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Message: <blockquote data-quote="WhimsyTheFae" data-source="post: 3742464" data-attributes="member: 8964">ENW Short Story Smackdown Summer '07Round 3, Match 2 -- FickleGM vs Avatar VMonsterLying on the soccer pitch, he appeared to be sleeping.  Appearances, as they say, are often deceiving.  The young man, wearing a suit and a party hat, was dead (Picture 1).  He had no markings on him or signs of trauma.  Unfortunately, this was not the first dead body that Yuki had come across.  This young man was just another in a long line of dead bodies showing no trauma, that she had come across since this morning.Yuki was no longer stunned by all of the death.  She was starting to become numb to it, as every street that she walked down in the now-silent city contained only dead bodies.  In fact, she hadn't found a living soul, yet, human or animal.  It was as if she were the last living being.  She couldn't reach anyone on her phone, no radio station was broadcasting and the power was out.It had been like this since she was fired from her job this morning.  She remembered getting into her car, and being unable start it.  She recalled banging her head on the steering wheel in frustration.  Then she remembered getting out of the car and starting to walk home, angry and bitter.  That is when she saw her first dead body...A flash of movement out of the corner of her eyes interrupted Yuki's reverie."What was that?" she whispered to herself, half-expecting an answer."Hello!" she yelled out, as she started walking in the direction of the movement, toward the white house near the soccer pitch.Unless her eyes were playing tricks on her, the font door had just closed and a shape had passed in front of a window.  Someone else was alive and she was going to find out who...or what...it was.  Dread filled her heart as she reached for the doorknob.She hesitated.  What if it was dangerous?  She wasn't ready to die, yet.The door suddenly flew open with a loud bang, startling Yuki.  She fell backward and found herself on the ground.  Holding her breath, she waited for whatever was coming for her.  Gasping for air, as she finally remembered to breath, Yuki stared into the house.  Nothing appeared.  Nothing came after her.  Like before, all was quiet and still."Hello. Is anybody in there?" Yuki half-whispered into the house as she stood up.  As before, there was no answer.As she crept into the house, she couldn't help but think that she was going to run into whoever, or whatever, was responsible for killing everybody that Yuki had come across.  That filled her with fear, but did not deter her.  She had to find out what happened.  She needed answers.The foyer was empty, as was the parlor and the den.  Yuki made her way down the hall, toward the kitchen.  Like the other rooms, the kitchen was also devoid of life, but the screen door was swinging open in the breeze.Whatever came in must have left out the back door, so Yuki followed.  The door lead to a garden...a garden that contained some of the largest plants she had ever seen.  Seeing the lush and ripe produce reminded Yuki that she was hungry.  Looking around nervously, as if the gardener would catch her, she picked a large tomato."Wow," she exclaimed, feeling the full weight of the fruit in her hand.With mouth watering, she bit into the tomato and experienced pure taste ecstacy, as the juices flowed in (and out of) her mouth.  Not only was it the largest tomato that she had ever seen, it was the best tomato that she had ever tasted.  The fruit was intoxicating...literally.  Yuki's head began to spin."These are large tomatoes, aren't they?" asked the suited man with the party hat, who was now standing in front of Yuki, holding a tomato in his hands with a measuring tape wrapped around it (Picture 5)."Yesh, that one ish sheventeen inshes, hee hee," Yuki swayed a bit as she watched the man turn into a frog and jump down the hole.  "Wait Mishter Frog, I'll come wiff you."Yuki crawled into the hole and found herself standing in a forest, staring into a calm pond.  She stared at her reflection in wonderment, for she was dressed in traditional Chinese robes and was holding a stick that held a paper lantern (Picture 3).  She sat down beside the nearby tree and tried to figure out where she was.The tomato, the man, the frog and the hole in the ground were all a blur in her mind.  How did she get here?  Where exactly was she?  Why did the man turn into a frog?  Was she alone?The answer to the last question became readily apparent when she noticed a person walking toward Yuki.  She was a woman, probably in her early twenties, with red hair and wearing a blue dress.  She also had an emerald-set tiara on her head and a familiar looking frog in her hand."Well, well, what have we here?  It isn't often that we get visitors," she said, although it seemed that she was talking to the frog, and not to Yuki.The frog's tongue darted out in reply to the woman's inquiry.  Wrinkling her nose (Picture 4), the woman shook her head.Looking at Yuki, she started, "You ate the tomato?  Why would you do that?  Have you no sense, whatsoever?  Did you not notice the dead bodies everywhere you went?  Didn't you stop to consider that things were a bit off?  Wouldn't it be reasonable to believe that the tomato, amongst other things, would be unsafe?"Finally stopping to take a breath, the woman put down the frog and straightened herself, smoothing her dress as she did so.  The frog hopped over to Yuki and flicked its tongue at her."No, my prince, she doesn't understand at all.  It truly is a pity, though, for I don't know how she will get back.  Perhaps the witch will help her," the blue-dressed woman contemplated."Witch?  Where am I?  Who are you?" the effects of the tomato were wearing off and Yuki was able to think straight again.With a deep bow, the woman answered, "I am Princess Penelope and you are in the Witchwood, home to my mother, the Witch Queen.  It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance."Yuki impulsively pinched herself.  Ouch.  Well, this was either a painful dream, or she wasn't dreaming.  But, if she wasn't dreaming, then that would mean..."Yes, my dear, this is real.  Well, as real is these things can be, of course.  I see that you have already met my betrothed, the Frog Prince."Yuki stood up and returned the bow, "I am Yuki Li.  If your mother can help me get home, then I would like to meet her."Princess Penelope led Yuki through woods, followed by the Frog Prince.  The trees moved unnaturally as the trio passed by, bending forward as if to bow to the prince and princess.  The woodland creatures also showed their respects by stepping off the trail and lowering their heads to the group.Ahead, sitting on a small hill, sat a ramshackle old hut.  If that was where the Witch Queen lived, her palace left a lot to be desired.A flick of the tongue told Yuki that the Frog Prince did not approve of her opinion."It may not look like much from out here, dear Yuki, but it is what's on the inside that matters most," came Princess Penelope's response, as if verbalizing the Frog Prince's thoughts.Yuki looked down, slightly embarrassed, "I'm sorry.  I did not mean to judge your home."Princess Penelope only smiled in response as she walked up to the door.  She knocked some sort of rhythmic pattern and the door opened, revealing a grand entry hall."As I said, it is what is on the inside that matters most," Princess Penelope said as she turned to Yuki and beckoned for her to enter the Witch Queen's house.Yuki curtsied to the princess and walked into the amazing hut.  A man, dressed as a servant, walked up to Yuki and took her lantern."Thank you, I don't think that I'll need that in here," she responded.Princess Penelope and the Frog Prince walked (and hopped) down the hall, motioning for Yuki to follow.  They came to a large set of double-doors and once again, Princess Penelope delivered a rhythmic knock that caused the doors to open.As the doors opened, a magnificent throne-room sprawled before them.  On the far side of the throne-room sat a stately woman, attired in the splendid robes of a queen.  On her head, rested an equally impressive crown."Welcome home, my daughter," the Witch Queen said, her voice carrying the weight of authority. "I see that you have brought company with you.""Yes, mother," the princess replied, as she bowed to her mother and motioned for Yuki to follow in suit.  "My friend, Yuki, is far from home and wishes for you to help her return."Turning to Yuki, the queen asked, "Is this true, my dear?""Y-y-yes," came the stammered response, followed quickly by, "your majesty."Nodding, the queen stood up and walked over to a large mirror, which sat near the far wall, behind the throne."You do realize that your home is no longer as it was?  All of your friends are gone.  Things will never be the same.""I know, but I need to get back," said Yuki.  "I have to find out what happened.""Well, I can send you back, but I am afraid that you will not like what you find."Yuki started to cry, "It is my home and I must return.""Hush now, child.  If you are determined to return, then I will not stop you."The queen walked over and put an arm around Yuki's shoulders."I can set things straight and return you to your world, but you have to be prepared to return to such a place.  Are you prepared to face what happened and things as they truly are?"The young lady straightened back and lifted her chin, "Yes I am.  I want things to be the way they should be and I am willing to do whatever needs to be done.""As long as you are sure, then who am I to argue?" the Witch Queen waved her hand in front of the mirror and suddenly it showed Yuki her town, with live people moving about. "Walk through the mirror to return home, but remember to look at what is inside for the answers.""Oh thank you, great queen.  And thank you, Princess Penelope and Frog Prince."Yuki walked into the mirror and found herself transported...to her home, she hoped...Opening her eyes, Yuki looked around.  She couldn't move her head, but she could feel that her hair was being tugged.  She spotted a mirror sitting on a night stand and the image it portrayed filled her with dread.She was in someone's bedroom, but she was not her.  She was just a head, a grotesque monstrous head, but a head, nonetheless (Picture 2).  Holding her by the hair was what looked to be a teenage girl.  She was talking to a taller, older teenage girl, but Yuki couldn't hear what was being said.How did this happen?  Why was she trapped like this?  What had she done?On the inside, Yuki cried, only for once she didn't cry for herself, but instead she cried for what she had done.  She remembered that it was she who had wished for the world to die.  Just this morning, when she had been fired, she had made her silly wish in a fit of anger.  It was just a silly thought, brought about by the feelings of hopelessness and despair.  Whether or not it was silly did not seem to matter, however, as much as whether or not she had meant it.  It was then that she truly saw what she was on the inside...a monster...</blockquote>

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