My fourth chapter, now to the goods. That is all I will say, read on
fearless adventurer (te he)
Garden
By: Catty Engles
Mickey stepped cautiously; the advancing evening enveloped the garden in a muffling darkness. Mickey, who had never been troubled by the dark, felt suffocated as he walked. The night pressed on his lungs as the moon lethargically glided higher in the sky. If Mickey had been more observant he would have noticed the wind had stopped, completely, nothing was heard rustling only the soft crunch of his friend's feet as they plodded along the gravel path towards the garden.
Mickey's eyes narrowed, the garden seemed to be encased in a cloud of mist. Mickey plucked at his gray sweatshirt nervously, his hand brushed the crown insignia on his chest and he let his hand fall to his side.
Donald and Goofy moved steadily towards the garden. Goofy shifted uncomfortably, no one had talked since they departed from the gates.
Then something happened that was quick but not painless.
Mickey's hand shot to his chest. A cold that had never been there before clutched at him, he doubled up gasping as the cold searched him. The moments were drawn into hours as the encompassing pain slowly advanced through his breast. A quick searing ache in his heart told him that cold had found what Mickey had desperately hoped it wasn't looking for. An invisible hand constricted on his heart. Mickey's eyes jerked open as the hand began to pull. The hand drew his heart towards itself, towards darkness. The pain was too great, Mickey's knees gave way and he collapsed. Then a golden flash blazed across Mickey's failing vision, he reached for it. Unexpectedly the invisible hand stopped it, the cold fled, and Mickey was rid of the pain.
Before he could rejoice his bleary eyes caught sight of Donald and Goofy. Both were lying prone on the ground and both were pulsing with a strange light, Donald's a bright fiery red and Goofy's a light forest green. Without knowing what else to do Mickey flung himself at them as a strangled cry escaped his throat, "NO!"
Goofy's light began to fade and Donald's soon followed. Mickey clutched their arms willing them to feel the cold recede as he had. Instead of the lessening of cold, it intensified but not in Donald or Goofy. Mickey crouched as the cold welled in him once more. This time targeting his heart with greater sureness and swiftness almost as if its strength had been. doubled. His heart had been found; Mickey suffered the ache again. He braced himself for the awful pulling. This time the cold had barely touched his heart when the gold blazed twice. The cold retreated reluctantly and after a moment Mickey stood. His friends were still breathing and glowing their respective colors.
Mickey fought down his panic. This was not the time to act the fool. He knelt between them and placed a hand on their breasts where their hearts should be. Mickey was relieved to hear them still beating. Their flesh grew warmer under his hands and as he removed them they both opened their eyes and sat up.
The last of their glow faded and they looked normal again except for the identical expression of confusion, admiration, and something that looked like dread. They both flung themselves at him crying at the same time, "You saved me!"
"He saved you?" they both said.
"Then how did he save me?" Still synchronized.
Mickey had to laugh. Their faces were contorted into looks he had never seen. Mickey stood and offered each a hand.
"I think we should go up to the palace. I don't want to go exploring anymore." Mickey turned towards the path that led to the palace. He blinked and rubbed at his eyes. The fog had switched places. Now it was blocking their path back and the garden was no longer obscured.
"That's odd, oh well c'mon guys!" Mickey moved towards the palace.
"No." Donald and Goofy chorused. They looked at Mickey sternly.
"The cold." Goofy's mouth continued to move but no words came. He plunged his hands into his pockets and looked to Donald for assistance.
"Mickey," Donald pleaded, "No.it will- try- again, let's go to the garden"
Goofy nodded vigorously and Mickey hesitated but only momentarily.
"Okay." .
Donald trudged toward the garden, Goofy close behind. Mickey shrugged and caught up with the pair as they entered the garden under a stone arch. As they walked Mickey couldn't help but think that they had just been tested. And he at least had proved worthy.
***
Minnie had trailed behind Daisy for almost a quarter hour. She finally voiced what she had expected from the beginning, "Do you really know where you're going, Daisy?"
Daisy turned around looking sheepish. "I thought I did."
Minnie sighed. She took stock of their surroundings. The castle was behind them and the garden should be. but what was that? There was a thick fog barring the way into the garden. "Look Daisy." Minnie pointed ahead.
"The garden!" Daisy's spirits lifted and she took off running, "Race you, Min!"
Minnie dashed after Daisy hanging on to at her powder blue dress as it whirled around her legs. Daisy stopped ten feet from the garden and collapsed. Daisy's fall was muffled by the grass. Her body crumpled like a rag doll, bent in ways that were unnatural.
Minnie rushed to Daisy managing to kneel beside her before the cold entered her too. The pure cold forced itself through Minnie's veins centering around her heart. Minnie shuddered; her whole body went numb. She collapsed next to Daisy dimly aware of touching her arm. The ache was supreme. Minnie's heart was being pulled from her breast. If she could have she would have screamed. The ache consumed her senses. She began to forget things, slowly becoming unconscious of life, the cold was all there was and ever would be. She knew that now only if she would accept it she could be consumed by the cold. The cold was beginning to smother her mind and she forgot why she was fighting, why was she struggling against something that was inevitable, something that would stop the horrible ache? Then a blast of black light pushed back the cold.
Not this one.
Minnie was dimly aware of herself being pulled from a long distance back to reality. Her senses came roaring back. She must have passed out, but her heart? She grabbed at her chest, it beat, not strong, but it beat. She gasped and rolled over to look at Daisy. The duck was unconscious but still breathing. Minnie cried out as she saw Daisy basked in a dim lilac glow. She looked at her own body and barely caught a trace of a deep blue- violet.
Daisy moaned softly and clutched weakly at her heart where the last of the lilac light was centered. Minnie waited, hovering over her friend feeling helpless. Daisy finally opened her eyes. Minnie hugged Daisy tightly and Daisy hugged her back. Both had to fight tears not wanting to scare the other.
Minnie had her back to the garden and when she looked behind Daisy-, "The mist!" Daisy swiveled her head to look at the fickle fog.
"Oh no." Daisy said in a soft whisper.
"What?" Daisy remained silent, "Oh Daisy, please don't, what is it?" Minnie was becoming frantic.
Daisy tried to smile reassuringly but failed. "We're going to have to go into the garden." Minnie knew she couldn't argue with Daisy's look. Her tone of voice was resigned and regretful but full of knowledge. Minnie regarded her friend, she didn't look different, the cold must have affected her. Minnie shivered and turned toward the shrubs. She had forgotten the maze. It was terrifyingly spectacular. The maze was huge, taking up at least half the gardens. A thin tendril of mist floated from the maze entrance.
Daisy stood. She refused Minnie's offers of help and started to follow the mist.
***
I love cliff hangers but I bet you don't! Please review, maybe just to tell me that you've read the story, anything I have no reviews!!! Am I just writing this for myself? I sure hope not, that is why it is on an Internet site! If you are wondering you aren't supposed to know what "the cold" is.
Garden
By: Catty Engles
Mickey stepped cautiously; the advancing evening enveloped the garden in a muffling darkness. Mickey, who had never been troubled by the dark, felt suffocated as he walked. The night pressed on his lungs as the moon lethargically glided higher in the sky. If Mickey had been more observant he would have noticed the wind had stopped, completely, nothing was heard rustling only the soft crunch of his friend's feet as they plodded along the gravel path towards the garden.
Mickey's eyes narrowed, the garden seemed to be encased in a cloud of mist. Mickey plucked at his gray sweatshirt nervously, his hand brushed the crown insignia on his chest and he let his hand fall to his side.
Donald and Goofy moved steadily towards the garden. Goofy shifted uncomfortably, no one had talked since they departed from the gates.
Then something happened that was quick but not painless.
Mickey's hand shot to his chest. A cold that had never been there before clutched at him, he doubled up gasping as the cold searched him. The moments were drawn into hours as the encompassing pain slowly advanced through his breast. A quick searing ache in his heart told him that cold had found what Mickey had desperately hoped it wasn't looking for. An invisible hand constricted on his heart. Mickey's eyes jerked open as the hand began to pull. The hand drew his heart towards itself, towards darkness. The pain was too great, Mickey's knees gave way and he collapsed. Then a golden flash blazed across Mickey's failing vision, he reached for it. Unexpectedly the invisible hand stopped it, the cold fled, and Mickey was rid of the pain.
Before he could rejoice his bleary eyes caught sight of Donald and Goofy. Both were lying prone on the ground and both were pulsing with a strange light, Donald's a bright fiery red and Goofy's a light forest green. Without knowing what else to do Mickey flung himself at them as a strangled cry escaped his throat, "NO!"
Goofy's light began to fade and Donald's soon followed. Mickey clutched their arms willing them to feel the cold recede as he had. Instead of the lessening of cold, it intensified but not in Donald or Goofy. Mickey crouched as the cold welled in him once more. This time targeting his heart with greater sureness and swiftness almost as if its strength had been. doubled. His heart had been found; Mickey suffered the ache again. He braced himself for the awful pulling. This time the cold had barely touched his heart when the gold blazed twice. The cold retreated reluctantly and after a moment Mickey stood. His friends were still breathing and glowing their respective colors.
Mickey fought down his panic. This was not the time to act the fool. He knelt between them and placed a hand on their breasts where their hearts should be. Mickey was relieved to hear them still beating. Their flesh grew warmer under his hands and as he removed them they both opened their eyes and sat up.
The last of their glow faded and they looked normal again except for the identical expression of confusion, admiration, and something that looked like dread. They both flung themselves at him crying at the same time, "You saved me!"
"He saved you?" they both said.
"Then how did he save me?" Still synchronized.
Mickey had to laugh. Their faces were contorted into looks he had never seen. Mickey stood and offered each a hand.
"I think we should go up to the palace. I don't want to go exploring anymore." Mickey turned towards the path that led to the palace. He blinked and rubbed at his eyes. The fog had switched places. Now it was blocking their path back and the garden was no longer obscured.
"That's odd, oh well c'mon guys!" Mickey moved towards the palace.
"No." Donald and Goofy chorused. They looked at Mickey sternly.
"The cold." Goofy's mouth continued to move but no words came. He plunged his hands into his pockets and looked to Donald for assistance.
"Mickey," Donald pleaded, "No.it will- try- again, let's go to the garden"
Goofy nodded vigorously and Mickey hesitated but only momentarily.
"Okay." .
Donald trudged toward the garden, Goofy close behind. Mickey shrugged and caught up with the pair as they entered the garden under a stone arch. As they walked Mickey couldn't help but think that they had just been tested. And he at least had proved worthy.
***
Minnie had trailed behind Daisy for almost a quarter hour. She finally voiced what she had expected from the beginning, "Do you really know where you're going, Daisy?"
Daisy turned around looking sheepish. "I thought I did."
Minnie sighed. She took stock of their surroundings. The castle was behind them and the garden should be. but what was that? There was a thick fog barring the way into the garden. "Look Daisy." Minnie pointed ahead.
"The garden!" Daisy's spirits lifted and she took off running, "Race you, Min!"
Minnie dashed after Daisy hanging on to at her powder blue dress as it whirled around her legs. Daisy stopped ten feet from the garden and collapsed. Daisy's fall was muffled by the grass. Her body crumpled like a rag doll, bent in ways that were unnatural.
Minnie rushed to Daisy managing to kneel beside her before the cold entered her too. The pure cold forced itself through Minnie's veins centering around her heart. Minnie shuddered; her whole body went numb. She collapsed next to Daisy dimly aware of touching her arm. The ache was supreme. Minnie's heart was being pulled from her breast. If she could have she would have screamed. The ache consumed her senses. She began to forget things, slowly becoming unconscious of life, the cold was all there was and ever would be. She knew that now only if she would accept it she could be consumed by the cold. The cold was beginning to smother her mind and she forgot why she was fighting, why was she struggling against something that was inevitable, something that would stop the horrible ache? Then a blast of black light pushed back the cold.
Not this one.
Minnie was dimly aware of herself being pulled from a long distance back to reality. Her senses came roaring back. She must have passed out, but her heart? She grabbed at her chest, it beat, not strong, but it beat. She gasped and rolled over to look at Daisy. The duck was unconscious but still breathing. Minnie cried out as she saw Daisy basked in a dim lilac glow. She looked at her own body and barely caught a trace of a deep blue- violet.
Daisy moaned softly and clutched weakly at her heart where the last of the lilac light was centered. Minnie waited, hovering over her friend feeling helpless. Daisy finally opened her eyes. Minnie hugged Daisy tightly and Daisy hugged her back. Both had to fight tears not wanting to scare the other.
Minnie had her back to the garden and when she looked behind Daisy-, "The mist!" Daisy swiveled her head to look at the fickle fog.
"Oh no." Daisy said in a soft whisper.
"What?" Daisy remained silent, "Oh Daisy, please don't, what is it?" Minnie was becoming frantic.
Daisy tried to smile reassuringly but failed. "We're going to have to go into the garden." Minnie knew she couldn't argue with Daisy's look. Her tone of voice was resigned and regretful but full of knowledge. Minnie regarded her friend, she didn't look different, the cold must have affected her. Minnie shivered and turned toward the shrubs. She had forgotten the maze. It was terrifyingly spectacular. The maze was huge, taking up at least half the gardens. A thin tendril of mist floated from the maze entrance.
Daisy stood. She refused Minnie's offers of help and started to follow the mist.
***
I love cliff hangers but I bet you don't! Please review, maybe just to tell me that you've read the story, anything I have no reviews!!! Am I just writing this for myself? I sure hope not, that is why it is on an Internet site! If you are wondering you aren't supposed to know what "the cold" is.