Rachel was in no mood to deal with the girls that had entered the bathroom. She got along with Tina and Mercedes most of the time but lately they had taken a page out of Quinn's book and had been quite awful to her. After Quinn moved in with Mercedes, the three had become the new trio from hell. Instead of leaving the stall she was in, she lifted her feet so they wouldn't notice her and figured she'd leave once they were gone. She couldn't help but peak out the crack between the door and the structure to watch the girls.
'I keep getting bloody noses. My parents are worried.' Tina complained, her head turned up towards the ceiling and a piece of tissue covering her nose. The Glee club had noticed this lately as well. Every day she had to run from class to keep it from ruining her clothes.
'My parent's have decided to hound me about my makeup. They called me a clown this morning! How messed up is that?' Mercedes countered as she applied another layer of eyeshadow.
'Oh please, you guys keep complaining but I'm the one living in a nightmare.' Quinn added. Rachel had to contain a gasp as Quinn lifted her shirt and adjusted the pillow tied to her stomach. Her boyfriend Puck had been dealing with guilt for lying to his best friend over this baby and it was all a lie. It looks like neither of the boys were responsible for knocking up the Ice Queen. 'We need to hurry if we're going to miss the traffic.' Quinn announced once she was composed. The other girls nodded and the three headed out, leaving Rachel with the news. She jumped up from her spot, washed her hands quickly and bolted from the bathroom. She had to find Finn.
She found him a few minutes later. She happened to glance into one of the empty classrooms between the bathroom and the choir room and saw Finn pinning Santana against the chalkboard. They were making out frantically, clearly oblivious to the fact that people could see in. She ran over and peaked her head in.
'You guys are terrible at hiding this. Next time, make sure you're not in front of the window!' She scolded and shut the door, ignoring them when they both gave her the middle finger. She'd just have to find him later to tell him the news. She figured he wouldn't want an audience to his reaction. Next, she had to find her boyfriend. It was a rare day with no Glee or sports practice so she knew he'd be waiting for her in his truck. She stopped quickly at her locker and then headed out to him.
'It's about time, babe.' He commented as she jumped into the front seat.
'Sorry, Noah. I have had a very interesting few minutes.'
'Did you fall into the toilet?' He teased, laughing harder when she scowled and punched his arm.
'No, I got stuck because the three witches were in there.'
'Did they make fun of you or anything?' He asked, immediately concerned. He'd been really good about comforting her after their harrassment.
'No, nothing like that... they revealed something much worse.' She replied. 'Let's just go to your house and I'll tell you then. I don't want to compromise your driving.'
'Well shit, sounds serious.'
'It is...' They left it at that until they got to the Puckerman house. They were watching Puck's little sister Becca so they made sure she was fed and working on homework before they headed upstairs to his room.
'So, want to tell me what info you found? I'm not gonna lie, you have me a little scared.' Puck said as he shut the door. He sat down on the bed next to Rachel and grabbed her hand.
'I don't know how to tell you this...'
'Just say it.'
'Fine... Quinn's not pregnant.' She announced, quickly closing her eyes, afraid to see his reaction. When she heard nothing, she opened her eyes and looked over at him. He didn't seem phased. 'A-are you okay?'
'Yeah... relieved actually...'
'Oh.. ok... thats good.'
'Yeah, I mean... I've had this weird feeling in my gut for a while now. She was jumping around for all the performances and wouldn't let anyone touch her stomach. It reminded me of what Schue's psycho wife was like.' He shrugged.
'I tried to tell Finn but he had his tongue down Santana's throat.' Rachel added and smiled when he chuckled.
'They're good together. It's weird as fuck, but good.'
'Yeah, she'll keep him focused.' Rachel added. 'Speaking of... what homework do you have?'
'Woman, I just found out I'm not going to be a teenage dad. Can't we skip the homework and fool around?' He puckered his lips knowing it would make her laugh. Sure enough, she let out a giggle and pushed him away.
'Fooling around is the reason that you were almost a teenage dad. BUT, if we get our homework done, maybe we can celebrate a little.' She teased. He groaned and fell back onto his bed.
'Fine, but you have to get my books. I'm too lazy.' She rolled her eyes at his antics but got up anyway. She found him adorable sometimes.
'Where are they?'
'The one I need is in the closet on the middle shelf.' She nodded and went to look. For being a teenage boy, he was very clean so it was easy to navigate to the back of the closet. She was about to ask which of the three he needed when a bout of dizziness took over and she saw blackness.
g-l-e-e
As the dizziness passed, Rachel realized something wasn't right. A second ago she was in a stuffy closet. Now she felt wind whipping her hair and a gritty feeling on her face. She slowly opened her eyes and had to do a double take. The clothes and shoes that had surrounded her just seconds before were gone. She was now staring at a bleak, desert landscape. No hills or trees, only dust and a very odd, giant gate made of what looked to be oversized organ pipes. They were weather worn and off kilter. It was like the earth had moved without them. Behind them was what looked to be a deserted carnival. She could make out remnents of a ferris wheel and a big striped tent. Everything seemed to swim in and out of focus. The harder she tried to look at one of the structures, the harder it was to see. As her eyes adjusted again, she started noticing black shapes coming into focus. They were all around her like an army of blurs. She blinked harder and the blurs became human in shape. She looked down and noticed that the plaid skirt and sweater she had sported earlier was gone, and in their place was a worn black leather bralette, a pair of leather leggings and boots up to her mid thigh. She took a deep breath, this was obviously some bizarre nightmare. Maybe one of the boxes in Puck's closet had come down and hit her on the head or something. She looked up and noticed that the figures had become crystal clear and she was immediately terrified. They had no faces. They were just bodies covered in black leather... arms, legs, necks and heads but no facial features. They were surrounding her, moving towards her in unison. Seemingly out of nowhere, someone started singing.
Come as you are, as you were
As I want you to be
As a friend, as a friend
As an known enemy
Her heartrate quickened when she noticed a part begin to form in the middle of the group in front of her. One of them was coming towards her, faster than the others. He was different. He had a face. Just like the carnival itself, the harder she tried to make out his features, the harder they were to see. It wasn't until he was a foot in front of her that she realized she was staring at Mr. Schue. He seemed to be leading the army.
Take your time, hurry up
The choice is yours, don't be late
Take a rest as a friend
As an old
Memoria, memoria
Memoria, memoria
He was singing directly to her but instead of the happy expression he normally wore, his face seemed sinister. He was so different that it took her a little while to realize that the army hadn't stopped coming closer. As he sang, they were circling her, trapping her.
Come doused in mud, soaked in bleach
As I want you to be
As a trend, as a friend
As an old
Memoria, memoria
Memoria, memoria
She screamed as the army began reaching for her. She tried to fight them off but there had to be at least 50 of them. She felt them grab her arms and some starting to reach for her legs. They scratched and stretched her; fighting over her like a toy. She slipped on the debris under her feet and fought as hard as she could to save herself; ignoring the fact that they had all joined Mr. Schue in singing the haunting song while he stood and watched.
And I swear that I don't have a gun
No I don't have a gun
No I don't have a gun
Memoria, memoria
Memoria, memoria
And I swear that I don't have a gun
No I don't have a gun
No I don't have a gun
No I don't have a gun
No I don't have a gun
Memoria, memoria
She felt like they had torn her to pieces, yet she was still intact. She put all of her strength into only trying to free one limb and managed to get her right arm loose. Knowing it would only be for a second, she reached down and grabbed a lead pipe by her boot. Coming up fast, she swung at the monsters closest to her and put some distance between her and them on her right side. She noticed that not only had Mr. Schue not helped her, but that he was giving some kind of command to the army. Taking a big chance, she swung at him. She hoped that if she took out their leader, she'd have a chance at getting them disbanded. The pipe made a loud cracking sound against her teacher's skull and the entire army vanished immediately. She realized just seconds later that the reason was because she had hit the kill spot. Her teacher looked up at her with wide, vacant eyes and brain matter splattered across the dirt. She was sickened by the sight but relieved that she seemed to no longer be in physical danger. Unfortunately, she had no idea what laid in store for her. The gate creaked, causing her to look up from her bloody mess. It seemed to open on its own accord. The last thing she wanted to do was enter the scary carnival but she had watched Puck play enough video games that she knew she could never make it if she stayed in the same spot. She was too vulnerable there. Hesitantly, she walked through the gate and into the strange fog that was building.
She knew this had to be a nightmare. There was no way fog could completely envelope her this quickly, especially in this climate. But here she was, just on the other side of the gate, completely blind to what was around her. She tried to listen to her surroundings, maybe pick up something that could guide her but all she could hear was a haunting drum beat. The last thing she wanted was to hear another song. As the music got louder, the fog seemed to lessen. She started to see grave stones around her and rolled her eyes. As if this dream wasn't bad enough, now she was standing in a graveyard in the entrance of a haunted carnival... lovely. She started to navigate her way around the stones, hoping to make it through the fog and into a clearing. As she started to make out the corner of a building, she ran directly into something... or someone. She blinked hard and could see that it was Kurt. Well, a version of Kurt. The Kurt she knew was pale, but this Kurt was practically irredescent. He had dark circles under his eyes, almost black lips and his hair was far more edgy than the one in her real world. He had on a dark purple, velvet suit and top hat to top it off. He smiled wickedly at her as the music reached a cresendo and the fog began to swirl in a hypnotizing pattern. She felt herself get dizzy again and was swaying where she stood. It felt very similar to the night Puck convinced her to try Southern Comfort and she had over indulged. She heard the music level out and then Kurt began to sing.
Very superstitious, writings on the wall,
He began hauntingly.
Very superstitious, ladders bout' to fall,
Thirteen month old baby, broke the lookin' glass,
Seven years of bad luck, the good things in your past
He circled around her, running his hand over her shoulders teasingly. The more she watched, the more out of it she felt. She was trying as hard as she could to stay alert but her mind kept wandering; getting lost in the music and hypnotic swirls of the now purple fog.
When you believe in things that you don't understand,
Then you suffer,
Superstition ain't the way
Very superstitious, wash your face and hands,
Rid me of the problems, do all that you can,
Keep me in a daydream, keep me goin' strong,
You don't want to save me, sad is my song
When you believe in things you don't understand,
Then you suffer,
Superstition ain't the way, yeh, yeh
She felt herself stagger backwards, unable to keep herself upright. She felt drunker than she's ever been before, which was impossible considering she hadn't had a thing to drink. She grabbed on to a gravestone to keep herself from falling down and tried not to stumble from side to side. It was an impossible task. She felt like the world was spinning and all she could do was hold on and hope not to fall off.
Very superstitious, nothin' more to say,
Very superstitious, the devil's on his way,
Thirteen month old baby, broke the lookin' glass,
Seven years of bad luck, good things in your past
When you believe in things that you don't understand,
Then you suffer,
Superstition ain't the way, no, no, no
The music ended and she had to force her eyes back open and hold tighter to the stone. Unfortunately, her legs finally gave out and she fell to the ground on her hands and knees. She tried to stay still in the position but even that was hard and shortly after, she fell forward. She knew she had to keep moving but she couldn't even get back into the kneeling position. It felt ridiculous. Her laughter bubbled up and she couldn't help but let it go, laughing hard at her predicament.
'Well, well... I guess you enjoyed my show.' Kurt stated, squatting next to her. 'Have you ever been drunk on magic before Mon Cher?' She shook her head and could no longer regain her focus. He let out a high pitched giggle and clapped his hands. 'No wonder you're so incompasitated.'
'Yeahhh... in-ompast-ated...' She slurred, scowling when she realized she could barely talk.
'Shhhh... no need to trouble yourself with words.' He comforted mockingly. 'Why don't you just take a little nap and enjoy it.'
'N-no.. gotta gets home...'
'Oh, thats no fun! What you really want to do is lay here and let the magic take over. It's one hell of a ride...'
'Noooo... gots get home...' She slurred and tried to lift herself from the ground. She managed to get back on her hands and knees but almost went head first into the gravestone she had previously used as an anchor.
'Damn, you're no fun at all.' Kurt pouted. He reached into his coat pocket and pulled out a handful of what looked to be black glitter. He said a few words over it and then blew it gently into her face. Be what may is the last thing she heard before she faded again.
g-l-e-e
Rachel opened her eyes for what felt like the millionth time and realized that she was in a totally different area. The graveyard and intoxication were gone, replaced with an abandoned room and a slight headache. She looked around and noticed immediately that this room had nothing to do with a carnival. There was a hospital bed in the middle, covered with dried blood. Hanging over it was a vintage lamp. It was clear this had been an operating room. The tools on a rusted tray looked barbaric and there were ripped sheets hanging on all of the surfaces. The blood stains throughout the space gave her a sinking feeling in her gut. This wasn't right. She needed to get out.
'Well, who do we have here?' A male voice echoed. There was no way for her to tell where it was coming from. It sounded all encompassing. She spotted a door and started for it but out of nowhere, two sets of hands grabbed her and pulled her back.
'We got her boss!' The girl on her right called out. Rachel tipped her head up and gasped when she spotted her two captors. The one that had just spoken was clearly Quinn, only this Quinn was ghostly. Her normally perfect blonde hair was stark white and ratted beyond belief. The sparkle that was normally in her eyes was gone and her smile was manic. She looked crazed. Rachel's other captor was also very recognizable, Mercedes Jones. Her smile always had a slight jester-like appearance but it was even wider and more menacing now. She had black triangles painted around her eyes that looked like exaggerated eyelashes and very red lipstick. She looked like a very macabre clown. Rachel struggled to free herself but after the rollercoaster that was the last few hours, she was left very weak. They practically tossed her onto the operating table and immediately tightened the straps. There was no way to escape. 'She's ready!' Quinn singsonged and made her way over to the tools. It seemed as if she was playing nurse today. The sound of footprints caught Rachel's attention but they were coming from behind her head. She couldn't turn to see who it was but she didn't have to. Jesse leaned over her and smiled. He was drenched in blood. His curls hung heavily, dripping the red liquid onto her face and she could make out the fingerprints where he wiped it away from his eyes. It was scarier than anything she had seen yet. She started to fight against her bonds, trying with all her might to escape. It was futile.
'Now, now Rachel... no need to wear yourself out. You're never getting out of here.' He stroked at her face gently and leaned in to kiss her lips. She tried to turn away but he held her face tightly and forced it. She could feel his lips stick due to the drying blood that covered his. Her stomach turned. 'You see... this is why you're here.' His demeanor changed so fast she jumped. He was angry. 'If you wouldn't be such a... such a bitch... you wouldn't be here! If you would have given me your heart, I wouldn't have to take it!' He let go of her face and flew to her side, grabbing the first tool he found off the tray. Luckily, it was some kind of marker. Her bralette had been ripped by the Army of Schue so he grabbed it and ripped it further, making sure to give himself plenty of access to her chest. Rachel let out a scream when he began to draw on her, not having realized that he had a sharp blade in the pen. It wasn't just leaving a mark, it was starting the carving process. 'Would you like some pain medicine, my love?' He asked as he finished the large heart shape. Instead of answering, Rachel used what little strength she had left to spat in his face. He wiped it quickly and was immediately leaning over her, making sure his face was as close to hers as possible. 'You're going to pay for that.'
'Fuck you!' She yelled, knowing that it would only enrage him but not allowing herself to cower. The back of his hand came down hard against her cheek.
'Okay, nurses, this one has decided she wants it rough. Let's get the fun tools.' Quinn and Mercedes nodded and headed out of the room. 'I was just going to take your heart, but you left me no choice. I guess I'll have to use you as an example. It's too bad really... I always did have an affinity for you.' He began pacing, building himself up for what was to come. As he paced, music began playing from the back room. He stopped and smiled. 'Awww, my nurses know exactly how to cheer me up!'
And another one bites the dust
But why can I not conquer love?
He sang as the two girls walked back in. They had a new tray, this one filled hatchets, knives and various blades. Rachel felt her eyes well up with tears. This was going to be it.
And I might've got to be with one
Why not fight this war without weapons?
And I want it and I wanted it bad
But there were so many red flags
Now another one bites the dust
And let's be clear, I trust no one
You did not break me
I'm still fighting for peace
He continued as all three surrounded Rachel. He grabbed the marker again and began making another pass at the heart he had started. Rachel cringed as the blade went through the sensitive flesh that had already been marred. Refusing to give in, she decided she'd continue the song. It meant more to her than ever before.
Well I've got thick skin and an elastic heart
But your blade it might be too sharp
I'm like a rubber band until you pull too hard
But I may snap when I move close
But you won't see me fall apart
'Cause I've got an elastic heart
I've got an elastic heart
Yeah, I've got an elastic heart
Jesse carved and carved at the heart and Rachel felt herself fading. She had never felt pain like that before. Just as the dots started clouding her vision, she heard a loud shriek and suddenly the pain stopped. She couldn't see what was going on around her but Jesse and the girls had vanished from her bedside. There was some commotion to her right and then she felt the tension released on her arms. Someone had cut her bindings. She sat up, ignoring the immense pain in her chest and saw that a woman in a cut up straight jacket was wielding a large knife and was coming towards her. She assumed this woman was responsible for her release so when she reached for Rachel's hand, Rachel grabbed it. The angle revealed her savior and she had to do a double take when she realized it was Santana. The girl looked gaunt and had the same crazy look as Quinn had, but clearly she was not evil like the others. As a matter of fact, the girl was skipping as she threatened the three with the knife and they made their way down the hall. Rachel fought to keep up, letting Santana hold her hand in a child-like way so that they wouldn't get separated.
'Are we friends now?' Santana asked with a large smile, moving her head against her own shoulder and then rolling it forward. It gave Rachel the chills. All she could do was nod. 'Good..' Santana replied and pushed her hard. Rachel stumbled backwards and realized quickly that she was in a cell. Unfortunately, it wasn't quick enough and Santana slammed the door, locking her inside. 'Friend has to stay inside so Santana can stay outside.' She chirped and ran over to the swing set up in the corner of the room. Awkwardly, she climbed onto the seat and jerkily swung her legs to get some movement.
'Uhm... Santana... while we are both here, can you unlock the door? Then we can play and talk...' Rachel asked soothingly. She had no idea how to reach the girl but knew she didn't want to upset her.
'No! Rachel inside, Santana outside! If He comes, Santana has to hide.' She replied. Rachel gulped.
'Who is He?' She asked nervously. She had dealt with three men here already and they were all awful. Santana let out a loud cackle.
'Oh, you're being silly. You know Him. You love Him. I love Him. I LOVE Him. I LOVE HIM!' She bellowed. Rachel was thoroughly confused. 'He sets me free so that He can't keep me caged. Then I go find Him and have to hide from Him.'
'What does He look like?' Rachel asked sweetly, hoping she'd get a clue from the description.
'He is green and big and has scars like Santana. Do you want to see Santana's scars? Santana hates them but He doesn't hate Santana's scars... But Santana can't have Him because She has Him and He doesn't want Her but has to pretend to want Her because she's special and Santana is a different kind of special. He loves Santana more than Her but He won't let Him be with Santana. He makes Him be with Her and then gets mad when He and Santana get out and love...' She carried on, moving her head jerkily as she pumped her legs, never gaining any real motion in the swing. Green? Wouldn't be the weirdest thing she'd seen here today. It was then, as Santana rambled, that Rachel realized the poor girl was looking in her direction, but seemed to be looking through her. Rachel turned around and nearly screamed in fright when she saw a mirror behind her. She thought someone else was in the room for a moment and she had nearly lost her shit. This place had her on pins and needles. She realized that although Santana was talking to her, she was staring at herself in the mirror the whole time. Seeing but unseeing. It was even more unsettling to Rachel. 'We clawed, we chained, our hearts in vain...' Santana began whispering.
'What?'
'We jumped, never asking why... We kissed, I fell under your spell... A love no one could deny' Santana muttered, barely audible. What caught Rachel's attention was the use of 'I' instead of the third person. Santana turned and made eye contact with Rachel as she began to sing hauntingly, moving her head side to side in conjunction with her legs pumping.
Don't you ever say I just walked away
I will always want you
I can't live a lie, running for my life
I will always want you
With that, Santana jumped off her swing and stood with her head down. When she looked up, Rachel cowered with fear at the anger in Santana's eyes.
I came in like a wrecking ball
I never hit so hard in love
All I wanted was to break your walls
All you ever did was break me
Yeah, you wreck me
The girl's shoulders fell and she rolled her head on her shoulders. Her eyes looking vacant as she continued.
I put you high up in the sky
And now, you're not coming down
It slowly turned, you let me burn
And now, we're ashes on the ground
Don't you ever say I just walked away
I will always want you
I can't live a lie, running for my life
I will always want you
Without warning, Santana lunged at the cage and climbed until she was on top of it, reaching her hand through the spaces between the bars.
I came in like a wrecking ball
I never hit so hard in love
All I wanted was to break your walls
All you ever did was break me
I came in like a wrecking ball
Yeah, I just closed my eyes and swung
Left me crouching in a blaze and fall
All you ever did was break me
Yeah, you wreck me
She rolled over so that she was on her back with her head dangling off edge. Her black, tangled hair hanging low on the side. Her tone had changed dramatically again, each time building the fear in Rachel.
I never meant to start a war
I just wanted you to let me in
And instead of using force
I guess I should've let you in
I never meant to start a war
I just wanted you to let me in
I guess I should've let you in
Her singing came to an abrubt halt when a strange sound echoed from the hallway. It sounded like a metal pipe hitting the bars of cells. Santana flew off the cage and was gone before Rachel could ask her what was going on. Rachel's heart rate went up each time the bar was hit. It kept getting louder and louder which meant that whoever it was was getting closer and closer. She felt like she was prey and the predator was about to find her in their trap. A figure came into view but of course, the lighting was in the hallway, leaving her only a shadow to try and discern.
'W-who are you?' She called out, hoping that the person was a friend and not another enemy. She heard a click and suddenly the dark room was filled with light. She was blind for a moment, in pain by the sudden intrusion.
'Hey babe! You've sure caused some shit around here today." She heard Puck greet her. She'd never been more relieved in her life.
'Noah!' She cried and ran up to the cage door. He was dressed in a strange outfit, a pair of leather pants, a black shirt and a striped coat with tails. It was weird but she didn't care. He took a set of keys from his pocket and unlocked her door. She was immediately in his arms. He may be dressed strangely but he smelled the same and it brought tears to her eyes.
'Woah, babe, what the fuck happened to you?' He asked angrily, pulling her back a bit so he could see the damage to her chest. 'Which one of them hurt you?!' He yelled causing her to flinch a bit. 'Was it Jesse? Huh, babe? Did he hurt you?' All she could do was nod. She watched him get control of his anger, could practically see it in his eyes, and then let him pull her back to his chest. He held her softly and hummed in her ear. She let herself relax for a second, knowing she could only indulge for a moment before she had to get back in gear.
'We have to get out of here, Noah... how do we get home?'
'We are home, Rach.' He answered without missing a beat.
'No, I mean our real home. This place is so scary.'
'You can check out any time you'd like, but you can never leave.' He whispered into her ear. She gasped and immediately broke contact with him. He may smell like her Noah but he couldn't be him. She was in a nightmare and she was going to wake up, with or without him. She turned and ran towards the door on the other side of the room, trying to ignore the his haunting laughter. It didn't take her but a moment to realize that she should not have run this direction. She was surrounded by mirrors. It was like a funhouse koleidescope. The mirrors covered every inch with various shapes and dimensions. It would have been pretty had it not been for the blood covered Tina standing in all of them.
'Well, hello again...' Tina greeted, an evil smirk on her face.
'W-we've never met!' Rachel replied, searching desparately for another exit. Unfortunately, the room seemed to be spinning a bit and she couldn't even find the door she had come through to begin with. She was not in the mood for this shit again. She had spent enough time disoriented. Unfortunately, she wasn't in control. The room spun faster and faster, the only stationary item being the terrifying, bloody Tina. Rachel could hear her laughing and it seemed to collide with Puck's laughter she had just left. It hurt her ears and made her stomach turn. However, the minute she felt Tina's hands reaching out from the mirror and pulling her, she rallied and forced herself to focus. It was near impossible but she eventually noticed an inconsistency in one of the mirrors. Praying she was right, she crawled towards it and pushed. The room stopped without warning, throwing her off balance, but a door opened and she crawled through it as fast as she could. She didn't know what laid in store but she hoped it was better than that.
The room she fell into was all stone with no windows. It was cold and damp and after the moment she had just had, she was immediately on edge. It took a moment for her eyes to adjust, but once they did, she had to put a hand over her mouth to avoid making a sound. There was a bed against the wall and on it was Finn. However, Finn wasn't Finn... Finn was... Finn was Frankenstein. He had pale green skin, stitches that extended from his mouth to both ears and more that went up across his nose and forehead. His normally messy hair was split in half by the scar and his eyes looked sad. In his large arms, curled into a tiny ball was Santana. It all became clear to Rachel. She realized what the poor girl had been trying to say. She now knew that Finn loved Santana but that he wasn't allowed to be with her. He had to be with someone else. Who that was, Rachel could only assume it was Quinn... but who was keeping them apart? Why would they do that? She watched quietly from the shadows as Finn stroked Santana's hair, being careful not to damage the fragile girl.
Hello,
Is there anybody in there?
Just nod if you can hear me.
Is there anyone at home?
Come on now
I hear you're feeling down
Well, I can ease your pain
And get you on your feet again
Relax
I'll need some information first
Just the basic facts
Can you show me where it hurts?
His voice was so full of emotion; fear, sadness, love and hope. It brought tears to her eyes. Santana clung to him like he was her salvation and from what Rachel had seen, he was. The poor girl was locked away by herself, always longing for Him. It broke her heart to see.
There is no pain, you are receding
A distant ship smoke on the horizon
You are only coming through in waves
Your lips move but I can't hear what you're saying
When I was a child I had a fever
My hands felt just like two balloons
Now I've got that feeling once again
I can't explain, you would not understand
This is not how I am
I have become comfortably numb
I have become comfortably numb
Finn stopped singing when the door knob to the door Rachel had come through started turning. In fear and desperation, Rachel ran across the room and through the next door. Unfortunately, she ended up face to face with a very familiar face.
Mercedes stood in front of her with a menacing smile, not wasting a moment before grabbing Rachel by the hair and dragging her across the dirt floor. Rachel fought with all her might but she wasn't as strong as her attacker. Mercedes picked her up with ease and threw her against a Wheel of Death. For a second, Rachel knew she was out of the girl's grip and thought she could escape, but all too quickly, Mercedes pinned her with her own body so she could strap her in.
'Please! Please don't...' Rachel cried, unable to contain it. She had tried to be tough for so long but she was drained. She just wanted to go home...
'Oh, keep begging for your life... it turns me on.' The girl whispered into Rachel's ear. Her tears poured even faster. 'Here's whats going to happen. I have a beautiful collection of knives over there. Do you see them?' Mercedes pointed to a set of 10 knives along the wall. 'I said, do you see them?!' Mercedes yelled and pulled Rachel's hair again.
'Yes! Yes I see them!'
'Good, I'm going to spin you really fast. Hopefully that will scramble up that little brain of yours. Then, I'm going to take those knives and throw them at you. Simple enough, right?' Rachel nodded in defeat. Before she was even close to ready, Mercedes grabbed the spindle by Rachel's foot and pulled it down as fast as possible. In this weird, magical place, apparently these wheels move at magical speeds. Rachel couldn't see a thing, just a big swirl of color. She felt herself getting sick so she slammed her eyes closed, hoping she would die before she threw up.
I dance around this empty house
Tear us down, throw you out
Screaming down the halls
Spinning all around and now we fall
Pictures framing up the past
Your taunting smirk behind the glass
This museum full of ash
Once a tickle, now a rash
This used to be a Funhouse
But now it's full of evil clowns
It's time to start the countdown
I'm gonna burn it down, down, down
I'm gonna burn it down
9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1, fun
Echoes knocking on locked doors
All the laughter from before
I'd rather live out on the street
Than in this haunted memory
I've called the movers, called the maids
We'll try to exorcise this place
Drag my mattress to the yard
Crumble, tumble house of cards
This used to be a Funhouse
But now it's full of evil clowns
It's time to start the countdown
I'm gonna burn it down, down, down
This used to be a Funhouse
But now it's full of evil clowns
It's time to start the countdown
I'm gonna burn it down, down, down
I'm gonna burn it down
9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1, fun
I'm crawling through the doggy door
My key don't fit my life no more
I'll change the drapes, I'll break the plates
I'll find a new place, burn this fucker down
Do, do, do, do, do, do, do
This used to be a Funhouse
But now it's full of evil clowns
It's time to start the countdown
I'm gonna burn it down, down, down
This used to be a Funhouse
But now it's full of evil clowns
It's time to start the countdown
I'm gonna burn it down, down, down
I'm gonna burn it down
Rachel knew Mercedes was singing but she couldn't hear her well with the blood rushing to her ears. What she did hear was the thump against the board as each knife was thrown. She counted two that had hit her but she couldn't be sure anymore about the rest. For all she knew, all ten had made contact but she could no longer feel it. Without warning, the wheel stopped. It took a few minutes for her mind to catch up but when she did, she realized she wasn't dead... yet. She looked down and saw that she had been correct. One knife hit her foot but it felt like her boot and protected her for the most part. The other hand landed in the middle of her hand. It was going to hurt like a bitch. Sure enough, seconds later, Mercedes walked up and yanked the knife right out of it. She bit her lip to hold back her cry. Next was the knife at her foot and soon she was freed.
'Fate is on your side today.' Mercedes announced. 'We'll see if Quinn agrees.' Smiling wickedly, she grabbed Rachel by the hair again and this time, pushed her into a trap door in the floor. The fall was intense for the small girl, especially considering that she had been tossed around like a rag doll for the last few hours of her life; but she landed without major injury and hoped she'd be able to get out saying the same. She looked around, knowing Quinn was going to be sharing the space and noticed that the white haired girl was standing, facing the corner. Hoping she didn't see, Rachel started making her way along the wall. She couldn't see an exit but figured there had to be one. If not, she was going to have to go one on one with the psycho bitch.
'You can try to leave but you'll never make it...' Quinn stated, startling Rachel. 'They'll smell you.' With an evil laugh, Quinn turned and started making her way towards her. There was something ghost-like about the way Quinn moved, almost like she was floating just above the ground. She glided, no movement to indicate steps being taken.
My condolences
I'll shed a tear with your family
I'll open a bottle up, pour a little bit out in your memory
I'll be at the wake dressed in all black
I'll call out your name, but you won't call back
I'll hand a flower to your mother when I say goodbye
Cause baby you're dead to me
The girl sang as she closed in on Rachel.
I need to kill you
That's the only way to get you out of my head
Oh I need to kill you
To silence all the sweet little things you said
I really want to kill you
Wipe you off the face of my earth
And bury your bracelet
Bury your bracelet
Six feet under the dirt
Rachel tried desparately to get away but to no avail. Quinn reached out and wrapped her hands around her throat and squeezed. Under normal circumstances, Rachel would have been able to take the other petite girl. However, with a hole through her hand, her chest raw and abused, and too much spinning; she was useless. She choked as Quinn's grip got tighter and tighter. Images from her life started playing themselves in her mind and she realized this was really it.
She saw her dads smiling as she sang a dorky song in their kitchen, using a ladle as her microphone. They were always more excited to hear her sing like that... naturally, not forced like she was in performances. They would laugh, join in and then dance with her. All of them sliding on their hardwood floor because of their matching Harry Potter socks.
She saw Puck nervously asking her out for the second time with a handful of wild flowers and a mixed CD. It was exactly what she had dreamed of since she was a little girl. Cheesy, sweet but not over the top (despite what people thought about her). She accepted immediately and the next night they went out on their first date. He didn't take her to Breadstix or to the bowling alley... he took her to a drive-in movie and then they went ice skating on a private lake. It had been romantic and special. He had always been that person for her. She was going to miss that.
Only a moment had passed but she could feel the need for oxygen clawing at her. She fought as hard as she could. She could feel her nails scraping against Quinn's arms and the hair between her fingers where she tried to pull. Then she heard it... she'd forever consider it the sound of hope... but really, it was just Santana's battle cry. The hands around her neck disappeared and she watched Quinn's eyes go wide. Blood splashed into her eyes and it took a second to realize that Santana had hit Quinn against the head with a pipe, just like she had done to Schue. Quinn's eyes were just as haunting and empty.
'Friend...' Santana stated barely above a whisper.
'Yes, friend...' Rachel cried, overwhelmed with relief. She didn't want to startle the mentally disturbed girl so she held out her arms, 'Hug?' Santana nodded and both girls embraced. Unfortunately, it was cut short by Rachel's sharp intake of breath. Her wounds were starting to really hurt now that her blood was circulating again.
'She and them hurt you... Santana can help! Santana used to be a nurse!' Rachel tried not to flinch at the memory of the last two nurses she had and instead nodded, grateful for the help... even if she wasn't sure it would actually be beneficial. Shockingly, Santana pulled off her straight jacket and then followed suit with her night gown. She was standing in the nude with a giant smile on her face. Rachel looked at her questioningly so Santana grabbed Rachel's arms, made her hold them out straight and then started ripping up the night gown. It dawned on Rachel that Santana was using her clothes to bandage her wounds and her heart warmed.
Got a secret
Can you keep it?
Swear this one you'll save
Better lock it, in your pocket
Taking this one to the grave
They sang together as Santana wrapped Rachel's wounds in the shredded nightgown and tied them off with the straps of the straight jacket. Then she grabbed Rachel's hand and pointed to a dark area of the underground room.
'The door is over there. Santana came in that way and thats how she surprised Her.' Rachel nodded in understanding and followed the girl, feeling far safer than she had in a while. Sure enough, they found the door deep in the shadow and opened it to reveal a long corridor filled with cells. It looked like a prison. 'This is all for you...' Santana whispered and ran her fingers through Rachel's hair. Rachel was confused but figured she wouldn't bother asking this time. She learned that with Santana, you just go with it. They started down the hall and Rachel quickly realized that they were not alone. Quinn's statement about them smelling her now made sense.
'Who are these people?' Rachel asked.
'They're Puck's pets.' A voice replied from behind them. Rachel jumped higher than she ever thought possible. 'I'm sorry! I didn't mean to scare you!' She turned around and eyed the man that had spoken.
'It's Jake!' Santana commented happily. 'He's His little brother brother.'
'Who's little brother?' Rachel asked in confusion.
'I'm Jake Puckerman...' He answered, knowing Santana wouldn't say Puck's name.
'W-what?'
'Don't worry, he didn't know about me for awhile and you haven't met me yet... in that world.' He shrugged. He was the least threatening person Rachel had seen since looking for Puck's stupid book and she felt inclined to trust him. Especially if he was Puck's little brother.
'What did you mean by pets?'
'How about I let him explain that part.' Jake chuckled. 'I don't want to misinform you or give you the wrong impression.' Rachel nodded, understanding his hesitation. 'What I can tell you is that you know some of these people... and some of them, like me, you haven't met yet... in the other world.'
'Oh...'
'It's complicated.' He shrugged.
'Santana wants to sing a song.' Santana announced as she rubbed her head against the wall.
'I think I've had enough songs today.' Rachel laughed and Santana pouted. 'Fine!'
Sweet dreams are made of this
Who am I to disagree?
I travel the world
And the seven seas,
Everybody's looking for something
Santana sang in her smoky voice. The acoustics in the tunnel were pretty amazing and added a great layer of depth.
Some of them want to use you
Jake joined.
Some of them want to get used by you
Some of them want to abuse you
The two harmonized beautifully.
Some of them want to be abused.
Everyone in the tunnel sang together. Rachel couldn't believe it. As they walked down the hall she found Mike, Brittany, Kurofsky and Azimio. There were also people, like Jake said, that she hadn't met yet... Blaine, Sebastian, Kitty, Ryder, Marley... it was mind blowing. These people didn't seem upset or unhappy. They were smiling (even if they were scary looking) and seemed excited to see her. It was bizarre.
'Sorry to interupt but I see you met my little monsters. They seem to really like you...' Puck's voice rang out from the end of the tunnel. Rachel smiled, she should have been mortified but there was a weird bond between these skeletons, werewolves, witches and Puck. They all seemed content to be there. Santana on the other hand, immediately hid behind Rachel (not the best choice of hiding spots).
'Hey, Noah...'
'Hey, Babe... holy fucking shit! God, I'm so fucking sorry, Rach!' He freaked when he saw the multitude of injuries she'd incurred. 'I tried to follow you but I had some issues come up. Are you okay?!'
'Yes, well... I think so... I don't really know... I'm really confused right now.' She answered honestly and let him pull her into an embrace. 'I shouldn't have left you earlier, I was just scared.'
'Who did all this to you?' He asked quietly as he gently inspected her new markings. She ran through the events after she left the room and then had to calm him down when his anger sky rocketed. 'This wasn't supposed to happen! You were never to be touched! I'm so sorry, babe... I swear no one will every hurt you again.'
'Calm down, Noah... it's okay... Santana saved me...'
'Yeah, I guess it's a good thing you let her out.' He chuckled. She looked puzzled.
'No I didn't... I didn't meet her until she saved me from Jesse.'
'Oh really?' He asked but looked over her shoulder to the cowering girl. 'Santana...'
'Santana helped her friend.'
'Yes she did and I'm very grateful for that... but who let you out?' Santana shook her head quickly back and forth. 'He let you out didn't He?'
'No! Santana doesn't know who let her out!' There was panic in the girl's crazy eyes.
'Lying is bad, Santana! He let you out didn't he?'
'No... please! Please no!' She cried, knowing that the love of her life was going to be punished.
'Jake, I need you to go get Finn, Jesse and Mercedes and take them to my room please. Make sure their locks are secure. They've all disobeyed.' Puck ordered and Jake nodded. Santana however, went full blown crazy.
'Noooooo!' She screamed and ran towards Puck. He put his arm out and she stopped in her tracks and fell to her knees. 'No, no, no, no, no, no, no...' She chanted, rocking back and forth with her hands covering her ears. 'Love Him, love Him, love Him...' Despite the look he gave her, Rachel stepped around Puck and knelt down in front of Santana.
'Santana... I won't let anyone hurt Finn, okay? You saved me twice tonight, I will do everything I can to make sure he is safe too...'
'Y-you will?' Santana hiccuped. 'Friend?'
'Yes, friend.' Rachel answered and helped her up. Santana already looked more sane than she had when they met and Rachel had a feeling there was hope for the girl after all.
'Underminding me on your first day?' Puck asked with a fake glare. Rachel just smiled and followed him to Santana's cell.
'Santana outside...' Santana whispered.
'If you go inside, I'll come by and visit later... okay?' Rachel asked and Santana nodded eagerly. The poor girl just wanted company and her boo, is that too much to ask? 'Why do you keep them apart?' She asked Puck as they headed upstairs to his room.
'Because searching for each other is all that they have.' He replied. Rachel was amazed. On one hand it was really sad but on the other, she understood exactly what he meant. These two were not the real Santana and Finn. These were the dark, twisted version. They can't be together because they're not whole themselves. It was the epidomy of romance. They both wanted nothing more than to be together, but they could never be.
Puck and Rachel headed into Puck's room to start the punishments. Rachel was a little dazed still, having just minutes before been on the edge of death and now standing side by side with the person that appeared to be running the show. She held strong though and showed no weakness. She wanted Finn to be safe, she saw how much he loved Santana and she was a sucker for love stories but she wanted Jesse and Mercedes to pay; especially Jesse.
'Finn, I'm going to start with you. I am very, very disappointed. I know you love her and I know you want to be with her but you belonged to Quinn. Do you know why?'
'Word.'
'That's correct, you gave her your word and your word means something. You didn't know you would love Santana but it was too late. You promised Quinn. You also promised me that you would not let her out again. You broke your promise.'
'Trouble.'
'That's right, you are in trouble. What did I tell you would happen if you disobeyed me again?'
'Fire.' Finn's eyes went wide with fear. 'Noooo... fire.'
'That's also correct, I told you that if you let her out again, I would punish you with fire. BUT, you're in luck today. You let Santana out and she saved Rachel's life... twice. Therefore, I'm going to give you one more chance, okay? If you're good, you get to see Santana. If you disobey, you will get fire.'
'Good, Santana. Bad, fire.'
Puck nodded and waved for Jake to take Finn out. He turned on Mercedes and Jesse. Rachel could see the fear in their eyes. 'I saved you... I took care of you... and this is how you repay me?!' He bellowed and the two flinched. 'Jesse, you were wandering around the desert, lost and starving. Do you remember that?' Jesse nodded, clearly ashamed. Puck walked up to him and started pushing him backwards. 'You begged at my feet... you pleaded for me to save you. I had to invite Kurt into my sanctuary and give him a piece of my property so that he would come in and save you. For days I stayed by your side, feeding you and rehabilitating you. I gave you your own space for your own twisted dreams. I TRUSTED you!' He swung with the back of his hand, hitting Jesse across the side of the face; much like Jesse had done to Rachel. 'You had all of your wildest dreams here. You knew the potential and still... still you would hurt the owner of my heart.' His voice was quieter now and much more terrifying. 'You have been trying to steal her from me and I let it go each time, knowing that in all worlds she comes back to me... but this time, this time you've gone too far. Trying to steal her heart so that it wouldn't find me...' He shook his head. Jesse crumbled and fell to his knees.
'I'm so sorry... please, please have mercy...' He begged and Puck just laughed.
'I have given you far too many chances.' With that, he lifted Jesse off the ground and shoved him towards a corner of the room.
'Nooooo! Please, noooooo!' Jesse screamed in fear. Rachel could make out a strange, black mirror behind them and it became clear that it was where Jesse was headed. He clawed desparately, trying in vain to get away but with one more solid push, he fell into the space. She watched him disappear into the void, the echoes of his screams sounding more and more distant.
'Now, you...' Puck said, fire in his eyes, as she turned towards Mercedes. 'You were worse off than Jesse was when you ran to my gates, begging me to let you in. You were a prisoner! We lived with those... those monsters... surrounding us FOR YOU! Those faceless men haunting us every time we stepped outside! They wanted nothing to do with us, they wanted you! You swore that all you wanted was peace, that you would never hurt anyone again. You just wanted to perform like everyone else. We welcomed you. We gave you everything your little black, demented heart could desire and you show us your gratitude by torturing your Queen?!'
'I... I'm sorry... I was weak.. I let Jesse get in my head...' She stuttered. Puck's anger just increased.
'You don't even know how to take responsibility, do you?! In one world it's Quinn's fault you never succeeded... in another world it was Rachel's fault you were arrested and became a prisoner... now it's Jesse's fault you hurt Rachel! You are pathetic!' He grabbed her chains and dragged her out of the room with Rachel trying to follow quickly behind. 'I should throw you into the void with Jesse...'
'No! Please no...'
'I would have handed you over to the guard but luckily for you, Rachel killed them all.' Despite his anger, he winked at Rachel, obviously proud of her. 'So, I'm going to do the next best thing. You get to be caged.'
'Nooooo!' She screamed as they got further and further down the hall.
'Believe me, I'm not a fan of you being down there with my other pets, they're all so good... but, where they can't control their powers, you can't control yourself. Apparently, you need to be contained so that you aren't influenced by anyone else.' He snapped. They had reached the tunnel they had gone through earlier and Rachel noticed that there were a few secluded cells still empty. He opened one and threw the clown inside, slamming the door behind her. He walked away from the crying girl, towards the others down there. 'Hey, my little monsters... I'm sorry for the disruption today. It seems that a few of our friends were not friends after all.' He announced to the group. Rachel watched them all hanging on the bars of their cells, looking happily at Puck. 'I have to put Mercedes down here because she's been bad... but I wanted to let you know that I'm not punishing you.'
'We know, Puck! No worries!' A very ghostly Britt replied from her cell. He smiled at her, grabbed Rachel's hand and they headed off. They took a different route from the one they came and were soon entering a gorgeous tent. The walls were draped with silks of all colors, ornate lanterns hung all around them and a large credenza stood in the corner, filled with bottles that contained glittering orbs. It all took Rachel's breath away.
'This is your room.' He stated quietly, walking over to an armoire and opening it to show her the expansive collection of clothing. 'Your clothes are in here. I figured you'd want to change.' He gave her a soft smile and nodded towards her now ripped clothes. She glanced down and gasped. It was the first time she'd really looked over herself since the whole thing started. Her wounds were covered by the ripped nightgown so all she could see were morbid bloody shapes. Her bralette was destroyed and she blushed when she realized that she'd been quite exposed to all the people she'd met along the way. Her leather leggings were in shreds and even the boots she wore looked tattered and mangled. To top it all off, her blood was caked on almost every surface. She looked horrible.
'Is there a shower?' She asked in amusement. He smiled and nodded.
'Yeah, I'll leave you to it.' He pointed towards an opening in the curtain and kissed her forhead. As he was walking away, she grabbed hold of his arm.
'I don't want to be alone...' She whispered. He turned and wrapped her in his arms.
'You're safe now.'
'I know... but everything was so scary...' She replied, embarrassed by her fear.
'Okay, I'll stay in here to give you some privacy but I won't go anywhere.'
'Thank you, Noah.' She headed over to the armoire and grabbed a pretty pink, silk robe and then headed into the bathroom area. A few minutes later she walked out feeling like a new woman. She was clean and refreshed.
'Wow...' Puck breathed when she walked in. Her cheeks blushed.
'What?'
'You look beautiful.' He smiled and pulled her in for a real kiss. She couldn't help but melt into him.
'This is nice.' She said when they pulled a part. She leaned her head against his chest and just let herself enjoy the comfort of his arms. 'So... do you want to tell me what's going on?' She felt his chuckle against her cheek and smiled.
'It's kind of a long story, lets go sit down.' She nodded and let him lead her to the oversized, fluffy sofa. He sat down first and then she crawled on top, leaning her head back against his chest and nestling herselt under his arm. 'See those pretty bottles over there?' He pointed to the credenza she had noticed when they entered. 'Inside those bottles are the different worlds we are a part of. The pink one there that isn't moving... that one is the world you were in before. I call it the Glee World.' He chuckled.
'H-how did I get here?'
'You and I have the ability to travel between all of them. We stay ourselves. The others... like Santana, Finn and Quinn... they are different versions of themselves in each one.'
'Oh... wait... I'm still lost.'
'Yeah, I haven't gotten to anything yet.' He teased. 'We were here, helping our little witch Kitty get control of her power. She is going to be great one day but right now her magic is wild. She accidentally made you... normal.' He shivered in what appeared to be disgust. 'She managed to take away your ability to remember yourself from world to world. I've been trying to get you back.' Rachel couldn't help but laugh. This was the most bizarre dream she'd ever experienced. Wait, can you feel pain in dreams?
'So... you're saying that I've been here before?'
'Yeah, like, ten thousand times.' He groaned. 'It's been awful. This was the worst one though. You've never been attacked before. Usually you arrive in my room but I guess Schue started catching on to your travel and redirected you. It all went to shit after that.'
'How come I don't remember any of it?'
'Because when you say no, I send you back to your dreams. Without you making the consious effort to stay, you just go back to the norm.' He replied as if it made all the sense in the world.
'Wait, I have to choose to stay?'
'Well, kind of... okay, so... Kurt told me that if you accept the reality that you are who you are... everything will go back to normal. Until then, you just keep going back to being Glee Rachel.'
'So I have to accept this reality in order to remember it in the Glee world?'
'Yes! Exactly! You'll also start remembering our other worlds as well.'
'This is so confusing.' She groaned. He nodded and held her tighter.
'This is the longest you've stayed with me...' His voice sounded sad and she looked up to see pain and anguish in his eyes.
'H-how long has it been?'
'You haven't been you in about a century...'
'What?!'
'Yeah... it was a century ago that Kitty accidentally magic'd you into oblivion. It took me years to find you and then I had to start working on getting you back. It's been torture.' He replied solemnly.
'How did you find me?'
'Your heart and my heart are connected... it sounds super fucking lame but its a physical... or metaphysical... thing. I don't know how it works necessarily but we've been linked since the dawn of time.'
'How old are we?' She asked in shock.
'I just said we've been linked since the dawn of time...'
'That's insane.'
'It's the truth... that's why everything happened the way it did in the Glee world. Even though you fought it... which fucking sucked, by the way... we still managed to find each other.' He replied.
'But Quinn...'
'You found out she didn't have a baby, right?' He asked.
'Yeah, this morning...'
'Oh, so you hadn't heard the full story yet. So, here's where shit gets messy. Each of our worlds affect the other, usually in small ways.'
'Tina's nosebleeds...'
'Exactly! So, what happens in one world sends a ripple out across all of them. We have another world. It's the yellow one on the shelf. In it, Quinn is a scorceress... a real bitch. Anyway, she trapped Finn and I in a spell and had her way with us. It was totally no bueno. Then she claimed she was pregnant. She claimed it was Finn's because he's a big shot in that world and when he banished her, she came back saying it was mine. It was really fucked up. So yeah, that carried over into the Glee world. The problem is that the Glee world is new, only 16 years old. It's one of the weird mini worlds we get sometimes that only lasts a hundred years or so. You and I haven't been together for a century. That means that when this world was "created" you and I were not bonded like we are here and everywhere else... I mean, we are... but not as closely... because when all the other worlds were created, we were our full selves. So, when I was under Quinn's spell it translated to a drunken romp with her.'
'How did I get into the Glee world then... if it's new?'
'You're in all the worlds, babe. I just brought you from the Glee world because we were in a good place. You are the same in all the worlds, unlike Santana and Finn; but you like me more in the Glee world.' He laughed. 'You're really mad at me in some of the others.'
'Am I always in this world too?'
'Yes...'
'How come I haven't seen me?'
'Because you are you... one minute you were sitting in here, crying over Jesse... then suddenly you were outside fighting off Schue's army.'
'Why did you pick here?'
'It's your favorite.' He answered softly.
'Why? It seems quite scary.'
'It's not... normally... you like it because its our own oasis out here and its always changing. We have new people coming in and you get to help them. Plus, you are seeing it without your magic. This is one hundred percent Puckerone magic, only. You make this place beautiful.'
'What happens now?'
'It's pretty simple.' He answered and sat up. 'You have two choices. Choice one is that you chalk this up to a terrible dream and you'll wake up back in my room with no memory of any of this. Choice two is that you put this on...' He picked up an ornate crown from the table behind them and handed it to her. It was breathtaking. 'It means that you're willing to believe and should break the spell. You should remember everything after that.' Rachel nodded in understanding.
Her time here had been painful, confusing and all around tiring. She had been through the ringer. Her mind and body were exhausted. She really thought this was an elaborate dream, like the kind she gets when she has a fever; but a part of her believed in it. She felt the pain, the love and the fear more clearly than she had ever felt in a dream before. Her mind was torn. It didn't make sense to stay, but yet she craved it. She was at a loss.
G-L-E-E
Rachel woke up with a pounding headache. It took her a few minutes to open her eyes but when she did she realized that she was laying on her boyfriend's bed. She must have fallen asleep while they were working on homework. She sat up slowly, feeling oddly sore. Maybe she had gotten sick. She really didn't feel well. Then she felt it... a strange burning sensation on her chest. She looked down nervously and let out a loud gasp when her eyes landed on a heart shaped cut on her chest. Everything came flooding back... the graveyard, the cells, the silk... all of it. She turned her head and smiled when she saw Puck sitting in a chair next to the bed. He smiled wide at her when she chuckled at his striped, tailed jacket.
'Hello, Noah...'
'Hello my Queen...' He handed her the ornate crown and pulled her in for a deep kiss. 'Welcome back.'