Chapter Text
Once there was a girl, with chocolate brown hair and emerald green eyes. A girl who dreamed of goblins and dresses; of faeries and adventure. A girl, who at one time was the center of her parent’s universe. Her mother taught her to use her imagination to expand and see beyond the world she lived in, to see what lies in the mysterious shadows of the universe. That through the stories she created, she could create her own reality, or uncover hidden truths perhaps in others. Her father was much the same then. He would join in their fantasy adventures with roles of his own. On occasion they even turned the living room into a makeshift stage to perform in front of each other. The girl and her parents would spend countless hours together creating fanciful tales of far off places with royalty and monsters. Great beasts that would be nearly insurmountable. The girl never wanted to play the damsel as her mother did often, but instead, took on the role of knight in shining armor to swoop in and fatally strike down the monsters of their imagination. The days passed so quickly that they shared together. Summers spent on voyages together, whether at home or perhaps out in the world some, new scenes for her to add to her journey. If only there had been more.
Once, the girl stepped off the bright yellow school bus, excited for the winter break that had just begun! The holidays were permeating the atmosphere and a soft puff of snow blanketed the earth. New flakes had just begun falling gently from the gray skies above. The girl was excited to spend the whole time creating new stories to play with her family. She skipped joyfully up to the porch. But as the girl opened the door to her home though, her father was standing right in the entry way, his coat on and keys in hand. He said few words, and hastily took the girl’s hand. They were off back into the car before she could even set her backpack down inside. The girl was confused. Her father was speaking about heading to the hospital, something terrible had happened to her mother. The ride was swift, lights breezing by outside in a blur. The girl remembers the silent snow fall as her father picked her up once the car was parked ran towards the entrance. It was quiet outside.
It was loud inside. People were bustling everywhere, and carts rolled by with people in them. Some quiet and unmoving and others moaning. There were many of them. Her mother was part of this group she thinks, he father is speaking with a lady at a counter explaining how the accident had affected them all. They were taken to a different room to sit. Time passed in a haze for the girl. There were machines chirping, fast shoes squeaking on the shiny floor, her father’s voice loud and frustrated at a lady dressed in blue clothes.
More time passed and soon she was seated on her father’s lap as he sat beside her mother, lying still on the white bed. There were other machines in this room, constant noises and the bustle of nurses and doctors passing by and stopping in on occasion. The girl didn’t know how much time had passed, but they didn’t leave the room, hoping that her mom would open her eyes and smile at them again. The girl felt scared.
Suddenly there were more noises, louder and more obnoxious than before. Her mother wasn’t waking up though. She reached out for her mother’s arm, desperate to wake her as the room was swarmed with nurses and doctors. Suddenly the girl was picked up by a stranger to be removed from the room, confused she cried out and reached for her mother, crying out for her now. Pleading with her to wake up. All the people were surrounding her mother, seemingly create more chaos to try and solve the noises of the machines. The girl understood something terrible was happening, that her mother was in danger of something unknown to her. She cried again, flailing to try and go back. She was handed off to her father and the glass door was shut to keep them out of the way. Her father was shaking, her set her on the floor before he himself slumped in a heap on the floor. There weren’t so many noises now.
Just one.
Once it was silent. The girl remembers how quiet the snowfall is, even the people all dressed in black, some shivering with cold, others with tears, were still and unmoving, transfixed perhaps. The air is calm all through the gathering, the gentle snowflakes lazily drift towards the frozen, rigid ground. Her father is mute, he says nothing the entire time, but she sees his eyes still glisten throughout. The girl has no more tears for today. Her voice had been hoarse for over a week previously. But today, today it was silent.
Once the girl grew up. The girl’s father no longer the man of intense make-believe, but instead one of traditional values. He changed business ventures, finding accounting his new calling for their family. And with that growth came more changes. Soon, the girl found her father brought home a new lady, his girlfriend at that time. The girl understood, but felt angry. How could her father love another? It wasn’t fair. He was to find a new love, but how could she ever think to have a new mother? The girlfriend eventually became her step-mom. As the girl grew, she did her best to follow all the new rules, but found herself struggling, not quite feeling as accepted in this new family as the old one she’d had.
Once there was a baby. And with that baby came nightmares of a new kind. Tragedies and difficulties the girl never knew could exist before. Coexisting with another person in the family, as well as having to take a role in the responsibilities. The girl was frustrated, she’d seen so much more in her mind and her imagination none of this should have happened. She knew about step-mothers, how was hers to be any different? Especially that suddenly brought a baby into the group. Her father was so taken by this newly constructed family he couldn’t see how his girl just felt out of place now.
Once there was a grand adventure. Of faeries who bite and goblins who chase after chickens, of swamps and junkyards. An adventure where time had little meaning, and everything was never as it truly seemed. The girl had everything she’d ever longed for. The enemy that was constantly ready to challenge her, to sweep her off her feet in her imagination. Herself the heroine of her tale, saving the person she’d wrongly thrown blame upon, she became the knight she had always valiantly determined to call herself. The girl went through the challenges He threw at her and overcame them. The girl felt her imagination rekindle and burn with a passion she’d hadn’t felt in years through the trials, and worked hard overcame the hardships. She had found friends, friends who she now treasured and wished to help outside of herself. The girl had faced Him and won. The girl did not understand what she’d done. Not entirely.
Once the girl grew up. The girl whose mind flourished with tales that were perhaps only dreams in her memory now studied and practiced hard to become exactly what she’d wanted to be. An actress. Changing her roles like a chameleon for each production, expanding her abilities with genres and works she was offered. The girl soared, her mind so enthralled with bringing her roles to life, she excelled often, her voice talented. The girl, now a woman, had received an invitation to a premiere gala from a patron no one had ever met. She had agreed, for what could be more adventurous than a masquerade in a far away place with the chance to meet a mysterious stranger?
Once there was a girl who had the adventure of a lifetime.
Once there was king who had fallen in love with the girl.
Once there was a champion of the Labyrinth who had left and had yet to return.
Once there was a plot to kill the champion.
And once more there were to be goblins who chased chickens, fruits that caused hallucinations, dances that were full of passion as well as some danger, friends from the past, owls with knowing eyes, and a maze of ever-changing paths.
There was once a girl named Sarah Williams, but what she didn’t know was that the king had fallen in love with the girl and given her special powers. Powers that perhaps neither of them understood the risk of until now.
Welcome all to the Goblin King’s Masquerade.