Once Upon A Dystopia: An Anthology of Twisted Fairy Tales and Fractured Folklore

by Heather Carson

  Alma watched as the butcher, Mr. Pederson, stepped out of the crowd. He took a knee in front of her, removing his winter hat as he did.

  “What is it, my subject?” The Queen asked.

  Pederson looked up to meet The Queen’s gaze. “My ladyship. I haven’t had game through these woods in ages. Each day we venture further and further into the tundra, searching for wildlife. How do you expect us to smile more with empty bellies?”

  The Queen stepped forward from the fountain to stand in front of Pederson. She held his chin in her hand, smiling down at him. Gently, she caressed his bearded cheek with the back of her hand. Mr. Pederson seemed uneased yet relaxed at the same time.

  “I see. Perhaps you did not hear my words; were they unclear? I demand that everyone be happy!” The Queen screamed as she floated once more in front of Mr. Pederson. “Unhappy? Are you not finding food? Are you not eating at all? I’m sure you are, look at you! You oafish, over-bloated buffoon! What do you take me for?”

  Mr. Pederson stood up, gripping his hat in his hands nervously. “I meant nothing by it, m’lady! Swear!”

  A smirk twisted onto The Queen’s face. “So be it. I have told you what to do. My instructions are simple. Now, I shall demonstrate the consequences!”

  The Queen waved her hand over Mr. Pederson’s face. He quickly screamed as he shielded his face with his hands. Alma tried to see what had happened to the poor man. As Pederson writhed around on the snow, the townsfolk watched in horror. Slowly, Pederson dropped his hands from his face to retrieve his hat from the ground. Several onlookers in the crowd fainted. The gasp exhaled from the rest of the group made Alma move closer to see. Mr. Pederson’s eyes were now glazed in ice. It took everything she had to not scream. There they were, clear as day! Grey and blue, frozen over with ice! She couldn’t believe it.

  “That was my warning. Should I find any of you are not in absolute delight- frowning, or complaining, I will inflict the same consequence upon you!”

  Another town member stepped forward. This time, it was Mrs. Birk. “How exactly will you know, my Queen?”

  The evil queen smirked. “Oh, I’ll have my eyes. If that fails me, I’ll be able to watch you with some help.”

  She waved her hand in the air across the open field beside her. Dozens of snowmen began to form.

  “This is absolutely insane! You cannot do this!” Mrs. Birk shrieked.

  With the flick of a wrist and a cold smile, Mrs. Birk received the same fate as Mr. Pederson. The process seemed painful as she writhed on the ground in agony. Alma glanced over at Mr. Pederson, who was now standing back in line with the townsfolk with a smile ear to ear. His eyes, now an empty hollow full of reflective ice, placed his expression in a somewhat uneasy tone. Alma dashed off to her home at once and closed the door behind her.

  As time passed, Alma became more adjusted to the new lifestyle. In town, people would pass her by with the largest of smiles. It was obvious which of those scowled, even for a slight moment. Their eyes were replaced with reflective sheets of ice. The ghostly hollow void that once was a beautiful set of eyes sat eerily centered on various faces of the townsfolk. Overall, Alma was glad The Queen hadn’t killed them. Things could have been worse. Much, much worse, in fact.

  As Alma passed by Mr. Pederson’s butcher shop, she peered inside to see what she could see. Beyond the doorway, a dark shop sat ahead of her. The counter was covered in strange meats, while other cuts hung from the various hooks on the walls. Mr. Pederson must have been in the back as the storefront was empty. Alma decided to step inside to take a better look. The smell was off. There was something about this meat that was not the traditional smell of venison or boar. This was a whole new stench.

  “Alma, dear! Welcome to my happy little store! Can I help you with any wonderful selections of meat today?” Mr. Pederson called out as he emerged from the shop's rear, carrying with him a large slab of prime cuts.

  Alma backed away slightly, trying to maintain her false smile. “Oh, no, thank you. I just wanted to stop in and say hello.”

  “Shame about your father and all. Oh well! Would you like some of this meat for the road?” Mr. Pederson said as he gestured his armful of meat at her.

  Alma took another step backward toward the door. “Oh, no. I’m fine.”

  “Cheer up, sweetie. I’m sure your father is with us right now. He’d be proud of the young lady you’ve become.”

  Alma thought about the word choices of Mr. Pederson but quickly brushed it off. The memory of losing her father began to trouble her mind, and she didn’t need to be seen upset in town. She wiped away a quick tear that started to well up in the corner of her eyes and turned to face the cold outside. She was nearly knocked over by one of The Queen’s patrolmen.

  “Oh, sorry there!” Alma said, picking herself up with a smile.

  The snowman leaned in. The coal for its eyes stared daggers into Alma, practically reading her soul. She almost believed they could read her soul at one point. Without a word, the patrolman began its route once more, gliding gracefully through the snow. The world she knew as a child was becoming less and less what she knew, fading into a memory of times she would never regain.

  Her boyfriend, Hansel, waived to her from the doorstep of her home as she returned.

  “Alma, sweetie! What a great day, right?” Hansel exclaimed as he picked her up in his arms. “It’s almost magical!”

  Alma tried to hide her sarcastic smirk before replying, “Whoopie, magical!”

  Hansel’s expression changed. “Hey, hey now. Don’t do that. You know what they’ll do to you, right?” Hansel shifted from his slightly serious expression back to a smile. He erupted with a boast of laughter before continuing. “You’ll have a great day, that’s for sure. So buck up, kiddo!”

  Alma hated how fake this town was. She was tired of seeing the dead, void filled eye sockets of her friends and neighbors. Those that hadn’t been converted were living in such fear that they were shells of their former selves. She had been planning to leave ever since her father unexpectedly passed away a few weeks ago. There was nothing for her in this town. Nothing that is, except perhaps Hansel. He could be convinced to flee with her, indeed.

  Alma quickly took Hansel by the arm and pulled him into her home. The walls were still adorned with hunting trinkets and trophies from her father. He used to hunt with Mr. Pederson until he fell too ill. Hansel was pulled further into the home, deeper toward the kitchen near the fireplace. Alma quickly lit a roaring fire, glancing around to ensure the coast was clear.

  “Ok, listen. I have a plan to get out of here,” Alma whispered under the crackling of the fire logs.

  Hansel dropped the smirk from his face. “You’re kidding me. You want to risk leaving?”

  Alma paused momentarily. “I don’t think anyone has tried. They’re too afraid to. And if they did make it, we’d likely never know, right?”

  “Right.”

  “So, what if we packed a small number of rations and headed out of town. We don’t stop running until we see beautiful hills of grass, flowers, and trees.”

  Hansel smiled at that thought. It was one of the first times he’d worn a genuine smile in a long time. “I think we could do it.”

  Alma used the dirt on the floor to map out their route. She detailed to Hansel that they would travel on foot. If a horse made a noise, they’d surely be captured. Hansel agreed to that. The plan seemed to make sense as Alma went on. The two of them would leave in the cover of night, tonight. A small bag would be packed for each, nothing metallic. They wanted to ensure stealth was on their side. If any of these patrolmen heard them, frankly, they’d be done for.

  Alma and Hansel broke up their plans, quickly rubbing out the floor of anything that could incriminate them should they be captured.

  “Ok, I’ll meet you near the back of the butcher shop. We’d need to run from there to the main gates. There’s barely any cover,” Hansel asserted. “We’d have to run as fast as we can. Af
ter we’re past the gates, we’ll dash into the woods.”

  Alma nodded. This was going to work; she was sure of it. She gave Hansel a final hug before plans were in motion. He set foot out of her door with the most enormous smile on his face. Usually, this would be suspicious. However, in these times, it was just what they needed. His genuine smile and happy demeanor would undoubtedly blend in with the falsities of this town. Alma took a small nap to prepare her body for the grueling journey through ice and snow ahead.

  As she awoke, the world was a bit quieter. The town has gone to rest for the evening. She peered out of her door slowly, as she noticed the stillness of the night. The sky was black, covered in an overcast created by the evil Queen. A gentle snowfall drifted through the atmosphere, coating the ground with a fresh layer of powder. Quietly, she exited her home, closing the door gently behind her. Taking one last hard look at the structure, she shook out the memories attached to it, pushing herself to move along in the shadows across town.

  Alma passed one house, then another. Each one seemed more manageable than the last. The Snow Patrolmen were clearly busy somewhere else. Either they were engaged, or she was just lucky. Swiftly, Alma dashed toward the next home and crouched below an open window. Taking great care to not make a sound as she crawled on hands and knees around the opening, she quietly moved to the opposite side of the home. Her hands now stinging from the cold, frozen snow. She clenched her fists for a moment, knowing time was a fleeting gift. She needed to hurry along to the butcher shop.

  Rounding the corner, Alma’s heart skipped several beats. One of The Queen’s patrol passed directly in front of her. Their snowman bases skidding gently across the fresh powder. They didn’t seem to notice her as she relaxed her body against the building. Alma waited a few more moments to ensure the patrol was long out of her sight. She was about to make a mad dash across the main road toward the butcher shop. She’d use the fountain for cover if needed but wanted to make the sprint in one movement.

  Alma felt as if she’d been running for hours as she tore across the open road. Crouching, she quickly and swiftly made it to the fountain. Hastily glancing around, Alma checked for anybody in sight before moving toward the other side of the road. As Alma made it across the two buildings' threshold, she dove for cover behind several barrels. She squinted her eyes tightly, hoping nobody had seen her.

  “Oh god, oh god, oh god,” she muttered under her breath while trying to breathe normally again.

  Peering slightly over the barrels, she glanced down the main road. Once again, as before, it remained empty and quiet. The darkness helped paint an eerie shadow across her once beautiful home in the distance. Her moment of relief was jolted out of her as she felt a hand on her shoulder and another across her mouth as she tried to scream.

  “Shh, calm down. It’s me!” Hansel grunted through his teeth, trying to be as quiet as possible.

  Alma felt relief wash over her body as she saw her true love. She gazed into his beautiful dragon scale green eyes. She could still see the fierceness within them, even in the blanket of nightfall.

  “Ok, let's move,” Alma said, with Hansel nodding in agreement.

  The two gently moved from building to building, making their way to the end of the row. Each dash across the open air was no less terrifying than the last. Alma could hear her heartbeat in her head as she rushed across each structure. Soon, they were upon the last building on the left.

  “Butcher shop,” Hansel whispered as he pointed to the front of the building.

  The two of them swiftly moved along the side of the wall, pressing their bodies as close as possible. Inch by inch, the two crept closer and closer to the end of the shop. As they reached the corner, Hansel peered around.

  “Clear. You ready?” he asked.

  “Ready.”

  Hansel tightened up the straps to his pack. He knew the two of them were about to sprint to their finish line. Ahead, he could see the gates practically glowing. Hansel gripped Alma’s hand and stepped out into the open road. He glanced back to Alma one last time, who shot him a slight smile before the two of them made a mad dash for the gate, hand in hand.

  Alma spotted that the door to the butcher’s shop was ajar, but paid it no mind as she hurried to keep up with Hansel. He was much stronger and faster than she was, practically dragging her along. The gates grew closer and closer as they ran. Alma could almost picture the flowing rivers, the songbirds chirping, and the children’s laughter. She began to run harder than ever before, inspired by her thoughts.

  As the two approached the gates, Hansel pushed himself even harder, yanking Alma along for the ride. They passed under the arches of the kingdom entrance, into the wooded area beyond. Hansel ran several meters from the trail until he felt the coast was clear. He slowly let go of Alma’s hand, leaning against a tree to collect himself. Alma decided to lay on her back and catch her breath. Her heart was pounding so hard.

  As they recovered, Hansel felt uneasy. Something wasn’t right. He shook the feeling off and grabbed Alma’s hand, moving along in the wood line toward the edge of the Queen’s reach. Alma began to suspect they were not alone in the woods, either. She continually glanced around at every angle and bend in the dark woods for the hint of something moving. Nothing was out there. She focused her attention forward to see the trees beginning to clear ahead.

  “We’ve made it, Alma! We’ve made it!” Hansel cheered as he stopped at the edge of the wood line.

  Alma stepped forward slightly to see what Hansel was able to see. Ahead of her lie the edge of the snowline, just meters ahead! It was only in reach. Beyond that, she could see darkness on the ground.

  “Grass!” Alma exclaimed. “I see grass!”

  Hansel smiled at her. She looked deep into his piercing green eyes as he gazed into her large blue ones.

  “Look up.”

  Alma adjusted her gaze to the sky. She wandered around in dismay and wonder as she was able to see the stars for the first time in ages. All the constellations, the galaxies, the heavens! They were there for Alma to take in. She held her arms out as if to reach for the stars herself. She felt a warm glow wash over her as she wiped away several tears that had formed. Alma could hear the hoot of an owl and the buzzing of insects. The sound of the buzzing grew louder and louder. She turned to face Hansel. As she looked upon his face, something was wrong. His once beautiful green eyes were now replaced by hollow, reflective ice shards.

  “Not the bees!” Alma screamed as she saw crystalline wasps float away from Hansel.

  She immediately went to her lover.

  “You see, my dear? I have eyes all over. You cannot escape my grasp,” Hansel said.

  “I don’t understand!” Alma replied, shaking Hansel.

  “My eyes, loyal subject. Did you think you’d go unnoticed?” Hansel replied.

  From behind several trees, dozens of townsfolk, each with their eyes encased in frozen sheets of ice, stepped into view.

  “NO! No!” Alma cried out as she was subdued by Hansel and the others.

  The next morning, the village resumed its everyday hustle and bustle. The butcher was laying out his freshest cuts while the tailor stitched trousers for the youngsters. The town square was busier than ever before as Alma stepped into the crowded marketplace to purchase goods for the home she and Hansel shared. She walked to the merchant, buying spices to season her stew for the evening.

  “What a wonderful day it is!” Alma said, paying for her goods.

  “Yes, it really, truly is, isn’t it?” the shopkeeper replied.

  As Alma collected her purchase, the shopkeeper tried his best to not stare too hard into the icy, cold eyes that sat in Alma’s skull. The reflection of his face staring back at him as a reminder that, in fact, the Queen is always watching. Her eyes are everywhere.

  Harry Carpenter, writer of "Tales from an Ex-Husband" and the "Fubar" series, is a fan of horror, science fiction, and suspense. Born in Baltimore, Maryland, a city full of illustrious au
thors and performers, Harry began writing in elementary school. He formally

  pursued his passion, releasing his first book "Tales From an

  Ex-Husband" in 2019.

  Harry has since won the "Best Short Short

  Story" award from the Veteran's Administration writing contest and was featured as the bestselling author in local bookstores. Using his experiences in the United States Army, various retail and fast-food establishments, childhood encounters, and chaotic first marriage, he has developed a mind for creativity.

  He is a huge fan of cats, video games, and quirky science fiction and horror movies. He also films an internet web series called "The Web-Pool" on YouTube, as well As volunteers with the "Charm City Ghostbusters," a charity organization out of Baltimore who, as the name dictates, dress as the Ghostbusters 1984 movie. Harry now lives in Baltimore with his wife and cats.