I was panicking. The clocked ticked steady closer to midnight and my stomach was in knots. If anyone noticed my flight from room to room, door to door, they didn't say or do anything. My hands clenched into fists to tight they trembled.
Here I was, trying to have a good time free from the madness that was chasing me, and they decided to play these goddamn games. I was furious at them.
But it was my choice to come here; perhaps if I stayed home everyone would be safe. I was furious at myself.
Anger, sadness, helplessness, they all swam in me like a school of fish in a shallow bucket of water. I looked to my left and saw a pretty antique mirror hanging near the living room wall.
I saw the black ballerina smirking at me. I wanted to spit at her so bad, but I worried that I might invoke their wrath further. So I glared back at her, not as a challenge, but just to let this mysterious figure know that her bullshit was not needed. She laughed and disappeared, leaving my own reflection to stare at me. I grabbed a handful of sea salt caramel popcorn and shoved it into my face.
It was 10:55 when the lights started to flicker. No one gave it any mind, which made it even more agonizing. Again I went to the front door and wrestled with the doorknob, praying to God to please, please, let me out. I couldn't help myself--I started to sob.
"Liz? You alright?" Naomi laid a hand on my shoulder and gently pulled me away from the door. "Hey, what's wrong?"
"I need to go home. I just...I need to go home. Now. Right now." I blubbered pathetically. "Naomi, please. Please open the door for me."
Poor Naomi, she had no idea and I struggled with whether or not I should even tell her. She put down her drink and dapped my eyes with her tie-dye handkerchief. Rebecca griped my hand, "Calm down, what's the matter?"
And just like that the lights went out completely. People moaned and cursed their terrible luck, and I almost fainted.
Mike said, "Weird. It's not windy outside or anything. I'm going to check."
"No! No, don't! Don't go outside, please!!" I begged, sounding like total lunatic in the process. My ears rang with a heavy pain and I saw, from the bright screen of someone's cellphone, the time go to 11:03.
No one was going to die tonight. No one. If I had to grab the ceramic lemons and oranges from their fanciful bowls and throw it at them, so be it.
"Lizzie, chill. I'm just going to be out and then in before you know it." He opened the backyard door effortlessly and I threw off the comforting arms of my friends, racing right through the threshold and in to the cold autumn air.
I tripped over the giant pumpkin on the walkway which sent me careening to the hard ground. Pain shot through my limbs and chest like lightning--for a moment all I could do was lay there in pain. I heard the voices of my girls and several others wondering what the hell was going on with me, but I paid them no mind.
I got up and ran like a bat out of hell. I ignored the wind, the branches that caught my slippers and tights, I only focused on getting to my car. I was out of the house, so I was halfway there.
Just when I, something grabbed my leg. It felt like a mix between human skin and tar. I screamed, clawed at the thing until it let go and kept running. That is, until I felt people behind me. It wasn't anyone from the party--it was something worse.
I had it. I was done.
I tore off my silver ballerina slipper and threw it as hard as physically possible at the nearest figure. I saw it make contact and I dashed to my car. I must have blanked from the panic, because the next thing I remember I was on the highway, driving towards my destination and paying little mind to anything else.
It was 11:56 when I came into the foyer like a hysterical hurricane. I collapsed onto the floor and inhaled as much air as I possibly could.
When the Grandfather clock struck midnight I relaxed...and then panicked one again. I whipped out my phone and texted my girls, asking them if everything and everyone was alright.
Seconds later I got four messages all confirming that yes, all was well, followed by them all attempting to call my poor phone.
But I couldn't answer, not when I was so exhausted. I would answer them in the morning and explain everything.
I dragged myself to the couch where I fell into a deep, dreamless sleep, only waking up when the sun was just starting to rise. As I rubbed my eyes to get the sleep out of the corners, something before me made my heart nearly stop.
On a pillow was my slipper with a note attached. It read:
Princess,
You have done well this night. We look forward seeing more of you.
Much regards,
Viceroy Amalric Drosselmeyer
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