Darkness reigns supreme over the shadowed European forest that Cecilia meanders through. The firelight cast by her Caravan's camp fire has long ceased to pierce the dense trees and even the joyfully festive music has failed to follow her any deeper. She is alone with the shadows and the nocturnal creatures which live among the towering trees, but she knows there is something more.
A strange calling leads her deeper and deeper into the enigmatic forest. The calling is not so strong that Cecilia could not deny it if she wished, but the subtle tendrils that drew her into the gradually overwhelming shadows intrigued her enough to encourage her continued pursuit.
The longer she walked, the darker it became: first the strangled rays of moon and starlight became more and more scarce, and then nonexistant and then finally the shadows began to lengthen until they finally consumed all of the sprawling wood. Even with all four of her sapphire eyes unveiled, Cecilia's cursed vision was utterly useless against this darkness. Most would've turned back then, frightened by the supernatural dark that had consumed them, but Cecilia was anything but afraid. She knew this dark like one knew their best friend, inside and out, the darkness held no fear for her.
So, with her long white dress flowing around her like silken fog and her spider-esque doll held gently to her chest, Cecilia trudged onward through the darkness. One arm was held out before her, making sure she did not bump into trees or other obstacles while her ears focused more heavily on the sounds around her. Or rather, the lack of sounds.
No animals stirred in their burrows or nests, no mournful owls hooting in the high limbs above her, nor even the lonesome sound of mice falling prey to the winged predator. Not even the sound of crickets singing their night songs or the wind whispering through the tree branches interrupted the supernatural silence that surrounded Cecilia but still she proceeded onward into the aphotic forest.
Minute after minute ticked by as Cecilia felt her way from tree to tree, still venturing further and further into the thick and unnatural silence. Only the faint sound of her breathing and the light fall of her steps could be heard, but even then the sound was muffled...as if coming from far away. Just as Cecilia was beginning to grow nervous, as any logical creature would, it happened. From up out of the silence, a strange sound reaches Cecilia's sensitive ears.
From where she stands, the sound is still faint but Cecilia quickly directs herself toward the alluring noise and begins to steadily pursue it. With each step in the right direction, the sound grows louder and more crisp until Cecilia soon becomes aware that it is not only sound...but music. Each haunting note and eerie trill of the unusual music is strangely familiar to the young Romani, almost reminescent of a song she had heard many years before.
Compelled forward by the subliminal calling and the hauntingly familiar music, Cecilia's pace soon quickens into a run. Despite the dangers involved in running blindly through the lightless forest, Cecilia manages to avoid slamming into any trees and draws steadily closer to the eerie sound until abruptly the world fills with brilliant moonlight once more.
Surprised by the sudden return of light into her gray world, the young Romani stumbles and tumbles to her knees in the center of a large clearing. Perfectly framed by the tall dark trees, the harvest moon hangs at her glorious zenith in the sky above Cecilia but it is not the moon which draws Cecilia's attention. A single tree lingers in the wide clearing, its bark bleached white with time and its leafless branches clawing at the starless heavens above, but more interesting than even the ancient tree itself...are the items hanging from each branch: dozens of strange, beautiful and ornate objects dangle from the tree's claw-like branches by thin silver threads, all glistening like jewels beneath the moon's silver rays.
Abruptly the world fell silent once again as the music cut off, leaving Cecilia in a sudden state of renewed unease. The young Romani rose to her feet, standing defensively with her marrionette clutched to her chest. From out of the cover of the trees, a strange creature slips forward, an odd form of a grin stretched over its maw.
Ceccccilia... It hissed out out, eyes blazing in the moonlight. I've been exxxpecting you...