Susan and the Sunflower

PRELUDE OVER FIVE-HUNDRED YEARS AGO, in a faraway land, lived an evil queen who lived in a castle. This queen was so mean and vile, all the people of her kingdom fled to a nearby kingdom because they feared her so. The kingdom was called Taberon. Even her army fled. For many years, consequently, she lived alone in her castle. With each day that passed, the evil queen’s hate and anger grew. Revenge consumed her, and she swore that one day that all the people whom abandoned her kingdom would feel her wrath. With no one left to push around, the only pleasure she got was from admiring herself in her looking glass (for she was extremely vain) and her mysterious, black crystal ball, and her vampire bat, Manfred, which kept her company. Her name was Evilla. Evilla was very beautiful. She was tall and curvaceous. She had coal-black tresses that hung about her shoulders and down her back. Sometimes she wore her hair up, in big lofty curls, stacked nearly a foot high. Her face was like chiseled porcelain, with high cheekbones, and a long, slender neck. Her eyes were green and striking, like almond-shaped emeralds, and they were accentuated with thick, long and curled lashes. Evilla had a penchant for over-the-top, beautiful objects. Her gowns were exquisite, her jewelry extraordinary. Her castle was no less stunning, filled with opulent objects and magnificent furnishings. But all this beauty could not hide the ugliness within, because Evilla had a shadowed heart and a crazed mind. One night, while pondering the fact that she would eventually grow old and die without getting the revenge that she so badly desired, the wicked queen went to her ominous, black crystal ball for advice. “Crystal ball, tell me,” the queen began. “A way to live forever – there must be a way,” she inquired. The crystal ball was large and black and mysterious. It sat upon a golden, waist-high, claw-footed pedestal. Looking into the crystal ball was like peering into a starless night. And whoever possessed it – whether good or evil – the crystal ball aided, regardless. The difference was that if the possessor was of good heart, the entity within helped knowingly and conscientiously. The possessor of an evil heart, the entity helped wantonly and with neutral interest. At first, nothing happened. There was a long, silent pause. Evilla just stood, gazing into it. Then, the crystal ball began to pulse a ghastly, pale green light from within. A face slowly developed like a freshly snapped picture from an instamatic camera. The face was aged and gaunt. “There is a way I know for eternal life,” replied the face within the crystal ball, speaking in a deep, throaty, almost monotonous voice. The Evil queen’s curiosity piqued, and she drew close to her crystal ball. “Tell me, crystal ball,” Evilla demanded, and drew even closer. Her heart quickened with excitement. “One must drink a potion made from the root of the ancient life-tree,” informed the crystal ball. The evil queen went to her desk to retrieve a quill, ink and paper. She was warm and flushed from this exciting revelation. Her mouth and throat was dry, so she poured some water from a carafe into a silver goblet and drank deeply. Then, she damped her lips with her tongue a few times. “Tell me, crystal ball, what do I need for this potion of eternal life?” Evilla asked. “PLEASE!” “My dear queen, Evilla, you will need a leprechaun’s pot, water from the Ancient White Forest, sands from an hourglass, a few toadstools, a straight pin to draw three drops of your own blood, a black widow and, most importantly, a piece of root from the life-tree that grow in the Ancient White Forest, as well.” Evilla wrote down the instructions and repeated each ingredient back to her crystal ball, to ensure she hadn’t missed anything. “I must warn you, my queen, if you drink the potion of eternal life, there is a price,” said the crystal ball. “What price?” Evilla asked. “Yes,” continued the crystal ball. “While it is true – one who drinks the potion of eternal life will, indeed, live forever – the price is steep!” The ghostly, green face nearly filled the crystal ball, becoming clearer. “One must carry the hourglass of endless time upon his or her back for eternity.” “That doesn’t sound too bad.” “And one who drinks this potion is partially transformed into a black widow,” added the crystal ball. “Now it sounds bad,” said the queen, disheartened. “But only half of you would become black widow, the other half would remain virtually unchanged,” encouraged the crystal ball. “Only half,” Evilla said sarcastically. “From the waist down, one’s body transforms into a black widow; however, above the waist, one’s body remains mostly the same, with two minor exceptions: honey-combed eyes, and fangs.” “Oh, is that all,” Evilla said in a sharp tone, irritated. “There are a few unique perks due to the transformation, however. You would become significantly stronger, and your bite would be debilitating, for your venom would be toxic, and it causes paralysis. The victim would remain comatose until you have changed back into your original self, or if you are killed, either would cause the spell to be broken. There is one more important warning you should heed,” said the crystal ball. “What might that be?” the queen asked dryly. “If you should decide to drink the potion, you must turn the hourglass that you would carry upon your back and allow the sands of eternal life to run completely though. This must be done every night, after midnight, but before the sun rises. Failure to do this and death is certain!” cautioned the green face within, becoming stern. “Ugh!” the queen sighed, and then glowered at her crystal ball, arms crossed. Evilla took a moment and thought about everything the crystal ball had told her. “You mentioned something about changing back. Is that possible?” “Yes,” began the crystal ball. “There are no spells or potions that I know of which cannot be reversed. Whether by another….” “How?” Evilla asked, interrupting, curiosity tugging at her mind. “What do I need?” “You need Dragar’s book of black magic. It’s an ancient book filled with some of the most powerful, black magic spells ever created. In this book, you would find a spell to change you back to your normal self. Plus, you would obtain some very powerful spells - spells beyond your wildest dreams.” “I don’t know,” the queen said. “I have some pretty wild dreams.” Then she laughed out loud, wringing her hands together. “Where can I find this book of black magic?” Evilla asked. “The book is in the lair of a mighty dragon; his name is Dragar,” informed the crystal ball. “His lair is located in a desolate land now known as ‘Devil’s Breath’ (formerly Ergostone) in the Bowery Mountain region. It is a perilous place that is charred and smolders. Every morning, Dragar rises from his lair and torches everything around with his powerful fire breath. He is a great, powerful beast who should not be taken lightly. Dragar terrorized and destroyed villages all across the lands.” “Sounds like my kind of dragon,” said Evilla. The crystal ball continued. “Dragar planned on attacking Taberon, but a wizard (called The Elder) foiled those plans. Before the dragon could strike, The Elder struck him blind. The Elder further punished the dragon, banishing him to the last village he destroyed, which was Ergostone. Although the mighty wizard could have slain the dragon, he chose to let him live, using the dragon to guard the ancient book of black magic. Because Dragar is blind, he knows his limitations, and does not stray too far from the lair.” “I must get my hands on that book,” said Evilla. “Ah, ah, ah… I’m not quite finished,” said the crystal ball. “There is one more detail, a very important d