked right. She was nowhere in sight.

“Hey!”

Holden spun in circles.

“Where’d she go?” he said, “And Toto!” he added, “She took Toto with her!”

Amidst his search, he witnessed the black-gray kitten dissolve—fade—vanish; the mirage, gone without trace. The Youth was looking on speechless. Dark Skeleton explained—

MÄYÄ

LAZTETH

ONLY LONG

AZ

THE WORD

REMAINETH

“Maya...” he repeated, as though the word suddenly made sense, “Illusion of the Lamp, you mean, yes?”

ALL IZ ILLUZION

ALL

IZ EMPTINEZZ,

DEZTINED TO FADE

Dark Skeleton inclined its attention to the Noon Sun.

AND YET,

CERTAIN EZZENCE,

TIMELEZZ;

ÆTERNAL ÆVERLAZTING—

DÄÄTH;

LÏGHT;

CRЇZTÄLLINE CRÆTION

“Crystalline creation...” said the Youth, “Like the ladder, and the train...”

Dark Skeleton nodded. Holden continued pacing.

“But how does one create something, ‘crystalline,’ as you say...”

THOU

HAZT

FORGOTTEN

Dark Skeleton rubbed wisps of darkness between its fingers.

WHAT FORGOTTEN,

COME

UNDONE

Not content to hear it, he turned his attention to the Lamp of Vision in its other hand.

“I imagine that if one were to imagine the Word, hard enough, some degree of permanence could be arranged...”

He waved his hand out before them.

“A Pin-Up Love could be such a handsome something to have around, like eternally...”

At the lip of the crystal spout, a black flame unrolled scroll-like out before them. Along its horizontal procession, the darkness vertically unfurled unto a sunflower-yellow poster, crowned with words that read—We Can Do it. The portrait featured his Long Lost Love, rolling back her sleeve as showcasing her lean Rosie the Riveter bicep.

“Well what you waiting on?” he asked her as raising fists, with a nod to his foundation, “Halo should hold you; make your move...”

The Rosie Love peeked out the pin-up poster. then swung her legs up, over and out the frame. With legs crossed, hands in back pockets, she leaned cool against the yellow portrait.

“Ah, come on, now, tiger,” he said, “Don’t make him wait...”

As his request, she ducked fast. Out from the poster behind her, a Siberian Tiger lunged along a pounce, aimed straight for the Youth. With swift action, Dark Skeleton lashed the Crystal Lamp, sending a whip of darkness that wrapped about the wildcat as reeling it into the vessel. Upon absorbing the threat, the creature feasted glaring brights upon the Youth.

“Something I said?”

ONE MUZT CONTROL

THE

MЇND, HÆRT, ZPЇRЇT

“It was her fault,” said Holden, glaring at the Rosie Love, “She’s one dangerous princess...”

Across the way, she winked. With a whip of its arm, Dark Skeleton lashed and laced her unto the Crystal Lamp as the Tiger before.

“Hey!” cried the Youth, his frame, flexed tight, “No more of that,” he ordered, “Even if it... even if she ... even if all in all is illusion, anyway...”

With furrowed brow, he turned a hard look to the place where her boot-prints in the cloud had not yet faded.

“Been apart too long to have you just rip the sight of her from me...”

ZHE CLOZE

The Youth blinked.

“Close...” he repeated, “How do you mean?”

Dark Skeleton raised its attention.

UP ZTAIRWAY

Extending arm towards the halo’s open center, it rotated its wrist. Cirrus strands spiraled up from the inner ring. As they arose, they flowed unto the formation of a stairway, rising towards the Noon Sun.

BEYOND LAMP

Neck craned back, the Youth gazed up the rising stories, awestruck to the brink of suspicious.

“How do you know this?” Holden asked, “What exactly are you up to, Zkoletal Daath?”

The creature was fastened on the steps of the cloud, vertically unfurling along the helical weave with perfect rhythm and time.

PATIENCE,

THE

CADENCE

“Patience?”

Holden shook his head.

“I don’t like the sound of that,” he stated, “There has to be a faster way...”

Advancing towards the inner ring, he extended his leg and pressed his boot to the first step, affirming the support it offered.

“I’ll just cut to,” he said, “You know, get started.”

He had hardly completed the sentence when he began ascending the stairway. He was coming about the first turn of its spiral rise when he asked—

“By the way, how high of a climb can I expect ahead me till I finally reach her?”

Raising its arm, Dark Skeleton slanted its palm. The steps did the same, turning to a smooth diagonal, at once transforming the stairway into a chute. Holden sprinted in place, slipped and slid down the snowy slickness that started slushing down through the sky.

“Wah!”

Plunging through the halo’s center, the Youth wound down through the heights, towards the High Hill. Dark Skeleton tossed the Crystal Lamp to the chute, sending it after him. Turning about, it lashed reins of darkness out from its arms, which along the whip, evolved unto a chariot and horses that jolted the figure forth. The black stallions galloped across the sky before thundering along a dive towards the golden sands of time.

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