Ever since we moved into Ever After, my life has been miserable.
Not as bad as it would have been if Mom, Amy, and I were still living in our house- I mean, I can think of a lot of things that are better than living in constant danger and fighting off wolves or the occasional goblin every week- but almost as bad.
It started with orientation. Dad wanted to stick around with us until this whole thing got sorted out, so it was both my parents that marched in between the defense line archers, as naturally as if they were just security guards on a movie set to the ruby door. Lena and Chase hung out in the back with Ben. I gave a quick wave, and Lena waved back hyperactively, like she only did when she was either excited or nervous. Chase gave me a strained smile, like he was holding back about something, but I couldn't tell what. Maybe he just wasn't used to seeing an actual set of parents. I grew nervous. After all, Mom and Dad hadn't decided that we were going to live at Ever After for sure. What if they turned back when they find out just how high the rate of not surviving is for being related to a character? Or worse, what would happen if they saw the wall of failed tales?
I froze. Worry coursed through my veins in double time, weaving its way in and out around my body. Mom stopped and looked at me. Amy frowned.
"Honey, you okay?" My cheeks flared up like dragon fire.
"I'm fine, Mom. Really. Sorry about the holdup. Lets keep on going. We're almost there." We were almost there. I started walking again. I didn't look back, but I knew Mom was giving me a look mixed of confusion and hurt, and that sent me riding on a fresh wave of guilt.
Mom didn't deserve it. None of them deserved it. I would make sure they didn't die, and I would not end up with a failed tale. We would get to the school, and things would go smoothly from there. After all, Ever After was a magic facility. I'm pretty sure that they had special barriers to ward off the snow queen's minions. If they didn't, there probably wouldn't be an Ever After school.
With hopes relifted, I walked up to the ruby red door and opened it.
"You'll love it here," I promised.
Everything will be alright, I told myself.
I couldn't have been more wrong.
~•~
The Tree of Hope was still there, but that's where the similarities between my last visit and this visit ended. Grey, stormy skies etched in the horizon, and the landscape itself had entirely changed to a larger version of the gym. Training equipment and practice dummies were everywhere, and about every few seconds you could hear the clanging of swords or the metal-hitting wood thwack noise of a spear. It had the overall color of brown. The director stood in front of all this, apparently oblivious. She streched her arms wide as if to invite my parents to a hug or the not-so-inviting scene. "Welcome, ah.." She faltered for a second.
"Eric Landon and Maggie Wright." Dad raised his eyebrows, either surprised that she hadnt heard of him or she hadnt bothered to look their names up. Or maybe it was just the dress she was wearing. To him, it probably looked like a costume from one of his movies. The director's perfect oblivious smile widened even more and clasped her fingers, clutching them to her chest. "Well, then, Mr. Landon and Mrs. Wright, its wonderful to see you here! Welcome to Ever After! I'm sure you'll enjoy it here-" she was cut off by Amy.
"Is it always this gloomy?"
The director's smiled dimmed. "Ah, no, though dangerous times call for dangerous measures-"
"But aren't the clouds a little overkill?" Amy was stubbornly holding to her dislike of this place.
"I'm afraid that's not our fault. It's not as if we control the weather!" She laughed slightly. "Anyways, Mark and Maggie and..." the director squinted at Amy.
"Amy," Amy said.
"Amy, would you like to see your new home or would you like me to escort you around first?"
"Escort us?" asked Dad, raising his eyebrows again.
"Think of it as an orientation. I'll be showing you around the campus and affirming the importance of staying here."
Dad straighted his shoulders and looked at Mom. They both nodded. "Let's do that first, then."
"Wonderful!" The director clapped her hands. "We'll start with the courtyard." She toured us around the main segments, stopping at the training grounds, gesturing to all the buildings- well, most of them, and finally ending with the Tree of Hope. To be honest, I didn't listen to any of what she said. I was too busy thinking about what might happen when the Snow Queen started her war. After all, it was only in a month and a half, roughly speaking. My birthday.
Happy Birthday to me.
A splash from the pond snapped me out of my thoughts. I wiped away the water, smiling.
"Hi, Chatty."
"Rory! I thought you might not have come again!" Chatty swished around in the water, scales somehow gleaming off her tail even with the weather. I realized that the movements in the water were the only sound I heard.
I turned around, slightly embaressed. "Sorry."
"Oh no, it's fine. Tell us more about your friend." Dad seemed very interested.
"This is Chatty. She's a mermaid." I said, stating the obvious. "Chatty, these are my parents. And Amy." Chatty eyed them, then broke into a wide smile. "Hi, Rory's mom and dad! And Amy!" Mom couldn't help crack a grin at that.
Amy, however, was relentless.
"Sooo...were you always like this-" she gestured at her tail "or was that the cause of some quest?"
"Oh no, ma'm," Piped up Ben. He had come up near the front. Ben continued,
"She's always been a mermaid, and quite a beautiful one at that." He winked at Chatty, who blushed. "I guess you could say that her quest was a mermaid's tale." There were loud groans from behind us. I turned around, realizing that all the archers had dispersed, but my friends were still there, keeping at a safe distance in case there was any trouble.
Amy didn't seem to like that.
"She's not very nice," whispered Chatty.
"She's just not used to this kind of thing. She'll eventually get used to it." Hopefully, I added mentally.
We went on, leaving Ben to talk a bit with his merfriend.
The Director walked into the library, and the smell of paper lapped everyone in the face. My parents looked up at the countless rows stacked with books all the way to the ceiling. Some of the elves were running around providing lamps to various characters. I saw Ellie and Gretel with a small group of children.
"I suppose you came for your tale?" Rumpelstilskin came out from behind us, carrying the most current volume. He brought it to the table and started flipping pages until he came to The Tale of Rory Landon. My stomach did a backflip.
Rumplestilskin read the story aloud, and I suspected this was the whole purpose of them giving an orientation to a bunch of grown-ups who were obviously too old to have a tale.
When he finished, my parents were looking at me. Mom was crying.
"Oh, Rory..." Amy said.
I didn't really know what to do, so I just stood there awkwardly.
Rapunzel came in suddenly, then, and one look from the Director revealed that this was definitely not planned.
"Rory," Rapunzel said breathlessly. Her eyes were slightly wild.
My parents looked over. "Is this another one of your friends?" I could tell why they thought that. She didn't look much older than I did.
"Death is coming. Beware of the act. Lies will destroy reality. Despair..."
Ellie came over, her smile a little forced. "Rapunzel, I think we should go back now. You should be watching the kids outside." She corraled Rapunzel over to the door, who was still staring at us, even as she went.
"Winter is coming."
The library door slammed close with a thud, and all the candles went wild, flickering this way and that.
"What..." My mom was staring at the spot where Rapunzel used to be. I tried to explain.
"That was Rapunzel. Sometimes she can see into the future. She's one of the leaders here. She's really nice."
"Nice, but crazy," Amy muttered. "Are you sure this is a good idea, Maggie?"
Mom looked a bit uncertain, but Dad came to the rescue with one of his classic grins.
"We've seen worse. Remember the set in 1998?"
"How could I forget." Mom shook her head, turning to the Director. "Is there anything else?"
"Just your new home."
"Alright then," Dad said. "Let's go."
~•~
The Director explained how to use the orange door. She demonstrated it herself, saying that we would have enough practice on our own, then let us through. Mom and Dad gasped at the garden and the trellis, soaking in the natural beauty. They took their time walking through the garden, occasionally stopping to smell a flower or comment something about the color. We finally got to our apartment. It was the fourth one from the garden, a nice peachy color. We were in 1B, so our room was on the first floor. Though technically, I thought, it's not our room yet.
The Director was ready for an answer.
"Well, Mrs. Wright?"
Mom thought about it. She consulted Dad. She consulted Amy. Then she looked at me.
"We'll stay," she said. Maybe it was just my imagination, but I thought I saw a hint of a smile on her face.
~•~
Orientation in itself wasn't too bad, I guess. I mean, I can picture a lot worse. At least we were in, and I had a whole summer ahead of me to spend at Ever After with Chase and Lena, which wasn't terrible either. In fact, it seemed pretty good-in idea. What actually happened, THAT was bad. Trouble didn't come like a raindrop, or even just a drizzle. No. It went out as a full blown, tree-breaking thunderstorm, relentless in it's havoc. But that's another story. I'll tell you about it later.
Bwahaha cliffhanger. However I am planning on writing another story...so don't get too mad.
I loved writing this. I hope you liked reading it.
Rights go to Shelby Bach.
Rate/Review please!