Time seemed to cease completely as Virginia stood by the iron gate, watching the Swamp Witch cackle in her tomb. The vial was too much out of reach and the gate was blocking her from getting it. She didn't know how much time she had left before she wouldn't be able to resist the witch anymore and fall to the same fate Wolf had. Virginia turned back to the gate and bent down, desperately trying to reach the small bottle.
Her shoulders seemed to pull out of their sockets and her arms felt tender and sore, but she continued to try. She shifted her weight and tried the other arm, but it was useless, and the vial was no more than two inches out of reach. Virginia grunted with one final effort before pulling her arm back in and glaring at the Swamp Witch.
"Just give into it, Virginia. It's so much easier." She said gently, her gaze never leaving Virginia.
Virginia had enough. The witch in front of her had caused her so much pain over the years without her mother and then took away the only man she had ever fallen in love with. So many tears had fallen with the gruesome memories made without a mother and then learning she tried to drown her, all because of the evil woman before her. Her anger was threatening to sore to a new height as she looked at the witch.
"And then what!?" She heard herself yell. "End up like you!? Destined to be here forever, stuck beneath a swamp?" Virginia worked herself up so much, her hands were shaking slightly, but she held them at her sides to keep the Swamp Witch from seeing them.
"Oh my dear, you have no idea the power you can gain. The wealth and the respect you can achieve from those you conquer. It can all be yours. Don't you see, I'm giving it to you. I know you can handle the power, it's in your blood. The Nine Kingdoms can be yours to rule and I can give it to you right now." She stated dramatically.
Virginia was suddenly completely enthralled. The rage she had felt a few moments ago had faded away with each promising word that was spoken to her. She was again reminded of what she could really become once she agreed. The deal seemed like it was almost too good to be true, but, her mother had almost accomplished that very thing. Perhaps it was in her blood and she was to continue her mother's work and to finish what she started.
Virginia had proven that she was stronger and smarter than her mother by defeating her at the coronation, maybe she was the next to complete the task. She knew that she couldn't run from her past generations and knowing what her mother had tried to do clicked something in Virginia's mind. If she continued to fight what the witch was trying to give her, it would only become more difficult in the long run to reject something that could make her feel the way she wanted to feel all her life.
As Virginia stared down at the Swamp Witch, she suddenly realized that she had moved from the corner of the room all the way up to her tomb. The revelation startled her for a moment before she became at ease with it. The word Destiny was constantly being thrown into her face and before not too long ago, she didn't realize what that word really meant. Now, she felt as if she did.
Destiny had brought her to find her mother and led her to the Swamp Witch the first time. It had happened again and now she was asked to complete what her mother failed to do. Virginia felt an odd feeling as though she was meant to do it and it was up to her not to let her mother down.
"So child, will you join me and rule the Nine Kingdoms?" She asked as she brought her hand out and reached for Virginia's, inviting her. When Virginia didn't move and only stared at the outstretched hand, she continued. "Remember what can become of you and your son. Think of every thing that will be yours." She said sweetly like an old grandmother giving their grandchild a piece of candy. "It's Destiny."
Virginia had been thinking of destiny for a while and what it meant to her, but as the Swamp Witch said it, Virginia had a suddenly flash and her eyes closed as she winced. She was suddenly sitting in a large dining hall, food and people were scattered everywhere and her father was sitting proudly across from her, and everyone was celebrating and talking joyously. The scene was so familiar, but she strangely had a hard time remembering it, like it was part of her life but was taken from her.
A voice spoke suddenly next to her and she turned her head to find it. It was Wolf smiling at her and stating simply, "It's destiny." before slipping the pearl ring onto her finger. The flash ended and Virginia found herself back in the Swamp Witch's tomb, staring down at the hand and then back at her. Virginia backed away, this wasn't the destiny she was meant to live.
Virginia was there to save Wolf from what the witch had done to him, not to give into her fake promises of grandeur. Wolf's promise to her was real, it was love. He and their baby was her destiny, her future, not to give it all up to end like the Swamp Witch or her own mother. Virginia felt sick at what she had almost done to herself and everyone else she cared about.
"Come my dear Virginia." The Swamp Witch said sensing Virginia's sudden change.
Virginia walked back over to the rusted gate and started to yank on the bars in hopes of breaking the latch. As she looked at it, she realized that it had been welded together, melted into a heap of twisted metal. She bent back down to the floor and tried to reach the vial, but with little avail. Suddenly thinking of something, she sat down on the floor and took off her shoe, scolding herself for not thinking of it sooner.
She placed the shoe in her right hand and pushed it through the bars. Using it like a hook, she used the lip of the shoe to bring the vial over to her. It wavered at first, threatening to roll away again, but as she pushed on it harder, it slid over without another fight. Once it was closer in reach, she stuck her other arm through and pulled it up.
Virginia held the small vial tightly in her hand as she put her shoe back on haphazardly. She walked over to the Swamp Witch, a grin on her face. The witch's on the other hand, was repulsed and worried, her eyes were darting around and trying to find a way to stop her.
"What are you doing my dear?" The Swamp Witch asked trying to stall.
"Paying you back for everything you've done to me." She jerked the cork off the top of the vial and held it over the Swamp Witch. Virginia stared down at the broken woman before her. This was the woman that had dreams of power and lost them. She had to dance in the red hot slippers like she had almost had to do. The witch took her mother from her and make her the evil creature that met Virginia again years later and didn't even remember her. She also killed the man she loved and threatened to take her own free will. And so, Virginia felt no remorse as she took a breath and poured the contents out of the vial.
Her shoulders seemed to pull out of their sockets and her arms felt tender and sore, but she continued to try. She shifted her weight and tried the other arm, but it was useless, and the vial was no more than two inches out of reach. Virginia grunted with one final effort before pulling her arm back in and glaring at the Swamp Witch.
"Just give into it, Virginia. It's so much easier." She said gently, her gaze never leaving Virginia.
Virginia had enough. The witch in front of her had caused her so much pain over the years without her mother and then took away the only man she had ever fallen in love with. So many tears had fallen with the gruesome memories made without a mother and then learning she tried to drown her, all because of the evil woman before her. Her anger was threatening to sore to a new height as she looked at the witch.
"And then what!?" She heard herself yell. "End up like you!? Destined to be here forever, stuck beneath a swamp?" Virginia worked herself up so much, her hands were shaking slightly, but she held them at her sides to keep the Swamp Witch from seeing them.
"Oh my dear, you have no idea the power you can gain. The wealth and the respect you can achieve from those you conquer. It can all be yours. Don't you see, I'm giving it to you. I know you can handle the power, it's in your blood. The Nine Kingdoms can be yours to rule and I can give it to you right now." She stated dramatically.
Virginia was suddenly completely enthralled. The rage she had felt a few moments ago had faded away with each promising word that was spoken to her. She was again reminded of what she could really become once she agreed. The deal seemed like it was almost too good to be true, but, her mother had almost accomplished that very thing. Perhaps it was in her blood and she was to continue her mother's work and to finish what she started.
Virginia had proven that she was stronger and smarter than her mother by defeating her at the coronation, maybe she was the next to complete the task. She knew that she couldn't run from her past generations and knowing what her mother had tried to do clicked something in Virginia's mind. If she continued to fight what the witch was trying to give her, it would only become more difficult in the long run to reject something that could make her feel the way she wanted to feel all her life.
As Virginia stared down at the Swamp Witch, she suddenly realized that she had moved from the corner of the room all the way up to her tomb. The revelation startled her for a moment before she became at ease with it. The word Destiny was constantly being thrown into her face and before not too long ago, she didn't realize what that word really meant. Now, she felt as if she did.
Destiny had brought her to find her mother and led her to the Swamp Witch the first time. It had happened again and now she was asked to complete what her mother failed to do. Virginia felt an odd feeling as though she was meant to do it and it was up to her not to let her mother down.
"So child, will you join me and rule the Nine Kingdoms?" She asked as she brought her hand out and reached for Virginia's, inviting her. When Virginia didn't move and only stared at the outstretched hand, she continued. "Remember what can become of you and your son. Think of every thing that will be yours." She said sweetly like an old grandmother giving their grandchild a piece of candy. "It's Destiny."
Virginia had been thinking of destiny for a while and what it meant to her, but as the Swamp Witch said it, Virginia had a suddenly flash and her eyes closed as she winced. She was suddenly sitting in a large dining hall, food and people were scattered everywhere and her father was sitting proudly across from her, and everyone was celebrating and talking joyously. The scene was so familiar, but she strangely had a hard time remembering it, like it was part of her life but was taken from her.
A voice spoke suddenly next to her and she turned her head to find it. It was Wolf smiling at her and stating simply, "It's destiny." before slipping the pearl ring onto her finger. The flash ended and Virginia found herself back in the Swamp Witch's tomb, staring down at the hand and then back at her. Virginia backed away, this wasn't the destiny she was meant to live.
Virginia was there to save Wolf from what the witch had done to him, not to give into her fake promises of grandeur. Wolf's promise to her was real, it was love. He and their baby was her destiny, her future, not to give it all up to end like the Swamp Witch or her own mother. Virginia felt sick at what she had almost done to herself and everyone else she cared about.
"Come my dear Virginia." The Swamp Witch said sensing Virginia's sudden change.
Virginia walked back over to the rusted gate and started to yank on the bars in hopes of breaking the latch. As she looked at it, she realized that it had been welded together, melted into a heap of twisted metal. She bent back down to the floor and tried to reach the vial, but with little avail. Suddenly thinking of something, she sat down on the floor and took off her shoe, scolding herself for not thinking of it sooner.
She placed the shoe in her right hand and pushed it through the bars. Using it like a hook, she used the lip of the shoe to bring the vial over to her. It wavered at first, threatening to roll away again, but as she pushed on it harder, it slid over without another fight. Once it was closer in reach, she stuck her other arm through and pulled it up.
Virginia held the small vial tightly in her hand as she put her shoe back on haphazardly. She walked over to the Swamp Witch, a grin on her face. The witch's on the other hand, was repulsed and worried, her eyes were darting around and trying to find a way to stop her.
"What are you doing my dear?" The Swamp Witch asked trying to stall.
"Paying you back for everything you've done to me." She jerked the cork off the top of the vial and held it over the Swamp Witch. Virginia stared down at the broken woman before her. This was the woman that had dreams of power and lost them. She had to dance in the red hot slippers like she had almost had to do. The witch took her mother from her and make her the evil creature that met Virginia again years later and didn't even remember her. She also killed the man she loved and threatened to take her own free will. And so, Virginia felt no remorse as she took a breath and poured the contents out of the vial.