Alexandria

Alexandria sighed against the weight of the rocks as she heaved them into a pile. She had been shifting them around for an hour or so now, trying to unearth and entryway she knew was hidden here beneath the stones.
She smelled of sweat and soil, her fingernails dark and jagged. Alexandria was dirty, her hair matted dread locks, her skin had a film of perseration and earth covering it. Despite her shoddy appearance her eyes twinkled bright blue, alive and fierce.
She had found herself sneaking away from her village before anyone awoke to come to this place. She could have found it in her sleep. The stretch of land where grass just wouldn't grow, the towering leaveless tree that appeared to have died a little more each time she came here. Finally the hill covered in rocks loomed against the sandy horizon.
As Alexandria lifted an exceptionally large stone a harsh breeze blew thru the valley billowing her once white dress out behind her, flattening the fabric against her muscular form. It had been some time since she had cared for her appearance. Even tho her friends and family had urged her to be more self-conscious she just didn't care anymore. Upon the death of her husband, Mathew, Alexandria has lost all desire to go on. She had felt such deep grief and loss that everyone close to her had become convinced they would find her lifeless body washed up on the beautiful shore. But she still lived on, if for nothing more than to complete one last mission. She had to try. She had to try for Mathew.
Several days before Alexandria had been walking aimlessly thru the woods, something she had grown accustomed to, when she stumbled upon a gray shack that appeared deserted. She was surprisingly curious about this place and found herself studying it quite intently. Finally, making up her mind she crept up and peered into one of the front windows. She was even more surprised to see a candle burning within. She jumped and squeaked out a cry as the front door creeked open. Alexandria's curiosity grew as she moved closer to the door. It seemed someone wanted her to come inside. But who?
She leaned over, sticking her head in just enough to see darkness. Darkness and that one lonely candle burning. Right away she heard a voice that sounded very old say, "Please, come sit with me Alex." How did this person know her name? Only Mathew had called her Alex.
Alexandria walked very cautiously thru the open door. The floor was earth and the shadows were thick but she stepped carefully toward the light. As she was swollowed up by the cabin's darkness she saw a figure sitting beside the pink candle. Moving closer she could see a very old woman with a dark hood and white hair. She was shrouded by shadows but the light of the tiny candle glowed golden upon a face wrinkled by time and the largest, wisest purple eyes Alexandria had ever seen.
Despite the darkness Alexandria was overcome by an immense wave of peace and well being.
"Sit." the old woman said.
There was a wooden chair across from the woman that she lowered herself into. It was sturdier than it looked.
The old woman looked into her eyes so intently she thought she was trying to read her soul. Alexandria saw that there were some cards that showed signs of age layed out in a pattern around the pink candle.
" How did you know my name?" Alexandria asked.
" The cards never lie." The old woman responded, motioning to the table.
" The cards... are about me?" she asked innocently.
" They are today my dear; indeed."
Alexandria peered into the candle's flame, seemingly mezmerized. She then began studying the cards with their battered and warped edges. The colors were still vibrant despite the years they looked like they'd seen. Alexandria felt a jolt of energy go thru her body from across the table and looked up immediately into the old woman's eyes that were seering into hers.
" You have lost your lover. This candle is the love that still lives on beyond the grave for you Alexandria. See how strong and solid the flame is? This candle is Mathew's love for you. He has spoken to me. He has a message for you."
Several minutes later Alexandria emerged from the shack holding the crystal tightly in her palm. She could feel the vibrations run thru her whole body. After her visit with the old woman she learned was named Rose she knew what she had to do.

Chapter 2

Sunlight turned the stack of jagged rocks a bright golden hue as evening broke the day down. Alexandria's fingers were raw and bleeding. Her excitement grew as she reached for the last stone standing in her way. The hilltop still covered in boulders now gave way to an entryway framed in wooden planks. Darkness once again beckoned her from within.

" You know the place where it is hidden." Rose had said in her raspy voice, " You have been there many times tho few have ever seen it. You will find it there in this place sheltered from the sun." Alexandria knew right away the place Rose was speaking of.

As the sun set slowly, she stood in front of the uncovered entryway staring into darkenss. Her body finally begun to relax from the labor and she remembered...

"Where are you taking me Mattie?" Alexandria giggled, her long lush red hair blowing around her in the warm wind. Mathew had been leading her thru the woods for awhile now, firmly holding her slender hand. He looked back at her, so pretty, he thought; in her seafoam green dress that hugged her in all the right places,
" We're almost there Alex." he said.
As he turned back to talk to her she smiled, she loved seeing him with his brown pants and loose button down shirt. It was unbuttoned a little, exposing her favorite part of him; his chest. They moved on until they came to a clearing in the woods. It was breathtaking. They both loved the woods so dearly that they spent most of their time here together but Alexandria had never before seen this particular clearing. Instead of stopping here, where she thought Mathew would, he lead her on further. The grass began to give way to patches of bare earth and eventually they were surrounded by sky. No trees. No grass. Just a dusty clearing. In the distance Alexandria could see one tall black tree. It looked dead. Next to the tree was a large hilltop of boulders. This was where Mathew was leading her. They were both very quiet as they reached their destination, walking around in front of the hill, they stared. Alexandria let his had slip away as she glided over to the large tree. She gazed upward, wondering at the condition of this dark impressive tree. It was a curious thing to her.
"Alex." Mathew said.
Alexandria looked over and saw him motion to her. She moved back over to his side, looking into his large brown eyes.
" We can rest if you are tired but do you see all of those stones?" he pointed in front of him.
She nodded.
" We have to move those out of the way."She nodded.
They rested for awhile, gathering up their strength. As they lounged in the sun they talked and laughed together just like best friends do. After awhile they began moving all the rocks away and piling them up in front of the tree. When they had moved all the rocks away and she saw the entryway that was hidden she asked, " How long have you known about this place?"
" My father brought me here when I was a child. Before he died." Mathew said," Are you ready?" He asked her as he relished they way the afternoon sun reflected in her eyes that were like crystals. He reached out and took her hand as she nodded. Together they made their way into the encompassing darkness. Under their feet there was stone. The floor tilted downward and they walked carefully into the depths of the earth.

Chapter 3

Alexandria sat down on one of the larger boulders and pulled a notebook from her brown napsack. Mathew had taught her the process of The Deep. That is what his father had called it. The Deep. She had pages and pages of dated visits written down here in her notebook. She came here often the last few years of her life but only came here once with Mathew. Only the first time. But after Mathew's death she had not come back. With her notebook open on her lap she carefully wrote 4/10/28 on the top of the next blank page then let her mind wonder again back to that first time.

As Mathew and Alexandria walked slowly down the corridor Mathew stopped and exclaimed, " I almost forgot!" he fished in pocket for his lighter and pulled a notebook from the bag resting against his left hip. He turned to the first page, pen in hand and turned to Alexandria, " Alex, what do you want more than anything in the world? Think hard about it and write it down here. I already wrote the date down for you. This notebook belongs to you now."
Alexandria looked bewildered. What was this all about? But she trusted Mattie and she did as she was asked. She remembered writing slowly, clearly; I WANT TO KNOW WHAT MY LIFE IS FOR.
Mathew smiled up at her as he read her request and explained that this was the only time he would be able to accompany her here. That the rules were simple, you could bring someone to The Deep if you had a soul bond with them, but only once. After that the journey was intensely personal. She nodded, understanding. He told her he could help her recieve her fortune just once...

Alexandria flipped thru the pages of her notebook, letting her mind re-visit all of the times she had come here. All of the incredible information she had gotten, but still her mind went back to that first time with Mattie.

They continued journeying downward for what seemed like forever in total darkness until they finally saw a faint green glow in the distance. They moved toward it as Mathew squeezed her hand gently. That was when they saw him, sprawled out heavily on the stone floor and gently snoring. A giant dark green dragon. His scales glowed a lighter shade of green and his head was bigger than her whole body. The breath caught in her lungs.
"Do not be afraid." Mathew whispered.
Then the dragon opened his eyes. He shifted his gargantuan body and repositioned his chin so that it rested against his arms that were folded beneath him. The dragon stared into Alexandria's eyes as if he knew she was there to see him. His eyes were as large as her head and the most beautiful crimson. Staring back at him, her body frozen, she heard words go thru her mind,
"Hello Alexandria." She knew the dragon was speaking to her tho his mouth did not move.
"Hello." she responded to him vocally.

That had been the beginning of a wonderful friendship. After her second visit to the Deep she learned that the dragon named Drake materialized there because of the nature of her first question. Dragons are beings of pure wisdom. Her request embodied immense wisdom, therefore Drake had come to assist. It had not been a simple answer, and had taken many visits for her to learn the entirety of her answer.

Alexandria sat with her notebook and her memories as she waited for darkness to come. Questions trailed thru her mind. Had she even, with the assistance of The Deep, lived well? She knew that fate had lead her to the home of the psychic, Rose. She thought back to her words...

"Mathew has a message for you." Rose said in a quiet voice. Alexandria listened intently. Her body rigid with shock. "He knows what you yearn for. He knows the emptyness that you feel, the agony that has overwhelmed you since his passing to the other side. He has come to me with a request. He wants you to go to the special place he once took you. Where you have studied and learned. He knows you have not visited but wants me to tell you now is the most important time for you to go. He wants you to ask the question that has been burning within you for sometime now and you will be given what you need."

Rose then gave her a beautiful stone she advised her to keep with her during her journey, telling her that it would give her clarity and strenth. Alexandria now held tight to that very stone feeling the vibrations and warmth surge thru her.
It was about time now.

Chapter 4

She flipped back to the next open page in her notebook and began writing with the little light she still had. Her hand was surprisingly steady as she wrote the words...

HOW DO I GO ON WITHOUT MATTIE?

As she stood she composed herself, putting her notebook and pen into Mattie's old bag and holding her magical stone tightly. Slowly, with a final scan of the horizon all indigo and dark blues, she walked thru the shadowed entryway beginning her journey into The Deep.
The tunnel winded downward, everything black. Her feet still remembering the way thru the darkness. After walking for awhile Alexandria saw something that despite her many visits she had never before seen. Instead of a solid hue in the distance she could see many colors moving and gliding together. A rainbow of melding colors lit up the shadows ahead of her.
She crept closer and closer until she came upon a slight figure standing in the middle of the vibrant colors dancing thru the darkness. Getting closer she was taken aback, almost knocked to the ground with the stunning realization that the small figure standing feer away was her. She could feel her knees begin to buckle as she stared into her own bright blue eyes.
"Hello Alexandria." the figure said in her own smooth voice. Stone still, Alexandria said nothing. The figure was breathtaking. Her hair a glowing mane, her skin clean and appearing very soft. She wore a long golden dress with a golden arm band. In the middle of the armband Alexandria could see the very same stone she was holding encrusted there.
"Your question is one of a desperate soul. Your spirit is all but dead. You have become a shell of the bright intelligent being you once were. Do not be confused, your loss was paramount but there is only one way for you to continue.. you must embody what you see in front of you. The only way for you to heal and move on from your grief is to learn to love yourself as much as you loved Mattie. His spirit is here with you now and will always be close to you. Life is long and winding. The Deep knows you well and that proves that you strive to be something more, something greater. Tho I am afraid to say, it seems this hunger you had to grow you have sadly lost along with the loss of your true love."
Alexandria felt the sting of tears come to her eyes.
" Are you ready?' the figure asked her. Letting the tears stream down her cheeks she nodded and knew what she had to do. She walked very slowly toward the figure with her hand extended. The figure was standing strong with her palm in the air between them. As their palms touched one another there was a great white light that glowed between their fingers. The light became brighter and brighter as the figure began to slowly fade away. Once the figure had vanished there was a rainbow of colors that sprung from Alexandria's still extended palm. She looked down at the pink gown she was now adorned with and noticed her skin was now free of dirt and grime. She touched her hair that was now so light it was almost white. She reached to her throat and found a thin chain from which hung the magical crystal Rose had given her that now seemed ages ago.

As Alexandria emerged from the entryway her tears had dried. She stared up at the constallations and felt a huge wave of gratefullness encompass her. She felt like a new person. Standing beneath the stars as the breeze whipped her silky pink dress she swore she could feel the embrace of Mattie from behind her. She could feel him rush thru her and for the first time since his passing she felt happiness. A slight grin on her beautiful face, Alexandria finally felt whole again.
"Thank you Mattie. You know I will always love you." She whispered to the night sky.