The Dreams of Evelex

[prologue]

January 19, 1906-Lafayette, North Carolina

Carla Rose snuck out of the house at a little past midnight and made her way t the back lawn.  There she quietly lifted the latch of the picket fenced gate and headed into the dark woods.  The air was chill and it felt sharp against her body, which she had forgotten o dress, save the nightgown that she had worn to sleep.

Branches slapped at her face as she made her way through the thicket of the underbrush and soon she felt the sting of the cuts and the tickle of the blood flowing from them.  She was vaguely aware that she had gone on this journey before and she was aware that each time she had returned home early in the morning, she had been scolded and disciplined by her parents for disobeying the curfew.

Soon, Carla found her self in a deserted clearing, in which the moonlight filtered down, illuminating the pattern of the high treetops.  Carla stood in the dead center of the clearing for what seemed like an eternity, at least until she was satisfied that her task had been completed.

The wind began to pick up and the trees began to sway violently.  Carla found herself beginning to mutter words that she had never heard or spoken before: "Suganna dejaki, naro."  Over and over again, the strange words escaped her lips.

All of a sudden, the wind died and the tress stood silent.  Carla began to feel a touch of fear trickle into the back of her mind.  A twig snapped behind her and she twirled around to find nothing there.  Another twig snapped in another direction.  Again, Carla twirled around, but saw nothing.

"W-who's there?" Carla weakly called into the dark trees.

"You know who I am," a voice echoed.

"I-I-I am afraid that I do not," Carla replied.

"Oh, but Carla.  You have called out to me on so many other nights like this one.  Do you not remember those nights?  Do you not remember me?"

"I-I am afraid."

"Oh, I know that you are.  You feel a fear that grips your heart like a clamp.  A fear that ripple through your delicate body and soaks through you to the soul," the voice paused for a moment, as if expecting an answer, but then continued on, "How old are you, Carla?"

"Seventeen."

"And what brings you here?  Do you know?  Do you know why your heart has called you here?"

"N-no."

"I do.  You feel loneliness in this world that will not let you escape its bonds.  What if I told you that I could take you to a place where you would never be lonely again?  A place where you can be with more people your age and like you than you ever imagined?"

"I-I guess I would want to visit this place."

Carla stood frozen with fear for a few moments.  It seemed to her as though the voice had left her.  Just as she was about to move from the spot in which she was standing, Carla felt something tug on her body, no...her very existence.

The world and the forest swirled and twisted around her.  Carla felt herself begin to become queasy.  The moment in which she was living seemed to last forever, but it ended abruptly and Carla was left standing and staring at the most beautiful sight that she had ever laid her eyes upon.

There were green rolling hill sin the near distance and in the far distance, there were white-capped mountains that seemed to stretch into the very heavens.  To the west of where Carla was standing was a crystal blue lake, its water sparkling with the sunlight in a dazzling display of brilliance.  To the east, was a dark green and thick looking forest of the largest trees that Carla had ever seen.

For a moment, felt a feeling of loss for her parents, but while taking in the breathtaking sights, the feeling was quickly swallowed by others of wonder and amazement.

Carla was startled when she heard a voice behind her.  This voice was different from the one in the dark forest.  It was young and female.

"Excuse me, Miss, but are you lost?"

Carla turned to find a young girl staring up at her.  She was clad in plain clothes that seemed to be out of a history museum.

"Excuse me, but are you lost, Miss?"  the girl asked, a hint of annoyance in her voice.

"No, I don't think that I am.  I think that I am finally home," Carla replied...