What No One Knew

Chapter 3 –

Her bare foot sank ankle deep into a thick organic ooze that could only be described as feeling distinctly………"brown". Sarah recoiled in horror, almost gagging at the sensation of her bare toes squishing through the spongy, wet, decaying slime. " What the fu…." she exclaimed as she shook her leg. Sarah never could have prepared herself for what was the cause of her disgust. Giant mushrooms littered the ground at her feet. She had never seen anything like them before. The broken mush at her feet glowed with an iridescence Sarah never associated with organic plants. Before she had a chance to rationalize the abnormal outcropping of fungus, Sarah's eyes were compelled to trace the entire perimeter of the amphitheater within the enclosure of the hedges. Incredibly these dark brown mushrooms created a great circle of glowing, otherworldly beauty. This bluish-purple, pulsating iridescence reminded her of a Discovery Channel show she once saw about the glowing life forms that lived in the very deepest parts of the ocean. It was hypnotic.

Fascinated and yet repelled at the same time, she tried to wipe away the silky organic matter. While it wasn't sticky, it did share two of the most annoying properties of super glue. No matter how hard you try, it always ends up exactly where you'd least like it and once it's there, it's impossible to remove. It simply must be endured. As she stubbornly tried to rub away the residue, it merely spread into a fine sparkly film that emitted the most unusual fragrance. But rather than reeking of compost, it was the oddest combination of the sharp citrus scent of Japanese yudzu, the mellowness of aloeswood, and some tantalizing flower that surely didn't grow on earth. So this was how Sarah found herself bare foot and wild-eyed, in the middle of the park, covered head to toe in glittery mushroom matter, and listening to the most beautiful music she had ever heard.

She had almost forgotten why she had been drawn here. The violet residue resumed it's pulsating but this time it was on her. "Oh my God. My skin…I'm going to absorb it", she thought in a panic. It was throbbing in time with the music, changing hues, lulling her into a almost trance-like state with it's strange beauty. " Music…the music….who…?" she murmured incoherently as she dragged her gaze upward to search within the large mushroom ringed enclosure. And there within, was a most remarkable sight. Or, at least it would have been a remarkable sight to sober eyes. Sarah, with inhibitions cleverly wittled away by otherworldly charms, had no fear of what was assembled before her. A group of slender, beautiful musicians played a tune older than the earth itself for the pleasure of a large assembly of spirited and graceful dancers. In the center was a large fire emitting perfumed smoke which mingled with the already heady alchemy of the mushrooms. This served only to further intoxicate the wayward mortal as she gazed upon the party she had unwittingly crashed. Sarah was drawn forward to the beautifully adorned group unable to resist their ethereal pull. She was no longer thinking and evaluating. This was a night for impulse, instincts, and fevered dance.

AN – Sorry this took forever to post. Life has been a little nutty, but in a good way. Thanks for all who reviewed and sorry again for the cliffie.

No one answered my riddle correctly ;)

PS- I swear "He" will show up soon…