Labyrinth

The next house was small. The wood siding that surrounded the house had a slight, pink hue. The front lawn had red, pink, and purple flowers dotted around it, in carefully maintained planters.

“So whose house is this?” I asked aloud, the other two approaching from behind me.

“I’m morally obligated to not tell you who lives in any of these houses.” Good replied. I turned around and glared at him. I rolled my eyes, and then looked to Bad for the answer.

“You expect me to know?” He explained. “This is too pink and mushy for me to know the person who lives here.”

“So it’s one of your friends then?” I turned back to Good. He shrugged. “I hate both of you.”

“I didn’t even do anything!” Bad shouted as I made my way up the stairs. I stopped in front of the door, and my hand hovered above the handle.

This can’t be anywhere near as bad as Hollow. I said to myself. This can’t be that bad. I twisted the handle, and the door opened itself. A long gray hallway, easily three times as long as the house jetted out in front of me. I walked forward. The hallway went on for an eternity. I could hear a guitar playing off in the distance. I looked behind me; the door had been shut, and neither Good nor Bad were following me. The stone walkways branched off in hundreds of directions, but I followed the music down one path.

“Come closer!” I could hear a voice squeak further down the hallway. The hallway bent downwards, and I almost lost my footing. Then it turned into itself as it continued to go downward. I spiraled down the hallway as it descended.

“I can see you!” The voice barked once again, over the echoing guitar. “Come closer!”

“Who are you?!” I shouted back, watching my footing as I went down the spiral staircase.

“I’m a friend!” It replied; it sounded happy.

An old, oak door met me at the bottom of the stairs. I breathed in sharply, and then pushed it open. A large, green field sprawled out in front of me. A castle made of giant cards had been assembled, and a short wall surrounded it and it courtyard. A woman was perched atop the nearest corner of the wall, gently strumming the guitar as I approached. She was of average height, and had long, shoulder length hair. Her face was just that; average. I haven't seen her before. She was normal.

“See?” She peeped, hopping down to greet me with a hug. “I’m just a friend.”

“Um,” I stuttered as she wrapped her arms around me, “who are you?”

“I’m Love.” She said simply, walking away from me. “I’m surprised you didn’t recognize me!”

“So,” I started, “what exactly was with the big tunnel to get here?”

“Oh that’s not mine, that’s his.” She said, pointing her finger at the castle. “Come on!”

She grabbed my hand and dragged me into the courtyard, through the open gates. I could hear trumpet fanfare. As we approached, I could hear murmurs of passersby, but there was no one else in the courtyard.

“Who is this?!” A voice boomed from atop the castle.

“This is the one I keep telling you about!” Love yelped, jumping along with me.

“Oh perfect.” The voice replied. “It’s about time that I finally meet him. The castle doors swung open, and a King stood in the entryway. He was dressed in red, silk robes, and wore a shining gold crown on top of his head. His left hand cradled a small flask, and the right one grasped onto an ornate staff with a gold griffin perched on top of it.

“And,” I mumbled, “you are?”

“You are kidding,” he began slowly, “right?”

“Not in the slightest.”

“I see.” He grumbled. “I am the King of Hearts.”

“Okay,” I announced, “so why the big castle? There’s no one here.”

The King laughed manically. He fell over and grasped onto his stomach.

“You are funny boy.” He giggled, wiping a tear away with his finger. “So naïve you are.”

“What?” I contorted.

“Are you daft boy?” He hissed, getting back to his feet. “Do you not see my servants, my comrades surrounding me?”

“Uh,” I droned, looking around at the empty courtyard, “no…”

“Excuse me your highness.” Love cut in, grabbing my arm. “May we have a moment?”

He muttered something beneath his breath, and then turned away and took a few steps into the doorway.

“What the hell is going on?” I whispered. “There is no one here!”

“I know.” Love answered with a distant smile. “He’s out of it. There is no one here, but he thinks there are. Here…”

Love turned back around and addressed the King of Hearts.

“Your highness? Would you be so kind as to explain why all of these people are here for you?”

“What else would they be here for?” He gestured with a smile. “They are here to marvel in the kingdom that I have created. There is all but one person left to find in order to complete this beautiful amalgamation of beauty.”

“And who is that?” I asked.

“Who else but a Queen?” He smirked. “I need a Queen as the final centerpiece.”

“A Queen to complete his frail house of cards.” Love mumbled in my direction.

“Please do not criticize me.” He directed at Love, taking a few steps forward. “The process of finding a proper Queen would be so much easier if your Labyrinth was not in the way!”

“You said that was his?” I questioned Love.

“Oh no.” The King answered for Love. “She is the one who put that there. It's no wonder that you made it here without getting lost. Most people do.”

“Why?” I asked.

“Love believes that the true way to test someone for their capacity to love is to throw them in that labyrinth. That ‘only those of true heart will be able to find the end.’ Such a lie.”

“Like your plan is any better?” Love piped up, finally wiping the smile away from her face. “You have this castle just because you think you need to! There is no one in this God damned courtyard. They are nothing more than voices that you created so that you could feel like you were worth something!”

“Enough!” The King shouted, swinging his staff in Love’s direction. Love fell to the ground.

“This castle is a necessity.” He growled, leaning into me. I tried to move, but I was paralyzed. “I did not build this castle with the intention of me being the only one in it. The only way to hold the power that I so desire, is for the throne next to me to be filled.”

“We’re both wrong.” Love groaned from beside me. “What we are doing is not how this works.”

“How do you mean?” The King said.

“We are both resentful of having the hearts of others taken away in the past. And this is how we dealt with it. You built a castle to hide away in, and I built a maze to hide at the other end of.”

“So,” The King began, suddenly looking solemn, “how are we supposed to do it then?”

“I don’t know,” Love whimpered, tears streaming, “but I just want another heart to hold onto. Is that so much to ask for?”

“Is it too much to ask for a Queen to sit at my side?” The King sighed, dragging himself back into the castle.

“No.” I declared. The two stopped and looked at me. “It’s not.”

“Yes it is…” Love continued crying.

“Why do you think this?” The King asked in desperation. Why do you think that this is not too much to ask for?”

“Because.” I said. “That’s it. Just because. Nothing in life is too much to ask for.

“Whether it be true love?” Love sniffed.

“Or eternal companionship?” The King added.

“It’s not too much to ask for.” I consoled them, the light growing brighter. “It’s not too much.”

Hollow

The mansion was old and decrepit; it too retained its hue. The wood planks that formed the wall appeared dark blue and molded. The shingles on the roof were barely attached. It creaked and moaned from the faint breeze. The windows has moss growing on both sides, blocking most of the view from either way.

“I love reminding you of the fact that this is all coming out of your head.” Bad teased, crossing his arms and leaning against a street lamp.

“You’re so comforting.” I announced, not breaking eye contact with the front door of the house.

“I hate to say that he’s right,” Good said from my other side, “but he is…”

“You’re not helping.” I hissed.

“Well,” he said as he looked down the street, where more houses had materialized, “you’re not the only one who wants to meet the new neighbors.”

“So we start with the creepy old house, why?” I asked.

“Girl Scouts always start selling cookies at the creepiest houses so that they don’t have to go back.” Bad said with a matter-of-fact tone. We both looked at him, confused.

“How do you know this?” Good asked.

“I don’t.” Bad smiled. “I’m making this shit up as I go.”

“Fine.” I ignored him. “Let’s get this over with.”

I took a deep breath in, and started walking forward as I exhaled. The stairs leading up the porch moaned underneath my weight. The door had a rusted gold knocker on it. I lifted it up, and it peeled the wood as it detached. I knocked. I waited. No answer. I knocked again. Still no answer.

“You came up with it,” Bad stated from the bottom of the stairs, “just open it.”

I grabbed the door handle with hesitation, and pushed it open. The door creaked open, to show that the inside was no cleaner than the outside. The entry hallway went far to the back of the house; a staircase went up the left side, and entryways dotted the right side. But at the far end of the hallway, a green figure hobbled away from me. As the door creaked open, he turned sharply. His eye sockets were empty. He had no hair, and the suit he was wearing was torn and dusty. He opened his mouth far and shrieked. He charged full-speed towards me, and I slammed the door shut, where he ran into the other side.

“What the fuck was that?!” I screamed at Bad.”

“That there,” he grinned, “is Hollow.”

“Like,” Good started, edging away from the door, “Sleepy Hollow?”

“False.” Bad buzzed. “That, well. I actually have no idea how to describe that to you.”

“So I’m guessing that he came out of you then?” I breathed.

“You bet.” He stated. “I actually think that he’s my favorite so far.”

“We’ve only been to one house.” Good corrected him.

“Yeah?” Bad carried on. “What’s your point?”

“Is anyone going to tell me what the hell that was or not?!” I shouted.

“Why don’t you just listen?” Bad said through a painted smile.

I put my ear up to the door, and I heard sobbing from the other side. I heard it mumbling under its breath too. I gently opened the door, and peered through the small opening. The top of its head was pushed up against the door, and it looked in my direction. Its mouth was still unusually agape, but it didn’t move with his words.

“Please do not abandon me.” It whispered harshly. He didn’t sound like a beast. He sounded like an actor, trained to perform these lines for years. “For I have already abandoned myself.”

“I told you he was a poetic little shit.” Bad said from behind me.

“For you have abandoned me as well!” Hollow spoke, clearly to try to get to Bad. “Why did you leave me here?!”

“Not my fault.” Bad replied, audibly patting me on the shoulder. “You can blame this one for that.”

“But why must you have abandoned me here, with him?!” Hollow echoed.

“What?” Bad stammered. “What do you mean him?!”

“You abandoned me,” Hollow said once more, “with him…”

We could hear footsteps coming down the stairs. I shut the door, and leaned up against it.

“Okay,” I said to Bad, “you didn’t tell me about that.”

“That time, I genuinely didn’t know.” He stuttered, leaning up against the porch railing.

“Who’s there?” Good called out.

“It’s just me.” A squeaky voice called out from the other side.

“What?” I mumbled.

“I said it's just me.” The voice said once more.

“Oh,” Good stopped, “I think I have an idea of who this is.”

I cracked the door open once more. Hollow was still lying where he was before. But at the bottom of the staircase, was a small child, clutching onto a teddy bear in one hand, and rubbing his eye with the other. It was me. I was looking at my younger self.

“That,” Good started, looking through the window next to the door, “is Youth.”

“Okay,” I grumbled, “that much I could have gathered, but thanks for the help!”

“What are you doing Mr. Hollow?” Youth asked, looking down at the collapsed figure.

“It is simple my dear child;” he bellowed, his mouth still motionless, “I have given up. I have given in with every regard to life.”

“What’s a regard?” Youth asked.

“You will learn, in time child.” Hollow replied.

I shut the door, and looked up at Good and Bad. I raised an eyebrow, and they both shrugged.

“This is the kind of crap I have to expect more of from you two?”

“Uh…” Bad said, looking down the street at the new houses.

“Yes.” Good answered for him. Also looking down at the line of houses. “Legitimately, there aren’t that many more.”

“Oh you’re so full of shit.” Bad cut in. “There are plenty more.”

“Should I be expecting more like this?” I asked the two of them, holding my thumb up to the door I was sitting against.

“Well I know a couple of guys who are total assholes.” Bad answered, placing his hands on his hips.

“I don’t.” Good announced.

I could hear Youth asking an endless stream of questions, and Hollow weeping from behind me. I sighed, got up, and continued to walk down the street.