07: Trapped

Branches Of Sunshire

Chapter 7

Trapped

Andreas returned home with Craig, entering the living room with him trailing behind him like a shadow looming over him.

Craig: “So, we’re in private now like you wanted!”

He purred, wrapping his arms around him from behind. Andreas jolted to his touch.

Andreas: “What the hell are you doing?!”

He gaped at him, yanking away from his grip.

Craig: “What? You said you wanted to fuck me!”

He huffed. Andreas blinked mutely at him.

Andreas: “NO, Craig, I said we needed to talk in private!”

He hissed through clenched teeth.

Craig: “Yeah, that’s code for you wanna fuck!”

Andreas blinked mutely at him. He didn’t know whether to cry or laugh at his statement.

Andreas: “Again, you weren’t listening to me… You only hear what you want to hear, and not what’s actually being said!”

He threw his arms up in frustration. Craig gaped at him as if he were speaking in a foreign language.

Craig: “What do you wanna talk about then?!”

He asked.

Andreas: “Seriously? How about you threatening to beat up any man who stands five feet away from me?”

He folded his arms across his chest.

Andreas: “...Or how you hit on Blake? Was it an isolated incident? Or do you hit on other men when I’m not around?!”

He locked his eyes on him with an unsteadiness in his tone. Craig's mouth hung open like a fish.

Craig: “W-what?! Oh, come on, Andreas! I'd never do that to you! Don't buy into his lies!”

He pleaded beseechingly.

Andreas: “Lies? I saw it with my own eyes, Craig!”

He narrowed his eyes on him. Craig shifted his eyes.

Craig: “Maybe you need to get your eyes checked for glasses or somethin’?”

He shrugged. Andreas gaped at his response and had to take a moment to pause.

Andreas: “Or maybe my vision is clearer than before?!”

He countered, locking his glare on Craig.

Craig: “...Why? Did ya get contacts now or somethin?”

Andreas groaned and rubbed his temples and drew a long breath.

Andreas: "Sometimes I can't tell if you're trying to gaslight me, or if you're just that dense?!”

He drew an exasperated breath. Craig pouted.

Andreas: “There's nothing wrong with my vision, Craig! And I don't just mean that literally! But of course that would fly over your head! Everything does!”

He snapped and threw up his arms in frustration. Craig knit his eyebrows.

Suddenly, Makayla’s door barged open as she emerged from her bedroom, in a red tank top and skirt that were too small for her.

Makayla: “HEY! Stop fighting you two! Christmas is upon us, so eat, drink, fuck, and be merry!”

She scolded them like children. Andreas felt a wave of dread wash over him at the thought of Christmas.

Craig: “Fuckin’ oath, let's stop fighting, Andreas!”

He pleaded with him. Andreas frowned.

Andreas: “Great. Now I am suddenly happy.”

He drolled sarcastically.

Makayla: “That's the spirit!”

She exclaimed. Andreas raised his eyebrows at her.

Andreas: “Are you drunk, Makayla?”

He asked.

Makayla: “If you mean drunk on love, I sure am!”

She beamed giddily.

Craig: “This better not be about that fat drongo, Brad!”

He huffed.

Makayla: “Not just him… there's another!”

She sighed wistfully.

Craig: “Who? Fuckin Santa Claus?”

He laughed at his own joke.

Makayla: “No, you dingbat! Ashley!”

She huffed, nudging his arm.

Andreas: “Ashley next door?”

Makayla eagerly nodded. Craig laughed.

Craig: “But Ashley is a chick!”

He cackled.

Makayla: “No, he's not! He's just a heavyset pretty boy like Brad!”

She sighed dreamily. Craig groused.

Craig: “Pfft! Fat guys ain't hot, Makayla! Ashley ain't a fat guy! She's a fat chick!”

He countered, waving his arms. Makayla glared at him. Andreas interjected, clearing his throat.

Andreas: “Umm. I don't think Ashley is a man or a woman.”

He declared. Makayla gaped at him. Craig scoffed and laughed.

Craig: “See! I told you that ya need your eyes checked, Andreas! I knew I was right!”

He grinned. Makayla laughed. Andreas glared at him, feeling his frustration spike again.

Andreas: "I'm going to bed.”

He announced with exasperation, marching into the bedroom and closing the door in Craig's face.

Craig: “Yeah, let's go to bed, Andreas!”

He purred and went to twist the knob, but it wouldn't budge.

Craig: “Andreas?! The door won't open?!”

He whined, rattling the knob to no avail.

Craig: “A-Andreas?! Hey! The door's locked! Lemme in!”

He pleaded, pounding his fists on the door and rattling the doorknob more intensely. Suddenly he heard a clank, and his jaw dropped at the broken doorknob between the mighty grip of his large, calloused hand.

Craig: “A-Andreas?! The door's broken!! Can ya fix it?!”

He whimpered, throwing the doorknob to the floor with a metallic clatter.

Andreas lay on his side in the dark, with his back to the door.

Andreas: "You broke it, you fix it, Craig!”

He called over his shoulder, rolling his eyes. Can he fix it? Or rather, will he? He pondered bitterly. That’s not all that is broken, he thought pensively as he covered his ears with a pillow to drown out the wailing of what sounded like a wounded pride animal on the other side of the door.

~

The next morning, Blake awoke to the sun casting onto his face through the window. He groaned and rolled over, facing away from it to see Ashley in the bed beside him, still asleep, with their cat curled up with them. Blake rose from the bed and flicked his gaze to the clock on the wall, reading quarter past ten.

Blake: “Hey, Branch, get up, you overslept on making breakfast!”

He poked them, but they didn't wake up. Blake’s eyebrows rose.

Blake: “Branch?!”

He tapped them harder, and Stella pawed at Ashley, but they still didn’t wake up.

Blake: “ASHLEY?!”

He gasped, shaking their shoulders, but they still didn't wake up. Blake’s heart sank.

Blake: “HELP!”

He cried out in desperation. The door barged open as Madelyn flew in.

Madelyn: “What's wrong?!”

Blake: “Ashley’s not waking up!”

He cried, shaking their shoulders. Madelyn gasped and rushed to Ashley.

Madelyn: “HEY, ASHLEY! WAKE UP!”

She jumped on their bed like a trampoline. But Ashley still didn't wake up.

Juniper calmly sauntered into the room and knelt to Ashley, placing the Sole of her foot onto their foot.

Juniper: “...Ashley is in a veeeeery deep dream state.”

She deduced. Blake sighed with relief.

Blake: “Ok? So, how do we wake them then?”

Juniper: “We can't. We just have to wait for the effects of Jacqueline’s poison to wear off. Ashley will be fine; they just need rest, food, and sunlight.”

She explained, opening the curtains to let in the sunlight.

Blake: “POISON?!”

His jaw dropped. Juniper pursed her lips and nodded.

Juniper: “She uses mushrooms in her spells for evil!”

She frowned disapprovingly.

Juniper: “Mushrooms are beautiful and shouldn't be treated like that!”

She stamped her foot indignantly.

Madelyn: “There, there, Juniper.”

She laughed, patting her back.

Nari peered her head into the room. Blake looked over to her.

Blake: “Hey, can you make a healing potion for Ashley?”

He pleaded with her.

Nari: “Do I look like a potions charity to you?”

She huffed.

Nari: “Besides, I don’t have an antidote for Jacqueline’s poison.”

She clicked her tongue.

Nari: “Ashley will be fine. Just leave them to rest.”

She folded her arms across her chest.

Madelyn: “Come on, you can leave Ashley alone for a day, right?”

She challenged him.

Blake: “A whole day?”

He blinked mutely. Madelyn gaped at him.

Madelyn: “Oh man…”

She laughed and shook her head at him.

Madelyn: “Come on, let’s go get some breakfast or something!”

She tugged on his arm, trying to lead him out of the room. Nari halted Blake.

Nari: “You two go ahead. Give us a minute.”

She said firmly. Madelyn and Juniper exchanged a look.

Madelyn: “Uhh, sure?”

She nodded to Juniper, and they both left the room, heading for the stairs.

Nari watched them leave. When they were out of sight, she summoned her staff and knelt to Ashley.

Nari: “Do you have a photo of Ravi or something Ravi touched?”

She asked him. Blake paused to ponder.

Blake: “I don’t know. We came here with nothing, but the clothes on our backs.”

Nari flicked her gaze to the robes in the corner of the room.

Nari: “Did Ravi touch those robes?”

She asked him. Blake paused and nodded.

Nari: “That will have to do. Now, think of Ravi. Visualise them in your head.”

Blake drew a long breath and closed his eyes. His expression was dampening. Nari knelt to their robes, pulling out a vial of black oil. She administered it onto their robes, placing black crystals onto them and waving her staff over them as if she were striking a large ‘X’ over them.

Nari: “With the items tainted by your touch…”

She chanted, wrapping up the robes with a black string.

Nari: “I bind you against our beings.”

She added, turning to Blake, presenting him with the black oil.

Blake: “What’s that?”

Nari: “Banishing oil. I use it in my block-shield spells. I need to place this somewhere on your body to complete the spell.”

She explained. Blake paused for a moment and glanced down at his Sunshire tattoo.

Blake: “Do it here!”

He pursed his lips. Nari’s eyes widened.

Nari: “...That symbol gives me the creeps.”

She shuddered.

Blake: “Tell me about it.”

He huffed. Nari administered the black oil over his tattoo. The oil seeped into his skin as it absorbed it.

Nari: “Now for Ashley.”

She knelt to Ashley, taking their hand and administering the black oil over their tattoo on their thumb and the oil seeped into their skin, absorbing it. Nari rose to her feet and administered the oil onto her own hand.

Blake: “What are you doing?”

Nari: “Hey! I want to protect myself, too!”

She pouted.

Nari: “Okay, now, think of Ravi again. Imagine that there is something divided between Ravi and us that they cannot see through or penetrate. It could be a wall or a fence or something more abstract.”

She instructed. Blake drew a breath and closed his eyes again. His expression started to relax.

Nari: “Good. Now to complete the spell. I cross you, command you and compel you to stay out of our lives. As I will it, so shall it be.”

She chanted, casting a glow that filled the room, touching Ashley, Blake and herself, and touching the garments as if to bind them together. Nari exhaled and dropped her arms.

Nari: “It is done. Ravi shouldn’t be able to find you. Now, put these somewhere safe where no one can find them.”

She nodded to Blake, handing him the wrapped-up robes.

Blake: “Right.”

He nodded, looking up towards the attic.

~

Andreas awoke to heavy thrash metal music blasting from the living room. He shot up out of bed and approached the door to open it, but it wouldn’t budge. Andreas twisted his mouth.

Andreas: “Who am I kidding? Of course he didn’t fix it.”

He huffed and banged on the door.

Andreas: “CRAIG!”

He hollered out for him, but his voice got lost in the music. He tried banging up against the door, to no avail. It remained jammed.

Andreas: “God dammit!”

He groaned, plonking down on the bed, looking around the room for solutions. His eyes darted over to his tarot deck sitting in the corner of the room with his belongings. As he approached his corner, the conversation he had with Blake echoed in his mind.

Blake: “So, uh, why are we in Craig’s room?”

Andreas: “This is my room, too…”

Blake: “Then where is all your stuff?”

Blake: “Why is all your stuff packed away?”

Andreas pursed his lips and sat down on the bed, shuffling his tarot card deck.

Andreas: “I don’t know anymore. I don’t know what to do anymore…”

His voice trailed off as if he didn’t have the right words. A single card fell out of the deck in front of him. Death. Andreas stared down at the illustration of the skeletal horseman in shining armour, wielding a black flag into the battleground. Change huh? I wish he would change his ways… but he won’t, he thought bitterly as he heard Craig’s laughter over the music outside.

Andreas: “Something needs to change though...”

He paused and pondered, glancing out the window. The sunlight cast a beautiful day outside, and he looked to the manor next door, where he saw Blake sitting in the backyard, basking in the sun.

Andreas: “I’m not waiting around for you, Craig! I’ll get out of here myself!”

He yelled to him over the loud music and rose to his feet, marching over to the window. He slid the window open with hard force, taken aback by how easily it moved.

~

Blake sat alone by the large oak tree in the backyard, under the sun. He was startled by a “Psst” above him. He glanced up to see Madelyn sitting in the tree.

Madelyn: “Hello from above!”

She waved her hand and smiled at him.

Blake: “What are you doing up there?”

Madelyn: “I like it up here!”

She replied, swinging on the branches.

Blake: “Careful, you might fall.”

He frowned.

Madelyn: “Aww, are you worried about me?”

She smiled.

Blake: “No. I just think you’re being foolish.”

He shook his head.

Madelyn: “More like free and fearless! You should try it sometime!”

She exclaimed, hanging upside down from the tree branch, close to his face. Blake turned to glare at her.

Blake: “What’s that supposed to mean?”

Madelyn: “You’re scared of life!”

She poked his nose. Blake flinched and drew away from her.

Blake: “Don’t do that! I am not scared of life!”

He huffed.

Madelyn: “Dude, you freak out if Ashley is out of your sight for more than five minutes!”

She exclaimed.

Blake: “Yeah, because look what happened when I let them out of my sight for more than five minutes! That big-foot bitch got to them and look what she did to them!”

He countered.

Madelyn: “Big-foot bitch?!”

She cackled with amusement, summoning her staff.

Madelyn: “You’re foolish to think you have that control. You don’t, so let go!”

She fell back from the tree branch, causing Blake to jolt. She floated down like a feather with the air, down to the grassy patch, where she lay on her side, smiling at him.

Blake: “Easy for you to say; you have airy Majique or whatever. If we fell from that tree, we’d break our bones.”

He huffed and folded his arms across his chest.

Madelyn: “Wow… that flew right over your head.”

She laughed.

Blake: “What’s that supposed to mean?!”

He huffed.

They were then startled by rattling and a thump next door. They both looked over the fence and saw Andreas jumping out of the window and falling into the backyard.

Blake: “Andreas?”

He rose to his feet and leaned up against the tree to get a better look. Madelyn swung her gaze to Blake and smirked.

Madelyn: “HEY! ANDREAS!”

She hollered at him. Andreas turned in their direction and froze like a deer in headlights.

Blake: “W-what are you doing?!”

He hissed at Madelyn and reddened.

Madelyn: “What? Don’t you wanna talk to him?”

She teased. Blake shifted awkwardly and didn’t reply.

Andreas slowly approached them by the fence.

Andreas: “Oh… hey.”

He said awkwardly.

Madelyn: “Why are you using your window for a door? Did Craig take off his shoes and stink up the room or something?”

She laughed. Blake turned to him with curiosity. Andreas twisted his mouth.

Andreas: “No… he broke the doorknob and trapped me in the room.”

He heaved a long sigh.

Blake: “WHAT?! He wants to keep you locked up?!”

His jaw clenched, and fists tightened.

Andreas: “He didn’t do it on purpose… he’s just… stupid.”

He groused bitterly. Madelyn laughed.

Blake: “Don’t underestimate the danger of stupidity.”

He groused bitterly.

Madelyn: “Danger of what? Dying of laughter? Stupid people are funny! It’s like living next door to a circus and watching a free comedy show every day! Except you, Andreas!”

She replied.

Andreas: “Thanks.”

Blake: “I knew an idiot like Craig back in Sunshire. He got us lost in the woods and ate all our food! We could have died because of his stupidity!”

He huffed, folding his arms across his chest. Andreas paused and bowed his head, reflecting on how Craig’s terrible stage broke his leg and now trapped him in that room.

Craig: “ANDREAS!”

Craig’s booming voice snapped him out of his bitter reverie, and he turned to see Craig emerging from the house, looking for him. Andreas froze and before he could think, he was climbing over the fence. Blake’s eyes widened when he saw Andreas jump and fall into the yard before him. Madelyn’s jaw dropped and then she laughed.

Madelyn: “...What are you doing?!”

She burst out laughing.

Blake: “Andreas?!”

Nari emerged from inside the house and heard Craig calling for Andreas.

Nari: “Running from the beast, I see?”

She swung her gaze to Andreas.

Andreas: “I am not running away.”

He countered.

Nari: “Could have fooled me.”

She clicked her tongue.

Madelyn: “Can you blame him?! Craig’s feet reek to high-heavens!”

She fanned her face with her hand. Nari groused with disgust.

Blake: “I am sure Craig’s foot odor is the least of his issues.”

He rolled his eyes.

Nari: “Just because he is block-shielded from entering here, it doesn’t mean he still can’t see you here if he looks over the fence! I am not dealing with that barking dog!”

She huffed.

Blake: “So, we will go inside then.”

He insisted, gesturing for Andreas to follow him inside.

Nari: “Fine.”

Nari and Madelyn followed them inside.

~

Blake, Andreas, Nari and Madelyn sat together around the dining table in the living room, adjacent to the kitchen.

Andreas: “Where is Ashley?”

He asked.

Blake: "Ashley is… sleeping.”

His voice trailed off. Juniper skipped into the room with a basket full of mushrooms.

Juniper: “I picked Ashley some mushrooms!”

She exclaimed, presenting them with a basket of edible mushrooms she foraged from the forest.

Blake: “Why mushrooms?”

He asked.

Juniper: “What do the sun and mushrooms share in common?!”

She smiled. Blake gaped at her.

Blake: “...Nothing? They’re completely different things!”

Juniper shook her head.

Juniper: “You’re very wrong! They’re both a source of vitamin D and connected by nature!”

She exclaimed, holding her finger up towards the sun.

Juniper: “Ashley will need a good energy boost when they wake up!”

She nodded her head. Juniper turned to Andreas.

Juniper: “Hello! I’m Juniper!”

She smiled and waved at him. Andreas gave her a puzzled look. One minute she gives a lesson on nature, the next she forgets they met. Something doesn’t add up, he thought.

Andreas: “Yes, we met at your birthday party.”

He said gently.

Juniper: “Oh? We did?”

Nari sighed.

Nari: “Have you been smoking that idiot’s grass again, Juniper?”

She asked.

Juniper: “No, I haven’t been smoking it!”

She shook her head.

Juniper: “I’ve been eating it! Ashley made cookies, remember?”

She chuckled. Madelyn laughed. Nari frowned. Andreas gave her a look. She remembered that part, but not meeting me? He wondered.

Blake: “What idiot? Craig?”

He asked. Andreas tensed up at the mention of Craig’s name.

Nari: “Not that idiot. The other idiot. Brad.”

She rolled her eyes. There was that name again, Blake thought.

Blake: “Oh. So, you met Brad, huh?”

He turned to her with curiosity.

Nari: “Unfortunately. He is just another Craig, except FAT.”

She groused. Andreas swung his gaze to her and gaped.

Andreas: “Craig and Brad are not alike…”

He interjected. They all turned to him.

Juniper: “Why? Because Craig is a commonfolk?”

She smiled dumbly.

Blake: “Speaking of which, why did you climb the fence to get away from him?”

He asked.

Juniper: “Because he wanted to get away from him!”

She replied. Andreas bowed his head.

Nari: “An astute observation.”

She deadpanned.

Andreas: “I don't want to do Christmas with him; I'm too mad at him right now!”

He exhaled sharply.

Blake: “Christmas?”

He arched an eyebrow.

Madelyn: “Yeah, the commonfolk holiday where they sit around eating while a fat guy comes down the chimney with presents!”

Blake: “I know what Christmas is. My father was a “commonfolk” as you put it.”

He explained.

Nari: “Why are you celebrating a commonfolk holiday?”

She asked Andreas.

Andreas: “Because it means something to Craig.”

He sighed.

Nari: “Did he celebrate the Winter Solstice or the Sun Cycle with you?”

She asked.

Andreas: “...Well, our band would always play a show on New Year's Eve, so I suppose we celebrated the Sun Cycle…”

He explained.

Blake: “...Is that what you wanted to do? Do you want to spend another Sun Cycle with Craig?”

He finally asked. Andreas paused for a moment.

Andreas: “...I don't know.”

He drew a long breath.

Juniper: “You will find the answer! Listen to your heart! Energy doesn't lie!”

She smiled at him.

~

Ashley lay asleep as the sun cast light through the window, filling them with warmth and transcending into their dream state. Ashley stood at the centre of a large garden maze, engulfed by tall mountains and ivory stone buildings, under the warm light of the sun. “Ashley!” A woman's voice called out for them within the maze. They gasped when they saw a radiant woman in white with long flowing platinum hair, standing at the other end of the path.

Ashley: “...Mum?”

They rose to their feet and scurried over to her, but she laughed and sauntered deeper into the maze. Ashley followed after her; the maze grew darker the deeper they went. The bright warmth of the sun was replaced by a dark, cold atmosphere. The cool wind blew through their hair, and wisps of autumn leaves scattered around them.

Ashley: “M-Mum?!”

They stammered as the maze began to spiral around them. The voice called out their name again: “Ashley!” and they felt a presence behind them. They turned around to see Jacqueline standing behind them.

Jacqueline: “Foolish little Enby, I am not your mother!”

She taunted. Ashley craned their neck to look up at her.

Jacqueline: “Finally! I’ve been calling you for hours now! You were out like a light!”

She huffed and tapped her foot impatiently. Ashley stepped away from her, backing against the maze walls.

Ashley: “...T-that was you?! What are you doing here?! Are you really here or is it my imagination?!”

They stammered.

Jacqueline: “Ha, you don’t have that imagination or power to conjure me yourself. You are simply bound to me by my poison.”

She scoffed and laughed, stepping closer to them. Ashley stepped back.

Ashley: “...Is that why you called yourself the Crimson Queen of Dreams?”

They asked.

Jacqueline: “Wow, bravo. You’re so clever.”

She clapped her hands together. Clever? Ashley wondered. No one had ever said that before, or was she joking?

Jacqueline: “Why are you asking me what I am doing here, when you are the one who brought us here? This is your dream, right?”

She looked around and spread her arms out. Ashley paused.

Jacqueline: “What is this place and what happened to your mother?”

She pressed them.

Ashley: “...This is my home… and I don’t know…”

They said softly, embracing themself.

Jacqueline: “I see now.”

She smirked and stroked her chin.

Jacqueline: “So… you want to find your mother, do you?”

She asked, placing her hand on their shoulder. Ashley paused and looked up at her.

Ashley: “And my father! I want us to all be together again!”

They cried.

Jacqueline: “Aw, how very sad and sweet.”

She wrapped her arms around them and patted their back as they sobbed.

Ashley: “S-Sorry, I’m not supposed to cry!”

They pulled back, dropping to the ground. Jacqueline gave them an inquisitive look.

Jacqueline: “Why not?”

She asked, turning to face them.

Ashley: “Because it dims my light!”

They cried. Jacqueline blinked mutely.

Jacqueline: “Really now? We can’t have that. So, let’s make a deal, Ashley.”

She sat down beside Ashley, placing her hand on their shoulder.

Ashley: “A deal?”

They gaped at her.

Jacqueline: “I will help you find your parents.”

She raised her hand.

Jacqueline: “If you help me take back what’s mine!”

She exclaimed, folding her hand into a fist. Ashley knitted their eyebrows.

Ashley: “...The mansion? But it’s ours! I’m sure if you apologise, we can make peace, and maybe Juniper will let you visit?”

They cried. Jacqueline’s smile crumbled into a sneer.

Jacqueline: “That is an insult!”

She huffed, rising to her feet.

Jacqueline: “Here I am, trying to help you find your dear, missing parents, and you insult me! Did my sister and her stupid friends help you find them? I think not!”

She ranted, folding her arms across her chest.

Jacqueline: “And what of your brother?”

She locked her gaze on Ashley with a smirk. Ashley paused.

Ashley: “W-what about Blake?”

They asked.

Jacqueline: “He doesn’t want to be found.”

She laughed.

Ashley: “Huh? What do you mean by that?”

The sun grew brighter, fading her apparition away. A big smirk spread across her lips.

Jacqueline: “Well, looks like we’re out of time for today! Until next time, Ashley!”

She blew them a kiss and faded out.

Ashley: “H-Hey! Wait!”

They cried and reached out for her, summoning their staff.

Ashley snapped their eyes awake to the sun blaring in their face through the window and their staff in hand. Ashley gasped and shot up from the bed, looking down at the staff.

Ashley: “M-my energy is back!”

They beamed, gripping their staff. Suddenly, they felt a pang of hunger and placed their hand over their tummy.

Ashley: “Oh my stars, I’m sooo hungry!”

They exclaimed.