Apples And Needles

It was a bleak, bleak day. The clouds hung low over the entire forest and the rain beat down hard on the trees. At the edge of a meadow a little house happily chugged blue smoke. It was a happy little wooden house with a very happy little garden. Inside the happy home however, the scene was not so happy. It happened to be very, very gruesome.

The old hag could not believe that she had killed the girl. She looked at the corpse in disbelief. The once dark luscious hair was now strewn around the beautiful white face. Her once red lips were now drained and a ghastly corpse pink. The hag had done it, finally! After all those trials on the girl’s life. She sat down on one of the seven small little chairs in front of the fireplace.

“A poisoned needle for the pretty maid,
Shall in her death be an aid.
But well warned thou shalt be,
Do not burry her beneath a thorn tree.”
-Oracle
The oracle was right. A poisoned needle was all it took. She glanced at the clock by the fireplace. She didn’t have much time before the inhabitants came home. She grabbed the girl and dragged her to the garden. There were rose bushes everywhere. The witch had to hurry. She finally spotted a marigold plant by the edge of the garden. She raised her staff and hit the ground. The ground split open and swallowed the corpse. The witch then tapped the ground and it closed itself back without a trace.

She then undid her robe and transformed into a beautiful, tall and elegant queen. She hurried onto her black horse and galloped away to her palace. Her mission was successful. Never in a thousand years she thought that she would once again be the fairest of all the land again.

In another corner of far, far away, amongst green nuclear clouds atop a cliff was a dark black castle. An angry black crow flew to the tallest spire of the dark black castle. It dropped a tattered paper in the hands of the pale elegant queen. She unrolled the scroll with a sneer as the crow flapped and sat upon its perch.

“A simple ambition is what thine seeks,
To away the fairest to her grave.
An apple with poisoned laced shall speak,
Louder the action of your deed.”
-Oracle.
“An apple could be easily arranged.” The queen mused silently stroking the black bird. With her other hand twirled an apple out of thin air. “And now all that’s left to do is poison it.”

The crow cawed in response. The vulture that had been sitting right underneath it snapped awake. It nudged the queen’s hand. “Yes, my love. It is an easy challenge.”, she said stoking the vulture’s long neck. She immediately set to work. She produced a cauldron out of thin air and placed it upon the centre of the room. A fire of green flame sizzled to life upon contact. She took some potions out of a small cabinet beside her throne. She tipped them into the cauldron one by one. First went mermaid tears, then some unicorn blood. She then poured a bit of fairy guts. A single drop of dragon urine and six drops of her own blood. She mixed this potion and cooked it till it started bubbling. “Hmm. Seems to be done.” She murmured smelling the concoction, her voice silky with anticipation.

She dipped the apple in it and stirred it around. She fished it out of the brew. “Guards!” she bellowed.

Two guards immediately ran up to her. “Make sure that the chef cooks the princess apple pie for dinner. Also, make sure he uses this apple to cook it.” she ordered, tossing them the apple. “Yes your majesty.” They mutter and march away.

Later that day the princess is declared dead. The whole nation is in mourning, except of course, the queen. She was beside herself with delight! The whole funeral procession wore black. The Queen stood out like a rose amongst coal for she dressed herself in a bright red robe!

She was now the most powerful empress and the throne was hers to rule for ever without any competition in beauty or wits. Evil could reign in peace.

Lighting struck on the long tower in the middle of the forest. The Oracle was cleaning for spring. He had his long silver beard twisted around his neck like a scarf and his long robe now bunched around his waist. The big brown owl sitting on his perch sadly shook his head and hooted, “It is no use now my friend, to clean for spring.”

The Oracle hummed merrily and said, “Nonsense, my boy! It is almost spring, you dirty little bird! This time I will have you clean the attic, young man!”

“No, it is of no use. Winter is coming back.” The wise bird shook his head, slower, sadder.
“And now why do you say that?”, the Oracle brightly enquired, wiggling his big bushy eyebrows.
“Remember the night we drunk that home made elven mead?”, the wise old owl solemnly enquired.
“Yes! And what a great night it was!” the Oracle chuckled holding a rat by its tail and a little feather broom, dusting it lightly.

“Well, you had the bright idea to message both your exes.”, the owl hooted miserably.
“The – What now?” the Oracle asked, his eyes expanding by the second.
“You delivered the two Queens a fortune each.”, the owl sighed.
“Oh….I must have been very drunk, I, well, I, the dwarves! They made me do it!” he exclaimed in anger after gibbering nonsense.

“They left after eleven. It was the lizard that insisted.” The sad owl sighed.
“Oh well, then we must stop winter from coming! And hang that lizard!” said the Oracle.
He grabbed the surprised owl and opened a portal and in he jumped.
The lizard was a thin slimy little creature. He loved getting people into trouble and sometimes he brought trouble upon himself just for the sake of drama. He was a slinky old guy. He once payed the wolf to steal Mrs. Robbin’s world famous cakes by threatening her daughter, Red. That ended up with the wolf dying and he had to face twelve months of dungeon time.

He did not know what trouble he bought upon himself and forever after when he persuaded the funny old Oracle to text both his exes. He went about his slimy day sniffing for trouble. Suddenly, a blue orb appeared out of nowhere. The Oracle jumped on him and immediately started strangling the slimy thing. The slimy creature kept slipping out of his hands. But the lizard was a noble soul, despite his short comings and kept slinking back into the Oracles hands.

Luckily, Winter happened to be unpacking close by. He kept muttering angrily under his breath. He did not understand why evil queens in fact why any evil person wanted the world to be cold! He wanted to go and rest! The more he muttered a snow storm began to brew harder and harder around him. Sure! They paid well, but he really needed to rest!

The Oracle noticed the mini snow storm. “Stop!” he screamed!
“Huh?”, winter looked at the Oracle in confusion.
“Listen! You have to help me!” the Oracle begged.
“Look. I am very busy. I need to start freezing over, otherwise the Queens will have my neck!”
“I know. You have to help me stop them.”, the Oracle begged.
“How?”, Winter asked.
“Freeze them. You can freeze people right?”, the Oracle asked frantically.
“Yes….I guess I can”, Winter said thoughtfully.
That night, both Queens were discovered frozen to statues in their respective bed chambers.
The Oracle finished spring cleaning, the sad Owl, was still sad, and cleaned out the attic. The Slimy Lizard went back to his old ways and Winter got a break. The poor princesses whose lives were lost were still very dead, but at least they rested in peace. As for the Queens, they were broken up into bits drowned in the sea.

THE END.