Rope

Prompt: Noose

Lena found herself somewhere wide open, crouched in a defensive stance. Wind blew around her, rustling the grass below her and pushing her hair into her eyes. Her heart pounded so loudly in her chest that she could hardly hear anything else. She seemed to be utterly alone, but she couldn't shake the feeling that someone else was there.

"Lena…"

Lena whirled around, trying to find the source of the sound. It had been quiet, so quiet, as if had been floating on the breeze. Maybe it had just been the wind whistling as it made its way through the trees. Yeah, that made sense. Especially with the pounding in her ears-so loud now that she could feel it-there was no way that anyone had actually-

"Lena…"

Lena whirled around again. She still couldn't see anyone-or anything-that could have made the sound.

"Where-where are you?" Lena said, voice cracking. "What do you want?"

"You've failed me, Lena," the voice said, more defined now.

"Who-" Lena swallowed. "Who are you?"

"I asked for one simple favor…." A shape began to take form, floating above the trees.

"No," Lena said, eyes widening.

"My only family…"

Lena turned around and began to run, but the shape was there, too, solidifying into something terrifyingly familiar.

"Was being free from my prison really too much to ask?"

"Leave me alone!" Lena yelled. She turned to the right and kept running, but Magica was still there, floating just above her line of vision. Lena reached for the amulet she wore around her neck, but it wasn't there.

"No, I don't think so," Magica said. She raised her staff and shot a bolt of magic right into Lena's path, where it burst into flames. Lena changed directions once again, and this time Magica finally stayed put behind her.

"All I wanted was revenge." Magica shot another bolt of magic with a zap. Lena turned sharply to the left. "Revenge for fifteen long years stuck as a shadow."

Lena looked behind her; Magica wasn't getting any farther away.

"I had it all. The money bin." Zap. "The dime." Zap. "An entire shadow army." Zap. "And I was so close to getting those annoying brats you still think are your friends." Magica shot one last bolt of magic, and Lena found herself trapped in a circle of purple flames.

Magica floated down so that she was mere inches from the ground. She leaned in close to Lena, who fell to the ground in a mad scramble to stay out of her reach.

"Do you know what happens when people double-cross me?"

Lena found herself frozen in fear, unable to answer.

Magica wordlessly pulled out a piece of rope. The end was looped over itself and tied in an elaborate knot. Living for fifteen years with Magica De Spell as her shadow had taught her a lot about killing people, and hanging had been one of her prefered daydreams regarding Scrooge McDuck.

"No! Please! I'm sorry!" Lena said.

Magica stroked the rope with a fingernail. "I never thought I'd use this on my own shadow," she mused. "But at least I get to use it on somebody."

Magica lunged out at Lena. Lena threw her arms over her face and shut her eyes. She felt the rope land around her neck and held her breath, waiting for it to tighten…

"Lena! Lena, wake up!"

And suddenly Lena was back in her bedroom.

She sat up and got to her knees. She felt mattress underneath her and ran her hands up her body, making sure everything was real. She gently pressed her palms around her throat, trying to erase the lingering feeling of the rope.

"Are you ok?" Webby was asking next to the bed. "I could hear you from next door."

Lena took a deep breath. "Yeah. Yeah, I'm fine."

"Are you sure?" Webby asked. "Because if you're not, I could stay here the rest of the night, or you could come to my room."

Lena gave Webby a shaky smile. "I think I'd like that."

"Awesome!" Webby shouted, and then immediately clamped her hands over her beak because it was-Lena checked her alarm clock-3:30 in the morning.

"It'll be like a sleepover!" Webby said, much more quietly now. "We can braid each other's hair, and gossip about boys-"

"What boys?" Lena asked. "All we have are those dorky triplets who live down the hall. Not a lot to gossip about there."

"We could talk about the Beagle Boys. Or Flintheart Glomgold. Or Arpin Lusene. Or John D. Rockerduck. Or-"

Lena laughed. "Ok, ok." She affected a British accent. "Shall we be off, Englabeth?"

"Oh, indubitably, Brittania." Webby took Lena by the hand, and together they went to Webby's room, where they would set up the spare sleeping bag Webby had for whatever reason (Lena had never asked) and they would stay up and chat about Mr. McDuck's enemies and whatever else came to mind until Lena could fall back asleep.

Yeah. This family was definitely an upgrade from the old one.

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