Creative Writing (Draft)

Once Upon a Fairytale…The Land of No Believers

_{By, Stephanie Jones}

A Plan Re-Born

Chapter One

The wind stood still on that cold dark night in the Whispering Hills. Located in the most remote corner in the Land of Shadows; a place so dreadful that only the most vile and villainess of creatures dared to travel. The only castle in this land of ruin sat atop the mountains’ highest peak. Glowing lights shone from candles that floated in all twenty-five windows of the castle. One by one, wicked creature after wicked creature appeared in the castle’s great hall. Everyone who was anyone in the world of dark magic was in attendance. The guest list read like a who’s who of legendary villains: Evangeline the Evil Queen, Whitney the Wicked Witch, Ludwig the Lord of the Trolls, Gustavo the Evil Genie, Selena the Sea Witch, Rumplestilskin, Quincera the Queen of Hearts, and Crook the one armed pirate just to name a few.

“So glad you all could make it. I know we don’t always see eye to eye but you will find that the ties that bind us are rather strong tonight.” Maleficent said.

Soft mumblings erupted around the room –in truth, the only tie that bound this group of deviants began and ended with their choice to embrace the darker side of the magical coin. Scrilla Queen of the Snakes was the loudest in her grumbling. She and Maleficent were never on the same evil page. Scrilla envied Maleficent’s power and felt that she should be charge of the dark magic underworld instead of the other way around. Maleficent gazed upon each of her guests directly. They were forced to look her straight in the eye—a stare that coerced each of them into submission. A simple warning that demanded respect and a threat that said she was not going to make again.

 Maleficent gracefully waved her arm from left to right. Coming to life in an instant, the grand hall filled with floating candles. Each candle hovered in symmetrical and adjacent corners of the room. A decadent spread of food appeared on floating platters. The room filled with the delicious aroma of the supersized portions of smoked turkeys stuffed with goose liver stuffing, baked octopus tails, pumpkin pickled cranberry sauce, fried unicorn legs, grilled mermaid tails, meals that were forbidden throughout the land. The floating food was followed by drinks that were magically poured in dragon emerald encrusted jeweled goblets atop towering tables lined the center of the hall.

The guests were led by to a poorly light dungeon by three feet tall trolls with long pointy ears. They didn’t speak a single word. Nor did the raise their heads to look at the guests. They simply pointed their scissor-like hands in to the direction they needed to go in the room that had been arranged for a meeting.

Everyone, with the exception of Maleficent, sat at a long skull shaped table with high rectangular back wooden chairs. Seats that was could’ve swallowed the largest of giants, gave each of the villains the appearance of a mere child as they tried to position themselves as their feet dangled. Their feet were no where near touching the ground. Some tried to cross their legs in an effort to look more regal, but the unforgiving seats made it impossible.

 The room’s temperature soared from bearable to sweltering. But, that had no affect on Maleficent. She stood at the head of the table waiting for everyone to give her their undivided attention. When Maleficent was satisfied with their attentiveness, she sat down. Maleficent held her chin up and her head high, as she looked down at all those that sat before her.  Power became her; it was the source of her strength. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath channeling the power of the room through her throne. A throne that was made from life-like carvings of king cobra snakes that sat on the left and right side of her. Carvings that protruded out above the chair, suspended in the air, with each snake had their forked tongue pointed toward her audience. The arms of the chair were also made up of snake carvings. These snakes were carved in a S-shaped position, that rose and fell from the chair in a fluid motion. The mouths of these snakes were also wide open revealing its equally venomous fangs for all to see. Her throne complimented every inch of her frame. Maleficent’s stature, unlike her guests was not dwarfed by the size of her chair, rather it suited her like an accessory to her greatness.

“Alas, the moment you have all been waiting for. Thirty years ago today you all came to me with complaints and gripes about our shared nemeses that practice light magic. And at each of those moments I told you not to worry…” Maleficent said.

A raspy voice from the crowd called out, “You said those words and yet, thirty years later I am banished from my home and I have to live in the hills with the giants.”

“Ah, my dear friend Rumple. No need to get your pointy little ears in a bunch. I know all of your troubles and how light magic has repeatedly made a fool of you. Don’t fret my dear. All of that is about to change.” Maleficent gloated.  She turned her head to look at her other guests that might dare and challenge her. She would allow it, but only from Rumplestilskin.

She continued speaking before he decided to challenge her again, “Finally, after years and years of waiting, finally we have everything that we need to completely get rid of light magic altogether.” Maleficent said.

She canvased the room with her eyes. Looking to see the facial expressions of her minions when she told them that dark magic would at last reign supreme over light magic. She tried to keep her face stern, not letting on just how extremely pleased she was that her plan was finally ready to come to pass. Her emerald green eyes glistened with victory. She let her lips form a slight smile as her eyes surveyed the table where the commanders of the dark magic underworld sat. 

The table, much like Maleficent’s chair was composed of what looked like carvings. Legend says that the carvings in this table are the actual skulls of Maleficent’s victims. Each of the skulls had a distinct uniqueness. The table and chairs sat, rather floated above a fiery dungeon that was below them. And if anyone got out of line it would open and suck in its victim. Maleficent always had the upper hand on the other villains. She always met with her fellow evildoers in places that showcased just how powerful she truly was. The most diabolical villains the world had ever seen were in the same room and Maleficent was the leader of them all. A job she knew had a lethal termination date—that was always looming. But, for now, no one dared to challenge her or her powers--at least not in her presence.

After receiving the news, she’d expected to hear their applause and not the deafening silence that had fell upon the room. One brave soul decided spoke and broke the silence.

“I wouldn’t rejoice just yet, your majesty…” a voice spoke out from the darkness.

“Who dares to speak with an air of doubt and insolence?” Maleficent said. She shot her eyes around the room daring the speaker to make their presence known.

Suddenly, a meek, hunched backed troll Maleficent’s head servant, Jeffery pushed the bold speaker forward. She had punished him over one hundred years ago to do her bidding and he was only loyal to her.

“Here! Here, he is your highest majesty. He who dares to speak opposition to your brilliant plan.” Jeffery said.

“Thank you Jeffery.” Maleficent replied calmly. “State your name you insolent fool!”

 “I think you may know me, your majesty…”

Maleficent cut him off. “No, I do not, for I do not bother to remember the names of irrelevant beings.”

“I am Captain Crook your majesty.”

Everyone in the room gasped and turned their head to the bold speaker.

“Well, Captain Crook, how dare you doubt me you lowly peasant? You don’t even possess a magical bone in your miserable body.” Maleficent paused. She rose in her seat, which showed how tall in stature she truly was in comparison to her seated guests and the rather short Crook.

“You rely on the power of fairies to do your bidding.  You’re only here because of your evil past. Plus, it has been said that your ship, the Sea Widow, at your command and your command only, harnesses some dark magic that make you only remotely useful. So what gives you the right to question the great and all powerful Maleficent?” Maleficent said. Her hand hovered over the lever to open the dungeon.

“Pardon me for thinking or questioning your powers.” Crook said as he stepped closer out of the shadow. Bowing his head with his hat in hand. He was late to arrive therefore he was not seated at the table.

  “But you called us all here to inform us that all of the parts needed to complete your magical domination plan are intact, correct?”

“That is correct.” Maleficent said.

“Okay, well isn’t it a safe assumption that you may not succeed?” Crook asked.

Maleficent sat back down and shifted her staff to her left hand. She waved her right hand over it and the globe on top of the staff began to glow. An image was projected in the center of the table in plain view for all of her guests.

“Look at what we have here. A desolate and lifeless fairy tale world, look at all of the castles of all of the princesses—empty. Let’s take a gander shall we, look at fairy valley—lifeless! No sign of life. There’s not a tinker, sparkle NOTHING! They are all gone—scattered because of my power. They were seeking refuge in the most remote corners of the world. And look, just look at world they left behind. Light magic is ceasing to exist. Giselle, Wicked Witch of the West, how is your sister Gabriella the Good Witch of the North?”

Everyone at the table turned their heads in rhythmic unison to hear her response.

“She is gone your majesty. She fled the Forest of Fairies months ago. She used her last bit of magic to conceal herself from me.” Giselle said.

Maleficent smiled. “Just as I suspected and just this afternoon I took down the last protector of good magic my arch nemesis The Fairy God-Mother is no more.” Maleficent said as she let out a wickedly vociferous laugh.