"I don't know, but I think there will be food. Come on, let's go see."
They proceeded at a brisk pace, their journey uninterrupted and unseen by a soul. At least, as far as she could tell.
The noise intensified as they came close to the third block. Both slowed, moving more cautiously, unsure of what they would find around the corner.
Crystal crouched low. Huddled down like this she became acutely aware of the stench that still clung to her skin. Oddly enough, her dress remained untarnished. The bucket list of weird things was getting bigger by the hour. Ever so carefully, she peeked around the corner.
It was a market, of sorts. From what she could see, all the stalls were white, and everyone dressed exactly the same way. In fact, the only color she could see was the color of the food itself, which stood out starkly against the plain white background - rather like a selectively colored painting. Or a Spielberg movie.
The food itself looked amazing. The sheen on the red apple skins shone like jewels, the potatoes were the cleanest and fullest she'd ever seen, and tomatoes were perfectly round and red.
One stand was packed with ice, and on it she saw the most incredible fish, painted all the colors of the rainbow. There was nothing but stall after stall selling food in this market, and she was so hungry she wanted to try it all. Well, maybe not the raw fish or the uncooked potatoes. But everything else, for sure.
Jake hovered above her and peered over her head. "Everything looks so good here, but they'll want money. And I don't know about you, but I don't have any."
"Then we had better wish for more suitable clothes and to smell a whole lot better than we do," said Crystal.
Her skin tingled, like a thousand tiny bubbles popped on the surface. She looked down, and her once black dress was now pure white. Jake's outfit had changed, too.
"How did you do that?" he asked, looking down in awe at his new white garments. "Are you... are you some kind of magician?" He stared at her with a hint of suspicion in his eyes.
"I wish I was! I would magic myself right out of this place." She sniffed her hand. "But at least we smell better. This will certainly help us blend in."
Jake nodded and looked marginally less suspicious. After a deep breath, they both walked cautiously toward the stand selling apples. No one looked at them, and no one smiled. Everyone continued on in a straight line, heading directly to wherever it was they were going.
"We might just as well have stayed as we were in our other clothes. I don't think anyone here would notice us if we had two heads."
The woman behind the apple stand was just as peculiar. She stood there, all in white, her hair tied back in a severe bun, her eyes fixed on some point dead ahead. Even when Crystal leaned over her produce, she didn't react at all. Just like a mannequin.
The apples were so shiny up close, they were like mirrors, and she could see her own reflection in them. Whatever magic had freshened her up, had worked on her hair too, because it looked brushed and well-conditioned.
"Lord, it's like I spent a few hundred bucks on hair product."
"Excuse me, dear?" said the woman, suddenly coming to life.
Glancing up, the woman had become very animated, fussing over buffing up a bright green apple. She reminded Crystal of her own grandmother.
"Is there anything I can help you with? Or your young man maybe? Fancy a nice, juicy apple?" She offered the one in her hand, but Crystal shook her head. She'd read enough fairy tales to know better.
Crystal picked one from the stall and sniffed it. Nothing had ever smelled so amazing.
"Errrr, sure. That is, I would like to, but I don't have any money, so I can't pay."
"Never mind that dear, that one's on the house. And what about your young man? You should take one for him, too."
"Ummm, thank you."
If ever there was a perfect apple, this was it. The sweet aroma made her almost giddy, and her mouth instinctively opened to take a bite. Don't do it. None of this is real.
But that wasn't the only thought in her head. You've gotta eat something soon. Even as her mouth hovered over the tasty fruit, she heard a crunch behind her. Jake has bitten into the apple and was chewing noisily.
"Not bad, this. I wish we had some money, we could buy some more." She patted her pockets but annoyingly, didn't find any coins. Not all wishes came true, apparently.
The little woman behind the stall smiled appreciatively.
"Are you feeling okay?" Crystal didn’t take her eyes off Jake, and half expected him to drop down, in a faint or something.
"Sure, why wouldn't I?" he replied. Nom nom nom.
"You don't feel light-headed or anything?"
Crunch. "Not really," he said through a mouthful of apple. "Should I be?"
I read too much. Crystal stared hungrily down at her own apple. It was hardly likely her apple had been poisoned, when Jake's clearly hadn't. She opened her mouth wide, closed her eyes, and bit down with an enormous chomp. It was truly the most delicious thing she had ever tasted. So sweet, so juicy, and she chewed slowly, not just to savor the flavor but to put off swallowing as long as possible.
Jake threw his emaciated apple core to the ground. Well, he's not dead then. So, she swallowed. The second she gulped; she knew she was in trouble. Her mouth and tongue began to swell, and the world began to spin around her. Everyone around her faded like shadows. Crystal swooned, and instead of falling, she floated quietly to the ground. The last thing she remembered was Jake's concerned face, hovering over her, and then all was dark again, and she saw nothing more.
Nightmares
A floating, mist-like ooze enveloped her, bathing her in terror. There were shadows in the mist, and she cried out, hoping one would come to save her. And then she saw her dad, but he, too, was slipping into the darkness.
"Dad!" she cried, in desperation. Crystal reached out; her fingers stretched to touch him. But his smile faded, and he stepped back into the mist, and disappeared.
A pair of rough hands were on her shoulders, shaking her.
"Come on, Crystal, wake up, dammit, we're here. Wake up."
Her heart skipped a hard beat and she woke, gasping. The nausea was still there. She leaned over and heaved, ejecting something that tasted vaguely of apple.
"Better out than in," John said.
"Oh, shut up will you?" Nic answered.
"And just who gave you a tiara?" was John's retort.
"I'm not the one with King fantasies," Nic said.
"Oh, shut up, please," Jake cried. "She's just waking up. Keep carrying on and and she'll wish she passed out again."
"Um, let's hope not." Crystal stretched out a clammy hand, as Jake helped her to her feet.
"Steady on, you still look wobbly," Nic said.
"Wouldn't you after coming all that way in a sewer?" John pointed out.
Nic shot him, the look.
"I think that was the worst nightmare of my life," Crystal said.
"Do you get a lot of them?" Nic asked.
"Sometimes." Actually, she got a lot. Had done ever since, The Incident. But that wasn’t something she wanted to talk about.
They were in a perfectly square, white room, with four white bunks lining each of the four walls. The floor, wall and ceiling were cold marble, and there were no windows or doors. If the nausea wasn't getting to her, this room certainly was. She sat back down to get her bearings.
"Where are we?" Crystal asked, looking around.
"A dungeon," John said. "In the palace."
"How long have we been here?" Crystal asked.
"I don't know exactly," Nic replied. "There's no clocks or anything. But it feels like it's been forever. Maybe three or four hours, I dunno. You guys showed up about an hour ago."
"Any sign of Stu?" she asked.
Both Nic and John shook their heads.
"I'm sick of this stupid place," Crystal said. "It's just been one thing after another. I’m sorry I ever stumbled into it. And sorry I brought you guys her
e, too. Is there any food? I've got to eat. I feel so light-headed."
"We could ask," Jake said.
"No need. Look." John turned, and in one of the corners of the room, several platters had appeared with bread, meats and cheese. There was also a jug. Nic went over to make up a plate.
"It's like being inside a food teleporter," John said. "Just say the word and zing, there it is."
"Have you asked for a door to open?" Crystal asked.
"Uh-huh," John said. "Already tried it. No such luck."
Nic returned with a chunky meat sandwich and a cup of something that smelled like grape juice. "Here, drink this. If nothing else, the food in this place is pretty awesome."
Nic sat beside her on the bed and rubbed her hand soothingly across Crystal's back. It reminded Crystal of her mom. She would do the exact same thing whenever Crystal was sick. "Why don't you try and drink something, now? You'll get your strength back, soon enough."
"Oh, I should have mentioned, the apple a nice fruit seller gave me was poisonous, that's why I blacked out, and then threw up just there." They all stopped in mid-bite and stared at her. "But I'm sure this food will be fine."
"Actually, we've eaten a few times since we got here," Nic said. "It's been pretty good, actually. I don't think you've got anything to worry about now."
It certainly smelled alright. The fresh-baked bread caught her attention, but, famished as she was, Crystal only had the strength to nibble at the corners. It was good. Better than good. She guzzled the drink down, grateful for anything that would clear the awful taste in her mouth. What I wouldn't give for a tube of toothpaste. She quickly looked around but couldn't see one. Again, not all wishes came true here, it seemed.
She nibbled a little more of the sandwich and started to feel more like herself again. In between mouthfuls, she studied the others. Everyone's clothes had turned white.
Nic noticed her curiosity and brushed the fabric across her knees. "Yup. Everything went white almost the moment we came through the gates."
"Did you see much of the city?"
"A bit. Buildings are weird. And people don't look at you. They just, I dunno, walk. Like drones."
"Yes. We saw that too, didn't we?" Crystal said to Jake.
They were interrupted by a bubbly, popping sound, like overly thick liquid on the boil. It was coming from the ceiling and they all looked up. The ceiling and all the walls were slowly melting around them.
"What the--?" John cried.
Crystal discovered their prison cell, now melted away, had existed in the middle of a vast chamber within the palace. The tall, cathedral-like walls went up and up, their summit lost in bright light, high above their heads. All around them were people, dressed elegantly, and all in white. But like the people in the market place, these too were walking directly ahead in a trance-like state. In fact, the sudden appearance of four strangers in their midst didn't seem to faze them at all.
Crystal rose on shaky legs, and as she did so, the four cots disappeared, and it was like the room had never existed. Even the food was gone.
"What the heck is going on!" John said.
"Look!" Nic cried, pointing over Crystal's shoulder.
Crystal turned around. She started in surprise at the sight of two wyverns, no more than twenty feet away. Her legs wanted to run––but then she saw they were chained up, unable to move far from where they lay.
Like grooming cats, one had its leg draped across the other, and studiously licked behind its companion's ear. The great beasts seemed uninterested in the newly-arrived group, but continued with their grooming, their eyes closed in enjoyment.
"They obviously like the taste of wyvern," John said.
"Gross.” Nic screwed up her face in distaste.
The second John and Nic spoke, the two beasts disentwined and stood an equal distance apart, like sentries. Their eyes narrowed, and as they studied the prisoners ahead, their mouths twisted into a pointy-toothed, ferocious snarls.
Crystal looked beyond them, to an ornate marble throne. There were carvings upon it, but she stood too far away to see clearly what they were. Like the walls of the palace, the back of the throne stood tall, and seated upon it was Ella, towering over them, dressed in a gown of shimmering white. She wore a simple silver crown on her head, and held a pure white scepter in her hand.
Beside her, on a lower chair, sat Stu. He appeared to be untethered, but if he rejoiced to see his friends, he didn't show it.
What was wrong with him? Had Ella done something horrible to him? She remembered the scars Jake had shown her. This place was dangerous and so was Ella, its queen.
Ella lowered her staff and pointed it directly at them. "Approach." It was a command, not a request.
Slowly and reluctantly, the four moved forward. John tried to walk around the wyverns, but the one on the left snapped viciously at his heels, herding him back through the center.
Crystal felt the creepy crawlies tingle down her spine. She'd already had enough of these beasts for a lifetime. No way am I taking another bite from one of those things. She walked dead center towards the throne, conscious of the wyverns watching her with malevolent eyes, every step of the way. The others huddled close to her, just as anxious to pass them as she was.
As soon as they were clear, Crystal turned her thoughts to Ella. It was almost the same Ella she knew, but this Ella, annoyingly, was even more beautiful than the original. Her fair hair was tied up in intricate knots. And there was a sheen about her, her skin almost glowed. But there was also a coldness to this Ella's blue eyes, which could not be said of the real Ella. The hairs on Crystal's neck stood on end, and she instinctively held her breath, afraid of what this version might do to them all.
"Welcome, strangers, to my beautiful city of Somnia. I am glad to find you have all safely reached my palace."
Not by choice, Crystal thought.
"Who is chief among you?"
How to answer? None of them were really the leader. It might seem a bit pompous to say me. Probably better to take the safer ground and say nothing about it. "Why do you hold us prisoner... errr, Your Majesty?"
Ella turned her cold eyes to Crystal. "I see it is you. But I should have known that."
Why should she? We are strangers here, after all. There was no spark of recognition in those pale blue eyes. They were appraising, calculating, and for someone so young, strangely tired. Her perfectly manicured fingers twiddled around the handle of her staff.
"Well, now you have us, whoopee doo. Perhaps you'll be kind enough to tell us exactly what is it that you want with us?"
Ella didn't answer, but instead turned her face to Nic. She said nothing at first but studied her for a while. "I sense much strength in you," Ella said at last. "You will do well, also."
"Do well for what?" Nic challenged.
Again, Ella refused to share her thoughts. She turned to John. "And you are cunning and ambitious. Yes, you will all do very well."
"You never answered my question," Nic said. "Do well for what?"
"Why, the quest, of course. You will work with each other and the winner... well... that you will find out in due course."
"You mean a fight?" John asked. "Or a contest? That kind of winner?"
"A fight? Perhaps," Ella said.
Crystal rolled her eyes. No way was she going on any more stupid adventures in this place.
"There's no way we're going to fight each other," Crystal said.
Crystal glanced at Stu, who up until now had hardly moved, let alone acknowledged his friends. Like the other people of the city, his gaze never shifted, he just stared dead ahead.
"What have you done to our friend?" Crystal asked.
"He is sleeping."
"But his eyes are open."
"And yet he sleeps."
Ella raised her staff, and in a moment, two of the walkers stopped in their tracks and transformed into Guardsmen. The only thing different about the palace guards were their tunics were brilliant wh
ite, not blue. Their look turned from dumb, to cunning and cruel. The two Guardsmen marched to stand by the prisoners.
"Take them to their quarters." She turned and pointed to Stu. "This one can go with them now. As for the other--" she indicated Jake "--secure him separately. I will deal with him later."
Up until now, she had not paid any attention to Jake. They all looked at him, worried. His shoulders slumped in defeat, and Crystal, who was standing right beside him, sensed his fear.
"What are you going to do to our friend?" she asked.
"That, mortal, is none of your concern."
The way she said mortal gave Crystal further cause for worry. She made it sound sinister.
Ella turned back to Stu. With one wave of her hand, the glaze left his eyes and he became himself again. He shook his head, confused, but then focused on Crystal. His expression showed surprise and relief in equal measure. He smiled hugely and said, "Crystal? Where did you--?" But there was no time to adjust to his new surroundings. Two pairs of hands grabbed his arm and lifted him out of his chair.
"What the--?"
"Be silent, or else, prisoner!" said the first Guardsman.
Crystal could tell he had a bucket-load of questions to ask, but he had no time to voice them. The walkers pushed him over to where his friends stood. Flanking either side of the group, the guards led the four friends out of the great hall, and away from poor Jake.
Stu's Story
This time they were led to a slightly more comfortable room. Though there were no windows, this one at least had white recliners, tables, a fireplace with a modest fire, and a bookshelf with white-bound books.
The moment the guard left them; John followed them to the door only to find they had locked it behind them. "Great."
Crystal flung herself at Stu and gave him an almighty squeeze. "Oh my God, we were so worried about you."
"Yes," Nic said. "Tell us what happened?"
The girls hugged him in turn, and even John managed a solid thump on his back. As soon as he was able to peel off the girls, Stu sat down on one the recliners. He still had a bemused look on his face.
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