UnSeelie Dreams VIII

Finally the path all but diappeared under his feet and he came upon a clearing with a pond in the center, surrounded by tall grass.  The water was a pure black surface reflecting nothing, not even the moon. 

He continued on down the glade, heading for the pond, even though his instincts told him not to approach it.  His skin crawled with each step and he fought hard to turn back, but to where, there was no where to turn back to.  He stopped and looked back at the trees which appeared to be miles away even though he had just stepped out of them.

Yet the more he walked toward the waters edge the further away and the smaller it got.  And still there was no reflection of the surface, no life flickered at all.  There was only the hush of dread, of the unknown and unknowable. 

His need to survive kept him moving forward.  The voice inside whispered, you cannot go back, to get out you have to keep moving forward.  Only way out of Shadowlands.  Keep moving and never look back.

When he neared the center of the glade, the pond became a stone, round and the size of a shield.  Its surface was silvery star light beaming up at him like reflective hematite.  He bent down for a better look and was startled by what he saw staring back at him.