Mom guides me past the lobby with sure, confident steps. She’s wearing a tight blue blouse and a pencil skirt. Her black heels clacking loudly and a garment bag slung over one shoulder. I’m barely above her waist so I have to almost run to keep up.
She’s so pretty. Today must be big if she’s wearing her lucky blouse. She always says blue is her color. I hope I have legs as long as hers one day.
There are trees of all kinds and colorful plants surrounding us even though we are inside the atrium of the hotel. I follow along as Mom navigates the winding path to our destination.
The plain gray plaque next to the door we arrive at reads Pinellas but the glittered and bubbled letters hanging above the door say Dressing Room! In bright colors.
As I push past Mom into the room, I feel the nervous atmosphere threaten to overwhelm me. Women and girls my age are scattered throughout the room, all in a blur of activity and in various stages of dress, makeup, or last minute alterations. Their individual territories are marked with luggage or chairs. A few screens and curtains near the back are acting as impromptu changing rooms.
I spot a few friends and a few not-so friends as my mother takes my arm, it hurts a bit, and drags me toward our “designated” area.
That was my fault. I shouldn’t have stopped. I know we’re behind schedule. And I know that Mom is extra excited today but I’m not sure why.
I give a shy wave to a few friends as I pass them while Mom gives the other adults a smile-that’s-not-a-smile.
As we finally reach our spot with our suitcases laid out from the evening before, Mom sits me down and says, “I have a surprise for you, sweetie. Well, two surprises.”
Without waiting for a response, she continues, “That little errand we ran may have put us behind schedule but it will be worth it.”
Once again she doesn’t wait for a reply as she unzips the garment bag and unveils a beautiful little blue evening gown. It has a v-neck with sparkling sequins from the torso up. The left side of the skirt is floor length but the right side is very, very short.
This isn’t the dress I practiced in. I do recognize it though.
I touch the dress and watch it shimmer as I ask, “What happened to my other dress? It was pretty.”
Mom lays the dress gently across a chair and begins unpacking and preparing everything she needs to get me ready while answering.“This one is prettier.” she says, absently.
Deciding to try again and mentally bracing, I gather my courage to ask, “Isn’t this the dress that Daddy said was ‘too much?’”
My mother freezes in place before whipping around with her eyes slightly widened and a smile that contains no warmth stretched across her face. “Daddy wants us to win. Just like I do. And just like you do. Isn’t that right, Quinnie?” she asks me in a voice that’s too high pitched and using the pet name reserved for when I’m being immature.
I nod. Instinctively agreeing with whatever she asked me. She is so happy whenever I win.
“Good.” she says firmly before gesturing towards the dress. “Go put that on. Let me know if you need any help.”
I gather up the dress and begin to roll my eyes. I stop when I see my mother watching me with a frown. I jump and scurry off to find a free dressing room before she can say anything else. Luckily, there’s one nearby. It’s only occupied by a forgotten pair of sneakers that I quickly kick into the open before drawing the curtain, which looks suspiciously similar to the shower curtain in our hotel room.
It doesn’t take long before I’m stepping into the sparkly gown. It feels cool on my skin and smooth to the touch. The silky material hugs tight to my undeveloped form and gives the illusion of an actual bust where I know I’m lacking. The small straps and deep V-line leave much more skin exposed than I am used to and I’m already shivering under the air conditioned breeze from a nearby vent.
I hold my arms to my chest as I make my way back to my mother, feeling like I’m being weighed down by the gaze of every single person in the room.
I see my mother watching me as I approach, a smirk on her face.
“Took you long enough. The dress looks gorgeous!” she says as she adjusts and twists the fabric into place. She even attempts to adjust the bust but I pull away slightly, which earns me a sigh and a disapproving look.
She bounces back quickly and gives me a full smile but there’s a dark look in her eyes I can’t decipher. “I have one more surprise for you.”
My mother carefully extracts a small box before hinging it open and presenting it to me. It’s a gorgeous diamond necklace, pear cut with an artistic twist of white gold surrounding the gem.
I recognize it as my grandmother’s necklace. On my father’s side.
I go to protest, knowing Daddy wouldn’t approve but she spins me around without notice and draws it around my neck.
I hold my tongue. It’s only for a bit, then I’ll be able to return it to the old dresser where it’s supposed to be.
At first, the diamond is plunged through my false cleavage but my mother quickly adjusts it higher. And higher.
It starts to get uncomfortable as it’s pulled against my throat. I try to say something but my voice is cut off.
I reach up to stop my mother but can’t find her and the chain is too tight against my skin for my fingers to find any leverage.
My mind goes into a panic as I flail my arms trying to get someone’s attention but no one comes to my aid. I hear the sound of my mother’s twisted laughter as the chain gets tighter and tighter…
Automatic Resurrection Initiated
Lives Remaining: 2
I wake up with a start, immediately grasping my throat while I reflexively gag and cough. There are no vines constricting me and there’s certainly no chain but I can feel the phantom pressure on my throat and limbs. My body is in a full-on panic, desperate for air.
How am I alive? I literally felt my life end. Even after I had passed out.
…
… and fuck you, Mother. That dress was so wildly inappropriate it got me disqualified. Not that I ever cared to compete.
As my body begins to realize I’m no longer on the brink of death, I look around with bleary eyes and see a scene that takes me a moment to recognize. I’m in a chair next to a moss covered desk. Missing planks in the walls and ceiling allow shafts of light to illuminate a familiar broken bed nearby.
I’m in the damn tree house I appeared in to start this whole mess.
Finally being able to catch my breath, I inhale deeply and lean back… before I freeze instinctively and break out into a cold sweat.
Out of the corner of my eye, I see a deep green vine slowly work its way out from beneath the remnants of the bed. Towards me.
Fuck. This.
I bolt out of my chair, briefly pause when I notice a thin tendril was already winding its way up one of the wooden legs, and charge straight to the open door.
Unlike last time, I don’t stop or hesitate.
As soon as I reach the rickety balcony outside, I throw myself at the thickest branch I see. It’s about 5 feet down but I’m beyond risking being drawn and strangled again. I’d much rather risk a broken limb.
My stomach hits the thick branch and the air is forced from my lungs and converted into a strangled “seyah!” as I fold my limbs around the rough bark instinctively. Taking a moment to stabilize myself, I glance around and see a shock of pale blue breaking up the green and brown that dominate my vision.
Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author.
My lost hat, just outside of my reach.
Not wanting to wait around to see where the next vine will come from, I let my lower body fall from the branch, catch the rough limb under my armpits, and kick my legs towards the stupid quest objective.
I’m not going through all of this shit for nothing.
I feel the bark twist into the cloth covering my chest and dig into the skin on my chin as I stretch my toes as far as they can reach. I’m rewarded when my feet click together, snagging the corner of the woolen cap.
With another kick in the opposite direction, I fling it free of the branches, making a mental note of the direction the hat fell, before continuing my mad scramble down the wicked vine covered tree.
Using my new, slightly reckless approach, I crash through the branches and tumble down the tree. I even stay mostly upright the whole time.
With a final, fearless leap, I hit the ground with a roll, immediately popping up to snatch the fallen hat and sprint towards the safety of the dirt road.
I don’t stop my mad dash down the road until my lungs are screaming, desperate for relief. Looking around, the only vines I spot are high in the branches of nearby trees and are not making any noticeable movements. With my adrenaline running out and my legs beginning to quiver, I take a moment to look over myself.
My clothes appear to have come out surprisingly unscathed but I can’t quite pinpoint the origin of a few bruises that I find on my arms and legs, not that I was paying too close attention during my insane graceful descent. The worst injury is under my chin. A large scrape that has mostly stopped bleeding already but my fingers come away bloody when I touch my neck. Also, I can see the stain some drops have left on my tunic. My hair is full of twigs and leaves and I’m completely covered in dirt.
I must either look like some kind of forest nymph or a crazed hag. Hopefully the former, probably the latter. My mother would faint if she saw me now.
Smirking at the thought, I begin plucking the debris out of my hair and brushing the dirt off of my clothes the best I can. After unwinding a particularly stubborn branch from a tangle in my hair, and seeing more than a few of my hairs come away with it, I finally don that long, pale blue, stupid-looking hat.
Quest Completed
Name: Need some head… gear
Type: Fetch
Description: Nobody likes a sloppy top! Find your lost hat.
Progress: 1/1
Reward: 1 credit
Note: A full set of any fae gear will protect you from natural magic defenses. *cough*vines*cough*
Quest Updated
Name: Fill my nutsack!
Type: Fetch
Description: An empty nutsack is a sad nutsack. Find and deliver 22 Ochaco Seeds to the Twice tree.
Progress: 0/22 Ochaco Seeds gathered
Time Remaining: 4:21:15:44
Reward: ???
Fail Condition: Loss of all lives or timer runs out
Failure: True Death
Did… did the menu just cough at me?? How the fuck was I supposed to know the damn hat was SO important?
I sink to my knees as I realize I’m no longer in danger with the two pop-ups following along in my vision. I notice and appreciate the clarity of the updated fail condition in Fill my nutsack. Then I see the clock and freeze.
I lost TWO DAYS?!?!
I fall onto my side and pound the ground with a closed fist. Anger welling up inside me, I descend into a mental rant that I would normally only indulge in on-screen behind the appearance of a busty pixie avatar.
Two days because of some overgrown, bullshit, Jolly Green Giant’s mother....
[Some time later]
…. thirsty ass, Gumby looking weeds.
Where’s Mirah and her mute button when I need her? I bet she’d clear this quest in an hour.
The thought of my partner in crime brings a smile to my face.
I can’t wait to get back and tell her about this shit. She’ll break down everything and tell me exactly what I should have done instead. Find some shortcut I missed and simplify the random bullshit to get me home quick. And I AM getting home. Right, whoever is listening? RIGHT??
My attempt at mentally interrogating the gods above goes seemingly unnoticed.
With a resigned sigh, I pick myself up and trudge towards the guard that sent me on my ill fated quest. Even knowing every moment counts, I still can’t bring myself to walk faster than a shuffle. My body is still shivering intermittently from the crash following my adrenaline filled scramble and descent. Not to mention my resurrection that I haven’t fully processed and refuse to do so… I do, however, feel a bit of pride at getting down the tree and completing the quest without dying. Again anyway.
I spot the opening in the tree wall as I’m finally starting to feel better. My energy is up and my legs seem much more stable.
“Buddy!” I hear as I come into view of the guard, Dymo.
He rushes forward to greet me, speaking almost too fast to understand. “I’m glad you made it! I was worried you’d been strung up somewhere by those snare vines I’d warned you about.” he says excitedly.
What? He.. he warned me?
Both of my hands come up to my face in a loud slap as I realize I’d tuned out his explanation when I initially received the quest.
Damn you ADHD!
Mentally shaking my fist at the sky, I spot Dymo giving me an understanding nod when I know damn well he has no idea what I went through.
“Nasty little things. I once climbed one of the old trees by the wall on a dare. Lost a boot half way up and ended up trapped and dangling upside down with no way out. Luckily, had a friend watching me and he scurried right up with my boot. The nasty vine let me go right quick when he jammed it onto my foot.”
I watch him rub his arm at the reminder of an old injury before he continues, “Took a nasty fall but still... It’s much better than hanging there for days, waiting for someone to hear you scream. Or, even worse, I’ve heard some horror stories of people getting strangled by a vine.” He makes an exaggerated shiver before asking, “Can you imagine?”
I simply glare at him.
You have no idea.
He gives a small nervous chuckle before saying, “Anyways… Let’s get you back to business. Looks like you’ve had a rough couple of days. Do you still need help getting Ochaco seeds?”
I give him a firm nod.
“Alright. Have you ever fought a monster bare handed?”
My eyes widen slightly and I furiously shake my head.
“Then you need a weapon and a shield at the very least! The seeds are close to the village but outside the safety of the walls. It’s not too bad but there’s still a decent chance you’ll be attacked.” He gets a mischievous look in his eye and continues, “I can’t let you borrow my equipment. That’s against the rules. But if you do me a little favor, I coooould see about losing some spare guard equipment. What do you think?”
I slowly raise an eyebrow.
Dymo waves my skeptical look off and says, “It’s not that big of a deal. We have plenty of old equipment and the task is simple. The mayor’s son is a little turd-muncher and stole my poor boy’s stuffed bear. That’s not right, is it? I just want you to get it back for my boy. It’s his favorite toy and he cries every day without it!” His voice becomes pleading by the end of the request.
I close my eyes and rub my temples.
He wants me to steal a child’s stuffed animal. Even if it was stolen first, it’s still fucked up. He also said it’s fairly safe outside the walls. Couldn’t I just go get the seeds and run back if there’s any trouble?
I glance at the exit behind him and Dymo follows my eyes, a smirk springing to life on his face. “No leaving without proper equipment.” he states in an obnoxious tone.
I try to walk past him but he puts his hands on his hips and shuffles sideways to block me. I bounce back immediately while he is unmoved. It’s like running into a four foot tall statue.
Ouch. Little fucker is strong.
I fake to the left then dart right as quickly as I can. Dymo follows each movement easily with that stupid shuffling stride. He’s much too quick for me to get by.
“Hup! Hyah! Heah, ha, houp, seyaaaAAAH!”
I curse into the air as Dymo keeps that infuriating grin on his face and slowly shakes his head. He says, “Look. It’s a quick errand. I’d do it myself but I can’t leave my post until the donation ceremony is over. Skip on over to the big round building next to The Great Twice, sneak through a window and get the bear. 10 minutes tops.”
Quest Initiated
Name: Unbearable!
Type: Fetch
Description: A poor stuffed animal is in need of rescue!
Progress: 0/1
Reward: Lost guard equipment, ???
With a glance at the quest window and one last glare at the smug, not-so-cute-now guard, I turn and start walking down the path back towards the village.
Great. Experiencing a vine garrote was bad enough but I’m about to steal from a child. This is not what I thought going to another world would entail.
“Good luck, Visitor!” I hear from behind me.
I extend a single arm straight into the air and give the one finger salute without looking back.
Prick.