Evie stepped into the Castle Apartment room and stared around in wonder. She had entered a different world entirely. She stood on the precipice of a cliff, overlooking a strange land filled with sights, such that, only a great imagination could behold. The sky of this place was a deep, rich, purple. Stars drifted through the misty air eternally. Mechanical trees sprouted from sweet, shocking green grass. She could see a market place not too far off and small, otherworldly adobes inhabited the cliff face.
The golden necklace her father had given her glowed brightly, pulsing with an ethereal light. She stared at it in awe, cupped in the soft palm of her hand. Webs of light sprouted from the stars eight points, growing, spreading, shaping a massive glowing map. Evie stood in the very center of the map, on a point called “Makeshift.”
Suddenly she was six years old again, an innocent, blossoming little girl, enthralled by the tales of her brave daddy and the kindness of her beautiful mother. She sat on her fathers knee, leaning into the soft cashmere of his sweater, feeling his voice reverberate around her. He smelled fresh and clean, a smell he hadn’t had for years. His hair was tidy and his belly was round, soft against the forgiveness of her cheek.
“Makeshift is a far away land, my darling,” her father said, his baritone voice vibrating her ear. “A place where everything you imagine becomes real. But you have to be careful in places like that- the greatest wonders are often an illusion.” “So, you’re the daughter,” a woman said. Evie jumped, dropping the necklace. The map disappeared in a resounding whir of light and color.
“Who are you?” Evie asked. She bent, picked up the necklace and tenderly hooked it round her neck.
“I am like you,” the woman stated. “I do not belong. This is a place where lost things are found, forgotten things remembered, a place where little girls who don’t fit in belong.” The woman looked familiar. Her hair was red like Evie’s, soft, flowing. It glowed slightly in the light from the falling stars. Her eyes were wide and, unlike Evie’s, dark as pitch, calm as an uninterrupted pond.
“Sorry but...I have to go,” Evie said. “My mother will be waiting.”
The woman smiled, her full red lips lifting into a brilliant crescent. Goosebumps rose on Evie’s arms.
“Alright,” the woman said. “But you’ll have to come back and visit me.” Evie nodded and, shaking, backed out of Makeshift. the door closed with a soft click an Evie turned and absolutely ran out of the building. She walked for a long time, contemplating today’s discoveries. It was bitterly cold outside this close to Christmas and Evie deeply regretted only having a light jacket. The image of the falling stars lit her mind, complimented by the memory of her father’s voice. everything had changed so much. What if this was her chance, her only chance to make her father better? The high wrought iron gates of Sherwood park watched her as she stepped through. She ambled about between trees, kicking up bits of pine with her sneakers. There was a loud screech from high above her. Evie looked up, surprised. The hair on the back of her neck rose. A beast sprang upon her, forcing her to the ground, pinning her there. The putrid stench of the beast’s breath drowned out all other senses. Evie squeezed her eyes shut, wondering if it would kill her.
“You don’t belong, silly girl,” the beast whispered. “You belong nowhere, to no one. You will never save your father...not unless you come to our world, that is the only way.” Its voice was soft and melodic, tempting. It started singing, a lullaby, long forgotten. It was what Evie’s father used to sing to her every night before bed when she was little. She found that her eyelids were drifting shut, pulled down by gravity or this horrific creature’s might. Darkness surrounded her and, right as she began to truly drift off, the beast’s voice permeated her dreams, suffocatingly sweet.
“Goodnight, my darling,” it said. And then there was nothing.
The golden necklace her father had given her glowed brightly, pulsing with an ethereal light. She stared at it in awe, cupped in the soft palm of her hand. Webs of light sprouted from the stars eight points, growing, spreading, shaping a massive glowing map. Evie stood in the very center of the map, on a point called “Makeshift.”
Suddenly she was six years old again, an innocent, blossoming little girl, enthralled by the tales of her brave daddy and the kindness of her beautiful mother. She sat on her fathers knee, leaning into the soft cashmere of his sweater, feeling his voice reverberate around her. He smelled fresh and clean, a smell he hadn’t had for years. His hair was tidy and his belly was round, soft against the forgiveness of her cheek.
“Makeshift is a far away land, my darling,” her father said, his baritone voice vibrating her ear. “A place where everything you imagine becomes real. But you have to be careful in places like that- the greatest wonders are often an illusion.” “So, you’re the daughter,” a woman said. Evie jumped, dropping the necklace. The map disappeared in a resounding whir of light and color.
“Who are you?” Evie asked. She bent, picked up the necklace and tenderly hooked it round her neck.
“I am like you,” the woman stated. “I do not belong. This is a place where lost things are found, forgotten things remembered, a place where little girls who don’t fit in belong.” The woman looked familiar. Her hair was red like Evie’s, soft, flowing. It glowed slightly in the light from the falling stars. Her eyes were wide and, unlike Evie’s, dark as pitch, calm as an uninterrupted pond.
“Sorry but...I have to go,” Evie said. “My mother will be waiting.”
The woman smiled, her full red lips lifting into a brilliant crescent. Goosebumps rose on Evie’s arms.
“Alright,” the woman said. “But you’ll have to come back and visit me.” Evie nodded and, shaking, backed out of Makeshift. the door closed with a soft click an Evie turned and absolutely ran out of the building. She walked for a long time, contemplating today’s discoveries. It was bitterly cold outside this close to Christmas and Evie deeply regretted only having a light jacket. The image of the falling stars lit her mind, complimented by the memory of her father’s voice. everything had changed so much. What if this was her chance, her only chance to make her father better? The high wrought iron gates of Sherwood park watched her as she stepped through. She ambled about between trees, kicking up bits of pine with her sneakers. There was a loud screech from high above her. Evie looked up, surprised. The hair on the back of her neck rose. A beast sprang upon her, forcing her to the ground, pinning her there. The putrid stench of the beast’s breath drowned out all other senses. Evie squeezed her eyes shut, wondering if it would kill her.
“You don’t belong, silly girl,” the beast whispered. “You belong nowhere, to no one. You will never save your father...not unless you come to our world, that is the only way.” Its voice was soft and melodic, tempting. It started singing, a lullaby, long forgotten. It was what Evie’s father used to sing to her every night before bed when she was little. She found that her eyelids were drifting shut, pulled down by gravity or this horrific creature’s might. Darkness surrounded her and, right as she began to truly drift off, the beast’s voice permeated her dreams, suffocatingly sweet.
“Goodnight, my darling,” it said. And then there was nothing.
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