And then that happened (Kalak)

[Kasari Belami]

Kesari was a lot of things, tired was one on the top of her list. However, that being said she had a problem there was a number of other things she could or should be doing, finding a way to feed herself was one of them. She wasn't starving, she managed to earn enough to prevent that. But, none of what she was able to provide herself was either of good quality or enough to leave her fully satisfied. She was not a fan of living hand to mouth, but for the moment at least that was her life.

Nor was she homeless though she did have only one room, that room came with a roof to keep the weather out. She had no plan to stay in the little hut long term for now it was what it was. She checked the door one last time, While Kesari was not inclined to think any one here abouts would want anything she had she was aware there were people worse off than she and she did not wish to tempt fate.

Thinking of literally nothing else she could do that day she laid down despite herself. It was getting dark and she saved what fuel she had for when she really needed it. The fact she was laying on what was effectively the ground padded only by a few thin sheet of cloth and a lumpy stuffed equally thin mattress and  eventually drifted off to sleep.

[Kalak8538]

Almost immediately, there came a knocking on the door of the hut. Three knocks in a slow and constant rhythm, then silence. Another three, and silence. It was calm, showing no real urgency or desire to get inside quickly.

The rapping continued in the same rhythm. It never ceased, never quickened or slowed, and never became any louder or quieter. It just was. It awaited someone to come open the door.

[Kasari Belami]

It took Kasari a moment to figure out what was going on. She was inclined to just ignore it, after all who would come knocking on her door for no real reason. On the other hand some one might have a reason for trying to get her attention and in any case it sounded like they weren't planning on leaving till she answered anyway.

If she were paying attention she might find it odd that there was a rhythm to the knocking on her door, as it turned out that fact escaped her, at least for the moment. In any case it seemed to be the only way to get peace would be to open the door, so she pulled it open, not sure who would be standing on the other side, but she looked about none the less.

[Kalak8538]

On the other side of the door, there was nothing. Nothing the cool night air. The rhythmic rapping stopped altogether, and only silence was heard now. There was no evidence anywhere that any living thing has been anywhere near the door. Not even a single footprint had been left behind. The wind blew, before calming back down. It was the only thing that broke up the monotony of the cool clear evening outside the door.

[Kasari Belami]

Kasari took a look around her hand propped on the door hinge in case she had to close it quickly. But she saw..nothing. She found it odd that there was not even a set of foot prints at the door and was vaguely concerned by that. Either she was hearing things or some one who did not leave foot prints was at her door.

Feeling braver than she had a few moments ago she stepped barefoot out on to the sand. Though she kept her hand were it was on the door.

[Kalak8538]

Everything was still so quiet, almost sickeningly so. The breeze had finally died, leaving the world around the hut looking still. There was no sound, no movement, almost as if the world was frozen in time. Even the usually-shifting sands lay still all around the woman. There was an unnatural... nothingness.

[Kasari Belami]

Kasari couldn't help but shake the feeling something was wrong, then it hit her, nothing was moving. It was not moving on a still night level no even lack of a breeze would not cause this, nor did she hear anything. On a normal night she would hear animals or people going about their business even at this hour there was some one moving around.

She was feeling slightly more bold and let go of the door frame, wrapping her cloak around her tighter against the chill and took a few step forward, not having any idea what might be going on, half expecting to be attacked at any moment.

[Kalak8538]

Finally, there was sound. The door, completely free from the woman's grip, slammed violently closed behind her. The knocking continued almost immediately after from the other side. It was a bit louder this time, but still followed the same constant rhythm.

Three knocks. Silence. Three knocks. Silence.

It did not seem to matter that the woman was outside, for the sound reverberated around her as if she were still in that small room. Try as she may, the door would not open anymore. Pushing it or pulling it would have absolutely no avail. It could not be opened.

Still the knocking continued, in its steady and continuous pace.

[Kasari Belami]

Kesari startled as she heard the door slam behind her. It took her a moment to figure out the sound had started up from the other side, clearly something was amiss. Nor was her efforts in opening the door. Though she had tried for a few minutes before she had tried to pull and had no luck trying it that way either.

Nor did it sound like she was out side, though it clearly looked like she was. One of her sense was not working right, which meant some one was clearly messing with them. Something that was a bit unsettling, but judging by the knocking it wanted her attention.

She tried a different approach. "What do you want?" She asked rather loudly of the thin air, hoping she was right or there would be people staring at her like she was crazy rather quickly.

[Kalak8538]

There was no sound to respond the the woman's cry. Even the knocking ceased its rhythm.

There was nothing now. No more sound, and no others to witness what would happen next.

After some delay, the hinges of the weak wooden door failed. As if due to the air from the woman's voice, the door fell away from her. The old wooden planks hit the floor with a thud, and what was behind was completely revealed.

Inside was a long and immaculate hallway. A corridor of some nobility, or perhaps royalty, stretched straight out farther than the eye could see. It seemed like some trick, for a hall of such length could not possibly fit in such a modest desert hut. However, there was no trick. There was only mystery. It was actually there, able to be entered. In fact, it was practically inviting the woman inside.

[Kasari Belami]

Kesari stood there for a moment, trying to figure out what was going on. The fact the sound stop made her wonder might what happen next. She stared as the door collapsed more or less.

She kept the look on her face as the hallway came into view. That was not normal in the least. She hanged back for a second not trusting random hallways appearing in the middle of well know where, where no hall should be. No the less she moved towards the hallway. Assuming she could she would try and step into the hall.

[Kalak8538]

Once the woman walked far enough into the hallway, the door would fall back upwards into its original position. The side that faced her now was no longer made of the crude and shoddy wood that the other side seemed to be made of. Made of hard mahogany, this side was just as immaculate and well decorated as the long hallway was. It featured intricate carvings of blooming flora, all polished meticulously by some unknown entity. The only thing that it lacked was a knob. In fact, there was nothing of the sort here, not even a lock.

The way was sealed. The door, if it really was a door, would not budge again. The woman was blocked off from the desert she knew. There was only one way to go: down the corridor. It seemed as if walking the long hall would take an eternity. Even so, the hall itself sought to lure the woman deeper inside ...

[Kasari Belami]

She sensed something was going on behind her, and looked in time to see the door close it's self. Or come as close to closing its self that she could understand. Not that it was making a lot of sense at this point. She ran her hands across the door looking for a handle she must have missed some how,  but it seemed like she had no such luck.

After a few moments of pushing and pulling on the door it became clear that it was not going to open despite what she might try to do. It was either stay there or move forward. Staying there wasn't going to work out, she inched slowly away from the door and down the hall.

[Kalak8538]

The hall stretched onwards for what seemed like miles, a long and crimson carpet providing a steady walkway. Every few feet stood tall candelabras, providing only dim lighting. Every section that was walked through seemed to copy the previous one. The only thing that differed were the paintings.

They hung on both walls between the candelabras. They were all unique, depicting random things that did not seem at all connected in any way. Some showed landscapes, others portraits. Each image seemed completely realistic, as if they were windows that one could enter if they really tried.

Nothing really happened in the hallway. There was no sound, no movement, no indication that this hall was even leading somewhere. The only things that broke up this stillness were the tiny flames of the candelabras, and even their flickering seemed rehearsed and repeating.

[Kasari Belami]

Kasari didn't really have much of a choice so she kept walking. Her progress was slower than it might have been other wise as she often paused and looked at one picture or the other. Some of them were real enough she was tempted to stretch out a hand and see if they would respond, but she thought better of it. It was not a normal hallway and she was careful not to make anything angry at least as much as she was able. It did seem as though the hallway stretched on forever.

[Kalak8538]

The corridor remained unchanged, regardless of how far the woman walked. It went on and on, with only the flickering flames of the distant candelabras to be seen ahead.

Soon, the bitter silence gave way to something else. It was the sound of indistinct whispers, hissing softly like a breeze through grass. As she continued on, they would grow in intensity. Louder as they were getting, the exact words could not be made out. The paintings also changed. They were now all exclusively portraits, all of people from the neck up. The attention of the portraits' subjects had also changed. They all stared towards their human host, each with cruel and stern expressions.

[Kasari Belami]

She kept walking for what seemed to be forever, but then it was hard for her to judge time, all she knew was the hallway kept going on and she didn't really have much of a choice but to keep walking.

It was then she started to hear something. She could tell they were whispers but not much beyond that. It was a bit like hearing a conversation in another room. She shrank back with the pictures seemed to be looking at her with some sort of disapproval. She paused tempted to bolt, but she recalled she had no where to go. Besides, bodiless heads couldn't harm her. She squared her shoulders and made her way down the hall carefully not looking at anything besides the hallway ahead of her.

[Kalak8538]

The whispers became louder as she went on. However, the source seemed to shift. They still came from the hall ahead, but not directly in front as it was before. It almost seemed to emanate from the walls themselves.

The voices became more coherent with each step. Now, some words could be heard.

"Who?"                  "Why are you going that way?"
"She is coming..."               "What is it?"
                  "Here to join us."
"She'll figure it out."
           "Turn around!"       "Right this way..."

Each whispering voice was different, all speaking at once and with different tones. From what could be heard, it seemed like the voices of all different people. Even though they became louder and louder, they never seemed to talk above a soft whisper.

[Kasari Belami]

She stopped in her tracks for a moment as some of the voices started to make sense, at least a little. She was as equally as sure, they were not speaking about anything good when she could make them out. She was close to bolting, but she had no where to bolt to. The way she came was closed off. She did her best to shut out the whispers and tried to put one foot in front of the other. Where ever it was she was going she didn't have much of a choice to head towards it.

[Kalak8538]

The whispers only grew louder.

  "There you are!"    "Watch your back..."

In fact, all sounds were getting louder. Even the woman's footsteps were getting louder. Every sound was echoing, reverberating off every surface.

          "Hehehehehehehehe..."

The hall that had seemed endless was not. The far wall was painted to look like a continuing corridor. In truth, it was a disguised dead end. There was no way to continue forward, but there was something new behind the woman. Something she was probably not expecting to be there.