A Twisted Tale of Rumpelstiltskin

VII

"It's almost time," I said, looking at Eryn.

She turned and nodded at me with a small trace of smile. "Good luck. But I know you won't need it."

I pulled on my hooded cloak, then gazed at her a bit. I was doing this more for her than for me. My Eryn.

I opened the door and looked back before heading out. "I'll meet you at the cemetery. Same spot."

"Alright," she replied softly.

I sighed, then closed the door behind me. Then I walked down the path toward the castle. As I got closer, my mouth curved with each step until it transformed into a fully wicked grin.

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The doors of the palace swung open in my command.

"Eliiizzaa," I sang loudly. "I'm ready to take my child now!" I laughed and peered my head around the corner of the doorway to the drawing room. "Kidding. Sort of." I giggled.

Wow Eliza and Midas looked an absolute wreck! Midas' beard was untrimmed and long, his eyes were bloodshot, and his fine clothing seemed so wrinkled and ragged now. Eliza was no better. Her soft angelic hair was now ratted and uncombed. Her eyes were just as red as her husband's and deep dark lines circled under them as well. Her face was deathly pale and sick looking. She was enormously and heavily pregnant, her hand resting underneath her gigantic belly. Seeing them look so defeated warmed my cold non-existent soul.

They were sitting at a table with papers scattered about. A bowl of lettuce rested in front of Eliza. She took a forkful and jammed it in her mouth.

"What's that?" I asked.

She squinted at me. "Lettuce," she answered coldly.

"What kind?"

"Rapunzel, I believe."

Hmm...Rapunzel. Interesting. I sneered at her. "Craving that now, are we?"

"Let's just get this going," Eliza grumbled. She sighed and pulled on the top of a list. This one was so long, it ran across the table to the floor and all the way to the east wing door of the drawing room. I raised my brows. I didn't realize how many names could start with the letter R.

I expected them to say something, but Eliza just started reading names straight away. And with each name I would shake my head no. I was impressed though, they found some pretty strange names out there. And not only did they get the names, but the pronunciation derivations too, which then forced me to stand behind Eliza and check the spellings of each of the same sounding name. I would have had her spell it out for me, but she was so damn tired she could

hardly talk above a whisper. Midas took his turn listing the names out. We took breaks here and there until the clock struck 1 am. Eliza began to shiver and tears welled in her eyes. Midas was almost to the end of the list. I wanted to laugh, I really did. But it's best to wait until he was completely finished, and then I could claim my victory.

"Royce? Royden? Rudy? Rofario? Rufus?" he said.

"No. No. No. No. No," I stated in pleasure as I finished off the last pastry from the table.

He let out an exasperated breath. "Ryland? Rymer, Ryand?"

I shook my head. He paused, and glanced up at me from across the table, then back down on the page. This was it, the last name on the list. My breath got heavier. It felt as if time was slowing, I could hardly contain my excitement!

Midas cleared his throat. "Is your name..." he began in a slow tone. Or at least what felt slow to me.

"Yes?" I let a giggle slip. "What is it, Midas? What is my name?"

Midas looked me dead in the eye. "Is your name.....Rump--"

My heart almost stopped. Yes...that is the beginning sound of my name. I usually didn't care since plenty of names start with Rum, but he DEFINITELY pronounced the letter P after that. Should I worry?

"--pel...." Midas continued.

Yes, I should. My breathing quickened, and this time it wasn't out of excitement. It was out of dread. My eyes widened. I felt the room spinning around me, as if my entire existence was being drained away in one-fourth of a second.

I looked down as my amulet showed a faint hint of glow. Eliza must have noticed it too, because she sat up straighter in her seat, her eyes just as wide as mine. For her, it was victory. For me, it was defeat.

Over the drumming in my own head, I faintly heard Midas pronounce "stil-". It was over. I had lost.

No. I won't let them have it. I don't care if this would be my first broken deal. I will take that child. And then....I'll kill everyone in this castle, and anyone else who gets in my way.

Midas snarled as he eyed the shining amulet. His mouth was still moving. Of course, he was still pronouncing my name on that list. But as I snapped my mind back into reality....something unexpected took place.

"--tonfird?" Midas finished.

I shook my head in a daze. Wait...what?

Midas cackled and cackled like a maniac. "It is, isn't it? Your name is Rumpplestiltonfird!"

I grabbed the list and looked at it. What the hell kind of a name was that? And I thought MINE was strange!

But...that's not what's important. They got it wrong. They couldn't guess my name, which means...

I won.

And they...LOST. I dropped the paper. Slowly, I let my lips curl. The amulet's light faded away. I tittered softly, then grew in volume. Louder, louder, until my shrieks of horrid laughter pierced every corner of the room, possibly even the castle itself.

Eliza broke down as she realized what this meant for her. "No....NO!! NO!!!!"

Midas was so shocked, he just stood there with his mouth open. He quivered and sputtered as I continued laughing into oblivion. I stopped and turned to face Eliza. "Times up," I said in a low rasp.

"No, this can't be!" Midas cried. "M-My h-henchman! I-I sent them out! To find you! They said they did! You...I...how could this be?!" He ran his hand over his face in confusion.

So there was more than one spy out in the forest that night. I must have gotten carried away in my singing and they heard bits and pieces of my name after all! But it was only bits and pieces, nothing more. I sniggered.

Midas slammed his fists on the table. "Your amulet! It lit up!"

"Well now you are aware of the first half of my name I shall give you that," I said with a smirk. "However, you failed to guess my full name Midas."

Eliza bawled. "One more day," she sobbed. "One more day..."

"I said time's up."

"No," she insisted hysterically. "My baby, no! More time, please more ti--" She suddenly gasped and held on to her stomach.

"Eliza! What's wrong?!" Midas panicked, rushing to her side.

"The b-baby..." she moaned, wincing in pain.

My orbs rounded in delight as I scooted in to take a closer look. There was a definite wet spot on the nether regions of her dress, bleeding onto the cushions of her seat.

"Yes," I breathed. "It's time."

My child was coming.