The Land Under the Stairs

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“Addison?” Miss White called, attempting to shake Addy, who was sitting in the back of the classroom, from her constant glance at the school’s main yard. It was a sunny November morning, too sunny to be cooped up in a classroom. Addy would much rather be outside, reading a new book.

“Addison Parker?” Miss White impatiently called again. This time Addy looked up at the teacher nervously. A piece of her curly brown hair fell in front of her face.

“Could you please explain why the author chose to write in the first person?”

“Um, Uh. W-well” Addy began to say in her regular stutter. “I-I think that the au-thor w-wanted…”

By this time the class had already started to giggle at her. This was the norm. Whenever Addy tried to speak the class erupted in laughter.

“I-I thi-ink the au-author wanted to wri-ite in the-uh first person be-because u-um..”

“I’ll come back to you,” the teacher let out with a sigh.

It’s because so much of the story goes on inside the protagonist head because she is in a coma. So if the story wasn’t written in the first person, it would be incredibly bland, Addy thought to herself. She read and analyzed almost every book she could get her hands on. She had already finished the book for class when Miss White introduced it. She’d even begun drafting an essay on it.

The bell rang before Miss White could call on her again. She waited for everyone else to leave before she got up, to avoid being pushed around and teased. As Addy got up, the teacher grabbed her attention.

“Addison,” Miss White began, “can you come here please?” Addy bit her lip and made her way to the desk at the front of the class. “I want to talk to you about your performance in this class.”

Okay, here comes the bullshit, Addy thought to herself .

“While your book reports and essays in this class are outstanding,” Miss White began, “Your lack of participation is seriously hurting your grade.”

No shit, Addy responded in her head.

“I know that you have difficulties with speaking,”

It’s called a stutter in case you didn’t know.

“But you have to try harder and get over that road block if you want to get a better grade.”

Because getting good grades should require being laughed at by classmates and teased in the halls. Great advice!

“If there is anything I can do to help you, let me know.”

You could be kind and understanding and give me an A right now. Addy thought as she nodded her head in a respectful thanks. With that she headed out of the room and on to her next class.

…

“Addy, darling! dinner's almost ready!” Addy’s mother called from down the hall.

“Co-coming!” Addy called back. She finished up her math homework and went to dinner.

“How was school today, honey?” Her mother asked. Addy just shrugged. Her mother grew a disappointed and sad look on her face. “You should talk darling, you need the practice.”

Practice for what? Recite MLK Jr.’s I Have a Dream Speech? Addy thought. She sat down and began to eat.

“How much homework do you have left?” Her mother asked. Addy just gave her an annoyed look. “Oh, that bad huh? Well, I’ll bring you snacks once in awhile.” Addy had actually finished all her homework, but tonight was family game night, which was the most boring night of the whole week. She finished her dinner quickly and went back to her room, before her mom decided to start a conversation.

What book shall I read? Addy thought to herself. She read a new book every night, not going to bed until she turned over the final page. And tonight’s book is… Eleanor and Park by Rainbow Rowell. She decided, looking at the book on the top shelf. She climbed onto the lower shelves to reach the novel. She stretched her arm out as far as she could, and just as she grabbed hold of the book, she fell backwards off the shelf and hit the floor with a loud thud.

“Is everything alright?” Addy’s mother called.

“Yes!” Addy responded. Just casually falling on my ass. She got up. Shit, where’d the book go? After much looking around and through the pile of books the resulted from her fall, she found the corner of the book sticking out from under the bed. There you a- what the hell? She looked closer at the hardwood floor.

A crack had seemed to appear under the book. No, not a crack, Addy thought. It’s too perfectly straight. She ran her fingers across the line. Went around one corner, another corner, a third, and a fourth that brought her back to her starting point. What is this? She questioned. She pushed back her bed to reveal the perfect square. She started at it for a second pondering what this square ment, and then bent down. She nudged her fingernails in between the slats of woods and, with some difficulty, pulled up the wood square to reveal a set of stairs that seemed to go down for miles, and a strange light source at the bottom. She looked back at her bedroom door. They wouldn’t mind if I’m gone for an hour or two. Addy decided, and began to descend the staircase. She followed it down for what seemed like an hour, until she came to an medieval looking door, which immediately swung open when she laid her hand on it. Addy was faced with a blinding light. Well, she thought. Here goes nothing. And with that she walked in.

After her eyes adjusted to the bright light, she saw the unimaginable. A world of colorful trees, sweet air, and the weirdest of creatures. What is this place? she wondered. Suddenly, a blue, gopher looking creature with two tails came up to her.

"Hello!" The gopher said with delight. "You look new here. What is your name?"

“A-Addison” Addy, responded. “Wait, you can talk?”

“Why wouldn’t I be able to talk?” the gopher said, rather hurt by Addy’s question.

“Animals don’t normally talk where I’m from.”

“You must be from a very boring world then.”

“Yeah,” Addy realized. “I guess it is pretty boring.”

“Well, you're in Roseberry now!” The creature exclaimed. “I’m a twin-tail gopher. My name is Tubsy. Tubsy Tumbleton at your service!” Tubsy bowed. Suddenly, a dark cloud came over head. “Oh dear!” Tubsy said in terror.

“What is it?” Addy asked the nervous gopher.

“The sorceress is back! Quick! She mustn't see you!” And with that, Tubsy grabbed Addy’s hand and dragged her along behind him.

“Wait! What’s going on?” Addy yelled. “Why can’t she see me? Who is she? Where are you talking me”

“All will be explained once we hide, Miss Addison!” Tubsy yelled back. The ran as fast as they could, finally making it to a safe hut in what seemed like the middle of nowhere. The gopher opened the door and pulled Addy inside.

“Where,” Addy tried to say, out of breath. “Where are we?”

“Oh, uh,” Tubsy dusted off his fur. “Welcome to my house! I know it’s not much to look at, but it’s warm and there is always food. You will be safe here. Make yourself at home! Would you like some tea?” He reached for a kettle.

“Why did we need to run from her? Who is she?” Addy questioned.

“Her name is Vivian Ambrose. She is the sorceress and rules over Roseberry. She is pure evil.”

“Well she couldn’t have always been so terrible. I have never read a book where someone is born so evil.”

“Aye, she wasn’t born evil. She was actually a lovely lady, kind to everyone. She wouldn’t hurt a fly. However, that changed when she drank a mysterious poison. No one knows why she drank it, just that she became cruel afterwards.” Tubsy handed Addy her tea and then paused.

“Wait. Miss Addison, you can read?”

“Yes?” Addy said nervously. “Is that a problem?”

Tubsy paused for a second, then murmured, “So Mr. Briggs’s scrolls were correct.”

“What are you talking about? Who’s Mr. Briggs?”

“Come with me, Miss Addison. There is someone who has been waiting for you.”

…

“Well Hello! Hello! Hello!” Mr. Briggs said from somewhere in the depths his house. “Come in, Come in! The kettle's just boiled!”

“He means the actual kettle,” Tubsy whispered to Addy. “Mr. Briggs? It’s Tubsy Tumbleton! I brought a Miss Addison, an-”

Mr. Briggs ran into view. “Nice to meet you! Now would you look at this kettle. It’s dented! I bought it 30 years ago! It shouldn’t be dented! Also have you seen the weather outside? Absolutely ghastly! Did you know that-”

“Mr. Briggs! This is very important!”

“I know the newspaper market has really declined in the last millennia.”

“Mr. Briggs! She can read!” The gopher finally yelled at the top of his lungs. Mr. Briggs calmed down, a serious look grew on his face.

“You can read?” He said, quizzically.

“Yes sir.” Addy said nervously.

“What is your name?”

“Addison, sir. I found passage to this place underneath my bedroom floor. I don’t mean to intrude, Mr. Tubsy said to meet you, so I thought-”

“You are perfect!” Mr. Briggs yelled in delight. He took Addy’s hand shook it furiously.

“I am?” Addy asked.

“Yes! you are who we need! Come with me!” Mr. Briggs led Addy down the hallway. “I’m Phillip by the way. Phillip Briggs. You can call me Phil. Oh you are going to be splendid! Just valiant! Just what we need to kill that godforsaken bit- I mean witch that plagues this land!”

Addy stopped. “Wait, what?” She said, panicked. “I just came here because I was curious about the stairs under my bed! I don’t mean to kill anyone!”

“Okay, we will just seriously maim her.”

“MR. PHILLIP BRIGGS!”

“But you have too! You are the girl the scrolls spoke off. Here, let me show you.” Phil led Addy and Tubsy into a stuffy old study.

“These are the scrolls,” Phil said gesturing to the hundreds of giant bookshelves, each stuffed to the brim with dusty scrolls. Phil began to rummage through the piles. “Some of them speaks of different prophecies and events, while others have spells and enchantments. Ah! Here we are!” He pulled out a scroll and handed it to Addy. “This one speaks of a human girl not from Roseberry. A girl who can read. She is meant to rid this world of the sorceress and bring peace back to the land.”

“But I’m not powerful or magical,” Addy protested. “How can I defeat a woman who has been practicing magic for years.”

“400 years, to be exact” Phil added.

“400 YEARS?” Addy panicked. “YOU EXPECT ME TO DESTROY A WOMAN WHO HAS LIVED FOR FOUR. HUNDRED. YEARS?”

“Actually she’s lived for 410 years. She has practiced magic for 400 years.”

“Oh, that makes it so much better.”

“Oh hush! I know you can do it. You want to know how I know?”

“Please, dear Phil. Enlighten me.”

“Because, Addy Parker, you have not stuttered once since you arrived in Roseberry.”

Addy thought for a moment. “I haven't stuttered,” She said. “Why is that?”

“Because,” Phil began to explain. “Stuttering is how your mind responds when it is under pressure. Every day of your life you have been under the pressure to be normal, like everyone else. But you are not normal, are you? You read impeccably well, and you have quite the imagination, stronger than most people. Kids at school teased you because you would stare off in the distance and that you didn’t think like them. So, you stutter because your mind is scared. However here,” Phil raised his voice and began to jump around. “In Roseberry, everything is out of the ordinary! There is no pressure to be normal because nothing is normal! Your mind is free! You are free! You feel at home, or at least more at home, than you did in your home land. Am I right?”

“Amazingly,” Addy responded, astounded. “How did you know all of this?”

“That’s not important.” Phil said. “What is important, is that you defeat the witch. What do you say?”

There was a long pause, and then Addy replied, “Well, I guess I have nothing better to do.”

“That’s the spirit!” Phil cheered. “Now then, let’s get to work! But let’s do that tomorrow. The rest of the day is devoted to drinking tea and and playing hodge podges. It’s a great game, if you're game. If you are not game, then there is no point in gaming. What does it mean to be game for something? What even is a game? That reminds me, do you know how to fix a leaky faucet? Mine drips tiny gerbils. Funny word, gerbils.” This babbling went on for a good half hour until Tubsy decided that Phil was not going to stop any time soon, and took Addy back to his house.

…

“Here is your tea, Miss Addison,” Tubsy said to Addy as he handed her a warm tea cup.

“Thank you, Tubsy,” Addy said. She took a sip. “I don’t think I can do this.”

“What? Defeat the sorceress?” Tubsy asked. “You heard Mr. Briggs. If anyone can do it, it’s you.”

“But how? Do I just waltz in her palace gates and say ‘Hello! I’m here to take all your magic and there is a slight chance you will die. Nice to meet you!’”

“Mr. Brigg will teach you. You’ll be just fine!”

“Or I’ll be just dead.”

“Oh hush! It won’t be too hard to defeat her. All you have to do is say an incantation.”

“If it’s that easy then why do I have to do it?”

“Because in order for it to work you have to know what the words mean, and you can only do that if you can read them.”

“And Phil can’t do that?”

“Mr. Briggs tried, Miss Addison, but the spell backfired on him, and , with all due respect, caused him to go a little crazy.”

“That’s just great. I feel so much better now.”

“Don’t be so moody! You know it was this attitude that helped the sorceress become who she is.” Tubsy sipped his tea, and then said, “It’s getting late Miss Addison. You should probably go to bed. Here, I’ll show you to your room.”

…

“Again.” Phil barked at Addy. A full morning had past and Addy was still struggling to get the incantation right.

“You know, I think doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result is a form of madness.” Addy sassed.

“It’s a good thing I’m mad then.” Phil sassed back. “Do it again. I know you know what these words mean.”

“I know what they mean individually, but not together like this! Honestly, what does ‘me see dismay decay seems dreams to I to to it and down that fall fall what hopes bow all people and not wonder, subjects, of weak die is color, tiny ruler must that place of now, am the true people, world a land And I The The Become This’ even mean?”

“I means exactly what it says! Can’t you read?”

Are you kidding me right now? Addy thought to herself. This is getting ridiculous. Suddenly, a dark cloud swept overhead.

“So,” A woman’s voice boomed overhead. “This is the little reader I have heard so much about. My, aren’t you a pretty little girl.”

“Damn it,” Phil whispered. “The witch.”

“Hello Philly dear.”

“Hello,” Phil paused. “Vivian.”

“Do you know her?” Addy asked.

“Hasn’t he spoken about me?” Vivian asked. “I would expect my lover to mention me at least once.”

“Wait. How can he love you if he’s called you’re a bitch and asked me to kill you?”

“Philly baby! I’m so disappointed! If you want me dead at least have the decency of doing your own dirty work.”

Vivian then whispered in Phil’s ear, “You know one stab would do it.”

“I am not your lover!” Phil yelled. “Then why do you obsess over me so much? I think someone has a wittle cwush!”

“That’s enough witch!”

“Aww did I make you feel embewassed? ”

“What do you want?”

“I just wanted to see how your new, little pawn is doing.” Vivian turned to Addy, “How are you Addy, darling? Is Phil treating you right? He always knows how to treat a girl right.”

“Um,” Addy started. “I, uh, I’m g-good I g-guess.”

“You stutter, how cute!” “I-It’s just a, um, a reflex that, um, hap-pens w-when I’m, um, under pressure.”

“Oh, don’t feel pressured by me darling. In truth, I’m flattered that you are trying so hard to learn how to kill me.”

“How do you know that?”

“I know and see everything, dear. I have agents looking out for me everywhere.”

“Phill?” Addy looked at Phil, puzzled.

“That’s not true, Addy,” Phil assured her. “Don’t trust Vivian. She’s a witch. Nothing good can come out of her mouth.”

Vivian grew stern. “You used to trust me with your life, Phil. Why are you so cruel now?”

“I’m not the cruel one. I help those in need.”

“So do I! I put them out of their misery every day!”

“That’s not a good thing!”

“Why not? They aren’t hurting anymore. Addy, darling, isn’t it good help people using any means necessary?”

“Don’t answer that, Addy.”

“Let the girl speak.”

“She doesn't answer to a witch like you! And neither do I.”

Vivian sighed and said, “If this is how it is always going to be, then so be it. Addison,” She turned to Addy. “You have two days to defeat me. If you do not come to my palace in the north and fight me by sunset on the second day, I will unleash a new terror on all of Roseberry and you will never be able to go home. You must also come alone.” With that, Vivian flew away in a calm rage.

“Well I guess we better get to work then,” Addy said to Phil. “What do you say? A couple more goes at this?”

“We are done for the day.” Phil said. He hung his head, defeated. “You are to go home, Addy. Tubsy is probably waiting for you.”

“I’m sure I can practice a little mo-”

“THAT’S ENOUGH ADDISON! GO HOME!”

“I wish I could,” And with that, Addy left for Tubsy’s hut.

…

“He’s just worried about relieving Roseberry from her reign, Miss Addison. There’s no need to get so huffy.” Tubsy said to Addy as he poured her tea.

“Then why did he get so moody when Vivian showed up?” Addy asked. “Do they have a history?”

“Aye, they do. But Mr. Briggs told me to not ever bring it up.”

“Mr. Briggs isn’t here.”

“It would be rude to disregard his wishes, Miss Addison.”

“Alright fine. But how am I supposed to know how to defeat Vivian if I don’t know how she became so evil?”

“Say the incantation.”

“I’ve been trying but it’s not working.”

“But Mr. Briggs prophesied that it would work when a-”

“A girl not from this world recited it I know. But it’s not working, Tubsy. I’ve tried to say it in every way I know how and it’s just not working.”

“Then maybe you should try harder, Miss Addison?”

“Would you like to give it a go?”

“I can’t read.”

“Then please don’t try to tell me how.”

Tubsy apologised and said, “It’s been a long day, Miss Addison. Maybe you should get some rest?”

“Alright. Good night, Tubsy.” Addy said.

“Good night Miss Addison.” Tubsy responded. After he was sure that Addy had fallen asleep, he went over to Phil’s house. “Mr. Briggs? I’m sorry I’ve come over at such a late hour, but I’m worried about Miss Addison.”

“You don’t think she can defeat the witch?” Phil said to the gopher.

“No, sir. I don’t think she can and she has become suspicious as well. Tonight, she asked me about your past with the sorceress.”

“Did you tell her?”

“No, sir. You forbade me too.”

“Good man, Tubsy. The less she knows about the truth, the more likely she will defeat that witch. Now go. Addy must not find out that you left to speak to me.”

…

“You want me to do what now?” Addy said to Phil. Another morning had passed and still no improvement had come to saying the incantation properly.

“You are not getting any better at this from what I can see,” Phil said. “But I’m not the witch, so it must have no effect on me. That must mean that you are actually saying everything correctly and when you do so in front of the witch, she will die. BOOM! Just a dead witch at your feet!”

“Why are so desperate to have her die? What happened in the past?”

“You are going to the northern palace this afternoon and that is final.” Phil said more seriously.

“You’ve got that Addison? No more question-y questions or whos, whys , and hows!”

“Alright, I’ll go. But I don’t think it’s fair to not tell me the whole story first.”

“There is no story! She drank a potion, cursed this land, and now everyone wants her dead!”

“Um, Miss Addison? Mr. Briggs?” Tubsy interrupted. He held up a little sack. “I packed a bag for Miss Addison to take on her journey. It has water, a thermos of tea, sandwiches, cakes..”

“Thank you, Tubsy.” Addy replied. “I guess I will be on my way then.” She bent down to give Tubsy a hug. “Thank you for all of your help.”

“Just doing what’s right, Miss Addison.” Tubsy replied. “Good luck! Maybe you'll be back in time for tea!”

“Yeah, maybe,” Addy said doubtfully. She turned to Phil but just held out her hand. “Thanks for your help, Phil. Maybe I can defeat her. Then you won’t have to be so mad.”

Phil shook her hand. “Who said I was mad?” Addy smiled, politely, and then headed north towards Vivian’s palace.

…

“Hello?” Addy called from the palace’s front door. “Vivian? It’s Addison. I’m here like you asked.” There was a long silence. “Vivian?” Addy said more cautiously. She rested her hand on the door, and it swung open. There was a burst of dust and dank air. Addy coughed and peered into the dark hallway. “Hello? Is anyone home? Vivian?” She stepped inside, and the door slammed shut behind her. When her eyes adjusted to the darkness, she saw a large portrait of Vivian on the wall. “Well, at least I know I am in the right place,” Addy said.

“Do you like the painting?” Vivian said from behind. “I guy I knew painted it for me. I say knew because he’s dead now, this was a gift he gave me so that I wouldn’t kill him. You can see how well that worked out. It is a good painting though.”

“When did you get here?” Addy asked.

“I live here,” Vivian replied. “Now, on to the tour. It’s a big castle and there is so little time. Come along!” She began to walk down the hallway.

“Wait!” Addy said as she caught up to Vivian. “You’re giving me I tour? I expected that you wanted to kill me.”

“Why would I want to kill you dear?”

“Because I was told to come here to kill you.”

“Do you want to kill me?”

“From, what I’ve been told-”

“Who told you?”

“Tubsy Tumbleton and Philip Briggs.”

“Why do you believe what they say?”

“Because they seem like nice enough people?”

“Hitler seemed like a nice enough person to the Germans.”

“How do you know about Hitler?”

“Great question!” Vivian turned a corner and entered a very large room covered from the ceiling to the floor in mirrors. This is the hall of mirrors. I can see any and all worlds from any and all time periods through these mirrors. I have studied the history of your world for centuries now, and my what a history there is. You see, life here has become boring. This world just stays the same now, so I build this room to find new lands to explore.”

“Roseberry might not be so boring if you relieve it of your curse.” Addy suggested. “They people would still hate me, I would be in danger everyday if I were to relieve the curse. Do you even know what the curse deos? Did my dearest Philly even tell you that?”

“No. Just that it needed to be stopped.”

“That’s just like him. Well it is dinner time.”

“What does dinner time have to do with anything?”

“It is never good to learn on any empty stomach, and all stories are told at dinner time. Come with me. The dining hall is just over here.”

…

“So what do you want to know first?” Vivian said. Her and Addy had just finished the second course and know Vivian was ready to answer questions.

“Well, I guess the obvious is, why does everyone think you are so evil? Addy asked. “You have been very hospitable to me ever since I got here. You didn’t poison my food did you?”

“No, I did not poison your food. You have to be worthy enough for me to kill you, and you just haven’t become that yet. As for why everyone thinks I’m evil, it’s because I am different. I am the only person here who can do magic. I can travel between worlds, so I have learned so much and understand so much more than anyone else could even comprehend. They think I am evil because I am not like them. I challenge the status quo, push boundaries, and that is what scares people.”

“But being different doesn't necessarily mean you are evil. It is what you do with the skills you have that determines if you are evil or good.”

“Exactly.”

“So what did you do that made people begin to believe that you were evil?”

“It starts with when I met Philip. I was to become queen, and so everyone believe that in order to be a queen you must need a king. Philip was one of the suitors my parents brought in. I was insulted that I needed a man to legally become queen of Roseberry, but I grew fond of Phil. We would talk for hours about everything and nothing, sneak out to see the stars on the tallest hill, life was bliss. Then the day came, our wedding day in fact, when I decided I could trust Phil with my secret. Before him I hadn't told anyone about my magic powers, but I could trust Phil. I thought he cared about me, maybe even loved me. When I showed him what I could do, he said it didn’t effect his feeling for me. However that night he tried to slip me a poison that would stop my heart from beating. The minute I ingested it I realized what he had done, and I cursed him to the delusional man that he is now, so that if he ever tries to tell anyone else my secret, they would think he was crazy. I then frantically searched my spell books for a counter spell to save myself. The closest thing I could find was a spell that stopped my heart from feeling, but it would keep it beating. So I enchanted my heart so that I could still rule over Roseberry like nothing was wrong. However, since I couldn’t feel, I couldn’t love. Since I couldn’t love-”

“You couldn’t care for your subjects,” Addy cut in.

“Exactly,” Vivian agreed. “After a couple days, I found the right potion that would get my heart back to normal, but word had already gotten out about my magic, and the rumours started piling on. Some people believed that I killed Phil so that I could rule by myself, While others said I was a raving witch to be feared by everyone."

“So how did you cope? You are still queen now.”

“First I banished Phil to the outlands. Tubsy was my favorite servant, and I didn’t want him to get hurt in all the rage that was going on at the palace. So I sent him out there to look after Phil. I then began to explain my magic to the people of Roseberry. Some of them accepted my magic, others saw it as blasphemy and wanted to start a revolution.”

“Did you kill the rebels?”

“I had no other choice, Addison. I want to be queen.”

“You just kill people because they disagree with you? How is that right?”

“I am the queen of everyone here darling. If they don’t obey, they don’t stay. However I did realize in that in order to be queen I need subjects. So I cursed this land so that everyone would obey me.” There was a very long, deafening pause until Vivian finally said, “So Addy, are you going to kill me?”

“I don’t want to.”

“What are you going to do then? You can’t leave until the curse is lifted. And I don’t need you around here so there is no point in letting you live.”

“Isn’t there a way you can make this all right?”

“Not one that lets me still be queen. I did say you have two days to defeat me. It’s only the first day since I said that, so you still have twenty-four hours. In twenty-four hours, you defeat me, or I kill you.”

“I only get twenty-four hours?”

“Twenty-four hours.”

“Then I guess I better get to work.” Addy got up from the table and left the room. She is the only one who can do magic, huh? Addy thought to herself. We will see about that.

…

“Is that really all you’ve got?” Vivian asked Addy. Twenty-four hours had passed, and the battle had begun.

“At least we know that you aren’t the only one who can do magic,” Addy responded. “I read through your entire study! I know every spell you have, and every recipe for your potions!”

“Don’t get cocky with me darling, you know that I know all the counterspells?”

“Of course I know that.”

“Then how do you think this will pan out?”

“You will be gone, and Roseberry will be right again.”

“Addy. Darling. It is so cute to see how naive you are! I am the queen of Roseberry! You will never get rid of me!”

“We shall see.”

This banter went on for another two hours or so, along with the casting of many spells and potions. They ran from room to room, throwing spells at each other, until Vivian and Addy ran into the mirror room. Addy began to say, “me see dismay, decay, seems dreams-”

“What spell in that?” Vivian asked.

“The spell that will end you.” Addy responded, slightly confused. “Phil told me..”

“Phil told you that? He is such an idiot! That’s not a spell sweety. At least, not entirely. That is just a different way to say the words in the curse that I put on this land."

“But, he told me,”

“He also told you I was evil.”

“You are.”

“Is it evil to get what I want?”

“The way you did? Yeah, just a little.”

“Everyone's a critic, huh? So what are you going to do now, Addy?” Vivian asked.

Addy looked around the room in a panic. “I-I d-don’t know. I I thought. He s-said.” She began to pace around the room. Soon her panic became hyperventilating.

“Oh great. the stutter is back.” Vivian said as she rolled her eyes. “You have magic too, so I’m going to take pity on you. You’ll just rot the dungeon for a while, okay? Then maybe you can be my apprentice or something.”

“No No NO!” Addy started to cry, collapsed to the floor, and proceeded curled up in a little ball.

“Oh, don’t act like that!” Vivian said as she tried to comfort her. She bent down to Addy. “Addy? You okay?”

“Time to see another world. Look in the mirror, let your mind unfurl.” Addy whispered just loud enough for Vivian to hear her but not understand.

“Addy, What are you saying?”

“Just one heave I send you in. In that world you stay UNTIL THE END!” Addy yelled as she grabbed Vivian and shoved her into a mirror.

“No!” Vivian shouted, trying to resists Addy’s spell.

“You can’t do this! I am your queen!”

“Sorry, darling.” Addy replied in Vivian’s mocking tone. “Not this time.” With one last heave, she pushed Vivian in. The castle became brighter, the sky clearer.

“Miss Addison!” Tubsy called out from the hallway. “I saw so much thunder above the castle. I thought something bad might have happened! I brought Mr. Briggs!”

“Hello Addy,” Phil said as he entered the room. He looked around. “Where did Vivian go?”

“I sent her into a mirror, to different world” Addy replied. “She won’t be coming back any time soon.”

“Oh,” Phil said, somewhat disappointed. “I guess that’s good then. We won’t have a witch ruling Roseberry anymore.”

“Then who will rule us?” Tubsy asked. “Miss Addison?”

“Me? I couldn’t! I’m not even from here! And I can do magic! That didn’t work out well last time.”

“If I can add something,” Phil butted in. “I was the one who started the rumors due to my lust for vengeance after Vivian cursed me. I’m guessing she told you the true story?”

“I wish she wasn’t the one who had to tell me.”

“All of that aside, I have a lot of influence in Roseberry. I can help you earn the people’s trust, and teach you how to be a good queen.”

“But my home-”

“Is your home really better than this place?” There was a very long pause.

“I did have a loving mother, and I was doing great grade-wise at school,” Addy began. “However, I think I am needed here more.”

“So you will be our queen?” Tubsy asked.

“Yes, I will be your queen.” Addy said with a smile. “Come along then Phil, Tubsy. I can’t become queen without some help. How does one act as queen anyway?”

“I think it is time we get to the running the country stuff!” Phil said. “But first, I believe some tea is in order. Tubsy?”

“Right, away sir! Follow me to the den! I was my favorite place to have tea, back in the day.” Tubsy responded.

“Come along then, Miss Addison Parker,” Phil said to Addy as he offered her his arm.

Addy took it and replied, “Lead the way, Mr. Philip Briggs.” And they headed down the hallway.

…

“The end,” the mother said to her child as she closed the book.

“Good story, Mama!” The child responded.

“Honey?” The husband said to his wife as he came into the room. “Vivian? I believe it’s time to get Chrissy off to bed.

“Of course, darling.” Vivian said. “Good night, little Chrissy.” With that she tucked in her four year old girl and turned off the light. Then she went to her own room, and pushed back the bed revealing a trapdoor. She opened it to expose a set of stairs that seemed to go down for miles, and a strange light source at the bottom.

“I think,” Vivian began, “that it is time to come home. A country needs their queen after all.” And she began to descend the staircase.