Chapter 9 -Time's Cruel Embrace-
John and Mary stepped through the black door, only to be hit with a flash of bright light. When their eyes adjusted to the glare, they saw a large, square room. The walls were made of white marble pillars, the floors shone like ivory. The ceiling was glass encased by a frame of marble that was held up by the pillars. Beyond the pillars and the ceiling was what looked like a sky on a background of fluffy clouds, light as bright as the sun streaming from above them. In the middle of each side of the room facing inward were four white grandfather clocks. None of them moved, and all of them were stuck at midnight. In the middle of the room was a marble desk and a white armchair. On the desk was a red diary, open. Written on the desk in large, looping golden letters was a title: Projections of Heaven. "Woah…" Mary said in disbelief. "What is this place? It's so… pretty." John made a small frown and said "I'm not sure… But knowing this place it's probably not as peaceful as it seems… What does this book say?" John cleared his throat and began to read what was on the open page:
-Day Unknown, Entry 15-
Time. Monotonous and unwavering, it goes on. Tick tock, tick tock, it goes ever on and on; circling. Even here, in this land of make-believe, it only seems to stop. It never truly does. And that's something I never understood. I wanted a world without time, where my creations could play for eternity however they pleased; but I succumbed to the very thing which I hoped to escape. If my creations ever read this, they may just know all to well how unrelenting and cruel time is. My only hope is that they never fall to it; that is my true wish.
-Weiss Guertena
After this a few pages were torn out, leading to the next entry.
-Day Unknown, Entry 20-
I have succeeded in creating a tiny world I which one can feel safe, even when they are in truly grave danger. It seems heavenly until you look at it closely and realize the deception, and then the illusion disappears. Perhaps I will use this in other areas of my world… But for now I will leave this book in this room, so that my thoughts may be protected from any that would wish to tamper with them.
-Weiss Guertena
John gasped and grabbed the book, shoving it in his shirt pocket. "Mary! We have to get out of here! This place isn't beautiful, it's a trick!" He looked over to the girl, only to see her passed out on the floor. The room slowly melded from what it was to something more befitting of a nightmare. The light marble pillars became dark basalt, and the warm cloudy sky became dark shadowy monsters. Even the clocks became dark and foreboding, their edges sharp and faces lit with fire. He grabbed Mary, slinging her over his shoulder and running out the newly-appeared door. His vision started to fade as well, and as he fell unconscious all he could hear was the laughing of his father ringing in his ears… As it all faded to black.
