Saturday 17 May 2014

Return To The Lane Of Bells - Part 7 - The Judgement

Never in my life have I felt so glad to see a familiar face and I ran up to George, embracing him I could feel his heart was still pounding and it shocked me I was expecting him to be calm, after all he's been through all this before.

Are you OK? I asked

Yes I’m fine, he lied, how are you?

I wasn’t too sure how to respond, I was still processing everything that had happened and my mind was a bit all over the place and worried that this nightmare wasn’t over yet.

What happens now? I asked him.

We wait!

What for?

The judgement from The Judge. The Jury have decided our fate but it’s down to The Judge to deliver our sentence. It was at this point last time that he decreed I could go but then inflected me with gobbledygook as part of their judgement.

So it’s not over yet? I felt a little sick.

No not yet!

We had so much to talk about but neither of us was in the mood for talking and we sat there next to each other in silence. I looked around the dome, there wasn’t much else to do. 

Unlike The Lane of Bells the dome had a ceiling and even though it was dark I could now see the top was painted depicting tales of Catlore. I spotted some elephants and a great Oak Tree with a smiling face, a river crossed from left to right, a bed of purple flowers on one side hid a tiny red dragon, a bunch of crying cats poked through some gaps in a forest of the greenest trees I had ever seen. There was a familiarity to these scenes but they confused and jumped around in my mind, not making total sense. A rainbow hole very much like the one that took me to the other side was in one corner and an over-turned throne in another.

I felt strangely drawn into the paintings and a little hypnotised my them as well, the more I looked the more it was as if I was a part of them as I was in the scene itself.

Lil’, George. The Judges voice boomed out. Please stand.

I wanted to swallow but my mouth felt so very dry and I chocked a little as I tried to swallow.

The Jury has listened to your evidence and has delivered their verdict to me.

George, I could see him trembling. It has been decreed that you are free to leave this place, your voice fully restored.

George visibly slumped, the relief spreading throughout his body. He looked down a droplet from his weeping eye hit the floor or maybe it was a tear.

I wanted to hug him but all of a sudden felt very scared. Oh come on, come on Judge just tell me but I didn’t utter a word.

Now Lil’

Bang, bang, bang went my heart, I tried to swallow again but my tongue stuck to the side of my mouth, I felt a bit dizzy sand thought I might even pass out.

It has also been decreed that you may return home.

I dropped just like George had, the relief took the strength out of my legs. I turned to George who was now looking at me, he was smiling but I could tell ready to leave.

You know the exit, the Judge boomed and we both looked down the Lane of Bells, but make sure you make it before the bells stop ringing, or you will be trapped here. FOREVER!

At that second the bells began to swing, the iron rod in the middle hitting the side and ringing out and the noise from the Catacombs started again, the wailing and crying from those poor demented souls as we ran down the corridor will forever stay with me.

Arghhhh, Jujujujujuoop, Carracka, Ploopploop

Faster and faster we ran, I was as scared as the first time just in case this was all a trick and I had actually gone mad and would in a moment wake up to find myself interned and imagining all this.

Yesyesyeys, Urghhhh, Kalkalkal, Farfarfaraa, Veeeeeeeeeee.

The door that we had come through was now in sight, the bells were swinging wildly back and forth, their din mixing with the cries behind them.

Lalllllllllllll, Munnndeeem, Help me, Help Me, HELP ME! Frackkkkkk

Hang on a second what was that? I  stopped dead in my tracks, the door in front was opening and I could see on the other side the rabbit field where all this had started waiting for us, the sun shining, it was now day, how long we had been gone I had no idea but I had clearly heard some one call out for help?

George, stop! He was at the door and turned to look back at me. Someone’s just called for our help.

We can’t help any of them Lil’ come on we must go, we have no time, look the bells are beginning to slow.

I looked back to where I thought the noise had come from and forward again to George, which way, which way do I go?

George leaped through the door, no time, no time, I had no time and I leaped as hard and as high as I could through the door, which slammed shut behind us and disappeared.

We both sat their panting trying to catch our breath.

George, did you hear that? Someone was trapped, someone in there is still sane and needed our help. I want to go back.

He looked at me very seriously. Lil’ you can’t.

But we can’t leave her there whoever it was.


Lil’ it’s been decreed. I can speak and I can tell you what Troy told me and why I now know it’s the right time, he said I would know and I do. Lil’!

Lil' I need to tell you all about my night with Troy Lamore and what he told me then it will all make sense. Lil' the time is now, THE TIME IS COMING!