The Extraordinary Accounts of One Lost Girl

-11-

I was women up by the man in impressive armor. He kept in repeating a word over and over again. It sounded almost Arabic, like the merchants back in Ceylon who used to sell fabric in the streets of Colombo.

He helped me down from the sedan motioned me to walk ahead. My sleepiness evaporated the sight of what seemed like an entrance to a large white building. The golden eyes man came near me, motioning me to follow him as he entered through an arched entrance flanked by at least six guards, three of each side and into a courtyard filled with white powdery sand. There was a passage that ran all around the courtyard, with white pillars that rose up high all around. Ahead was another entrance through which we passed through, the entrance also flanked by guards. Inside was a large hall with the statue of a woman holding a basket of flowers to the sky, her face hidden by a veil rose up in the center. The statue was all white and had such detail, especially in the texture of the fabric that it baffled me.

Never had I seen such an intricate statue and especially of such a grand size. Its height was at least twenty feet tall and the ceiling was dome shaped. We had to pass through an entrance behind the statue that was covered by a curtain of woven brown beads and passed through a dark passageway lighted by torches.

The golden eyed man seemed to know his way well through the place while the man with impressive armor followed behind us. Climbed a flight of stairs and walked through a passage that had open windows. Outside, we could see more courtyards and people sweeping leaves from the ground which had fallen from the surrounding trees. The leaves of the trees were oddly bright red. We eventually reached a double door, that was opened by two guards holding spears and we once again entered another hall. This time, its walls were covered in green and blue, the windows adored by baby blue and white curtains. The pillars rose up high with intricate beveled designed painted on it in gold. At the far end of the hall and an altar and its center, a throne.

I stared at the occupant of the throne for a long time, unable to believe who I was seeing.

She was the splitting image of me, only older and meaner in her face. I could not help but pull the hood off my face. The women in the throne lines with colored fabric didn't even flinch. Instead, she stood up and gracefully climbed down the three steps of the altar, the train of her long jade green skirt trailing behind her as she did. Her blouse was like that of a saree jacket, with golden jewelry on her shoulders, neck, bracelets on her arms and jewelry dangling down her waist. Her straight long hair was not tied up, but instead woven with golden and emerald trinkets.

She approached me and lifted my chin towards her, so that she could get a better look on my face.

I had a feeling that I was instead the slitting image of her.

She said something and the golden eyed man behind me responded. She then waved her hand, and a girl wearing an attire almost similar to her but instead without much of the jewelry and in a light blue colour and fabric tied to her pony tail arrived, carrying a small golden jewelry box. The golden eyed man took the box and examined it.

Inside was a large blue gem. I could not help stare at it as the woman with my face said something to the golden haired man. For once, the golden haired man smirked and closed the box. He bowed to the woman, waved at me and sauntered off, leaving me with another bunch of strangers.

The woman didn't say anything to me. Only to who seemed to be her servants. They led to towards a door at the side of the hall and led me to another flight of stairs; pass another corridor with open windows and intricate floor, wall and ceiling designs in a variety of colors before opening up a double door with a bead curtain inside and pushing me into a room.

All I had to say was that they room had another of color. Mainly pink, with a large king sized bed on one corner and a lot of cushions; Cushions on the bed, cushions on the window sill, cushions on what seemed like a sofa and cushions of the floor. There was a screen on one side which must have been for changing and an open window over the bed.