Becoming The Evil Queen

Jasper

     "Let me down! Somebody help!" She fought against the woven rope; she kicked and punched, clawed and scratched, she even tried biting the rope, to her dismay this did her no good. "Uuuggrrr!" She slumped against the rope. She looked around trying to find whoever had set up this death trap.

     A teenage boy with short curly brown hair and lightly tanned skin was hidden from the view of the young girl. He chuckled silently as he watched Lucy struggle against the ropes and then give up. His emerald green eyes danced mischievously as he walked out into the clearing. "Well, well, well. Look what we got here." He smirked as he strode up to the net with his hands behind his back.

     Lucy's head whipped so fast to look at where the voice had come from. She composed herself as best as she could. "Let me down, please! I have no idea how I got here!" She pleaded as she pressed her face against the net.

     A wicked smile painted its way onto the young boys face. "Well I'd love to do that darling but I'm afraid I can't." He reached out his right hand and tucked a piece of dirt smothered hair behind the girl's ear.

     Her nose wrinkled in disgust as he called her 'Darling.' When he tried to touch her she shrunk back. "Why not?" Her voice held confidence even though she was scared out of her mind of this random boy, whom she had never seen in her life. Though her voice did not portray the fact she was scared the rest of her body did.

     He laughed, like this was all some sort of big joke to him. "Why not?! Why not?! You killed the Queen that's why not!" His laughter died and all that was left was the daunting glare that sent shivers running down Lucy's spine.

     "I killed no one." She stammered out. Was she in a country that had a queen? If so how did she get there? She couldn't even imagine that she was even capable of doing such a terrible act.

     The freckled faced boy's eyes flickered with anger. "HOW DARE YOU DENY WHAT YOU HAVE DONE!" He took out a knife from his back pocket; grabbed a fist full of the porcelain girl hair and pressed the tip of the blade against her throat. The girl screamed as the flame in his eyes grew as if the girl's scream was like gasoline. "TELL THE TRUTH OR YOU'LL SUFFER A WORSE FATE THAN THE QUEEN!"

     Tears trickled down Lucy's face. She hadn't killed anyone and she most certainly did not want to die herself. "I told you that I didn't kill whoever you're talking about." She sunk away from his grasp as far as she could. "Please don't hurt me." Her voice grew more fearful by the second.

     The boy tightened his grasp while pressing the knife hard enough to slightly cut. In a haste he removed the knife from her throat and swiftly cut the rope. Her right hand immediately went to the cut. The cut stung when she applied pressure. She looked up at his huffing stature; never looking into his eyes. "What's your name?" He breathed out in a calm manner.

     "My what?" Her tone held surprise as she looked back at what just happened. The man that was oh so willing to kill her moments ago is now asking for her name as if the two were just having a casual first greeting. This man, or boy, or whoever he was was completely bonkers.

     "Your name." He held out a mud stained hand, she took it with hesitation. He pulled her up with such a great strength that she almost stumbled over.

     She couldn't possibly give her name out to a mad man who was just moments ago going to kill her. Why didn't he kill her was the peculiar question that haunted the girl's mind. "Lucy, and yours?" She finally met his eyes as a devilish smile appeared on his face.

     "Jasper." His smile transformed into one that could be recognized as friendly. "If you'd be so kind as to follow me, I think there is something that you need to see." There was some sort of edge to his voice as he spoke, but before the girl could answer him he had tightened his grasp on her hand and dragged her to the clearing for which she had first appeared in this strange world.

     Her eyes grew wide as she gazed upon the woman who lied on the ground. The woman's raven black hair cascaded down her back in loose curls, her skin lost of all life pressed against the dirt, and dried up blood stained her forehead.

     "That is what is left of the queen. Now tell me; did you or did you not kill her?" The words scraped against his teeth. His hand gestured to the queen as he dragged Lucy closer to the corpse. "THIS WHAT YOU HAVE DONE!" He screamed out while digging his jagged nails into Lucy's wrist.

     "I DIDN'T DO ANYTHING!" The girl cried out in pain as his nails became stained with blood. She yanked her wrist away from him while her body began to tremble at the sight of lifeless body. Could she have actually killed this woman? If this were to be true why couldn't she remember? "I wouldn't- I couldn't kill anyone." Her hands dug into her hair as her eyes pleaded helplessly with this boy, who maybe, under different circumstances, could have been her friend.

     "If you didn't kill her then who did?" His voice was on the edge of yelling once more but he seemed to be trying to calm himself as he breathed raggedly. He threw himself onto the dirt floor and stared up at the sky. "Who could have done such a terrible thing?" This time his voice held no anger.

     Lucy sat down a few feet away and clasped her hands together. She couldn't just leave; if she were to wander off she could come into contact with someone worse, someone who would not even hesitate to drown her flame.

     They both sat in the silence of the setting sun; waiting for the answers that pondered inside their minds.