The Fairy Tale Frenzy
"Jared! Stop it!" I screamed, running around the couch to make sure he didn't get me.
"You can't escape me this time, Dawn!" he growled, jumping over the couch and grabbing my heels.
"Ah!" I gasped as I hit face first on the floor.
"Gotcha!" Jared said, grinning.
But I threw him off and got up again, soon running up stairs with him trailing behind me. I turned to the next hallway but he turned faster and slammed me into the bookcase, pinning me down.
"Gotcha again!" He laughed, his long brown hair falling over his freckled face.
"Okay, okay! You win," I giggled, as he rubbed my short blonde hair hard.
We both laughed for a while when a book suddenly fell from the case and hit me on the head.
"Ow," I complained. "What the…?"
"Hey," Jared said, picking up the book. "I've never seen this before."
"Really?" I asked. "You've read just about every book in this house."
He laughed and dusted off the book. It was an old leather one with golden pages. The title read, Once Upon a Hero.
"Once Upon a Hero?" I asked. "Like once upon a time?"
"You mean like in fairy tales?"
"I guess so," I replied, feeling the cover with my thumb. "But I've never heard of a fairy tale like this before."
"Well then, we'll just have to take a look," Jared said, opening it.
Suddenly, a golden flash erupted from the pages and blinded us. The light seemed to engulf everything. When it finally went down, we both opened our eyes and saw a forest in front of us.
"Whoa," we both awed.
"Where are we-," I started.
"Shh!" Jared interrupted, pulling me behind a tree with him.
"What is it?" I whispered.
We both peeked over the side of the tree and saw a young boy and girl leaving their father, the boy leaving a trail of crumbs as he went.
"Is that…?" Jared asked.
"Yeah," I confirmed. "That's definitely Hansel and Gretel, leaving their father to find something to eat. We must be in their story! But how?"
"Hmm," Jared though out loud. "The title is called Once Upon a Hero. I think we're the heroes and this story; to save the fairy tales!"
"Yeah, I'm a world famous tiger tamer traveling the world," I said, rolling my eyes.
"You've got a better explanation?" He asked, cocking an eyebrow. "You did confirm they are Hansel and Gretel."
"Hey, I just want to get home. I've got to be back by 3 pm, and maybe they'll know how to get out of here."
"You want to follow them? You know the ending to their story, right? They get baked in an oven by a witch!"
"You see anyone else around?"
"Yeah, up there," Jared said, pointing.
Up in the trees were a short man and a very tall lanky man next to him. The short one wore an old fashioned outfit with a cloak and arrows cocked on his back with black straight hair and measly green eyes. The man next to him wore the same except and sword at his side. They both jumped down to us, the lanky man's blonde hair falling over his soft brown eyes as they did so.
I instantly recognized them and started to get excited. I pulled on Jared's clothing. "Jared… it's…"
"What?"
I pointed at the tall one. "Robin Hood!"
"NO!" The short one suddenly shouted. "I'M Robin Hood, THAT'S my partner who you're pointing too; Little John! Why does everyone always thinks he's me?!"
Jared frowned and circled both of them. "Are you sure he's not Tall John? I'm pretty sure Little John would be… little."
"Why I otta…" Robin grumbled, stomping towards Jared.
"Enough of that," John held him back and turned towards me. "Who are you?"
Jared and I both introduced ourselves.
"Where's your weapons?" John asked, looking us over. "It's dangerous in these woods."
I frowned. "We're both 11 years old."
"I'm almost twelve!" Jared argued.
Robin frowned. "Two children, all alone in the woods; are these the two we're supposed to find?"
"I don't think so," John replied. "Their names are supposed to be Hansel and Gretel."
"We just saw them!" Jared exclaimed, pointing behind us. "They headed that way!"
Both warriors looked. "Where?"
We checked as well. Gone. Even the crumb trail they left.
"I don't understand it," Jared humped. "They were right…"
"It's in their story Jared, remember?" I reminded him. "They're supposed to get lost."
"Huh?" John asked, turning towards us. "You knew this would happen?"
"Well… yeah," I tried to explain, rubbing the back of my neck. "You see, we're not exactly from this world."
"Wait a second," John said, looking us over again. "Robin, do you think…?"
"No," He instantly denied. "Kids? Please."
"What?" Jared asked.
"If you two are the heroes to save our land," John replied. "The one to save us from the wrath of the wicked witch, who's lair is nearby."
"A tall tale," Robin said while rolling his eyes.
Jared and I gave each other a look. But, they're the ones who are supposed to be just a fable.
"Okay," Jared finally said after a second. "Tell us how this all started."
John told us of a long time ago, when every fairy tale actually lived in their once upon a times. There were always smiles and laughter everywhere; you never heard an argument or disagreement. Until one day, it all changed. A terrifying witch entered the land, and has ruined everything. She tried to kill of the fairest in the land, had kidnapped a child to use her magic hair for her own, eat children, put a princess to sleep, and more. But, the people of this world did not give up hope. Robin and Little John formed a rebel team and have been jumping from fairy tale to fairy tale to save the main heroes before all is lost.
"What do you mean, 'all is lost'?" Jared interrupted. "Almost every tale ends with a happy ending."
Robin shook his head. "The witch cast a spell that makes every known story end badly. There is no happily ever after."
John then told us of a legend, where two outsiders would come to this land and kill the wicked witch to save this world.
Jared's eyes popped out of his head. "And you think they're us?"
Little John nodded.
"That's ridiculous!" Robin Hood snapped. "They're just children!"
"Children that just want to get home," I added. "Do you know how?"
Little John shrugged. "I don't know how to get you two back to your land. The only way I've heard of is by ruby slippers."
Robin looked back and for the. "It's too dangerous out here; let's get these children back to base. We'll look for Hansel and Gretel later."
The two warriors escorted us out of the forest to a campsite nearby. We went inside a cabin and, when no one was around, Robin pulled a lever that opened a passage way down into the ground; the rebel base. The rebel base was filled with familiar fairy tale characters. We're properly introduced to all of them, with John on the side telling them we were their salvation to freedom. Robin Hood denied it all.
We were all soon friends; allies as Jared called it. I especially bonded with my favorite fairy tale character of all time, Rapunzel. That hair of hers turned out to be a brilliant whip! Jared and I also got weapons of our own. Jared had a gleaming sword (that he could hold) strapped to his side. John gave me a small dagger and boomerang that both hooked around my waist as well. We were taught had to use both weapons by John, Robin still didn't think we were their saviors; but I was starting to.
We all knew that John and Robin had to go get Hansel and Gretel before they reached the witch's house, or else they would be goners. Jared and I joined them once they left, the rest staying behind to train.
We traveled for a while, staying high in trees for camouflage instead of on the ground where we would be vulnerable. Thankfully, Jared and I were great tree climbers; we climbed trees all the time back at home. Until we finally saw Hansel and Gretel… in the witch's house being stuffed with treats. We were too late!
"Now what?" Jared whispered, us being just above the house.
"We could go back to our hideout and get more reinforcements," I suggested.
"No time for that," Robin said. "It would take too long. They'd already be dinner when we came back. I propose we go for a sneak attack."
"With children?" John asked.
"You mean with your saviors," Robin said sarcastically. "OR we could just let them stay here, safe, and if we do get captured; they can get help."
John glanced at the both of us.
"Or we can just let these kids get eaten," Robin concluded.
Little John shook his head and turned to us. "Stay here and don't move, we'll be back shortly. Robin and I have handled worse situations before."
"But-," I started.
"We'll be careful," Robin interrupted, pulling John down towards the house. "Be right back."
They both carefully climbed back down and slipped into the house unnoticed. Everything soon became silent. That silence soon became an eerie one as time went by. The sun soon started to set after a while longer.
"What's taking them so long?" I complained to Jared.
"I don't know," he replied, stepping forward. "It's been too quiet too lo-"
SNAP! The tree branch we were standing on broke and we fell… through the house! The house of candy broke under our weight and we fell threw to see John and Robin tied together in licorice and two fat kids getting put in a pot by an ugly, warty, green skinned witch.
She quickly turned towards us. "Well," she said her voice high and breaking. "Looks like I'll have dessert as well!"
Jared and I passed a worried look from my blue eyes to his dark ones as the witch let off an ugly cackle.
Jared and I were soon tied in chairs by Laffy Taffy next to Robin Hood and Little John. Our weapons were placed on a table near us. Hansel and Gretel were just put in the over, too fat to move to do anything about it.
"Once they are done cooking," The witch said as closed to lid to the oven. "I'll fatten you all up to be my dessert. Ooh, this will be the biggest feast I have had!"
The witch walked off then, cackling to herself, grabbing a cookbook called What to do When You Have Human Leftovers. Robin Hood turned to both of us then.
"Quick!" He gasped, struggling to talk with the licorice tied into his mouth. "Eat the Laffy Taffy and grab a weapon."
"What about you?" I whispered back. "Why don't you just eat the licorice off yourselves?"
They both grumbled the same thing. "We hate licorice!"
I rolled my eyes as Jared and I both got munching. We had just finished freeing our hands and most of our feet when the witch came back in.
She gasped at the both of us. "Stop that! Stop freeing yourselves!" She ran over to us in a fury.
I then jumped out of my chair, finally freeing myself, and grabbed my boomerang off the counter. With a quick twist of my wrist, I threw it at the ugly women. It hit its mark and she fell to the ground, her greasy black hair getting mangled as she did so. I threw my small dagger to the warriors wrapped in licorice to free themselves just as Jared broke out of the Laffy Taffy.
"Go free Hansel and Gretel," I told him as he grabbed his sword. "I'll handle the witch."
He nodded and ran towards there when John and Robin joined me, their weapons with them. The witch quickly regained herself and drew a wand from her sleeve. She aimed at us and started to speak a spell.
"You three pains, you must cease! Turn into something that will leave me peace!"
A blast came from her wand and hit all of us with a blinding light, making the floor come a lot closer. When I opened my eyes again, the two warriors that used to stand by my side were two potted flowers. I checked myself. Fingers, hair, body; yeah, it's all here. Why didn't I turn into a flower like them? Then, it hit me.
"What?" Exclaimed the witch, amazed I didn't transform as well. "How…?"
"Because," I exclaimed, sitting up. "My story is not a known fairy tale."
She gasped in wonder, but her face soon became scrunched up in frustration. She then came at me, drawing a knife from her sleeve. But before she could the evil deed, a sword shot right threw her body from behind. The witch stopped suddenly and her body went limp, the knife falling from her hands at my feet. Jared stood behind her, grinning at me.
"Jared!" I exclaimed, jumping to my feet and giving him a hug. "You saved my life!"
"Oh, that? Please," He replied, waving off my gratitude. "Too easy!"
I giggled when I saw Hansel and Gretel behind them, both giving my chocolaty grins.
I was about to tell them something when a bright light came from where I was knocked down. When it finally dimmed down, two brave warriors stood side by side.
"Robin! Little John!" I shouted, giving them both warm hugs.
After cheering and explanations to the two about what happened, Robin was blown away.
"I guess you really are the heroes we've been looking for," He awed us.
"Told you," John boasted, giving us both warm smiles.
As we all leaned in for a final hug, a brilliant white light filled the room. Jared and I closed our eyes, and opened them when we suddenly felt our hands touch something leather. We both opened out eyes and their it was, Once Upon a Hero at our hands. Jared and I grinned at each other.
I looked at the clock near us, and it read 2:30.
"Oh boy!" I exclaimed, getting up. "We still have 30 minutes!"
"To do what?" Jared asked me as we headed down the stairs.
I looked back at him and grinned. "To go on an adventure, of course."
The End