The Mouse King's Hostage [COMPLETE]

A Twist of Fate

Evening falls, the guests come and go, soon only the family's left. Clara and I are sitting with aunt Elizabeth as we listen to her adventures in far away places.

"You're stories are so wonderful aunt Elizabeth, nothing like Aurora's spooky tales." Says Clara, playfully glaring my way as I innocently shrug. "I don't know what you're talking about." Elizabeth raises a skeptical brow.

"So you're the horror storyteller Tommy's been talking about. It must have been a real whopper to scare him into never leaving his bed at night, the boy's eleven years." "All I do was tell him a story about how the undead eat kids who misbehave. How was I supposed to know that'd scare him into never leaving his bed at night? I was just trying to keep him out of my cookie stash." Both women laugh and I can't help smiling alongside them.

~

As bedtime approaches, Clara lies to sleep her nutcracker, it's arm broken by Tommy and his annoying ways. I consider going to sleep but decide to check on Clara first, she hasn't come upstairs yet. But upon entering the room, I behold an extraordinary sight.

The nutcracker's alive and singlehandedly fighting an army of mice while Clara was watching open mouthed from the couch. Upon spotting me, she silently waved me over and I tiptoe across the carpet to sit beside her.

"Are you seeing what I'm seeing?" I slowly nod. "So this isn't a dream." "I don't think so." I manage in a breath-taken whisper. Among the mice I notice one particular one with a scepter and wearing a crown, his dark eyes flash with wicked intentions and I shiver fearfully. "There must be something we can do to help." Clara says, jumping to her feet to look around the room. Against my better judgement I stand up and creep to the battle, watching with utter fascination. Just as I'm about to pull back, the Mouse King spots me.

I don't hear what he says but the ruby on his scepter starts to glow and shoots a beam of yellow light that engulfs me. I pull back only to notice I'm shrinking rapidly, soon I'm the size of a mouse.

"Tie her up." The Mouse King's casual order's obeyed as one mouse has my ankles and wrists tied before I can comprehend. A gag's pulled over my mouth and I'm slung over a shoulder like a shack of potatoes.

"Aurora!" I scream to Clara through the cloth as I'm carried away. Suddenly, the mouse carrying me slips and drops me, knocking my head hard on the ground. "You idiot!" The king screams, and that's the last I hear before blacking out.