Garinor’s eyes opened to something he did not and could not have expected. A thatch roof was over him. Warm sunlight crested through the window, but it wasn’t a sharp, painful light. It was soothing and gentle, as if its glow had healing properties.
He lay on a large, comfortable bed with thick blankets pulled up all around him. It was like sleeping on a cloud. Even his head was propped lovingly upon a soft, satin set of pillows.
The air was crisp and gentle and it tasted of something beyond his imagination. He could almost hear music in every breath of air, it smelled so good. A tingling sensation tickled his nose and it ran right up into his head and kept him feeling calm.
He gazed at the ceiling and he was delighted to see it was lined with a multitude of flowers. There were lilies and daisies, roses and carnations, every kind of flower he had ever seen and many varieties he didn’t even know existed. The petals and leaves all swayed gently in a breeze that also caressed his skin so tenderly he wasn’t sure it was really there at all.
The bed was so soft, Garinor felt like he could wish his way up into the air and float around serenely. He had never felt so wonderful in all his life and he knew he would never experience such bliss ever again. But that was okay. It was worth it just having this one perfect moment.
The air continued to carry its whispered song to him and he tried to catch it so he could remember it forever. As he tried, he heard a new sound enter, from far away at first, but it came closer. It was like a muffled clap, then a pause, then another clap. Gentle, peaceful, and it was coming closer to greet him.
While the clapping drew nearer to him, Garinor focused his thoughts on it more fully. He wondered what made the sound. He concentrated so hard he stopped feeling the breeze on his cheek and he couldn’t smell the fragrance in the air. Soon, all he knew was that clapping sound, coming closer, closer, and erasing the memory of everything around him.