Listening to some cool songs from the 80's because I'm so lame like that…
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The barn proved to be more like a farm house than anything, and Jack had escorted me to one of the rooms upstairs before bidding goodnight and leaving to take up the room downstairs.
Although it wasn't exactly the Ritz, it was wonderful.
Drafty walls, a pitiful excuse for a bed and rotten floorboards is wonderful?
No.
Knowing that Jack loved me was what made it feel like the grandest Marriott in the world.
I flopped on the cot-like bed that proved to be hard as stone, and rest my head on my arms behind me; the image of bliss.
Oh how wonderful life was knowing that Jack loved me…oh how wonderful knowing that all of my hopes had not been in vain!
I rolled onto my side and pulled the dress off, tossed it onto the carpet bag in the corner and pulled the thin and ragged quilt up to my neck, falling asleep with a smile on my face.
I was standing at an altar next to Jack, both of us smiling nervously at each other every other moment, but suddenly a great conflagration ripped through the Woods, consuming everyone in its fiery tendrils.
A face appeared in the fire, its mouth contorting grotesquely as its words echoed through my head.
"You never consented…no agreements was exchanged, and certainly no kiss…you belong to no one!"
The fire vanished as suddenly as it came, but Jack lay on the ground, the only one who showed sign a fire had held them all captive in its burning inferno.
His skin was charred and blackened, and flaked as I rolled him on his back.
"Oh God no!" I screamed in terror, for the face I looked upon was not the one of the one whom I loved…but the one of who I loathed…Licorice.
He sat up abruptly and seized my shoulders, shaking me.
"You belong to me, vows or none!" he shouted, and I flashed my eyes open, my mouth hung open in a silent scream of trepidation.
I started to take in a breath, to remind myself that I was all fine, but my adrenaline shot through the roof when I saw out of the corner of my eyes the door open slowly.
It might have been only Jack, yes, but the figures looming in the doorway proved me wrong, unless Jack had suddenly asexually reproduced a full grown man, who was short and squat and morphed into a hulking figure that reminded me on Mary Shelly's frightening take of Frankenstein.
I was frozen, unable to move or scream of even shiver, and could only watch with wide eyes as they approached.
"Asleep?" one of them rasped, his voice hoarse as though he had been ill.
"Looks like it, doesn't it?" the other said, his voice calm and even, but all the while dripping with sarcasm.
"Are you sure this is the Crown Princess, though?" the first said, clearly hurt by the sarcasm.
"Positive. Who else would bother hiding out in an abandoned farmhouse?" the second said, his voice cleared of all traces of burlesque.
Another cold wave of terror crashed over me; these men knew that I was a Royal…and I had the feeling they intended on ransom…without using it as a fake ploy.
The stocky one drew back the covers to the bed and coldness made me shiver, even while I thought I couldn't move at all.
"Go on and grab her, then, Casmir…" the stocky one said, and Casmir reached his arms down about my waist…and suddenly I found the ability to move.
I screamed and shoved his arms away, running for the door, but the stocky one had grabbed hold of my arm.
"Help me with her!" the stocky one demanded, and Casmir strode over, taking firm hold of forearms.
"Help! Jack!" I screamed, and the stocky one's hand went over my mouth, but I bit at it, still screaming.
I could hear steps on the stairs, and suddenly Jack was there. In the darkness I couldn't see his face, but I knew that it would be stretched into something between confusion and anger.
"Let me hold the girl, you take him!" the stocky one shouted, and Casmir shoved me at him, launching himself at Jack as he stepped into the room.
In the moment when I wasn't being held captive I fought to regain my balance, but took one unsteady step forward, preparing to run, but I felt a sharp tug at my corset strings.
Cooper was forcing Jack out into the hallway, and I strained at my harness to run out with them, but the strings pulled tighter.
"Now, now, now…keep pulling like that and you'd be able to fit into any dress." he laughed darkly, and I suddenly knew what he meant. My waist had suddenly shrunk, my lungs were cramped, and my rib cage was being forced in far too much.
I gasped for air, but even as I stopped struggling, the short man pulled the strings even tighter.
My head felt lighter than air even as my chest felt ready to collapse.
I wheezed, my breath sounded like a death rattle, and my chest suddenly seemed to give.
A sharp snap echoed through the room, and a chorus of banshees unleashed their song, and I thought that they came bearing the news that death was imminent without air being supplied to my mind, but I realized that the unearthly scream was mine, using air I had not realized I possessed.
I fell to the floor clutching my chest, every failed attempt at a gasp stabbed as though the Devil was trying to prevent me from trying to breathe.
Perspiration formed droplets on my forehead, and the room seemed to spin, blotches of blackness drifted in front of my eyes.
With another rattling breath I coughed, my chest compressing with so much pain that had I the air, another scream would have certainly been in order.
More splotches were dancing in front of my eyes; they seemed to be dancing a fast reel, twirling faster and faster.
I clutched my abdomen with one arm and lay my forehead on the forearm of the other as I lay flat on the ground, praying for salvation.
There was a sudden release of the strings, and then I was jerked off the floor, flung backwards and on the squat man.
He shoved me to the side, forcefully rolling me away from him. I could only flop against the wall like a rag doll, pain contorting my face.
My eyes shut tightly, as though if I opened them it would be morning, and worst thing would Licorice to be lying next to me, but even that I would have preferred over the excruciating hurt pulsing from my ribs.
My arms fumbled behind me for the strings to try and untie the knot, but they were clumsy as an infant, and I was far too dizzy to even tell which way the sky should be, and which way the floor should be.
"Genny…" a warm voice whispered in my ear, and I was amazed I could hear it above the ringing. "What is it…what's wrong?"
I couldn't reply, only motion to my waist which, had it been accurately measured, would have reached the inhuman size of thirteen or fourteen inches.
He must have nodded, because I didn't hear his reply as he gingerly picked me up and turned to face my back.
My head lolled forward as I dimly heard strings being torn, and then…oh sweet release!
The corset fell suddenly from around me like a Constrictor abruptly killed, and I inhaled deeply, the sudden air dizzying, the pain that felt like a stab wound to the lungs intensified by a sevenfold.
"Genny…are you alright? Please, say something…" he said, his lips kissing the top of my head as he held me.
"I think…I think…my ribs are broken…" I whispered, every word tormenting.
"Oh God…" he said, his voice panicked.
"Don't worry…it isn't so bad now you're here…" I said, smiling between winces.
"We have to get a doctor…" he said, and I shook my head violently.
"No!" I said, putting as much force into it as I could. "How would it seem, sending for a doctor to heal the 'kidnapped' Crown Princess? They'd rush me back to the Palace before I could say 'ow.'"
"As much s I hate to agree…you're right…" he admitted, and I nodded.
"Hah, told you." I gasped and clutched my stomach, but waved away his concerned look. "We can't very well stay here…we should go back to Gramma's…she'll know what to do…"
"Shouldn't it be better to have her come here?" he asked.
"Are you crazy? Absolutely not. If those two oaf-heads knew we were here, anyone could've seen us. We're going back to Gramma's." I insisted firmly, and pushed up off his arms to try and stand.
I stumbled and fell against the wall, and suddenly Jack was there, steadying me.
"And you're positive of this plan?" he asked skeptically.
"Absolutely." I said firmly behind clenched teeth.
"You do realize that only fools are sure of themselves." he said, and I rolled my eyes.
"Much like how you were so sure that Gramma's house would be reduced to ashes?" I teased back, and he sighed.
"Never going to let me live that down, are you?" he asked, and I shook my head.
"Never."
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Oh my goodness! I absolutely HATE High School Musical! But most of all "We're All in this Together!"
Our choir has to learn it for a pep rally, and let me tell you, that song is SO hard to learn dance moves to!
Anyway, only spell-check (wow, what a shocker) so please review nicely!
P.S.
CandyLand might be put on hold for a little while, because i suddenly had inspiration for yet another story that could be published (alongside this one of course.)