An epilogue to the story. Just some notes: This chapter just sums up the real world and imagination for Mandy. By the way, both The Darkness and Boogey's death is a parody of most hilarious movie deaths ever. Totally deserved. Yeah, yeah. It gets sappy at the ending, heads up. But you guys are into that stuff, right?
The frozen sunlight snuck up the white comforter of the bed. Mandy's little hand had been resting lifelessly on the sheet, but today the sunlight finally succeeded in making it move weakly, after fruitless attempts every day for a very long time.
Mandy's eyes opened, very slowly. The light was so harsh it was difficult to see. Suddenly, she felt jerks in the side of the bed, and faint voices. Someone touched her. A bird was singing outside the window. She wanted to talk, but her throat was so sore. A man's voice interrupted the touching hand, deep, grave, yet comforting.
"Do not touch her. She is not ready yet. Do not touch her…"
The Darkness' arms of destruction were resting, never to be lifted again. The beautiful plains of Winter Gates lay open in daylight, and snow was again falling, although now not finding the usual charming thatch roofs and majestic stone walls to rest on. The city lay in smoking ruins, and the chasm where Underworld beings could come up and visit the world of the living without scrutiny was filled with debris, sealing it shut.
Mandy opened her eyes slowly and felt the cold nipping at her fingers. She rose from the ground, her face like stone, and looked around. She was all alone, everybody else were dead.
The snowfall was heavy enough to already cover the drawbridge with a foot of its white coat. The long train of Mandy's dress was soaked as she walked, and suddenly, a wind came toward her blowing with it pieces of papers. They were pages of the Book of Hours! She reached her hand to catch them, but the wind crassly turned and took them to the sky. Her attempt to grab the pages became a noble farewell.
She went down on the stairs down from the castle grounds to the city, and sat down on a bench. The wind made the skirt of her silky gown wave idly. Minutes, hours, days, maybe, passed, but she kept her eyes closed and mind empty. There was nothing, but she saw no need to mourn. She would follow soon enough.
Footsteps of a very graceful, yet severe person closed in on her from behind after a very long time. She knew who he was, but she did not look up.
"That took long."
Grim, immaculately dressed in his black attire, kept his gaze away and at something distant. "My duty, child. I had to escort many souls this morning."
"You reaped my soul. But I'm not in the Underworld. Why?"
Grim, still with Boogeyman's blood spattered on his forehead and chest, was distant. He waited for her to talk again, hoping she would find the answer herself.
"It's where I should be, Grim. I can't fight anymore. It's over. Everybody's dead and it's my fault."
He put a reassuring hand on her shoulder. "Is that what you want me to do, Mandy? Do you want me to take your soul to the Underworld? Have you judged by Nergal's ex wife? And afterwards row you over Styx and reunite you with everyone who died?"
"I want nothing else," she answered, after a long break.
They both watched the snowflakes falling carefree from the sky for a long while.
"I can do that, Mandy. But I won't be able to help you there. You are on your own in the Underworld. Maybe the overseers will cut you some slack because you were an important person, but…" he took a deep breath, "I can't guarantee it. You know that well, child."
He sat down next to her. "Not everything is lost." He opened his hand, and there was Mandy's silver scythe, chiming in the wind. She took it, looked down on it, and clenched it.
"Nothing is ever really lost." Mandy said, more to herself than Grim.
She closed her eyes, and then she rose from her seat. Grim, loyal and dignified as always, followed her as she strode over the empty, snow-covered plaza. She flailed out of her long morning robe and stood there, feeling the wind on her bare shoulders.
"We'll start over from here, then?" She asked him. He raised his scythe and banged its shaft into the ground. An earthquake shook the square and cracked the ground, reopening the gateway leaving Mandy on a small platform of rock. Hundreds and thousands of spirits of the Underworld floated up from the dark abyss, helped by a sea of green blaze. A column of burning lava raised Mandy's platform, and she held her arms up and hands out, parting it to see her great land from above. She was not ready to give up.
"No, Billy," Grim said, placing his hands on his sides. "I don't think anyone would like streamers made of dirty socks."
"Why not?" Billy said, insulted.
"I just know it. And last time you made one a poor guy crashed and the nurses kicked you out!"
Mandy was awake. She lay in her bed, dressed in a Johnny gown, and her hair flowed freely around her face, Her trademark headband rested on the head section. Her parents had placed it there so she could put it on the moment she woke up. Obviously Mandy had been gone for so long they had actually started to miss her. She was so perplexed nothing else made sense but to rest perfectly still, until her friends could stop fighting and look around.
"Hi," she said, baffled.
"Look, Grim! She's awake!" Billy leapt onto the bed and jumped.
"Hey, cut that out, you simpleton!" Grim pushed him down. "Welcome back, Mandy."
"Hi," Mandy repeated with a blank look on her face.
Grim sat down next her and turned on the TV, so Billy would not nag so much. "It's OK if you rest, child. You've been gone a long time, and you're still quite banged up from the accident."
"Accident?"
"Mandy, you were hit by a car on your way home from school. Basically every bone in your body was shattered…" Grim changed to a lighter view on the subject, as a shadow of fear darkened Mandy's face. "Don't worry; the doctors say you'll be perfectly fine after some rehabilitation and rest. And the douchebag who hit you and took off is in prison and owes you 4 million as well as the medical bills."
Mandy cleared her throat. "How long have I been here?"
Billy hung over the foot end of Mandy's bed. "You missed summer break, Mandy!"
Grim helped her close her fingers around a glass of water and drink it. "You've been gone for almost six months, Mandy. You've been vegetative and very near death."
"I was afraid my best friend had moved into her brain!" Billy interjected.
Mandy's hand shook as she put the glass of water back down on the bedside table, that was completely overflowing with cards, candy boxes and flowers, some of them from Billy and his parents, others from her own parents and Grim, but most from Irwin. They were ridiculously elaborate and probably made by hand.
"Tell me again what happened?" She said.
Grim sighed. "Well, you were going home from school as you were hit by a car. You were rushed to the hospital, where they said you had little to no chance of survival. After a month had passed they even talked about cutting life support. We went to three different judges to keep the doctors from doing that, but it didn't help. And I was in a world of hurt because I am the Grim Reaper! I take life, I don't give it back, consarnit. But your mom wouldn't stop nagging, so I took you to the Underworld Hospital. The head doctor tried everything, but you were as settled in your coma as an eggplant in its earth. I realized I was helpless, so I called everybody on my cell phone list, including those on yours."
He took a break as a nurse came in to give Mandy vitamins. The new head M.D was Norwegian and relied on old school remedies – such as giving cod liver oil to his underage patients. The liver oil tasted awful.
"Mandy, we can come back tomorrow if you wanna rest." Grim said. Truth was he was exhausted himself.
"No. Tell me the story first." she made an attempt to sit up on her elbows, but her arms were like tapioca. She sank back into the lovely, water-heated bed.
"OK. Everybody jumped into your mind to try to help you out. Mindy tried to tease you out. I tried to understand you and use Granny Grim's advice. She insisted we should leave your consciousness to heal on its own. Boogey tried to scare you out, and for some reason, your mind would not let your parents enter. We almost succeeded in luring you back, but then you caught pneumonia. Your mind dealt with that by placed us in roles as if in a role play and it became dangerous both for you and us. You were terminal and no longer able to separate between reality and fantasy. If your mind didn't recognize us as outside factors anymore it could have consumed us and kill us as well as you."
"The Darkness." A word Mandy didn't know why just popped into her head. It didn't make sense. Grim had succeeded – every memory of disease and pain was gone.
"Yeah, it was killing us, alright. At the end it was like a bad 90's horror movie!" Billy exclaimed.
"M-hm," Grim nodded, frowning. "I saw a lot of things in your mind, including your awful taste in movies."
The little girl sighed, but was reminded of something. "Grim, am I… Am I still gonna die?"
"Nah. Once I separated your mind from your soul and body it was easier for Granny to fix them in turn, and everybody who participated in this had their memories cleaned. They don't remember anything. Boogey's been told he was in the same accident as you. Your hours are not yet over. In not too much time you'll be bossing us around again."
Even though he would never admit it in real life, he was actually very happy to have Mandy back. Not because he liked her or anything… Though…
"'When you were hit you also got terribly banged up." He handed her a picture that showed her as four months comatose with more scars than skin in her face. "But now look."
Billy held up a mirror and smiled from ear to ear. She was her normal self again. Granted a little pale and tired, but otherwise fine. She was so relieved.
"It's overwhelming, Grim. Th… Th… Thanks."
"You're welcome. Welcome back, Mandy."
Later that night all three were sleeping; Mandy in the bed, Billy curled up at her foot end and Grim in the armchair with a sheet for a blanket. Mandy's doctor said it was OK for one night as long as she promised not to pull out the cannula again. She chose to enjoy it, seeing that after the earlier evaluation it was decided she would have to stay at the hospital's rehab wing until Christmas.
She was dreaming. And this time there was no water or darkness trapping her.
Queen Mandy VI, the sovereign monarch of Winter Gates was dressed in a vision of Tyrian purple silk, ermine and enameled details. A robe of ermine and teardrop jewels flowed around her, gracefully and dignified. She also wore makeup for the first time in her life; discreet kohl and dark red lipstick. She had even powdered her face and shoulders with a little lead powder. Her hair was covered in a white veil to symbol her chastity.
Everybody stretched their necks to get a good look as she knelt before the Three Judges. They were all dressed in deep bottle green robes for the occasion, and their silver scythes glittered over embroidered Ouroboros crests. Scythe Lodge Hall decorated in all grandeur known to man, the best detail being everyone she held dear. Billy and all the other royal wards also wore ermine surcoats, and carried gold bells. Nergal Junior was there as well, to keep an ear on the musical arrangements.
Roy Spleen ascended down from the velvet-draped, three-step podium. Skarr followed right after, carrying the Imperial crown; a true classic masterpiece of white gold. The front of the crown depicted two fairies reaching for each other, in encrusted diamonds, pearls, peridotes and pink garnets. The sides were adorned with yellow lilies, heartsease and ume blossoms in a mosaique of gems. It was lifted so everybody could see, and Grim lay the blade of his scythe on her right shoulder before Spleen placed the crown on the young regent's head in awe.
"I crown Thee, Mandy, Empress of The Underworld, Winter Gates, and Crumcrust, with gold, silver and jewels. Bless you, and may the powers of the Universe crown Thee with everlasting glory. Purity and power."
"Purity and power," the Three Judges said in unison.
"Purity and power," everyone else said.
Mandy rose majestically and with her palms open, just like Mrs. Doolin had taught her. Grim removed the blade. Billy giggled, Fred Fredburger said "Yes!" and the applause of the people drowned in bells, flutes and drums.
Outside, the snow was always falling in the night, but actually looked whiter than ever. The people ofThe Underworld, Winter Gates and Crumcrust were there; absolutely everybody wanted to see Mandy as the Empress. After all, she had worked her fingers to the bone to rebuild their home. It was time for the most sought moment of the crowning ceremony; the Inauguration, when the Empress walked from the city and back to her castle.
Billy made the front line of the troop; Mandy came behind him escorted by the Three Judges, Mrs. Doolin, General Irwin and last Nergal and Granny Grim, who helped the elder judge to understand that the choiring little nuns on each sides were not after his ear horn. The children on Dimhald Castle were behind them, laughing and throwing pink confetti. When they reached the stairway to the gates the guards, their wives and children climbed up the wall and let white rose petals rain down on them.
The little nuns were crowding at the gates and in the courtyard of the restored Dimhald Castle. They rang their bells and choired lightheartedly, as they could not talk. They bowed for the Empress, and she felt more powerful than ever, in a good way.
The two little wards of the Judges opened the great ballroom of the castle, and as Mandy made her glorious entry, everyone inside bowed. The room was lit with a thousand candles and sparkling as if made of gold. There was a new portrait of Mandy's parents over the throne and dais, as well as a painting depicting Mandy confronting Mindy, Sperg and Boogey. Grim had painted it.
Later in the evening there was a party in the castle, and there were so many people it was hard to keep account. Mandy, and all of her close ones were sitting at the dining table under the stain glass panel, eating, and she was having a conversation with Grim. He was more than willing to upgrade from the rank of "Queen's Professor" to "Warden of the Empress"; "Man-in-waiting". Of course, this required him to forfeit any plans of ever getting married or having children of his own. And at that cue, Irwin cleared his throat and rose from his seat. He was a little shaky, and everyone knew where this was going.
"Ahem, Mandy…"
He hummed again. "I would like to ehh, comfort you after this troubled time. I would be honored if I… ehh… could have your hand in matrimony."
Grim had to clench his jaws tight not to burst out in laughter. Spleen was clutching his knee. Billy had forfeited every attempt at repressing and laughed like a donkey while rolling around on the table. Mandy was in shock, as if he had requested something very improper.
"The answer is the same, Irwin. No!"
"But I…"
"No, Irwin. And that's all there is to it."
Irwin grabbed his heart and fainted, right into his hors d'ouvres.
As the rest of the party returned to their talking and eating, Mandy left the table and walked outside on the balcony. There it was. Peace, harmony and control, restored in her empire. She felt free for the first time in many, many years, free enough to live again. After all, everything was in order.
Only one door remained locked and forgotten in Dimhald Castle. But why bother with looking back when the future was now? Mandy looked at the sky and all the stars, and even though she was not smiling, she rested her frown for a moment.
Heaven could wait.
