Author's Note: So I was going to wait to post all of it, but after Alysia's begging, and begging I cave and gave into the captain of the Jarina ship demands. Haha Hey, here's the chapter one, sort of. Lol, it's fourteen pages of the 22. You're kidding Jo Jo I have to give you credit girl! I Know! I know Fluffy! I'm on it! Lol, thanks for being my beta tester for the prologue and special shout out to Alysia too! Y'all Rock! And I'm glad you love it so far Guest :) I'M TRYING MY BEST TO NOT DISAPPOINT Y'ALL!
OOO! Also this Story is dedicated to the awesome Leah Fennick! Because without her I wouldn't have been pushed to write this and I wouldn't be even a part of this fandom.
Love,
Madaleine
"I feel as empty as drum, I don't know why I didn't come. My heart is drenched in wine...you'll be on my mind forever..."
-Norah Jones, I Don't Why
"Am I ready forever? Oh god show me a sign. Because if we're meant to be together, then there's got to be a sign..."
- Dana Glover, Thinkin' It Over
"No one no matter how great, can know his destiny, he can not glimpse ahead in the great story that is about to unfold. Like everyone they must live and learn..."
-The Dragon from Merlin
Savannah and her cronies had the top down, playing whatever was on the local pop station. They were all jamming in their cars, laughing and smiling, as the suns rays shined down upon them.
They all stopped the minute they heard someone pull to a stop next to them. They turned around to see who it was. Mina and Nix rolled up in her mom's car. Nix laughed as he turned up the radio, "I don't give a damn about my reputation!"
Mina looked over at them, and they immediately tore away their gazes, pretending to be focused on the road. Mina stared at them for a moment, rolling her eyes.
"What?" Nix laughed.
"Nothing."
Nix stared at her. "Don't look now, but some plastic actually came to life and was staring at us." He looked over and laughed, shrugging, "Whatever."
Mina smirked and hit the gas the minute the light turned green.
"It's a brand new generation... I don't give a damn about my reputation... oh no ... not me!"
When she pulled into the parking lot of Kennedy, you could immediately see the hustle and bustle of commotion. "So, today we're going on a field trip to the children's museum?" Nix asked.
Mina nodded, "To see how writers,fairy tales, myths and tall tales have affected our world." She said sarcastically. "The number one featured exhibit? My great-great-great –grandfather's..." Mina smirked.
"Ooooooh, exciting!" Nix laughed, slamming the door shut. Mina closed her door and locked it.
"Mina! Nick!"
"Mr. Morgan." They said in union.
"Meet over at the bus; I'm doing roll call there." He shouted, locking his own car.
Nick gave him a thumbs up, letting him know they heard him. They walked to the bus, where a bunch of his students had gathered. They passed by a column and Nick noticed that they had started to hang up posters for the latest school musical. Mina took one look at the thing and ripped it off the wall.
"Hey!" Some girl called out.
Nix laughed. "Wanna try out that badly?" He joked.
Mina glared at him. "What makes you say that?"
"Well, I figured, seeing how violently you ripped that off the wall, either you have a personal vendetta against that column, or you want no one to know about the play, since you secretly want to be Cinderella."
Mina glared some more. "You know I was once cast as Cinderella."
"Really?" Nix asked in surprise.
"Yeah. My school science project. We were all growing pumpkins... mine was the largest one of them all. Big enough to be a carriage." She growled.
Nix laughed. "Before we head to the bus, I need to go by the guidance counselor's office."
Mina nodded. They headed up to the office, where she waited outside the front door.
Nix walked in and sat down. "Ms. Perky." The nametag read on her desk. She was tall, thin, and had brown, curly hair. She was wearing a pink business suit, leaning over her desk, typing into her outdated laptop.
She continued to type. "I'm sorry. I'll be with you in a minute."
He nodded, looking back at Mina, who shrugged.
"So, Nick? Here you go." She said, smiling, handing him a new schedule. "It doesn't say where you came from- oh, whoops. My bad," She reread his file, "Padua?"
Nick nodded, must be the story at work again.
"Aw, well, I'm sure you'll find Kennedy a lot like Padua. Same little ass wipes shit for brains everywhere!" As she said it, something that amounted to a solid-yet-liquid light brown came flying at her window. She laughed, but kept on smiling. Nix was confused and a little grossed out...
"Excuse me- did you just? Am I in the right office?"
"Nope. Not any more. Scoot along kid." Her smile vanished. "I have delinquents to see and a novel to read. Bye! Have a nice day!"
Nick quickly got out of his chair, only to run into a small... pixie. She fluttered her wings impatiently.
"Ever! I see we're making our weekly visits a ritual now."
"Only so we can have moments like this. Should I douse the lights?" She smiled deadly.
Nix crept out of there. "Jesus, that was scary." He whispered.
Mina laughed, "Come on. We're going to miss the bus!" She pulled him back down the stairs.
"Next time, keep it in your pants!" They heard her call. "Now scoot!" Ever stormed out of the office, glaring at Mina as she went.
"Who is that again?"
"That's Ever..."
"Oh, the pixie that hates you, got it. And now me, by association?"
"Probably." She shrugged as they continued making their way to the bus.
"SO, as we're making our way to the bus, I'm going to give you a quick tour of our school. I just realized you never did get the full tour, now did you?"
Nick nodded.
"Over there are the basic beautiful people. Now, unless they talk to you, just don't even try."
"Is that your rule or theirs?" He teased.
"Watch... What's up?"
"Eat me." A jock brooded.
"Ya see that?" She waved a finger in the air. "To the left, we have the Coffee kids.."
Nick watched as some kid spilled coffee all over another student. "That was Costa Rican, bitch!" He threw his hands in the air.
Mina pulled Nick close. "Very EDGY. Don't make sudden movements around them... These delusionals are our white rostas. They are big Marley fans...They think they're black... semi-political... but, mostly..."
"Smoke a lot of weed?"
Mina nodded. "These guys-"
"Ooooh, let me guess. Cowboys?"
"Yes, but the closest they have come to a cow is one at McDonalds..." Mina said flatly, as they tried to lasso a nearby trash can.
"The Geeks... Ivy league accepted, future MBA's, etc..."
"Oh my god..." Nick thought, as he saw a tall, dark skinned goddess walk by. She was laughing, holding a tin of cupcakes for her equally dark skinned friends. One boy and one girl... an Arabian princess... his vision of the girl was cut off when a bubbly blonde came running by, grabbing onto Mina. Nick looked uncomfortable.
"MINA! I've been looking ALL over for you!"
A black girl who had been walking with her stood off to the side, checking Nix out.
"Hi Chastity." Mina choked.
"Hey Mina." The girl looked like she rather would be somewhere else.
"I'll talk to you later, Chastity!" Nan bubbled. The girl looked relieved and walked away.
"Who's this cutie?" Nan asked, eyeing Nix. He was intrigued. This was the one who played Sleeping Beauty and Snow White?
"Come on, let's go to the bus!" She dragged them all over.
Once at the bus...
"Come on, Mina! Come on!" Nix was cooing to her like a master calling his dog.
Mina glared at him, "I'm NOT a dog." Nan was already on the bus.
"Well, I thought it was better than 'get your ass on this bus'..."
Mina rolled her eyes. She stepped up onto the bus, falling in behind Nix.
"Mina, over here!" She heard the familiar sound of Nan's voice. Mina walked briefly over to her, before being yanked into a seat by Nix.
"Sorry, you're sitting with me today." He teased possessively. Mina smiled, leaning back into the seat. Nix rested his head on hers. "What's wrong?"
"You mean besides the fact that your pointy-ass chin is digging into my skull?"
Nix gasped, "Wilhelmina Grimm! Do you kiss your mother with that mouth?"
"Your name is Wilhelmina?"
Mina looked up to see Brody looming over her, taking the seat across from them.
"Yes-" Nix began, but was cut off by Nan, running up the aisle, annoying people in her wake.
"I'm totally going to pretend that you guys didn't just leave me back there." She scooted next to Brody, who frowned. Mina shrugged and looked back out the window.
Once at the museum, Mina and all of the other teenagers filed off and waited in groups. Nix looped his arm through Mina's. "Come on! We'll tough it out together." He smiled. Mina smiled back and leaned into him. "Did anyone ever tell you you're a good head rest?"
"Only a handful of times." He replied cheekily.
Brody from afar saw this and scowled. Nan, on the other hand, squealed. "Oh my gosh! Do you think they're like a thing?" She asked him excitedly.
"I don't know." He forced through gritted teeth. Why did this bother him so much!?
"Welcome, children." A male's voice distracted him. "We are so glad to have you here at the history museum. You can call me Dale." The man said, smiling and wiping his face. "Let me introduce your tour guide, Edna. She will take you around the museum and answer any questions you have."
The tour guide, a dark haired woman, walked out of the building in a form-fitting blue blazer and matching skirt. She smiled warmly at them, her pale pink lips framing perfect white teeth, and motioned the class to follow her into the museum. Her hips swayed as she walked back up the steps and held the door open for everyone. The boys followed behind wearily, while the popular girls, including Savannah, hung back.
Mina was prepared to leave with Nick, but stopped to look at Nan to see if she noticed. Nan was preoccupied with her texting. Taking a deep breath, Mina grabbed her sleeve and led her after the group of students into the museum, with Nan texting the whole way.
Edna took them through a fluorescent-lit hallway lined with photo murals of the Grimms and other fairy tale writers in history. She paused every few feet to explain the history, as Mina grabbed a chewed up pencil and notebook out of her broken backpack, jotting a few things down that caught her interest.
More facts were mentioned and the tour kept moving. Mina noticed that many of the students were becoming bored, and more than a few could be seen trying to stifle their yawns, so as not to upset their guide. Mina felt her eyes start to go heavy, as if she hadn't slept in days. Well, actually, she hadn't. Ever since she got back, all she could think about was Jared. And how he...
Mina stopped, trying to stifle a sob. She had become a wreck. "Hey, are you okay?" An unfamiliar male voice asked, placing a hand on her back. She looked up to see a boy with messy blonde-brown hair with blue eyes look down at her.
"Um, erhm..."
"Mina!" Nix called, striding over to her. She and the boy looked around. "Oh, Jeremy-"
Jeremy?
"Mina? Jeremy? What are you guys doing?"
"Well, uh, I-" Mina stammered, unable to formulate a sentence. Jeremy spoke up.
"I went to the bathroom, and, as I was walking back, I saw your friend- Mina? It looked like you were grabbing your chest... I just wanted to make sure you were okay and that you didn't need medical attention or something." He fumbled, feeling slightly dumb.
"Oh!" Nix said, as if everything was perfectly alright.
"Yeah... so, are you okay?" Jeremy asked again.
Before Mina could respond, they heard their names being called out. "Nick? Jeremy?" Brody called, striding over to them. His eyes immediately fell onto where Jeremy's hand was and he frowned. Nan was running behind him.
"What are you guys doing back here?" Nan questioned. The three of them looked at one another, not knowing quite what to say. Mina took a deep breath... This is awkward... "I was having a moment. I'm sorry. Jeremy, is it? I'm fine. It's just… I don't know. But I'm fine. I don't need medical attention." She plastered a fake smile on her face.
Jeremy raised an eyebrow slightly, but shrugged, not wanting to make her feel uncomfortable by asking any more questions.
"Hey, Chatty Kathy's!" Mr. Morgan called, "This isn't social hour! Get back to the class or meet me after school." The teens cast hasty, confused looks at one another before running to catch back up with the group.
Mina dragged her feet at the back of the class. Nix, catching on, fell behind as well. "You okay?" He whispered. Mina looked at him with dead eyes. They had lost some of their spirit. Nick wrapped his arm around her. "Who's Jeremy?" She whispered back.
"Oh! He's on the water polo team, like me and Brody." Nix replied cheerfully. "He's a good guy." He smiled. Mina nodded. She couldn't help but stare at the boy. She had never noticed him before...
Slowly, the atmosphere of the tour changed. Mina hardly noticed when the steady stream of facts slowed significantly and Edna's voice no longer echoed loudly enough to reach the back of the group. Mina was off in that state between daydreaming and being aware of her surroundings. She was thinking about sleep. And Jared... Jared. She hadn't slept a day, really, since he left... She almost fell; her feet failing her. She missed him so much it was unbearable. All she wanted to do... was do what she had been doing. Go home, get her shit done, and go to bed. Be left alone...
If only she hadn't been so stupid! She could have found a way to save him... she had thought... she cringed. Well, she had thought wrong. And the worse part was that she didn't know what would have become of her and Jared after that...
Edna's voice distracted Mina. She looked up, trying to pay attention to the guide. "And here's a portrait of the brothers Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm; they collected fairy tales..." Mina tuned her out. "Some say that there's even a curse on their family.." Wait, what? Her head snapped up.
"Did she just…?" She asked Nix, dumbfounded. He nodded, a small grin spread across his face. "What?" Mina whispered.
"Should we jump her?" He asked, a mischievous glint in his eyes. Mina bit her lip, trying not to laugh. "I'm serious! I could hold her down, and you ask the questions." He whispered.
Mina bit her lip harder, trying to control herself. Her amusement vanished when she caught a picture out of the corner of her eye. She turned around to face it.
"So, Mina-" Nan began, but Mina wasn't paying attention. Something had caught her attention… and Ever... Ever was staring longingly at a photo. Mina walked up to inspect it further. From a distance, she already saw what the pixie was staring at... it was a photo of Jacob and Wilhelm working. A few figures surrounded them. One in the background, she recognized was Jared... Mina's heart stopped. She silently walked over to the picture. When she did, she noticed that Ever's eyes were watering.
"Wha-what do you want?" She asked, sounding choked up.
"I- I just came over to look at the picture... that looks like-" She stopped.
"Don't!" Ever hissed.
Mina stared at her in shock. "Ever-"
The pixie's glare silenced her. "I'm sorry."
Ever's eyes widened. "Sorry? That's all you have to say? Sorry!?"
Mina was silent.
"You have some gall. My best friend dies, and all you can say is sorry? It's your fault!"
"Ever, if I had known-"
"Don't!" Ever gripped the rails that separated the viewers from the exhibit. "I just hope you're happy! You killed the only Fae who was willing to help you!"
Nix glared at Ever from behind. "That's not true." He sounded threatening.
Ever whirled around to see Nix's imposing figure looming over her. She was shaking somewhat, but quickly regained her composure, looking as if nothing had phased her.
"Well, at least she has one person. She's going to need all the help she can get!" She spat venomously, storming off.
Nix rolled his eyes. Pixies. Always so dramatic, he thought. "Mina-" He turned around to face her, but she was gone. "Mina!?" He called.
Mina stormed through the parking garage; she was angry and upset... it seemed like, everywhere she went, people were angry at her for getting Jared killed. She tried to tell herself it wasn't her fault, because it wasn't. Jared had decided to come for her. The thought gave her came for her. Not because he was her protector, like she had always thought he was. He came back to save her. She walked straight to the nearest wall and put her arm against it. She leaned into the wall, her head against her arm, as she cried into her shoulder.
Jared, why didn't you tell me? If he had told her how he'd felt… she never got the chance to tell him. Okay, yeah, she kissed him. But it wasn't nearly the same thing as actually getting to say, "I Iove you too." But did she love him?
She sat there and allowed herself to have a tiny pity party. But her party was interrupted when she heard what sounded like a roller coaster going down a steep hill behind her. She looked up, wiping the tears from her face.
She turned around and saw a bright flash of colors stream before her, it was so bright Mina had to avert her eyes. When it finally subsided Mina couldn't really see anything but but bright splotches.
"Mina?" A incredulous voice asked. Mina's heart leapt for joy, Jared? She rapidly started blinking, her vision adjusting. There, standing before her,was Jared. He looked like he had been in a fight, his shirt was torn up and had blood in it, he had a nasty head wound, that was bleeding as he spoke, trickling down his face, he looked like he had a black eye, his mouth and lip were swollen. He looked awful!
She wanted to run to him, but she stopped, "Jared?"
He looked relieved, "Mina!" Jared's heart was racing, he tried to shake off the daze that he always seemed to go in whenever she walked in the room. He didn't have time to sit there and make goo goo eyes, he thought.
Mina stared, she couldn't believe it, it looked like Jared, and sounded like Jared. But was it really him? He took a step towards her and she backed away. "Mina, it's me" Jared said hurt.
"Oh yeah?" She asked, she didn't want to fall for one of Teague's schemes, in case this was Teague pulling her leg. He ran towards her and tried to scoop her up in his arms, but Mina resisted, she stiffened and cowered slightly against the wall. What the hell was going on, she thought. She looked up, and she looked at the guy standing before her. She studied his face, he looked like Teague, but then they were brothers; they had always looked was suspicious, "And how do I know this is not a trick, and that your not actually Teague and trying to pull my leg?" she demanded.
Jared was secretly proud, his Mina was growing up to be cynical. "It's me, " he tried to assure her.
"That doesn't mean anything, " she pointed out crossing her arms. "Prove you're Jared." She demanded sticking out her hip. He turned around exasperated, "Why are you the most maddening stubborn person I ever met?"
He ran his fingers through his hair. "Uh, sir gnomer."
She shook her head."Teague's been on my roof top-"
Jared's eyes bulged "My brother has what!?"
Mina was taken aback, she studied his body language, and face, and his voice. It sounded like Jared's voice, she looked into his eyes, they were a stormy gray. "Jared?" She asked in a hushed tone, lifting her hand up to push away a lock of hair that was sticking to the gash in his head. He smiled. "How?" She asked, stunned.
He breathed a sigh of relief and rubbed the side of his head in the palm of her hand. Mina lost it, she threw herself around him hugging him. Unprepared, Jared staggered backwards. When he regained his balance, he stood there for a moment stunned. She stepped away, pulling his head down and kissed him. Jared was completely stunned.
That is until it finally hit him what was really going on here. The woman he was catastrophically in love with had hugged and him and was now kissing him. He pushed her back up against the wall. His heart was racing.
She broke away from him, "I never got to tell you how you how I felt." She murmured into his chest.
Jared was ecstatic, incredibly awesome things like this never happen to him, ever. He wanted to comfort her, and kiss her again, but he couldn't, he swallowed. "Mina I don't have much time," he pleaded.
Mina frowned deeply, "what do you mean?" She asked.
"Since the whole.." He broke off, Mina became sullen and looked at the ground, "Mina, please listen," he wanted to be sweet and gentle but he didn't have the time, he would be coming back soon...
She looked back up at him, her eyes watery, he gasped. He hated seeing Mina upset, "I'm sorry, it's just I'm running out of time, I don't know how long I have before Teague takes back over." Mina nodded, she didn't know if this was a trick by Teague or if this was really Jared. She desperately hoped it was him.
"Look Mina, my friend Daniel he's in trouble, he's the reason why I'm here talking to you." Mina nodded. "well now MY mother, has gone on a rampage trying to kill him. He got away over here, but please you've got to help him."
Mina stared at him, her mind slowly processing what he said. She nodded slowly, "how will I know it's him?"
"Ever will recognize him" he said.
Mina scowled, her and Ever weren't exactly simpatico at the moment, if anything that had just happened earlier proved anything. "Okay." she said.
"Thank you Mina" he whispered, his forehead leaning against hers. He kissed her, it was forceful in the sense that it was like he didn't want to kiss her but he did it anyways. The kiss slowly soften, becoming more tender. He wrapped his arms around her, he pressed his body against hers. He never wanted this moment to end. Shivers started to run down his back. Crap! He thought of course, Teague would choose to come now. He broke away from Mina, he was holding his head.
"Jared?" Mina screamed. He held his hand up telling Mina to stay away. Mina stared in horror watching him fade away, he went through a physical change. His whole body language changed, resembling more like a power hungry prince she knew. She saw his eyes turn from dark gray to a dark bottle glass blue. Then he stopped moving he stood straight up, collecting himself. He looked surprised to see Mina.
"Mi-" he couldn't help it, she punched him in the face. He staggered backwards, "What the hell!?" He said, "What was that for?" He asked.
"Really, what gall!" She screamed, sounding as if he had copped a move on her, and she was slapping him for it. "Honestly, Teague" she sad enjoying this way too much, "what the hell were you thinking?"
He looked confused, what the hell did he do? He wondered. Why the hell am I even here? Then he smiled, "So that's what he did" sounding amused.
"That's who did what?" Mina asked.
"Jared. Jared came to see you." he said excitedly. Mina didn't know what to say. He laughed darkly, "well let me assure you it will never happen again. So I hoped you got to tell him you loved him..." He broke off, seeing Mina's expression. "Awe so you didn't tell him..." Pity filling his voice. "That's sad," giving a her a look of pity. "Well, I guess he'll never know just how much you cared." The ends of his mouth curling up slightly. "Now if you'll excuse me Mina," he said, straightening up his shirt, becoming more businesslike. "I have something's I need to take care of" then he disappeared.
Mina just stared at the spot that Jared had been only moments ago. She felt her heart caving, pain flowing through her chest. She held in sobs, and sunk to the ground. She bent over to bury her face in her knees... I've lost everything, she thought.
Mina sat on the subway, depressed. She looked out the window of the things that were moving past behind her. She was numb, and alone, and that was it her heart long ago shriveled up and died and the blood in her veins froze up and stopped working.
Images of that day were playing through her mind. She was blinking away the tears forming at her eyes. Jared telling her he loved her and then kissing her. Her stomach turned in knots. Her stupid mistake! How could she have been so stupid! She thought, finally the subway slowed down. This was her stop, she got out and walked along the streets. Walking the rest of the way home.
Finally home, she walked to her room, walking past the storage room. She hadn't walked in there since...she violently pushed the memory down. She walked past the door and walked back to it. And stopped. Something was pulling her to that door. She played along, she opened the door half wondering if this was the story at work. She looked in the dust filled room. Her eyes landed on the portrait of her father. She stifled a sob, and walked into the room collapsing on the couch. Sending dust particles in the air, looking like wishing dust from the suns dying rays. She looked up and turned over onto her back. And put her hands over her eyes, rubbing them.
Was this how it was supposed to go? She wondered. If so Mina decided she was going to be a spinster for the rest of her life. She'd never fall in love ever again. She'd complete this curse. Never knowing what it would be like to be with someone. She'd be a virgin for the rest of her life.
"Give me a sign, anything!?" She cried out to no one in particular. She felt a tug a her pant leg. She sat up a little. It was Ander. Ever since she got back, Ander had been popping up, he became her unofficial pet. He was pulling at her jeans. "Let go!" She demanded, kicking her foot trying to dislodge him. He let go but he grabbed her shoe and pulled it off and jumped off the couch. "Give me that!" She shrieked, "Look Ander I don't have time for this" she tried to grab him but ended up falling off the couch, "I'm looking for a sign." She said exasperatedly. He ran towards a huge clunky old trunk. He wagged his tail like dog ready to play. She rubbed her tailbone. She glared at him, he smiled at her. He looked like the grinch when he did that, and then disappeared into the trunk.
"Oh, that's great!" She exclaimed. She got up, and walked over to the trunk. She tried to open it, but, wouldn't you know it, it was locked by a key. A key she didn't have, because it probably been lost a long time ago. She sighed "Ander, please come out!" She begged, "I don't have a key to open this!" She begged, slamming her head against the trunk.
She heard the sound of something hitting the wooden floors. She looked up and saw it was a key. Mina gasped and whispered, "Ok, ok I can take a hint..." She walked over, picked up the key, and walked back over to the trunk. With further inspection, she saw that it had some writing on it.
Property of Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm. DO NOT OPEN!
Unless specified...
Unless specified? What the hell did that mean? The sound of a books falling scared Mina. She whipped around to see a stack of books on the ground. She looked around and slowly crawled over to it. She picked up the books. One was a math book, filled with papers and research in it, she flipped through it. It was all in her great great grandfathers' handwriting. The Grimm formula... she had a formula named after her family? Cool... Mina secretly wished that her grandfathers' ability to do math could have been passed along like the curse. She would have been great in math instead of almost failing it.
She put the books up. Ander came up beside her and was looking at the books to as if he could read it as well. Mina was so immersed in what she was reading, she didn't realized he was there. "Hey! Where's my shoe!?" She demanded, when she did. He motioned with his tail pointing at the trunk. She glared at him, as he smiled at her. She silently cursed the little dragon till she came across one book that peaked her interest.
Grimm's Fairytales: The Real Version
Mina lifted an eyebrow and flipped through the book, when something fell out of the pages. It was a letter. She picked it up and read…
Dear reader,
If you are reading this, then we are dead. If it's been a couple centuries and you're reading this, well of course we're dead. The main point of this letter is your great –great-great (insert how many greats this may apply to) is to encouraging you to continue on with this curse. The road that lies ahead is hard, I know, but don't give up hope!
I know, eventually, we'll end this curse. And, though the world may never know what you've sacrificed for this, I do. I realized today that this Grimoire would not help every single one of our descendents. And I realized how unfair that would be. I leave you this book, an account of all the stories we completed, and how we did it. As well, I leave you this trunk filled with all the things that have helped my brother and I over the years. I ask that each descendant that finds this, add to it, and build upon this wealth of knowledge. Together, I think we will be able to defeat the Story.
I apologize for all the trouble this curse has caused you, my children. Forgive me. I was only doing what I thought was right.
Sincerely,
Wilhelm Grimm
Mina stared in astonishment. She looked at Ander, who stared at her and nuzzled her arm. She got up and walked towards the trunk and sat down before it. Holding her breath, she stuck the key in and turned it. She heard the bolts work to unlock it. Ander had crawled up her arm and now was perched on her shoulder, looking down.
She opened the trunk and she saw what was inside. It was filled with books, papers, and a spell book. She took out the spell book. On the cover was an intricate set of symbols. When she touched it, she felt a shock of electricity go through her, chills going down her spine, she closed her eyes.
She saw a woman. She was beautiful, smiling at Mina. She had a smirk on her face. Her hair flowed around her. She looked oddly familiar. Mina stared into her eyes, reminding her of her own. As if someone dumped a bucket of ice cold water over her head, Mina suddenly woke up. She stared at the book. What just happened? Looking closer at the book, she saw that the combination of symbols created one giant symbol.
One side of the bull's face were two women sitting back to back, while at the bottom, making up the jaw, was a mourning butterfly. One horn was a snake coiled up, ready to strike. The top of the head was a combination of symbols. It was a crown upon a heart that was held in two hands. The other horn was yet another snake wrapped around a tree branch, much more relaxed than the other one that made up the horn. And the other side of the cheek was a curve with long swooping tendrils curling around it...
She opened the book, dropping another note.
Dearest Grimm,
This spell book was once mine, and now it is yours. I promised that I'd help you make this curse fair. And I've done that now, if you're reading this. I've split the evil Fae prince in half for you and bound them to this curse like you.
I impress upon you this, however. ALL magic comes with a price. And nothing can last forever. It is up to you now to defeat this curse. This spell book is useless to anyone not worthy of its power. Only to the ONE will it actually be useful. If you're the one - congratulations. If not, I am sorry. I hope this book is useful to you. Please take care of it. It is the only thing on this plane that memorializes me. Always be good to this book. If you treat it well, then it will treat you well in return.
Sincerely,
Maurelle
Mina was confused. What did it mean by "if you're the one"? She briefly wondered if the woman she saw earlier was once the owner of this book.
"Who's Maurelle?" She wondered aloud.
The book started shuddering, the pages started glowing and shaking violently. Mina gasped and threw the book. When it hit the ground in front of her, the pages started flipping, as if it was looking for something. Finally it stopped, seeming satisfied, and landed on a page. Mina looked at Ander, who looked equally disturbed, and she leaned over, hesitant to read it. The page was titled Maurelle. She put a falling strand of hair behind her ear and began to read.
A powerful sorceress and queen of a tiny island was protective of her little sister. It is said that a Fae prince loved her and wished to marry her, but she refused to marry him, due to the fact that he was too power hungry. In a fury, he kidnapped and killed her sister. She went into a depression and spent her days alone in agony. That is, until the Grimm Brothers sought her out. Hearing their story, she agreed to help them. She chained the prince to the curse, but it was at his mother's pleading that she split him in two. To protect what was good in the prince from the power of the Story. She, in the end, bound the two brothers to the curse as well. What followed was her tragic end. Teague trapped her in a box, where it's presumed that she died…
Mina was shocked. The page, as if it knew she stopped reading, flipped to the next page.
Yes, Teague trapped her, but she is still alive. I, James Grimm, found her on the Fae plane, trying to defeat the curse. I released her. In gratitude, she agreed to further aid me through my children. I'm not sure what this means, but I hope this means an end to the curse.
End of the entry.
Mina was shocked more than she was before, she gently touched the pages. It was her fathers handwriting. She blinked away tears, so this was the sorceress/sprite that split Jared and Teague up, Mina thought. Off to the side, it showed a picture of her. She was tall and beautiful. She had long brown hair that hung in loose curls around her. Her eyes were like Mina's. In fact, she looked like an older version of Mina.
"What does it mean by the one?" Mina asked aloud. Questions were whizzing through her mind. That is, until she heard the phone ring. She put the book down and went downstairs to answer it.
"Hello?"
"Mina!" Nix screamed through the receiver.
"Nix!" She echoed his enthusiasm, not quite sure why he was so excited.
"Are you okay? I've been worried sick about you!"
Mina suddenly remembered running off. Technically, she committed truancy..."Yeah, I'm fine. I just, I-"
"Had to get out of there. I get it."
Mina smiled. Nix had been so awesome these past few weeks. "Well, if your okay... Mind coming and picking me and your mom's car up from school?"
Mina's stomach fell. Thank God her mom was out of town. "Yeah! Just give me a few minutes to get over there. I'm sorry..."
Nix laughed. "It's okay. Don't forget, we need to pick up Charlie from school."
Mina nodded. "Okay, be there in a few." Mina ran out of the room and put on some workout shorts and a tank and a bright, sky blue hoodie. She zipped it up and grabbed the keys and ran out the door. She hated to admit it, but she was relieved that Nix was forcing her to run with him now that he was staying with her. She was getting into shape, and she looked better for it too.
She walked over to the school, eventually making it up there. She saw Nix walking out of the building with the swimming pool, with Brody and Jeremy. His hair soaking wet. He had a towel hanging around his shoulders.
"Mina!" Nix called, signaling her to come over to them. Brody and Jeremy looked up to see her walking towards them. Mina smiled gamely and walked over to them. "What are you boys up to?"
"Just hanging around, we were swimming laps. Mina, you remember Jeremy."
Jeremy nodded at Mina. "Yeah, we have physics together."
Mina stood there for a moment. Did they?... they did, recalling the fact. "Oh yeah! We do." She laughed.
Brody stared at Mina, a foggy haze clouded his mind. Mina nodded in return. "Where were you today?" Brody asked curiously.
Mina stared at Brody, a mixture of emotions played across her face. "I- I... I ran home..." She flushed with embarrassment. "Well, you ready to go?"
"Yeah!" Nix said enthusiastically. "I'm starved."
Mina nodded her head in relief. "Okay, well, it was nice seeing you again." She said awkwardly. "Uh- bye?"
Nix rolled his eyes and dragged Mina away, back to Sara's car.