Once Upon A Time, there was a family of three. The Eldest, Cora, was an entertainer. Every night, Cora would preform in a dome called The Enchanted Forest. Smoke would fill the stage, and a silhouette would ascend from beneath the stage floor. The smoke would subside, revealing Cora's body.
The lights focused on her. She raised her arms up, as the audience accoladed her. Then, she bowed. "Good evening, ladies and gentlemen!" She smiled at the audience and introduced herself, placing her hand on her chest, and bowing slowly. "My name is Cora. Welcome, to the Enchanted Forest!", she announced.
"We have a wonderful show for you, tonight!", she said, while closing her hands together. Cora turned, showing her side, pointing towards the left side of the stage, with an open hand. "For the first time ever, my daughter, Zelena, will accompany me this evening!" Cora continued. "So, without further a due, please give a round of applause to Zelena, the Wicked Witch!"
Zelena appeared in a puff of green smoke.
She stepped forward, with a scepter and smiled from beneath the brim of her hat.
She wore a tuxedo, with a green pocket square. She conjured a rose from mid air. Then she threw the rose at a lucky member of the audience after sniffing it.
"Zelena! I love you!", screamed a woman from the audience. Zelena teleported the woman on to the stage.
"I love you too, darling." Zelena smiled, and began to pace around the woman.
"Hm. . .", she rubbed her chin, and studied the fan, as she completed the circle around the fan-girl.
"What's going on?", the fan chuckled.
"Tell me, dear what do they call you?"
"Stacy.", Stacy giggled.
"Ah, Stacy. Does your mom got it going on?", Zelena teased. The fan-girl giggled in response to the charming witch.
"How do you think I got my looks?", Stacy winked. Zelena turned her head towards the audience, and mouthed, "Oh!"
"We may meet after the show." Zelena continued. "For now, how would you like to be my assistant?"
"I'd love too!"
"Good." Zelena continued, leaning on her scepter, "Are you familiar with the guillotine?"
Stacy gulped. "Yeah. . ."
"Well, don't worry, my dear; you're not the one going under the blade." Zelena grabbed Stacy's hand, and lead her to the guillotine, which was rolled in by Regina, and 4 other sexy assistance.
Regina was the youngest, in this family of three. She hid her eyes, away from the intimidating crowd. From behind, she could hear the other assistance chuckling. But she couldn't hear much, as she tried hard to ignore it. People talking behind her often made her nervous.
Zelena turned to the audience. "In 1400 The Halifax Gibbet, forerunner for the guillotine was used in England, to execute criminals." Zelena touched the side of the guillotine, as she continued to speak. "Soon, the The Halifax Gibbet would evolve into this classic, yet efficient killing machine you see before you!" She looked at the audience from the side of her eye, then slowly turned her head, baring teeth, and said: "It's absolutely wicked. . ." Zelena walked to the other side of the guillotine, and began to speak again. "And as technology evolves, so must people."
Zelena twirled her scepter between her fingers, as she continued her spiel, and said: "You may have seen magicians, appear to be decapitated, and then restored;" , she walked, while letting her finger glide across the blade.
"But I'm going to do better." , Zelena said. "I'm going to expose past magicians and escape death; right before the blade touches my neck!" Zelena grabbed her neck and smiled sinfully at the audience. Then, she walked towards Stacy and placed a hand on Stacy's shoulder, and turned Stacy around to meet her gaze. "My lovely assistant will confirm, with her eyes, that there is no hogwash going on!" Zelena smiled at her assistant, then walked Stacy over to the other guillotine. "Most magicians have a trap door, on the table of this machine." Zelena rubbed the table, then walked to the blade, and went on to explain more. "The blade would stop against steel blocks. Do you see them?"
"Yes.", said Stacy.
"Good. My favorite favorite feature, however, is the trap door that is triggered, as the blade comes down." Zelena points to a blatant square outline. "The Magician's torso would go through the trap door, creating the illusion of decapitation." Zelena turns her head and looks up, as a huge monitor descends, displaying both guillotines on screen, and exposing the differences between them. "As you can see, the first guillotine doesn't have a square outline on the table." Zelena faced the stock on the second guillotine, pointing at the head-hole. "Now, observe what happens when I push down at the collar." Zelena's hand went through the rubber collar. "As the blade drops, it activates a board, and pushes your head down." Zelena walked to the first guillotine.
Stacy walked with her.
"Notice that when I try to push the collar down on this one, it doesn't budge." Zelena looked up at Stacy. "You try it, dear."
Stacy pushed down on the collar. "That's hard."
"Is it?"
"Yeah."
Zelena smiled mischievously, as she hoped that Stacy would register her attempts to flirt. Stacy smiled shyly. It was unclear if it was an automatic response to Zelena's indecorous smirk, or if she had gotten the intent; but she responded well, none the less. Zelena was satisfied.
"So, what do you want me to do?", Stacy asked."
"I'm going to take off my jacket; and I want you to hold it for me."
"Alright."
Zelena took off her tuxedo jacket and gave it to Stacy. Stacy noted it's heft.
"Why is it so heavy?"
"Open the jacket up, and show the audience, dear."
Zelena laid down on the table. Regina and the other assistance strapped Zelena to the table. As Zelena was being strapped, Stacy showed off the inside of Zelena's jacket. "That is what the inside of an amateur's jacket looks like. It's to simulate their backs, while they lie on the trap-door." Regina began to pull the blade up. The music in the background was still calm; but the drumming started getting a little more rapid.
"Why do I have a jacket made for an amateur, you ask?" Zelena paused. "Well it compliments my frame, don't you think?" Part of the audience collectively laughed at the cheeky witch. Then, the room got darker. The audience was quiet. Green light circled the guillotine. Zelena gave Regina the signal; and nodded her head. Regina closed her eyes and let go of the blade. It seemed like the fall lasted forever; but the audience didn't have time to gasp.
The lights were cut. Sparks flashed in the dark. Then, a green light trailed all the way up to a balcony, filled with delighted spectators. They clapped. Then, everyone else clapped. Zelena jumped off the balcony, then floated down gracefully. Her feet clicked the floor. Zelena bowed, as astonished fans stood up, and threw roses. She turned her head to face Stacy, who was smiling back at her.
The next day: "Good morning"
Zelena pulled out a chair, next to Regina.
Regina stared down at her breakfast. She was lost in thought, (or lack there of), as she ate. Perhaps Regina was tired; or purposely trying to ignore Zelena. Then again, Regina was barely aware she was eating breakfast at all. She seemed like a robot, at times. She simply did things without giving her actions much attention. She simply did. "Good morning, Regina", said Zelena. But, Regina just ignored her.
"Regina!"
"What?"
"You're sister is trying to talk to you!"
"Oh."
"It's okay, mom."
"Good morning.", Regina said.
"Good morning, sis." Zelena chimed.
"Oh god."
"Hm?"
"Mom, she's cheerful. Why is she cheerful?"
"Can't I just be happy?"
"No."
"Regina, that's enough. Eat your pancakes."
"Mom, don't patronize me! Zelena is acting weird."
"I am not! Why can't I be happy?"
"Because it's weird!"
"Me being happy is weird?"
"Regina, your sister is just happy."
"No she's not! She did something!"
"I didn't do anything!"
"Regina, you're just too sensitive."
"Well to be fair, she's not the one who was being sensitive. . ."
"I knew it! What did you do?"
Zelena rested her forehead on her fingertips and started snickering.
"Mom!"
"What, Regina?" Cora handed Zelena chocolate chip pancakes, with a side of bacon and hash-Browns.
"Oh, good. I'm starving."
"Mom!"
Zelena bursted in laughter.
"Zelena, what is going on?" Cora asked.
"Fine." Zelena paused to breath, then explained, "I slept with the one time assistant girl."
"I knew it!", regina said. Then, she registered this. "Ew!"
"Good lord, Zelena."
"You don't even know her! Ew!"
"Relax, you two." Zelena added "what's the big deal?"
Regina just looked at her breakfast, contemplating her sister's character. Then she continued to eat.
"Regina, it's no big deal.", said Cora, then added: "It's natural."
"I don't care! Shut up!"
"You might be having sex some day."
"Mom! I wouldn't talk about it!"
"You were the one who asked!"
"You could have lied! I didn't want to know that!"
Regina gulped down some Orange juice and shoved huge pieces of pancake and eggs in her mouth. She tried to drown their talking and push back her thoughts.
"You're not having sex, are you Regina?"
Regina groaned in response to Cora.
"Just be safe if you are, Regina."
Regina groaned again.
"Regina."
Regina turned to Zelena.
"Sex."
And with that, Regina got up, and took her plate with her to the living room.
"Zelena, that was not cool."
"But it's so fun watching her squirm."
Cora just sighed, as she started drying off her coffee mug. Zelena just raised her eyebrows, esoterically, as she leaned forward, and bit into a bagel with cream-cheese on top, smirking at her