The Colors And The Deal With Death - Chapter XIII: The Grand Oak Tree

I wake up from my small impromptu nap to find myself on the floor of a strange, yet familiar room. I stand up and see that I am back inside my old bedroom. I recognise everything, the colour of the walls, the photos of all of us together... too bad they aren’t all around anymore. I look over at my old bed, and see a familiar face, someone I haven’t seen in a long time. It’s an itty bitty version of me, sleeping soundly in my bed.

I walk over to her... well, myself, and just look at her, almost feeling sorry for her. She likely knows nothing of the torments that are going to find her one day. While I would love to change the past right here and now, I can safely say that one day, she will also find happiness in the company of others, that seemingly accept her presence. Plus my hand just goes through everything I touch and I doubt anyone would see me, since I never remember seeing myself when I was little. The creaking of the floorboards can be heard just outside the room, waking the little me up.

Both of us goes to investigate outside the room and sees Mandy, just years younger, yet she was already apparently almost a teenager at this point in time. Just how old is she? The little me goes through my body to confront little Mandy. Mandy seems to have been crying to herself.

“Mandy. Where are you going? Mummy and Daddy are going to be mad?” The little me asks, sounding confused.

“Shh. Lizzie, go back to your room. It’s way past your bedtime.” Mandy says, ruffling my long hair.

“No. I’m not going to let you go. I’ve always hated goodbyes, so I don’t want to say goodbye to you.” The little me says, on the verge of crying herself.

“There’s a lot you don’t know, Liz. Our parents have been fighting a lot more recently, and they both treat me as if I never existed. Father, especially has taken to some odd habits. I just don’t belong here. I’m sorry.” Mandy says, coming down to hug me.

“Take me with you. I’ll be a good girl, I promise.” The little me says, pulling the little face I always used to pull to look cute, where I batted my eyelids and pouted my lips... I suppose that would have different meanings if I did that now.

“I’m sorry. I can’t take you. Mummy and Daddy would be very cross with me if I took their little bundle of joy away. But I want you to promise me something. Don’t forget me. When times have settled down, when you are all grown up, I will come to find you, and we can be a proper family, the two of us against the world, right?” Mandy asks, coming down to my level.

“I promise. Just don’t be too long getting back, okay? I’m going to miss you so much.” The little me says to her, crying on her shoulder.

“I will come for you. If Father’s goody-two-shoes twins, Amelie and Emmie start messing with you, tell them to mind their own business.” Mandy says, though I honestly haven’t heard those names in many years... I wonder where they are now, if they are still around.

I start to dry my eyes, forcing a smile, which almost makes me want to start crying myself... I guess the tougher the exterior, the softer the centre. As Mandy starts to leave, I am torn between which of the two girls to follow. Though I am tempted to stay here with little Lizzie, I know what happens to her, and I suppose I’ve been put here to realise a certain truth about Mandy in the present day. I follow behind Mandy as she leaves with her little suitcase, both of us saying goodbye to the little one, as she heads back to bed. We both head outside and into the night, as she remains unaware of my presence, like I am completely a ghost in this world.

A long uneventful walk later, Mandy arrives at a small barn near the train station to Decain, as the sun starts to rise in the sky. It feels so nice to feel the air that it brings again, though I’m sure this is just my senses playing tricks on me, since I’m likely still at the castle. Mandy takes a small nap on a haystack for a little while, as I look around the area. Strangely, there is a small petting zoo just on the other side, just about to open for a new business day. There are only two people there, a young girl and... wait. Unless I’m really mistaken, I’m sure that is a much younger Blanche, and she’s there with Reeve, with black swept-back hair, as opposed to his full head of grey. Blanche looks exactly as I know her. Not a curl in her hair out of place, wearing some extravagant clothes and I see she still has her mother’s necklace on. She looks only as old as I am, but does that mean we were the same age all this time?

“Reeve, I’m hungry. Do you have any food? When are Mummy and Daddy coming back to us? It’s been a few days now.” Blanche says, tugging at Reeve’s black jacket.

“They’ll be opening soon, little one, so how about we go get you some sandwiches or something? I heard from your parents not long ago, they should be back any day now.” Reeve says, looking down at her as he takes her hands.

“That’s great. Can these people go any faster with this? I want to ride a pig.” Blanche says, spoken like a little air-headed spoilt celebrity child already... though I can admit she does have some admirable qualities under her stubbornness.

“You know you can’t ride the-“ Reeve starts to explain, before receiving an evil eye from Blanche. “I’ll see what I can do.”

Reeve towards one of the helping hands, as Blanche wanders off towards the animals on the open field. From the corner of my eye, I can see Mandy walking up to Blanche. Knowing exactly what happens next, I run over and try to stop her, but again, I just go right through her.

“Hey kid. Are you lost? The queue is forming just over that way.” Mandy says, pointing her in the right direction, though I’m sure she is just as lost right now.

“I can’t talk to you. You’re a stranger. So buzz off.” Blanche says in a standoffish tone, surprising Mandy a little.

“You have a sharp tongue for such a little girl. Come on, your parents are probably worried.” Mandy says, most likely unaware of the situation as Blanche herself looks angry.

“Don’t say a word about a parents. They’re coming back soon, you hear? Go away.” Blanche says, throwing a small tantrum on Mandy.

As soon as Mandy sets her eyes on Blanche’s expensive necklace, which is honestly too big for her right now, she snatches it from Blanche and begins running away in the opposite direction. Oh god, I’m going to have to follow.

“Mummy’s necklace! No. Come back. Reeve. REEEEEEVE!” Blanche shouts to Reeve in distress as she starts to cry.

As I start to chase after Mandy, I notice that Reeve, and the workers all crowd around her, like she’s a big deal. I follow Mandy into the familiar train station, as she hides in a nearby empty wooden box. A group of workers come into the station, looking for her, but they are unable to. The only problem is that they lock up the train station after they are finished, since a train probably isn’t scheduled to arrive today.

After realising that the people are gone, Mandy jumps out of the box and attempts the door, which she ultimately is unable to open. She tries to shake the lock loose, but after realising that the sound is echoing on the other side, she stops and accepts that she might be stuck in here for a while. Since the place is in almost pristine condition, especially comparing it to nowadays, she sits on one of the benches, that honestly, I didn’t see before past all the gunk and junk. She pulls out a couple of packets of cold snacks and chocolates as she keeps her box handy for when the door opens itself again.

Since she is just sitting and staring at that necklace, I realise that she is going to be here for a long time before the time comes. Why did the vision put me this far back if it wanted me to see something special? Either way, I decide to quickly run back to the house and see how the family all responded to the news of Mandy’s sudden departure. As soon as I enter the vicinity, I can already hear yelling from inside. I pass through the door and the yelling grows louder.

“Where the hell is she? You saw her last night, didn’t you? I heard you talking last night.” My father, Bernard, a tall and thin man with an awful shaggy haircut hidden under a beret that is like two sizes too small, yells at the little me, who is visibly upset, running behind my mother, shivering like a leaf.

Behind my father, Amelie and Emmie are standing tall, with long blonde hair and smart blazers covering their plain white shirts, with long matching skirts. They both have glasses on, though I know that they are just for show, for both of them.

This is the first time I have seen my mother, Camille in a long time. She is certainly an impressive woman, with long black hair and looks exactly like I imagine I would look in a decade time. She is wearing a black and white dress with that same black glowing ring I have seen before.

“La Glace!” My mother says, as she freezes my father’s feet to the ground with strong pieces of ice, just by whispering something under her breath.

“Don’t you dare yell at our daughter like that? She’s only tiny.” My mother says, shouting just a little quieter than he was.

“Damn it. Why were you chosen? I’m the one who dedicated myself to the cause, and I find out you were given it instead?” My father asks, with a hint of spite in his voice.

“Oh please, I worry what you would do with it. Besides, it was my mother’s, and when Lizzie grows up, it will go to her, end of story.” My mother says, petting me on the head, which I honestly can almost recall... I can still feel the warmth after all these years.

Wait a moment. Mother had the ring, Father wanted the ring more than anything, but she wanted me to have it instead. He told me that an inquisitor was alerted that she was a dangerous witch and was executed, similar to how I was going to be. Did Father do all that just to get that ring? I saw him in the castle wearing it under his glove with pride. Did he have something to do with her death? Oh my stars, it never occurred to me before. When I see him in the present day, abusing me, berating me, destroying my self-esteem forever and labelling me a monster for the world to see... letting my mother die, I will show him just how much pain he has caused me.

Not wanting to see any more of this, I run out of the door as my father breaks free of his icy chains and picks up a nearby vase. No good will come from reliving these memories again. With thoughts of all my new friends in my mind to comfort me, it only just occurs to me how much they actually mean to me... and when I get back, I’m going to swallow my pride and just tell them all this. As the moon quickly starts to rise, I make my way back to the train station, though to my surprise, my father’s car comes speeding past me as I run.

He seems to have parked by the train station, as a group of flashlights shine from inside. I walk in through the now unlocked door, as three other men are searching the place high and low, likely for Mandy.

“Thank you, my children. I’m sorry to have bothered you at such a late time, she did always talk about wanting to see the trains.” My father says, acting all friendly with those who don’t know him well enough... a trait I have come to expect from him, which still angers me to no end.

“Not a problem, Father Carlyle. Anything for the head of the clergy. We did have complaints of a teenage girl stealing from a toddler earlier, though the culprit fled before we could identify her.” One of the worker men says, turning off his flashlight and walking out of the door for the night, but for some reason, my father stays behind.

Suddenly, the train pulls into the station, looking like a gingerbread man instead of the amalgamation of several hellspawn. Mandy waits in her box until the doors open and start to close again, before she jumps out of the box, runs past our father and hits him with her little suitcase, knocking him over. Using this window of opportunity, she slides into the closing door, as a click is heard, meaning that the door must be locked now. I casually move past our father, trying in vain to squeeze his head to no avail, before going through the train as it zooms off through the usual portal thingy. Luckily, there isn’t any killer ghosts on this train yet, so we’re safe. I guess I’m heading back into Decain now.

As the train comes to a screeching halt, with a little extra screech, the doors open slowly to let us off. I find myself in another clean station, feeling kind of sad that this is all going to change in the coming years. Mandy opens the door of the station... I just hope this place has changed too. As the doors swing open, the reveal is even better than I expected. The place looks alive, with the giant castle in the horizon looking freshly made, the trees looking greener than ever, and even a sun is out somehow. The strangest thing is that there is a lot of weird animal things here. Just from this point of view alone, I can see two unicorns, a hippogryph, three fishes with proportionate legs, all just walking around like they own the place, like nothing seems out of the ordinary.

Mandy steps out with a sense of childlike wonder on her face, not frightened of such beasts, nor intimidated, but happy. She walks into the colourful forest, where everything looks a lot brighter now. On the way, we see many beautiful creatures of all shapes and sizes flying around, or walking past us. Still carrying her suitcase in her hand, she makes her way straight to the castle, likely without any other alternatives, considering everything else we’ve seen thus far lives in the great outdoors. Since we can’t physically talk to each other and break the air of silence, we just walk together towards the main courtyard, where all of the statues that now stand so brittle and on their last legs, are still standing tall. There are many guards patrolling the perimeter, and most of them look kind of similar to the ones we were fighting earlier.

Mandy sees the guards, and starts to get a small knot in her stomach, her feet growing cold, as she contemplates running away. She turns around, hoping to return without garnering unnecessary attention.

“Halt!” A tough sounding stereotypical voice shouts from the other side of the courtyard, as the sound of clinking metal rustles louder and louder towards us.

Mandy looks back with a fearful expression, as a human guard runs towards her, brandishing a spear. He comes to her and points the spear in her direction, though it looks quite blunt from where I’m standing.

“Another human, eh? And I thought the outside world would have taken the hint by now. Alright, come with me.” The guard says, as another one approaches us.

The two grab her arms, and her suitcase, as they drag her to the castle, quite brutally. She kicks and squirms, but their grips appear to be unwavering... I guess they are used to carrying girls without their consent. Either way, knowing that I’m here to find something out, I have no choice but to follow them into the castle, as the other guards watch us as we pass.

Going through the usual hallways, and going up the elevat- Wait, there was an elevator this whole time? And I climbed all that way? That’s bullcrap. If I see Lyle again, I’m clipping those wings. A potential tantrum aside, we arrive at the top floor, at the door just before the throne room, though the flowers don’t seem to be here yet. The two guards open the door, as the giant king, Garcia sits atop his huge throne. The whole room looks bright with all of the torches that are strapped to each pillar at all corners of the room. A small man with grey hair and a huge beard kneels to the throne, getting up once we enter the room.

“Your majesty, we have found another outsider. She appears to be young, but regardless, none shall receive immunity to your judgement.” The guard on the left says, as the two bow together.

Garcia looks down at Mandy, like the towering behemoth he is, as all Mandy can do, is smile sweetly despite her fears kicking in, as her shaking legs tell me.

“I appreciate your attention to keeping this kingdom safe, but not every foot that sets upon our soul will bring terror. Girl, what is your name?” Garcia asks, in his booming voice.

“My name is Amanda Carlyle... your majesty.” Mandy says, showing decent respect as she greets him with a curtsy.

“Ahh. A well mannered child, I see. You would be surprised how many men stand before me and are intent on calling me dude, or sir. Distasteful, is what it is. Now, tell me, what brings you to our domain?” Garcia asks, looking a little warmer to her.

“I... had nowhere in that world where I could belong. I stumbled here by mistake, looking for something new.” Mandy says, looking down at the floor in shame.

“Is that so? Guards, return to your posts, and keep an eye out for... unsavoury characters. Now, Mandy. As far as places go, we do not have many human accommodations, but we will do our best to-“ Garcia says, as the guards leave through the door.

“Excuse me, your majesty, if I may interject? You took me in many years back, and you built me my old faithful home. If the girl is in need of a place, she will be most welcome in my own.” The old man says, looking at Mandy with trusting eyes.

Mandy smiles, unable to bring herself to believe such a random act of such kindness. The old man walks closer to her.

“Are you sure, Claude? This will not be necessary.” Garcia says, trying to think of another way.

“Necessary, maybe not. But since my son and I have slowly grown distant with age. I believe it would do us great to have some fresh blood in the house.” Claude says, looking up at Garcia.

“Very well, old friend. I trust your judgement. Young Mandy, this is Claude Richards, the first boy to stumble onto this proud land, the local blacksmith, and a dear friend of mine. He will treat you well. You are both dismissed. I will have someone deliver another hearth for you first thing in the morning.” Garcia says, waving us away.

“Thank you, your majesty. You will not regret this. Mandy, come with me.” Claude says, as the two walk out of the door.

I follow the two out of the castle, and head into the woods, still unsure on what I am really meant to be seeing right now.

“My home is in a far point of the woods. I hope that you can find comfort here.” Claude says, smiling at Mandy, who is still unsure of the whole thing, her eyes looking away, as she twiddles her thumbs, and yet, she still follows.

“This son. You said you don’t get along?” Mandy asks, just going straight for the hard-hitting questions... not much has changed in that aspect, I see.

“Not getting along is a strong term. He is about your age, and his mother has recently ran away with another, leaving us in the dust. The gap she left, he never really got over, and with his recent changes, I fear he is going to leave his old man soon enough too.” Claude says, his head turning with possibilities that all lead to him having the house alone.

“Come now. All kids leave home eventually, but when they come to visit of their own choice, even if once in a while, that’s the sign you’ve made it as a parent, right?” Mandy asks, likely never wanting to follow her own advice, and to be fair, I don’t blame her.

Claude laughs himself into a coughing fit before turning to her. “You know, you’re a strange kid, but you might be right. You’re going to fit right in here.”

Eventually, we come to a small house in the far corner of the woods. It looks tinier than most things in this giant kingdom, but modest and most importantly, cosy. The two walk in through the front door, where the lanterns are left lit and burning bright. In the living room, there is a small table with three wooden chairs and a half eaten three legged turkey dinner in the centre, having likely been there for a little while. The sink on the other side of the room is also filled with dishes too. There is an impressive smithy at the back of the room as well, blanketed by unwashed clothes. The room is under-furnished, especially considering the technology we are capable of nowadays, but if there was a pro to this place, the plethora of clocks on the wall and floor are quite precious as a collection. Claude looks at the mess with a small amount of anger in his eyes.

“Zachary! I told you to do these dishes for me. That was your one job.” Claude shouts up the stairs, before walking over to do it himself.

“Alright, alright, I’m coming now. Keep your wig on.” Zachary shouts back, as the wood beneath his feet give away his location in the house as he slowly walks towards the stairs.

“Don’t bother, I’ve got them now. Honestly, sitting on your laurels, and leaving the hard work to an old man. For shame.” Claude says, acting sicker than he is for a greater response.

“I’m coming to help, so stop blackmailing me with gui-“ Zachary says, as he walks down the stairs, with short brown hair, and a traditional medieval peasant garb on, going silence once his eyes stumble upon Mandy, standing there next to the stairs, smiling.

“Hey there.” Mandy says, trying to put her best foot forward with her new roommate.

“Father, who is this? You didn’t tell me we were having company.” Zachary says, passing by Mandy and walking to Claude.

“She would be Mandy. Please show some respect to her, because she will be living here for a little while.” Claude says, looking over to Mandy.

“She’s what now? When was I told about this? You’re just taking in random strays from the street now?” Zachary asks, not exactly painting himself in the best light... not even Mandy looks impressed with that scowl on her face.

“Stray?” Mandy asks, looking slightly offended, crossing her arms.

“Come now Zachary. That is no way to treat our guest. I did it because I thought you would get along with someone your age.” Claude says, raising his voice a little louder.

“You’ve only just come back in and you’ve done nothing but moan at me. I’m going for a small walk. As for you, make yourself at home, I guess.” Zachary says, passing by Mandy, who leer at each other as he closes the door.

“I’m sorry you had to see that.” Claude says, looking embarrassed for him, and trust me, I am too.

“It’s okay. He seems to be troubled.” Mandy says, shuddering at the thought of him.

“I don’t know what is wrong with that boy as of late.” Claude says, looking worried and downtrodden as he washes the dishes in silence.

Mandy’s head is seemingly all over the place, as time suddenly skips forward to the next morning... why couldn’t this have happened before? You know what, never mind. I needed the exercise from the walking anyway. Mandy is heading out through the front door.

“Hey Claude. Going out for a walk, be back in a few.” Mandy says, as she closes the door.

I suppose I should follow her, as she walks through the woods mindlessly, playing with the strange purple bunnies. The freedom that she has been given gets the better of her happiness as she begins to dance through the wilderness, petting the many wondrous creatures on the way. She then ends the dance by falling into the leaves and making a small angel shape with her arms and legs like snow.

“What are you doing?” Zachary asks, who has been watching her for a while now as he sits under a huge oak tree a few feet away from the house.

Mandy gets herself up faster than I ever thought possible for a human, as she shakes off the fallen leaves from her clothes, her cheeks going red and warm.

“Nothing, just going for a walk. Why do you care?” Mandy says, trying to save her dignity.

“I don’t. Have fun dancing on the way.” Zachary says, going back to his book.

Mandy, taking her first tough step, decides to take a deep breath, walk up to him and push his book shut.

“Listen, it’s obvious you don’t like me, and to be honest, you’re much more sour than I expected, but if we’re going to live together, we should at least try to get along.” Mandy says, trying to make life easier for them both, and especially Claude.

“Who even are you? You think you can just walk into our lives and expect to take centre stage? Just keep out of my way, and we’ll be okay? Okay?” Zachary asks, packing up his book and walking away.

Hmm. Even though this Zachary sounds like a piece of crap on most layers, I can kind of see my old self in that mindset. Now that I am on the other side of it, I can see that I would rather fight my troubles away alone than admit my problems, and as a result, I pushed so many people away... and as I think of my own problems, Mandy is already walking off in the other direction.

As I run after her, time skips once again to the next day, where the two are passing again in silence. Same with the next day, and the next day, and the day after that. I suppose nothing really changed for a while. The next day starts off as any other, as Mandy walks off into the woods to find food from the many assortments of freshly grown fruit trees, but today, Zachary isn’t there at his usual spot at the oak tree. Though their connection is still as hateful as they have always been, I can see that she kind of worries still. Some faint chirping noises start to appear just by my feet. I look down and see a baby bird, laying helplessly on the floor.

When I look back up, Mandy is going through my body to pick up the tiny bird.

“Hello little one. Did you fall from your bed? Here you go.” Mandy says, as she reaches up and puts it back on the little straw nest, though it looks like it is the only one left. “Oh. No one else is here, huh? Well, I’ll keep checking back until they return, how’s that sound?”

“Help!” Zachary shouts, from somewhere in the woods, his voice echoing through the trees.

Without a second thought, Mandy runs away from the bird and towards the noise, coming to find Zachary on the floor, covered in bites and bruises. He is surrounded by strange growling hellhounds, who have their simple minds set on making him their food. Looking around the area for something to use, Mandy eventually finds a long metal pole that likely held up some kind of washing line in the past or something, sticking out of the ground. She pulls it out of the ground and enters the fray. Though she gets scratched up herself, she manages to win the fight, knocking out a couple of fangs before they flee to live another day, some likely only able to eat soup from now on.

Mandy limps over to Zachary and picks him up by his arm, wrapping it over her back, before heading back together to the house for the two to get fixed up. I head back with them, as Claude wraps little bandages around the wounds, the two wincing at the pain.

“Now I hope you both know not to go looking for those beasts. You’re just lucky they weren’t contagious with rabies or something.” Claude says, disapprovingly to them, though with a smile on his face, knowing that they are alright.

“I’m- I’m sorry.” Zachary says, looking over at Mandy, with a newfound appreciation... about time, really.

The next day literally rolls around, as the two walk back outside to the oak tree. I follow them once again.

“Are you feeling any better now?” Mandy asks, poking Zachary’s leg to check it, but he still moans in pain.

“Stop that. How do you like it?” Zachary asks, poking hers back, hurting her just as much.

“Oww, quit it.” Mandy says, rubbing her leg better.

“You know, I never did thank you for yesterday. Having you here had its uses after all.” Zachary says, making even myself wonder if his thanks is sincere or not.

“But of course. So go on, say it.” Mandy says, getting closer to him, grabbing his arm.

“Say what?” Zachary asks, taking his arm back from her.

“Come on, you never did say... blank. Two words, say them.” Mandy says, giggling a little to herself.

“...Thank you.” Zachary says, sighing through his little smile.

“See? Was it all that terrible? In truth, I was hoping that we could become friends or something. I wouldn’t, if Claude wasn’t hoping for it, but-“ Mandy says, before Zachary puts his finger to her lips.

“You talk way too much. Come on, let me show you around.” Zachary says, grabbing her arm and walking away.

Following the two, Zachary introduces Mandy to all of the strange and wonderful creatures, including a unicorn, which offers her ride on its back, and a walrus with huge tusks, who pops out of the pond of all things. There seems to be a flying lion with three heads too, but it seems most uninterested until it is given snacks.

Before I can really take notice, time is going so fast that I watch the two start to grow up before my very eyes. Over time, the two sit around the oak tree, starting off on either side, before they slide closer and closer together until they are sitting right next to each other. Eventually, the baby bird from before flies towards them, growing huge before my very eyes. The time skips stops as the two appear to be at least 18 years old. They are still sitting in the same spot, as Mandy wears a brand new black laced dress, similar to Zachary’s new black clothes.

“What you thinking about?” Mandy asks, nudging Zachary’s arm playfully.

“Well, I- No, it’s nothing.” Zachary says, going slightly embarrassed.

“Come on, spill the beans. We are roommates, after all.” Mandy says, smiling at him.

“Yeah, about that. This might sound silly, and my father would have my head for it, but do you think we could be... more than roommates?” Zachary asks, looking away from her as he asks it, bracing himself for the rejection.

“What? You mean like friends?” Mandy asks, completely oblivious to the gravity of the question, and then again, I guess she wouldn’t really know about it, even at this age.

“I thought we already- that’s not important. I mean, more than friends.” Zachary asks, getting even more embarrassed... just imagine how embarrassed he would be if he could see me watching them from the other side of the tree right now.

“More than friends? Oh, best friends. Sounds good.” Mandy says, as confident as can be.

“You know what? Why use words you have actions.” Zachary says, putting his finger on her chin, turning her face around to face him.

He then kisses her, and at first, she is confused, but as she shakes uncontrollably, she slowly wraps her arms around him. What is wrong with me? I am watching such a tender moment in my enemy’s life, and I can’t help but feel jealous that she found out about love before me. The two let each other again, both with huge smiles on their faces.

“Oh my stars. That actually happened, didn’t it? Does that mean we’re together or something now?” Mandy asks, hugging him tightly.

“If you want to be too.” Zachary says, spinning her in his arms.

“Yes please. So, should we go tell your father the good news?” Mandy asks, more excited than she’s ever been in her life.

“Give it a little time. Today is the day of the week that my father’s friends all come to play cards. I’m normally asked to run an errand around this time so I don’t get in the way.” Zachary says, rubbing his arm nervously.

“Well, I’m sure we won’t be intruding on anything. Come on, it’s getting cold anyone.” Mandy says, grabbing his arm and walking to the door.

“Mandy, I may have patched things up with Father as of late, but this might be pushing it a little.” Zachary says, as the two approach the door.

Before they open the door, they can hear voices from inside. The two look at each other and listen in, curious to know what they talk about.

“Alright, so we can call this meeting adjourned then. Xavier will keep his ears to the ground, I will continue to provide weapons to the cause, and the rest of you will stay in touch in case of further proof coming to light. With any luck, we can pull this off before the purge can commence. Cheers men, for our future.” Claude says from behind the door before a roar of men yelling at once rings out.

A minute later, the doors open to let the others out, as they all walk past Mandy and Zachary, all big burly men. One man in particular, a huge man with swept back black hair, with a small scar on his eye, has his eye on the two, so he probably saw them before. The two walk into the room, unsure of what bring up and what to leave to the elephant in the room. Before anyone can talk, Claude lets out a small sigh of defeat.

“How much of that conversation did you hear?” Claude asks, asking in a serious tone.

“The bare minimum, I can assure you.” Mandy says, trying to avert any awkward tension, having only just helped rebuild the bond, not wanting to add another layer on top of it, like a big wedding cake of secrets.

“Father, were you really playing cards with those people? Please tell me the truth.” Zachary says, afraid to ask, as he holds onto Mandy for comfort.

“Fine. I tried to keep it from you for as long as I could, you had no reason to know, but I suppose there’s no hiding it anymore. I am forming a group to stand up to King Garcia.” Claude says, looking ashamed with himself.

“Really? King Garcia? But I thought you were good friends. The man who took you in when you were young.” Zachary says, shocked and confused, as Mandy shares the same sentiments, albeit silently.

“I know that. Trust me, if there was a way around it, I would choose that any day. But I’m sure over the past few days, there has been a decrease of the creatures that inhabit these very woods.” Claude says, tidying the table that everyone was crowding around, which is covered in, and reeks of ale.

“Now that you mention it.” Zachary says, though I’m sure he hasn’t really noticed, just by the tone of his voice.

“Yes. The carnivore has been killing and eating a great supply of our dear creatures.” Claude says, wiping the table down with a raggedy washcloth.

“That’s awful.” Mandy says, chiming in after something she adores is at stake.

“That’s not all. Word on the street is that he has been getting defensive about these habits, and anyone who doesn’t enable them... they disappear.” Claude says, throwing his washcloth into the sink with extra gusto, making the water ripple and throw itself over the rim of the sink, dripping off the back wall.

“Disappear? But Father, if you-“ Zachary says, getting worried as he walks closer to him.

“Relax. I will be fine, Garcia is none the wiser, we have a spy in the ranks, pulling the strings from behind the strings. Now, what’s wrong? You look as though you have something important to tell me.” Claude says, as he turns to look at the two of them.

As the two tell him the great news, the world starts turning at a greater pace once again. I watch as the novelty of their bond builds higher and higher, and then nothing. It looks as though everything is at peace with the world for a while, until the two reach the mature age of what looks like 21, and nothing much has changed as time stops skipping. The three are all sitting together, enjoying glasses of ale at the same wooden table, albeit a little more bruised, marked and worn out.

“I can’t believe it. When you first told me you were together, I honestly thought you were having a laugh at an old man’s gullible nature, but I was over the moon. And now, you guys are set to be married. Tonight, we celebrate like kings and queens, until we can’t remember our names. What do you kids say?” Claude asks, already a little drunk as he jovially dances to the other side of the room and grabs another bottle of their finest brew.

The other two cheer, before falling silent as the door starts to knock like little bursts of thunder. They look at each other, as Claude opens the door, slowly and surely. The huge man from before stands tall at the door, with the biggest smile on his face. He looks soaked by the rain that is falling outside.

“Hello friends. I have news from Master Richards and Ms. Carlyle, from his majesty, King Garcia III. May I come in for a moment of your time?” The man asks, shaking himself dry as he enters, taking his muddy boots off at the doormat.

“Oh yeah, of course. Make yourself at home, Master Xavier.” Claude says, before walking off to make us all another round of ale, getting a little more drunk.

“Thanks, old friend. Right, let me get straight to the good news. As the first outside born human wedding, King Garcia has offered to host it all in a special room at the castle, no expenses necessary.” Xavier says, sitting next to the two on the table, the same smile on his face that he is able to see their smiles.

“You’re kidding, right? The castle? Oh, that is fantastic news. Thank you, thank you, thank you. You hear that, Zachary?” Mandy says, hugging Xavier as she jumps for joy, the happiest I have ever seen her.

“No expenses necessary? This is all very generous.” Zachary says, as I see his mind going through the motions, working a see-saw between happiness that happily ever after is going to be one of fairy tale status, and the sinking feeling that some secret catch is going unsaid here, considering the older two’s moonlight jobs.

“Yes, at first, I was sceptical myself, but you should see the place. It already looks so lovely. You’re going to love it.” Xavier says, beaming with pride.

After a small celebration goes underway, time skips a little while again, going all the way to the day of the wedding. I appear in the throne room, which is decorated with blue and red ribbons down the walls and a sea of balloons with the happy couple’s names on them. I can hear the crowd chattering and gathering faintly from behind the throne. As the door starts to open from behind me, I run literally through the door behind the throne and climb the stairs to the top of the castle itself.

I open the next door and come to a small holy ground, with lots of rows and columns of pews on the floor, all filled with people. At the ceiling, there is two stained glass windows, depicting angel people playing together. At the other end of the room, Garcia himself is conducting the ceremony on the alter, where a suited and booted Zachary stands just below, waiting for his blushing bride to arrive. He looks quite nervous, though I can really imagine why, I’m nervous and I wasn’t even invited. As the door starts to open behind me, I move out of the way, as the band just behind me starts to play their string instruments. Mandy comes in wearing a huge white gown and her ill-gotten necklace that once belonged to Blanche’s mother, her hair properly curled and not a smidge of make-up out of place, with Claude by her side, linking arms as the closest thing to a father she has ever had should. The two walk up to the aisle, as happy as can be, and to be honest, I’m happy for them. What the hell have I been brought here to see?

“Ladies and gentlemen, working class and royals, we are all gathered here, in a moment of peace and tranquility to witness the holy matrimony of Zachary Richards and Amanda Carlyle. Truly a special moment for our proud land of Cain to bring together not one of our outsiders, but two.” Garcia says, admittedly playing his part well. Wait, Cain? Not Decain? “And now, we shall go to the vows. Zachary?”

“Mandy, when you were first invited into our home, I had assumed it was an attempt for my father to replace me. I was a stupid kid. Your arrival not only brought us stronger as a family, but it gave me everything I have always wanted. I truly am thankful, and I would dedicate the rest of my life to making you feel the same way.” Zachary says, trying not to burst into tears, as he takes Mandy’s hands.

“Zachary, I came to this place with nowhere else to run, and I truly felt that I didn’t belong anywhere. But this place, with you, this is where I belong, my true home. I want to thank you for making it so special and for giving me the family I have always wanted.” Mandy says, smiling brightly.

I watch the two from beside the door, trying my best not to get over-emotional. I don’t cry at weddings, I really don’t.

“And now, if anyone in this room has any reason that these two should not be wed, speak now or forever hold your peace.” Garcia says, looking around the room, as everyone else is as well.

“I’ve got something to say.” A familiar voice from just beside me says, as the door opens.

We all look and see that it is surprisingly Xavier, who just walked into the room with a smug look on his face, as he locks the door before he walks down the middle of the aisle.

“Xavier? What is the meaning of this?” Claude asks, angrily, running to punch Xavier, but is stopped by two guards.

“Silence, you cur. Your majesty, continuing our conversation from earlier, I was investigating those rebels that hinder you so. Thanks to the proof I have brought to light, the perpetrators are all in this room right now, just ready to ambush your sovereignty. The leader and his accomplices are standing at this very alter.” Xavier says, pulling out a gun from his holster and pointing at Claude’s head.

“Xavier? What are you doing? He is your friend.” Zachary says, trying to pull Xavier’s arm away, the angriest expression on his face.

“Claude Richards. Say it isn’t so. Have you really conspired against the crown?” Garcia asks, sounding betrayed.

“No. For all the needless deaths, of both our men and our creatures... I conspired against you.” Claude says, before pulling his own gun on Garcia.

The two try to stop him, but before he can shoot, Xavier fires the gun at Claude, as the bullet goes in and out of his temple, created a splotch of blood and brain matter on the right hand wall. The whole room goes silent before Zachary starts to tremble, unable to process what just happened as Claude is allowed to just fall to the floor, not a single slither of breath left in his lungs.

“Xavier. You monster!” Zachary screams in anger and overwhelming grief, before jumping towards Xavier, knocking him to the floor.

Before he even reaches the ground, the room has already fallen to anarchy. The men from the rebellion and the guards battle each other like some tiny civil war... as if this was the time or place for that. I just watch the massacre in shock as each of the rebellion members are brought down one by one, without even a fighting chance.

Xavier is pinned to the floor by Zachary who is repeatedly punching his face in as hard as he can, whilst fighting back tears of his own.

“He was your friend. He trusted you. You killed him.” Zachary shouts at the top of his lungs, continuously hitting Xavier as he closes his bloody eyes, his face lumpy and bruised all over.

Mandy comes over to Zachary, who holds his arm back as hard as she can.

“Zachary, no! Believe me, I am as angry as you are, but don’t kill over this. They will hold this over your head for the rest of your life, and then where would we be?” Mandy asks, just wanting the bloodshed to stop.

Zachary starts to calm down, as he cries on Mandy’s shoulder, holding her as tight as he can.

“I’m sorry. I’m so sorry. Garcia, you are just standing here. Please, do something. Tell them to stop-“ Zachary says, getting down on his knees to beg to Garcia for forgiveness, before he too succumbs to a bullet wound.

As the gunshot echoes through the halls, the guards all pocket their pistols as they emerge victorious over the rebellion, just leaving the bodies on the floor. Zachary clutches his chest, as he falls from his knees onto the floor. Mandy looks around the room, as everyone she has ever known and loved for the vast majority of her life, is suddenly gone in one sitting. I can visibly see something within her snap, as she starts to smile, as many pistols are being loaded and pointing at her.

“You call this just? I just hope you can all live with yourselves after this. Enjoy the time you have, your majesty and so called captain of the guard, because someway, somehow, I’m going to make you pay.” Mandy says, knowing that she is unable to win against this odd, having lost hope and very likely, her sanity.

“Fire.” Xavier says, as a barrage of gunpowder hit Mandy, filling her with more lead than a freshly bought pencil.

She falls to the floor, the last of the rebellion to fall. I walk over to the body, as everyone else seems to be walking away. Garcia just stood there in silence as his past friends got murdered in cold blood, but now, he is walking away like nothing happened. This part he forgot to mention to me. No wonder Mandy has been hunting him for this long. I doubt the others know this either. That’s one mystery solved, but if Mandy is dead, how was she able to-

As the world goes black, minus her body, I feel as if my question is about to be answered, so all I should do is watch and listen. As if by magic, Mandy stands back up as she looks around the darkness.

“Dear child, your time has come. You seem to have met an unfortunate end.” An ominous demonic voice from above says, hiding somewhere in the darkness.

A huge skeleton man with a huge crown comes down to Mandy, wearing a huge black robe, towering over her at least 20 times her size. Mandy doesn’t look phased though, considering what she has just been through.

“You think so? What are you? The grim reaper or something?” Mandy asks, not the least bit interesting as her tone and body language suggests.

“You can call me that if you prefer. My name is Necrodeus, Crownbearer of Death. I have come to offer you the chance of an after lifetime.” Necrodeus says, looking down at her.

“Leave me alone. I’m in no mood to be entertained right now.” Mandy says, trying not to cry.

“What If I told you that you can return to the mortal plain and take back what is yours?” Necrodeus asks, as Mandy’s ears perk up, turning back around to him.

“Very well, I’m listening.” Mandy says, suddenly very interested.

“You see, these bones have survived through a millennia, but they long for rest too. You and I are one and the same. Betrayed by our very foundations, struck down in our prime, one step away from realising our true potentials. I have found my ending, and now, it is your turn. Unless this is not what you long for?” Necrodeus asks, disappearing back into the shadows.

“Wait, wait. I’ll do it. What do I do?” Mandy asks, in a panic.

Necrodeus disappears into smoke, leaving a much smaller crown for Mandy, which lands on the floor next to her.

“Gather souls for the afterlife, but only those who are on our doorstep. The crown will react with your blood alone and grant you otherworldly powers. The only way to break this curse is to verbally contract it to another you deem worthy, but it will cost you your life.” Necrodeus says, as a heavenly light envelopes us.

I find myself back in the chapel room, where Mandy is still laying down. Suddenly, despite the many holes in her chest and head, she starts to stand up. The holes starts to slowly patch themselves up with new skin. The crown materialises on her head, pushing itself deep into the scalp. She also finds a strange sceptre on the floor, which she picks up. Looking once more at the massacre, she notices that all of the bodies, including Claude and Zachary, are gone. She is truly alone in the room.

Wasting no time, she grabs Claude’s pistol from his still warm hand and walks through the door. She finds Garcia, once again on his throne. Without a single word, she shoots through the back of the throne, hitting Garcia in the back. He screams and shoots up from his comfy chair, scurrying away.

“Oww. You? You whore. You’re supposed to be dead.” Garcia says, in a manner in which I never thought was possible, since he seemed so kind.

“Didn’t I tell you you were going to pay?” Mandy asks, shooting at his legs for fun, as he crawls away.

Suddenly, the guards all pour into the room like a flood, all preparing their spears and pistols.

“Get her. Get her.” Garcia shouts, as he gets picked up by many of his men and carried outside.

Taking an onslaught of stabs and gunfire, Mandy walks through the guards, twisting their necks, shooting them or straight up pulling them apart as she walks by. Garcia’s crown falls off his head as he is taken away into the courtyard. Mandy’s sceptre starts to glow green as a fireball flies from the orb at the top towards the crown, incinerating it to ashes.

The guards all retreat to the courtyard, as Mandy takes potshots at them as they run. As she stands by the entrance to the castle, her once pure wedding dress all covered in blood, flowing in the wind, she finally sighs in relief, still unable to get over what just happened. The rain starts to pour as Mandy watches the guards run into the woods.

“Zachary. I swear to you, I will get them all. And when I do, I will come find you. Once the old king is gone, we can be king and queen of this god forsaken castle. Just wait for me, okay?” Mandy asks, walking into the rain in the courtyard of her new castle.

As I stand just behind her, having witnessed all of this, I can finally say that I’ve seen enough... I know her weakness.