Hazel's Royal Plight

Chapter 11

It took me 14 days to reach the base of the mountains. I was walking faster and sometimes I would run. I had to replace my shoes sooner than I was hoping. I left them close to the first tree I came to before the mountain. When I reached the base of the mountains there was a sign, that read;

"Choose a path through my mountains To the left is a rough and tough challenging. To the right is a smooth-"

The sign just ended. I looked to the left, the path was well worn. I looked to the right the path over grown. I decided to hide and watch with both paths. It didn't take long for a woodcutter to come down the left path with a cart full of wood.

Not long after him came another man, he too was on the left path. Just before the sun set, a group of ladies came down the left path. I waited for 2 days watching. I decided to take the right path. I saw no one go up or down. I did not want to meet anyone.

'How hard could the right path be?' I asked myself. I started, it was a smooth and flat path. Sure there were some things growing in the middle of the path, like bits of grass, but other than that it was simple.

'This must path is so simple.' I thought to myself self. I kept walking for 4 days the path never went up it went straight sometimes it curved and it was very flat. I found berry bushes, Apple and Orange trees, and nut trees. I packed lots of the fruits and berries in my bag.

After a week I began to think that this path went around the mountain. If that were the case this is going to take a few months, no wonder people took the left path.

On the 2nd week the path came to a cave. 'I hesitated how would I see? Caves are dark.' I thought. I took a few steps inside and saw it was not dark at all. There were crystals growing everywhere. And there was no top to the cave. The sun bounced off the crystals adding just enough light it was perfect. I took a deep breath and continued my journey.

As I walked by the first few crystals, I noticed they reflected me. I stopped at the one to have at look at me. 'I do look scary.' I thought to myself. The fur coat was caked with mud, leaves, and small sticks 3 inches up. There were larger twigs sticking it out everywhere else.

I then continued on my way. My reflection in the other crystals soon became normal to me and no more odd, strange or scary.

"Lier"

I stopped.

'Did I hear that?' I thought to myself. When nothing happened I started walking again. 'Strange'

"LIER!"

I know I heard that! It was still echoing around the cave. "Hello?"

Nothing. I took a few steps, still nothing. Shrugging my shoulders I walked on. But stopped at a crystal. It was me, but it wasn't me. The reflection showed me in my mother's evening gown. The one Jasper tore all those days ago. "LIER!! LIER LIER!" she said.

I stumbled back. "What?"

It was my reflection and she was talking, to me. "You are a lier!" she said or I said... the reflection said.

"I don't understand." I was truly confused.

"No! You don't know!" she then walked out the the crystal and appeared in another crystal, her dress changed to a blue ball gown with no sleeves tight and fitted down to her toes, with a slit ending at her knees.

"I don't understand." I said again.

"Yes you do. You have not stopped thing about it since it happened. Admit it, you enjoyed it!!"

"Enjoyed what?!"

"Think Hazel, think real hard!" she gave me a nasty grin. "Admit it! You enjoyed your father's KISS!"