Morbid Fantasy

Chapter 5

I woke up tied to a chair and a blindfold over my face. and I could hear the soft tinkling of wind chimes far to my right. 

tears spewed down my face, and I finally gave in to the sorrow of being stuck in this horrible nightmare. 

I somehow knew that I wasn't dreaming, this seemed too real for it to be a dream. even though my brain logic said it wasn't possible for someone to come back to life twice. 

I got out of my bindings again and ripped off my blindfold. well, wasn't this a sight to behold? I was on a farm, standing on a concrete pad, gazing at Jack's beanstalk.  the now familiar hiss of the snake shook me from my stupor. again I bolted away from the telltale hiss of death. and this time, away from the forest.

this time, towards the beanstalk. because I swear, the grim brothers are coming to haunt me. it's more like once upon a time really. 

I heard a gasp from behind me, a few yards away from where I was originally sitting, and saw to my surprise, the boy who saved me from getting shot at the cafe, tied to a chair, blindfolded, and squirming like a worm on a hook. 

I could hear him cursing his ass off when he noticed my footsteps getting closer. I was still a bit wary because I feel like this isn't just a coincidence. 

"Hey! New kid!" I yelled when he almost tipped his chair trying to get away from me. "It's me, the girl from the cafe?" I lifted his blindfold, I threw it away into a nearby bush. he blinked from the sudden brightness and squinted at me. 

"Where the fuck am I? Where is that fucker?" I'm gonna bash his head in..." new kid trailed off when he saw his surroundings. he just sat there gaping at the million-foot-tall bean stalk behind me.

I swiveled around to face it, and crossed my arms over my chest. "yeah it was a bit of a shock to me too." I started untying his hands from the chair. 

I guess he doesn't have the same crazy dreams as me. the tiny hope that he was like me puckered out in my chest. I hid that disappointment and walked off the concrete pad, just leaving him there. 

I was a good 10 feet ahead when he finally shook himself out of his shock. 

"Hey! Wait, you can't just leave me here!" he jogged to where I was walking, towards the beanstalk. I intended to climb it, just to get this over with. 

"Sorry, but I want to get out of here, and you can't exactly help me." I turned back around from my backward walk and continued towards the stalk. 

"Why can't I help you? I'm plenty helpful." he looked sincere, he had that look on his face, total incredulity.  "and my name isn't New Kid, it's James." James stuck his hand out for me to shake, but he let it drop when I didn't move my hands. 

"You're very rude, you know. and the crease in your eyebrow does nothing for your face, you should learn to loosen up a little." 

Stupid.  

"ok, I have multiple things to say about that." I stopped walking and sat down on the grass, which he also did. 

"so first, I'm not rude, I'm practical. we're in a fucking dream for fuck sake! I have a right to be worried. I'm already tightly wound as it is, and being kidnapped didn't help the matter." James was alert, and glancing side to side to see if any particular threat was coming to kidnap him again. 

I waved my hand in front of his face, getting his attention. "Hey! pay attention, I'm scolding." he laughed slightly to himself, leaning on his arms. "and 2, you're no help because I guarantee you haven't seen this before, based on the look on your face when you looked at the stalk, and I have. this has happened to me before. I have dreams about these places."

James looked at me in surprise, sitting straight again. "Wait, hold up. you've been here before, as in been here?" he waved his arm around, to enunciate here. 

I put my head in my hands, "well no, I had nightmares about it, about dying over and over again until going insane. and I'm ready to believe we're in a dream right now, and you're just a figment of my imagination. but yes." his face grew paler when I said dying. 

I shot up into a proper sitting position, and said "Wait, did you die a bunch of times before right now?" I raised my eyebrows expectantly.

James nodded. but before he could actually speak, a loud thudding invaded the distance, they sounded like hoofbeats. 

"The Queen," I whispered. I grabbed James's hand and dragged him to his feet. "we need to go, like now. the Queen won't like you being here. she knows me." 

"the queen, as in the Evil Queen?"  James whisper-yelled. I nodded vigorously and dragged him towards the patch of trees to our left. the horses were getting closer. "duck lower" I told James while shoving his head out of view just as the horse-drawn carriage rounded the corner. 

the horses stopped a few feet away from where I was standing, and the coach pulled the door open and a beautiful woman stepped out onto the grass. the giant beanstalk towered above her crystal crown, it was so unbelievable it was ridiculous. 

I bowed low to the ground, and I could hear her stepping closer towards me. I rose and she snatched my chin with her claws bringing my face close to her face. she closely inspected my face for any changes. 

"hm." satisfied with her inspection, she let my chin go but scowled at my clothing. 

"after your done gallivanting around the woods," she said gallivanting with scorn, "change out of those rags and head to the palace. I have something to discuss." and with that, she turned away and stepped into the carriage. but before the coach could close the door, the Queen stuck her foot into the gap, and said, "I expect better behavior from you, you'll do better, yes?" she raised her eyebrows expectantly.

"Yes, mother." 

she nodded and left me in a cloud of dust.