The Turquoise Rock

My item has won the 3rd prize in the July 2010 contest of "Inspiration Station".

Eli dreamt of the Turquoise that night he went to the Boar hill to hunt. The enchanting blue light shimmering on the enormous jewellike rock fogged his head, he heard voices. They sang and the airy tunes  took colour and shape... now it looked like clouds forming on the hill, now it evolved into a landscape. The contour of the land seemed familiar.. a voice was calling his name out loud.

But it was Juliana, his mother. When he opened his eyes, he saw her pretty head haloed by bright sunlight peeping through the window.Eli emerged into a bright spring morning from the richly coloured thatched hut of the Tribe, Yesterday's hunt lay in the process of curing. Eli decided to see the Tarquoise for real this time..

The Turquoise was a sheer stretch of rock on far side of the village, ending in a steep fall right down to the sea. The turquoise blue colour of this strange outcrop has earned it the poetic name among the Tribe,though nothing special was ever heard about it. It was only Eli who often dreamt of it but never dared to mention it to anyone for fear of being ridiculed.

When Eli reached the dense line of the trees it was still early, dense foliage barred most of the sunlight. Through every smallest opening the blue rock shone like a chunk of the sky. At noon Eli reached the edge of the thicket and the first thing he was aware of was a synchronised warbling of the song birds. It was nowhere near evening, the sun blazed directly overhead.

The boy stepped out into the open. When he looked at the blue rock,It was as transparent as glass! Just below the surface a flight of stairs carved down into the rock, but the surface was smooth and glassy like a roof over the busy rock-carved house inside! The sun poured its radiance inside and an incredible figure climbed up the stairs.

It was a woman, her girlish slight figure was so delicate that the gossamer apparel adorned it just right. Reaching the last step she stretched her hand in a respectful bow and she looked solid enough for Eli to notice that the glassy surface now domed gracefully over his head!

She said, "Welcome. Our lost Kingdom awaits its Lord's return!"

Reply stuck in the boy's throat as he recognised the country in his dreams.

"Who are you ? Why are you calling me this ridiculous way? Is it some joke or magic?" Eli blurted out, feeling the chill running down his spine.

She smiled, "You wished to live among the Tribe, My Lord. Have you forgotten that Wish is the way of living in this Kingdom of Dreams?"

Eli panicked, he remembered the radiant face of his mother, the hunt...He said, "Wish will take me back to the tribe again, then?" The Sprite looked up, her smile a little wan.

But she said reverently, "Yes, My Lord."

Eli closed his eyes thought of the dry smell of the rocks in scorching sun, the thatch mellowing into gold hue, the wild joy of the hunt...his face sweated. His eyes screwed up under a concentration of fierce light. He jerked them open.

He was lying on the glassy rock again. Eli rolled over his back to catch a glimpse of the strange girl. Somehow the sudden shadow on her moonshiney smile brought a nipping of uneasiness in his mind, but the inside was all petrified turquoise now.

He pulled himself up with effort and commenced his journey back.The mist continued to make fantastic ideas in his tired brain.

Back in the village, his Mother and Father were searching for him, The search  party was shouting his name frantically when they caught a glimpse of his exhausted, slightly stooping figure at the bend of the rocky descent.

They brought him reeling with sickness and exhaustion into the hut. He lay down in the cool soothingly darkened room collapsing upon the soft quilting his mother made.

He heard someone enter with a pot of water and was putting it down. He opened his eyelids unusually heavy with fatigue. A girl was arranging the water-pot on the wooden stand turning her back to him. He felt his mouth to be as dry as a dry rag.

With a huge effort Elia said,"Can you pour me some water?" The girl turned, Eli saw the slight girlish look and the clear turquoise blue eyes brimming with silent laughter....and the orange light of the setting sun streamed in to form a firey outline of the young face..(word count 779)