The Land of Stories: Gleeful Days Are Here Again

Worse Than Being Stuck in an Elevator

20. Worse Than Being Stuck in an Elevator

In which our heroes begin to fall, two by two...

The final line of Rachel's song hung in the air:

Who do you think you are?

Sue's eyes glowed with a mad fire as she answered, "I'm your worst nightmare, little girl."

The Enchantress waved her wand, and vines sprung up out of the ground. They grew rapidly, twining around the marble pillars that supported the domed ceiling of the palace, and then reaching out between the columns until they joined together to create living walls of foliage. Soon, large purple buds began to appear all along the vines.

Sue gave a maniacal chuckle as she gazed around at her handiwork. "In just a moment, those flowers will open. And when they do, they'll spill their pollen into the air. And do you know what will happen next?"

"Those of us with seasonal allergies will start to sneeze?" Zach asked.

"No, you fool! Or, maybe you will, but that doesn't matter. The pollen of those flowers contains a powerful aphrodisiac. Anyone who breathes it in will be powerless to resist. Soon, you'll all be kissing. And then you'll sleep forever, your bodies empty shells and your hearts still beating futilely inside my jar. And I will rule the world!!!"

Sue's cackle was still ringing through the palace as the blossoms began to burst open, filling the air with an intoxicating fragrance and a heady cloud of pollen.

Mother Goose took a single breath before lunging across the room, grabbing Zach, and kissing him senseless. Literally. The two fell unconscious to the floor, and their hearts magically appeared inside Sue's jar. The Enchantress let out a roar of triumph.

The shocked gasps from around the room only caused the others to breathe in more of the lust-inducing pollen.

"We have to control ourselves," Chris urged. "I know it's hard, but we can't let her win."

"You think this is hard?" the Enchantress sneered. "Try turning yourself into evil sextuplets. Now that's hard."

"Everyone stop saying hard," Darren moaned.

"Oh, it's only going to get harder," the Enchantress taunted. "Now those two" (she gestured dismissively toward the bodies of Zach and Mother Goose) "don't really count. I wanna see the rulers of some of your pathetic kingdoms kissing next. Who's it gonna be?"

Stoner Brett — pupils even more dilated than usual — grabbed Queen Trollbecky's hands and began to sing to her:

That's the way, aha, aha

I like it, aha, aha

That's the way, aha, aha

I like it, aha, aha

That's the way, aha, aha

I like it, aha, aha

That's the way, aha, aha

I like it, aha, aha

When you take me by the hand

Tell me I'm your lovin' man

When you give me all your love

And do it babe the very best you can

That's the way, aha, aha

I like it, aha, aha

That's the way, aha, aha

I like it, aha, aha