The Enchanted Queen

The Most Beautiful Place

Vera's POV
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I wasted no time getting ready to go search for Asya. I dressed in comfortable clothes and carried a flashlight in hand. The sun is going down, and I'm not sure exactly what I'm looking for, so it might take a while.

I headed out, admiring the sunset and trying to calm my nerves. The forest is dangerous. Unspeakable things are said happen deep within it, but nevertheless I'm going to find some kind of clue to help me find her.

I started at the window, following the droplets of blood along the front of my house. She must have lost a lot of blood. This trail is getting thicker. I hesitated at the edge of the forest. It took me a few moments to gather up the courage to go further, but I did. It wasn't as scary as the townspeople said. There were no visible monsters or spiders the size of my head. I slowly began to relax as I continued on my journey. I was walking for a solid fifteen minutes before the trail finally came to a stop. The strangest part is that the trail ends in front of two intertwined trees. There is no blood circling the tree or behind the tree. It just stops.

I sighed and sat between the trees. What the hell am I supposed to do now? I can't give up. Suddenly I saw something moving in my peripheral vision. I looked up to find the figure of a girl. "Mom?" I whispered.

She smiled and beckoned me closer. I slowly walked towards her ghostly form. My father appeared next to her. They entwined their hands. My mother reached out to me. I was so close to her. I reached out to touch her, but as soon as I touched her hand, they both vanished into smoke. A voice echoed behind me. "Poor stupid human. Did you really think that was real?"

I turned to the deceitful speaker. Anger and fear flooding throughout my body. "Who are you?" The figure revealed itself. I blinked a few times, the image wasn't completely registering in my brain. I was talking to a girl with a spider's body. This has to be another one of my dreams, for sure. I tried to shake myself out of it, but I stayed where I was. This is not a dream. I am really talking to a twisted, creepy version of spider-girl.

"Did you kill my parents?" I asked, my teeth clenched together.

"You're a brave one." Spider-girl chuckled darkly. "You would make a pretty little addition to my web of souls." She smiled.

I tried to run, but a silvery white web trapped my arms around my body. I screamed in agony as the web burned against my skin.

She pulled me close to her face. Her eyes were wide, and she smiled to reveal hundreds of tiny sharp teeth. I struggled against the confines of her grasp. Her smile began to widen and i watched in horror as I felt her slowly withdrawing my very existence from my body. I didn't know the words that fell from my mouth, but whatever I said seemed to cause her pain. She shrieked in horror as a blinding light expanded from my necklace, burning her flesh. I fell to the ground, watching her writhe and scream.

Taking the opportunity, i sprinted from the woods, nearly tripping over a log. My body ached and my vision was stained with tears. What the hell is going on? What was that thing? If I'm dreaming, I need to wake up. This isn't funny anymore. Asya is gone. I was attacked by a creature in the forest just outside of my house. This isn't safe.

I burst through the door of my cottage and dialed 911. What am I doing? I can't call the police. They are going to think that I'm insane. Well, honestly I may be, but this isn't just in my head.

I cancelled the call and locked my front door. I need to get the hell out of this place. Perhaps the townspeople were right, I am cursed. I sank into the couch, feeling tremendously defeated. I glanced down at my newly finished painting. I wonder if what I saw in my dream was some kind of a vision. Maybe Asya really was abducted by a creature and dragged into this strange world. I slid down to the floor and touched my painting to see if it was dry yet. Except instead of feeling the damp canvas beneath my fingertips, something strange happened.

My hand went through the canvas.

I'm not even fucking kidding.

And it wasn't like i had punched a hole in the material and put my hand through it. My hand actually went into the painting. It was as if I had stuck my hand through a window.

I screamed and stumbled away from the painting. My anxiety was kicking in. I began to hyperventilate. Oh god. This can't be real.

What is happening to me today?

I was suddenly interrupted by an alarming knock on the door. The alarming part was the fact that it wasn't a gentle knock. It was as if someone was actually beating down my door. I jumped as the sound continued. Finally, someone spoke.

"It's the police open up!" This was followed by moor knocking.

"Veralyn Estelle. You are under arrest for the murder of Theodore and Calliope Estelle and Asya Valerian."

Murder???

"If you don't open up we are going to have to break in." The policeman yelled.

I kept perfectly silent.

"One." The policeman shouted.

"Two."

I took a few deep breaths. I need a plan. I am not a killer, but I have no evidence. I have to find Asya and bring her back so that we can find the real killer. If Asya is still alive...

"Three."

I can't think like that. She's still alive. I saw her in my dream. There is only one way to find her, and either this plan will work or I'll just look like an idiot when the cops finally break down this door.

I gathered up all of my courage, strength, and dignity, and plunged into the painting.