Chapter 6
My kitchen had somehow disappeared and I found myself in the center of a maelstrom comprised of swirling butterflies. Hundreds, thousands, millions of them. The noise from their flapping wings deafened.
Not my first time. This had happened many a time in my nightmares, and yet I still clapped my hands to my ears and shut my eyes tight.
Not real. None of this is real. It’s just a bad dream. A mantra I repeated over and over, to no effect.
Usually, it woke me from my night terrors, shivering and terrified.
This time, however, I couldn’t escape. I was caught in the eye of the storm, a fast-moving kaleidoscope of color, the variety of butterflies vast and likely fascinating to those who loved the winged bugs.
Not me. An ominous feeling pervaded this psychedelic landscape.
An icy terror that crept through the limbs and froze me in place.
I clamped my eyes shut. I wanted nothing more than to escape, but my dream wouldn’t let me wake.
And then something new happened in my nightmare. A voice spoke. Low in tenor. Androgynous and monotone.
Inside my head!
Do you accept?
Utterly startled by this change, I opened my eyes. The tornado of bugs remained but no one stood nearby, even though I whirled to check. So who had spoken?
Do. You. Accept.
A firmer repeat of the question.
Accept what? Then again, did it matter? Given the circumstances… “I don’t think so. Whoever you are, whatever this is, needs to stop right now.”
But you must. The sexless voice held a lilt of surprise.
“Must what?”
Accept.
“Given the freakiness of what’s currently happening, I am pretty sure I don’t want any part of what you’re offering.”
You have to, as you are the one.
“No, I’m not, so let me out of this nightmare and find someone else.” I’d had my fill of playing with magic when Charlie and I had accidentally summoned demons. Not to mention no fucking way would I trust anything that spoke inside my worst nightmare.
If you don’t accept, then they are doomed. You are their only hope.
“Who’s doomed? You know what, doesn’t matter. Having seen how the last owner of the necklace lived, I have no interest.” I planned to be the weird spinster cat lady, not the crazy reclusive butterfly one.
It can only be you. You woke the talisman.
“By accident,” I pointed out, assuming it spoke of the necklace, the last thing I remembered touching.
It was no accident but fate. Now you have a duty to accept.
“And will accepting lead to me being in danger?”
There will be peril, but—
I interrupted. “Let’s go back to the peril bit. Is there a possibility that, by saying yes, I will die?”
Yes, but if you succeed, there will be much glory.
“And will this glory pay me? Because I can’t afford to be skipping shifts at work. A girl’s got bills to pay, you know.”
You wish reward? Again, sounding surprised.
“Well duh.”
It is not in my power to give thee wealth.
“Then what would I get out of it?”
Are not the thanks of those you will help enough?
“You’re talking about me losing my job, likely the house, and putting my life in danger for strangers. Sorry, buddy, but while I’m all for doing charity, you’re asking a bit too much.”
A pause, then the voice said, Thou wishes to help the dryad defeat his curse?
“I do. Are you saying if I accept, you’ll fix him?” Because that would interest me.
I cannot. However, your journey will have you encountering those with the knowledge to aid.
“A journey to where?”
Across the ocean to the hidden realm.
Intriguing but for one thing… “And I assume I’m supposed to get there on my dime,” I muttered.
Do you accept?
Back to that question again, only, this time, I had a few clues.
I’d have to travel—which would max out my already hurting credit cards—put myself in danger—and possibly die—but I’d find someone who might know how to help Cedric beat his feline curse.
Sounded daunting. Exciting. Also terrifying. Did I dare say yes?
For some reason, I thought of Charlie. Not too long ago, she was a regular working drone like me.
Then, she’d accidentally opened a portal to another dimension, faced off against demons and a dark prince, travelled to another world, and prevailed against really terrible odds.
As her prize for stepping up, she was now married to a really hot elf, became a queen with a super-pretty crown, and lived in a castle.
What if this was my opportunity to test my limits? To do something worthwhile? Maybe find “the one.” Did I really want to turn down my one chance at adventure? Greatness?
Before I could change my mind, I blurted out, “Fuck it. I accept.”
The voice didn’t thank me or waste time. It also provided no warning as to what would happen next, likely because, had I known, I’d have said fuck no.
The tornado of butterflies suddenly illuminated with streaks of light. Pretty colors that swirled and whirled—and tightened around me like a noose.
The spinning bugs drew closer and closer. Enough I could feel the wind from their wings.
I blurted out, “You know what, I changed my mind. Sorry, you’ll have to—”
Forget speaking or breathing. A butterfly, its body glowing from within, broke free of the maelstrom and flew right into my open mouth. I immediately grabbed my neck and gagged. Not that it did any good, as it proved to only be the first. The storm of winged bugs streamed at me.
Into me.
Pouring into my mouth, down my throat, filling me.
Horrifying me.
It was worse than all my nightmares combined. I choked on the butterflies invading my body. Felt them crowding within, still fluttering.
Oh god.
What had I done?
I felt myself expanding as even more of them stuffed their way inside. I hurt. I stretched. My skin burned at the tightness as they kept cramming. Did they not realize I had no more space left?
When the last of the bastards wedged its way into my mouth, I exploded!