Behind the Madness

Flickr.  Phonar Task.  By Amber Nicholls and Daisy Ware-Jarrett.

“Who knew your neck of the woods was so bright. Alright, you’ve called me here for a reason?”

I gazed up at the speaker with a raised brow. He brought darkness to my sunny Creativity Forest; the colorful butterflies that flew around my throne didn’t get close to him. I still couldn’t figure out why I couldn’t see the features on his face. He was a shadowed creature of mystery.

“Viktor, how nice of you to finally join us.” Muse bells voice rang with annoyance. I could feel her temper.

She stood by the right side of my throne finally still after she had been pacing before his arrival. She was so annoyed, her own pink hair swishing on her arms as she paced became a problem. So, she had braided her pink and white streaked hair and crowned it around her head.

I’ve never seen her so angry. Although, I’m sure she’s gotten frustrated with my sporadic tendencies to show up to write.

With Viktor, she was not happy she could not control him as she did the other character spirits here.

Through the shadows, I could see the whiteness of his fangs as he smirked at Muse. I caught Muse’s sparkling hand before she lunged and patted it. Now wasn’t the time. Viktor turned towards me and inclined his head.

“Accept my apologies Ms. Scribe, I was tending to the blog.”

I nodded and dismissed the power plays between the two, I didn’t care. As long as he was here now. I motioned for both to have a seat when the two plush chair appeared.

“I bought you both here because it’s some things I want to discuss.” I snapped my fingers.

Paper floated around me. Files appeared on the ground coated in sparkling glitter.

“These are compiled from Embrace The Madness; both published and drafted posts”

“We have multiple things that I would like to finish also want to bring some new content to the blog.”

I motioned to the floating pages.

“I want to bring in better content but I also feel like I’ve abandoned my other responsibility.” I got up, smoothed down my pink blouse and black slacks, and began walking forward.

We walked together to the clearing before us and the floating doors. It didn’t take us long to reach the door I wanted. I felt the pulse in my bones. I needed to complete this.

Cold rainbow mists flowed from the double doors. Magic glittered from each end of the doors. I caressed the panel that had a shadowed version of the Fates inscribed into it.

THE FORETOLD.

I tapped on the door.

“I’m ready to get back inside and clean it up.”

“I feel torn between the two and spreading focus between the blog and this novella, but I know that this is of great importance for me to finish.” I saw Muse nod beside me and Viktor tilted his head.

“With that thought in mind, I need help from you both. Viktor I’m giving you free rein on the blog. Keep the ideas simple, doable, and exciting.” I handed him a black skull key with a red ribbon around it. Well tried to hand it to him. Once my hand encountered the shadows the key rose from my grasp then disappeared.

I paused before continuing.

“Muse and I will pop in every now and then, to help and work but I will also be focusing on The Foretold and since both of you have a way with the character spirits here I also have another job for you both.”

“I need help researching and getting the character’s to speak up.”

“Muse send me their dreams. Send me the thoughts as I open myself back up these characters. I have many notes written in various journals, I need your help finding these.”

She nodded.

“Viktor the All-Knowing research on these factions will become your second focus.”

“Muse can definitely help you out and point you in the right directions. We are a team. We need to be a team.”

I first held Viktor’s shadowed face with a stern look. I didn’t know what he felt about these orders and I hoped to give him free rein that didn’t backfire on me. I gentled my expression before I turned to Muse.

The second I took my eyes off Viktor all hell broke loose. 

An arrow shot through the forest and in the blink of my eyes embedded into the heart of Muse. The impact threw her into my arms. We collided hard, my head hit the door behind me giving me a jostle on the control that kept me grounded into this Mad world. My body flickered and for a second I saw the familiar surroundings of my room.  Before I could freak, I was back, looking into the bright blue eyes of Muse again.

I gasped at the arrow in her chest. This was new. Like never happened before and we had a lot of crazy psychotic characters spirits. But most all the character spirits loved her. No one would dare hurt her.

Could she be hurt? I didn’t know what to do. Do I take it out? I searched her face for answers on how to go about this.

She frowned and glanced down. Her breathing was shallow as she touched the arrow. She didn’t appear to be hurting much.  I thought we were good until the arrow turned blood red and began drawing into her chest.

Okay, so we pull it out because there was no way I could let the arrow go any further.

I grabbed a hold of the arrow and pulled. She jerked up with each tug and finally she screamed.

“I don’t know what to do!” Tears swam through my vision. I watched the arrow disappear in her chest. With it, her eyes rolled and she twitched in my arms. I grabbed her close and sent an accusing look to Viktor.

“What the hell is going on?” I growled the question. The butterflies around me turned red and I could see their wings sharpening. They fluttered around me frantically. Oh yeah, I was pissed.

Viktor wasn’t looking at me, his eyes seemed intent on the direction the arrow came from then he disappeared.

“You better get your as-

He reappeared and my threat died on my lips. He held a woman by the hair up off the ground. He shook her hard until she dropped what look like a scepter. It rolled to me and frowned.

I knew that scepter. My brow crease deepened and I took a second glance back up to Viktor and his prey.

“The Queen of Hearts, lovely to see you again.”

“You shot Muse? Why?” I gasped.

“You must have a death wish, Queen.” Viktor hissed into her ear.

“No, I am on a mission. A mission you created and prompted then abandoned. Love will breathe again, we will not be silenced Scribe.” She spat at me.

I tried to gain some composure because some of what she said I could understand. Once again, I said I tried to gain composure, but I didn’t get too far. It was hard to sympathize when I had my Muse vibrating in my arms. I released my hold onto Muse and carefully placed her on the ground.

In the time I took to do that, the Queen had somehow managed to escape Viktor’s grasp. In a second, she extended her hand and the scepter was back in her hand. She turned to Viktor and a beam of hot pink light hit him. I frowned when he didn’t move.

Frozen? How the hell did she do that?

I quickly stood and planted my feet. I could hear a wolf howling in the distance.

“Stop!” I raised my hand and put power behind my voice.

She faltered but then picked up her pace to me. More howls came but I didn’t answer them. I had to kill a few characters off before I could do it again.

“I said STOP!” I screamed with both hands extended. The forest quaked around me.

This time, she barely hesitated. I was the creator but she wasn’t listening to me. Yet another one we couldn’t control.

She reached for me and I dodged too late. She pushed me and we collided into a tree. I stared at her deciding what I wanted to do.

“You have some unfinished business Scribe.” She sneered in my face.

“Like hell, I’ll be doing it now. I don’t take orders. I am the order.” I pushed her and when she didn’t budge I pushed harder.

She fell away from me and I went to kick her. She expected the move and grabbed my leg and I bounced to keep my balance. I knew her next move would hurt so I braced myself. She drew into me and tackled me to the ground.

My head knocked to the ground and I saw dark.   When I came to I was against the tree again and the Queen scowled down at me. She extended her hand into a claw then darted it forward to my chest.

The pain I felt as she dug in my chest was unimaginable. My screams were frozen in my throat.

“Your heart belongs to me.”

I looked wide-eyed to Viktor, who smirked. No longer frozen. I wasn’t sure he was ever immobile. I wouldn’t doubt his involvement.

“You bastard.” I gasped out then collapsed on the ground. My vision going dark.  My grip on this world slipped and I floated away.

“Wake Quanisha we have much to do. HER HEART was just the beginning.” I jerked up in bed with the sound of the Queen ringing in my head.

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