Jump

"Which is more scarier? A future you don't want laid out before you? Or the Fear of the unknown?"

Characters
Duchess Swan

Raven Queen

Story
“Are you sure about this, Raven?”

“Are you sure about this, Duchess?”

“I…don’t know…”

“Then that makes two of us…” Raven grimaced.

Fate or Destiny, it didn’t really matter. The future was a horrifying place, and anyone would be afraid of the out of the future that waited for them. For these two girls, it was probably for worst.

Catching a glimpse of her future, thanks to the story book of legends, Raven Queen has learned that she will end up as like her mother – probably even worst. Though she wanted to change the future in and of itself, she had to sign away her destiny so that at the moment she would have saved Wonderland. Though she tried to fight off the power of the Evil Queen from taking over, every day it has shown little by little, she was becoming her mother. She didn’t want to risk ruining the lives of those around her. She loved everyone, she could never do such a thing.

Duchess’ future was different. She only had two possible endings, either to be turned into a swan or she will have to face death in itself. Duchess recalls nights as a child where she would dream of days where a bird would fly into her room one night and turning into a young beautiful woman; she would then turn to her, and her mother would say “I’m home sweetie” – Then the child would wake up, in tears. Duchess never knew what happened to her mother, but she given up hope long ago that her mother would fly back into her life. She wanted a future for herself, but not one that was as bleak. She would do anything to avoid a future. Could she do anything?

Duchess looked into the deep bottomless pit that was the wishing well. “And you are positive this will work?”

Raven sighed in defeat as she shook her head. “No, I’m not.”

A couple of years ago, Raven came across something interesting.

In the past, there were two girls that defied their future. It is unknown what exactly happened to those two, but the sure thing was that the two of them were gone - and their stories were gone from this world. The two young women were sisters; their stories were about causing harm to one another - which they could never do. With a magic spell, they “Left this world, and hoped for another.”

These two girls were, “Bella” and “Brutta” sister. In a way, Raven and Duchess mirrored the situation. All four faced a future that none of them wanted to come to pass, and so, there was only one thing.

While studying the dark magic that was her mother’s, Raven Queen came across a gray book. It was neither light nor dark magic; just magic. In this book, she found the spell that Bella and Brutta used to open a portal to leave this world. It seemed to be a simple spell –considering it was used by two non-magic users, it was to be expected- Raven should have been able to pull it off.

She needed to tell Duchess about it. While these two girls seemed to be total opposites, with little in common, they have been able to be in a relationship with one another. Perhaps it was their connection between bad futures they did not want to come to pass that they were able to bond with one another. Either way, they were in this now.

Duchess and Raven both found themselves staring into the deep abyss that was the wishing well. While many times, the destination would always be predetermined by the caster of the spell – this time it would be different.

Who would be stupid enough to try this? This was a very dangerous gamble. Only two people have tried this spell, and as far as anyone can tell; they were no longer alive – at least their stories were no longer around. So why would anyone risk everything for this.

Because they have nothing left to lose.

Duchess jerked a bit as she felt her love clutch her hand.

“Are you sure you want to this?” Raven asked, a worried expression ran across her expression.

“I’m with you until the end,” Duchess smiled; fear made her look paler than the feathers that wrapped around her head.

Raven nodded, as her gazed returned to the wishing well.

For the longest time the two women looked at the well, many thoughts had crossed their minds. If they did this, what would happen? Would they succeed? Would it fail? Would they die? Would they go to another world? Why was it that the unknown was scary.

The question was that they had to ask themselves, over and over. Which was scarier? Was it future that they didn’t want or was it the unknown?

It seemed that they may have decided to back out.

Duchess took a deep breath as she watched Raven’s free hand started to come to life as dark magic emitted its energy through her finger tips.

Duchess watched as Raven went to work. As a non-magic user, duchess had never given it much thought; but when a magic user puts their mind to it, they look beautiful as their hands came alive and created a type of beauty. That probably what attracted her to Raven so much; the two of them could create beautiful magic with their body, but in their own unique way.

Raven closed her eyes as she put the final touch into the magic spell.

As she finished the spell, the Wishing well erupted in a white light that blinded the sky like a volcano reaching the heavens.

It was then that Duchess just realized that this was it. One way or another, everything was going to come to an end. Either this was going to work, or it wasn’t. This was do or die, for the both of them.

She looked over to Raven Queen, she had the exact same expression that she had…she too had the exact same thought as her.

These thoughts that Raven and Duchess were experiencing; were they the same thoughts that Bella and Brutta sister had all those years ago. How scary must have it seemed to them that this moment was when everything was going to change.

Raven watched the white light that shot forth into the sky. They had to act quickly, it was probably already noticed at the school, so they had to jump in soon or risk a teacher or someone else was going to put an end to this whole thing.

Raven was the first to make her move as she placed her hands on the rim of the wishing well. Duchess swallowed her anxiety as she followed suit.

Soon, they both found themselves standing on top of the well, had they not been able to look into the ending abyss of darkness before; there was no way they could look into the void that was looking back at them.

Breathing becoming more and more erratic, Duchess could feel herself hyperventilating. She felt like she was going to chicken out wasn’t she.

You could almost hear the two heart beats pounding as they gazed into the void.

Duchess clutched her love’s hand as tightly as she could. Raven looked over at her.

“Y-you ready?” Duchess asked.

Raven nodded.

“Okay…” Duchess nodded back.

For the moment, they both looked at one another. Studying one another, as if trying to memorize every little detail. Why not? This could literally be the last time.

“I love you.”

“I love you, too.”

And they jumped.