Blue stared at the woman and then a moment let out a disbelieving chortle. The woman did not budge, her countenance the same. “You’re serious?”
“Of course,” said the woman oblivious the girl’s mockery.
“But… I got here,” she said, pointing down at the floor, and then pointing at the door, she added, “through that door.”
“What door, dear?” asked the woman.
“That…” she turned to look in the direction she was motioning and saw nothing. She turned and ran to the wall where the door once was. “It was here,” said Blue. “It was right here.” Her head bobbed and swayed, looking for a seam of some kind to show a trap door or something.
“Come away from there girl,” said the woman, “else you might hurt yourself.”
“I’m telling you,” said Blue in a bit of a frantic state, her voice raising in a mixture of anger and confusion. “I came in here through a door that was right here.” Her balled up fist hit the stone hard, causing her hand to throb and sting. From her mouth then spewed some words that made the woman’s eyes grow big and wide… to match the grin on her face.
“My, my,” she giggled, “that’s not very becoming of a Princess.” The joke was wasted on Blue seeing as she was overcome by the pain in her hand. With a tired roll of the eyes and a sigh, she waved the girl over. “Come, come… let’s take a look at that hand.” Blue slowly stumbled forward, staring at her hand and taking baby steps. “Can’t send you back all banged up.” The woman seated Blue next to the big window opposite her workspace. “Now, now… let’s have a look at you.” Aside from various candles of all shapes, sizes and colors, the window was the only source of light in the room… and the best. The woman held out her hands waiting for Blue to offer up hers. Timidly she uncoiled her arm and extended it toward the woman. “Let’s see here…” The woman gently turned the girl’s hand over and over, eyeing the scratches and tiny blotches of blood.
Blue looked out the window and to the land of the kingdom. She the horses in the stables, people tending the fields, children playing… she smiled… then looked back at the woman. “How can you tell me we’re not in the castle? That we’re not in part of the castle?”
Still staring at her hand, the woman replied, “Because we’re not, sweetpea.”
“But, it’s right there,” she said, nodding out the window. “How can you deny what’s right in front of you?” Nonchalantly, the woman took a pebble from the window sill and tossed it out the window. It flew a few yards and then, taking Blue completely by surprise, was absorbed into something which she could only think of as an invisible molasses. The stone passing through it caused ripples in what she thought was just air and then the pebble was gone.
Staring out at where the pebble had been tossed, she didn’t hear the woman when she said, “There, there… all better.” Blue looked from the window to her hand, and it was brand new. No scratches or lines… no sign that she had hurt herself. Her mouth remained agape. “Sweetpea,” said the woman tapping Blue’s chin, “you’re letting all the flies out.”
Blue shut her mouth, looked at the woman in the eyes, and said what she was thinking. “Who are you?”
The woman smiled, tapped the girl’s chin again, and said, “Cookie?”
*originally written on February 7, 2008
“Of course,” said the woman oblivious the girl’s mockery.
“But… I got here,” she said, pointing down at the floor, and then pointing at the door, she added, “through that door.”
“What door, dear?” asked the woman.
“That…” she turned to look in the direction she was motioning and saw nothing. She turned and ran to the wall where the door once was. “It was here,” said Blue. “It was right here.” Her head bobbed and swayed, looking for a seam of some kind to show a trap door or something.
“Come away from there girl,” said the woman, “else you might hurt yourself.”
“I’m telling you,” said Blue in a bit of a frantic state, her voice raising in a mixture of anger and confusion. “I came in here through a door that was right here.” Her balled up fist hit the stone hard, causing her hand to throb and sting. From her mouth then spewed some words that made the woman’s eyes grow big and wide… to match the grin on her face.
“My, my,” she giggled, “that’s not very becoming of a Princess.” The joke was wasted on Blue seeing as she was overcome by the pain in her hand. With a tired roll of the eyes and a sigh, she waved the girl over. “Come, come… let’s take a look at that hand.” Blue slowly stumbled forward, staring at her hand and taking baby steps. “Can’t send you back all banged up.” The woman seated Blue next to the big window opposite her workspace. “Now, now… let’s have a look at you.” Aside from various candles of all shapes, sizes and colors, the window was the only source of light in the room… and the best. The woman held out her hands waiting for Blue to offer up hers. Timidly she uncoiled her arm and extended it toward the woman. “Let’s see here…” The woman gently turned the girl’s hand over and over, eyeing the scratches and tiny blotches of blood.
Blue looked out the window and to the land of the kingdom. She the horses in the stables, people tending the fields, children playing… she smiled… then looked back at the woman. “How can you tell me we’re not in the castle? That we’re not in part of the castle?”
Still staring at her hand, the woman replied, “Because we’re not, sweetpea.”
“But, it’s right there,” she said, nodding out the window. “How can you deny what’s right in front of you?” Nonchalantly, the woman took a pebble from the window sill and tossed it out the window. It flew a few yards and then, taking Blue completely by surprise, was absorbed into something which she could only think of as an invisible molasses. The stone passing through it caused ripples in what she thought was just air and then the pebble was gone.
Staring out at where the pebble had been tossed, she didn’t hear the woman when she said, “There, there… all better.” Blue looked from the window to her hand, and it was brand new. No scratches or lines… no sign that she had hurt herself. Her mouth remained agape. “Sweetpea,” said the woman tapping Blue’s chin, “you’re letting all the flies out.”
Blue shut her mouth, looked at the woman in the eyes, and said what she was thinking. “Who are you?”
The woman smiled, tapped the girl’s chin again, and said, “Cookie?”
*originally written on February 7, 2008
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