The Throne Room

Paul lifted himself up, feeling stronger
Ransom, the thief king smiled and patted him on his shoulder
“Well done, Lord Paul. It is my pleasure to welcome you to the throne which is rightfully yours.” He threw back the hood of his plush cloak

The vast, round throne room was deathly still. The lofty ceiling was enveloped in shadow, and dozens of gigantic sleeping bats hung above in a perfect circle high above the boy and the thief. They were larger than Paul, but slept like the dead with wings folded around their black bodies. Directly beneath each sleeping bat, standing proudly against the wall, were stone statues of kings, all with their arms crossed like the bats above them. The statues were tombs, and the dead kings were all looking at Pygmy Paul

Paul clutched the sketchbook in his back pocket, the hair on the back of his neck standing up. He didn’t want to be here

A long, dirty red carpet ran to the other side of the room, up a small rising of steps. At the top of the steps sat a sad throne before a colossal window overlooking all of The Nobody Hole. It reminded Paul of the view from Jaqeulantern’s Mansion. His heart sagged at the thought of her

The throne was old decrepit wood, decaying and wet with rot. Once upon a time, it looked like it may have been strong oak. From its seat rose a strong, proud Sunflower with a thick, bristling, ropy stem. The Sunflower faced the window, bowing forward, like an old cheerless ruler overlooking his realm. But it had great power. That power lit The Throne Room

It lit the entire Nobody Hole

The thief king’s padded boots made no sound as he walked up behind the dumbfounded boy. “You don’t remember any of this, do you?” Paul shook his head

“When you cry, it rains here… When you laugh the ground shakes. You dream life into this place, and it lives in your dreams, through your blood. Well then, as The King of Thieves and Advisor to The King, it’s my duty to tell you who you are and why we’re here. More importantly, you must know how The Nobody Hole came about. Pay attention boy, we don’t have all day. Your Manda creation will arrive soon.”

As the steady, heavy footsteps of the killer came closer, he bent low and whispered in the boy’s ears, “Welcome home, Paul.”