The Nutcracker Prince and The Mouseking

Chapter 4: Victory

Sunlight seeps through the same crack in the curtains, painting a golden line over the room. Clara stirs, back in her bed with a bandage wrapped around her head. She opens her eyes and shuts them again, the bright evening light too much for them. Rolling over, she tries again and blearily gazes around her bedroom, the whole room has an orange glow to it, emanating from the crack in the curtains. Clara heaves off her duvet, heavy with extra thick, woollen blankets and groans at the throbbing of her head. She realises what must have happened: the battle downstairs was a victory for the dolls, but she could not remember how on earth she got back upstairs, and why her head hurt so much. Racking her brain for an answer, she recalls feeling her foot slipping on something and the world going black.

Freddie pops his head round the ajar door,

"Clara!" he calls with a bright smile, "you're ok!" Clara nods and graciously takes the plate of toast Freddie hands to her,

"Thank you, Freddie," she says, taking a bite out of the warm, buttery toast,

"What happened?" Freddie asks. Clara puts the plate down and swallows her mouthful of toast,

"Well, last night there were mice everywhere downstairs!" Clara relays with a hushed, exciting tone,

"Mice? What-" Freddie starts but the entrance of Ingrid stops him in his tracks. She walks over tutting,

"Freddie, I know you wanted to give Clara some toast, but didn't I tell you not to bother her?" she inquires. Freddie droops and sulks out of the room,

"How are we feeling, Clara?" she asks,

"Alright, just my head hurts a bit," she replies,

"Ok, take these then. And what were you doing downstairs so late?" Ingrid hands her some painkillers and frowns at Clara. Without missing a beat Clara gives her a little fib,

"Getting a drink," she says quickly, hoping that her mother wouldn't press her for more and then ridicule the truth. Ingrid chuckles, kisses Clara's forehead and leaves the room. Clara takes the painkillers and reaches over for the rest of her toast just as another familiar face appears round the door.

Drosselmeier and a fixed Nutcracker walk over to her smiling,

"There we go, all fixed and good as new!" he says, handing Nutcracker to Clara. She takes him eagerly and her expression melts into relief and joy at the sight of Nutcracker's jaw fixed. Her joyous expression quickly darkens to a scowl,

"Uncle Drosselmeier! What were you doing on the clock last night? Why didn't you not help him?" she cries, pointing an accusing finger at him. Drosselmeier holds his hands up in defeat,

"Clara, I'm not the one that can help him like that. I can only do so much," he replies strained. She sighs, thanking him for fixing the Nutcracker and cradles him again. A voice calls from downstairs,

"Clara, I have to go now, your mother is calling me," he says, patting her on the shoulder and taking leave, Clara waving meekly at him. She holds the Nutcracker close and snuggles down underneath her duvet.

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Clara stirs in her sleep once again, this time no moonlight to illuminate her room. She sits up quickly and scans for Nutcracker. He isn't anywhere in her room. She panics. Grabbing a torch and some slippers, she hurries her way downstairs into the living room, throwing the doors open. She rushes to the cabinet where the Nutcracker is standing on the shelf with the other dolls and grabs him. Gently closing the cabinets doors until there's a click. The doors to the living room have swung shut. They don't usually do that. Clara scans the room to try and locate what closed them,