I fiddled with the wax stopper on the bottle in my hand.

It was a miniscule bottle and it's contents was what little darkness i had left from the once large supply that that foolish toy maker had saved up.

I had used it sparingly at first but eventually out of desperation used the concoction more and more to bring in unwilling recruits to my dark brigade of monsters.

One day i found a hollowed out tree and buried beneath the shallow surface of the dirt, i uncovered a book bound in black leather.

I thought I'd come across some old crone's diary but i discovered later that it was spell book.

It was a a most unusual book for every time i opened up its pages there would always be something new to read.

Sometimes the book had a certain life of it's own, i would hear it whisper, sometimes the book would open for me without anyone touching it.

I'd ask it certain questions and often it would answer me, vigorously the pages would rustle, furiously flying until they'd come to a newly printed page.

I studied this book during these long years of my banishment.

I didn't think i would be very gifted in the ways of magic but it turned out that i had quite the knack for it.

The book offered me not only knowledge of magic but knowledge of other things outside the realm of magic.

I was able to learn practical arts such as sewing and cooking as well as taking care of certain injuries.

I learned not only how to be a homemaker but how to be completely self sufficient in the wilderness of the woods.

I still hated my existence in these woods.

So i taught myself how to weave spells and spin enchantments.

I learned how to lure people into the woods and it was then i used my bottle of darkness which I'd open and a stream of green smoke would slowly pour out from the top.

It was an evil that I myself enjoyed to breathe in as well.

Many of those that were lured to my encampment they had no way of fighting that darkness that surrounded them.

Most didn't know how.

I did my best to replicate this darkness but every time i attempted to make my own, it was never quite as potent and the effects soon wore off after an hour or so.

So now i was left with a tiny bottle and it was only enough for one person.

I'd have to use it on her unfortunately.

It seemed such a waste.

She was very beautiful, fierce looking, extremely willful but still very beautiful.

Besides being beautiful she was no doubt well versed in the arts of magic.

If i had full control of her powers i could use them to enslave all of Toyland.

I would own it and i would make it so it was always night so my tree monsters could live there comfortably without the fear of constant sunlight.

Our powers would become one and together we'd rule all of Toyland.

However i was getting impatient.

I didn't want to have to wait anymore for that wretched ankle to heal.

I know, I'd heal it myself.

What a clever idea.

I marched into the tent where Mabelyn was resting.

"Wake Up!"

"What- Whatever for?

Oh my it must be something really serious.

I'm not in any trouble am I?"

"No but you will be if you don't get to your feet this instant.

Get up!"

" Pity. Oh i see you must be the one that's in trouble.

Would you like to talk about it?"

She bat her eyes at me mockingly.

"I haven't the time.

We're leaving this place and i expect you to be able to keep up."

"You know this may be a novel idea for you but you could always leave me behind".

"Oh no, I'm definitely not doing that.

You're far too precious a commodity.

You're coming with me and you're coming with me now!"

"Precious to you?!

You must be joking!

Look I'll have you know that I'm cursed.

If you take me with you I'll only bring you heartache.

I'll be a burden to you.

So you either can leave me here to die or you can kill me yourself."

"A cursed fairy.

Oh imagine that.

How fun, how original, how unique.

Are you cursed or does everything you touch get cursed?"

"Both actually.

I'll curse this entire camp, I'll curse your whole army of monsters and I'll even curse you.

So it's best you leave me behind."

"Oh really, how fascinating.

I'm afraid you're too late because both me and my army are already cursed but thank you so much for thinking of me.

Oh by the way you're technically already a burden to me right now, so that doesn't frighten me nor does a couple of curses.

So if you want to curse me you go ahead.

Curse everyone around you, curse to your little hearts content.

I won't stop you.

You're more then welcome to gift me with more than one curse.

It would be a blessing to me believe me.

Why your curses would be a new source of excitement for me.

So very little happens within these woods, that watching you curse this whole entire forest would be my new source of entertainment.

Now get up".

She very slowly and very stiffly arose to her feet.

I lead her towards the light of the fire.

She had no choice but to cling to me for support since she wasn't yet able to stand on her own.

"Why don't you save yourself the trouble and just do away with me?

There's the fire, now all you have to do is throw me in".

"Whatever gave you that idea?"

For someone as intelligent as she was she could be rather dense.

"Well we certainly are close enough, at least i am.

So since we're here you might as well make good use of the fire."

"Oh i see what you mean."

I stepped back from the flames a bit.

"Look I've thought it over and there's no sense in killing you.

You're worth more to me alive.

Besides it would be a shame to ruin that pretty face of yours to the fire."

"May i ask why I'm worth so much to you?"

"Well i don't want to give too much away but I'm planning a comeback.

I've been banished and i want to prove myself worthy so i can return back to my home.

You are magic, i happen to be practicing magic at the moment, so perhaps we could help one another."

"Help you?

Don't be ridiculous.

I have no reason to help you.

You want to make me your slave, you want to exploit my powers for your own gain.

I can see the greed in your eyes and i can feel your selfish desire.

You have the heart of a villain.

That's why you were banished because of your villainy.

You were banished for your cruelty and your treachery.

You stole from the innocent and you took advantage of the poor and the weak you trod upon into the mud.

I have no intention of helping you in any way."

"Oh i am shocked.

Never have i been so insulted.

Selfish gain, cruelty, villainy, treachery.

What kind of monster do you think i am?

I'm just hermit wandering the wilderness which you trespassed by the way but I'll be willing to over look it.

Tell you what i will give you your freedom if you help me with a few tiny tasks that i need finished up."

"Well i don't see what choice i have with my ankle in the state it is at the moment."

"Oh but you do have a choice.

Join forces with me, temporarily of course and after that you're free to go.

In fact the reason i dragged you out here was so i could help you with that nasty ankle of yours."

"You brought me out here just to fix my ankle?

I thought we were going somewhere."

"We are but we can't if your ankle is still twisted.

So I'm going fix this ankle all up, so i won't have to carry you the rest of the way".

"You'd probably enjoy that.

Look what is that you want?

Just tell me.

Stop with all these flattering words and trickery.

Just come out with it.

What's your real plan?"

"Alright i want revenge on the people that banished me and I don't want for you be a burden to me any longer, so that's why I'm healing your ankle as for my villainy, my treachery, my cruelty and my overall selfishness yes that's all me, it's true, you were right about me.

However i can strike a deal with you if you agree to help me get my revenge."

"Oh revenge on the people that brought you to justice.

So sad.

You expect me to get choked up over that?

I was abandoned as a baby, raised by a Wraith, nearly had my soul sucked out, then i ran away to a human village, who almost burned me at the stake for being a witch.

Then i went to live with what i thought was a nice wealthy family but their son ended up being a real creep and he tore off my wings and when i tried to get them back I found out that this kid told them i had attacked him so i was never to return there again.

Then i had to roam the wilderness without wings which is pretty much equivalent to having both your arms amputated at the same time but you know nobody cried over me.

No one came to comfort me when i was in pain, when i was lost and hurting, no one was there to tend to my wounds.

Yet I'm supposed to help you who's only suffered a few short decades while I've had a lifetime of suffering.

You have no idea what true pain is.

So no i won't help you.

You've pretty much helped yourself all these years.

Oh you don't think I've heard of all those missing villagers that vanished without a trace?

You're a a very notorious man, Barnaby.

What's more frightening is people don't even have a name to associate with these disappearances.

So i don't care what you do with me, just leave me out of your schemes.

I'm really not interested in striking a deal with a man who betrayed his only nephew".

"Where did you get that story?"

I was mortified.

I was angry but still shocked that she knew that story from my past.

I furiously grappled onto her wrist forcefully in my aggravation.

This forced her to face me, nearly nose to nose although because of my considerable height we were more chin to chin at this point.

"It's just a story I've heard and you did say your name was Barnaby so i took a wild guess and assumed you were Barnaby Barnacle."

She was for the first time actually frightened, since my hand was around her wrist i could feel her pulse under my fingers and it was throbbing wildly and rapidly under my grip.

"Yes i am and because you know that now you may never have your freedom unless of course you do exactly what i tell you.

You will help me and you will not defy me."

"I promise if you let me go I won't tell anyone."

One of my nails was embedding itself into her chin, i pressed my thumb into her skin which had a nail that was particularly longer than the rest.

"Oh when i let you go believe me you won't be able to say a word about it.

I'll make sure of it."

"Oh would you let go of me.

I'll help you... I'll help you get your revenge...just loosen your grip a bit.

I didn't mean to dredge up bad memories for you honestly.

It really wasn't my intention to anger you.

In fact if you'd just been honest with me in the first place and skipped all the theatrics I would've gladly helped you."

"Well isn't that unfortunate but I'm afraid it's too late for that now.

Now you have no choice but to help me.

You really should of thought of that beforehand."

I could the feel the warm trickle of blood on my skin from me putting too much pressure on her chin with my jagged dagger like nail.

I would have wiped my hand off on my waist coat jacket but I couldn't afford to waste something so rare and precious.

I hastily pulled out a spare bottle from my jacket pocket and i let the blood trickle down inside.

I wasn't sure what that could be used for but i hoped to find that out later that night while she was asleep.

i retrieved the bottle of darkness that i was saving and i bit into the stopper with my teeth to break the seal and i ripped the cork out with a vigorous tug.

"I repeat now you'll have no choice but help.

You won't just help me you'll serve me and very soon you'll belong to me."

Smoke flooded out the top of the bottle and it branched out in tiny tendrils, feeling their way to the next victim.

I saw green flames ignite in her eyes which was a sign that the darkness had hit it's target.

"You're mine now.

You're power belongs to me and with your power i will have my revenge.

For i have something greater than any darkness, i have curses, i have knowledge, i have true power.

I won't destroy Toyland rather i will rebuild it so that death, darkness and destruction shall rule supreme.

I will own everything from here to Toyland, every inch if this forest to every square foot of Toyland.

It shall be absolutely glorious and what's even better is no one will be able to stop me!"

I roared with laughter and my army of monsters groaned and growled in agreement with me.