Jaclyn and the Beanstalk

by Mary Ting

  My face turned red-hot like the cooking fire. I spun around so he could not see my smile. I’d never known a boy as appealing as Jack, but I would not let him know.

  I raised my head and met his eyes boldly. “You didn’t answer my previous question. How do you know about the treasure?”

  He smiled, that damned, wicked, mischievous smile. “I wandered about while you were sleeping behind the boulder. I like to be aware of my surroundings. Find the threats and possible exits.”

  My anger rose and my cheeks burned. “You knew where I was and you didn’t ... You didn’t...”

  I stopped and turned my back to him when I realized my voice echoed loudly in our cell. His behavior was no cause for alarm. Wasting my breath for something petty was a misuse of time and effort. Instead, I let out a long sigh. There were more pressing matters at hand.

  The flickering candlelight reminded me the sun had set, and the quiet told me the people were asleep. It was almost time.

  While Jack went to the far right of the prison to speak to his father, I sat by the lock and stared at it. All seemed so peaceful and quiet, but danger lay beyond the prison, and we meant to go right through the middle of it. I prayed we would all escape in one piece.

  I must have dozed off. My eyes flashed open and my hands covered my ears to block the sounds of tortured cries. Curling my knees in to my chest, I moaned. It happened again—screams echoed in my head. I hummed my mother’s tune. With my eyes shut, I tried to drown out the sounds, but like always, it did not work.

  “Jaclyn, are you hurt?”

  I faintly heard Jack’s voice, as if he covered his mouth while he spoke.

  “It’s too loud. I hear their cries.” I didn’t know how loud or soft I spoke. No one knew of my secret nightmares, but I felt I had no choice but to tell Jack.

  “I know. Something’s happening.”

  I tilted my head to meet his gaze. “You heard them?”

  The question had been answered. More screams tore through the night from the direction of the cavern. The same sound echoed both inside my head and outside it. Somehow, the monsters and I were one.

  “It’s time.” Jack helped me to my feet. “I’m getting us out of here. We’re not sitting around to be a monster’s meal. Who knows how many there are?”

  Jack wove his arm through the bars, opened the lock, and pushed the door. Then he went to our fathers’ prison and unlocked it.

  William pulled Jack into his arms. “Well done, my son. Lead us out of here.”

  Father stepped around William to embrace me. Warmth, love, and security enveloped me, and I let out a sigh of relief, but it lasted only a few seconds. We weren’t out of danger yet. We’d just begun.

  “I’m so sorry, Jaclyn,” my father said, his features twisted in sorrow.

  I knew the reason for his apology, but it wasn’t the time to speak of it. “Nay, Father. Let us talk when we are safe.”

  He nodded in agreement, pulling away.

  “We must go now.” Jack led the way toward the light and the horrid sound.

  When the first gleams fell on the tortured souls, my lips parted as I watched in horror. Jack and the men behind me stood still, quiet, and afraid. As the men bent and screamed in pain, the hair on their heads and bodies grew and coarsened.

  Their frames stretched, tearing the fabric of their breeches. Sharp claws sprouted from their fingers and toes. Their faces transformed as their jaws expanded and thrust forward. Teeth jutted out sharply, growing ten times in size. They tossed about, crying out in agony. I had no words to describe what they looked like between human and beast.

  “Holy Mother of God. This is the work of the devil,” John murmured under his breath, looking horrified.

  “Come.” Jack broke us out of the trance. “We need to get out before they’re changed fully.

  “I need my sword.” Father adjusted his hat.

  “I agree, we’d have a better chance making it back with our weapons,” William said.

  Jack pointed to the darkness. “Our swords are where the treasure is. This way.”

  He led us to the back of the cave, from where the stream flowed. The lantern’s glow revealed vibrant flowers I would have never imagined inside a cavern.

  Moss covered the ground, even the trunks of the trees. Tangled lush vines adorned the walls. It looked more like a garden in a fairytale setting. And in the middle, a pile of gold coins and all sorts of jewelry mounted to the ceiling. Lights from the cracks illuminated the treasures. A magnificent sight. Off to the side were our daggers and swords.

  “Quickly.” Jack dashed.

  After I grabbed my weapon, my greedy eyes strayed to the countless precious stones—diamonds, sapphires, rubies, and emeralds—of various sizes on the way out. Then I shifted my attention to a piece of brown material and picked up my cloak.

  I gave Jack back his cloak, swung mine around my shoulders and tied it to keep it in place.

  “No.” My father placed his hand over John’s and closed it into a fist.

  John had picked up some gold coins.

  “We don’t steal. This is the devil’s money. No good will come from it.”

  John scowled and yanked his hand back.

  Jack raised his hand to stop us. “Listen.”

  I froze.

  “Do you hear that?” Jack asked. “The sounds are diminishing. We need to leave now.”

  I trailed Jack and stopped at the mouth of the tunnel. Some men had fully turned to monsters and stared at us like their next meal.

  “Run,” Father said. “This way.”

  A loud roar thundered and vibrated against the wall. One of the monsters, taller and bigger than the others, stood in our way. It must have been Longinus.

  I ran in the opposite direction behind Father, finding my way and weaving around the other beasts coming for me. They were the kind of beasts parents told their children about so they would behave. But this was no bedtime story. They had scared me senseless when I’d first seen them capture Father, but so many of them—no words could describe the moment.

  My muscles did not want to obey, and my movements became stiff. I found the strength to be brave from the men around me. Trained for battle, they moved with purpose.

  “This way.” Jack took the lead as he slid down a slope inside the tunnel.

  I had to go the opposite way, since monsters blocked my escape.

  “There are too many of them.” William sliced his sword across a monster’s legs.

  It bellowed in pain and dropped to the ground. Its cry carried throughout the cave, drawing more to us.

  The monsters being three times my size, I was able to hide between their legs, sometimes running under them. Their long arms and claws lifted the dirt and pebbles as they tried to grab me, causing dust to cloud my vision.

  After I stabbed one in the foot, I ran across to another monster and did the same. I wished to shove the dagger through a head or heart, but they were taller than life—giants.

  Jack moved with skill and grace in unexpected ways. Some might say he was crazy, but I thought he was smart and courageous. Jack gripped a handful of one monster’s belly hair, swung around, and landed on the monster’s shoulder as if he were a tumbler entertaining crowds at the market. His dagger penetrated the monster’s neck, and the creature screeched as blood gushed down its body. Jack jumped off just before the monster fell on top of other monsters and knocked them down.

  The beasts’ large size hampered them; having to bend lower to try to catch us affected their coordination. However, the thunder of their fierce stomping caused pebbles and rocks to fall. They scraped their claws along the wall, collapsing more debris around us.

  Father tried to stay close to me as I dodged legs and claws and rocks, but it was nearly impossible. Jack also stayed close by as if to protect me. Despite their care, one small boulder crashed down into my back, slamming me sideways against the wall.

  Darkness engulfed me.

  When I blinked my
eyes open, my vision blurred, the cave spun, and the silhouettes of the monsters lingered. Father’s mouth moved, but no sound escaped.

  Darkness took me again, but I must have recovered quickly. I found myself still prone in my father’s arms, while Jack and the others threatened the monsters with their swords and daggers.

  “Jaclyn, can you move?” Father shook me lightly.

  Ignoring him, I stood and planted my hand on the wall for support, despite my head throbbing and body protesting. Something wet on the side of my temple caught my attention. When I wiped it, scarlet liquid smeared my fingers.

  “She’s up. Let’s go,” Father said.

  Then I took off again, racing across the rope bridge.

  “I think we need to go in different directions to confuse the monsters,” William said. “Jack, John, and I will go this way.” He pointed to the left.

  “Meet us at the bottom of the mountain. Godspeed.” Father took my hand and we ran, causing chaos for the monsters, as they did not know who to follow.

  “There, Father.” I pointed ahead. “I see the moon. It’s our way out.”

  Relief burst through my marrow as the familiar icy air chilled me. My heart hammered joyfully too soon when I ran out of the cave. I screamed as flames blocked the path to the beanstalk—hissing and crackling.

  No one knew of the beanstalk except for Jack and me. Climbing down the mountain was not an option. And I knew Longinus had caused the fire when he climbed onto an oversized boulder with a torch.

  I tugged Father toward the beanstalk, but became confused by the rapid growing blaze. Unable to see William, John, and Jack, I assumed they were already climbing down. Jack must have led them to it.

  When Father drew his cloak over his nose, I did the same, but smoke choked my nostrils and stung my eyes. Fire danced around us, tongues of orange and red licking at the sky. Sweat drenched my face, even in the freezing air.

  “You can’t escape me,” it roared.

  I gasped. A monster with a voice seemed unnatural, more so than the monster itself—an abomination straight from Hell.

  “Jaclyn, cover yourself with your cloak and run through the fire. I’ll hold him still.” Father pushed me back and waved his sword in front. “Jaclyn. Hurry.”

  “No. I will not leave you. You come with me.”

  “If we both go, he’ll catch us. Go, Jaclyn, before the fire worsens.”

  I held my dagger in front of me, swinging in rage, wishing I was strong like the monsters or had magical powers like a witch. If monsters could be real, why not magic?

  The other monsters seemed afraid of the fire, as they backed away and dared not enter the blistering circle. But Longinus did not fear it.

  Then I remembered the dagger cutting me open. I should have bled to death, but I hadn’t. Nor would I burn from the fire, I was sure of it.

  Just as I stepped forward to lunge at Longinus, arms circled my waist, yanking me through the flames.

  Chapter Seventeen

  The Beanstalk

  Fire engulfed me. I was consumed by pain and heat, as though my every bone and muscle had melted. But shortly after, I found relief when the frigid air washed over me.

  “Jack.” I screamed from the top of my lungs when he came through the flames. “I’m going to kill you. I swear it.”

  “You’re welcome.” He looked at me as if I should be thankful, patting out the fire that had caught his cloak and mine. “I’m sorry but I couldn’t find your father when I went back. He might have run back into the cave.”

  I gave him an angry stare and searched for my father through the flames. “Father! Father!”

  The fire prevented me from seeing him, and Father did not answer. I ran from one end to the other, frantically searching for a way in. The flames reached higher than before, causing me to lose my courage to run through. I also didn’t know how much it had spread.

  My eyes burned, and I coughed in the smoke. I hollered deep within my throat so Father could hear. “I promise. I’ll find a way to save you.”

  I reached out as if I could touch. My heart, my heart, oh my heart. It dropped out of my chest, into the fire.

  Please, be safe Father. May angels watch over you.

  Jack gripped my shoulders. “We shall save him, but we need help.”

  Anger scorched through my veins. How dare Jack take me away from my father? How dare he make such a decision for me?

  “No one will help us. Not even your brothers are here to save their own father.” I threw up my arms.

  He looked down in shame and then met my gaze. “We need to go and warn the town. We are their only chance.”

  “We? Where’s your father and John? Did they not—”

  “My father and John are safe. They went down first. I stayed behind for you and your father.”

  I glared at him, but I felt thankful he cared. “You go, and I shall stay.”

  Jack did not have a chance to answer. A lit torch flew high above us and landed close to the beanstalk. I assumed by Longinus’s doing. Any second, the beanstalk would catch fire.

  A rope was suddenly around my waist. I turned to Jack, who tied the other end of the rope around himself. He grabbed me before I had a chance to stop him, and my stomach lurched into my chest as I leapt to a giant leaf. Then I slid down the beanstalk at ferocious speed, Jack ahead of me.

  “Jack.” My arms went around his neck, and I shifted onto his back.

  “Hold on tight and don’t let go!”

  He held onto the stalk with one hand, his dagger with the other, cutting through stems as we plummeted from leaf to leaf. He must have planned this before he’d pulled me out of the fire, and I had been too busy to notice.

  Having no choice, I held on to him, and I, too, helped chop the stems with my dagger, but I didn’t have to work hard. William and John had already cut many of them, as they were much farther down.

  Bright red flames covered the top of the beanstalk, following us and filling the air with smoke. My heart shattered, and dark despair gripped my soul. Father remained with the monsters.

  I clutched my chest from the torment, my breath stolen from me.

  Oh, Father. My poor father. I’m so sorry.

  I would go back for him. I’d promised with my life. Jack was right. We needed more men. And we had to convince the rest of the town to fight or run.

  “Jack, hurry!”

  “I’m trying.”

  His muscles flexed and worked as fast as his arm allowed. My aching arms shook. I had no energy left. The scorching flames spread faster, and the sky looked like it was on fire, as if God blew angry breath upon us. It would have been beautiful had it not been so dangerous.

  We plunged at incredible speed. My stomach flew to my chest, and I lost control of my muscles. My body collided with the broad, flat leaves as Jack and I tangled and twisted together. Falling never seemed to end.

  Luckily, as we neared the bottom, a thicker growth of leaves cushioned our fall, and we did not crash as hard as we should have. Unfortunately, though, I had lost my dagger.

  I cursed, and something caved inside me, as though I had lost a limb, or perhaps a piece of Father. And to make matters worse, I landed on top of Jack with an unladylike grunt.

  Jack groaned.

  Sorry, Jack. But you deserved it. But thank heavens I landed with no broken bones.

  I sucked in air and then panted with relief. Jack lay still as his breath mixed with mine.

  We were face to face until I pushed up to keep from crushing him, but I could move no farther. I hadn’t forgotten about the rope. His smirk let me know he was thinking something naughty.

  “You don’t want a kiss, but would rather lie with me instead?”

  Even though he jested, he winced when he laughed. It sort of made me smile. I tried to move, but he held on to my arms.

  “Let me go. I’m still mad at you.”

  “You know the reason I took you, do you not? I promised.”

  “You almost ki
lled me. Such madness to fall down the beanstalk.”

  “Aye, but I didn’t kill you. I knew what I was doing.”

  “My father,” I said with such wretched sorrow in my heart, holding back tears.

  Jack winced, and I saw sadness in his eyes too.

  “I promise with my life, we’ll save your father as soon as we gather help.” His expression changed to a playful one. “Now, if you would stop making eyes at me, we could get going.”

  A small guttural sound escaped me and I scowled at him.

  But he merely waggled his eyebrows.

  Oh, he was so arrogant, so supremely sure of himself.

  I planted my hand on the rope, ready to untie us, when he wrapped his arms around me, rolled on top of me, and pinned my wrists down. His stunning green eyes pierced me, reaching to the depth of my soul, and lingered.

  “Oops. Sorry.” His tone was soft, eyes on mine.

  I pinched my eyebrows together. “How did you know to bring a rope?” It was an odd question, but I wanted to know.

  He shrugged. “I always have a rope around. I never know when I’ll have to tie up a beautiful woman.” Giving me a crooked smile, he winked.

  I glared at him.

  “Unfortunately”—he peered up—“I must end this tryst. We’re about to be crushed by fried beans.”

  For a second, I’d forgotten the beanstalk was on fire. Jack’s presence made me absent-minded. We had fallen so fast we’d left behind the fire. Though the fast drop had put distance between us and the blaze, it had followed us down.

  He got up halfway and pulled me up at the same time. I would have resisted, but getting squashed under burning beans did not appeal to me. Giant, burnt leaves drifted down on the breeze. Worse still, lightning struck and thunder exploded almost immediately after the rain began to fall.

  A drop splashed on my nose and then a couple more, a little bit faster. The beanstalk leaves gave us shelter, so we did not feel the rain much. I hoped it would put out the fire.

  Then I recalled I had two more beans in my boot.