Dinner

Second Passage
Elena left it two days before embarking on her second passage through the stone. The memory of that first passage and the inexplicable moment she experienced seemed like a half remembered dream - just real enough to make her doubt her own scepticism. This time she arrived somewhat later in the day. When she arrived the afternoon light was casting long shadows and painting the moorland landscape amber and deep grey. Her shoulder bag contained her research tools, tools some of which she hadn't used for the first passage - notebook, digital recorder, and an array of measurement tools.

The Mên-An-Tol waited, as it had for eras, unchanged, but yet somehow different. Elena got the impression that that stone was watching her, not with eyes but with a more ancient kind of awareness that almost made the hairs on the back of her neck stand on end. 'Second passage' she whispered to herself - a sort of reassuring statement of fact. Her approach this time was much more prepared and deliberate. She had chosen her clothing more carefully, much lighter clothing, tight fitting trousers and jacket to make the passage that much easier. As she worked herself into position she put a hand on the stone. The granite felt much warmer this time, although she knew that was impossible - stones don't warm themselves. As she began to thread herself through the hole something changed. A sound - soft, like the echo of a distant song - drifted around her. It was not exactly music, it was something far more primal. It was the sort of sound one hears in the space between heartbeats, or between dreaming and waking. This time as her body passed through the stone the transition was somewhat different. The difference was subtle. Whereas the previous passage had been simply strange this one seemed to possess a hint of invitation. Elena had the distinct feeling that the stone was welcoming her, measuring her resolve.

When she emerged the landscape seemed different, somewhat askew, The shadows seemed longer, the colours a little more vivid. A chough was watching her from a nearby stone - its gaze seemingly too knowing, too intelligent to be entirely natural. Elena's hand moved straight to her notebook, but her fingers were trembling too much to write. She switched to her digital recorder instead
'Second passage' she managed with a breathless voice ' time 4:42pm. Some auditory phenomena, seemingly potential perceptual shift. The landscape seems... different.' She paused and then, quietly, added 'This time confirms that I am not imagining this anymore.'
The chough tilted its head slightly. For a brief moment Elena could have sworn it was laughing at her.

Two passages complete. Seven more to go.

Author's Note
Still working out the bit and bobs of the story, it will all come together eventually. For those who haven't been following it all started here.