Witchy Tales: A Wicked Witches of the Midwest Fairy Tale (15 page)

“Me, too,” Landon said.

When I mustered the energy to look to my other side I saw Thistle, Clove, Marcus and Sam were already asleep. I’m not sure how I did it, but fear of being separated from Landon during slumber was more overwhelming than the suffocating exhaustion. I shifted over until I could rest my head on his shoulder. Landon wrapped his arm around my back.

“What’s wrong, sweetie?”

“I afraid you’ll be gone when I wake up. I don’t think we’re naturally falling asleep. This is part of the next story.”

“I won’t be gone,” Landon said. “I’m too tired to go anywhere. I’ll be right here. Trust me.”

“I trust you’ll try,” I said, my eyelids heavy. “The book has control of us. We all know that.”

“The book has separated us enough,” Landon said. “We’ll be okay.”

“I hope so.” I was barely awake.

“I love you, Bay.”

“I love you, too.”

We slipped into slumber … and nothing ever felt better.

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. No, it’s true. Looks aren’t everything. If a man has a hairy back, though, that’s a deal-breaker. Find out what his stance is on waxing his shoulders before you give up the goods. If you can braid a man’s back hair, there’s a problem.

–
Aunt Tillie’s Wonderful World of Stories to Make Little Girls Shut Up

I woke up to the feeling of grass poking into my cheek.

“Landon?”

I could hear bodies stirring around me.

“Landon?”

Even though sleep was trying to drag me back down I opened my eyes and focused on the spot next to me. It was empty. Landon was gone.

I bolted to a sitting position, scanning the area in case he’d woken up and was looking around to see what fresh new fairy hell awaited us. He was nowhere in sight. “Landon!”

My voice echoed across the open expanse of the castle courtyard. Yes, it seems we’d found a castle. This one was even more majestic than the palace.

“What’s going on?” Thistle asked, rubbing her eyes wearily. “Where’s Landon?”

“He’s gone,” I said, pushing myself to my feet and brushing the grass and dirt from my clothes. “I knew this was going to happen.” I tried to fight the tears pooling in my eyes.

Thistle wrapped me in a brief hug. “It’s just another story.”

“Why are we the ones who have been separated three times now?”

“Because Aunt Tillie was really angry at Landon when she cast the curse,” Thistle said. “Look at it this way, I’m still the one who had to kiss a frog. It doesn’t get much worse than that.”

“Thanks, honey,” Marcus deadpanned, joining us. “It’s going to be okay, Bay. I’m guessing we have to go into the castle and we’re going to find Landon there.”

“Do you think so?”

“That seems to be the obvious answer.”

“Let’s get going then. I’m so tired of this.”

“We all are,” Thistle said. “We all need to remember this feeling.”

“Why?”

“Because we’re going to need all this anger when we’re digging a grave to hide Aunt Tillie’s body,” Thistle replied.

“You’re probably right.”

We started moving warily toward the castle. While the castle was tall and proud, the outside was overgrown with dead vines and brambles.

“I’m confused,” Clove said as we started climbing the stone stairs that led to the front of the castle. “Why did we all fall asleep?”

“So the curse could separate us again,” I said.

“I know I don’t remember everything about Aunt Tillie’s book, but wasn’t there supposed to be a giant at the top of the beanstalk?” Clove asked.

That was a sobering thought. I scanned the open grounds again. There was nothing menacing – other than the bad gardening – to threaten us, though. “I think we would have seen a giant by now if one was here.”

“Let’s not tempt fate,” Thistle said, pushing me forward. “Come on. Landon has to be in here somewhere. Let’s find him.”

“When we do, I’m tying him to me,” I grumbled.

“I’m sure he’ll love that.”

It took three of us to push the heavy mahogany door open, and the silence that greeted us inside the great foyer was oppressive. The air inside felt stagnant with decay and neglect.

“Well, this is disappointing,” Clove said. “Shouldn’t a castle be pretty?”

“I think it’s pretty,” Thistle said. “It needs a good maid, but it’s pretty.” Her eyes brightened. “Get cleaning, Cinderella.”

“Bite me,” I muttered.

Five sets of footsteps echoed on the marble floors as we trudged onward. An elegant staircase was built into the wall on our right and a huge set of double doors beckoned at the far end of the hall. We were expecting a giant, but the castle design was meant for normal people.

“What do you think?” Clove asked.

“I think this place is huge, but it’s not made for a huge person.”

“I mean what direction do you think we should go?”

That was a pretty good question. “I think we should check the whole first floor before going upstairs,” I said, considering. “We might as well search in an orderly fashion.”

“Are you channeling Landon?” Marcus asked, smiling softly. “He’d be proud.”

“Don’t talk about him in the past tense,” I ordered.

Marcus’ face drained of color. “I didn’t mean … .”

“I know you didn’t,” I said. “Let’s find Landon. He somewhere in here … and he’s alone.”

“He’s going to be fine,” Thistle said. “He knows what he’s doing.”

“I know.”

“If it’s any consolation, he was worried about you for the same reason when you were whisked away to be Cinderella,” Clove added.

“I know,” I said. “It’s not a consolation, though.”

“Come on,” Thistle said, taking the lead. “Let’s find the Fed. He’s probably swearing so much he’s making the fairy tale gods tremble.”

That was a nice visual.

When we got to the end of the room, Thistle grunted as she pushed the partially-ajar door open and introduced us to a whole new world. Unfortunately, it was a world none of ever wanted to see. The room was … alive. There was no other way to describe it.

The furniture moved, the curtains danced and the cobwebs in the corner shook in rhythm with music only they could hear. The sound of the door opening stilled the activity, and as a broomstick, candlestick, chair and piano all turned to stare at me I had to swallow the scream that was bubbling up.

“What are they?” It was the candlestick speaking.

“They look like dolls,” the piano replied.

“They’re pretty ugly dolls,” the broomstick said.

“Aren’t all dolls ugly?” I wasn’t sure who made that comment, but it sounded as though it came from above.

“Um … .”

“Holy cow,” the candlestick said. “The dolls can talk!”

“They’re freaking me out. We need to get them out of here before the master comes in and squashes them like bugs.”

That sounded ominous. I cleared my throat. “Master?”

“It’s talking again!”

I rolled my shoulders, cracking my neck as I fought to contain my temper. “We’re not dolls. We’re … people!”

“What’s a people?” the broomstick asked. “Does that mean you’re an alien?”

“Sure.”

“Where is your space ship?”

“It’s parked outside,” I said. “We lost a member of our … landing party. If we could find him we’d be out of your hair … not that you have any hair.”

“And out of your master’s hair,” Clove said. “What? Does anyone else not want to meet their master?”

She wasn’t the only one thinking that very thing. “Can you point us toward our missing alien? We’d be very thankful.”

“What does he look like?”

“He looks like us,” I said. “He has black hair, and he’s tall and he’s very handsome.” I choked up slightly. “He’s all alone, and we’d really like to find him.”

“There’s no one who looks like that here,” the candlestick said.

“Are you sure?”

“Sorry.”

That was disconcerting.

“Don’t worry, Bay. He’s here,” Marcus said. “We just have to find him.”

“We should check upstairs,” Clove said. “I’ll bet that’s where he is.”

“Oh, don’t go up there,” the broomstick warned. “That’s where the master is.”

“I don’t think we have a lot of choice in the matter,” I said. “I … .”

The door at the opposite end of the room opened and the figure standing there was horrific. It was tall and wide, arms too long for its body, and it didn’t appear to have a neck. Its face was terrible, overlarge teeth jutting out from its mouth. The brown fur covering its body was long and matted, and when it opened its mouth the only thing that came out was a terrible roar.

“You must be the master,” I said, taking an inadvertent step back. “I … um … wow.”

The creature roared again. It looked like Bigfoot on steroids.

I held up my hand, which shook as I tried to act braver than I felt. “I’m really sorry to come into your home,” I said. “We’re looking for a friend. We need to find him. We’ll be out of your hair as soon as we do. I promise.”

The creature shuffled closer, growling as it opened its menacing mouth. I took a step back. “I … I’m really sorry. We’re really sorry.”

I glanced over my shoulder, frowning when I saw the empty space behind me – which only moments before had been occupied by Marcus, Thistle, Clove and Sam. “You’ve got to be kidding me.”

The monster roared again, and when I risked a glance back in its direction I realized it was closing the gap between us. “Okay. It’s okay. Nice … thing.” I started backing out of the room. “I’m not here to hurt you. I’m assuming you’re not here to hurt me. I just … I need to find someone.”

Another roar was all I could take. I fled the room, racing back into the foyer and finding it empty. The open door at the far end of the corridor told me that my supposed family and friends hadn’t stopped with abandoning me in a separate room. They’d abandoned me in a strange castle.

The creature screeched behind me again and I increased my pace, bursting from the front of the castle and skidding to a stop on the terrace – where a new horror was waiting.

Thistle, Clove, Marcus and Sam cowered in the far corner, the men working to shield their respective girlfriends, and the hulking figure raising his hands in a menacing fashion on the lawn towered over them.

“Oh, well, I guess we’ve found the giant,” I grumbled.

No one answered except for the monster closing the distance on me from behind. Things officially just got worse. How was that even possible?

THE
giant screamed, ramming his hands down on the ground with enough force to shake the courtyard – and the castle behind us. Apparently in Aunt Tillie’s head a giant has more in common with the Hulk than anything else.

“Well, great,” I said. “This is just awesome. We have a giant cutting us off from escape in that direction and the hairy beast is coming after me from in there. Thanks for having my back in there, by the way. I just loved turning around and finding myself alone … again.”

“We thought you were right behind us,” Marcus said, covering Thistle’s head.

“Well, I wasn’t.”

“Do you really think this is the time to argue about this?” Marcus asked, infuriated. “Get over here.”

He was panicked. He was doing his best to hold it together, but without Landon here to tell everyone what to do we were scattered. We lacked leadership. We were … a mess. Where was he?

Instead of doing as Marcus instructed I turned to face the giant and descended the stairs.

“Bay! What are you doing?” Marcus screamed.

I ignored him and kept moving forward. The giant stilled when he saw me, a meaty fist raised high above his head. I was … done. I couldn’t take another second of this.

“I don’t know if you’re watching this, Aunt Tillie,” I said, my eyes clouding with angry tears. “Enough is enough, though. We want to go home. We need to go home. You’ve taught us our lessons. Please. Give me back Landon and … end this. I believe you can hear me.

“That’s what you told me, right?” I continued. “At the Cinderella house you told me that everything depended on what we believe. I believe we should be done here. So … I’m done.”

For one brief, shining moment I thought I’d won. The giant cocked its head to the side, its eyes softening. Then the world tilted as the giant roared and aimed its descending fist at me.

My body flew to the side as something barreled into me from behind. Another roaring voice entered the fray, only this one belonged to the hairy castle beast. After tossing me out of the way, the growling monster caught the giant’s descending fist and deflected it, whimpering from the force of the blow.

The monster matched the giant angry howl for angry howl. I rolled over on my side so I could glance back at the castle. Marcus was on his feet staring at me, worry marring his handsome face as he debated running after me or staying to protect Thistle and Clove. He was caught. He knew it, and I knew it, too.

“Stay there,” I yelled. “Don’t come out here.”

Marcus didn’t look convinced. “Bay! Come back here. I can’t just leave you. I made a promise to Landon.”

What promise? “So did I,” I said. “I won’t leave this place without him.”

“That’s not what I’m saying,” Marcus said. “Come back here! We’ll figure it out. Let them fight. It’s what they want to do.”

I shook my head, turning back to the battle raging in front of me. The giant was stronger, but the beast was determined. I had no idea why it pushed me out of the way and sacrificed itself in the battle. It was almost as if … .

“Oh, crap.” I pushed myself to my feet, realization dawning as I searched for a weapon. There wasn’t much to choose from. The only thing that was even remotely an option was a large rock half buried in the ground.

I dug my fingers into the hard dirt, grimacing at the pain as I clawed at the rock. It took everything I had to dislodge it, and when I had it in my hand I turned back to the giant.

The beast was on the ground, struggling to regain its footing as it continued to put its battered body between me and the giant. I didn’t take time to think about what I was doing. I didn’t care whether it was smart. I didn’t care whether it would work. It was the only thing I could do, so I did it.