Cassandra's Betrayal Rewritten

The House of Yesterday's Tomorrow

A gust of wind blew her hair as she opened her eyes. No longer was Cassandra in the ruins of the Great Tree, but rather standing before an oddly shaped house. It oddly resembled a seashell, and there was an eerie feeling surrounding it.

'What a strange place." Cassandra thought. 

She walked up to the entrance and reached for the door handle. She hesitated grabbing it, but something about the house was calling to her. No matter how bizarre it looked, she just wanted to burst in. She felt as if she was meant to be there, like her destiny lay somewhere in the house. 

Finally, her had slid onto the handle and she turned it, opening the door to reveal a great hall, fully adorned with seashells. She closed the door behind her and admired her new surroundings. The walls mimicked the inside of a shell, with red patterns flowing through them. She stepped forward as the door she entered through disappeared, leaving only more of the beautiful red wall in its place. A long table stood in the center of the room, holing a feast big enough to feed an entire kingdom and a fire roared in a nearby fireplace.

She remembered the last time she had eaten anything. It had likely been days, as she couldn't remember exactly how much time she spent trapped under the rubble. Cassandra rushed over to the table and began to admire the delicacies in front of her, unsure wether or not she should take anything. She still didn't fully trust the place she was in, and couldn't seem to spot an owner.

"Hello? Is anyone here?" She called out. The room echoed, and she heard footsteps begin to approach. 

Undecided if she felt safe in the house, Cassandra readied herself into a fight in position. She almost reached for her sword, but stopped realizing not only had she lost it in the battle, but her hand was in no shape to be using one again just yet. 

The footsteps grew louder as Cassandra surveyed her surroundings. She couldn't see anyone, not even a shadow, but somehow whoever was there was getting closer. She paused, thinking it could maybe just be her head playing tricks on her.

'Maybe it's another stupid dream.' She thought. 

She shut her eyes and rubbed the side of her head in frustration, but the steps didn't stop. Her head was spinning and the noise began echoing through the room. She tried to open her eyes but a wave of dizziness hit her. 

'What is happening? What is this feeling?' 

Her thoughts began jumbling together in her mind, all piling up. Not only were her questions about where she was and what was happening circling her mind, but also flashes of Rapunzel and what happened back at the tree. 

"STOP IT, STOP IT, STOP IT!" Her voice echoed through the hall, and then into her head. 

Nothing seemed able to stop her torment. No matter what she did, or how hard she tried to calm herself, her thoughts continued racing. More noises emerged from the shell house, adding the the already overwhelming sounds. Her legs began to give out, causing her to kneel onto the floor. Her whole body ached, but worst of all was her head. Cassandra curled herself into a ball, hoping something, anything, would end her pain.

Her eyes remained closed, but slowly the images that raced before them began to fade. She felt drowsy, and soon enough was about to fall unconscious. She opened her eyes for a moment, when suddenly a shadowy figure appeared. With her last senses of her surroundings, she heard a greeting from the shadow.

"Welcome to the House of Yesterday's Tomorrow."