ShopDreamUp AI ArtDreamUp
Deviation Actions
Literature Text
Yo.
6 years ago
“Happy birthday, Ellen!” Viola said happily to her friend. Ellen was 10 years old now, and Viola was 9. “I wasn’t sure what to get you at first, but then I thought… Well, just open it!” She gave her a light-red box with baby-blue ribbon.
Ellen wore a curious stare as she cut the box open with scissors. Inside was a pair of flat, red shoes. “Shoes?”
“Yeah! I never see you wearing any shoes, and you always talk about your legs hurting, so I thought these could make your feet more comfortable.”
Ellen picked up the right shoe and tried to put it over her foot. But there was a noticeable size difference. “They’re too big for me.”
“Yyyyeah…” Viola blushed and scratched her head. “The truth is, my friend Elizabeth bought those for me. I wasn’t too fond of them, but I was afraid to tell her that… and since you use magic, I thought you could shrink them down to fit you. I’m sorry if you wanted something… better.” She frowned.
Ellen smiled, deciding to confirm Viola’s theory by putting both feet into the larger shoes, and shrinking them with a tap of her fingers. They fit to a perfect size as she stood up and walked around. They had a comfortable padding, and Ellen felt less pressure under her feet with each step. “They’re not bad.” She smiled honestly. “I never really needed shoes, though… I mean, it’s not like I go outside.”
“Oh.” Viola looked away, still frowning. “Actually, I was thinking… we could also go outside today.”
Ellen turned to her, a little surprised at her statement. She narrowed her eyes and looked down at her shoes. So that’s what she was expecting. The outside, where Ellen was powerless. Instead of inside this house, where Ellen had total control. Not that she expected Viola to try anything…
Present time; Her Room
But that’s why she didn’t wanna go out, wasn’t it? She looked down at Ellen’s bare feet, once so pretty despite her illness, but were now stripped of their peach color, now red and purple, barely keeping her standing. Not that Viola could look at them in any fashion except for auras. What a terrible friend Ellen was. A lying, unfaithful, horrid incarnation of a demon. Any feeling Ellen could feel was an illusion, and she could feel nothing towards anyone else. All of that love Viola gave her, all those gifts, Ellen was a cruel and selfish witch. She would feel helpless outside, she was afraid to step out, she couldn’t, for five seconds, be under Viola’s protection and power, instead she always had to keep Viola helpless. That trust she felt for Viola was false, for seven years, she just enjoyed playing Viola like a card.
And now Ellen had the nerve to return to her house in a hopeless attempt to tell Viola to back off. But Viola would make her regret everything she’s done. The moment she forced Ellen to give her body back, Viola would walk away from this house and never return. Let Ellen stay in the place where she was powerful, in the despair she created. She took relish in the idea, of Ellen, staying here, in pain, alone. . . . forever.
Floor 3
Ellen made it to the entrance of Floor 3, facing the familiar hallway where swords fly at her out of midair. She took a breath and began to march down—a sword flew at her from behind, she dodged right, dodged left, jumped a sword—she dashed forward, a swarm of swords in a zigzag alignment chased her with great speed, she kept within the safe center as she ran. The swords had gone past—they came from the front now, Ellen swiftly dodged them going forward. A chunk of the floor was missing, Ellen jumped and ran along the wall, landed on the other side, then ran along the left wall to cross another gap. A team of swords dropped from the ceiling, but Ellen had bolted into the door and escaped death. That sure was one hell of a long hallway. Ellen said this before, but if there was anything to love about Viola, it was her healthy, agile body.
Then Ellen was at the real, quiet hallway, reeking with purple candles. The black cat was standing guard at the left turn. “Yo. By the way, a witch’s ghost lives here. …I guess all the plot points are obvious by now.” After being humored by his remark, Ellen’s first idea was to go into the frog’s room. However, a sign on the wall by the cat read, HE’S HUNGRY, NOW. Ellen was able to open the door to the frog’s room, but she sensed some reverse-psychology action coming up, so she chose not to.
The door into the Mirrored Room was open. Ellen remembered this as their favorite place to drink tea and gobble down cookies and sweets. The one type of food she and Viola could share the same feelings about, the sweetness of cakes and sugar. Now the room was a mess; the teddybears were beheaded, the roses wilted, the cakes were splat—however, the room was still in perfect symmetry. Including… herself. Yes, there was an Ellen- er, Viola clone on the other side of the room. Albeit a shadier color, she mimicked Ellen’s movements exactly. And like a real mirror, she wouldn’t let Ellen cross to the other side so easy. Ellen also thought it safe to not come in contact with her.
After analyzing her side, Ellen didn’t find anything out of place—but her reflection’s side, on the other hand. The end of a long stick stuck out from under the opposite table. Ellen positioned her reflection beside it, bent down to grab the air beside her side’s table, and the reflection picked up the stick. Ellen pulled the stick all the way out, it had a metal hook on its end. Ellen wasn’t sure if a direct hand-over would be safe, so she made the gesture of throwing, her reflection mimicked that movement—Ellen dodged aside before the stick’s hook struck her. Ellen safely picked the stick up and walked out to the hall-
Ellen’s vision flashed, her bloody eyeless body flew up to her, then disappeared. Just a cheap scare tactic, she had to remember. Ellen turned left from the room to see the thin balance beam, baring the lever on the other end. Ellen could reach the hook end of this long stick over, and flip the lever. She felt a rumbling, and decided to check the Mirrored Room. The doors had changed position, so that the width of the room appeared longer on left and right, instead of shorter. The twin tables were on either left and right, and were accessible to both Ellen and the reflection. The cupboard had changed position to the exact center of the room, the doors facing rightward.
Ellen’s reflection also came in with a long stick, but how to make use of it. There were chandeliers on either side of the room, kept hanging from the ceiling by twin locks on either side. Ellen held her long stick up to the lock of the right chandelier to pick it. The reflection mimicked and picked her side’s lock, causing the chandelier to collapse and shatter when it was free. Ellen walked out of the room, used the stick to flip the lever, then returned to find the room with a short width again. The chandelier on the reflection’s side was broken, and when she had the reflection bend down to touch a still-lit purple candle, the reflection combusted into flame and disintegrated. Ellen guessed the story would’ve played differently, had she taken down the other chandelier. At least this worked.
Ellen safely stepped around the patch of soot and entered the door behind – the reflection’s head briefly appeared on the soot patch, staring with an empty face, but it was gone when Ellen looked back. Right away, Ellen made sure not to read the note in this next small room; because that would trigger a spell where shifting left or right in the next hallway would lead Ellen into a trap. However, she read the ‘Secret Diary’ on the desk.
It made even less sense than before. Oh well. Ellen entered the next hallway—strings of spears flew at her, holes broke in the floor as she walked, spikes poked out from the sides—none of it was real, none of it distracted her. But since she didn’t read the note, she could freely move about the hall. She used this advantage to walk into the small library area, where the black cat stood. “I never got the difference between spoilers and foreshadowing.” he commented. Ellen looked on the bookshelf, where she recalled she hid the book Demons and Witches. A new book was placed there: The Angel, Lucifer. Ellen read the book.
Once, there was an angel called Lucifer. He felt pity for sad or despairing mortals, so he blessed them with amazing powers. Thousands were killed, because of his “gifts.” So God banished Lucifer from Heaven. The Devil took Lucifer under his wing. He wiped Lucifer’s memory and identity as an angel.
Interesting read, Ellen thought. She put the book back. On a chair nearby was a torn page. Ellen remembered that page telling about spells between two people. This page was different, it looked like. Before there existed magic, the gods gave humans the power to control nature itself. Humans eventually developed their own means of bending nature, and called it “Magic.” The other humans called this art sacrilegious. Terrible wars followed, those that could use magic were hunted and executed. To this day, the terms “demon” and “magic” were closely associated.
Ellen scoffed and walked to the other side of this passage. Another Secret Diary.
With nothing more to collect in this place, Ellen continued down the hall, and entered the small, dungeon room. The door beyond contains a giant snake, which ensured the death of tiny little froggy. Ellen peeped into the looking hole. She saw nothing. Instead of opening the door, Ellen stuck her long stick into the hole, angling it to the floor in that room. …A small, dark-green snake slithered up, leaping to Ellen’s shoulders and shivering. Poor thing must’ve been frightened by something. Awww. Ellen turned to walk back—BOOM. Something banged the door to that room, making Ellen flinch. She shook it off and returned through the Mirrored Room, into the main hallway.
Ellen finally entered the frog’s room. A square, black hole of darkness rested. Ellen remembered this trap. She placed the little snake on the north side of the hole—the snake frightfully tried to wrap around her arm, Ellen forcefully banged it against the wall until he was dizzy, falling on the floor as Ellen kicked him beside the hole. She quickly left the room. From the other side, she heard the dark whirring of the shadowy arm, dragging the tiny animal into the abyss. …Ellen expected to hear an unlocking sound, but no. If Ellen returned, would it be safe to enter the snake’s room? …Ellen opened the door, and found a stairway led down into the darkness. She sucked in a courageous, though nervous breath, and marched down below.
It was like an entirely different dimension down here. Flies buzzed all over the place, Ellen annoyedly swatted them away. She jumped when a giant frog tongue shot out of a hole and snatched a grouping of flies on her left. Ellen saw many such holes with flies close by. She walked around the opposite side of those flies, so the tongues would snatch them and not herself. At the end of this passage, Ellen saw the snake shuddering on a pedestal, underneath a large hole. A sign on the sealed door read, He’s dieting. …That was a weird clue. Wait! Was the monster intending to eat the snake because it was skinny? Ellen had a crazy idea: she quickly snatched the snake over to her with the long stick, and when the demonic shadow hand reached out, Ellen threw the stick into it, and the hand accepted.
The door to the next passage opened. All it needed was something skinny, and now Ellen had a snake to… maybe sacrifice for something else. Ellen came to a pool of dark ooze with a lever on the other side. Since she no longer had a stick, she chucked the snake across, and it loyally flipped the lever to make a bridge appear. Ellen noticed the ooze bubbling, so she ran across the bridge quickly to avoid the giant jumping tadpoles. She grabbed the snake and continued running, on either side of this passage were ooze holes that tadpoles leapt out of, wishing to take revenge and snack on the former witch.
At the end of the tunnel, Ellen entered a giant cave with no place else to go. She calmly approached the pool of purple ooze on the other side. Those pair of giant, squishy yellow eyes came up, and their color molted to become red. His right front leg came out, then his left, until the giant frog emerged completely. He looked the very same as in Ellen’s vision at the lake. The little snake cowered and slithered underneath Ellen’s dress.
Ellen dodged as the frog whipped its tongue at her, bolting to the room’s exit, but the frog took a tremendous leap and blocked her way. Ellen scrambled on her feet and barely avoided the tongue, running toward a stalagmite. The frog leapt her direction, but in his misfire, the stalagmite pierced him. The frog, being the half-alive spirit it was, leapt off of the jagged rock, which had then shattered. It resumed trying to snatch Ellen, but she evasively dodged its tongue, grabbed one of the pieces of the stalagmite, and threw it to its left eye. Ellen glanced at the ceiling to see a stalactite on one side. While the frog was blinking its eye back to health, she ran underneath, so the frog would leap and slam its head into the wall. Ellen ran out of the way, and watched the stalactite fall and stab the frog’s head. The gargantuan creature fell on its belly, dead.
Ellen still wasn’t sure what that accomplished, but she decided to leave this dungeon. The snake peeped out of her dress as she exchanged a look with it. Ellen panted silently and caught her breath, beginning the walk back—the area turned a blacker purple, the giant hands of the shadow demon stomped behind her, and she saw the terrifying dark spirit of the frog, even larger than its physical incarnation, with more ravenous eyes. Her heart racing, Ellen dashed across the passage, dodging left or right when the demon lashed its tongue-made-of-smog, ducking the tadpoles that jumped out of the puddles.
She turned rightward at the following tunnel, the monstrous shadow hands stretched out of the holes in attempt to grab Ellen, but she dodged them, and the stairway was in sight. “WAAAH!” Ellen stepped on a sticky, gooey spot on the ground, slipping out of her right shoe and falling on the stairs. She rolled on her back, and her life began flashing when the demon frog was ready to feast. “NO!! I’M SORRY!”
The frog stopped, inches from her helpless body. Tears leaked out of Ellen’s horror-struck emerald eyes. The shadowy body glowed, shrunk down, and landed on Ellen’s chest in the form of that cute little frog from two years ago. “I-I’m sorry for…for what I did to you.”
“…Ribbit.” It faded away.
…Well, that was certainly out of nowhere, Ellen thought. Those words totally burst out of her mouth. Those feelings just burned in her out of nowhere. Why did she want to apologize to the frog? …Granted, it was pretty friendly, and it wanted to stay by Ellen’s side. …Like Viola did. Were these Viola’s emotions that suddenly ignited inside her? Her love for even the smallest animals, that must be true. …Or… did Ellen despair in the face of death? If that frog swallowed her, surely the cat could’ve revived her, like every other time. …Was that Viola’s reaction, too? Is that how Viola felt, the moment she was betrayed by her closest friend, and then her own father would be her ultimate killer. Never able to tell him, never able to tell anyone the truth… Viola had died with nary a trace.
Ellen shook this off. Truly, Viola would feel such despair in the face of death, but not Ellen. She wouldn’t have died. Ellen stood up to grab her misplaced boot, struggling to pull it out of the goop. A sticky spot remained on its bottom, so she would have to walk without this one. She stepped up the stairway out of the dark dimension, and left the frog’s room. The minute she did, she heard a rushing of water. She went back in, and found the stairway gone, but the tub full. She washed the gunk off her boot and put it back on. When Ellen returned to the Mirrored Room, the chandelier beside her doorway fell and shattered on the floor. She stomped over the glass and avoided the candle; if she didn’t get her shoe washed, crossing the glass with a bare foot wouldn’t end well.
Once she made it to the snake’s room, she peeped inside, but saw nothing. The room was totally empty, except for three tiny gravestones. They read Ri, Bi, and Rit. Ellen guessed if she hadn’t appeased their father, their spirits would’ve attacked her upon entering. But it seems Ellen gets to keep her snake friend for a while. The following corridor was very long, with rows of many white cat statues, which all… looked perfectly well. And like before, the black cat was posing as one of them. “You’re doing an excellent job not dying.”
So, Ellen assumed that each of these statues would’ve represented a particular “hazard” Ellen was killed by. But since Ellen hadn’t fallen for any of Viola’s traps, none of the statues were altered. Ellen casually walked past them—the end statue shot its head forward, missed Ellen, and fell on the floor. “Hey, don’t blame me for at least having one for the collection.” Black cat remarked.
Ellen went up the following staircase to the hall of four tunnels, represented by the mouths of painted faces. The note read, Newborns are soft. All of the painted eyes and mouths were smeared, and the secret tunnel wasn’t hidden. Though Ellen suspected that tunnel wouldn’t be the correct choice. But no smeary feature was distinguishable from any of the others. ‘Newborns are soft’… Ellen figured she’d crawl into the first one. THUMP…THUMP… Tiny spikes poked at her front, but they were round-topped. This ‘1-year-old’ tunnel had soft, baby teeth. This tunnel had a passage into the next-door tunnel, where a hammer was lain a few feet beside the spikes. Ellen found a note that said, They were just moved, so treat them well.
Ellen crawled back out to the hallway, and approached the third, formerly secret tunnel. Holding the hammer, she crawled inside, and used the tool to bash the spikes as they popped up. They didn’t come back up, so Ellen thought she hit them into submission. She crossed the tunnel without trouble and entered the 4th floor’s main room. Sir Catswell was once again waiting for her. “You know, if someone were watching us from a different angle, do you think I would be the ‘lovable companion’?”
This floor was exceptionally quiet, as usual. Ellen saw a note on the floor. Find your “Friend.” Thanks for the reminder, she remarked. Actually… Ellen suspected what that meant. She entered the left door first, to the room of four couches, two tables, and her pink music box. Before attempting anything, Ellen crossed to the door on the other side, finding another small diary room. She ignored the little bloody jack-in-the-box and read the Secret Diary.
Ellen went to read the note in the music box room. Keep both in sync. Both what? …Ellen had an idea. She went to bring the jack-in-the-box to this room, then she winded the music box. Doo… doo… doo-
‘Doink!’ Ellen popped the jack-in-the-box when the music reached that note. Actually, the music box was missing that note. Doo doo, doo doo… doo… doo- ‘Doink!’ The note came off the wall, revealing a crack with a paper sticking out slightly. When Ellen walked over, her snake friend stood up and pulled it out with his teeth. It was one page of notes. The music box continued playing, and the jack-in-the-box, which Ellen set on the floor, popped out at its respective notes. Ellen left the room and entered the door east of the center. The four colored paintings of Mona Lisa hung on the wall, and four jack-o-lanterns sat before them.
The note on the wall said, Create a harmony. On the parallel couches around the table of poker cards were brown, green, blue, and red eyes, like the painting women. Before attempting this, Ellen left and headed for the north room—the toy soldier stepped aside to let her pass, likely pleased that she solved the music box puzzle. Ellen entered the piano room, which was still as clean and shiny as ever, despite the ruin of this house. The bookshelf was still in place, and featured ‘Eye Studies’. Silver-haired women have red eyes, and brown-eyed women can have either blonde or red hair. Ellen remembered that. There was also a book about ‘Voice Studies’.
People have varied tones of voices. We know the following about women in this region. Black-haired women have a low voice, while green-eyed women can have a medium voice. Ellen returned to the Painting Room and collected the colored glass eyes from the couches. She placed the red eyes in the pumpkin beside the silver-haired woman, blue eyes in the black-haired woman’s pumpkin, brown-eyes for the red-haired, and green eyes for the blonde. (Though Ellen regrets not making a purple-haired woman with gold eyes, just for fun.) Click. The door between the paintings opened. But first:
The music box sounded all the way in this room, so Ellen would tap the pumpkins in order of notes. The blue-eyed pumpkin made the lowest sound, the green-eyed made the second-highest, the red-eyed made the highest, while the brown-eyed made the second-lowest. Ellen mimicked the first couple lines of the music box’s song, and once she tapped the correct order of notes, the pumpkins began to ‘tap’ their selves. The rhythm was perfect, and the note came off the wall so Ellen could collect the music sheet underneath. She then entered the- paddle-paddle-paddle-paddle. She looked back, seeing the stack of poker cards on the table suddenly scattered around it in perfect rows, face-up. She bypassed this and entered the door between the paintings.
A mirror, a clock, a man and woman statue, a chair, and a plant. Those were the options. The note stated, I start as liquid. I end as soil. What am I? Ellen wondered if she could make a bunch of guesses, but never be punished. This was an easy puzzle, even if she didn’t know the answer. Ellen walked in front of the mirror and pointed at herself. “I’m a human.”
…Correct! The room flashed. The man and woman statue stood on either side of the center. The note now read, Stand in the center and claim your prize. …Ellen wasn’t gonna fall for that. But who to fill the position? Ellen left the room and returned to the center—BOINK BOINK BOINK BOINK! The jack-in-the-box burst out of the other room, larger and more psychotic than ever, Ellen rushed back through the Painting Room—the pumpkins slid together to keep her from passing their gaps, but they didn’t slide a second time, so she ran around the new gap. She burst into the Riddle Room, around the statues, and the jack-in-the-box was crushed between them when it tried to ambush.
The note fell off, letting Ellen collect the music sheet. When she passed through the Painting Room, the rows of cards on the table now made an image of a shadowed cat’s head, slanted, blank green eyes, but Ellen didn’t care. She entered the Piano Room and aligned the four sheets (one was already on the piano) in order. The note on the wall said, Now play… Ellen sighed and sat on the stool. After all these years, she memorized the song. How could she forget…
3 years ago…
12-year-old Viola jogged to the enormous house in the woods. With her signature four knocks, the doors magically flew open. “Elleeeen. Where are you?”
“I’m in the dining room!” her friend called. Viola fast-walked in. A plate of grapes and steaming mashed potatoes were prepared for her. “I made you lunch!” Ellen said brightly.
“Hm hm, thanks! Happy Friendship Anniversary, Ellen.” They both sat at the table. Viola ate the food Ellen prepared for her, while Ellen settled on cabbage soup. “Um… Ellen?” Viola spoke with a regretful tone. “You aren’t still… mad about yesterday, are you?”
“Mad about what?”
“That, um… ‘Funny Story’ you showed me.” Viola looked at her potatoes. “Things felt a little tense between us after I told you what I thought. I wasn’t trying to keep you from liking it, but I’m… sorry if I offended you in any way.”
“Sheesh, you’re still worried about that?” Ellen laughed. “It’s just a book, Viola, quit being such a baby.”
Viola blushed, smiling slightly. “Heh heh… I-I’m just making sure. I really don’t want things to be awkward between us.”
“You don’t need to worry about that.” Ellen smirked. “You must be wondering why I didn’t want you to get anything this time. You see, I wrote a song for you!”
“A song?”
“Yeah! I mean, it isn’t great, but… if you don’t like it, I guess you have the chance to feel awkward, too!”
“Well, okay!” Viola shrugged. “Will you sing it now?”
“Let’s finish eating first and go upstairs. I drank extra doses of medicine so my voice doesn’t crack.”
Ellen led Viola up to the 4th floor. Past the life-size toy soldier, they entered a large room with a single, shiny piano, and white light shining in through the windows. “Sit down, please.” Viola sat on the middle chair in a row, watching Ellen take her seat at the piano. She saw Ellen flip some music sheets. “The song is titled ‘Friend.’ I hope you like it.”
Viola smiled and nodded. She was very eager to hear what Ellen wrote. She never imagined Ellen could sing, or play piano. Maybe she couldn’t, but either way, Viola would appreciate the gift.
The notes were slow and gentle. Graceful and peaceful. Ellen’s eyes were closed in bliss, like the keys were pictured in her head. The first several seconds were notes, then there was a small pause. Ellen played again, and began to sing softly.
Aaaaall byyyy myself…
Waiting for aaaaa frieeeeend to come
Ellen had a beautiful voice. So this was what double doses of medicine gave her… knowing how much Ellen’s voice cracked, Viola couldn’t believe this was the same diseased girl.
My magic woooon’t heeeelp me now
Not until yooou… walk through the door
Please set me freeeee…
Ellen spun away from the piano, out of her seat, while the instrument played itself. The light from the windows grew brighter, gave the room a mystical blue tone.
Don’t be afraaaaiiiid…
Vases of flowers, books, and chairs flew about the room as Ellen danced softly, her bare feet moving gracefully across the floor.
I am alwaaays byyyy your siiiiide
She faced Viola, folded her hands over her chest, and opened them toward her friend.
Come now my frieeeee-eeeeeend!
Viola felt like she was entranced. She smiled, stood up from her chair, and approached Ellen. She stopped when the witch turned, and fell to her knees.
Deeeaaath’s sweeeeet embrace
Was once a giiiift I… yearned for
She rolled onto her back, arms and legs outstretched like she were on a grassy meadow.
But now that IIII haaaave found you
She lifted her head to face Viola. She raised a hand to her friend, and two little teddybears nudged Viola’s legs.
I don’t need Deeeaath: not anymooooore.
Come set me freeeeee
Viola helped Ellen to her feet, and both of them twirled around the floor like ballerinas on ice. Viola wondered if a spell was in place to make them so graceful, or if the spirit of their friendship was so much purer and lighter, they knew nothing else.
You’ll be okaaaaaaayyyy…
They held arms and happily danced under the beautiful sounds—the piano and Ellen’s voice.
I’ll keep you saaaaafe
So I beeeeeg:
They spun once more, faced each other up close, their arms still locked. Ellen sang her final note to the heavens as the light grew brighter.
Don’t go a-waaaaaaaayyyyyy
Frieeeeeeeeend!
The room returned to normal light, and the friends faced each other again. “Ellen, that was beautiful.” Viola said with awe. “That song, it’s so… poetic. You came up with all of that?”
“Yep. It’s all from the heart.”
“Wow, I… can’t even process it all.” Tears leaked from Viola’s eyes, glinting in the window light. “I never knew how much I meant to you.”
“You’re my whole world, Viola. You’re more than just my friend… you’re my… sister. Hm, I know the song is called ‘Friend,’ but in reality, it’s such a small word to describe it.”
“You know… you’re my sister, too.” Viola smiled. “I just think, after all these years, there’s no other way to describe it. We’re… connected.”
“I think we really are…”
Now
Ellen smiled at that memory. Tears leaked from Viola’s emerald eyes. She held her heart. That song… it all came from Ellen’s heart. Viola made her want something other than death… Viola gave Ellen hope… gave her a means of escape. She set Ellen free.
Ellen gasped, wiping the tears away. Viola never realized the song’s ultimate meaning… how she would have truly freed Ellen from her pain. That pain, and how Ellen planned to use Viola… that was the foundation of her song. Of course… she couldn’t lie to herself. Her love for Viola existed, too… if not for that, Ellen couldn’t have sung with her soul. She couldn’t have used the spell…
Well, Ellen completed the song, so she expected the door to open. …It didn’t. Confused, Ellen read the note again. YOU LIED.
Everything went black.
…
…
…
…
Ellen woke up in darkness. She sleepily looked at her hands under white sleeves and bare legs beyond her red dress—! She panicked, feeling her body. Her real body. Her heart raced. Where was she? How did this happen? How could it happen? Was she…
“Hello, Ellen.” She looked up. Viola was floating there with cold green eyes. In her normal body.
“Viola! How did you switch us back?!”
“We’re using our souls at the moment. Not our bodies. But if it’s really so confusing… I’ll help.” She waved her arm. Viola transformed into the hideous monster that was Ellen’s decaying body, and Ellen turned into a black and red form of Viola’s body. The very same way she looked in the sunset, when it happened.
“Viola, I want you to leave me alone!” Ellen shouted in Viola’s voice.
“You never wanted me to leave you alone before. I never wanted to leave you alone. But now you have no use for me, do you? I was your doorway. Your escape. Once you passed through me, there was no reason to go back.”
“What did you expect me to do, Viola?! You felt my pain, you could see into my head, you know what I did, you know what I was going to do. Tell me the truth, the minute I would’ve given your body back, would you have run away and never come back? Would you really want to COME back, knowing what I was going to do?”
“I guess you were right, Ellen. I was foolish. I thought you would learn from me, but I learned more from you. The word ‘friend’… is just a word. ‘Friends’ cannot heal diseases, but people can be used. That was always a reality I had denied, but you taught me the truth. A human’s only desire is to survive… you saw through with your desire, since the beginning. But I will not give up doing the same. GIVE MY BODY BACK.”
Ellen chuckled. “Even knowing what I did, you’re a terrible person in the end, Viola. In the end, I think you were just conceited. You pretended to be an angel on Earth, a body of pure light that would shine away the world’s darkness just by feigning kindness. All of that ‘love’ you showed me, it was all to make yourself feel pure, caring for someone who’s better left abandoned. In reality, you pitied me, you thought I was hideous, and a burden to have to come visit every day. But I should be glad you tried to hold that show until the end. Still, why should I give your body back to you? You hurt your own father AND your friends. I’ve been more respectful and a better friend than you ever were to them. I’m trying to put my past behind me and live my life.”
“IT’S MY LIFE TO LIVE!” The dimension shook. “YOU STOLE EVERYTHING FROM ME, you ungrateful demon! I want my body back so I can ERASE my mistakes, FOREVER! If you do not, I will always make you suffer. You will spend eternity in this house, and you will never see the light of day. Enjoy your existence… Ellen.” The darkness consumed them again.
Ellen felt tight forces around her wrists and ankles. The patter of roaches and rats were the only sounds. Ellen looked left, looked right, forced her head up to look front. Skeletons everywhere. But chain cuffs were around her ankles, her wrists were chained to the wall. She was on her back, facing the black sky above. She flinched and looked left. That skeleton looked closer. She whipped right. That one was closer. Same for the one in front. But they didn’t move when Ellen looked at them.
She noticed the one in front had chopsticks within its ribs. It was too far, though. Ellen looked left and right repeatedly so those skeletons would stay away. She kept looking at the front one until it was close enough. She could then angle the toes of her boots to catch the chopsticks between. Carefully, she swung her toes back to throw the chopsticks and catch them in her teeth. She quickly lifted and turned her head to stick them in her left arm’s cuff, fiddling around until it was loose. She grabbed the sticks and dug them in the right cuff, got loose, then sat up to unhook her ankles before the other skeletons got closer. She panted for breath and stood up, but before returning the chopsticks, she noticed her snake friend chained to a nearby rock with a tinier cuff. She could unhook him free, then politely returned the chopsticks to the skeleton’s ribs.
The exit out of this dungeon (which would lead to the kitchen) was close by, however it was sealed. Defeat the Gatekeeper, the note said. Ellen headed the opposite way, quick-walking around the piles of armless corpses, feeling bugs squish beneath her boots. She came to a huge chasm with piles of skeletons down below. On her right was a table, displaying a white bean and a dark-gray bean. The sign read, Earth or Air. Take your pick. They were two of Ellen’s Magic Beans, true. The white ones made the consumer like as a balloon, while the gray ones made them heavy as the earth. Both of them cancelled each other out, but if Ellen ate the Earth Bean, her body would become incomparably heavy. She would be totally defenseless, perfect matter for the skeletons to devour.
For now, she swallowed the white bean, and softly drifted up like a balloon. It may have been a good feeling, but if she drifted too high, the ceiling spikes would end her. She couldn’t take the gray bean with her because it would weigh her body down, and while she could cross the chasm this way, there was no gray bean on the other side. Ellen maneuvered herself to the top of a skeleton mountain, which had a ground path around its side, with an Earth Bean on a pedestal. She picked the bean up and ate it, letting her body regain normal weight.
Ellen trekked down the narrow hill, walking around when skeletons fell onto her path. She came to a long chasm with a lever at the other end. She didn’t think she could throw the snake that far, but Ellen realized she still had a hammer. With careful precision, she sent the tool hurling across, striking the lever. A bridge formed for the girl to cross, then she recollected the item. This route brought her to the other side of the previous chasm, and would eventually take her to a greater, deeper chasm.
A dark, otherworldly moaning echoed from the depths. A skeleton of tremendous proportion rose from the chasm, roaring at Ellen with foul breath. The armless giant attempted to snap Ellen in its teeth, but she ran aside and avoided. She discovered a table with an Air Bean, and quickly devoured the sweet to fly away, dodging its teeth again. There were four stone ledges sticking out from the skeleton piles, each possessing an Earth Bean. She grabbed the nearest one and sunk to the ground by its weight, but rather than eat it herself, she waited for the Gatekeeper to come at her open-mouthed. She dropped the bean, dodged away, and let him munch the bean. The incredible pressure flowed to him, but it wasn’t enough for his oversized body.
Ellen had to repeat this action with two more Earth Beans, and once he devoured them, his head was unable to lift off the ground. Ellen floated to and swallowed the fourth, remaining Earth Bean to disable her weightlessness. She hurriedly rushed up to the Gatekeeper and started bashing his skull with her hammer. Although giant, the bones were weak, and once the skull was battered enough, he collapsed into the chasm, never to rise again. Unfortunately, the hammer finally broke after all that use. Click. An unlocking sound.
The room shook. Ellen looked up. The spiked ceiling was descending. Ellen was about to rush back, but the snake HISSED and insistently pointed to a narrow passage between some skeletons. Ellen quickly glanced confused at her pet, then rushed that way. She found a roll of duct tape, while she didn’t understand why she needed, she grabbed it, then ran. She made it to the chasm, jumped down to a small ledge against its side, and ate an Air Bean. She floated across, and as she was ascending, she could grab the Earth Bean on the pedestal and eat it to regain weight. The skeleton mountains were crumbling beneath the spikes, she ran as the mountains’ bases were squishing and spreading onto her path. She bolted to the exit door and escaped—the three skeletons that kept her prisoner zipped over, but didn’t catch her.
The whole house rumbled when the ceiling crashed. Ellen held her racing heart, taking many breaths. She bypassed the smelly kitchen, went up the stairs, and navigated through the house until she made it to the 4th floor. She met the black cat in the central room. “Funny, I could’ve sworn you went that way.” He pointed. “Shortcut wasn’t available this time?”
Ellen sat on the floor to rest her legs. “I just met Viola… at least… I think..”
“Yes, I saw that. As part of the Switching Spell, you share not only minds, but also hearts. Fragments of the other person’s soul are left inside the body, as you already guessed. Viola feels your personality, you feel hers. And when feelings are strong, both of the hearts are able to communicate with each other. Even if one does not voluntarily do so.”
“So this… ‘compassion’ and ‘remorse’ I’ve been feeling for these…” She glanced at her snake, “things. It really is because of Viola. And Viola… she’s feeling my…”
“Of course, even that side-effect can’t just happen between two people. The two subjects of the spell really need to feel they share the same heart. So you and Viola really did take from each other’s character a little.”
Ellen shook her head. “Viola is still crazy, and she’s become a worse monster than I was. I still don’t understand how she’s alive. Didn’t you tell me that if a witch despairs, then she could die forever? That’s how I planned to get rid of her for good.”
“The feeling of ‘despair’ comes in many forms. Yes, as per my contract, I would not revive you if you despaired. But true despair comes with the purest, most heartaching remorse and regret a person can feel. A person regrets all of their life’s decisions, until their soul no longer wants to stay bound. Viola despaired because the person she trusted with her life played her like a card. The only regret she feels is regret for befriending such a person. Her soul, in those brief moments, drowned in rage. And that kind of rage… is far too hot to carry to the Underworld.”
“So, what are you saying? If I want to get rid of Viola, I have to make her feel regret?” There was a rise in Ellen’s voice. The cat detected a stutter. “Feel regret for… f-for hurting her own friends, for being so- . . . ?”
The cat glanced away. “If you think you can, then try. But now it sounds far easier to simply tell her off, make her understand that you just won’t give her body back, that she would live her half-life more peacefully if she just gave up.”
Ellen panted quietly to restore breath. She wasn’t sure where to draw on from there. With her snake still on her shoulder, Ellen stepped down the hall and into the Piano Room. For completing the song, the door had opened, bringing her to the dreary, blue room with the fallen woman statue. She remembered the duct tape she collected. Using (Viola)’s great strength, she grunted and hauled the statue back onto its perch. She held it there and used the tape to stick it back together. The spirit of a brown-haired woman in a white dress rose from the stone, smiling graciously at Ellen. “Thank you.” She faded.
There were cracks all around the walls. Ellen remembered the one that had a Diary Room, but Viola might’ve moved it. She had the snake slither into a tiny hole within the walls. It came out to confirm a crack on the west wall safe. She kicked it open and crawled inside. Every other spot was a chasm, but this one had the Secret Diary.
Ellen headed to the door in the upper-right. They took her upstairs, to the 5th floor hallway. The top floor of the house. Soon, she would reach her room, and confront Viola for real.
7 years ago…
“COUGH! KEH. KUEH!” Ellen sat on the couch and hacked blood. 8-year-old Viola sat beside her with worry.
“Ellen, do you need more medicine?”
“Sometimes- COUGH! They burn each other out… and it takes a while to take effect- KAH!”
Viola flinched and stepped away at that one. Ellen’s eyes were bulging, her face was grotesque. She looked at Viola with wide eyes, leaking blood. The posture Viola stood, her frightened eyes. “Hmph… why do you even come over here.” Ellen turned away.
“Whaddyou… mean?”
“I see that look you always give me… You pity me. You think I’m hideous. You wanted to scream at me back then, you won’t admit it, but you did.”
“No, that’s not true!” Viola stepped closer. “I think you’re-”
Ellen whipped around, scaring Viola with her action and appearance. Truthfully, Viola never imagined a 9-year-old having these kinds of symptoms. “You only come over here because you feel burdened. My image probably makes it hard for you to eat. You wouldn’t come over here if you didn’t think you were hurting my feelings.”
“Ellen…” Viola felt hurt inside.
“What- cough? It isn’t true? You’ll only look at me after my potion works.” She lied on the couch and curled up. “But it won’t work for a while, so you should just leave.”
“You don’t… want me to leave, do you?”
“Go ahead, I won’t mind. I don’t want you to stay out of pity.”
Viola furrowed her eyes. She marched up to her friend and clamped her rusty leg. “Okay, fine. I do feel sorry for you and I wanna stay to comfort you. Why is that so bad? Am I not allowed to try to help someone I care about?”
Ellen huffed to herself and turned her face against her hands folded on the cushion. “Ellen, I hate your disease, too. I might not have it, but I hate it because it’s hurting you. It’s making life painful for you. I want to help you feel better, I wanna help you and make things easier. Ellen, you’re my friend and I love you, you can call it ‘pity’, but… would you rather I not come over here and ignore you completely?”
Ellen bent her fingers, clutching an imaginary force. “Ellen, look at me.” She turned toward the cushion again. “Ellen, please?”
Ellen released a sigh. Ellen turned her face up, looking in Viola’s honest green eyes. The blonde-haired softly touched Ellen’s face. She rubbed around, over her mouth, nose, and eyes. She got little droplets of blood and mucus on her fingers. With her left hand, Viola felt around Ellen’s legs. So skinny… so shriveled… so hard. They felt like thin, rugged stones. Like her face. “…You’re really pretty, Ellen.”
“Hmm.” Ellen glanced away, scornfully.
“I mean it. You’re beautiful, no matter how sick you are. You have pretty eyes, and pretty hair… and you’re so nice and so fun. I’m sorry if I react how I do, but I don’t wanna leave. I wanna keep coming over and… looking at you.”
A bloody tear leaked from Ellen’s left eye. The witch sat up and hugged Viola. The braided child smiled and returned the hug. The blood and mucus wiped off on the back of Ellen’s dress. It didn’t matter if she pitied her, or thought she looked gross… Viola loved Ellen. Because they were friends…
These two floors were always my favorite. The song “Friend” was written by AmaitoFuu, you can find him on YouTube. A lot of people sang or made videos featuring the song. Next time, we will venture the 5th floor. Until then.
Chapter 4: Two Hearts
6 years ago
“Happy birthday, Ellen!” Viola said happily to her friend. Ellen was 10 years old now, and Viola was 9. “I wasn’t sure what to get you at first, but then I thought… Well, just open it!” She gave her a light-red box with baby-blue ribbon.
Ellen wore a curious stare as she cut the box open with scissors. Inside was a pair of flat, red shoes. “Shoes?”
“Yeah! I never see you wearing any shoes, and you always talk about your legs hurting, so I thought these could make your feet more comfortable.”
Ellen picked up the right shoe and tried to put it over her foot. But there was a noticeable size difference. “They’re too big for me.”
“Yyyyeah…” Viola blushed and scratched her head. “The truth is, my friend Elizabeth bought those for me. I wasn’t too fond of them, but I was afraid to tell her that… and since you use magic, I thought you could shrink them down to fit you. I’m sorry if you wanted something… better.” She frowned.
Ellen smiled, deciding to confirm Viola’s theory by putting both feet into the larger shoes, and shrinking them with a tap of her fingers. They fit to a perfect size as she stood up and walked around. They had a comfortable padding, and Ellen felt less pressure under her feet with each step. “They’re not bad.” She smiled honestly. “I never really needed shoes, though… I mean, it’s not like I go outside.”
“Oh.” Viola looked away, still frowning. “Actually, I was thinking… we could also go outside today.”
Ellen turned to her, a little surprised at her statement. She narrowed her eyes and looked down at her shoes. So that’s what she was expecting. The outside, where Ellen was powerless. Instead of inside this house, where Ellen had total control. Not that she expected Viola to try anything…
Present time; Her Room
But that’s why she didn’t wanna go out, wasn’t it? She looked down at Ellen’s bare feet, once so pretty despite her illness, but were now stripped of their peach color, now red and purple, barely keeping her standing. Not that Viola could look at them in any fashion except for auras. What a terrible friend Ellen was. A lying, unfaithful, horrid incarnation of a demon. Any feeling Ellen could feel was an illusion, and she could feel nothing towards anyone else. All of that love Viola gave her, all those gifts, Ellen was a cruel and selfish witch. She would feel helpless outside, she was afraid to step out, she couldn’t, for five seconds, be under Viola’s protection and power, instead she always had to keep Viola helpless. That trust she felt for Viola was false, for seven years, she just enjoyed playing Viola like a card.
And now Ellen had the nerve to return to her house in a hopeless attempt to tell Viola to back off. But Viola would make her regret everything she’s done. The moment she forced Ellen to give her body back, Viola would walk away from this house and never return. Let Ellen stay in the place where she was powerful, in the despair she created. She took relish in the idea, of Ellen, staying here, in pain, alone. . . . forever.
Floor 3
Ellen made it to the entrance of Floor 3, facing the familiar hallway where swords fly at her out of midair. She took a breath and began to march down—a sword flew at her from behind, she dodged right, dodged left, jumped a sword—she dashed forward, a swarm of swords in a zigzag alignment chased her with great speed, she kept within the safe center as she ran. The swords had gone past—they came from the front now, Ellen swiftly dodged them going forward. A chunk of the floor was missing, Ellen jumped and ran along the wall, landed on the other side, then ran along the left wall to cross another gap. A team of swords dropped from the ceiling, but Ellen had bolted into the door and escaped death. That sure was one hell of a long hallway. Ellen said this before, but if there was anything to love about Viola, it was her healthy, agile body.
Then Ellen was at the real, quiet hallway, reeking with purple candles. The black cat was standing guard at the left turn. “Yo. By the way, a witch’s ghost lives here. …I guess all the plot points are obvious by now.” After being humored by his remark, Ellen’s first idea was to go into the frog’s room. However, a sign on the wall by the cat read, HE’S HUNGRY, NOW. Ellen was able to open the door to the frog’s room, but she sensed some reverse-psychology action coming up, so she chose not to.
The door into the Mirrored Room was open. Ellen remembered this as their favorite place to drink tea and gobble down cookies and sweets. The one type of food she and Viola could share the same feelings about, the sweetness of cakes and sugar. Now the room was a mess; the teddybears were beheaded, the roses wilted, the cakes were splat—however, the room was still in perfect symmetry. Including… herself. Yes, there was an Ellen- er, Viola clone on the other side of the room. Albeit a shadier color, she mimicked Ellen’s movements exactly. And like a real mirror, she wouldn’t let Ellen cross to the other side so easy. Ellen also thought it safe to not come in contact with her.
After analyzing her side, Ellen didn’t find anything out of place—but her reflection’s side, on the other hand. The end of a long stick stuck out from under the opposite table. Ellen positioned her reflection beside it, bent down to grab the air beside her side’s table, and the reflection picked up the stick. Ellen pulled the stick all the way out, it had a metal hook on its end. Ellen wasn’t sure if a direct hand-over would be safe, so she made the gesture of throwing, her reflection mimicked that movement—Ellen dodged aside before the stick’s hook struck her. Ellen safely picked the stick up and walked out to the hall-
ooooOOOO
Ellen’s vision flashed, her bloody eyeless body flew up to her, then disappeared. Just a cheap scare tactic, she had to remember. Ellen turned left from the room to see the thin balance beam, baring the lever on the other end. Ellen could reach the hook end of this long stick over, and flip the lever. She felt a rumbling, and decided to check the Mirrored Room. The doors had changed position, so that the width of the room appeared longer on left and right, instead of shorter. The twin tables were on either left and right, and were accessible to both Ellen and the reflection. The cupboard had changed position to the exact center of the room, the doors facing rightward.
Ellen’s reflection also came in with a long stick, but how to make use of it. There were chandeliers on either side of the room, kept hanging from the ceiling by twin locks on either side. Ellen held her long stick up to the lock of the right chandelier to pick it. The reflection mimicked and picked her side’s lock, causing the chandelier to collapse and shatter when it was free. Ellen walked out of the room, used the stick to flip the lever, then returned to find the room with a short width again. The chandelier on the reflection’s side was broken, and when she had the reflection bend down to touch a still-lit purple candle, the reflection combusted into flame and disintegrated. Ellen guessed the story would’ve played differently, had she taken down the other chandelier. At least this worked.
Ellen safely stepped around the patch of soot and entered the door behind – the reflection’s head briefly appeared on the soot patch, staring with an empty face, but it was gone when Ellen looked back. Right away, Ellen made sure not to read the note in this next small room; because that would trigger a spell where shifting left or right in the next hallway would lead Ellen into a trap. However, she read the ‘Secret Diary’ on the desk.
My father played cards with a child today. The child won.
I asked my father what ‘love’ was.
I asked my father what ‘love’ was.
It made even less sense than before. Oh well. Ellen entered the next hallway—strings of spears flew at her, holes broke in the floor as she walked, spikes poked out from the sides—none of it was real, none of it distracted her. But since she didn’t read the note, she could freely move about the hall. She used this advantage to walk into the small library area, where the black cat stood. “I never got the difference between spoilers and foreshadowing.” he commented. Ellen looked on the bookshelf, where she recalled she hid the book Demons and Witches. A new book was placed there: The Angel, Lucifer. Ellen read the book.
Once, there was an angel called Lucifer. He felt pity for sad or despairing mortals, so he blessed them with amazing powers. Thousands were killed, because of his “gifts.” So God banished Lucifer from Heaven. The Devil took Lucifer under his wing. He wiped Lucifer’s memory and identity as an angel.
Interesting read, Ellen thought. She put the book back. On a chair nearby was a torn page. Ellen remembered that page telling about spells between two people. This page was different, it looked like. Before there existed magic, the gods gave humans the power to control nature itself. Humans eventually developed their own means of bending nature, and called it “Magic.” The other humans called this art sacrilegious. Terrible wars followed, those that could use magic were hunted and executed. To this day, the terms “demon” and “magic” were closely associated.
Ellen scoffed and walked to the other side of this passage. Another Secret Diary.
My father died in a war. I was orphaned.
I had to stay with my uncle.
I had to stay with my uncle.
With nothing more to collect in this place, Ellen continued down the hall, and entered the small, dungeon room. The door beyond contains a giant snake, which ensured the death of tiny little froggy. Ellen peeped into the looking hole. She saw nothing. Instead of opening the door, Ellen stuck her long stick into the hole, angling it to the floor in that room. …A small, dark-green snake slithered up, leaping to Ellen’s shoulders and shivering. Poor thing must’ve been frightened by something. Awww. Ellen turned to walk back—BOOM. Something banged the door to that room, making Ellen flinch. She shook it off and returned through the Mirrored Room, into the main hallway.
Ellen finally entered the frog’s room. A square, black hole of darkness rested. Ellen remembered this trap. She placed the little snake on the north side of the hole—the snake frightfully tried to wrap around her arm, Ellen forcefully banged it against the wall until he was dizzy, falling on the floor as Ellen kicked him beside the hole. She quickly left the room. From the other side, she heard the dark whirring of the shadowy arm, dragging the tiny animal into the abyss. …Ellen expected to hear an unlocking sound, but no. If Ellen returned, would it be safe to enter the snake’s room? …Ellen opened the door, and found a stairway led down into the darkness. She sucked in a courageous, though nervous breath, and marched down below.
It was like an entirely different dimension down here. Flies buzzed all over the place, Ellen annoyedly swatted them away. She jumped when a giant frog tongue shot out of a hole and snatched a grouping of flies on her left. Ellen saw many such holes with flies close by. She walked around the opposite side of those flies, so the tongues would snatch them and not herself. At the end of this passage, Ellen saw the snake shuddering on a pedestal, underneath a large hole. A sign on the sealed door read, He’s dieting. …That was a weird clue. Wait! Was the monster intending to eat the snake because it was skinny? Ellen had a crazy idea: she quickly snatched the snake over to her with the long stick, and when the demonic shadow hand reached out, Ellen threw the stick into it, and the hand accepted.
The door to the next passage opened. All it needed was something skinny, and now Ellen had a snake to… maybe sacrifice for something else. Ellen came to a pool of dark ooze with a lever on the other side. Since she no longer had a stick, she chucked the snake across, and it loyally flipped the lever to make a bridge appear. Ellen noticed the ooze bubbling, so she ran across the bridge quickly to avoid the giant jumping tadpoles. She grabbed the snake and continued running, on either side of this passage were ooze holes that tadpoles leapt out of, wishing to take revenge and snack on the former witch.
At the end of the tunnel, Ellen entered a giant cave with no place else to go. She calmly approached the pool of purple ooze on the other side. Those pair of giant, squishy yellow eyes came up, and their color molted to become red. His right front leg came out, then his left, until the giant frog emerged completely. He looked the very same as in Ellen’s vision at the lake. The little snake cowered and slithered underneath Ellen’s dress.
Ellen dodged as the frog whipped its tongue at her, bolting to the room’s exit, but the frog took a tremendous leap and blocked her way. Ellen scrambled on her feet and barely avoided the tongue, running toward a stalagmite. The frog leapt her direction, but in his misfire, the stalagmite pierced him. The frog, being the half-alive spirit it was, leapt off of the jagged rock, which had then shattered. It resumed trying to snatch Ellen, but she evasively dodged its tongue, grabbed one of the pieces of the stalagmite, and threw it to its left eye. Ellen glanced at the ceiling to see a stalactite on one side. While the frog was blinking its eye back to health, she ran underneath, so the frog would leap and slam its head into the wall. Ellen ran out of the way, and watched the stalactite fall and stab the frog’s head. The gargantuan creature fell on its belly, dead.
Ellen still wasn’t sure what that accomplished, but she decided to leave this dungeon. The snake peeped out of her dress as she exchanged a look with it. Ellen panted silently and caught her breath, beginning the walk back—the area turned a blacker purple, the giant hands of the shadow demon stomped behind her, and she saw the terrifying dark spirit of the frog, even larger than its physical incarnation, with more ravenous eyes. Her heart racing, Ellen dashed across the passage, dodging left or right when the demon lashed its tongue-made-of-smog, ducking the tadpoles that jumped out of the puddles.
She turned rightward at the following tunnel, the monstrous shadow hands stretched out of the holes in attempt to grab Ellen, but she dodged them, and the stairway was in sight. “WAAAH!” Ellen stepped on a sticky, gooey spot on the ground, slipping out of her right shoe and falling on the stairs. She rolled on her back, and her life began flashing when the demon frog was ready to feast. “NO!! I’M SORRY!”
The frog stopped, inches from her helpless body. Tears leaked out of Ellen’s horror-struck emerald eyes. The shadowy body glowed, shrunk down, and landed on Ellen’s chest in the form of that cute little frog from two years ago. “I-I’m sorry for…for what I did to you.”
“…Ribbit.” It faded away.
…Well, that was certainly out of nowhere, Ellen thought. Those words totally burst out of her mouth. Those feelings just burned in her out of nowhere. Why did she want to apologize to the frog? …Granted, it was pretty friendly, and it wanted to stay by Ellen’s side. …Like Viola did. Were these Viola’s emotions that suddenly ignited inside her? Her love for even the smallest animals, that must be true. …Or… did Ellen despair in the face of death? If that frog swallowed her, surely the cat could’ve revived her, like every other time. …Was that Viola’s reaction, too? Is that how Viola felt, the moment she was betrayed by her closest friend, and then her own father would be her ultimate killer. Never able to tell him, never able to tell anyone the truth… Viola had died with nary a trace.
Ellen shook this off. Truly, Viola would feel such despair in the face of death, but not Ellen. She wouldn’t have died. Ellen stood up to grab her misplaced boot, struggling to pull it out of the goop. A sticky spot remained on its bottom, so she would have to walk without this one. She stepped up the stairway out of the dark dimension, and left the frog’s room. The minute she did, she heard a rushing of water. She went back in, and found the stairway gone, but the tub full. She washed the gunk off her boot and put it back on. When Ellen returned to the Mirrored Room, the chandelier beside her doorway fell and shattered on the floor. She stomped over the glass and avoided the candle; if she didn’t get her shoe washed, crossing the glass with a bare foot wouldn’t end well.
Once she made it to the snake’s room, she peeped inside, but saw nothing. The room was totally empty, except for three tiny gravestones. They read Ri, Bi, and Rit. Ellen guessed if she hadn’t appeased their father, their spirits would’ve attacked her upon entering. But it seems Ellen gets to keep her snake friend for a while. The following corridor was very long, with rows of many white cat statues, which all… looked perfectly well. And like before, the black cat was posing as one of them. “You’re doing an excellent job not dying.”
So, Ellen assumed that each of these statues would’ve represented a particular “hazard” Ellen was killed by. But since Ellen hadn’t fallen for any of Viola’s traps, none of the statues were altered. Ellen casually walked past them—the end statue shot its head forward, missed Ellen, and fell on the floor. “Hey, don’t blame me for at least having one for the collection.” Black cat remarked.
Ellen went up the following staircase to the hall of four tunnels, represented by the mouths of painted faces. The note read, Newborns are soft. All of the painted eyes and mouths were smeared, and the secret tunnel wasn’t hidden. Though Ellen suspected that tunnel wouldn’t be the correct choice. But no smeary feature was distinguishable from any of the others. ‘Newborns are soft’… Ellen figured she’d crawl into the first one. THUMP…THUMP… Tiny spikes poked at her front, but they were round-topped. This ‘1-year-old’ tunnel had soft, baby teeth. This tunnel had a passage into the next-door tunnel, where a hammer was lain a few feet beside the spikes. Ellen found a note that said, They were just moved, so treat them well.
Ellen crawled back out to the hallway, and approached the third, formerly secret tunnel. Holding the hammer, she crawled inside, and used the tool to bash the spikes as they popped up. They didn’t come back up, so Ellen thought she hit them into submission. She crossed the tunnel without trouble and entered the 4th floor’s main room. Sir Catswell was once again waiting for her. “You know, if someone were watching us from a different angle, do you think I would be the ‘lovable companion’?”
This floor was exceptionally quiet, as usual. Ellen saw a note on the floor. Find your “Friend.” Thanks for the reminder, she remarked. Actually… Ellen suspected what that meant. She entered the left door first, to the room of four couches, two tables, and her pink music box. Before attempting anything, Ellen crossed to the door on the other side, finding another small diary room. She ignored the little bloody jack-in-the-box and read the Secret Diary.
My uncle was very mean. He didn’t let me go out and make friends.
So I snuck out and made some.
So I snuck out and made some.
Ellen went to read the note in the music box room. Keep both in sync. Both what? …Ellen had an idea. She went to bring the jack-in-the-box to this room, then she winded the music box. Doo… doo… doo-
‘Doink!’ Ellen popped the jack-in-the-box when the music reached that note. Actually, the music box was missing that note. Doo doo, doo doo… doo… doo- ‘Doink!’ The note came off the wall, revealing a crack with a paper sticking out slightly. When Ellen walked over, her snake friend stood up and pulled it out with his teeth. It was one page of notes. The music box continued playing, and the jack-in-the-box, which Ellen set on the floor, popped out at its respective notes. Ellen left the room and entered the door east of the center. The four colored paintings of Mona Lisa hung on the wall, and four jack-o-lanterns sat before them.
The note on the wall said, Create a harmony. On the parallel couches around the table of poker cards were brown, green, blue, and red eyes, like the painting women. Before attempting this, Ellen left and headed for the north room—the toy soldier stepped aside to let her pass, likely pleased that she solved the music box puzzle. Ellen entered the piano room, which was still as clean and shiny as ever, despite the ruin of this house. The bookshelf was still in place, and featured ‘Eye Studies’. Silver-haired women have red eyes, and brown-eyed women can have either blonde or red hair. Ellen remembered that. There was also a book about ‘Voice Studies’.
People have varied tones of voices. We know the following about women in this region. Black-haired women have a low voice, while green-eyed women can have a medium voice. Ellen returned to the Painting Room and collected the colored glass eyes from the couches. She placed the red eyes in the pumpkin beside the silver-haired woman, blue eyes in the black-haired woman’s pumpkin, brown-eyes for the red-haired, and green eyes for the blonde. (Though Ellen regrets not making a purple-haired woman with gold eyes, just for fun.) Click. The door between the paintings opened. But first:
The music box sounded all the way in this room, so Ellen would tap the pumpkins in order of notes. The blue-eyed pumpkin made the lowest sound, the green-eyed made the second-highest, the red-eyed made the highest, while the brown-eyed made the second-lowest. Ellen mimicked the first couple lines of the music box’s song, and once she tapped the correct order of notes, the pumpkins began to ‘tap’ their selves. The rhythm was perfect, and the note came off the wall so Ellen could collect the music sheet underneath. She then entered the- paddle-paddle-paddle-paddle. She looked back, seeing the stack of poker cards on the table suddenly scattered around it in perfect rows, face-up. She bypassed this and entered the door between the paintings.
A mirror, a clock, a man and woman statue, a chair, and a plant. Those were the options. The note stated, I start as liquid. I end as soil. What am I? Ellen wondered if she could make a bunch of guesses, but never be punished. This was an easy puzzle, even if she didn’t know the answer. Ellen walked in front of the mirror and pointed at herself. “I’m a human.”
…Correct! The room flashed. The man and woman statue stood on either side of the center. The note now read, Stand in the center and claim your prize. …Ellen wasn’t gonna fall for that. But who to fill the position? Ellen left the room and returned to the center—BOINK BOINK BOINK BOINK! The jack-in-the-box burst out of the other room, larger and more psychotic than ever, Ellen rushed back through the Painting Room—the pumpkins slid together to keep her from passing their gaps, but they didn’t slide a second time, so she ran around the new gap. She burst into the Riddle Room, around the statues, and the jack-in-the-box was crushed between them when it tried to ambush.
The note fell off, letting Ellen collect the music sheet. When she passed through the Painting Room, the rows of cards on the table now made an image of a shadowed cat’s head, slanted, blank green eyes, but Ellen didn’t care. She entered the Piano Room and aligned the four sheets (one was already on the piano) in order. The note on the wall said, Now play… Ellen sighed and sat on the stool. After all these years, she memorized the song. How could she forget…
3 years ago…
12-year-old Viola jogged to the enormous house in the woods. With her signature four knocks, the doors magically flew open. “Elleeeen. Where are you?”
“I’m in the dining room!” her friend called. Viola fast-walked in. A plate of grapes and steaming mashed potatoes were prepared for her. “I made you lunch!” Ellen said brightly.
“Hm hm, thanks! Happy Friendship Anniversary, Ellen.” They both sat at the table. Viola ate the food Ellen prepared for her, while Ellen settled on cabbage soup. “Um… Ellen?” Viola spoke with a regretful tone. “You aren’t still… mad about yesterday, are you?”
“Mad about what?”
“That, um… ‘Funny Story’ you showed me.” Viola looked at her potatoes. “Things felt a little tense between us after I told you what I thought. I wasn’t trying to keep you from liking it, but I’m… sorry if I offended you in any way.”
“Sheesh, you’re still worried about that?” Ellen laughed. “It’s just a book, Viola, quit being such a baby.”
Viola blushed, smiling slightly. “Heh heh… I-I’m just making sure. I really don’t want things to be awkward between us.”
“You don’t need to worry about that.” Ellen smirked. “You must be wondering why I didn’t want you to get anything this time. You see, I wrote a song for you!”
“A song?”
“Yeah! I mean, it isn’t great, but… if you don’t like it, I guess you have the chance to feel awkward, too!”
“Well, okay!” Viola shrugged. “Will you sing it now?”
“Let’s finish eating first and go upstairs. I drank extra doses of medicine so my voice doesn’t crack.”
Ellen led Viola up to the 4th floor. Past the life-size toy soldier, they entered a large room with a single, shiny piano, and white light shining in through the windows. “Sit down, please.” Viola sat on the middle chair in a row, watching Ellen take her seat at the piano. She saw Ellen flip some music sheets. “The song is titled ‘Friend.’ I hope you like it.”
Viola smiled and nodded. She was very eager to hear what Ellen wrote. She never imagined Ellen could sing, or play piano. Maybe she couldn’t, but either way, Viola would appreciate the gift.
The notes were slow and gentle. Graceful and peaceful. Ellen’s eyes were closed in bliss, like the keys were pictured in her head. The first several seconds were notes, then there was a small pause. Ellen played again, and began to sing softly.
Aaaaall byyyy myself…
Waiting for aaaaa frieeeeend to come
Ellen had a beautiful voice. So this was what double doses of medicine gave her… knowing how much Ellen’s voice cracked, Viola couldn’t believe this was the same diseased girl.
My magic woooon’t heeeelp me now
Not until yooou… walk through the door
Please set me freeeee…
Ellen spun away from the piano, out of her seat, while the instrument played itself. The light from the windows grew brighter, gave the room a mystical blue tone.
Don’t be afraaaaiiiid…
Vases of flowers, books, and chairs flew about the room as Ellen danced softly, her bare feet moving gracefully across the floor.
I am alwaaays byyyy your siiiiide
She faced Viola, folded her hands over her chest, and opened them toward her friend.
Come now my frieeeee-eeeeeend!
Viola felt like she was entranced. She smiled, stood up from her chair, and approached Ellen. She stopped when the witch turned, and fell to her knees.
Deeeaaath’s sweeeeet embrace
Was once a giiiift I… yearned for
She rolled onto her back, arms and legs outstretched like she were on a grassy meadow.
But now that IIII haaaave found you
She lifted her head to face Viola. She raised a hand to her friend, and two little teddybears nudged Viola’s legs.
I don’t need Deeeaath: not anymooooore.
Come set me freeeeee
Viola helped Ellen to her feet, and both of them twirled around the floor like ballerinas on ice. Viola wondered if a spell was in place to make them so graceful, or if the spirit of their friendship was so much purer and lighter, they knew nothing else.
You’ll be okaaaaaaayyyy…
They held arms and happily danced under the beautiful sounds—the piano and Ellen’s voice.
I’ll keep you saaaaafe
So I beeeeeg:
They spun once more, faced each other up close, their arms still locked. Ellen sang her final note to the heavens as the light grew brighter.
Don’t go a-waaaaaaaayyyyyy
Frieeeeeeeeend!
The room returned to normal light, and the friends faced each other again. “Ellen, that was beautiful.” Viola said with awe. “That song, it’s so… poetic. You came up with all of that?”
“Yep. It’s all from the heart.”
“Wow, I… can’t even process it all.” Tears leaked from Viola’s eyes, glinting in the window light. “I never knew how much I meant to you.”
“You’re my whole world, Viola. You’re more than just my friend… you’re my… sister. Hm, I know the song is called ‘Friend,’ but in reality, it’s such a small word to describe it.”
“You know… you’re my sister, too.” Viola smiled. “I just think, after all these years, there’s no other way to describe it. We’re… connected.”
“I think we really are…”
Now
Ellen smiled at that memory. Tears leaked from Viola’s emerald eyes. She held her heart. That song… it all came from Ellen’s heart. Viola made her want something other than death… Viola gave Ellen hope… gave her a means of escape. She set Ellen free.
Ellen gasped, wiping the tears away. Viola never realized the song’s ultimate meaning… how she would have truly freed Ellen from her pain. That pain, and how Ellen planned to use Viola… that was the foundation of her song. Of course… she couldn’t lie to herself. Her love for Viola existed, too… if not for that, Ellen couldn’t have sung with her soul. She couldn’t have used the spell…
Well, Ellen completed the song, so she expected the door to open. …It didn’t. Confused, Ellen read the note again. YOU LIED.
Everything went black.
…
…
…
…
Ellen woke up in darkness. She sleepily looked at her hands under white sleeves and bare legs beyond her red dress—! She panicked, feeling her body. Her real body. Her heart raced. Where was she? How did this happen? How could it happen? Was she…
“Hello, Ellen.” She looked up. Viola was floating there with cold green eyes. In her normal body.
“Viola! How did you switch us back?!”
“We’re using our souls at the moment. Not our bodies. But if it’s really so confusing… I’ll help.” She waved her arm. Viola transformed into the hideous monster that was Ellen’s decaying body, and Ellen turned into a black and red form of Viola’s body. The very same way she looked in the sunset, when it happened.
“Viola, I want you to leave me alone!” Ellen shouted in Viola’s voice.
“You never wanted me to leave you alone before. I never wanted to leave you alone. But now you have no use for me, do you? I was your doorway. Your escape. Once you passed through me, there was no reason to go back.”
“What did you expect me to do, Viola?! You felt my pain, you could see into my head, you know what I did, you know what I was going to do. Tell me the truth, the minute I would’ve given your body back, would you have run away and never come back? Would you really want to COME back, knowing what I was going to do?”
“I guess you were right, Ellen. I was foolish. I thought you would learn from me, but I learned more from you. The word ‘friend’… is just a word. ‘Friends’ cannot heal diseases, but people can be used. That was always a reality I had denied, but you taught me the truth. A human’s only desire is to survive… you saw through with your desire, since the beginning. But I will not give up doing the same. GIVE MY BODY BACK.”
Ellen chuckled. “Even knowing what I did, you’re a terrible person in the end, Viola. In the end, I think you were just conceited. You pretended to be an angel on Earth, a body of pure light that would shine away the world’s darkness just by feigning kindness. All of that ‘love’ you showed me, it was all to make yourself feel pure, caring for someone who’s better left abandoned. In reality, you pitied me, you thought I was hideous, and a burden to have to come visit every day. But I should be glad you tried to hold that show until the end. Still, why should I give your body back to you? You hurt your own father AND your friends. I’ve been more respectful and a better friend than you ever were to them. I’m trying to put my past behind me and live my life.”
“IT’S MY LIFE TO LIVE!” The dimension shook. “YOU STOLE EVERYTHING FROM ME, you ungrateful demon! I want my body back so I can ERASE my mistakes, FOREVER! If you do not, I will always make you suffer. You will spend eternity in this house, and you will never see the light of day. Enjoy your existence… Ellen.” The darkness consumed them again.
Ellen felt tight forces around her wrists and ankles. The patter of roaches and rats were the only sounds. Ellen looked left, looked right, forced her head up to look front. Skeletons everywhere. But chain cuffs were around her ankles, her wrists were chained to the wall. She was on her back, facing the black sky above. She flinched and looked left. That skeleton looked closer. She whipped right. That one was closer. Same for the one in front. But they didn’t move when Ellen looked at them.
She noticed the one in front had chopsticks within its ribs. It was too far, though. Ellen looked left and right repeatedly so those skeletons would stay away. She kept looking at the front one until it was close enough. She could then angle the toes of her boots to catch the chopsticks between. Carefully, she swung her toes back to throw the chopsticks and catch them in her teeth. She quickly lifted and turned her head to stick them in her left arm’s cuff, fiddling around until it was loose. She grabbed the sticks and dug them in the right cuff, got loose, then sat up to unhook her ankles before the other skeletons got closer. She panted for breath and stood up, but before returning the chopsticks, she noticed her snake friend chained to a nearby rock with a tinier cuff. She could unhook him free, then politely returned the chopsticks to the skeleton’s ribs.
The exit out of this dungeon (which would lead to the kitchen) was close by, however it was sealed. Defeat the Gatekeeper, the note said. Ellen headed the opposite way, quick-walking around the piles of armless corpses, feeling bugs squish beneath her boots. She came to a huge chasm with piles of skeletons down below. On her right was a table, displaying a white bean and a dark-gray bean. The sign read, Earth or Air. Take your pick. They were two of Ellen’s Magic Beans, true. The white ones made the consumer like as a balloon, while the gray ones made them heavy as the earth. Both of them cancelled each other out, but if Ellen ate the Earth Bean, her body would become incomparably heavy. She would be totally defenseless, perfect matter for the skeletons to devour.
For now, she swallowed the white bean, and softly drifted up like a balloon. It may have been a good feeling, but if she drifted too high, the ceiling spikes would end her. She couldn’t take the gray bean with her because it would weigh her body down, and while she could cross the chasm this way, there was no gray bean on the other side. Ellen maneuvered herself to the top of a skeleton mountain, which had a ground path around its side, with an Earth Bean on a pedestal. She picked the bean up and ate it, letting her body regain normal weight.
Ellen trekked down the narrow hill, walking around when skeletons fell onto her path. She came to a long chasm with a lever at the other end. She didn’t think she could throw the snake that far, but Ellen realized she still had a hammer. With careful precision, she sent the tool hurling across, striking the lever. A bridge formed for the girl to cross, then she recollected the item. This route brought her to the other side of the previous chasm, and would eventually take her to a greater, deeper chasm.
A dark, otherworldly moaning echoed from the depths. A skeleton of tremendous proportion rose from the chasm, roaring at Ellen with foul breath. The armless giant attempted to snap Ellen in its teeth, but she ran aside and avoided. She discovered a table with an Air Bean, and quickly devoured the sweet to fly away, dodging its teeth again. There were four stone ledges sticking out from the skeleton piles, each possessing an Earth Bean. She grabbed the nearest one and sunk to the ground by its weight, but rather than eat it herself, she waited for the Gatekeeper to come at her open-mouthed. She dropped the bean, dodged away, and let him munch the bean. The incredible pressure flowed to him, but it wasn’t enough for his oversized body.
Ellen had to repeat this action with two more Earth Beans, and once he devoured them, his head was unable to lift off the ground. Ellen floated to and swallowed the fourth, remaining Earth Bean to disable her weightlessness. She hurriedly rushed up to the Gatekeeper and started bashing his skull with her hammer. Although giant, the bones were weak, and once the skull was battered enough, he collapsed into the chasm, never to rise again. Unfortunately, the hammer finally broke after all that use. Click. An unlocking sound.
The room shook. Ellen looked up. The spiked ceiling was descending. Ellen was about to rush back, but the snake HISSED and insistently pointed to a narrow passage between some skeletons. Ellen quickly glanced confused at her pet, then rushed that way. She found a roll of duct tape, while she didn’t understand why she needed, she grabbed it, then ran. She made it to the chasm, jumped down to a small ledge against its side, and ate an Air Bean. She floated across, and as she was ascending, she could grab the Earth Bean on the pedestal and eat it to regain weight. The skeleton mountains were crumbling beneath the spikes, she ran as the mountains’ bases were squishing and spreading onto her path. She bolted to the exit door and escaped—the three skeletons that kept her prisoner zipped over, but didn’t catch her.
The whole house rumbled when the ceiling crashed. Ellen held her racing heart, taking many breaths. She bypassed the smelly kitchen, went up the stairs, and navigated through the house until she made it to the 4th floor. She met the black cat in the central room. “Funny, I could’ve sworn you went that way.” He pointed. “Shortcut wasn’t available this time?”
Ellen sat on the floor to rest her legs. “I just met Viola… at least… I think..”
“Yes, I saw that. As part of the Switching Spell, you share not only minds, but also hearts. Fragments of the other person’s soul are left inside the body, as you already guessed. Viola feels your personality, you feel hers. And when feelings are strong, both of the hearts are able to communicate with each other. Even if one does not voluntarily do so.”
“So this… ‘compassion’ and ‘remorse’ I’ve been feeling for these…” She glanced at her snake, “things. It really is because of Viola. And Viola… she’s feeling my…”
“Of course, even that side-effect can’t just happen between two people. The two subjects of the spell really need to feel they share the same heart. So you and Viola really did take from each other’s character a little.”
Ellen shook her head. “Viola is still crazy, and she’s become a worse monster than I was. I still don’t understand how she’s alive. Didn’t you tell me that if a witch despairs, then she could die forever? That’s how I planned to get rid of her for good.”
“The feeling of ‘despair’ comes in many forms. Yes, as per my contract, I would not revive you if you despaired. But true despair comes with the purest, most heartaching remorse and regret a person can feel. A person regrets all of their life’s decisions, until their soul no longer wants to stay bound. Viola despaired because the person she trusted with her life played her like a card. The only regret she feels is regret for befriending such a person. Her soul, in those brief moments, drowned in rage. And that kind of rage… is far too hot to carry to the Underworld.”
“So, what are you saying? If I want to get rid of Viola, I have to make her feel regret?” There was a rise in Ellen’s voice. The cat detected a stutter. “Feel regret for… f-for hurting her own friends, for being so- . . . ?”
The cat glanced away. “If you think you can, then try. But now it sounds far easier to simply tell her off, make her understand that you just won’t give her body back, that she would live her half-life more peacefully if she just gave up.”
Ellen panted quietly to restore breath. She wasn’t sure where to draw on from there. With her snake still on her shoulder, Ellen stepped down the hall and into the Piano Room. For completing the song, the door had opened, bringing her to the dreary, blue room with the fallen woman statue. She remembered the duct tape she collected. Using (Viola)’s great strength, she grunted and hauled the statue back onto its perch. She held it there and used the tape to stick it back together. The spirit of a brown-haired woman in a white dress rose from the stone, smiling graciously at Ellen. “Thank you.” She faded.
There were cracks all around the walls. Ellen remembered the one that had a Diary Room, but Viola might’ve moved it. She had the snake slither into a tiny hole within the walls. It came out to confirm a crack on the west wall safe. She kicked it open and crawled inside. Every other spot was a chasm, but this one had the Secret Diary.
My uncle told me that my father wasn’t my father.
My real father was a rich man who didn’t want me.
Why didn’t my real father want me?
My real father was a rich man who didn’t want me.
Why didn’t my real father want me?
Ellen headed to the door in the upper-right. They took her upstairs, to the 5th floor hallway. The top floor of the house. Soon, she would reach her room, and confront Viola for real.
7 years ago…
“COUGH! KEH. KUEH!” Ellen sat on the couch and hacked blood. 8-year-old Viola sat beside her with worry.
“Ellen, do you need more medicine?”
“Sometimes- COUGH! They burn each other out… and it takes a while to take effect- KAH!”
Viola flinched and stepped away at that one. Ellen’s eyes were bulging, her face was grotesque. She looked at Viola with wide eyes, leaking blood. The posture Viola stood, her frightened eyes. “Hmph… why do you even come over here.” Ellen turned away.
“Whaddyou… mean?”
“I see that look you always give me… You pity me. You think I’m hideous. You wanted to scream at me back then, you won’t admit it, but you did.”
“No, that’s not true!” Viola stepped closer. “I think you’re-”
Ellen whipped around, scaring Viola with her action and appearance. Truthfully, Viola never imagined a 9-year-old having these kinds of symptoms. “You only come over here because you feel burdened. My image probably makes it hard for you to eat. You wouldn’t come over here if you didn’t think you were hurting my feelings.”
“Ellen…” Viola felt hurt inside.
“What- cough? It isn’t true? You’ll only look at me after my potion works.” She lied on the couch and curled up. “But it won’t work for a while, so you should just leave.”
“You don’t… want me to leave, do you?”
“Go ahead, I won’t mind. I don’t want you to stay out of pity.”
Viola furrowed her eyes. She marched up to her friend and clamped her rusty leg. “Okay, fine. I do feel sorry for you and I wanna stay to comfort you. Why is that so bad? Am I not allowed to try to help someone I care about?”
Ellen huffed to herself and turned her face against her hands folded on the cushion. “Ellen, I hate your disease, too. I might not have it, but I hate it because it’s hurting you. It’s making life painful for you. I want to help you feel better, I wanna help you and make things easier. Ellen, you’re my friend and I love you, you can call it ‘pity’, but… would you rather I not come over here and ignore you completely?”
Ellen bent her fingers, clutching an imaginary force. “Ellen, look at me.” She turned toward the cushion again. “Ellen, please?”
Ellen released a sigh. Ellen turned her face up, looking in Viola’s honest green eyes. The blonde-haired softly touched Ellen’s face. She rubbed around, over her mouth, nose, and eyes. She got little droplets of blood and mucus on her fingers. With her left hand, Viola felt around Ellen’s legs. So skinny… so shriveled… so hard. They felt like thin, rugged stones. Like her face. “…You’re really pretty, Ellen.”
“Hmm.” Ellen glanced away, scornfully.
“I mean it. You’re beautiful, no matter how sick you are. You have pretty eyes, and pretty hair… and you’re so nice and so fun. I’m sorry if I react how I do, but I don’t wanna leave. I wanna keep coming over and… looking at you.”
A bloody tear leaked from Ellen’s left eye. The witch sat up and hugged Viola. The braided child smiled and returned the hug. The blood and mucus wiped off on the back of Ellen’s dress. It didn’t matter if she pitied her, or thought she looked gross… Viola loved Ellen. Because they were friends…
These two floors were always my favorite. The song “Friend” was written by AmaitoFuu, you can find him on YouTube. A lot of people sang or made videos featuring the song. Next time, we will venture the 5th floor. Until then.
Suggested Collections
![[Osipush] Galeem](https://images-wixmp-ed30a86b8c4ca887773594c2.wixmp.com/f/ebc74810-a5d5-41c6-889d-459ca2998976/dcup8zu-153b371e-2688-4385-986f-91c8d7e5a0b3.png/v1/crop/w_92,h_92,x_0,y_14,scl_0.035276073619632/_osipush__galeem_by_dashiemlpfim_dcup8zu-92s.png?token=eyJ0eXAiOiJKV1QiLCJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.eyJzdWIiOiJ1cm46YXBwOjdlMGQxODg5ODIyNjQzNzNhNWYwZDQxNWVhMGQyNmUwIiwiaXNzIjoidXJuOmFwcDo3ZTBkMTg4OTgyMjY0MzczYTVmMGQ0MTVlYTBkMjZlMCIsIm9iaiI6W1t7ImhlaWdodCI6Ijw9MTYzMCIsInBhdGgiOiJcL2ZcL2ViYzc0ODEwLWE1ZDUtNDFjNi04ODlkLTQ1OWNhMjk5ODk3NlwvZGN1cDh6dS0xNTNiMzcxZS0yNjg4LTQzODUtOTg2Zi05MWM4ZDdlNWEwYjMucG5nIiwid2lkdGgiOiI8PTEwMjQifV1dLCJhdWQiOlsidXJuOnNlcnZpY2U6aW1hZ2Uub3BlcmF0aW9ucyJdfQ.W_RFwqai6tppOYXzz1wkoJUH1M8g9HjaHvIpoXZ8U1o)
Featured in Groups
Did I mention the worthwhile plot importance this story has for my Gameverse series?
Chapter 1: gamewizard-2008.deviantart.com…
Chapter 2: gamewizard-2008.deviantart.com…
Chapter 3: gamewizard-2008.deviantart.com…
Chapter 4: Are the puzzles getting challenging?
Chapter 5: gamewizard-2008.deviantart.com…
Chapter 6: gamewizard-2008.deviantart.com…
Chapter 7: gamewizard-2008.deviantart.com…
Witch's House © Fummy
"Friend" © AmaitoFuu
Chapter 1: gamewizard-2008.deviantart.com…
Chapter 2: gamewizard-2008.deviantart.com…
Chapter 3: gamewizard-2008.deviantart.com…
Chapter 4: Are the puzzles getting challenging?
Chapter 5: gamewizard-2008.deviantart.com…
Chapter 6: gamewizard-2008.deviantart.com…
Chapter 7: gamewizard-2008.deviantart.com…
Witch's House © Fummy
"Friend" © AmaitoFuu
© 2015 - 2024 gamewizard-2008
Comments0
Join the community to add your comment. Already a deviant? Log In