It feels like we walked for ages before the blank background around us started to change. At first endless amounts of white nearly drove me insane, then a tinted blue color started to paint the white above us. Green started to appear at our feet turning into grass. Trees appeared, wildlife, a stone passageway that we were now walking on.
I was shocked by the drastic change that had occurred in only a couple of minutes.
"We're almost there Elias." Narra tells me, still clutching onto what little she can of my hand.
I nod, no longer interested in talking about where she's taking me anymore.
I'm just simply enjoy the view.
Before long, the whole radius was visible around us.
We approached a castle.
It was huge and wide in size, looking like those old, french castles I've seen in world history class.
"Why are we here?" I asked Narra.
Narra smiled then answered.
"This castle will be your home for this tale."
I stare at her dumbfoundedly.
She understood my confusion.
"I will explain everything later, when you are ready to hear it."
She nodded steadily and continued to walk on.
Okay, so I'm not going to hell, I tell myself. But then where am I?
That same voice from before answered again in my head.
"Listen to Narra." It said.
I look to Narra suspiciously.
"Did you say something?" I ask her.
She looks at me confusingly.
"Do you mean just moments before?"
I shook my head.
"Nevermind."
We approach the front castle gates. The walls towered over us leaving us under the shadow of the palace.
Narra turned to face me.
"Shall I begin?"
I look at her for the longest time before nodding.
"Yeah okay."
Narra grips my hand a slight bit tighter yet weak nonetheless.
"Please sit." She smiled as she pointed to tree stumps to our side.
I did as I was told and sat. She followed but instead, she sat on the ground before me, making her look as tiny as ever.
She cleared her throat, giving me a chance to stop her before she starts. I don't.
"Go on, tell me." I urged her on.
She nodded.
"As soon as you enter this palace your story will begin," she started. "You must play the part of the prince according to the story you're in."
"Then what story am I in?" I interrupt.
"Today, you'll start with a number one classic."
"Cinderella?" I groaned.
Narra nodded and smiled.
I sighed.
"Okay, so what am I supposed to do? Is there a script I should have or..."
"All you must do is play the part to the best of your ability. There is no script. Hopefully you're familiar with the story yeah?"
"Well yeah... but--"
"Then you'll be fine."
Narra starts to get up, but I stop her.
"Cinderella is a fairytale about Cinderella, not the prince." I tell her matter of factly. "The prince barely has any part or meaning other than dancing with Cinderella at the ball and being dumped by her on the same day."
Narra stands with her hands on her hips defiantly.
"Cinderella does not dump Prince Charming. The timing was just off is all. And plus, they get married in the end anyway. It is a Happily Ever After for both the Prince and the Princess."
I roll my eyes.
"Sure." I reply sardonically.
Narra continued.
"Prince Elias, you do have a part, a large part. Princesses wouldn't get a happy ending if it were not for Princes."
"That's bullshit. Girls don't need guys to have a happy ending. To reproduce, sure but other than that they..."
I stop.
"Narra?"
Narra stares wide eyed at me, in shock.
"What?" I ask. "What's wrong?"
"You..."
I wait expectantly.
"You seem very... Interesting."
"Ookay?" I say slightly weirded out by her sudden behaviour.
"No I mean, your way of reason is very different. Your language is also questionable as well."
"Well, I don't know what to tell you. This is how I talk."
Narra smiled.
"Well in a strange way, my prince, it is becoming."
"Is it?"
Narra furrows her eyebrows.
"That word."
"What word?" I ask.
She doesn't explain further.
"It's been awhile since I've heard those kinds of words."
"What, bullshit?"
She nodded.
"Considering the circumstances, it's certainly been a long time for sure."
"Yeah?"
Narra reaches for my hand and pulls me up.
I stare stupidly at our hands, wondering how I could feel her grasp again when before...
"Enough about that Elias. Let's start shall we?"
"I don't know." I say unsurely. "All of this seems kind of sketchy."
Narra looks at me, confused.
"Sketchy? What is that?"
I just stare at her.
"It's... well, nothing, let's go."
ns 18.68.41.150da2
