Part 2: Untitled Novel, Day 21 - Words to Go: 0

Goldie approached it slowly.
Her shoes scuffed against the ground as she walked. She was afraid. Would she see her own future? The prospect frightened her. She peeked into the cell. There was a surprising addition to this cell that none of the others had. A window to see from. A tall, malnourished girl with long dark hair, wearing a potato sack the same as the rest of the prisoners had been, stood by the window, looking out into the dark city.

"So you finally made it to my cell, huh?" her voice was soft.

Goldie was caught off-guard. She hadn't thought she'd notice her. She didn't say anything before the girl turned around and looked at her. She squinted because Goldie's light was so bright.

"I can see why everyone has been calling you an angel. I can't see your cheeks, but I just want to pinch your cheeks!" she said as a small smile played across her lips. "I gotta say, you're the first person who has freed that many prisoners in one night. I'm so happy for them."

"You're next," Goldie said.

"Don't bother. I'm the only one who can open it," she sighed. "As you can see, I'm in here. I think they gave me the room with the view so that I could see what I was missing. You ought to see it," she looked back through the window. "It looks like some nut lit half the city on fire." She giggled.

"I really can, open it." Goldie said. Apparently, Floyd was lighting the city on fire. Seemed like a good diversion. Strange that creatures with fire in their breath would build their city out of trees.

The prisoner laughed to herself. "Someone else tried to rescue me once. He said he'd be back once he figured out how to get me out. He never came back, but it's OK. I haven't lost hope that maybe someday it could still happen. His name was Turin." "Turin?" Goldie repeated. Hadn't that been the name Floyd had mentioned before he left to cause that big diversion that was going to keep the dark fairies from coming down into the dungeon? Maybe it was working because it'd been almost an hour since the guard had been here last. They must all be out fighting fires.

"I can open this door," said Goldie, again.

"No, you can't."

"Yes, I can," Goldie stated, frowning. "I'll prove it to you."

"The only way you can open that door is if you are me."

Goldie stared at her. Maybe she wasn't too crazy to figure this one out.

After a second, Prisoner Goldie put her hand up to her mouth, "Oh, my gosh. You ARE me." She threw her arms out toward Goldie. "Don't touch that door handle, please, PLEASE!" She ran over to the door and looked through the bars at Goldie.

Goldie was staring at the handle. She'd reached for it, but her fairy blessing would not let her touch it. It was a threat to her.

"Why can't I touch it?" she whispered.

"Stop, stop, stop," Prisoner Goldie repeated over and over again.

Goldie tried to push her hand closer to the handle of the door, but the blessing was holding her hand about an inch from it. "What's going on?" Goldie said, looking at Prisoner Goldie with a confused look on her face.

"He said if I ever opened the door, I would die. I am the only one who can open it and if I open it, I will die."

"Did Turin know that?"

"Yes." She cocked her head to the side. "Why?"

"He's back."

Prisoner Goldie's eyes widened. "What do you mean? Did he bring you here?"

"He said it's my only way home. I have to save you." Goldie kept staring at the handle. She tried wishing the door open, but that didn't work. Why if she had the most powerful fairy magic in the fairy world could she not figure out how to open this door? If I open the door, I will die. But, I'm trying to open the door. If only I can open it, why will it not open. It has to open for me. Floyd said it was cursed by the king, but he never mentioned death. Why wasn't he here with me? Why didn't he come to see Prisoner Goldie. They'd apparently been friends. Why was this all so dependent on me? Couldn't he have figured out a way for her to leave without using the door? Why not get her out through the window? A little bit of fairy magic would have done that, no biggie.

"Don't listen to him. You don't need to save me. You're me. You're already out. Leave me here and go home. You can get home by yourself. Go find Turin and tell him I said to send you home. Also, tell him I hate him."

Goldie looked up at her.

Prisoner Goldie was frowning.

"Does he love you?"

"I hate him. HATE HIM. How could he do this to a little girl like you? I thought he was my friend. I thought he was going to save me himself, not send a little girl to do it. This is utter and complete madness." Prisoner Goldie paced in her cell.

"He's never done anything but protect me. He's out there, lighting those fires, Goldie. He's done all of this for you. He even said he'd die for you if it would free you from your prison. I think I know why they gave you that window, it was to punish him, not you. They wanted him to be able to see you looking out that window from a distance if he ever came back. They wanted him to know that he could never protect you. He had no magic to protect you. They cursed the door because of him. This is all because they hate him. You shouldn't hate him. He's done nothing but work so hard to save you. And, guess what? Here I am to open the door."

Prisoner Goldie started to cry as she paced across her tiny cell.

If the blessing won't let me open the door, how do I do this? Goldie thought. Oh, that's an easy one. She pulled the jewel encrusted compact out of her pocket. Her glowing energy light went out when she threw it through the bars into to Goldie's cell and pulled the door open. A massive shock ran through her body.