It was shielded by a heavy copse of trees with a small spring, seeping into a pool, at one end, and plenty of deadfall branches to make my fire.

I soon had the teawater on the boil. The sun was setting. It's long reddish rays cast a pleasant glow across the glade, as I sat musing upon the day's small adventures.

Rousing at last from a semi doze, I got the feeling that I was not alone. Some presence seemed to lurk beyond the glow of my fire. I called out softly thinking perhaps some night waylaid traveler had seen the fireglow and was hanging back, awaiting some invitation to join me. But silence met my query.

I shrugged telling myself that I was over fatigued and being preyed upon by my own nervous imagination. A passing mood, that would be healed by a good night's sleep.

Setting some small wards around me (to keep off creepie-crawlies, which I can't abide) I banked the fire, Rolled up in my cloak with my journey bag for a pillow, I fell into a deep slumber.

I knew no more until the sound of voices, chanting? singing?, awakened me in not a little confusion.

Rubbing my eyes and shaking my head to clear it, I was still presented with the sight of a great company of fair folk, all dressed in sumptuous robes and gleaming with precious gems, at wrist, neck, and bound upon their brows.

Looking past them, I saw the glade I had lain down to sleep in had transformed into strange temple, lined with huge stone columns, thickly engraved with mysterious marking, in a language I didn't recognize.

The company filed past, ignoring my presence completely. If it were a dream, then why did I smell the smoke of the torches, hear the sounds of their garments rustling and smell even the sweet musky perfumes that they used, as well as hearing the undiminishing sound of singing?

Though I did not recognize the language in which they sang and knew not whether they sang in celebration or a dirge, or yet mayhap, some sort of magery was at work.

Revenants or real, I decided to follow the procession and see what wonder lay beyond my present view.

Slipping through the doorway behind the last pair, I still couldn't see what their end objective was. I was dismayed and distracted by the entryway behind me suddenly closing fast, a smooth wall of rock where my only escape had been!

Fewmets! I was well and truly boxed, foxed and in the midden up to my eyebrows this time!

Giving up on that route of egress, I turned and continued forward, on to the main floor of the temple.

I noticed the singing was changing tone, growing more somber. The folk had formed a double ring around a marble dais, upon which lay, cradled in fine silver work, a glowing emerald gemstone.

The emanations glowing out from the heart of the jewel pulsed, following the rising and falling of the voices.

I skulked around the temple looking for some other way out, but no joy there. The inner room of the temple only had one doorway in or out and it was closed. I gave up the search for the moment and found a semi-secluded archway to wait, for my doom it seemed. If doom it was, I had brought it on myself. Though that sour thought hardly comforted me.

Glancing over toward the center of the temple, I saw and heard the mysterious ritual was in full swing. The green gem pulsed, the two rings of folks paced out their measures in opposing circles.

Suddenly, the very roof of the temple was broken open, letting in some terrifying lightnings that stabbed like living spears into the heart of the room. Flames began to devour the worshipers, some were torn apart, some exploded, some seem to glow briefly then vanish into thin air. Screams replaced the sound of singing.

Aghast, I could only stare in frozen silence. Even the columns of stone that held up the roof and the marbled floor were attacked by that fell living light.

It was a twinkle of time before my hidden alcove was a target. I too was caught in the conflagration, trying futilely shield myself, I got a horrifying glimpse of the very bones within my hands, before darkness crashed upon my senses and I knew no more.

As one would pass from a dark room to a light room, I awakened. Confused and disoriented though I was, I still felt enormous relief to be in the world as I knew it. The sunrise was most welcome to me. I thought well there's that. A dream after all though a terrifyingly apocalyptic one.

Stumbling to my feet, I stretched and looked with glad eyes upon the again familiar campsite.

It was a shock to realize I was at the opposite end of the glade form where I had lain down to sleep.

As I stepped forward, I stubbed my toe on a rock, or so I thought at first, but on closer inspection, it turned out to be a suspiciously familiar green gemstone! Gadzooks!..

I let it lie there. Scenes of the temple's worshipers, the rending lightnings, flashed across my mind. All destroyed in the dim mists of an unrecorded history. Yet the gem apparently, survived and resurfaced, for what reason? ..None that I could fathom.

Somewhat dazed I walked back to my original campsite and prepared to depart, considering all that had transpired. Looking around with new eyes, I could see the general shape of the temple layout in the glade, and some old stones, which I had dismissed before as natures remnants now seemed to be the age rotted remains of the original columns.

The doom of those unknown folk was beyond my ability to comprehend. What hideous powers were stirred by them or at their peril, was a mystery that would remain unplumbed as far as my knowledge was concerned.

From a genesis of the unknown, to the recreation of that terrible event during the night.all was hidden from me.

I was ready to leave; glancing around one last time to be sure all trace of my camping was safely extinguished. A stray beam of sunlight caught itself in green reflections at the far end of the glade.