Happy Easter everyone! :) Here's my Easter gift to you! Another chapter! Yay! Thank you all again for the wonderful reviews!
Chapter 11
As soon as the next tale started, I knew something was off. I wasn't standing on the ground for one thing. I was several feet in the air, hovering. For another thing, I didn't feel entirely solid. It was like I was a ghost or something, not completely there. The room I was in was crowded with people, but none of them seemed to be able to see me. I confirmed that when a portly old man walked right through me.
From what I saw, there were two kings present. A queen was holding a baby girl and there was a young boy standing next to one of the kings. The crowd was in high spirits so it was obviously a celebration.
I wasn't sure how to move, so I tentatively took a few steps as if I were walking. Nothing happened. It was like walking on a treadmill. I could walk all I wanted but I wouldn't go anywhere. It took me several more tries, but I finally figured out that I had to lean in the direction that I wanted to go. It was a strange feeling but I'd go with it for now.
When I got closer, I overheard one of the kings call the boy, Phillip and the baby Aurora. Great, so I was in Sleeping Beauty. I groaned when I realized that meant that Alfie was going to have to kiss me to wake me from another sleeping spell.
"Speaking of Alfie. Where is he?" I spun on the spot, scanning the crowd for any sign of a ghost boy. I wasn't even sure if I'd be able to see him or not. Hopefully I wouldn't have to. Never mind, he was there, waving me down. I sighed and floated toward him.
"Alfie."
"Hello!" He greeted cheerfully. "Say, how do you move like that? I can't move at all." To prove his point he attempted to walk, but of course, he couldn't move.
I scoffed at his attempt. I was very tempted to not tell him, but he looked so lost that I had to. Once I did, his eyes lit up and he made a few circles around me, getting used to the feeling.
"Thank you . . ." He let the sentence trail off.
"Taryn." I supplied.
"Well I thank you, Taryn. Now, where are we?" He asked in that accent of his.
"Sleeping Beauty. This is the castle. If I'm right, Maleficent will be here soon." I told him.
"What are you talking about? Where are we, really?" He asked again.
"You mean you don't know?" He shook his head and I sighed. "Seriously, Isis?" I muttered angrily and then turned back to Alfie. "Okay, look. You're inside a curse that was placed on me. My original 'prince' was taken away and you've replaced him. I have no idea why the witch picked you, but we'll have to deal with what we've got. Our goal is to make it through each tale without killing ourselves. Now, until I figure out if this is the original version or the Disney . . . oh, Lord, let it be the Disney version." I prayed, suddenly remembering how the original version went.
"In the original version doesn't Briar Rose get-"
"Yes." I cut him off, not even wanting to think of the possibility. I was starting to work myself up into a panic again. I wished desperately that August was here. He would have something to say that would help calm me down. Even his presence would help right now. "If this is the original version, we are finding another way out because there is no way I'm going through that." I said firmly.
"Right . . . so what do we do now?"
I shrugged. "I have no idea. I guess we just watch this part play out and then we'll assume the roles of Aurora and Phillip. You've seen Sleeping Beauty right?"
He nodded reluctantly. "Unfortunately yes, my little sister loves the movie. I have seen it more times than I would care to admit."
"Good. Just stick as close to the storyline as possible and everything should work out fine." I said.
"Are you saying that I will have to fight off a dragon?" His eyes were wide. I nodded slowly, giving him a skeptical look. "I can't fight a dragon! I'll die!"
I rolled my eyes. "I'm sure Isis will take pity on you and keep you alive since this is your first tale. Just remember, Prince Phillip defeated the dragon, so you will too."
Before Alfie could reply, a cloud of purple smoke appeared in the center of the room. A woman appeared as the smoke cleared. She was tall and dressed in a tight black dress that cut off in the front at the thighs and traveled all the way down to the ground in the back. She also wore black, leather leggings and the tallest black heels I'd ever seen.
"Stephan!" She greeted in a cold tone.
I wasn't that surprised when she looked just like the witch from Snow-White and the step-mother from Cinderella. Her blonde hair was pulled into a ponytail that fell down her back, and she had on enough make-up for two people.
"Maleficent!" The crowd gasped in terror and took several steps back in one fluid motion.
"I was disappointed when I didn't receive my invitation to the party." She said casually, making her way, slowly up to the kings. "The birth of your daughter is a cause for the whole of your kingdom to celebrate, is it not?"
"You are not a part of this kingdom, Maleficent. You have been banished. I could have you hung for stepping foot inside this castle again." Stephan said threateningly, stepping in front of his wife and daughter protectively.
"Please," Maleficent laughed. "Do not patronize me. We both know you cannot defeat me."
"If the king can't beat her, there's no way I can!" Alfie whispered urgently to me. I shushed him with a wave of my hand. I wanted to hear what was happening.
"Why are you here?" The king demanded.
"Why, I simply wanted to give your daughter a gift, just like every other person in this room." She said sweetly.
"We will accept no gifts from you." He said firmly.
"We shall see about that. The child will indeed grow in grace and beauty. She'll be the most beautiful in the land and her voice will be unlike any ever heard. However, on her sixteenth birthday, before the day is done, she will prick her finger on the spindle of a spinning-wheel and die!"
The crowd went into an uproar. Both kings shouted for their men to arrest her and she disappeared in another cloud of smoke. Then the third fairy, what was her name, Merriweather, gave her gift, promising that the child would not die but merely sleep until true love's kiss could break the spell.
After everyone had left, the king ordered every spinning-wheel be burned. He and his wife watched as the massive fire was built with every spinning-wheel in the kingdom.
The world started to fade and I quickly turned to Alfie. "Stick to the script! Got it? Stick to the script and we'll be out of here by the end of the night!" He nodded once before everything went black.
I was in a concrete room like a cell. No doors, no windows. I thought I was alone until I saw a person standing in one of the corners. It only took me a second to realize that it was August. My heart soared as I ran to him, calling out his name.
When he turned around, I stopped short. It wasn't August. It was Isis. At least, they were Isis' piercing blue eyes. Which I have to say was weird to see on August's body.
"Stay there, Taryn. Don't come any closer." She warned.
"What have you done to him!?" I screamed at her, hot tears once more stinging the corners of my eyes.
"I still have him with me. However, if you even attempt to find him . . . well." She let out a chuckle as her eyes disappeared, allowing me to see those deep green eyes I'd missed so much.
"Taryn," He smiled.
I started forward but was suddenly stopped by an invisible wall. I frowned in confusion and tried to push my way through but I couldn't budge it.
"I warned you, Taryn. Now you must suffer the consequences." Isis laughed as an un-seen force started chocking August. His eyes grew wide with fear and his hands went to his throat but there was nothing there to peel away.
"STOP IT!" I screamed, hot tears coursing down my cheeks as I watched August get strangled, completely helpless. "STOP! DON'T DO THIS! STOP!" Isis' laughter grew louder as I continued to scream.
August gave me one last long, desperate look before falling over . . . dead. My screams ceased but the tears flowed on. The invisible wall disappeared and I crawled towards his crumpled body. I carefully lifted his head to rest on my lap.
"This is the fate that awaits you both if you attempt to find one another. I would advise leaving well-enough alone."
I didn't respond. I couldn't do anything but stare horrified at the lifeless body of August.
"Aurora!" Someone was shaking me. "Aurora, darling, wake up!" My eyes shot open and I bolted up, wildly looking around. I was covered in sweat, my damp hair sticking to my face. My clothes clinging to my body. I took a deep breath when I saw three very concerned faces staring down at me. "It's alright, dear. It was only a nightmare." One of them soothed.
I guessed they were the three fairies, which meant that, thankfully, we were in the Disney version. All three of them were dressed in the same, simple peasants dress. The only difference was that one was red, one green and the other blue. I did my best to remember all of their names. Flora, Fauna, and Merriweather, I think.
"I need some air." I said suddenly, jumping from the bed and racing out the door of the small house in the woods. It was ironic. The last time I'd said that, I'd been attacked by flying monkeys and injected with poison. This time however, the woods seemed perfectly still.
I ran, not caring where I was going. The image of August's dead body was seared in my brain. I wasn't sure if I was trying to outrun the images or simply hide myself away where no one could find me.
I eventually ran out of breath and had to stop. I sank to the ground, my back against a large oak. I buried my head in my hands but I refused to let the tears fall. After crying once, it was so hard to shut off the tears again. Especially whenever I thought about August and what Isis was going to do to him if we found each other. But I was determined to keep them at bay.
Something fell out of the dress pocket when I leaned back against tree. I looked down to find August's iPod. The one I had found at the end of Beauty and Beast. With a shaking hand, I reached down to pick it up. I wasn't sure how I felt about it. This stupid thing was the reason we were here in the first place. If I hadn't hidden it from August that day, my dad would never have blown up in my face and I would never have run away. On the other hand, if we hadn't ended up in the curse, I would have let August slip through my fingers without ever realizing how much he really meant to me. I would have spent my entire life hating him. I once again wondered why this small device was so important to him.
After a while of sitting there in silence, I decided to listen to some of August's music. Maybe it would help to take my mind off of some things. Slipping the headphones into my ears, I turned it on. I frowned in confusion when there was only one playlist and it only contained two songs. Nothing else was on there.
Curiously, I hit play on the first one and instantly, tears sprang to my eyes. It wasn't a song, but a message from his mother.
"My darling August, please know that I never wanted to give you up. After your father died, there was no way that I could possibly support us both. Believe me. I made sure that the people I gave you to were the best of the best. I would never give my little boy away to just anyway.
You'll probably grow up hating me for my decision, but know that it is my intention to come back for you as soon as I know I'll be able to support us both. Until then, just remember that I love you and I always will."
I looked at the date of the recording, 1996. She'd given the recording to him on the day she gave him up. August was one. My heart ached for him. Why had she never returned for him? Was she even still alive? That's probably why August was so intent on leaving that day. He'd wanted to start his search for his mother.
My hands were shaking worse than ever now as I hit play on the next one. This time, I couldn't keep the tears at bay. It was another recording, but it was one he had made . . . of us. It was during the last tale. We were lying on our backs on one of the many balconies in the beast's castle, gazing up at the millions of stars overhead. I watched the scene play out in my head as I listened to it, hot tears running down my cheeks.
"I wonder what it's like up there, among all those stars." I wondered aloud.
"Probably not very pleasant. Stars are really just big balls of gas. I bet it reeks up there." He teased.
"Ah man! Way to ruin that image for me!" I tried to sound upset but I couldn't conceal my laughter.
August laughed and slipped his hands beneath his head.
"What I meant . . ." I started with a smirk in his direction and then turned my attention back to the stars. "is that there are no boundaries up there. Nothing to hold you back or tell you no. I like to imagine what it would be like to be completely free like that." I turned to find him staring at me with those intense green eyes. Without meaning to, I would get lost whenever I stared into them.
"I say we find out together." He said.
"What do you mean?"
"Once we're out of this curse, let's see what this big ole' world has to offer. We'll play by own rules, go where we want to go, do what we want to do."
"That sounds amazing!" I laughed. "But what makes you so sure that we'll be able to find a way out of here?"
"We've got each other. That's all we need."
The recording stopped and I couldn't breathe. I had to find him, no matter what the consequences. I'd find a way to keep him alive. All I knew was that I had to be with him, no matter how brief the time.
I stayed there the rest of the day, doing my best to come up with some sort of plan, but nothing came to me. A few hours later, I gave up and headed back for the cottage. Maybe if I appeased my growling stomach, I'd be able to think better.
My mind was still reeling on the way there, but I was jerked out of my thoughts by the sound of a high-pitched screaming. I turned to look and found Alfie riding towards me on a beautiful white horse.
"Whoa, horsey!" He shouted helplessly at it, but it only surged on faster.
I rolled my eyes at him. Did he seriously not even know how to ride a horse? He wasn't going to last long in this curse. The next thing happened so quickly that I wasn't even sure how I did it. My mind shut down when I realized that I had to help, and I acted on impulse. I somehow managed to grab ahold of the saddle and vault myself up onto the horse behind Alfie as they were passing by.
I sat there shocked for a moment. I hadn't even known I could do that. Although part of me knew that once again the curse was messing with my abilities and mind, it still felt good.
"Taryn!" Alfie shouted. "What are you doing?"
"Shut up, Alfie. You're screaming is only going to frighten the horse more." I whispered urgently into his ear.
He nodded his head vigorously but that of course set him off balance and he almost fell off the horse so he had to stop. I just shook my head at him and reached around his slim waist to grab ahold of the reins. I knew pulling back wouldn't stop him, not when he was like this, so I'd have to do something else.
"Hold on." I told Alfie before turning the horse in a circle. At first, he was going too fast to make a very tight circle, but as I continued the pressure, the circles got tighter until we were finally at a standstill.
I slid Alfie off the saddle before me and I scooted up into the saddle. Alfie could barely stand he was so dizzy. "Don't ever do that again!" He said.
I snickered at him as he staggered around. He looked drunk. "How'd you get so dizzy, Alfie? Most of the circles were so big, there was no way you could have gotten dizzy."
"I have a whacked-up vestibular system." He told me.
I gave him a funny look. "You have a whacked-up what now?"
"Vestibular system." He said as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. When I gave him nothing but a blank look, he sighed and shook his head. "Forget it."
I shrugged and slid off the horse. "Here." I said, dropping the reins into his hand. As soon as I did, he tensed up, causing the horse to tense again. "Just stay calm and the horse will be calm." I said to no avail.
"Horses and I have never really gotten along." He admitted nervously.
"Well you had better learn how to handle one because you're going to be around them a lot when you're in here." He groaned. "Come on, let's get this thing going."
"We have to dance, don't we?" He shuddered. "And sing."
"No, no. Not going to happen. There is no way I am dancing and singing with you." I said firmly. As if to prove me wrong, the instrumental music to "Once Upon a Dream" started playing. "Oh, come on!"
"Come on, Taryn. Just one dance." Alfie said, reaching out his hand for mine.
"No." I sounded like a spoiled child but I didn't care. There was no way I was dancing with him. I crossed my arms over my chest and glared at him.
Alfie just laughed at my antics. "Don't be like this, Taryn. Besides, it's what the curse wants. Just one dance won't kill you."
"Fine," I finally relented, reaching out my hand to place in his. "But I refuse to sing."
Alfie laughed. "Fair enough."
It was more than a little awkward, dancing with Alfie. I'd found out that I wasn't a terrible dancer in the last tale when August and I had danced, but Alfie was just awful. The boy had two left feet. Not only that but dancing in the forest was no easy task. There were trees to dodge and holes in the ground to avoid. Needless to say, it was not my most graceful dance.
The curse finally gave up and added the vocals from the movie and I smirked in satisfaction. Half-way through the song however, the smirk disappeared. My brow became beaded with sweat and my breathing was shallow. I must have looked pretty bad because Alfie quit dancing and let me go.
I closed my eyes and leaned up against the trunk of a nearby tree. The pain had flared up again. I focused only on taking each breath for a moment as the pain settled back down again but it left me feeling completely drained. I had little to no energy left.
"You don't look very healthy. Perhaps you should lie down." Alfie suggested.
I shook my head. "No. We have to keep this curse moving. I have to find August." I listened for the song to end and then gently stepped away from the tree to support myself. "Head back to the castle. I'll be there tonight. With any luck, we'll be in the next curse by tomorrow morning."
Alfie nodded and gave me one more concerned glance before turning and jogging back towards his horse.
I took one last deep breath and then slowly made my way back to the small cottage.
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