“Hey, babe,” I say, placing the brown grocery bag on the table and flipping on a light switch. “What are you doing in the dark?” I chuckle, walking to where she stands in the corner of the room, her back to me.

I touch her shoulder and give her a soft kiss on the back of her head. “I got the cookies you wanted. With the chocolate chips and-“ I stop, staring at her back.

“Kiara?” I question, quietly. She’s shaking all over, her hair a matted mess and her breaths coming out rapid and choppy. My brows furrow, concern overtaking me.

I hesitantly place my hand on her arm, turning her around the face me.

“Kiara, what’s wrong?”

Then I freeze. My very heart stops beating. I gape at her, taking it all in, unable to do anything but stare.

She stares back up at me with dark, bloodshot eyes. Her hands and lip tremble. My eyes dart from the bundle of blankets at her feet to the dark red liquid coating her hands, smeared across her face, splattered on her clothes.

“Jase, I…I-“ Her voice, so familiar, is soft, caring. Such a stark contrast from the woman I am staring at now. She reaches a hand out towards me, the blood dripping and splattering on the floor.

Then I notice. It’s everywhere. It’s painted on the wood under me. It’s a mess of handprints and smudges on the wall. And it’s coating the blankets by her feet.

I take a step back, blinking rapidly. My chest heaves with each breath, a strangled cry fighting its way up my throat.

“Kiara, what..what did you…” I can’t think. I can’t see. I cant even understand what I’m looking at.

“Jase,” she whispers, her voice now quivering. “I-I had to. He…he told me to. He made me do it. He said, he said it would save me!”

I look back at her, but it’s not Kiara I see. It’s not the woman I laughed with while baking cookies. It’s not the woman who’s lips I grazed each night. It’s not the woman who would text me good morning as soon as my alarm went off.

It’s a shell of a human. And she’s a stranger.

I swallow hard, fighting down the bile rising to my throat.

“Kiara,” I say, slowly. “Who? Who made you do what?”

“He did!” She cries, running a blood smeared hand over her face, the liquid dripping down her chin. “The man, he-he was in black. He had no face. Jase, I needed to. To-to save you!”

“Save me?!” I shriek back, stepping farther away from her. She reaches both red-coated hands up, inching closer to me. “Save me from what?!”

“I-I saved you…I saved you from..from…” her eyes flick down to the floor, roaming the sea of red we stand in. She finally looks back up at me with those crazed, unfamiliar eyes. The eyes of a stranger. “I don’t know,” she says quietly.

I tear my eyes from her, looking at anything but her. Anything but the monster in front of me. I look back down at the lump of cloth I’m slowly inching away from.

“What did you do?” I bark out, a wave of hysteria racking my body in rapid, deep breaths. I feel the sting of tears blurring my vision.

“I had to stop him. I had to…to- to end him.” She staggers towards me and I throw myself backwards, slamming against the front door.

“Don’t,” I breathe out. “Don’t come closer.”

“Jase!” She wails, tears mixing with the blood running down her face. “Jase, you have to understand! I saved you, Jase, I saved you!” She wraps her hands around me and it’s nothing like the woman I knew. Nothing like the nights we spent in each others arms.

“Get away from me!” I shriek, throwing her off me, the blood from her body smearing onto mine. I turn my back to her, my fingers trembling, fumbling to unlock the door.

“No, Jase!” she hollers, grabbing me again. She pulls me backwards with strength I had never felt in Kiara. But this is not Kiara.

I claw the door, fighting my way out of the beast’s grip.

“Help!” I scream, banging against the wood. I feel the blood, sticky and cold, running down my elbow. “Help!”

“Jase! It’s me! Don’t run away, it’s me!” She grabs the back of my head, forcing my eyes to face hers. No, no it’s not her. This is not Kiara. This is a monster.

“Kia-“ I swallow down the name I’m about to cry out. The name that’s so familiar on my lips. “Get away from me, monsyer.”

Gasp.

Inhale.

Exhale.

Inhale.

My eyes flutter open and meet a canvas of gray. I sit up, thorns and dried brush crunching underneath me and sticking to my back. I stagger onto my feet, brushing the sticks from my long black dress-

Then I feel it. I look down. Blood mixes with my dark dress, a splatter of abstract art. Protruding from the center of the canvas that is my stomach, is a brown hilt. The blade in my stomach glints, the only source of brightness in sight.

I stare at the dagger for a moment, remembering my fingers wrapped around that very blade just moments ago.

Realization dawns and I snap my head up, looking in all directions. Then I smile. Smile harder than I have my whole life.

Surrounding me is nothing but a stretch of barren, desolate land, brown and dried brush in all directions. There is no shadow, only a cover of gray instead of the the once blue sky.

A white bird flaps by me, the design of blood flicked on its mangled wings matching the one on my body.

It worked.

It worked.

I stretch my arms out, taking my first deep breath since my dismal life began. Even though my last real breath was just moments ago. Moments before I clutched a dagger and struck it through my torso.

The bird dips low, and I break out in a run, chasing it, laughing at nothing in particular.

My stupid plan worked.

And now I’m free.

Free of the miserable existence that was my life.

Free of the constant echoes of disappointment.

Free of the constant waiting for my life to simply end.

Now, I’m finally free. Free of my life.

My fingers brush the broken feathers of the bird. To us, this place is not a punishment. Not a place for regrets in the afterlife. Not a place to mourn the loss of life.

No, this is freedom.

The army marched closer to the stone, forming a circle surrounding it. Everyone looked at each other, fear shining in their eyes, silently daring the other person to make the first move. I lunged. And they did too.

I sprang forward, my legs carrying me with speed I didn’t know I possessed, every fiber in my body pushing itself to go faster. The armies clamaoured around me, tripping over themselves to get to the stone first. We all wanted it equally as badly. But I couldn’t afford to lose. Not this time.

I reached my hand out, extending my fingertips, barley grazing the hilt of the sword lodged firmly into the stone. Then I was snatched backward, plucked like a turkey in a cage. I felt hands grabbing at me, pulling me back, propelling themselves forward off of me. Closer to the sword.

No, no, no. I was so close. So…close…

I kicked and elbowed in all directions, shoving myself forward, towards the sword. A body came crashing over me and I landed, sprawled out on the ground. It didn’t stop me. I grabbed onto ankles, pulling myself forward, knocking people over like dominos. I reached up from the ground, my hand meeting a mass of struggling bodies in front of the sword.

Legs came pounding my my feet, stumbling on my back, and I lifted my chest, ignoring the pain, my hand brushing against the sword.

Almost…there…

My hand closed around the ancient hilt of the sword and a sudden blast of light sent everyone crashing backwards. I gripped the sword tighter, pulling myself up and easily sliding it out of the rock.

The armies staggered back to their feet, the cluster of bodies confused. A hush settled over the crowd. I watched the fear sparkle in their eyes as they looked from me to the sword.

Yes, it was mine. Finally. I held the ancient relic up, power radiating off of it. I felt a surge of energy make its way from my fingers around the sword to every vein in my body. This ended now. These armies would pick themselves up and leave my kingdom, or face me.

I thrust the sword in the air. “Tell your commanders,” my voice carried far into the crowd, powerful, commanding. “That the rightful queen has claimed the Ancient Relic and resumed her role in leading the kingdom. All opposing armies are to leave immediately as the kingdom works to rebuild itself.”

As I lowered the sword, a hand reached from my side and gripped my arm, pulling it down. And the sword with it. I moved my arm with inhuman strength, twisting my hand and bringing it against the skin of my opposer. I heard flesh sizzle as I pushed the ancient blade deeper into his skin, a scream piercing the field. I brought the sword down with one final thrust and a light burned underneath the man’s skin, seeming to engulf him from within. With one last painful scream, his skin burst, cracking, flying everywhere, and he was gone.

I looked up at the crowd, waving the sword. A threat.

“Leave my kingdom. Now.”

Bodies crashed into each other again, this time turning around, running the opposite way, desperate to get away from the relic.

The fight for power was finally over. The war was done.

Red. On the ground. Everywhere. I’m swimming in it. Slipping in it. I run, stumbling through the sea of red.

I throw open a door, collapsing against the wall, gasping for breath. Grabbing the rose wallpaper. Then I hear the shouts. And screams. The door flies open and they march in. Grabbing me. I feel the red cover me, taste it in my mouth, smell it in the air.

More screams and someone covered in red stumbles in. It’s all too much for me. Too familiar. I close my eyes and replace the red with black. It’s cool, peaceful, safe. I feel the red pulling me, dragging me out of the room, closer to the screams, but I ignore it. I bathe in the calm, black.

I feel more red overtaking my body, dripping down my neck, filling my mouth, plastering on my skin.

I can’t take it. I fall into the dark, black void. Swim in it. Let it wash over me. And the red is gone.

I remember the laughter filling the playground as he pushed me again, my legs swinging up and down. “Higher, higher!” I remember saying. He gave me one last push and ran to the swing next to me, kicking himself forward, and we flew through the air together. We laughed, yelled and grinned until our cheeks hurt. I remeber getting off the swing and pulling a keychain off my backpack, sliding it over his finger like a ring with my tiny, chubby fingers. Holding our pinky fingers out, giggling as our fingers intertwined and I said “I promise to be with you forever and ever!” His smile brightening the playground as he said “And I promise to never leave YOU! And become old with you like my mommy and daddy!”

But that was twenty years ago. And he had broken his promise. I stare at the keychain in my hand, tears rolling down my cheeks, landing on the rusted metal. I hold the keychain to my chest, closing my eyes and holding my chin up to the sky. “I miss you, Jase,” I whisper, choking back a sob.

“I’m sorry I couldn’t keep my promise.” My hand shakes as I carefully place the keychain on the cold, gray tomb. “I’m sorry Jase,” I whisper. The tears come spilling out, sobs racking my body and I clutch the cold stone, imaging it as Jase. Imaging his smile. His warm touch. I scream and sob and choke, yelling for someone, something to fix this. To bring him back. To bring me back my Jase. But he was gone. Buried six feet below my gasping tears.

January 4, 1692

I am still sick, but I am getting better. Momma makes me soups to drink, but its the magic that helps. When my coughing was really bad today and my lips were chattering, Momma put her hand to my forehead and the lump in my throat was gone and I could breathe normal again. She went out to get more food and I slept by the fire.

January 11, 1692

Momma said I'm almost all better today! She says in a couple of days I can go out to the marketplace with her. It's cold though. We keep the fire on but the snow finds its way into our little hut. Somehow. When Momma came back from the market I told her I was bored and she showed me some tricks! She tells me she doesn't want to do them too much, but it looks so fun! She opened her hand and a small fire appeared in it. It wasn't like the one we keep in the fire place though. That one is red and needs wood. This one is purple. She gave it to me and I kept it all day. It's nice and warm in my hands, especially in Winter.

January 13, 1692

Momma didn't come back from the market for a long time today. The fire died and I had to add more wood to it twice. The pile of wood in the hut is almost all gone. At night, Momma came home. She ran in the door and slammed it shut. I think she was running for a long time. She didn't bring any food back with her either. She told me to close the window curtains and she used her magic to lock the doors. I asked her why and she told me it was just for safety and that everything was fine. I don't know if she's telling the truth.

January 14, 1692

Banging on the door woke me up early today. I heard shouting and more banging, but Momma told me to stay hidden in the corner of the hut. I wanted to look out the window to see what was happening but she didn't let me. The banging never stopped.

January 15, 1692

I was still hiding in the corner covering my ears to block out the banging noises today when Momma told me to stay still. To stay hidden. She waved her hand over me and I couldn't see my hands anymore. I was invisible. It was fun when we used to go to the market and she would make me invisible, but I was scared now. The door opened and I covered my mouth to keep my teeth from chattering. Whoever was outside was letting the snow in. I couldn't see what was happening but I heard shouting and I kept hearing the word "witch." I could hear a lot of people outside. Then the door closed again. Momma was gone.

January 16, 1692

I woke up when the door opened. I was still sitting in my corner. I thought it was Momma, but it wasn't. Three people with big, scary spears in their hand came in. I stayed hidden like Momma told me to while they turned everything in our little hut upside down. They took some of our things with them too. Then they left.

January 21, 1692

I finally decided to go outside today. I am hungry. I made small purple fires with my hands like Momma did to keep me warm. It was fun doing magic, but Momma still wasn't back. I went outside and brought my little fire with me, the snow was cold. I went the way Momma and I would always go to the market and bought some food. There’s not that many coins at home, but there’s enough.

February 2, 1692

My body is cold but my fire is warming my hands. I’m hungry. And scared. I just want Momma to come back. I went to the market again today, like I have everyday since she left. I still don’t know where she is. But someone yelled at me there. They said the same words the people were shouting at Momma - witch. They tried to grab me but when they touched me, a purple fire burned on their hand and they ran away. There were burns on their hands. I think that was my magic. I don’t know how I did it though. But more people were coming so I ran. Into the forest. There’s more snow falling around me and I don’t know what to do. I miss Momma.

“And to the graduating class of 2024, congratulations! You survived all 4 years of high school!” I hear chuckles around me and I smile to myself. The tears are threatening to spill. My eyes are already wet, my throat clogging up, waiting for the sobs to be released.

It should be happy, really. Yay! High school is over! Finally! All those years I’ve been forced to get up at 6AM to sit in a classroom for 6 hours is finally over. But…what now? I watch as my classmates I’ve watched grow up with me each take the stage, posing with their graduation certificates. I study their faces. Sure, I’ll see my friends again. We’ll text, call, hang out. It won’t be the same, we won’t see each other every single day, but we’ll see each other. It was my other classmates that I was staring at.

This day will be the last day I see these kids I’ve grown up with. The ones who make class not so boring, who made everyone laugh during lectures. The ones I’ve laughed with and talked to in class. The ones I’ve watched cry and move on with their friendships. Hell, even the crushes I’ve followed around and giggled at. The ones who have made fun of me, who had spread rumors. The ones who whispered answers to me in class. All these faces that I’ve grown so used to seeing every day, voices I constantly heard in my background, would simply…disappear. Just like that. In one day.

I hear my name called and I stand up from my seat, making my way across the aisle to take my certificate. My ticket out of here. Freedom! That’s what I’ve been wanting for years, to finally leave this place and have my own life. But now that the day is here, I…can’t. I can’t just leave this entire part of my life behind.

I hold my certificate and smile at the small flashes of light around me before maneuvering myself back to my seat. There’s speeches, gifts being given, awards and then suddenly it’s over. We make our way down the stage and the crowd of children, now graduates, merge to find their friends and family. I turn in a circle, looking for my friends but instead see all the faces that I’m so used to. That I recognize so well. The tear slides down my cheek. Then another. I keep looking and hear the voices of the people who have made me laugh, the voices I won’t hear again.

I keep looking and see the hallways I’ve ran through, laughing with my friends or rushing to class 5 minutes late. The hallways I could navigate with my eyes closed that I suddenly won’t come back to anymore.

I swallow hard and close my eyes to stop the stem of tears. When I open them I see my friends shoving their way through the crowd to me.

I smile and run over, pulling them into a hug.

“I’m gonna miss this,” I whisper. “I’m gonna miss school.”

The soft tap, tap, taps of the trees against my house now slammed with full force on the wood over and over again. The leaves flew in the air, spinning and dancing as if possessed. Over the howl of the wind, I heard soft plops landing on my roof. The plops turned from calming to aggressive, drowning the house in a splurge of rain. I slammed the windows shut as a blast of icy air found its way in.

BOOM! The bang of lightening sent my cat flying into a nearby closet, cowering in the safety of its darkness.

“There, there, it’s ok,” I said, crouching down to meet my cat’s eyes, bright with fear within the darkness.

The window shutters rattled as leaves, wind and rain slammed into it again and again, the wind screaming and crying to be let in.

I cooed my cat into my arms, stroking her gently, whispering into her ear. “It’s ok, it’s just rain. It’s ok.” Another crack of thunder and the window lit up, illuminating the trees groaning and swinging outside, before returning back to darkness not a second later. My cat leaped from my arms and retreated back into the warmth of jackets and blankets in the closet.

“Oh, it’s just lightening. We’re safe in here,” I said to my cat, reaching in and running my hands over her soft fur. “It’s ok, it’s ok.”

I stare at the letter in my hand. And stare. And stare.

Dear Maleficent,

I received your letter regarding the christening of our newly born child, and though your desire to attend is clear, I am sorry to say that you will not receive an invitation. Only our prestigious and honored guests of our allied kingdoms or kingdom acquaintances have been invited, those who do not fit those categories have not. Thus your attendance would be inappropriate.

Sincerely, King Stefan of the Enchanted Dominion

I re-read the letter again and again. “Our allied kingdoms have been invited.” Allied? Were our kingdoms not allied? Did Stefan not remeber the peace agreements we had signed? The alignment our two kingdoms had made?

Ah, I see. I see it clear as daylight. “Allies.” “Acquaintances.” Clearly, I am not their ally. Nor their friend. Clearly, I am something entirely different. I remember those names hurled at me over and over again throughout my life. “Different. Out of place. Wrong. A witch. A mistake.”

I scoff. Half of those insults came from Stefan himself. Yes, it was clear now what I was to him. Clear now what he must be to me. If I am not his ally, I am his enemy. And he is mine.

                               -  -  - 

Two weeks later

I flick my fingers and the ivory double door entrance to the ballroom crashes open, a blast of wind and thunder sending the decorations tumbling. The chatter in the room stopps and I watch as everyone rears back in horror.

I can’t help but grin. This wasn’t even the best part yet. With another flick of my hand, I landed in the middle of the ballroom, engulfed in a burst of flame.

Ah, there he is. The king. I look at him and my grin only widens. The flames surrounding me dissipate, the silence in the room deafening. I break that silence.

“Well, well, well.” I nod my head down to the king and slowly turn in a circle, taking it all in.

“Quite a glittering assemblage, King Stefan. The decorations-“ I gesture to the streamers and banners I had sent crashing down in my entrance. “The prestigious guests, oh and I see even the little fairies have joined you. You really have outdone yourself.”

“You’re not wanted here!” The Smurf of a fairy yelled. What was her name again? Flory? Or was it Waterweather? I chuckle down at the little thing, glaring up at me.

“Leave, witch!” Stefan shouts, throwing his hands up at the open doors.

Before, a remark like that would have sent me sobbing in my bed for weeks. Now it made me smile. Oh, what fun.

“Oh?” I said, more to the king than the fairy. “I was truly hoping it was just a mistake for my invitation to never have arrived. But…now I see. I am not wanted here. Of course.” I look at Stefan, taking in the fear smeared across his face, the small tremble of his hands.

“But now I see, it was my mistake. It must have slipped my memory. We are not…oh, what did you call it? Allies? Yes, we are not allies. Certainly not friends. Oh, no, that is my mistake entirely. We are enemies, of course.”

Gasps sounded from around the room. Now was my chance.

“Of course, if we are enemies, we must act as such, my dear, king Stefan. Now, what do enemies do? Can someone enlighten me?” I spin, peering around the room. Dead silence.

Then, finally- “what do you want, Maleficent?”

I tilt my head at Stefan’s question.

“Why, I want to do what enemies do. If we are enemies, we must fight each other. Kill, curse, corrupt, whatever it takes to take down the enemy.” I scan the room then my eyes finally come to the three jokes of a fairy. Though fear glitters in their eyes, they stand straight, shielding me from something behind them. Something that I know is the key to Stefan’s undoing.

It’s just simple business, really. Revenge. As all enemies do. Stefan said we are enemies, so enemies we are.

I gasp with delight and make my way to the fairies. “Oh, is this the little princess this lovely celebration is for!” The fairies stay firm, a weak barrier between me and my prize.

I twitch my hand and send them flying back, crashing into the wall behind them.

I reach into the small crib and gently pick up the infant.

Stefan and his wife rush to my side.

“Please! Please don’t hurt her! I’m sorry. We should have invited you! Please!” He clutched onto his wife like a cane holding him stable.

I watch him. Silently. This was what I had felt. All those years of him name calling me. And now he says we are enemies, and he can finally experience it for himself.

I smirk. And let go. The infant comes tumbling down and screams erupt around me. At the last second, a cloud catches her and carefully brings her up to my hands. I look up at Stefan’s face and laugh. It was unnecessary, really, but oh the fun!

“Now, now, that was just a practical joke. But, oh are you lovely!” I outstretch my hands to examine the child’s face. She dangles from my hands, her eyes closed and letting out soft snores.

“Maleficent, leave! You have no reason to be here!” The king bellows.

“Tut, tut, tut! Of course I have a reason to be here. Is this not the christening of your newborn. What is her name?” I look at Stefan expectantly.

He swallowes. “Aurora,” he says quietly.

“Oh, tiny Princess Aurora. I have a gift for you!”

Stefan exchanges worried looks with his wife and I lay the baby back down in her crib. I hold my chin up and look at Stefan as I yell out my gift.

“My gift, to you, princess Aurora is that you will indeed grow in grace of beauty. Be loved by all known.” I hold up a finger. “But.” I hold my arms up, and grin, bellowing “Before the sun sets on her sixteenth birthday! She shall prick her finger on the spindle of a spinning wheel. And die!”

Gasps, screams and cries explode from the crowd and I watch as Stefan gaped at me, the color draining from his face.

Yes. Yes, this is exactly what I wanted. This alone could have brought me enough delight to last a lifetime. My grin widens and I throw my head back, laughing. The screams grow louder and so do my laughs. Finally! Revenge that would leave Stefan and his kingdom in shambles! It’s all I could hope for! I laugh and laugh, flames slowly flickering around me. With one last bellow, the flames explode upwards and I am gone.

BAM! I threw myself behind a rock as the cannon blew over my head, an explosion sounding soon after. I slowly stood up. The smell of smoke, blood and fear overcast the battlefield. I heard shouts, screaming, more explosions.

I whirled around in a circle as I knocked an arrow on my bow, searching for my next target. A man, his shirt torn and bloody, ran past me, dragging his torn foot behind him.

“Annie!” He screamed. “ANNIE!” I ripped my eyes away from him as he collapsed next to a woman, an arrow piercing out of her chest.

BAM! Another explosion. The ground shook and I balanced myself against the rock. I felt the blood from my forehead slowly make its way down my face, tasting it in my mouth.

Then I noticed him. I drew up my bow and arrow, aiming at the man as I watched him creep closer towards our base, a small cylinder in hand. A bomb.

As I was about to release my arrow, I heard screams to left.

“Esmay! Esmay, help, esm-“ I pivoted my arrow to my side and drew in a sharp breath. I watched in horror as Mary, the person who had been there for me through thick and thin, battled for her life. I kept my arrow trained on the man she was fighting with. Their two bodies intertwined as he threw a punch and wrestled her to the ground.

“Esmay!” She shouted again as she twisted out of his grip only to fall back underneath him.

“I-I can’t get a clear shot!” I yelled back. “I might hit you!”

I stepped closer to the two and felt my foot come crashing down on a body, bloody and half covered in dirt. I blanched and pulled away.

Then I heard the ticking. I spared a glance away from Mary to see the man from earlier sprinting full speed away from our side of the battlefield. Away from our base. Away from the bomb he had just placed.

“Mary, run!” I screamed and sprinted over the dead body, crashing myself into Mary and her opponent. I grabbed the arrow strung onto my bow and stabbed it into the man. I grabbed Mary, not waiting to see if the man was chasing after us. I grabbed her hand and ran.

BAMM! I felt hot flames touching my skin, racing down into my veins and I was thrown into the air. All I saw was a cloud of smoke and ash as the screams dimmed down and were replaced with a ringing in my ears.

It must have been years before I finally hit the ground, colliding with a pile of bodies. My head crashed into something hard behind me and I heard a crack above all the ringing. Then everything went black.