Chapter 1: The Castle

I stare at the magnificent castle towering over me. Thunder rumbles and lightning flashes overhead; rain drizzles in a fine mist. I push the enormous front doors open with ease and step inside the castle.

I hear a crow cawing loudly. I walk faster just to freeze in my tracks. The clanging of armor and the shuffle of many footsteps echoe through the halls. I then see some miniature soldiers, about three feet high, come marching from around the corners. They point their long spears at me as they rush up. I feel the need to state my cause. "I'm here to speak with Maleficent."

The soldiers stop and look to me with peculiar faces. They're all be beast-like in appearance, some resembling hogs, others crows and goblins. One of them decides to answer for the group. "Dohkay, follow us. You're lucky she's in a good mood today."

I nod and I follow the group of beast soldiers. They take me through a series of dimly lit hallways. The air is chilly here; wind wisps through the open windows and howls. We enter various antechambers, until we hit large double doors with dragon heads as the knockers. I see one of the soldiers knock.

"Come in you imbeciles!" I hear a shrill shout.

I enter into the throne room where I see a group of her beastly minions standing before a figure sitting high upon a throne. She's a darkly dressed woman in black and violet robes. She wears a horned headdress and carries a long staff with a green orb upon it.

"Ah, who do we have here?" she asks with amusement, turning her gaze to me. I shudder as I take in her features: green skin, lips as red as blood, and bulbous yellow eyes.

"I-I'm Ben Freely. I'm of another world."

"Another World?" She seems quite entertained at that. "What is this Another World?"

"Anyway," I respond, ignoring her. "I've heard many things about you. And I wanted to come by and ask you some questions. That is, if you don't mind."

"You want to get to know me? Me? The Mistress of All Evil?" She cackles. "Why on Earth would you want to do that?"

"Because I feel there's more than one side to a story. I want to get your story. Where you come from, what inspires you, how everything led up to the cursing of the princess."

She ponders this notion, raising a hand to her pointed chin. "I suppose I could spare you the time. Prince Phillip is locked in the dungeon, and Princess Aurora is in a tower asleep for one hundred years. Now, where shall we go to have this chat?"

"Wherever you like."

"Come to my study. We can have some tea by the hearth, and you can take notes." She arises from her throne and waves her minions off. "Leave us, imbeciles. I have a story to tell." Gliding down the steps, she turns to face me. "Come, Ben. Time is a precious thing to waste."