Reverse Universe

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Laeci has been following William Shakespeare for twenty minutes in his twisty and confusing sandcastle. He keeps saying that they're almost there, though Laeci stops believing him after the tenth time.

"Just up this way," he had said ten minutes ago.

" 'Round this corner, and we'll beest there," he had said five minutes ago.

"Right here," he says right now.

"Yeah, and then we only have an hour more till we're there," Laeci says sarcastically.

"Laeci, we art here."

Laeci looks up, and in front of her is an entryway carved out of sand. As she steps toward it, William grabs her hand. "I'd beest careful around that lad," he says.

Laeci scoffs. "He's fine, William. Chester's just a naughty doorknob."

William's eyebrows go up. "Alright, whatever thee say."

Laeci walks through the entryway and slams into a door. Behind her, William chuckles. "Oops, forgot to tell thee."

"This is not over," Laeci says, narrowing her eyes playfully. For a five-hundred year old man, his sense of humor is pretty decent.

And just like in Papa Sam's attic, the doorknob springs eyes, a nose, and mouth. "Ah! Hey, Butternut! How's it goin'?"

"Great, thanks for noticing," Laeci says sarcastically.

"You're welcome!" Chester says, not implying if he picked up Laeci's sarcasm or not.

"Yeah, well, we need to go. Didn't you say we need to go through the Pines to get back home?"

"Yes siree, Butternut."

"Alright, then, let's go!"

"Yes, I suppose," Chester starts,"But before that, I need to stop by somewhere. You don't mind, do you?"

"Fine."

The door opens, revealing the same hole as before. As Laeci prepares to jump, Chester says, "Forget 'bout me, Butternut?"

Sighing, Laeci yanks Chester off and jumps into her fourth portal in a day. She looks back for William, but he has vanished.

***

The fall is quite uneventful. Chester continues to sing opera at the top of his voice. Laeci continues to ignore him. The same cloud picks her up and drops her to her location.

Similarly to last time, it is night. Laeci is standing in front of a set of massive iron gates. It's a beautiful and intricate design, but like everything else, it's upside down. The gates swing open soundlessly, and Laeci takes a tentative step forward, with Chester in hand.

"Do you know where we are?" Laeci asks.

"Eh," Chester answers.

There's nothing Laeci can see in front of her-just grass and a well-paved stone path. Laeci really doesn't know what else to do, so she just follows the path.

Five minutes or so afterwords, Laeci can kinda make out a silhouette of a upside down castleish structure. "Why do we need to stop here?"

"That's for me to know and you to wonder," Chester says his trademarked answer.

Not surprised, Laeci answers, "Yeah, let's do whatever you need and get back to the Pines."

Soon, Laeci comes to a wooden door. She looks down, but there's no keyhole or doorknob. Before Chester can say anything, though, Laeci jams him to the door swiftly, right where the doorknob should be.

"Ow!" Chester whines.

The back of Chester connects with the door and melds in, leaving no trace that they were once separate pieces. Suddenly, Chester's eyes, mouth, and nose disappear with a pop, and in its place is a shiny brass doorknob, gleaming in the sunlight.

"Chester?" Laeci tries tickling the bottom gently, like Madelyn did. But the doorknob refused to show any sign of life.

Laeci eventually decides that Chester is just playing some mean trick on her and decides to find out whatever's on the other side of the door. Slowly, Laeci opens the doorknob.

Inside looks like a throne room. Large murals of the old ages, cases showcasing large, expensive objects, and a deep red carpet running toward a throne.

And sitting on the throne could be no one else but the Queen.

"We've been expecting you."