A Dream for a Wish

Chapter 9

Once Tabitha finished wiping the dried blood off Eldora's face, she asked, "So, tell me more about how you got the book and blood out of the dream?"

"The potion that I drank was more for submersion than sleep," Eldora recounted.

"And what exactly is that?"

"Visions are different from dreams. Imagine a- frozen pond. Dreams allow you to skate on the surface of said pond, while visions submerge you into the water. They break the ice."

"Let's open the book."

Eldora pried the book open, careful to not tear pages stuck together with blood. Once the book was ajar, a golden beam of light shot out. The pages fluttered until one flew out. Unlike every other page in the book, this one was perfectly clean. "Fetch the other book please," said Eldora. Tabitha grabbed the other book and opened it to the torn-out part. Eldora placed the page into the book and ran her finger over the tear. The book magically repaired itself and Eldora began to read. Her eyes turned completely white and her hair began to float like it was underwater.

"True love's curse. The true love's curse is a curse that ravages all who fail to become betrothed to their true love before the blood moon. This curse can be broken, only if one of the lovers plunges a dagger into the other's heart on the night of the blood moon. If they fail, then the two will never be able to love anyone again until the next blood moon where they can have another sacrifice."

"We will not sacrifice anybody," said Tabitha.

"How do you think that- um- someone like you and someone like me could ever be betrothed?"

"I don't know, but I don't think I could ever live without you."

"What about William and your parents?"

"I will simply disappear from their world. I don't need lavish castles and velvet pillows to be happy."

"I am not going to let you throw your life away for the likes of me!"

"But Eldora. I love you!"

"You are an heiress to a large fortune. I am a simple witch living on the kingdom's outskirts, hunting for her every meal. We are not meant to be together."

"That curse says otherwise. Eldora, if we are not betrothed in the next few days, the curse will win."

"No. In the next few days, you will be eating a devilled egg in your castle, not even remembering that I exist because you will be too caught up in your rich-family shenanigans."

"If you don't want to be with me, just say that and I will leave. But can you say that you don't want to try to break the curse?"

"I think that you need to leave. I will complete the sacrifice on the blood moon."

"You can't do it alone. I must be there to complete it."

"I will get the knife ready." 

"Wait. If there is a way to separate your body from your soul for submersion, then there must be a way to separate your body and soul for the sacrifice."

"I will figure that out too. You need to leave before nightfall. Your parents will begin to wonder where you wandered off to."

"Goodbye, Eldora."

Tabitha went back to her mansion, seeing her window from ground level. She began to scale the wall, clinging to protruding bricks and ledges. When she got up to her room, the door creaked open. It was Nadia. "Tabitha. Where have you been?" said Nadia, looking at Tabitha's dirty face and torn dress. "Hello, Nadia," said Tabitha. 

"You know what? I will not ask where you have been. I will be a good sister, not a good daughter. Get cleaned up. William is downstairs."

"Thank you, Nadia. I will never be able to repay you."

Nadia trotted out of the room, golden hair swishing behind her.

So this is when her lie will implode on her. This is when she must tell the truth, or come up with another lie. She walks down her familiar staircase. "Hello, Tabitha," her mother says disdainfully. "Hello, mother." She furrows her brow. "William was just telling us the good news," her father says with glee. She prepares for the worst. William and Tabitha make eye contact. "And what good news would that be, William?" asked Tabitha, wearily. "I just wanted to make a formal announcement that we are engaged to be married!" Tabitha sighs with relief. She would live to see the light of day once more. But suddenly, a splitting pain radiated from her heart, so painful that it caused her to black out. Her body crumpled to the floor in a heap. William rushed over, a distressed look on his face. Him and her parents took her to her bed and only William stayed, for he had some questions.