Claire's POV
When i woke i woke with a jolt. Blinking a few times, i cleared my vision. My heart spiked when i realised that someone was in my room with me. At first i was excited because i thought that Kris had finally made it to me, my heart plumeted when i realised who it was.
Rog
"Well my dear you have certainly been sleeping deeply" He said, turning the lights on with a snap of his fingers "I was afraid that you had became comatose"
"What do you want?" I snarled, grabbing my sily robe and pulling it over my shoulders
"Im becoming impaitent" Rog said, looking around my room absent mindedly "Either you agree to take me to your world or im afraid you will have to be disposed of"
Fear shot through me, i tightened the robe around myself, holding my head defiantly high. I didnt want him to see how afraid i really was.
"I told you" I said stiffly "I dont know how to get back"
"Oh but you do" Rog said, grinning creepily and advancing on me until he was right up in my face "You just arent trying"
"If i leave here" I said "I will never find Kristopher"
Rog sneered
"Your beloved Nutcracker is nothing more then a box of splinters" He snarled "Its time that you moved on"
I didnt believe him, i just couldnt. The voice had said that he was alive....
"You dont believe me?" Rog asked "Look and see for yourself"
He gestured towards my elaborate dressing mirror. Together we stepped into its view. With just a wave of Rog's hand the mirror shimmered and i gasped.
Because before me i saw what i had only experienced first hand. It was when we were in the forrest, when Rog had knocked the Nutcracker out and took me. I didnt know what had happened to him after that. Only know i was watching it.
"There he is lying asleep" Rog said, his voice close to my ear "And there, are my men"
Several men stepped out of the forrest, of course they were wearing suits of armor, wow this place really was a fairy tale realm. Anyway, they were advancing fast on the Nutcracker, who was still lying face down in the dirt. One man stepped forward, in his hand he held an axe. My heart spiked in alarm.
"NO!" I screamed, just as he lifted the axe.
I was answered by the axe falling on the Nutcrackers neck.
After that i watched in horror as the men chopped and hacked away at the Nutcrackers body.
No.
Kristopher's body.
"NO!" I screamed out "No! KRISTOPHER!"
I didnt realise until Rog grabbed that i had lurched towards the mirror.
"Enough!" He snapped, the image dissapeared in the mirror "Now! you will do as i saw or you will end up just like your preciouse Nutcracker"
Tears were leaking down my face, i couldnt even comprehend the words that Rog was saying to me. I fell to my knee's unable to breath.
"Hmm" Rog said, looking down at me with cold eyes "Perhaps you will be more helpfull within the hour. Your no use to me a mess."
He strode towards the door
"You have one hour to make your choice" He said over his shoulder "Or you shall die as well"
And with that he left, leaving me sobbing on the floor.
No! No!
He couldnt be dead! he just couldnt be!
I had nothing to live for....
Kris was dead.
Kristopher's POV
The Castle was in our sights now. We were sticking to hiding behind large bolders and such as we climbed up the mountain. If i had a heart in me i would have imagined that it would be pounding with nerves at seeing Claire again. I probably would be sweating like crazy to, but no, i was just wood, nothing like that happened to me anymore. I was surprised i could feel at all.
I smashed into Thomas's back as he stopped abruptly, dubbling over before falling to his knee's.
"What!" i exclaimed "Dude whats wrong"
Thomas was clutching his chest now, unbelievably tears were welling up in his eyes, he was gasping for air.
"Its Claire" He gasped
Panick shot through me
"What!" I exclaimed, grabbing his shoulders and shaking him "What is wrong, TELL ME!"
Thomas looked up at me, still gasping. When he looked at me it was like his whole world had fallen apart.
"She thinks your dead" He gasped "Her heart is shattering"
"What!" I exclaimed "But you told her i was alive!"
"I did!" Thomas agreed, trying to regain control of himself "But something has happened. Rog has done something to make her believe that your dead"
"Well get into her head and tell her im not!" I shouted "Fix her!"
Thomas shook his head, doing his best to calm himself
"I cant" He said "It took almost all i had to reach her the first time. If i did it again so soon it would harm both of us"
I reached up, wanting to pull at my hair, getting even more frusterated when my hands found nothing but the slick polished wood.
"We need to move!" I exclaimed "I need to get to her. NOW!"
Thomas stood up, regaining some of his warrior way. He picked his sword back up, i began hoofing her up the mountain, needing to get to Claire pronto!
"Nutcracker!" Thomas said, his voice right behind me "I should tell you something important"
"What?" I asked over my shoulder, i wasnt waisting any time.
"Claire's whole world just fell apart" Thomas explained "Rog took the one thing that made her actually care"
"I know" I snapped "Thats why i need to get there now! so she knows that im alive!"
"Its more important than that!" Thomas said "Rog wants Claire to take him back to your world. If she does she will never come back"
"I know i know!" i snapped impaitently "come on your waisting time!"
Thomas grabbed my shoulder and spun me around, when i looked into his eyes i saw a wild man.
"If Rog gets Claire to take him back to your world, he will have control of her. Everything about her will change"
My eyes widened in horror
"So if I dont get to her in time" I said slowly "Not only will i lose her forever"
"She will be evil" Thomas finished "She wont feel anymore, she wont love"
Thats when i understood, if i lost Claire, not only would she be evil and i would be stuck in this world.
But i would also be a Nutcracker forever
I was really begining to hate being the hero
