Ever After

Once upon a time, I awoke in a strange place. I turned around; a man, a toy, stood behind me. He told me that to return home, I needed to find and save his daughter, Princess Porcelain. He gave me a key, the one that would unlock the chest filled with the hearts of the toy soldiers, stolen by the evil Queen Carolina. I set off in search of Porcelain. I awoke in a forest clearing, in the dead of night. I felt a chill run down my spine. I spun around to come face to face with a women, Queen Carolina. Her beauty was intoxicating. She pulled me close and told me that if I join her and her army of toy soldiers, then I could have everything I ever wanted. I could not resist. All of my dreams. . . come true. There was a certain feeling I had around her. Somewhere inside, I knew that she was dangerous. However, she was all I needed. Whatever she wanted, I wanted because we were in love. I used to be somebody else until her. Then, everything changed. Carolina was toxic. Being with her was like drinking poison. I could not be away from her though, not even for a minute. I felt that if I did, I would not survive. She gave me this strength and security. I guess that my life was so hard before. And even though Carolina was killing me, I had to have her. The thought of her leaving made me nauseous. I was asleep. I was in a dream. A girl suddenly appeared, a smile on her face that could save a life. She took me by the hand and pulled me out of the shadows. She looked me in the eyes. I had found Porcelain. She showed me what life would be like without Carolina. A life of which I had never lived. I wanted it. I wanted to be happy, but I could not let go Carolina. Porcelain told me that it was going to be okay. I felt better with Porcelain. I was healthy. I knew this was the truth, no matter how much I tried to deny it. We arrived at the assembly line where all of the toys were created. Porcelain and I convinced the toy soldiers to overthrow their queen. We showed them what a real life would be like. The soldiers joined us on our quest to defeat the queen. We found the chest full of hearts. I put the key in the hole and turned it. . . The chest opened, a bright light emitting from the inside. The hearts found their way back to their origins. The queen fell to her death. Without the lives of others, she held no purpose for life. The toys were free, no longer under control. They were able to lead a normal, healthy life worth living. They were not miserable but happy, and as was I. I lost myself to a dream, a dream that my wishes come true without any consequences. I was spinning out of control. One day, I could not tell where the dream ended and real life began. Either way, it was going to end. I turned to Porcelain and stared deeply into her eyes. I wanted to return home, but I needed her to come along. I knew that she was the one, my lifeline perhaps. She saved me and mended my wounds. She would keep me safe from my demons, from all evil. I loved her. I knew this love was real. I was fully healed because of her. Sometimes, when my eyes see something that my heart cannot explain, my mind makes up a history to make sense of it all. I create a new story, one with a fairy tale ending that I deserve. I sit back, and I say to myself, "Once upon a time, I awoke. . . in a strange place. . ."