Twisted Tales

Chapter Six: "This is not MY fault..."

The drive back to the manor was painfully silent, a sense of foreboding hung over the car like a desolate gray cloud. Cindy's blue car was pulling out as we pulled in. I closed my eyes as to not meet her gaze when I opened them they were surprisingly dry. I patted my back in silent congratulations and we all made it quietly into the house. The kitchen smelled like breakfast and our bellies led us through the swinging doors.

Wilhelm was cooking at the stove, a hand towel, slung over his shoulder. He looked around with an unsure grin on his face. "Breakfast is served." he swept an arm over the island covered in german sausage, eggs, pancakes, breakfast. But I had lost my appetite at the mere sight of him, "You guys dig in, I forgot some things yesterday." I left through the swinging door and climbed up the stairs.

I opened the door to my room slowly, knowing yesterday could not have been a dream but yet still hoping it might have been. Everything was still as they were, destroyed. My beautiful antique lamps and especially my heart. I closed my eyes and the door behind myself. I picked up the small music box that Wilhelm had given me on my 13th birthday. I let it fall fom my hands and didn't even notice the creak of the door behind me, "If you're not careful, you'll break it." he said from behind me.

I walked away from the box and began fixing up other things. Picking up bits of mirror and glass I traveled around with my bedside trash can. I folded the curtains and set them in a pile putting aside the rods. "You're just gonna ignore me?" he said softly. I let the folded curtain go limp over my arms as I hugged it to my chest. "What do you want from me, Will?" my voice was steady and calm.

He then slid his arms around my shoulders in a hug. I pushed him away, "Don't touch me!" I brushed the hair back from my eyes. As I knelt to pick up the thrown drawers, "Did you sign the papers, yet?" I could hear him tapping his foot. "Of course not, I thought you were just-" I spun on him throwing the drawer off to the side, "What?" I advanced on him, "Joking? You thought I was joking?" I pushed him and he took a step back.

"I want a divorce, Wilhelm." I whispered, no tears made their way to the surface. I breathed in deeply as pain coiled in my gut, "You're just talking." he waved me away like a child. He waved away my emotions, my hurt and pain. Years of unrequited love and attempts at being seen by him. I scoffed and took a step back, "It doesn't matter, I don't even need you to sign them anymore. I don't need this anymore." I picked up my mattress and straightened it on the frame. He laughed, "You don't need this? We're married, Alexandri. You don't just walk away from that." he grabbed my arm and spun me around to meet his eyes.

He was burning with rage. How dare he be angry, how dare he feel angry at me as if I was the only one wrong. "Why are you fighting so hard?" I ripped my arm back from him, "When you don't want to be with me? Cindy is back, Will. You don't need to pretend anymore." each word was like a stab in my chest. He grabbed my face in his hands, "Don't be like this, Xandri." I felt the telltale trickling of blood down from my nose, "Shit!" I pulled my face from his hands and pressed my hand to my nose.

"Are you okay?" he reached out to me, I slapped away his hands, "Sign the papers, and go be with Cinderella. I don't care what you do anymore. No, in fact, you have my blessing. Just leave me alone." I walked out the room without having put a dent in the mess I had made. "Xandri, don't walk away from me. " I picked up my pace and made it downstairs. He was close behind me, he grabbed my arm when we hit the first floor.

"Let me go, Wilhelm!" I said quietly, taking notice the kids had begun to gather again. He did not let go, "No, what's wrong? Don't do this to us." He whispered. I couldn't turn it off, the kids pity, the Pigs anger. It was building up in me and I couldn't hold it. I was full, I'd been full for a long time always at my limit and still taking it in. In hopes of having him love me, in hopes of being useful, responsible. "Please." I said weakly, "I can't-" and then I began to see a world turned upside down then just the black I could only hope was the back of my eyelids. 

I was in a nightmare, a dream. What I could only hope was a dream. There were no children, the Pigs were still in danger and Fred clung to me as I tried to walk out to capture souls. Snow White, Red, countless others were still dying all around me, and no amount of sadness I could dare take in could stop them from being back the next day, and the day after. My body was beginning to shudder under the weight and then I had no body, there were no days. Just sadness, anger and death.

I woke with a start, the dream had no end and the death made no sense. My room was barren of its destruction and therefore sat very empty. Fred slept from a chair sat at the side of my bed, I reached out to him and cried out as a sharp pain came from my other arm. I looked over to see an IV ripped from my arm, a monitor began to beep and Wilhelm and Jacob rushed in. The children were close behind and the Pigs not much after. 

Fred woke up drowsily and then sprung into action, "You're awake, thank you Universe. You're awake." Fred did not cry, but the kids were emotionally distraught. Yet somehow I couldn't feel that, I wasn't taking it in. I could just see it, I could see everyone's emotions as I assume humans do, but I wasn't human.

Wilhelm whispered briefly to Jacob and the kids were ushered out. "How long have you been sick?" He asked. He was wringing his hands in worry. I ignored him, "How long have I been out?" I asked softly. "Just two days." He sat at my feet as if he was afraid to be close. I sighed in a show of relief, "How long do I have to stay hooked up to this thing?" they had stuck the IV back in but it was becoming uncomfortable. He sighed and took it out resignedly. 

"Thank you." I held a wad of gauze to the entry point, we still had not met each other's eyes. A moment of silence briefly passed, not an awkward quiet just a moment to breathe. "Well now that I'm awake the kids and I can plan the birthday party." I said finally. He looked back at me in disbelief, but I couldn't bring myself to care, I was beginning to feel numb. "You can't be serious, you just woke up." I sat up and stretched. "I feel great." I lied, "The best in a long time." This felt less like a lie. 

"What was that?" Wilhelm reached out to me and I met his hand. I felt no warmth in my fingertips, "The end, don't worry about it." I covered his hand in my free one, "Don't worry about it anymore. There's bigger fish to fry." I smiled, but there was no emotion in me. I felt emptier than I had before. This was neither a good nor bad hollow inside me. I was a husk of the person I used to be and I couldn't even be sure that I wasn't still dying.

I swung my legs off the side of the bed so we sat next to each other. Not close but not far, I looked down at my feet. I took a moment to think, and but the way he fidgeted I could feel him filled with the need to say something. "The game is back on. Everyone is alive and we'll have to address what happened all that time ago." I said. "Let's invite everyone, Will."

I looked at him pointedly, his mouth closed and pursed in a line, and I got up first. "I'll have the boys send out invites, we'll send one to her." He opened his mouth in protest but I spun away and opened the door to the awaiting faces of panicked children. "I'm sorry to have worried you. We have a birthday to plan!" I clapped my hands in finality. This was truly the end.