Twisted Ever After

by Celeste Thrower

  “The gold is not for you, general. Pardon me. But this mighty gold that I produce is aimed only for royalty or those who truly deserve it.”

  “So you must come with us. Grab her,” he ordered two burly soldiers.

  They carried her away, and she barely had time to look back at her parents. She just felt them leaving her life as she was carried to one of the horses.

  They rode through the night, and no one said a word, but every single soldier seemed to be looking at her. Wondering how long they’d have to wait to kill her.

  After a while riding in complete darkness and immersed in the most deafening silence, the king’s castle arose from within the mist: an impotent construction made of huge blocks of stones that didn’t seem even a bit inviting. From the castle gates, one was able to hear the ocean waves, for the shore was just down the hill. The castle was majestic and oppressive, even sad, if inanimate things could have feelings. However, if this were a different kingdom, a happier one, it could have been beautiful.

  As Minna arrived in the palace, a shiver ran down her spine. The place was cold, and its stone walls seemed to shrink. It seemed like a place someone would go to die.

  The castle smelled nothing like the fields Minna grew up in. There was a moldy odor that got stronger with every step she took, and something appeared to be lurking, observing her from a distance without making itself known.

  “The king will see you in a moment,” said the general, leaving her alone in an enormous candlelit room.

  The huge glass dome on the ceiling didn’t help to bring light inside, and it was all very grotesque at that hour, late in the night, with the candles dancing to the freezing drafts the windows allowed into the room.

  While she waited, she passed her fingers along the walls. They were wet, and for a moment she lost herself there, wondering about nothing, just emptiness in her mind, until a little laugh broke her thoughts. She moved away from the walls and studied the room, but there was nobody there.

  “I hear you can make gold.” A strong and insolent voice broke the silence. The king walked in. He was tall and dressed in a fancy gown. His face was round, too pale, and his hair thin.

  Minna lifted her head to answer, but he interrupted her.

  “Can you make it now?”

  “First I need some time and material.”

  “What sort of material?” He raised his almost nonexistent eyebrows.

  “Straw and a spin. And solitude.”

  “Solitude?”

  “Yes, solitude. When this gift was given to me by a dark faery from the woods, I was told that only in silence can gold be made, for we must show the most utmost respect for its value.”

  “I see. Solitude you shall have. However, you must keep in mind that you have until tomorrow to make me enough gold to buy your life and maybe your freedom. My guards will be more than happy to make your head say goodbye to your body.” He said it with disdain and left the room.

  Minna was alone again until the general came and led her to what would be her chamber. They went up a spiral staircase only lit by torches on the walls here and there. From time to time, there were noises and steps in the distance, as if someone were following them around.

  “Here is your chamber,” said the general dryly.

  The door was locked behind Minna, and she walked deep inside the place. There was a fireplace burning with a robust fire, a small window located very high in one of the walls, a wooden chair, a spin, and straw everywhere. “I guess he wants lots of gold,” Minna thought to herself.

  From the small window, she could see the ocean and hear the waves hitting the rocks underneath the castle. The water was as dark as the night, painted in a somber blue, completely unwelcoming. There was no way out. She was in a high tower, and even if she wanted to venture a jump, the window was big enough only for her head.

  Minna kept thinking and thinking, pacing and hoping that she would have enough time to come up with something. An idea that could get her out of this mess. She had told tales about witches with mighty powers, with the ability to turn back time and save whole kingdoms. And now that was all she wanted to do. If only she could turn her stories true.

  The night was strange, and not only because she had been kidnapped by an evil king; there was something else. She seemed to be stuck in a dream, in that place where you want to wake up, but can’t, because the body is paralyzed. The clock was ticking, and there was nothing she could do to stop the morning to come. Minna knew that as certain as the sun would rise in a matter of hours, her head would fall if she didn’t come up with a life-saving plan.

  The sound of steps echoed inside the inhospitable room. Her skirt was shifting to the movement of her legs, and then that laugh broke through the walls again. A tiny little laugh, with notes of mockery, somewhat sinister.

  Minna stopped and tried to find the source of that weird little sound. She was as still as a statue, and only her eyes moved, hoping to capture the source of such an intriguing sound. And even though laughter was a common sound, there was something otherworldly about it that she couldn’t quite pinpoint. Maybe it was the fact that the laugh was strident, maybe it was the empty tone it had, maybe it was what she could hear beyond the laugh. Or maybe she was already losing her head.

  Minna walked closer to the wall and passed her hands over it, paying attention to every single detail that might show something out of ordinary, until one small brick trembled with the light touch of her fingers. She managed to grab the small piece of stone and move it out of the wall to reveal a tiny dark cave, from which emerged a tiny little man.

  Minna stepped back and screamed, letting the rock she had in her hand fall and roll until it reached the chair. She took a moment, catching her breath while this weird-looking creature jumped out of the cave and started cleaning himself, patting out the dust and moss covering his olive-green vest.

  “I guess I don’t need to laugh at you anymore,” said the tiny man, studying Minna. He was the size of an orange, and his face was like an old man’s. His legs were thin and agile, making him move very quickly around the room.

  “I guess I’m the one who should start laughing,” said Minna, considering his funny appearance and the way he moved around so swiftly.

  “What do you mean?” he asked with a frown, looking mad and revealing a dark color to his eyes.

  “I mean you’re my only hope.”

  And the creature’s face changed again. Minna looked at him with attention. He was so little, yet he seemed to take up the whole room.

  “You wish to leave this foul place, I see. Oh, with that I can help indeed.”

  “Can you get me out of here?”

  “Better than that.”

  Minna frowned. What could possibly be better than to go back home?

  “If you go back and leave no gold for the king, your head will be rolling by this time tomorrow. And your parents’ heads as well. Your father shouldn’t be a liar, you know?”

  “My father is not a liar.”

  “Can you spin things into gold?”

  There was silence for a moment.

  “How do you know that?”

  “Oh, I know more than I can handle sometimes. And I know you are about to die.

  “So, did you come here to help me? Can you turn this to gold?”

  “Yes, I sure can.”

  “So, go on! Let me see what you’re capable of.”

  “Oh, well. Magic like this requires payment, a payment as valuable as the magic I’m about to perform.”

  “What do you want?”

  “Your soul.”

  Minna took some time staring into the creatures’ eyes. They were big and glistening, but also cold and empty. Maybe needy souls were the thing keeping him alive. Silence fell over the room for a while, and only the fire crackled. The little man was very serious now, looking straight at Minna and waiting for her next move. He wasn’t laughing anymore, and in the shadows of the room, he seemed dangerous, as though he was just w
aiting, drooling, for her soul.

  “What’s your name?” asked Minna.

  “Oh, but that you must not know.”

  “And why is that?” said Minna, squinting her eyes.

  “You may try to call for your soul, and it might answer.”

  “But your name is not my soul’s name.”

  “Oh, no, no, no. You can call me and have it back! I know your kind, and I’m not a fool.”

  “My kind?”

  “Yes. You’re a desperate, clueless human. It’s your luck I’m here, you see. I could be helping anybody else.”

  “You could be anywhere getting any soul. Is that right?”

  “That’s correct.”

  “Do you always ask for souls?”

  “I do. I’ve been living centuries and centuries; I need something to get by.”

  “But you chose to be here and ask for my soul?”

  “Yes, you stupid girl! Didn’t you get it the first time?” Once again, he got that evil twitch in his eyes, and for a second his mouth was open, showing his yellowish pointy teeth. Soon enough he got back to himself, with his polite tone and flattering voice.

  Minna tried to hide her feelings. She was scared, but she wanted to seem under control. The hours were passing slowly, as if the little man was trying to get his way and stretching the minutes to make his plan successful.

  But even having hundreds or thousands of other souls to choose from, he chose hers. He chose to help her so she, and only she, could feed him. While studying this train of thought, something crossed Minna’s mind. The words of the strange lady from the woods echoed in her head: “Measure your words, create your worlds, and maybe a way out you will find.” What if he also had something special to gain from her particular soul? If she were valuable, she might have a chance.

  “Where did you come from?” she asked in a polite and interested tone.

  “I came from a place you will one day know.”

  “Did you come from the little hole in the walls?”

  “No.”

  “Did you come from the earth?”

  “No.”

  “So you don’t know where you come from?”

  “Of course I do! I come from the land where all things go to die.” He said it at once, and then he himself was surprised to have said anything at all.

  “And where would that be? Nearby?”

  “It’s far away, but sometimes too close.”

  “Do people there like gold too?”

  “Gold there is worth nothing.”

  “Souls, on the other hand…” said Minna, prompting him to continue.

  “Stupid petty king doesn’t know the value of souls.”

  “With that, I agree.”

  And the little man smiled with satisfaction.

  “Gold is King Eberhard’s favorite thing. What would be your favorite thing?” Minna asked.

  The little man stopped and considered. He then jumped off the piece of rock he was sitting on and stared at the fire. Bats and owls were singing outside; the sound of the night was like a spell, enchanting moment after moment like a chain, leading to a conclusion Minna did not know.

  “I must say, I like souls.”

  “You must say? I don’t ‘must say’ what I like. I like clouds moving to the rhythm of the wind, I like to fly between them, I like traveling with pirates, and I like eating wild blueberries from the forest. I just like.”

  His eyes sparkled with joy for the first time.

  “Have you ever traveled with pirates?” the little creature asked, trying to contain his excitement.

  “Yes, I sure did. And I swam inside a whale.”

  “Tell me more!” He was about to explode in excitement, and he didn’t look as scary anymore. His legs were swinging, hanging from the rock he was sitting on again. He looked like a little child, eager to learn more about adventures in wild places. In a way, he was just like Minna.

  “So, your favorite thing is stories.”

  His face twitched, and for a moment he was torn. Minna knew then she had learned the truth. Her stories were her way into the little man’s head and possibly her way out of this place.

  “I can tell you a story if you want.” From the sound of the blackbirds outside, she knew the morning was about to paint the sky in light blue. She was getting closer to her destiny, and she needed to figure this out quickly.

  The little man looked even more confused. She seemed to have started a war inside him between what he wanted and what he needed to do.

  “You still haven’t shown me if you can really spin straw into gold. How can I promise you my soul if I don’t know what you’re capable of?”

  He was eager to show his powers. Without saying a word, he grabbed a straw and put it inside the spin. It spun, and spun, and spun until it glowed in white and shiny red, and then it turned into gold.

  Minna was mesmerized. She had never seen anything so magical in real life, only in her dreams and stories.

  “Oh, bravo! Now what do you want, a story or my soul?”

  “Oh, dear, if I have your soul, I’ll have your stories.”

  “But how are you supposed to listen to them if you won’t have my mouth? My stories need my soul and my mouth.”

  “So I will have to have your mouth too.”

  “Have I ever told you about the witches’ travels in the night? How they turned into mermaids and dove into the great oceans?”

  “And then what happened?”

  “Oh, for that you will need a heart as well. Have you ever thought about what you would do with all those parts? You could hear the best stories ever told. You could even lure the best souls for you to steal. Souls who believe in magic, even souls who can tell more stories than mine.”

  “Yes, yes. Give me all of it. I want your soul, and your mouth, and your heart.”

  “But I need more gold first. How will I know if I will keep my head when the king arrives here? I can tell you a story while you spin gold, and then you will have my soul, my mouth, and my heart.”

  The little man looked confused and started spinning gold while Minna told him a story. It was the most elaborate story she has ever told. There were witches, and pirates, and ghosts from other worlds. There were magical rings, and talking owls, and flying faeries.

  And she talked and talked. And he spun and spun. The room was becoming filled with gold, and the aurora was happening outside. The light of the day started to take over the small room, and the little man finally stopped.

  “Now, I need your soul.”

  “But why would I give it to you? I already have all the gold, and that’s what I needed. I gave you a story; you paid me in gold.”

  The little man shook. His whole face turned red and dark green like it was about to explode. He jumped around the room, scratching his head, and seemed to have forgotten Minna was still there.

  “Rumpelstiltskin never lost; Rumpelstiltskin never lost. Rumpelstiltskin is smart; Rumpelstiltskin never lost. Rumpelstiltskin never lost.”

  “Rumpelstiltskin,” said Minna in a whisper, observing the creature’s tantrum around the room. He heard her and stopped, looking at her in despair.

  “Do not repeat that!” he said, challenging her.

  “Rumpelstiltskin.” She said it again, and he shook once more, out of control. “Rumpelstiltskin!”

  He kept jumping and shaking, and his little legs seemed to be detaching from his body. And then there was a bang, and the door burst open. King Eberhard and his general walked into the room and were astonished at what they found. This scary little creature with lost and dangerous eyes was out of control.

  “Kill it!” King Eberhard screamed, and the general took out his sword.

  Rumpelstiltskin was still screaming and shaking all around until he jumped in Minna’s direction, his arms reaching for her.

  “RUMPELSTILTSKIN, RUMPELSTILTSKIN, RUMPELSTILTSKIN!” She yelled with power in her voice.

  The creature widened his eyes and burst into a hun
dred little pieces on the floor. Minna was still trying to understand what just happened, staring at the remains of Rumpelstiltskin on the floor of the room, which now shone with enormous amounts of gold.

  When Minna returned to herself, she turned to find two scared men. King Eberhard and the general were curled into a corner of the room, protecting their faces and crying desperately.

  “I have made you enough gold for a lifetime, and I have destroyed the eater of the souls. He was bringing death to your kingdom and was here to steal your gold and your soul.” Minna spoke with a higher tone, and for the first time in her life, she felt tall and strong.

  King Eberhard stood, still shaking, and looked around. His eyes sparkled with greed as he saw all the gold in the room. Before he could say anything, she continued:

  “You must do as I say, or you will have to face the consequences.”

  He stared at her with surprise, and then despair filled his eyes. Minna could almost see his mind working, trying to find the right answer, and after a second, he took a bow. Minna was about to laugh, but she restrained herself.

  “You must get all your gold and leave to the dark island on the horizon,” she said. “You must never come back or look back; otherwise, your gold will disappear forever.”

  The king was distraught. He considered what she had said and gazed with greed at all that shiny gold.

  “I will do as you say, Enchantress.”

  Minna left the chambers. She walked down the spiral staircase with a broad smile and a full heart. Her life was her own again; her head was still on her neck. From now on, there would be no greedy king, no one stealing souls. A new time was about to begin.

  King Eberhard left the castle that very same day. He didn’t look back, and he didn’t miss being king. He spent the rest of his days hoarding all the treasure he had, and he took his last breath while holding his gold very closely. But still with no time for matters of the heart, still not understanding the value of all that beautiful gold.

  After that long night, Minna visited the village elders, and a council was founded. There would be no more greedy and unfair kings. Slowly the council brought Mistletown to its former glory. Color slowly found its way back to that place, and things remained calm and just.