A Horrific Fantasy

Chapter 42

It was the sound of radio scratches and static that caused Charlie to stir from her the sleep that she had exhausted herself into.

"Confound this ridiculous device!" A voice said. "I don't know why he insists we use this, it's impossible to get it working. My arms and ears are hurting from trying to get a signal. Chit-chatter! That's all I get from you, stupid radio!"

Charlie slowly opened her eyes and when her vision cleared she could make out a door that had been left open a crack and from behind it, she could see a strange but pretty female fiddling with a radio. She looked at the machine like it was something not of this world, kind of reminded her of the time the TV broke and Stolas had spent hours trying and failing to fix it. Poor man almost electrocuted himself at one point.

Charlie started to sit up, the female saw her and bustled over to her side with a welcoming smile.

"Feeling better dear?" She squeaked primly.

"Where...Where am I?" The girl asked groggily.

"Why you're safe and snug inside our little house. Although little is an understatement."

After a few minutes, Charlie took note of her new surroundings. She was in a very comfortable and pretty bedroom garlanded with flowers. Lilies, primroses, morning glories, and apple blossoms, so lovely and their sweet perfume was all around. There was a balcony that was outstretched and with windows that opened like doors so you could step out and see the remarkable view. The furniture in the room was simple but the shelves and tables had the most beautiful array of music boxes laid out upon them. Some were wooden ones with exquisite images painted on the lids, some were mechanical with porcelain dancers, and some were silver and gold boxes with a small bird singing inside.

Next she started to look over the person who had come to greet her. Like everyone else in this world, she didn't not appear normal. She almost looked exactly like a china doll. Though she had never seen a doll that size before nor one that could move and talk on its own.

"You know it's not polite to stare." She said to Charlie.

"Oh sorry." Charlie looked downward. That's when she saw that she was just wearing her bra and some ripped pants. "Oh God!"

She quickly pulled the covers over herself in embarrassment.

"Don't worry Charlie, we already have something decent for you to wear. Oh course you'd probably want to get cleaned up first before you get dressed.

"You know my name?" Charlie stuck her out of the blanket.

"Oh I know much more than that." She said. "You're pretty much the second child to ever give Levana the slip."

She chuckled.

"Oh what I wouldn't give to have seen the look on her face when she realized that you had escaped. Must've been a very ugly face. Of course her face is always ugly."

"Does she know I'm here?"

"Oh no, she'll never find you here. She never comes to this part of Mystique Hollow, cause she can't see."

"What do you mean?"

"Didn't Louis tell you? She can't see anything unless it's through a mirror and we don't keep mirrors here. So out in this place, she's as blind as a bat. The perfect sanctuary."

"Huh...So that's why it's all pale, white, and blank out there. But didn't ever think to plant mirrors here?"

"Of course but there are only so many mirrors she can plant in this world. And to be perfectly honest, she's not even aware of how far this places goes. She thinks it's just a random, small piece of property, not worth a second thought. That's why we chose to hide here."