The Rescue
I had received a post in the mail. It was unsigned. It instructed me to follow this path through a maze of hedges to where my fortune would be revealed. What can I say? I’m just a curious soul, not to mention bored out of my wits at home. So I followed the directions on the map included with the letter.
I usually don’t believe in fortune tellers. But this one was different. She knew my name before I even mentioned it to her.
“Alison,” she said, “your presence here on this day was foretold. There is much I must tell you, and there is not much time to tell it.”
Her long black hair floated in the air around me. Her face, so smooth and well-kept, was in discord with her wrinkled hands and sharp pointy red fingernails. Her blue eyes gazed deeply at a clear crystal globe in her hand, which showed an image of a girl on a small boat with patched sails floating on a rough body of water. And the girl in the boat was me.
“It is good that you brought some supplies in your backpack, for your journey will be long,” the woman spoke. “There is a castle in the distant hills that you must seek. Within those walls, you must find a prince. But beware, he will not be what he appears to be. Let those that help you guide your way to the prince and his rescue. Remember who you are, for that is important. Now go!”
Before I could ask any questions, she was gone. No woman, crystal ball, and as I turned around, the hedges I had walked through had grown to such a height that I could not turn back. My only recourse was to move forward.
So onward I went. I lost track of time. It could have been hours; it could have been days or even weeks. I was lucky enough to find both food and shelter along the way. I helped creatures that were in trouble that then accompanied me. I shared what I could with them. There was a large bird, a crow of sorts. There was a snake, who was long and quite strong. There was a wolf and its cub, who were warm to lie next to as the weather got colder at night. Surprisingly, all of these animals could speak, not in any language other than their own, but we understood everything that was said to each other. Truth be told, I might not have survived without them.
We ended up at a large body of water. I could see the castle on the other shore. And there was that boat from the teller’s image. It was not big enough for the 5 of us, so I was the only one in the boat. The wolves and snake were left behind; the crow flew on ahead.
It was a difficult crossing; the waves were rough as they battered my boat. The patches on the sails threatened to come loose, but I managed to make it to the other side and the castle.
Now to find the prince.
Getting into the castle was easy. The snake had told me of a hidden entrance underground. There were locked doors to pass through, but the wolf told me of weaknesses in the structure that, with pressure, I could get through. And finally, I made it to the deepest part of the castle, the dungeon. There, I saw the ragged princely person, locked up and in chains.
“Please, you must help me,” he cried. “I am the prince of this realm and have been forced to exist down here. I will die if you do not save me.”
“I’m here to rescue you,” I replied. Using the knowledge I had learned along the way, I was able to unlock the door and remove the chains.
“You shall be rewarded well,” the prince said in a voice that suddenly sounded different.
The crow guided our way out, and we made it to my boat. This time, however, the boat had somehow grown. It could now carry both of us across the waters. The waves were dangerously stronger. Dark clouds filled the air as we crossed; thunder rolled.
We joined up with my previous companions as we reached the other side.
“My dear companions,” said the prince, “you have done well, and now you shall all get your rewards.” The prince uttered some words I did not understand, and then all hell broke loose.
The crow savagely attacked the snake, killing it instantly. The wolf then similarly attacked the crow, ending its life. And then all eyes turned on the wolf cub. The wolf appeared to be about to attack its cub, but the cub struck first. The adult wolf never had a chance.
The prince snickered and laughed. “And now the final task to solidify my plan,’ he said.
The wolf cub then looked directly at me. Its blue eyes were aglow. There was what appeared to be a questioning look on its face, and then he looked beyond me at the prince.
“Please do not harm me. I saved you in the woods. You know me. I am your friend,” I pleaded.
The cub’s eyes turned dark. He barred its claws and leaped at me. At least, that’s what I thought he was doing. He, in fact, leaped over me and directly toward the prince.
When the cub was through, the prince lay dead. Well, I should say something lay dead, for this shriveled-up old man was not the prince I had rescued. Standing over the old man was not the cub but a very well-dressed princely-looking man. He turned to me, bowed, and said, “Thank you for breaking the curse and saving my life. Your plea to me broke the hold the evil wizard had on me. Had you not, it would have been you who was killed, and he would have taken my place in the kingdom forever.”
I bowed to the prince as understanding cleared my mind. I was not the bored girl named Alison that started on this journey but Princess Alisandra, the intended of the prince who stood before me. This sorcerer had also enchanted me to forget the prince and who I was. Had it not been for the letter and the teller, this story might have ended differently. Or maybe not; after all, she did say this day had been foretold.
