The Red Queen's Daughter: Book One

Chapter 17: Already Back

I gasp and act like he isn't there. Obviously Nate notices, too, because he is holding his head in his hands, shaking his head,"What now, Nicole? How do we get out of here? He's piercing his eyes into our souls, he'll ne'er take them off of us," Nate says.

"I don't know. But we need to get Erin, and get out of here. Wait, but, how?" I reply.

"There is no possible way. We can tell someone a guy is stalking us, and, well, they'll get him out of here," he says.

"I really don't know, Nate. We could use your plan. But by the time we stand up, he'll probably be gone."

"I have a stupid idea. Here," he says, handing me a book labeled: Potions From Underland.

"What would we do with this?" I ask.

"Invisibility potion. Simple ingredients: mint, water, and a spell. It's really weird, though. So this is what you do. You go ask for mint leaves in your tea. Ask for a cup of water. Water's free in this store, as are the mint leaves. Then you'll go to the little ladies' room and concoct the potion, then, I'll go wait in the hall for you after 5 minutes. You'll drink some of it, then I will. Then, I'll go back into the bathroom and wait until I disappear. Same for you. Simple enough?" he asks, explaining everything to me.

"Yes, yes," I say, standing up.

"Wait! You have to split the leaves into tiny pieces, next, you mix it in with the water. The spell is,'Mint and water, come into one until I am visible no longer. Got it?" he asks. I nod my head.

I go to the front register and get the mint leaves and water. I sneak into the bathroom when no one is watching. I concoct the potion and quickly say the spell. I take the concoction out in the hall, and Nate is waiting. I give it to him first. He takes a sip. He simply gags at the taste, but then he disappears into thin air. I take the floating cup before anyone sees and take a sip. The taste is rechid. I gag as Nate did. I soon disappear, then I see Nate.

"Yes, invisible people can see each other. The potion wears off in two hours," Nate says, reading my mind.

"Okay, then, let's move fast," I say, rushing towards the door. I open it, everyone stares at the door. It's kinda funny, they're looking for someone that isn't there. Then I realize the downside.

The Red King can probably see the door opening, too. He instantly stares. Nate rushes out the door and I follow, I can feel my hair bouncing on my back. We wait until we're at the hotel room to sit and catch our breath. I see Erin still sleeping. Still sleeping at 1:00pm.

"She's still asleep?" I wonder aloud.

"Apparently." Naye says.

I'm taking a shower in the hotel room, when I hear a knock on the door. "Erin, Nate, if that's either one of you, you can't come in," I say stubbornly.

"Fine, but you're invisible anyways!" Erin's voice says. Nate must've told her. I'm suprised I didn't hear her scream. What she said is true, but it's still awkward. I yell this to her through the door. She groans,"Fine..."

I finish my shower and dress in the bathroom. I dry my hair and put it in a ponytail. I walk out of the bathroom to find that the room is strangely cold. I put on my sweater,"Jeesh, why is it so freezing here?" I ask.

"I don't know, maybe the air conditioning came on," Erin says.

I remember why we came back. "Erin, we need to go back. Today. Nate and I went to the city today and we saw... The Red King." I say, repeating my memories.

"What?" she yells.

"Yeah, we need to go," I say.

"Yeah, now, we're going NOW." she says quickly, packing her clothes.

We run down the street to the door that only we can see. Lucky Nate and I are invisible. We instantly jump through the door. I'm first. Inland with another loud thud. I'm once again surprised that didn't kill me.

Nate falls, then Erin. We're back in Underland. We race back to the White Castle, but we're unexpectedly stopped by our wonderful visitor, The Red King.

***

How did he get here before us? I wonder and wonder and wonder.

"Why can't you just let what we did go and back off our lives? Why are you even so mean anyways?" Nate yells at him.

"Number one, don't talk that way to your King that way, Number two, I can't let it go, I don't want to. And number three, I like it and I want to," he scolds at Nate. Nate rolls his eyes.

I notice he isn't wearing a nice, protectant mask. So I try to punch him, but he grabs my arm and applies the greatest pressure ever to it, my tears shatter the dirt ground until he unexpectedly releases it. I look up and see his nose is spurting blood, Nate's hand is covered in it. The best assumption would be that Nate punched him, we all run away, but I'm slower because the world is blurry and my arm is in excruciating pain. Nate just picks me up and carries me to the castle. Nate runs through the door and takes me to my mother, who is nearby. My mother takes one look at my arm and takes me to get fixed or something like that. Jeez, what did that weird King do to my arm? I look at it and see why she's so frightened. My arm feels numb and cuts are all over it. Now I remember him digging the tips of armor into my skin. I needle is pished into my skin. That's when I black out.

When I wake up, I feel out of it. I'm back in my normal clothes, a simple violet nightgown. The sleeves stop at my elbows. I look below my elbow and see my arm wrapped in gauze. My arm is in pain and it's lying on ice. I try to fall back asleep, yet I can't. The pain is killing me. I hear a knock on my door. I don't bother to say,'Come in,' or whatever. But mother just walks in. "Are you okay, sweetie?" she asks.

"No, it hurts so bad," I whisper.

"Oh, sweetie, I'm sorry that happened to you. Nate told me how it happened. Please don't go back to the Upland again. Please," she says.

"Deal, I didn't like it that much up there, anyways..."

"Why?"

"I missed home. I'd felt farther away from you. I just didn't like it at all."

"I want you to rest, get some sleep."

I nod my head and drift off to sleep. But before I do, my mother kisses my forehead and tells me it'll be okay.