by J. E Hanson
“We have a new tool, and shall you lie before the court you will be immediately beheaded. Do you still wish to plead insanity?” the chief troll spoke.
Joey glances at me, and he shakes his head with disgust.
“I still wish to plead reason of insanity,” Everest answers.
“We have a new device that we have tried and tested. I want to thank the Hunter, Aduro, and Cirrus Corporations for inventing this new instrument. This has helped us with our most deadlocked decisions. What this nifty little device will do, is that it’s able to feed off energy from the entire existence of all immortals. It will broadcast the memories from the past, and it will display them for us. This means that we can rewind your memories, and display them before the court. This goes inside the minds of all supernatural creatures. We are curious to what exactly happened, as I’m sure the families of the victims are interested in knowledge from the past too. We will be able to see every action from Everest through his eyes as if we were inside his mind. This may cause a lot of pain and distress to the afflicted families. You may leave at this time, if you don’t wish to watch through the eyes of the defendant,” the head judge explains.
Ember and I glance at each other, and she nods, “I demand to see what he did to my mom.”
I clutch her hand tightly, “I want to see, what he did to my parents.”
“Are you sure you want to see this?” Joey whispers to us.
In unison, we both nod yes, and he kisses my forehead softly.
“This might be painful for you to watch. Are you sure, Rosalie?” Christian whispers with worry.
“I will always want to know, and at least this gives me closure,” I whisper to our friend.
Nobody in the courthouse moves. Ember’s grandparents arrive a little late, but they show up to kiss her forehead. They sit adjacent to my grandparents.
My grandparents want to see what Everest did to my mom. Both sets of grandparents sit right next to each other with their crowns on. All of us remain in the court.
“Bring in the memory stick,” orders the chief judge.
The bailiff returns with a ruby box. The chief judge is a wizard, and he snaps his fingers to bring out a huge television for the whole courtroom to see. They take out the memory stick, and it has a small prong at the end of it. The bailiff takes it out, and they slam the end with the prong in the back of his head. Everest screams in agony, and he immediately drips yellow blood. The wizard says a few words in a different tongue. He speaks to the rest of the court, “We will travel to the year of 1991.”
The television turns on as we view the world through Everest’s eyes. Joey immediately closes his eyes. I watch Everest’s memories of Avalon from over eighteen years ago. Everest walks into the palace, and there is a lot of shouting going on.
Joey squeezes my hand tighter knowing that this is probably my mom.
Everest casually walks into a shouting match and a woman, who appears identical to me with her canary fairy outfit on.
The woman has my curly cerise hair, “I love him, momma! You can’t keep me from seeing him!”
My grandma frowns, “He’s not our type, Rosebud! He’s a water fairy! You will be making a mistake, if you continue to date this fairy!”
My mom screeches, “I truly love him, and I want to be with him! Why are you unable to see that? I will never stop loving him! I’m begging for your blessings, momma! Just please meet him! He loves me, and he takes really good care of me!”
My grandmother leers at her with disgust as if she smelled something foul, “You will never have my blessings! Do you realize that if you marry him, you will have to live with him as a water fairy? I will never be able to see you! Please reconsider having Blaze as your husband!”
“Blaze is a good fairy. You really need to give him a shot, mom,” Everest spoke up.
I hear that, and I want to throw up.
My mom turns to Everest, “Thank you brother! You see mom, even Everest approves!”
“What about Puck? Why won’t you marry him instead?”
“Puck and I are really good friends and nothing more. That is gross, mom! We are practically brother and sister. Even his pain in the ass younger brother is equally annoying! There’s no way, and that is just disgusting, mom!”
“I was hoping you would change your mind about Puck. Puck loves you, Rosebud. He would be excellent husband material for you. Please rethink this! Puck is really great with kids too!”
“I want Blaze, and he’s manlier than Puck will ever be. Why won’t you allow Skylar to date Puck? They are better suited for each other! You need to give Blaze a chance, momma! He’s really great with kids too!”
“Skylar is still a baby, and she needs to stay here to help me run things. I’m not ready for her to grow up, Rosebud. I’m still sticking with my opinion of Blaze. He will never be good enough for you—or this family. Please start to think rationally! He’s probably only interested in sex with you. He will get you into trouble! Do you want your baby to work in the Pits?”
“I wish you would give him another chance, momma! He’s smart, funny, great with kids, and he can somewhat dance. I love him for him! Why are you struggling with our relationship? Skylar is a thousand years old, and you need to let her out of the house! You can’t keep Skylar pinned up in the palace forever, momma! They ultimately believe that I’m the only girl in this family, and you’re stunting her.”
My mom storms out of the office, and she slams the doors behind her. My piece of shit uncle has the nerve to rush to her defense.
“You really need to meet Blaze. He’s not such a bad dude. Blaze is a good guy, momma.”
“He’s just odd, and I find him odd. Who has that many tattoos? Why does he need all those piercings? He reminds me of a walking pincushion.” I close my eyes, and Joey pulls me closer to him.
Everest follows my mom, and he catches up with her, “Rosebud, where are you going?”
“I want to visit Phoenix's house to see Blaze. I have to see him.”
“You will wind up pregnant, if you don’t stop!”
“I don’t give a shit! If I become pregnant, then it will be our baby!”
They snap over to Phoenix’s house, and then they take their seats there. My dad stands up, “What did she say, Rosebud?”
“She doesn’t want us to be together!”
Phoenix shakes his head, “When are you two going to learn? Why do you need their permission? You are both well beyond eighteen. Come on you two! Please work on your senses!”
Everest stands against the wall, “I agree with Phoenix, and be happy for a change.”
Mom stands up, and she moves into my dad’s arms. She wraps her arms around his neck, “I love you Blaze, and I will never leave you. I want us to be together. Why can’t you see us together?”
Dad groans, and he jerks her arms down, “They are still our king and queen, Rosebud. I refuse to go against their wishes. Our parents raised us better than that. I want you to understand that I respect them.”
My mom tries to kiss his lips, but he shakes her off. She displays our equally shared temper, “Please stop thinking that way! I love you! Why can’t you see that? When have my parents ever let me do anything I want?”
Dad keeps her arms down, “I’m sorry Rosebud, but we can’t do this.”
A familiar expression shoots from her eyes, and I recognize it so much that even I pout like that. I smile to myself knowing that I’m more like her than what I previously thought. My mom tries to kiss him one more time, but he holds her back.
I hear the same sentiment from someone familiar. My dad pushes her to the front door, “I’m no good for you—or your family. We need to end this right now.”
She blasts her temper him, “You made love to me just last week! This is how you treat me? You lied to me! You swore to me that you would never treat me as if I was one of your girls! Fuck you, Blaze!”
Mom slaps my dad hard. Everest makes a small chuckle, and she stares at Everest, �
��We have obviously wasted our time here, and it’s time leave.”
Dad tries to reason with her, “Rosebud, please understand me!”
Everest and her leave together. My mom storms off, and she makes it back to the park. I watch her sob over my dad, and she amuses me.
I watch in disgust as Everest puts his arm around her, “I love you, sis. He will come around, because he will miss out on all that good stuff.”
My mom cries on Everest. That was the most heartbreaking thing to watch. He comforts my mom in her times of troubles. Now I know that I’m just like her in so many ways.
Everest walks to the line that separates the angels from the fairies. I watch him meet Michaela for the first time. Michaela doesn’t have emerald eyes, but Ember has her hair and her body. She wears ivory with gold, and her hair is thick and long. I stare at her hair, and part of it is up in a huge bun. A gold-plated hairpiece surrounds her bun. Her mom has sapphire eyes. Ember leans in to hear this one, and she finally notices how beautiful her mom truly was. I watch her face.
Michaela shakes him off, “I can’t do that Everest! What will happen if I become pregnant? I’m extremely fertile, and I can’t see you either.”
We watch her beautiful cerise hair, and she resembles Michael. Ember stares at the ceiling with tears dripping off her chin. Gabriel kisses her cheek, and he’s trying his best to keep her from feeling depressed.
The weeks fast-forward. I watch Blaze interrupt her date with Puck. He stands chest to chest with him, “Rosebud! We never broke up, and I still love you! What the fuck are you doing with Puck? Is he the one you truly want to be with now? Is your mother controlling you like a fucking puppet?”
Her eyes change, “I can see whoever the fuck I want Blaze! Remember, you’re the one who no longer wants to be with me! I’m doing exactly what you want me to do! You’re the one, who is confused here! You’re the one who broke up with me! Now you want to come over here as if you’re some kind of badass! How dare you insult me, Blaze!”
My dad never gave her an answer. I watch his face turn rubescent, and he punches Puck in the chin, “You need to stay the fuck away from my girlfriend! She belongs to me!”
The fight ensues, and my mom screams at him, “I don’t understand you, Blaze! Don’t hurt him! Damn you, Blaze!”
Oberon and Joey break up the fight eventually. My husband pulls Blaze back and he yells, “I got your number, Puck!”
Puck surveys the damage to himself, and he notices the yellow blood dripping from his lip, “You are truly out of control, Blaze! You will never be good enough husband material for, Rosebud!”
Dad’s face matches his hair, “You don’t know anything about me! Come on you fucking fool! I will beat your ass, if you ever touch my girlfriend again!”
My mom stands in front of my dad, “You broke up with me! You don’t deserve a second chance!”
My dad cocks his head at my mom, “Your sister tells me that you’re still in love with me. I want to ask you, if that’s true, Rosebud?”
“Take Puck back to our house and my mom will deal with him. I got Blaze,” he orders.
Oberon snaps his fingers, and he disappears with Puck.
“I’m good, Joe! Let me go, man!” my dad yells at Joey.
My husband lets him go, and my dad grabs my mom, “I want you to look me in my fucking eyes, and tell me that you don’t love me! You tell me right now, and I will leave you the fuck alone!”
My mom walks away sobbing, “You’re such a fucking asshole! You make me so fucking mad! Either you want me—or you don't!”
My dad pulls his shades on top of his forehead, “Say the fucking words to me. I want you to tell me that you still love me.”
My mom throws herself into his arms, and she wraps her arms around his neck kissing him slowly, “I love you, and only you. You had better never break my soul again! I want to be yours and only yours forever. I want to have your baby too.”
My dad grins mischievously, “How about we work on making that baby right now?”
The entire court breaks out with laughter at his subtle charm. I even laugh at his intent to court my mom.
My husband peers over at them, while wrinkling his nose, “I’m truly grossed out right now, and I’m going to call on Clover. You two have fun.”
I turn to face my husband, and he keeps his head down. My dad yells after my now husband, “I believe that you need to wait for the right one, Joe! Clover is not the one for you. I suspect that she’s fucking your best friend, Jackson Hurst. You need to open your eyes to her. I say that you need to wait a while longer for the right one.”
“You read too much into things. Jackson would never do that to me,” Joey defends his ex-best friend.
My dad walks over to him, “Let me give you some advice, man. You will know when she’s the right one. She will be the one, who dances into your existence. You need to stay away from them blonde chicks, and marry a ginger. I will wish this on you man!”
Joey sticks his tongue out. At that time, he has no tongue rings, “Don’t jinx me like that, man! That’s not cool, and Clover can dance.”
“Clover will always be a backup to Rosebud. You spend more of your time correcting Clover. You need to find a woman, who is your equal, or who is a better dancer than you are. I will smack you with this fairy wish.”
Everest laughs, “The only one, who comes close to that would be Rosebud. There’s no other dancer better than my sister.”
Joey shakes his head no, “I will continue to see Clover. Thanks for the fairy wishes, but I’m content with Clover.”
Blaze laughs hard at him, “You will never be truly happy with her! I’m telling you to wait, man!”
He disappears down the road. The now Joey takes a quick glimpse at me with tears in his eyes. I quickly kiss my husband, who is now here with me.
~~~***~~~
They fast-forward to 1993. My mom and dad start to heat things up. He picks up my mom, and he carries her in his arms, “We need to make that baby right now!”
“I hope she’s a much better dancer than I am.”
“I will keep her locked up from all the others. I never want to see our daughter with a bum. She had better marry someone we trust! I won’t let our daughter marry someone like Jackson Hurst.”
“I want you right here and right now.”
This grosses me out, but this puts an expression of amusement on my face. My dad throws her over his shoulder, and they walk out to lovers’ field. He doesn’t give her an opportunity, and he’s subsequently making out with her.
Everest leaves them to charm Michaela. She keeps turning him down, by saying that their relationship is blasphemy.
~~~***~~~
The court fast-forwards my mom walking out in blue for the first time. I currently eye my stomach. She has a royal blue sash draping over her stomach. She glows like a firefly, and she rubs her stomach.
Everest stares at her, “I can’t believe you’re pregnant! Are you fucking crazy?”
My mom walks up to grandma, “I will marry Blaze, and I really don’t care what you think either. Now I’m pregnant with our first baby.”
The fighting ensues, and my mom fights to keep me. She runs out the door with her backpack. My dad waits outside the palace for her. He holds on to her waist, and he kisses my mom. They snap together back to Earth. Everest follows right behind them. They land in Iowa, and my mom squeals over their farmhouse he bought for her. She even paints the mailbox. The old decrepit looking farmhouse is happy, and full of life. They watch the sunrise on the front porch together. They even carry matching mugs with them.
My mom unpacks her backpack. She finds a baby locket, a matching key necklace for her, and her old pink baby blanket. My mom reduces to tears, when she holds the necklaces my grandmother stuck in there for her. Everest ripped the letter that the necklaces were in, before she could even read it. My mom will never read the note, or know what it says. I finally know who is behind the missing note.
&
nbsp; Everest continues to lie to my mom. He tells lies about how their parents are still mad at her.
Everest makes out with Michaela a few times. One thing leads to another, and Uncle Phoenix walks in on Everest having sex with Michaela. Phoenix staggers in drunk, and Everest freaks out.
The scenes fast-forward again. We watch them go to the bar, and Everest has a drink. That’s when I notice Reno for the first time, and the man reminds me of a skunk. His hair has chalky stripe in the middle of his jet-black hair. He issues a challenge to the bar, but Everest is the only one who accepts the deal.
Everest takes Phoenix out for a party, and I watch him slip a pill in his drink. The horror continues, when he carries him to the desert. He kicks him a few times, and he leaves him there.
Everest returns to the bar, and he manages to talk Misty into allowing him to come over to her place. He actually has sex with her, and he will use her to set Phoenix up. Our stomachs churn as we watch. He slips something into her drink, and he screws her one more time. After Misty is incoherent, Everest brought in Reno.
Reno does inappropriate sexual things to Misty. We watch what he does to her, and it makes all of us want to puke. Everest watches them, and he enjoys it. He’s sitting in the corner masturbating as he watches what Reno does to Misty. Reno grabs Misty’s hair and he bites into her neck. He gives Misty her final deathblow, by draining all of the yellow blood from her body.
They place Phoenix’s things all over her apartment to frame him. Everest calls the Board of Meropis, and he gives them a false statement. The board arrests Phoenix an hour later. Everest laughs at how stupid the board is. The Court fast-forwards again to April 13, 1994.
I gasp as he makes his way back to their house. Joey sits there on the couch with another woman. My mom is nine months along with me. That’s somewhat surreal to see my husband with someone else but me.
“You move on pretty quickly,” he laughs at Joey.
Joey points, and he’s unhappy, “This is my girlfriend, Amber. Amber this is Everest.”
