Monsters & Fairytales (39 page)

I ran straight into a wall instead of a hallway. My body was sent into an instant panic. I had to find my footing. I had to be strong. Turning around, I checked for Sebastian or whatever it was that was hunting me. There was nothing and no one.

The color was fading. I watched it drip off the walls like someone had poured paint thinner on it. Everything was turning into an acid nightmare.

I steadied my feet and hurtled myself back past the open door to the room. Sebastian came flying out. His body hit the wall, shattering it. I wanted to stop, but I knew that would only make his efforts pointless. I kept going. Around one corner and the next, I ran blind.
             

I was going in circles. Each time I found myself down a familiar hallway, I would hear Sebastian getting closer. I didn’t like hearing him like that. I had to focus, I had to remember which way was the right way.
             

I looked up every hallway I could. There was one to the right that had a very small, very faint light at the end of it. That had to be the way. When I went to take a step, something cold grabbed my ankle. It pulled me down. I screamed and shook my foot trying to get it to release me.
             

The blue mist had caught up to me. It was a hand that was traveling around the corner. I couldn’t see the creature it belonged to; I knew I wouldn’t want to.
             

I kicked again, but my foot went right through the mist. It was dragging me very slowly. I grabbed everything that I could to keep myself from being pulled back. When I reached the corner, I dug my nails into the molding.
             

Sebastian was mumbling something in his language. It sounded demonic. I closed my eyes and tried to pull myself away. I didn’t want to look. I didn’t want to see anything but the Minakai. I’d even take a guard. Where were they? Shouldn’t someone hear us in need of help?
             

Using every bit of energy I had left, I somehow managed to rip my leg free. A deafening scream echoed down the halls after me. My entire body was engulfed in chills. I took off down the hall towards that light again.
             

I started laughing with an overload of emotions when I could see the half circle in view. There was some hope. He could save us. I grabbed the edge of the wall and flung myself around. There was no time to skid to a halt. I needed to press the lion's head and get into the massive doors before Sebastian got hurt.
             

Frantically, I pressed the lion. It didn’t roar. My hands weren’t furry anymore. Had I lost it? Why did it still want me? I could hear struggling down the hall. They were gaining on me. I pressed it again, but it still didn’t roar.

“Please.” I whispered.

I pressed it one more time, but nothing happened. I felt my life slip away from my fingers. I wasn’t sure what was going to happen, but from the sounds of it, I wouldn’t survive.

My head fell against the door. It budged. There was no time for me to be angry at myself. I squeezed through the opening and then slammed the door shut. I backed up, waiting for something to try to claw its way in.

“Mirabelle?”
The Minakai said.

“Porter!” I screamed, turning around.

I rushed to him at his desk. I was delirious. Seconds later something slammed into the wall on the other side of the door. Then, there was this clawing against the door. A voice was begging to be let into the office, it was screaming. Was it Sebastian’s’? Had that thing gained control of him? What was it?

“What is going on?!”
The Minakai roared.

“I, I was changing. My hands, they were black and furry.”

I was crying too badly, it was hard to talk.

“You resisted the Zahn?” He said in awe.

“Trying!”
I whimpered.

“Step back.” He whispered. I didn’t move.

“Step.
Back.”
He said again.

He dug his feet in and I moved out of the way. The scratching had stopped. I took a few steps back and kept my eyes on the door. I could see the shadows from underneath it. What was going to happen? Why wasn’t he rushing out to help Sebastian?

“When the Zahn comes in, run into my office. You have to press the corner of the wall, where the red meets the white.” He said. “And Mira,” He made eye contact with me; his blue eyes were gray and full of anguish.

“Yes?”

I swallowed down my fear. I couldn’t see colors anymore. Everything was monochrome again. I had lost already. The Minakai didn’t seem to know that part. I tried not to give it away.

“Don’t look back.”

He turned from me and found his footing again.

“But-” I went to say.

Everything went silent at that exact moment. I thought I had gone deaf. A small sound, splintering wood, told me I hadn’t…yet. The wood cracked again and a small piece fell out. Then, piece by piece, holes started appearing in the door. Suddenly, noise burst through. It knocked me off my feet. I suppose it was luck that I was knocked to the ground. The cracking intensified and the entire door splattered open. Shards of wood went everywhere. I covered my face. Pushing everything I had inside me, I jumped up and ran for the corner. I wanted to look back and see Sebastian. I had to see him safe. I couldn’t hear anything but grunts and growls.
             

The Minakai had taken off to help Sebastian. There were two separate growls, I was sure of it. But I wasn’t sure if it was him and Sebastian versus the Zahn or just him and the Zahn.
             

I rushed over to the wall I had seen him walk into. I was hoping the red would be a darker gray than the white, but it wasn’t. Everything blended.
             

I looked back and no one was there. Where had they gone? What was happening? I could hear them, but I saw nothing around. I took a few steps back and was hit by a flash of hot air. I seemed to have walked into a barrier. I didn’t have a chance to see anything; the fear and the agony inside that barrier made me scream and instantly rush out.
             

I stopped in front of the wall and just started pushing everywhere. Something had to be right.

“Mirabelle!
Now!”
The Minakai yelled in my head.

“I can’t see the colors!” I yelled back. I was crying. It was too late to be brave and not tell him. He had to know the truth to help me.

“Try! Try to find the happiness, just enough to help you!” He screamed.

Happiness.
I had to focus. Sebastian. He was risking his life to save me. I meant that much to him. He meant that much to me, too. I closed my eyes and put my hand to my heart. Then I felt my necklace. I smiled and looked down at it. My mother, she was happiness. I rubbed my thumb over the letters.
             

When my thumb moved, the charm reflected color. I looked up instantly. My heart was racing, but I couldn’t see anything. I looked back at the charm and saw the red on the wall. I laughed. Of course it would be this way.
Walking the wall, I stared into my charm, waiting for where the red touched the white. Finally there was hope.

“I got it!” I called out. I touched the spot and then heard a release.

“Once you’re in, jump into the fireplace.” The Minakai whispered. He sounded calmer.

“What?!”

I looked back at the empty space. Was he insane? I can’t jump into fire. Even if it was magical, my body just had this natural reaction against it.

“Listen!” He silenced my thoughts. “On my desk is powder. Grab the yellow bottle. When you pour that into the fire, it’ll turn blue. That’s when you want to jump into it. It’ll take you home.”

“Home?”
I whispered.

How could I go home? I had to say goodbye to Sebastian. I had to thank him. I had to kiss him and wrap my arms around him just one more time. It wasn’t fair to walk away and leave him like this. I had to see him. I stepped forward towards the barrier. Right before my foot broke through, the Minakai’s voice billowed out in anger.

“You must go now! Or it’ll be too late for me to send you back. Go!” He said.

I was frozen. I set my foot back down beside me. What was I doing? He was right. How pathetic for me to sacrifice all of Sebastian’s’ efforts for just a kiss and a goodbye.
             

I nodded with a tear and walked into the open doorway. When I was on the stairs, the wall closed behind me. The only thing I could hear was the crackle from the fire below. I had to stay strong.

In his office I used my charm to find the right color of powder. I poured it into the white flames and a strange rain poured over turning them into natural orange flames. Had I done something wrong? Were they supposed to be a different color to begin with? Please, God.
             

The flames reached for me and danced around trying to get me to go with them. They flashed a blue that was blinding. I took a step back. The flames tickled my legs and reached for my hands. This was no time for regrets. I held my hand out and closed my eyes.

“I love you, Sebastian.” I whispered.

My hand felt cold. I was falling face forward into the blue flames.
My body went cold and I closed my eyes.
             
 

It’s worth a shot.

((
if
everything wasn’t meant to be, then explain us
))

Wetness on my face, there was a warm wind. I pushed it aside. My hands hit fur and I grudgingly
peeked
an eye open. Spike’s head was resting perfectly level with my face. When he realized I was awake he stood up and pawed at me.

“Oh, Spike! No.” I mumbled from under my hands. He whimpered and pawed me again.

“Yes, I’m up.”

Throwing my hand out, I unenthusiastically pet his head.
He stepped back and sat down to wait for me to collect myself. My body was definitely ready to be awake when I stretched and sat up. I had the worst headache ever. Rubbing my eyes, I scratched my head and then looked around for my glasses.
When I put them on and my surroundings came into focus, I nearly fell off my bed.
All of my furniture was staring back at me. What had I slept through? What time was it? What day was it? I looked for a clock. I reached over and grabbed my cell phone.
             

I had three missed calls. I checked the numbers; they were all from the family that was supposed to be getting Wilson. Was it Wednesday already? It was 6:00 pm. I didn’t get it. The last thing I remembered was coming back from the park. That was yesterday morning...wasn’t it? That guy downstairs had bumped into me, what was his name? Joe? I just, maybe I hit my head harder than I thought and suffered short term memory loss? What have I been doing these past two days? How is it even possible to forget them and not be in some sort of trouble when I wake up? This is seriously weird.

Spike whimpered. He threatened to paw me again. I wasn’t sure I could stand yet, let alone walk him to that park. I slid off the bed and carefully held myself upright. I was fine. I took a step and still I was okay.
             

Opening my phone again, I redialed the family. As it was ringing, I started down the hall and turned on the lights. When I passed the spare bedroom, sure enough, all of my mother's things were there. It was set up in the same exact way she'd had it back at the house.
             

I flicked another switch for the living room. I couldn’t believe it. My couch and my furniture were all together. They were all here. I didn’t understand it. The movers were supposed to have come earlier today. It was very possible that everything happened and I just didn’t remember. How could I have blacked out, though? What had I done? Oh right, I fell into a fountain and fell on the lobby floor. How could I forget that?

“Mirabelle!
So sorry to bother you again! It’s just that we were noticing that Wilson wasn’t eating his food and I wanted to make sure he wasn’t starving himself. Did you mention if you fed him before we got him or not?” The woman on the other end of the phone said. It was all so much. She already had Wilson?

“I’m- I’m so sorry. I honestly can’t remember.” I said. I was in a daze.

“Hmm, okay. How were you usually feeding him?” She asked. She was judging me. I could hear it in her voice.

I started to tell her, but then I heard someone knocking. I rushed over and looked through the peep hole, but no one was there. I heard it again and turned around. Joe, the guy from downstairs, was smiling at me from my balcony. He waved. I wanted to wave back; why did I want to do that? Had he and I talked more than I seemed to remember? We had to have if he knew where I lived. Oh no, what had I said?