So I am actually on time this week! Yay! On the down side this chapter is very short… sorry 'bout that. I am over loaded at the moment with school and play practice and all of my teachers seem to think it is a good idea to give great big tests all on the same short week! So yeah…

Girl Talk

I'm just wondering if I am still going to visit the real world if Jaz isn't there. Maybe that star place again? I didn't go to the real world last time, and as far as I can suppose that's when Jaz came so… but I'm not getting anything.

I look around and it has surely been long enough, but… nothing, it's still all black. I don't even get the stars, its just strangely black, the kind of black like in your dreams. I can see myself and I feel like it is well lit but I have nothing to reference it against because I am still surrounded by this pitch black.

I suddenly realize that I am standing. Shut up! In a place like this I am amazed I can even figure out I am right side up.

So what else can I do? I start walking.

Whatever light there is seems to be at least coming with me.

I walk boredly for what could be anywhere between a few feet to a few hundred meters. Slowly, I begin to notice a pinkish light in the distance. At first I don't even notice it, I'm just so used to all the black, but soon it becomes prominent.

I break into a jog.

The pink light begins to take a decidedly tower shape, well this is sure new. I get this wonderful rush, a feeling just like when I was walking to find the puppet master, the feeling that I wasn't quite supposed to be there. I break into a dead sprint before the curse can try to take it away. No matter how fast I run though the tower gets no closer than that. I start to get frustrated, I feel like I am running on a treadmill. Like not matter how fast I run, there is something stopping me from going any farther.

Experimentally I stop and start moving backwards.

Well there! I can tell it's getting farther away when I do that! Stupid, cursed…

I change directions again and move forwards this time until it stops moving again. I stand still and reach my hand forward, stretching as far as I can. Now that my feet are not moving I can feel a force trying to push them back as I push forwards. I dig my heels in and lean forward. Whatever it is, it is definitely stopping me from moving forwards.

I growl in frustration and glare at the unseen barrier. Well, isn't that just bloody great. I cross my arms, shamelessly pouting.

"Elle!"

I hear my name in the distance.

"Jaz!" I shout, recognizing the speaker. I spin this way and that looking for her.

There! I run away from the tower and towards the bobbing yellow head of my friend. "Jaz! I found you!" I say rushing to hug her before I can remember that I am going to yell at her.

"We came to save you!" Jaz says proudly. Hugging me back.

I frown. Right…

"Jaz!" I wave my arms exasperatedly, "what in the two worlds possessed you to follow me into this bloody place!"

Jaz doesn't even waver, she's used to my dramatics.

"We came to save you," she repeats with a smile.

"Look…" I try to put this gently, "At the moment, you being here is just giving me one more person to worry about getting out of here." Jaz's hair starts to darken to a bluish color. I should probably explain about the hair. Jaz's hair is a natural mood meter. When she was little her older brother screwed up a potion, then dared her to drink it. Stupid yes, but not dangerous at least. Anyway, that's what she got stuck with. I'm convinced it is part of how she grew into such an open person.

"No, no," she presses, "the professor guessed that if we casted the curse again it might reset it again, and if it didn't then you and Donovan could like… hop out with us on our coattails! Which is how he put it, which is a rather silly way to put it I'd think but I suppose it makes sense at least. I-"

"The professor is crazy!," I interrupt before she can get too far, if given the opportunity she can talk for hours on end. "You couldn't tell?"

"Well… but…" she starts playing with her hair, nervous habit.

"I already talked with Albeirt-"

"You know the professor on a first name basis?" she says in confusion.

"Eww… no, the puppet- the guy controlling this whole mess," I amend quickly.

"Oh, then he can just let us all out!" Jaz says, her hair returning to the cheery yellow.

"Not quite," I realize I am doing an awful job explaining this. I return to the beginging and quickly tell her all about Adele and befriending Donovan and trying to set them up (she looks a little betrayed here, but quickly forgets about it) then mixing in Albeirt to the whole mess. In a surprisingly short time I have summarized my entire horrible experience. "-and I can't just leave them here," I finish.

"Well, you have to save them then!" Jaz says wide eyed.

"Which is why I need you and your prince to get out of here," I say, finally coming to my point.

"But…" but just then she begins fading from view, "I'll have to argue you out of this ridiculous mind set in the fairy tale," she glares playfully at me.

I roll my eyes but can't help but grin too. It's so nice to have Jaz back.

Wait! Curses, I forgot to ask who her prince was! Ah well, I'll find out soon.

I will bet you anything you cannot guess what the next fairy tale will be. I had the hardest time trying to think of ANY fairy tales that had two princesses who BOTH get a guy, so I had to get creative and use an writer very near and dear to my heart.