Part 4: The Future
~*~
DISCLAIMER: See Part 1.
~*~
~*~
Staying true to her promise, the climb lasted only a matter of seconds, and Marguerite found herself at the beginning of what looked like a maze of corridors.
"Where are we now?" Marguerite demanded rather breathlessly, surveying the surroundings with hands on hips.
"The final stage," Was the quiet answer.
Marguerite arched a brow, giving Sophie a long, hard look. "And what do you mean by that?"
Sophie's eyes managed to catch Marguerite's, holding them carefully. "You have seen the past, and the present. Now you must see-"
"-the future," Marguerite finished, nodding slowly as the pieces fell into place.
The heiress eyed the many doors lining the hallways with a rather cautious look. "Let me guess. I get to wander around, opening doors to see what each my future holds?"
Marguerite nearly laughed at the look of astonishment on Sophie's face as she turned to face her fully.
"Am I that predictable?"
Marguerite just sent her a winning grin. "Let's just say its all been done before."
The auburn-haired woman decide to let the comment drop and instead opted to let her newest 'pupil', so to speak, discover the final bit to her being.
"Well, as you said, behind each door is a different possibility for you future. You have one hour to explore before I must send you back."
Marguerite nodded, relieved to hear that she would be leaving the dull building soon. It was getting incredibly disheartening to be surrounded by white.
Taking Sophie's silence as a signal to get going, the heiress started down the main hallway, eyeing the doors. Hesitantly, she reached out for one of the knobs and turned it, opening the door with a crack.
~~~
She sat at her elegantly decorated vanity; slowly brushing out her raven curls, admiring her lavishly decorated self in the mirror. The diamond necklace had been her latest purchase using the money from the fame she had been gaining ever since they had returned to London. After all, she had a very good excuse to dress up and show off some of the wealth she had received. Tonight was the one-year anniversary of their return; hosted by George Challenger himself and she didn't want to let her friend down.
Marguerite got up, quite happy with her hair, and smoothed out the wrinkles in her silky red dress that swirled around her slim form. Just as she was reaching for her coat, she couldn't help but wonder if things would have been different. If life would have been easier if Roxton had managed to survive the fall.
~~~
The heiress gasped as she drew herself out of the image. She was shocked at the lack of mourning her future self had for Roxton. Where had their relationship taken such a drastic turn?
Regaining her composure, she ignored the wry look Sophie sent her way, and wandered down, finally choosing another, similar door. Her hand hesitated on the knob but her stubborn mind made it turn the knob, leading Marguerite into another scene.
~~~
The jungle seemed so different from down below, with the trees towering above her like guards standing over the gateway to heaven. The smell of burning still lingered but it wasn't quite as over-powering as the night before. Hopefully, Challenger and the others had managed to douse the flames of the burning tree house before they spread too far across the plateau. The last thing they needed was to have the whole forest burn down on their behalf.
Her right side aching from the burns she had suffered, she walked over to Veronica-who was sitting with her head in her hands, sobbing silently.
Placing a hand on the blonde's ash-dusted shoulder, she tried to comfort the girl. Not only had the poor girl lost her only home, but her love as well.
~~~
Once again Marguerite jumped back, slamming the door shut. She tried to let go of the images she had just seen, feeling all the more determined to find out if one future-or that of her friends-was a happy one.
All sorts of scenarios played out before her, some on the plateau, some off. It ranged from diseases wiping out the whole plateau to returning home only to find themselves in a different world. Each and last scene was wearing down on Marguerite's heart as she started to wonder if the possibility of a good future was too good for her.
Finally-after watching the explorers executed by a strange tribe-Marguerite stormed up to Sophie, a murderous gleam in her eyes.
"Is there any door in here that will show something happy?" She demanded, arms crossed angrily over her chest.
Sophie looked as though she was going to avoid the question but the gleam in the heiress' eyes must have put a little sense back into her reasoning.
"Remember that these are only possibilities, Marguerite. There is no reason that one future is more definite than the others." Almost immediately, the auburn-haired woman could see that her hint hadn't worked, so she decided to give in a little-just to spare her head.
"The back tends to brighten people up."
Not bothering to thank her, Marguerite rushed to the end, hoping to find something that would give her a sense of hope rather than a foreboding and dark sense that she had gained from the other images.
Letting out a long sigh, she gripped one knob and turned, almost dreading what she would see.
~~~
The ballroom was nearly packed with people milling about. Marguerite observed the crowd from a small balcony set into one of the walls, trying to get the nerve to go down and greet the guests. It would take some time getting adjusted to civilization again, after spending ten years on the rather deserted plateau.
"Can't face them either?" A voice spoke up from behind, and the dark-haired beauty spun around to find the five other explorers standing together in the room. She joined them, feeling a sense of security come over her as they were once again reunited.
"It's just been so long," She replied. Roxton's hand reached out to grab hers as they all moved towards the top of the staircase.
"I must admit it will take a little getting used to," Summerlee stated, smoothing out his smart-looking tux. "After all, we haven't really been around this many people in a while."
They all nodded their agreement, a look of reassurance settling in on their faces to know that they weren't the only ones hesitant about re-entering society.
"Well, I say we make our entrance before its too late," Challenger declared. They all took a deep breath, and Marguerite was tickled to notice Ned's arm resting snuggle around Veronica's waist (who was looking rather out of place without her usual outfit on).
"And here we go."
~~~
Marguerite looked quite satisfied as she drew away from the scenario, a smile on her face.
"Now that was more like it," She muttered under her breath, finally feeling a small weight lifted off of her shoulders. It was about time that she had some gleam of hope in the other wise depressing scenes she had seen before.
"You have a quarter of an hour left, Marguerite," Sophie called out from somewhere amidst the depths of the hallways.
Marguerite looked about at the doors that stretched endlessly around her and decided upon one last one. Bracing herself for the worst she opened the door.
.and stepped into a cozy room, lit up by a burning log in the fireplace. Feeling a wave of peace wash over her, Marguerite looked around studying the warm features. It could only be Christmas time for the decorated tree standing quietly in the corner with brightly wrapped gifts beneath it gave that away. Boughs of pine hung around the mantel of the fireplace, frosted pinecones embedded into their prickly depths. Candles glowed around the room, small sprigs of holly at their base.
The rich scents of cinnamon, pine, and roasting turkey invaded her senses and she couldn't help but feel content in such a place. Usually Christmas was a time worth forgetting, but for some reason, this was different. This one felt rich in laughter, life and love. Perhaps-or maybe hopefully- something in her life had changed her views on this time of year.
Noises could be heard-from what direction, Marguerite couldn't tell; the occasional clatter of pots and pans, someone's voice speaking out above the dim murmurs, cupboards banged shut, all these noises combined to create a sense of completeness inside of Marguerite-something she wasn't quite used to feeling. Could this really be a possibility in her life?
Suddenly she heard a clamour of footsteps coming her way and nearly bolted. Yet something held her to her place-whether out of curiosity or a hope that it was truly her vision and not someone else's she couldn't quite figure out.
The doors swung open and in poured a family of familiar faces, and some newer ones too. There was Challenger, looking as though he had just made a new, life-changing discovery. The woman by his side was unfamiliar to Marguerite, yet she could only assume it was his wife. Summerlee had taken a seat in a high-backed chair by the tree, puffing on his pipe and looking immensely pleased about something.
Much to her surprise, Ned and Veronica entered with two blond-haired children by their side and looking as if a third one was on its way. The couple took their refuge on the couch next to Summerlee while the children scrambled to the tree, most likely to rifle through the presents.
Marguerite couldn't help but smile at the two, strangely happy that they had finally found each other. 'My, my' she thought with a wry grin, 'Could I really be mellowing out in my old age?' With a shake of her head, she turned her attention back to the door for she heard another set of footfalls heading in her direction. Marguerite braced herself for the shock that she was certain that was imminent.
Oh, she was certainly shocked when the future Marguerite stepped through the door followed by Roxton, his arm firmly wrapped around her shoulders. But nothing was quite as shocking as when she spotted the gold wedding bands adorning their fingers.
'Roxton and I.married?' Disbelief clouded her eyes as she watched the scene develop before her to make sure that this was a possibility and not just her mind (or Sophie's) was playing a trick on her. They were all chatting gaily about something or another when the Malone children got up from where they had crouched and ran over to Roxton, eyes pleading silently with him to stop talking and give the gifts.
Roxton laughed, and Marguerite noted how much more alive he looked, the firelight illuminating his handsome features and the sparkle in his eyes. Her heart felt as though it had been captivated all over again with the hunter.
Scolding herself for such foolish feelings, the heiress sat back and watched the explorers enjoy their Christmas. She decided that they must be at Roxton's manor-correction, their manor-for he seemed to be doing the distribution of gifts.
But despite the feelings of scepticism she felt towards this, Marguerite couldn't help but smile as the children eagerly delved into their presents while the adults all paused in their own unwrapping to watch them.
The young boy's face lit up as pulled out a brand new train set. With a wide grin he ran up to Roxton and gave him a big hug, then did the same to the future Marguerite. The whole room seemed to smile as he ran up to his parents to show off his new toy.
Yet it was the girl's present that interested Marguerite. She managed to catch a glimpse of it as she pulled off the lid, but lost sight of it once the girl bent down to pull it out. Coming closer, Marguerite's eyes widened.
Clutched in the young girl's hand was the same doll that Marguerite herself had gotten for Christmas all those years ago. Her cheeks were not quite as rosy, and the dress was missing a button, but other than that, the same blue eyes stared out at her from under a mane of blond ringlets, which still shone as beautiful as ever.
The girl seemed almost as stunned Marguerite, and they both looked up to find the future Marguerite crouching down beside them.
"This is a very special doll," the future Marguerite said quietly, smoothing back one of the ringlets. "She was given to me when I was about your age by a very nice woman. I hope that you take good care of her just like I did."
The girl's eyes gazed into the future Marguerite's with the sincerity that only a child could muster. "I'll make sure to keep her in the best condition, Auntie."
With a smile, the future Marguerite gave the girl a warm hug, then returned back to the cozy confines of Roxton's arms.
Marguerite saw Veronica send her future self a look full of meaning. Her eyes betrayed how touched the jungle girl was, and Marguerite could swear that there was a glint of tears in her eyes.
"This can't possibly be a future for me," Marguerite muttered, now observing everybody else opening their gifts. Roxton was clasping a necklace around her future self's neck, a smile on each of their faces. Their friends were all around them, laughing, joking and having a ball of a time. The children were now absorbed in their new gifts, playing with them on the carpeted floor. It just seemed too surreal for the heiress to accept.
"The possibilities are endless, Marguerite," A soft voice spoke up from behind, " All you need to do is narrow them down."
Turning to face the intruder, she crossed her arms over her chest. "You make it sound as though it's simple."
Sophie shrugged, looking around at the room. "It's as simple as you make it out to be."
"And what is that supposed to mean?"
"It means that you make your own future, Marguerite." Sophie's eyes seemed to bore a hole into her as she faced the heiress. "If you make choices that you know will not be of any aid to you, then you have not made it simple to acquire the future you want. You must make decisions that will benefit you, and only you can do that. In simpler terms, you determine the difficulty of what lays ahead."
Marguerite arched a brow, sorting everything out in her head. "So basically, I have to make my choices on what will help me in the future."
"Just remember one thing, sometimes the decision you have to make involve others. When that happens, rely on your conscious. Yours of all people's needs to get a work out."
Marguerite sent Sophie a withering glare at that, but still she didn't seem convinced. "I just don't quite see how my future can turn out to be as perfect as this." Her hand gestured towards the small family-like group that huddled around the fire and the inviting feeling that they gave off.
Sophie walked up to Marguerite and took her by the shoulders, giving the heiress a start. "Hear me now: A future like this is difficult to obtain, and it will take a bit of work to get here, but you have it in you Marguerite. You have chances everyday to make your future brighter than your past. What you need to do is take them."
Marguerite stared hard at Sophie, who suddenly looked wiser than the ages, trying to digest what the auburn-haired had just said.
It took the heiress a few moments to realize that Sophie was no longer gripping her shoulders and that they were now back in the entrance of the hallway, the great door looming above her.
Shaking herself out of the dreamy haze, Marguerite found Sophie slowly opening the door. A bright gleam of sunlight penetrated the otherwise drab house, and seemed to enlighten Sophie's form. The woman suddenly seemed as though she were an apparition, emerging from the other world to greet the sun's rays.
Marguerite walked up-taking this as her cue to leave-and gave Sophie's hand a shake.
"Any last pieces of advice?" Marguerite asked lightly, trying to shake off the sudden feeling of disappointment. An inner part of her wished to stay and learn more about this strange woman and her house, but something urged her to leave for her friends were waiting.
"Live in the present, my dear. Not in the past or the future; the present is what counts."
Marguerite nodded, sending Sophie one last smile.
"I guess I'll see you around then?"
Sophie's smile was genuine and light. "You can count on it, Marguerite Krux."
With one last wave, Marguerite stepped out of the house and into the warm outdoors. The sun that had been previously hidden now bathed her in a warmth that the house didn't possess. Suddenly her heart felt a little lighter than before.
She reached the spot where she had first woken up and turned to see if Sophie was still there.
But when she looked back, there was only the same grassy expanse that surrounded her. Nothing remained of the white house, nor of the woman who occupied it.
Marguerite sighed, finding it hard to believe that she had just experienced what she did. Could she really have seen all that? Images of a certain future scene flashed through her head as she finally decided that perhaps, she had seen it after all.
Letting out a breath, she turned to continue along the path only to find that where a dirt road should have continued, a hazy barrier interrupted it instead.
Assuming that is was her doorway out of the place-and feeling too exhausted to protest-Marguerite walked into the haze, looking forward to getting back to the tree house and getting away from the empty land that surrounded her.
She felt as though she were falling as soon as she stepped inside, but she simply ignored it, focusing on other things until the fall seemed to end as she drifted back down to her body and back to her home.
~*~
TBC in Part 5.hopefully coming soon!
Anything you want to say? Just email me at: sail_the_seas@hotmail.com
~*~
DISCLAIMER: See Part 1.
~*~
~*~
Staying true to her promise, the climb lasted only a matter of seconds, and Marguerite found herself at the beginning of what looked like a maze of corridors.
"Where are we now?" Marguerite demanded rather breathlessly, surveying the surroundings with hands on hips.
"The final stage," Was the quiet answer.
Marguerite arched a brow, giving Sophie a long, hard look. "And what do you mean by that?"
Sophie's eyes managed to catch Marguerite's, holding them carefully. "You have seen the past, and the present. Now you must see-"
"-the future," Marguerite finished, nodding slowly as the pieces fell into place.
The heiress eyed the many doors lining the hallways with a rather cautious look. "Let me guess. I get to wander around, opening doors to see what each my future holds?"
Marguerite nearly laughed at the look of astonishment on Sophie's face as she turned to face her fully.
"Am I that predictable?"
Marguerite just sent her a winning grin. "Let's just say its all been done before."
The auburn-haired woman decide to let the comment drop and instead opted to let her newest 'pupil', so to speak, discover the final bit to her being.
"Well, as you said, behind each door is a different possibility for you future. You have one hour to explore before I must send you back."
Marguerite nodded, relieved to hear that she would be leaving the dull building soon. It was getting incredibly disheartening to be surrounded by white.
Taking Sophie's silence as a signal to get going, the heiress started down the main hallway, eyeing the doors. Hesitantly, she reached out for one of the knobs and turned it, opening the door with a crack.
~~~
She sat at her elegantly decorated vanity; slowly brushing out her raven curls, admiring her lavishly decorated self in the mirror. The diamond necklace had been her latest purchase using the money from the fame she had been gaining ever since they had returned to London. After all, she had a very good excuse to dress up and show off some of the wealth she had received. Tonight was the one-year anniversary of their return; hosted by George Challenger himself and she didn't want to let her friend down.
Marguerite got up, quite happy with her hair, and smoothed out the wrinkles in her silky red dress that swirled around her slim form. Just as she was reaching for her coat, she couldn't help but wonder if things would have been different. If life would have been easier if Roxton had managed to survive the fall.
~~~
The heiress gasped as she drew herself out of the image. She was shocked at the lack of mourning her future self had for Roxton. Where had their relationship taken such a drastic turn?
Regaining her composure, she ignored the wry look Sophie sent her way, and wandered down, finally choosing another, similar door. Her hand hesitated on the knob but her stubborn mind made it turn the knob, leading Marguerite into another scene.
~~~
The jungle seemed so different from down below, with the trees towering above her like guards standing over the gateway to heaven. The smell of burning still lingered but it wasn't quite as over-powering as the night before. Hopefully, Challenger and the others had managed to douse the flames of the burning tree house before they spread too far across the plateau. The last thing they needed was to have the whole forest burn down on their behalf.
Her right side aching from the burns she had suffered, she walked over to Veronica-who was sitting with her head in her hands, sobbing silently.
Placing a hand on the blonde's ash-dusted shoulder, she tried to comfort the girl. Not only had the poor girl lost her only home, but her love as well.
~~~
Once again Marguerite jumped back, slamming the door shut. She tried to let go of the images she had just seen, feeling all the more determined to find out if one future-or that of her friends-was a happy one.
All sorts of scenarios played out before her, some on the plateau, some off. It ranged from diseases wiping out the whole plateau to returning home only to find themselves in a different world. Each and last scene was wearing down on Marguerite's heart as she started to wonder if the possibility of a good future was too good for her.
Finally-after watching the explorers executed by a strange tribe-Marguerite stormed up to Sophie, a murderous gleam in her eyes.
"Is there any door in here that will show something happy?" She demanded, arms crossed angrily over her chest.
Sophie looked as though she was going to avoid the question but the gleam in the heiress' eyes must have put a little sense back into her reasoning.
"Remember that these are only possibilities, Marguerite. There is no reason that one future is more definite than the others." Almost immediately, the auburn-haired woman could see that her hint hadn't worked, so she decided to give in a little-just to spare her head.
"The back tends to brighten people up."
Not bothering to thank her, Marguerite rushed to the end, hoping to find something that would give her a sense of hope rather than a foreboding and dark sense that she had gained from the other images.
Letting out a long sigh, she gripped one knob and turned, almost dreading what she would see.
~~~
The ballroom was nearly packed with people milling about. Marguerite observed the crowd from a small balcony set into one of the walls, trying to get the nerve to go down and greet the guests. It would take some time getting adjusted to civilization again, after spending ten years on the rather deserted plateau.
"Can't face them either?" A voice spoke up from behind, and the dark-haired beauty spun around to find the five other explorers standing together in the room. She joined them, feeling a sense of security come over her as they were once again reunited.
"It's just been so long," She replied. Roxton's hand reached out to grab hers as they all moved towards the top of the staircase.
"I must admit it will take a little getting used to," Summerlee stated, smoothing out his smart-looking tux. "After all, we haven't really been around this many people in a while."
They all nodded their agreement, a look of reassurance settling in on their faces to know that they weren't the only ones hesitant about re-entering society.
"Well, I say we make our entrance before its too late," Challenger declared. They all took a deep breath, and Marguerite was tickled to notice Ned's arm resting snuggle around Veronica's waist (who was looking rather out of place without her usual outfit on).
"And here we go."
~~~
Marguerite looked quite satisfied as she drew away from the scenario, a smile on her face.
"Now that was more like it," She muttered under her breath, finally feeling a small weight lifted off of her shoulders. It was about time that she had some gleam of hope in the other wise depressing scenes she had seen before.
"You have a quarter of an hour left, Marguerite," Sophie called out from somewhere amidst the depths of the hallways.
Marguerite looked about at the doors that stretched endlessly around her and decided upon one last one. Bracing herself for the worst she opened the door.
.and stepped into a cozy room, lit up by a burning log in the fireplace. Feeling a wave of peace wash over her, Marguerite looked around studying the warm features. It could only be Christmas time for the decorated tree standing quietly in the corner with brightly wrapped gifts beneath it gave that away. Boughs of pine hung around the mantel of the fireplace, frosted pinecones embedded into their prickly depths. Candles glowed around the room, small sprigs of holly at their base.
The rich scents of cinnamon, pine, and roasting turkey invaded her senses and she couldn't help but feel content in such a place. Usually Christmas was a time worth forgetting, but for some reason, this was different. This one felt rich in laughter, life and love. Perhaps-or maybe hopefully- something in her life had changed her views on this time of year.
Noises could be heard-from what direction, Marguerite couldn't tell; the occasional clatter of pots and pans, someone's voice speaking out above the dim murmurs, cupboards banged shut, all these noises combined to create a sense of completeness inside of Marguerite-something she wasn't quite used to feeling. Could this really be a possibility in her life?
Suddenly she heard a clamour of footsteps coming her way and nearly bolted. Yet something held her to her place-whether out of curiosity or a hope that it was truly her vision and not someone else's she couldn't quite figure out.
The doors swung open and in poured a family of familiar faces, and some newer ones too. There was Challenger, looking as though he had just made a new, life-changing discovery. The woman by his side was unfamiliar to Marguerite, yet she could only assume it was his wife. Summerlee had taken a seat in a high-backed chair by the tree, puffing on his pipe and looking immensely pleased about something.
Much to her surprise, Ned and Veronica entered with two blond-haired children by their side and looking as if a third one was on its way. The couple took their refuge on the couch next to Summerlee while the children scrambled to the tree, most likely to rifle through the presents.
Marguerite couldn't help but smile at the two, strangely happy that they had finally found each other. 'My, my' she thought with a wry grin, 'Could I really be mellowing out in my old age?' With a shake of her head, she turned her attention back to the door for she heard another set of footfalls heading in her direction. Marguerite braced herself for the shock that she was certain that was imminent.
Oh, she was certainly shocked when the future Marguerite stepped through the door followed by Roxton, his arm firmly wrapped around her shoulders. But nothing was quite as shocking as when she spotted the gold wedding bands adorning their fingers.
'Roxton and I.married?' Disbelief clouded her eyes as she watched the scene develop before her to make sure that this was a possibility and not just her mind (or Sophie's) was playing a trick on her. They were all chatting gaily about something or another when the Malone children got up from where they had crouched and ran over to Roxton, eyes pleading silently with him to stop talking and give the gifts.
Roxton laughed, and Marguerite noted how much more alive he looked, the firelight illuminating his handsome features and the sparkle in his eyes. Her heart felt as though it had been captivated all over again with the hunter.
Scolding herself for such foolish feelings, the heiress sat back and watched the explorers enjoy their Christmas. She decided that they must be at Roxton's manor-correction, their manor-for he seemed to be doing the distribution of gifts.
But despite the feelings of scepticism she felt towards this, Marguerite couldn't help but smile as the children eagerly delved into their presents while the adults all paused in their own unwrapping to watch them.
The young boy's face lit up as pulled out a brand new train set. With a wide grin he ran up to Roxton and gave him a big hug, then did the same to the future Marguerite. The whole room seemed to smile as he ran up to his parents to show off his new toy.
Yet it was the girl's present that interested Marguerite. She managed to catch a glimpse of it as she pulled off the lid, but lost sight of it once the girl bent down to pull it out. Coming closer, Marguerite's eyes widened.
Clutched in the young girl's hand was the same doll that Marguerite herself had gotten for Christmas all those years ago. Her cheeks were not quite as rosy, and the dress was missing a button, but other than that, the same blue eyes stared out at her from under a mane of blond ringlets, which still shone as beautiful as ever.
The girl seemed almost as stunned Marguerite, and they both looked up to find the future Marguerite crouching down beside them.
"This is a very special doll," the future Marguerite said quietly, smoothing back one of the ringlets. "She was given to me when I was about your age by a very nice woman. I hope that you take good care of her just like I did."
The girl's eyes gazed into the future Marguerite's with the sincerity that only a child could muster. "I'll make sure to keep her in the best condition, Auntie."
With a smile, the future Marguerite gave the girl a warm hug, then returned back to the cozy confines of Roxton's arms.
Marguerite saw Veronica send her future self a look full of meaning. Her eyes betrayed how touched the jungle girl was, and Marguerite could swear that there was a glint of tears in her eyes.
"This can't possibly be a future for me," Marguerite muttered, now observing everybody else opening their gifts. Roxton was clasping a necklace around her future self's neck, a smile on each of their faces. Their friends were all around them, laughing, joking and having a ball of a time. The children were now absorbed in their new gifts, playing with them on the carpeted floor. It just seemed too surreal for the heiress to accept.
"The possibilities are endless, Marguerite," A soft voice spoke up from behind, " All you need to do is narrow them down."
Turning to face the intruder, she crossed her arms over her chest. "You make it sound as though it's simple."
Sophie shrugged, looking around at the room. "It's as simple as you make it out to be."
"And what is that supposed to mean?"
"It means that you make your own future, Marguerite." Sophie's eyes seemed to bore a hole into her as she faced the heiress. "If you make choices that you know will not be of any aid to you, then you have not made it simple to acquire the future you want. You must make decisions that will benefit you, and only you can do that. In simpler terms, you determine the difficulty of what lays ahead."
Marguerite arched a brow, sorting everything out in her head. "So basically, I have to make my choices on what will help me in the future."
"Just remember one thing, sometimes the decision you have to make involve others. When that happens, rely on your conscious. Yours of all people's needs to get a work out."
Marguerite sent Sophie a withering glare at that, but still she didn't seem convinced. "I just don't quite see how my future can turn out to be as perfect as this." Her hand gestured towards the small family-like group that huddled around the fire and the inviting feeling that they gave off.
Sophie walked up to Marguerite and took her by the shoulders, giving the heiress a start. "Hear me now: A future like this is difficult to obtain, and it will take a bit of work to get here, but you have it in you Marguerite. You have chances everyday to make your future brighter than your past. What you need to do is take them."
Marguerite stared hard at Sophie, who suddenly looked wiser than the ages, trying to digest what the auburn-haired had just said.
It took the heiress a few moments to realize that Sophie was no longer gripping her shoulders and that they were now back in the entrance of the hallway, the great door looming above her.
Shaking herself out of the dreamy haze, Marguerite found Sophie slowly opening the door. A bright gleam of sunlight penetrated the otherwise drab house, and seemed to enlighten Sophie's form. The woman suddenly seemed as though she were an apparition, emerging from the other world to greet the sun's rays.
Marguerite walked up-taking this as her cue to leave-and gave Sophie's hand a shake.
"Any last pieces of advice?" Marguerite asked lightly, trying to shake off the sudden feeling of disappointment. An inner part of her wished to stay and learn more about this strange woman and her house, but something urged her to leave for her friends were waiting.
"Live in the present, my dear. Not in the past or the future; the present is what counts."
Marguerite nodded, sending Sophie one last smile.
"I guess I'll see you around then?"
Sophie's smile was genuine and light. "You can count on it, Marguerite Krux."
With one last wave, Marguerite stepped out of the house and into the warm outdoors. The sun that had been previously hidden now bathed her in a warmth that the house didn't possess. Suddenly her heart felt a little lighter than before.
She reached the spot where she had first woken up and turned to see if Sophie was still there.
But when she looked back, there was only the same grassy expanse that surrounded her. Nothing remained of the white house, nor of the woman who occupied it.
Marguerite sighed, finding it hard to believe that she had just experienced what she did. Could she really have seen all that? Images of a certain future scene flashed through her head as she finally decided that perhaps, she had seen it after all.
Letting out a breath, she turned to continue along the path only to find that where a dirt road should have continued, a hazy barrier interrupted it instead.
Assuming that is was her doorway out of the place-and feeling too exhausted to protest-Marguerite walked into the haze, looking forward to getting back to the tree house and getting away from the empty land that surrounded her.
She felt as though she were falling as soon as she stepped inside, but she simply ignored it, focusing on other things until the fall seemed to end as she drifted back down to her body and back to her home.
~*~
TBC in Part 5.hopefully coming soon!
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