In the end of the novel, the Sealand people kill everyone on the battle field and take Petra, David, and Rosalind back to Sealand.  I believe that this was, in no way a happy ending even though it could be mistaken as one.  Most of Waknuk’s men are now dead, which will hit the town very heavily – especially since Joseph (their leader) was amongst those killed.  The entire Fringe-people town that David and Rosalind stumbled across on is also dead, which is extremely cruel, since most of them had fought for their own survival for all of their lives.  To fight and be on alert all the time would be harsh, however, to do that and then be killed by something so much more advanced than you? Far worse than anything I could see the Fringe – people getting themselves into – even if they did go to war with Waknuk, there still would have been some survivors!  Also, I believe that in a way, David may not ever be able to find closure and peace of mind because the last memory of his father was his father coming to kill his own son simply because he was more advanced than he could ever believe.  In my opinion, the Sealand lady only came to the rescue because of how strong Petra’s ability was.  David and Rosalind will probably be looked down upon in Sealand.  The only reason the Sealand lady agreed to taking them back was because of their relationship with Petra.  I believe that the Sealands people’s true reason for rescue was to further their own species.  Petra will be used to train others, because she believes she is in their debt for saving her, which I definitely do not see as a ‘happy ending’.

I believe that telepathy would be very useful in the modern world.  For instance, the cost of schooling would be cut back drastically because everyone could stay in their homes and communicate with the teacher via thought.  There would be a lot of jobs lost due to telepathy, however, a lot of new jobs would also be available.  Government and military affairs would be much cleaner and better thought out because people and officials would be able to communicate exactly what they are thinking, and thus, would come across more clearly to those around them involved in whatever they are doing.  The possible drawbacks would be that if everyone had telepathy, anyone could listen in on government affairs, and plan counter attacks.  Security would be much easier to compromise.  Also, people who were not telepathic would be socially outcasted, and looked down upon an a community, so although it may be great for the telepaths, it would be living hell for the non-telepaths. 

Based on the information given, I believe that most likely, a nuclear war broke out.  There were most likely a lot of nuclear bombs and explosives used, which explains the fringes, and most of what Uncle Axel has seen on his voyage.  I believe that the fallout of the nuclear bombs was not only spread into a vast circumference around the blast zone, but also was most likely picked up in the wind currents, sending it far beyond its origin.  Also, after the fallout had worked its way into the soil of the area, it would work its way into the water systems and, in time, oceans.  The ocean currents would then pick up the nuclear dust and particles and move them all around the world, causing every continent to have fringes, even if they were as far away from all blasts as possible.  In the fringes, I believe that David and Rosalind will most likely find people off all different shapes, sizes, and abnormalities.  They could be friendly or hostile, depending on what they inquire about David and Rosalind.  It is sure to be a great adventure for them.

“Ignorance is the night of the mind, but a night without moon and star. “  I feel this quote by Confucius almost directly relates to the story, and the character Anne’s decisions.  Indeed, sympathy is played for Anne’s desire to be normal and marry Alan, however, one cannot help but feel that she takes it a little too far.  The desire to be normal is understandable, but, one can only go so far with that – especially if one is a mutant.  Anne shuts herself out her telepathy completely, allowing herself to think that she is almost normal.  Back to the quote — Anne’s ignorance of her gift and evolution made it seem like she was normal, as said before, however, I feel that if she had embraced her gift instead of shutting it out, she could have opened herself to something much more – a night of the mind with moon and star.  So, how are the telepaths a threat to Waknuk?  Truth be told, they are none of the sort.  In fact, they are scared of being found out by the others. If, and only if, the telepaths were dangerous people with bad intentions for Waknuk could they be a threat.  For instance – an attack against Waknuk could be fairly easy if they communicated their plans and strategies by only thought.

After the many centuries and millenniums, it is no doubt that fairytales have been altered almost entirely from their original versions.  This story contains many parts of fairtales everyone has gotten told in their nursery, and delivers them its own unique way.  From an evil wolf, to an ugly troll; Always One for Fairytales has them all!

Lovey the gosling just doesn’t seem to fit in, a young man by the name of Arthur tracks wolfs for food,   Jack, Chess, and Danton have been living on their own for a few years since the disappearance of their father, a goat from ‘the hood’ has a run-in with a troll over a bridge, and an evil wolf is on the prowl!  How can things get any crazier than that?  In the countryside of Cornwall, England, rests a few small towns.  The constant fog gives a sense of adventure, while sending chills up your spine.

Look around you – there is no one to be seen; nothing but the tall grasses swaying in the cool breeze from the ocean not far away.  Let the misty, fresh air fill your lungs, invigorate your senses, and allow your mind to go blank while hearing the story of five brave souls whose fate is entangled with one another’s.  All is quiet around you, however, the distant sound of water and buzzing insects keep you sane while you allow the silence to over-take you, and bring you to a place in your mind where you can experience living pictures in colours so vivid, rainbows are put to shame.  Welcome to Saint Ives, Cornwall.

When Jack’s little brother is abducted by a wolf, he takes his sister, Chess, and runs away from the situation in a panic.  When in desperate need, Jack turns to a total stranger living in an odd brick house.  While the man, not much older than Jack, seems nice at first, Jack and Chess fall victim to being accused of stealing his goose.  They are told that the goose lays eggs of gold, and she was goose-napped by a troll living by a river not far from his house.  When they find out that they have a common enemy, they decide to work together.  The man, named Arthur, tells Jack that if he gets his goose back for him, he will save his brother from the wolf.  After a long, slippery walk, a magical bridge, and a billy-goat in need of a reality check, Chess and Jack reach the trolls cave, only to find that Lovey the goose is under lock and key.  In an attempt to find the key, Chess stumbles upon the ugly troll.

Seeing an article earlier about a female troll eaten by a wolf, Chess figures out that the troll and her also share the wolf as an enemy.  When she informs him that she can get someone to slay the wolf, only if the goose is returned to its rightful master, the troll hands her the key to Lovey, and finds closure in his mind, knowing that his wife’s killer will be given no mercy.  After hearing what Chess had done, Arthur finds that he is in Chess’ eternal debt.  He and Jack set out the next day on a treacherous road, until they finally find the den of the wolf.  They stumble upon the wolf’s nine pups, and begin to understand the wolf’s real intentions.  Arthur slays a giant boar, and trades it for Danton, knowing full well that the bargain was in their favor.  The heroes and heroine live on through their victories.

Always One for Fairytales

The cold air blew the soft, grey fuzz of Lovey’s face to the side.  “Ugly,” was what they had called her.  As much as her mother told her that the names she was called were not true, it still hurt – her own brothers and sisters putting her down because she was grey, while they were white.  Lovey put the thought out of her mind, and dipped her foot gently into the cold water of the pond in front of her.  Ripples were sent through the water as her webbed feet moved about.  Slowly, they would move to all edges of the small pond, before ricocheting back and colliding with each other.  The occasional sounds of the grass swaying, and the music of insects filled the otherwise quiet air, surrounding Lovey with a blanket of tranquility.  She took a deep breath, letting the fog of Saint Ives fill her lungs, and let her mind go completely blank – not even sparing a thought for the subtle movement of the grass around her.  The clear, fresh water felt good on her webbed feet after walking all the distance she had to get away from the nest – she would call it home if it was a home at all.  For once in her life, she had not a care in the world.  Her normal self-conscious feelings were not there for one beautiful moment, as she felt a sense of contentment come over her – the last time she had felt this way was before they started teasing her.  She took one last deep breath before thinking of how much Mother must be worried about her right now.  She pictured her mother coming home from the lake to see six white goslings in her nest, and worrying about where the grey one was.  Lovey turned ‘round to head back to the nest, and suddenly found herself staring deeply into two hungry, yellow eyes.

The air that gushed out of the giant snout in front of her was hot, and made her gray feathers bend back towards the pond.  At first, all she saw was hunger in the wolf’s eyes, but as she continued to gaze deeper into them, something else stood out to her.  Lovey was not sure what it was at first, and disregarded it as hatred, or even evil.  However, the short moments that felt like forever to Lovey made her look back upon them – it was not hatred at all.  The word would not come to her at first, for she had never felt it herself, but within a few seconds, an image of Mother came into her head from a time when food was scarce and she had to gather food from far away to feed Lovey and her siblings.  Her mother had the exact same look in her eyes – determination.  She knew this wolf would not eat her.  This wolf would not want to take another mother’s child away for his child’s sake, when the child was as small as Lovey was.  She slowly edged her foot backwards, and began to take a step backwards.

It happened faster than she could have imagined – the wolf swiped her, and sent her flying to the side.  Lovey could not understand how she had been so wrong in reading the wolf’s eyes.  She was going to be eaten – or worse, taken to the wolf’s young.  She tried to get up, but the searing pain in her right leg held her down.  Just then, Mother emerged from the grass.  She snapped her beak at the wolf, temporarily disorientating it; however, the wolf came to in a matter of seconds, and pounced.
“Run Lovey!” her mother squawked as she braced herself for the impact of the wolfs heavily furred body.  Lovey ducked into cover, and began to limp her way through the overgrown grass.  There were sounds of growling, flapping wings, and fast-moving claws.  Lovey froze as she heard the sound of her mother’s distress calls grow faint, and then suddenly come to a stop.  All around her there was silence.  Silence and the gray fog that had cost her the sight she had needed to see the wolf earlier; to be able to get away and hide; to save her mother from having to attack the wolf to defend her. She knew that she could not go back to the nest, as her siblings would only blame her for the death of mother, and shun her.

Lovey quietly resumed limping in the opposite direction of the nest.  Maybe she would be eaten by the same wolf, or maybe she would be able to hide in the tall grasses this time, and save herself since her mother would not be able to do anything in her current condition.  The wind began to blow, making it a struggle for Lovey to make her way across the fields that bowed down to the prevailing storms.  Her hunger was making it difficult to concentrate on the direction she was trying to head in.  Anytime an insect would buzz by her head, Lovey would attempt to catch it in her small beak.  Her efforts went unrewarded, as she found that the insects were far faster than she had expected them to be.  After what seemed like forever, Lovey came to a dirt road.  She stood, analyzed the situation she was in, and attempted to find the direction that she desired to go in.  The dry dirt covered her damp webbed feet and the occasional sharp rock left Lovey in agony – her already hurt leg, throbbing.  The pain seemed to be getting worse, so she decided to determine the source of the pain.  A small rock with a sharp edge had been lodged into her right leg.  At the sight of it, the pain worsened, and Lovey found herself unable to walk.  She needed help, and she needed it soon, so she looked around, but saw no one – not a single soul.  In a panic, she began to honk and squawk, hoping that somebody would hear her to get the rock out of her leg.  The cold of the wind left Lovey’s eyes dry, and unable to open very far, so she decided to close them for a while, and hope somebody had heard her calls.  Images of her mother encircled her mind.  Why did she have to go and pull something as stupid as she had…leaving the nest – what had she been thinking?  It was her fault Mother was dead.  She felt her consciousness slowly start slipping away from her.  Suddenly, she felt warmth surrounding her – she was being moved.  She opened her eyes as best as she could, and found herself in the hands of a human.

Jack felt cheated.  He once again opened his fist to stare at the small mushrooms that lay in the palm of his hand.  ‘Magic’ the man had called him.  “Nourish them when in great need, and they will provide you with whatever you need!” he had gloated.  Jack was a fool for giving the strange little man the bread he had bought for his siblings and himself, and he knew it.  He had believed the man’s lies – even the one about his name…after all, what kind of mother would ever, in her right mind, name her son ‘Rumple’?

He rushed to shove the mushrooms into a small sac, and then his pocket at the sound of someone stepping on the creaking board of the front porch.  His father had promised to fix that board years ago; before he went missing…he had promised a lot of things before he went missing.  Jack; a boy who often could be found sprawled out across the grass all day, staring at the sky, was suddenly soaked in responsibilities at his father’s disappearance.  He was expected to take care of his younger sister, and even younger brother, put food on the table for them, tend to the small cottage they were all crammed into, and insure they all stayed out of trouble, however, the worst responsibility was that he was now expected to be a man, and insure that his younger siblings were raised well enough to have a good life of their own one day.  The door flew open as his sister, red cape flying behind her, bolted inside.  “Jack!” she screamed at him.  Her eyes were wide and there was a slight sign of tears in her eyes.  “Jack! The wolf that lives near Gavin’s cottage; he has Danton!” she continued to ramble on about a grey goose.

“We have to go,” Jack finally replied after thinking about the situation.  His sister looked at him with a confused look on her face.  “Chess, we have to go! He’ll track you here, and…we have to leave.”
“What about Danton?!” she yelled at him.
“We’ll…we’ll figure something out…come on!” he grabbed her wrist and pulled her out the door.

It was dark out now, and the forest they were running through had a vague smell of despair.  Chess could almost smell the fear that hung from the fog that surrounded her and her brother as they ran as fast as their legs would carry them over logs, and under hanging branches that seemed to grab at their clothes, as if to catch them for some unknown reason, that they believed was for the greater good.   “Jack, I-” Chess began, but found herself unable to speak over her heavy, rapid breathing.

“Chess, come on!” Jack answered after a brief look back at his sister.  He knew he was far better a runner than his sister; however, he kept on running at his quick pace.
“Jack I can’t-” Chess began, before her tired, clumsy legs caught on the root of a tree, and sent her flying to the ground.  The last sight before the darkness in Chess’ mind was the sight of a rock coming closer and closer to her head.  She heard the faint sound of Jack’s voice before all sound was cut off, and silence overtook her mind.

When Chess finally came to, she scrunched her eyebrows together at the pain of her head.  Her eyes fluttered half open and came to look at a bare-walled room.  There was a small wooden table in the center, with a dim lantern placed on it.  Chess groggily turned her pounding head to glance around the small volume around her.  At first she saw nothing but dancing shadows caused by the frolicking flames of the lone lantern, however, as she continued to look, Chess became aware of a slumped figure in the opposite corner of her.  She had to squint her eyes to make out what it was.  There was a large amount of blood against one of the walls as well, which made her very uncomfortable.

Jack was slumped in a chair looking utterly defeated.  There was a stream of blood running down his face; half dried now.  In an attempt to get up and wake him up, Chess noticed two things; one was that her leg had a long laceration on it that was now stitched up, and the second was that she was bound to her chair by ropes.  She squirmed around, attempting to free herself when there was another sound – the sound of movement.

“You finally came to,” a man a little older than Jack spat at her as he emerged from the shadows.  “Allow me elaborate on the situation…” he started.  “He,” he pointed to Jack, “has lied to me.  I’m hoping you can tell me where you two scoundrels took my Lovey.”
Chess shot him a confused look.  “What…what are you talking about?  What’s a Lovey?”
The man sighed.  “The grey goose…her name is Lovey.”
Chess’ mind jumped back to the moment the wolf had grabbed Danton from her.  “The troll in the creek – he has a goose.  Get that goose and you’ll get him back…or else, it’s snack time in the den,” he smiled a wicked smile before turning back into the bushes, with Danton pinned to his shoulder.

“Two weeks ago, I was returning from a bad hunt.  I was in St Ives; however, the fog was too thick to catch anything whatsoever.  So hungry and tired, I was heading back to my small wooden cabin that I called home.  I was wandering down a dirt road, when I suddenly came across a grey gosling; cold, hurt, and almost completely unconscious.  I decided to take her in, so I brought her home and nursed her back to health.  As I did, I noticed that there was something about her that was…different; distinct.  I could not quite put my finger on it at the time.  When she reached maturity, I found what it was – her eggs; they were…made of solid gold.  As fast as I had found out, so had some of the woods’ most vile creatures and evil beings.  One night I went out to get the wolf that had caused the tragic death of Lovey’s mother.  I tracked that wolf for hours, and hours, until I came across the ruins of what looked like a barn; there was a pile of broken wood and sticks, and another pile of straw.  I kept going to find a brick house-”

“That was this house, wasn’t it?!” Chess asked excitedly as she took another bit of soup, her words slightly slurred in the attempt she made not to let any broth spill from her mouth as she spoke.  The sound of the rain on the roof fed the emotion of the man’s story.
“Please excuse my sister, Arthur…she was always one for fairytales,” Jack apologized for his sisters interruption. “Continue, if you will.”

With a nod, Arthur began to speak once again, “I kept going to find a brick house with the front door wide open! So, I took no more than five steps inside, when three little pigs came running towards me, begging and squealing at me.  “Whatever is the matter?” I asked them.  Turns out, there was a wolf inside the house somewhere.  I swear, I looked up and down in this house for that wolf, and couldn’t find him anywhere.  You know where he was?”  he asked, glancing at Chess.
“…In the bedroom?” Chess answered after a moment of thought.
“No…in the spare room,” he replied before adding, “that was where I took you two when I found you in the woods,” Arthur answered the unasked question that hung in the air.
“So uh…what did you do once you found the wolf?”
“Shot him dead, of course!” Arthur replied.
Chess’ mind thought back to the giant blood stain that was on one of the walls when she woke up in this house.  “So then what happened?”

“Well, the pigs had decided they were going to move to the sea-shore town of Portreath, as they do not tend to sight any wolves over there.  In their thanks, they gave me this beautiful house, seeing as they would not need it anymore.  Gratefully, I accepted, and began heading back to my cabin for my clothes, deteriorating food rations, and, of course, Lovey.  On my arrival, I noticed something was off – the front door I had locked had been kicked in.  When I went inside…” Arthur sighed before continuing, his eyes looking down at the table, “well, Lovey was gone, you see.  There was not a trace of her left behind other than one golden egg I had put under my cot for safe keeping.”  Arthur’s depression hung in the air, creating a long silence.
“So, if we get you Lovey back…you will help us to get Danton?” Chess asked to insure that their deal was legit.
“Precisely,” Arthur spoke.

Jack lay on his cot, wide awake.  He could not believe that he was allowing this; his sister to go with him to the creek.  What he needed most right now was a weapon – a weapon that will strike with enough force to injure, or possibly even kill a troll.  Arthur said that he would not be able to harm the troll, for that would be unethical, and the news of the death of a troll would have the entire troll community out on the hunt for justice.  Jack was unsure as to what exactly he needed, but he needed it.  His hand dug into his pocket to feel for the magic mushrooms.  After a moment of thought, he sat up and grabbed his canister of water off of the night stand.  He embraced the cold wood as he tugged on the cap, being cautious of his sleeping sister on the cot beside his.   He poured in the mushrooms, popped the cap back on, and waited.  He waited for a good few minutes, but nothing happened.  “That lying skunk,” Jack muttered under his breathe.  Beside him, Chess stirred in her sleep.  Jack put the canister back on the table, and laid back down, knowing that he would be getting almost no sleep at all.

The grass was still heavy with rain from the night before. Jack and Chess walked through the mist that hung in the air. Everything was cold, dark and still. ‘’Do you think the troll has Lovey? ‘’ Chess whispered so quietly her voice sounded hoarse. A chill went hastily down Jack’s back before he shrugged ‘’Lets hope so, ‘cause in this whether, I do not want to have to travel anywhere else.’’ He retorted so rudely that Chess didn’t want to ask the other hundred questions that poked around in her head.

When they came to the rough pathway to get to the creek Jack heard a skid and a thump.  He turned to Chess who was now on the wet ground; scrambling to get up. ‘’Are you alright?  What happened?’’ Jack asked in the most concerned voice possible.

Chess quickly got herself to her feet and dusted herself off, “I’m not really sure,’’ she muttered as she squatted down to inspect where she had fallen.  Jack suddenly gasped and saw that her old wound was bleeding again. ‘’Great, now your wound is re-opened and we’re twenty minutes away from the house!’’ he cursed angrily.  “You’re just going to have to walk it off kid.’’

‘’Well, go to the creek and see if that old, warty troll even has Lovey!’’ Chess remarked in the grown- up voice she put on whenever she wanted Jack to stop telling her what to do.

Jack just turned away and headed for the creek.  At the worst moment possible, he stepped on dew and fell straight on his back. Chess burst out laughing.  She was laughing so hard that her tears were melting into the icy grass around her.  “You did close to a-” she stopped talking and laughed even harder. Deciding to finish her sentence, she said, “a complete circle!  I swear I saw you so a flip so high you went up into the fog!’’ Instead of losing his temper Jack just got up, dusted himself off and headed off to the lake muttering curses that made Chess mock him.

When they finally reached the creek Jack remembered the loud crack that echoed around him when he fell.  “That’s strange,” he thought, “I did not feel much except the cold grass underneath me.”  That was when he looked down, and found that his wooden canister had been split into two pieces; leaving no water behind. “Stupid mushrooms…they are as magical as Chess with a wooden stick!” Jack thought.  His mind brought him back to the time when they were both toddlers and Chess had poked him in the eye repeatedly with a stick that the neighbor’s dog brought to their yard and said “I reward you with courage, you cowardly lion!”

The thought of battling a vicious troll crossed Jack’s mind, “We’ve got to go back,” he thought, before speaking his thoughts out loud. As soon as he did Chess shot him a questioning look and searched his face for any answers why. Jack grabbed her arm and led her towards the way back to the house, but not a moment he led her was she not struggling.
“Why must we go back? Are you afraid?’’ she said while grinning stupidly, so Jack would convince her he wasn’t afraid by letting them go onwards. This was not the Jack she was used to; he was not about to let her go on and say he wasn’t scared; instead her just looked her in the eye and said, “lets go.’’

Suddenly the ground began to rumble.  Jack and Chess spun around, expecting to see some sort of demon coming after them.  However, this was no demon; there was now a crumbly bridge to get across the creek.  A small, timid creature with pitifully scrawny horns began pattering across the bridge. ‘’Yo’, my peeps, what is up?’’ he called from across the bridge. Jack and Chess looked at each other and both raised an eye brow.

Their gazes tore from each other as a low and deep voice called out from under the bridge, “who’s that pit-pattering over my bridge!?” Nobody knew who this powerful voice belonged to, but all they knew that the owner must have been monstrous and horrible.

“It’s Lil’ Wade, yo’.  What’s your problem?  You sound like you could use some chilling!” the little billy-goat called.  He did not know who he was talking to, until horrible shades of green on finger nails clasped onto the bridge and up swung a foul smelling troll with hair all over his warty body that had a horrible odor. Panic stricken, the small goat opened his mouth and let out a terrified screech, exactly like Little Miss Muffet did when realizing there was a spider sitting beside her. He ran as fast as he could back to the side he was on then after he realized everyone had seen him screaming he said, “yo’, I just wanted to get to the other side to eat some of that nice green grass!’’ He hesitated then finished, “would ya’ just chillax?”

Nobody knew that Trolls can teleport or at least this one could so the troll disappeared and reappeared right behind Lil Wade.  So of course, he ran!  He tumbled, sprinted, bolted and bounded so fast that when the troll reappeared right in front of him, he knocked him straight off the bridge!  Lil Wade looked surprised for a moment then took in some confidence and bragged, “psh…that’s how I roll troll.  This is my bridge now so…y-you better stay off! He smoothly struck a brave-looking pose before running to the tall, green grass on the other side of the bridge.

Jack and Chess nodded at each other, and began to descend down the rocks to get to the icy creek where the troll’s den was waiting for them. They saw a dark opening in the side of the rocky outcropping and plunged into the crisp water that nipped all feeling from their legs as they splashed through it to get to the dull and drab den.

While they snooped around Jack heard Chess call for him.  “Jack I found something; come look!” When Jack made his way over to Chess he found her staring at a dull and lifeless newspaper.

He read the headlines, “Female Troll Eaten By Wolf!” and glanced at the drawn picture of two troll beside it. “Perhaps this male troll is an agent doing research about this troll that was eaten.” Jack wondered aloud.

“Or maybe, that was the troll’s wife and he is cranky because me misses her,” Chess remarked as if she was right and always was.

“What makes you say that? I’m older; I know better,” Jack growled.

“Yea you totally know better, he’s an agent; that’s why he’s hugging her in the picture, right?” Chess retorted.

Jack snorted “You are such a know-it-all.”

“Yes, quite right; I do know it all.” A smirk crawled across Chess’ face.

All of the sudden there was a mighty honk and they both flinched; heart skipping a few beats in a panic. Chess could not help chuckling at the size of Jack’s flinch.  “Shut your trap” he muttered. Chess beckoned him towards her and then snuck around the corner to see a grey goose staring up at them.

“GET OUT! THE MIGHTY GRINCH STOLE CHRISTMAS!” she squealed. Jack and Chess shot each other strange looks.  “I mean…the troll will eat any one in his path.  We must leave…quickly!”

“Where’s the key for this lock? Jack wondered aloud as he tugged on the only thing holding him back from grabbing the goose and running out of this darned cave.

“It is around the troll’s neck,” the goose answered.

“What’s your name?” Chess asked, barging into the conversation.

Before the goose answered, Jack interrupted with a rude remark, “Who cares what her name is?  We have to save anyways.”

“Well, I was just double checking she is the right goose; she could be a different goose. Who knows, this troll may be a goose thief!” she snorted.

“My name is Lovey, and I hope I am the goose you are looking for, because this troll wants my golden eggs to sell! Her voice got higher and higher pitched as she finished the sentence.

“Then yes, you are the goose we’re looking for.” Jack remarked almost as if he was trying to be heroic.  Chess turned ‘round and began to walk out of the cave.  “Where do you think you’re going, eh?” Jack asked her.

“To get the key, Mr. Bull-Poop-For-Brains,” Chess retaliated as she resumed walking.

“No, you’re not – get back in here, and help me look for something sharp and pointy to pick the lock with,” Jack replied.

“I’ll just check; he might have dropped it in the creek when Lil’ Wade knocked him over,” Chess said from outside the room, leaving Jack to only hope the troll was not anywhere near where Chess.

The fast-moving water had washed away all chance of Chess finding the key, yet she kept looking.  She knew that the cage Lovey was in could not be broken with anything found near here, and that Jack most likely could not pick the lock.  She was just about to turn back to the cave, when she heard the sound of someone in pain.  Not thinking, she moved towards the sounds – groans, moans, and staggering footsteps.  She froze, and tried with all her power to not gasp at the sight she saw.  The troll was standing no more than ten steps in front of her, freezing water dripping from his ragged clothing, and he was crying. Chess could not believe what she was seeing.  She inched her foot back, bit by bit, in an attempt to warn Jack to get out of the cave.  Her heart squeezed in sympathy for the troll; Chess knew what it was like to lose a loved one.  However, she kept moving back.  “Slowly, but surely,” she thought to herself.  Chess felt her shoulders loosen a little, knowing that there were only a few more steps until she was out of the troll’s vision perimeter.  Her eyes slowly blinked – staying closed for a second to relax Chess’ panic-stricken mind.

Suddenly, a rock, no bigger than a fist, came lose from under Chess’ foot.  She came to a halt as the rock bounded down the shallow hill between her and the troll.  Chess began to hold her breath, as if it would make her invisible to the troll’s primitive vision.  The troll slowly turned around, as his eyes set on Chess, narrowing in anger.  He took one menacing step towards her before she blurted out, “I know who killed your wife.”

The troll looked confused for a moment, before hatred took over his eyes.  “How did you know about her?” he asked in his deep, crackling voice.

Chess did not know how to respond to the question thrown at her.  If he told her about the newspaper, he would figure out that she was in his cave.  How else would she explain knowing?  Her death was far too long ago for her to be old enough to remember it.  The light seemed to make something on the troll glisten, so she tore her gaze from his to stare at the gold key that was strung around his neck.  Chess knew that that was the key she needed to free Lovey.  Chess could see the impatience in the troll’s face as he searched her face for any answers.  She swallowed, “I know someone who will kill the wolf responsible for your loss.”

Jack moved the sliver of wood around inside the golden lock, but it did not have any effect.  Cussing under his breath, Jack kicked the stone wall of the room.  Lovey did not say a word as she sat in her cage, scared to interfere with his temper.  Then, there were footsteps.  Lovey and Jack both turned to the entrance to the cave.  “Hide,” Lovey whispered to Jack.  Alas, Jack picked up the biggest plank of wood her could see, and stood just to the side of the door, ready to strike.  The footsteps got closer and closer as Jack prepared to swing the wood.

Jack readjusted his grip on the damp board, before swinging it at whoever was coming into the cave.  Something was wrong…instead of having an impact crash, the board kept swinging until it hit the wall.  Jack let go of the board and looked down the hall.  Chess was laying on the ground with her hands covering her head.  He immediately crouched down and shook his sister, “Chess! Chess, are you alright? I didn’t mean it! I thought you were the troll! Chess! Answer me!”

Chess looked up at him with unimpressed eyes.  “You, brother,” she started before opening her hand to her brother, revealing a golden key, “are an idiot.  Has anyone ever mentioned that to you?”

Arthur felt like the biggest jerk in all of Cornwall.  How could he send a little girl and her brother after a troll like he did? He felt ashamed.  Staring at out the window became a bore, seeing as the dark restricted the sight of anything.  He looked down at the golden egg that lay in his hands.  Arthur sighed, coming to the conclusion that whatever troll lived in that cave had probably already eaten Chess and her brother.  He felt as if there was no reason for him to live anymore, seeing as he lost the only thing that ever meant anything to him, and had just killed a young man and a lady.  He stood up from his chair, and began to walk over to the butcher’s knife that lay on the counter.

Suddenly, the front door flew open.  Jack ran inside, Chess close behind him.  “Arthur, there’s someone here to see you!” Chess said with a brilliant smile as she drew back her cape to reveal Lovey the gray goose.  Arthur ran over and collected Lovey in his arms.  “How’d you do it?” he asked, while holding Lovey tightly in his arms.

“Jack and I-” Chess began.

Jack cut her off, abruptly speaking, “actually…it was just you, Chess.”  He turned to Arthur, “I would not have been able to get her out of that cage if Chess hadn’t been there.”

Chess looked at her brother, with an astonished look on her face.  Never before had Jack said anything like that about her to someone else.  Arthur then handed Lovey off the Jack, and wrapped his arms around Chess, catching her completely by surprise.  She felt her face turn red as Arthur sweetly whispered, “thank you, Chess,” into her ear.

“What happened next, ma?” the boy eagerly asked Chess from her lap.

“Well, your pa and Uncle Jack headed to the den as soon as the sun began to set the next day and-”

“Why didn’t they go at sunrise?” the child interrupted.

“Why don’t you stop asking so many questions and interrupting your mother?” Lovey retorted from her nest of blankets on the chest of drawers beside the rocking chair Chess was sitting in.

“Sorry ma,” the child apologized as he looked up into Chess’ eyes.

“It’s quite alright, James.  Don’t mind Lovey,” she cooed him.  “So, your Uncle Jack and pa headed to the wolf’s den.  It was a long journey, full of winding dirt roads, and treacherous, screaming winds.  Eventually, they tracked the wolf to its den.  When they got there, they came across a giant boar! Now, this boar was not like any that your pa brings home now…heck, it must have been three times the size of the boar we had last night! So, your father snuck up behind it, and killed it, thinking he would bring it home as a feast for Uncle Danton’s return.  When pa finally talked your uncle into going into the cave, they found that the wolf was not home! He had left all his wolf pup’s in the den and gone out to try to find enough food for them all.

“Danton! Danton!” they called.  Eventually, they talked one of the pups into leading them into the very back of the cave, where the wolf had told Danton to stay.  They all ran out of there, and were about to come back home, when one of the pups asked your pa if he had any extra food on him.  The pup was too thin to be healthy, and had eyes as dark as the night sky!  Your pa, being the great man he is, pushed the giant boar he had killed earlier into the cave.  The pups all rejoiced as they began to eat the juicy boar.”

“They did not cook it first?!” James asked, astonished.  When his mother shook her head, he made a disgusted face.  “Tell me another story, ma!”

“Oh, I don’t know…it’s already past your bedtime!”

“Be careful, Chess; little boys who stay up past their bedtime sometimes get eaten by trolls in their sleep!” Lovey joked.

James eyes widened, “…trolls like the one in the story?” he asked.  When Lovey nodded her head, he jumped out of his ma’s lap and straight into bed.  “Night ma!” he said with a wide smile.

“Sweet dreams, James,” Chess spoke as she kissed her son on the forehead, and walked out of his bedroom.

“He asked for another story again,” Chess explained as she turned to see her husband looking at her.

“I figured,” he spoke as his arms wrapped around her.  “He’s your son,” he added with a smirk.

“And what’s that supposed to mean?” Chess asked.

“Just that he is, and always will be one for fairytales,” he softly spoke as his lips came in contact with Chess’, sending her mind spinning back to old, sweet memories of when he told her fairytales to help her relax when the rain on the brick walls was too loud to sleep.

2. She has the ability to teleport

3. She was a lab rat for a scientist, however, an experiment went wrong and she escaped the building.