Princess Prickly of the Forest

I began writing this for a Flash-Fiction contest. The subtitle contains the three prompts I was given. The story just grew too large for me to enter it (100-word challenge), so I had to enter a different story. This one turned into this.

Once upon a time, there was a tiny Kingdom full of acrimonious people. They had been this way ever since their Princess Prism went missing. This is the story of how she went missing.

Princess Prism was the type of princess who always seemed to have a ring of flowers floating around her head and a bunch of cute woodland creatures following her adoringly. Some said the animals were not there, but it seemed that they were.

Princess Prism could be seen skipping along the cobblestone paths of her tiny kingdom, humming notes and kissing babies, while her impossibly long curls of chocolate brown streamed behind her, keeping the Kingdoms’ streets clean. Just the sight of her filled the townspeople with joy, love, hope, and everything that came along with dancing, singing princesses and the bunnies that loved them.

But, deep in the scary forest that surrounded the enchantingly enchanted kingdom (as all enchanted kingdoms are surrounded by scary forests) lived a group of beings who did not care for bunnies. Or laughing. Or skipping. Or anything that came from being exposed to the prissy Miss Princess Prism.

This creepy group was led by a not-very creepy-looking woodswoman. Some would call her a witch, but she did not have the required wart on her nose (which is a lie made up to discourage children from learning about witchy things). Also, her skin was super soft, so some found it unbelievable. In fact, she looked just like the Princess, only she kept her hair in braids, and she ran in the woods with the wolves (well, one wolf.) This person’s name was Prickly. Princess Prickly, to be exact, and, yes, she was Princess Prism's twin sister.

Prickly grew up trying to get her parents’ attention. But they always said that her feelings were too whiny. Everyone said that her name suited her because her feelings were so easily pricked. They much preferred their lovely sunny Prism. They never tried hard to hide that opinion either.

As you have probably guessed, this treatment did not do well for Prickly’s’ psyche. She so wanted her parents love, but she could never get into birds or bunnies like her sister. She never gave anyone a feeling of joy, either. Alas, she was quite the little rain cloud.

Eventually, she did not mind it. Prickly didn’t want to spend time with others; she just wanted to learn what she might find in the forest. And it was the one place that wouldn’t be touched by the lovely Prism. Her sister would never be anywhere near the forest. You could often hear their mother, The Queen, warning her precious and delicate daughter away from the forest.

Whenever a ball or a frisbee went near the forest's edge, their mother, The Queen, would always send Prickly to get the lost item.

“You like dark things, dear,” she would say.

So, she became used to the forest and spent her alone time walking the very edges of the forest. There, she would see the wolf. The wolf would beg her to come deeper into the forest.

“You are needed here,” the wolf spoke softly, “you will be loved here”.

The thought of being the most admired Princess excited Prickly so, one day, Prickly braided up her hair and started into the scary forest.

The wolf stayed close to Princess Prickly as she taught her everything she needed to know. The wolf taught her how to accept the worship of the forest inhabitants and how to give them back what they needed. She taught Prickly how to lead using respect, which made her a great and loved leader.

But the wolf taught the Princess that the most important thing was using the magic that lived within her.

Her sister had used it without even realizing it. She cast a spell on all around her, causing them to love her, and in return, she gave them joy. But Prickly’s magic was different, a bit darker, some might say. She never even imagined that she had this ability, but the excitement was barely containable.

So, Prickly spent many days frolicking in the shade of the forest trees. Her sister was curious about what could be so desirable in the dark and scary place.

“What could you love in there so much that you would spend so much time in such scariness.”

Prickly’s eyes would twinkle mischievously. Sometimes, so much that Prism had to sidestep the sparks.

One thing that Prickly always wanted (besides the gift of magic) was to have her ears pierced. But there was no way their parents, the King and Queen of the Enchanted Kingdom, would EVER let her get her ears pierced unless Prism wanted them also.

“Prism,” Prickly said sweetly as she sidled up to her sister, “I have a great idea! Let’s get our ears pierced”.

But Miss Prissy Prism was scared! She would not even think about it.

“I will not think about it,” she said and then shuddered.

Prickly tried everything to convince her sister to ask for her ears to be pierced, but no was always the answer.

She even washed and brushed Prism's extremely long hair because Prism had promised her that she would ask to get her ears pierced if Prickly did the arduous task. It took her a week because that hair was DIRTY!

After she finished raking through the last of Prisms’ blocks and blocks of filthy locks, she ran all the way across the tiny village back to her. Excitement pulsed through her veins.

As she got near, she could see that Princess Prism was crying.

She stopped short. Princess Prism had never cried.

“I’m s-s-sorry s-s-sister. I c-can’t do it”.

Oh no

Prickly didn’t think this crying could be good for her.

“It’s okay Prism, don’t cry” she begged, “PLEASE”.

A noise started to rise from the village. Nervous questions came from villagers who were running confusedly through the town. For some reason that none could explain, they were all walking around crying and feeling sorrow.

“WHAT IS GOING ON HERE!”

It was their mother, The Queen's voice. Prickly shivered. Prism ran to her mother and threw herself at her feet.

“I have done terribly by my sweet sister Prickly,” she cried.

The Queen raised an eyebrow at the description.

“That cannot be true my dear one for you are the dearest one.”

“Prickly wants so badly to get her ears pierced and has begged me to get it done so that she can, but you know I am so easily frightened by such horrid things and by pain, but I said that I would do it if only she washed and brushed my blocks length of hair, which she did, but now I just CAN NOT follow through with my promise! OH, I am awful.”

A low rumble came from the direction of the Queen. If the tops of heads could pop off, hers surely would have. But she only pointed towards the woods and said between clenched teeth,

“You have made your sweetest sister cry with your evil selfishness! Guards, get this Cretan Prickly to the forest where she can live like the animals she craves! Out of my sight NOW!”

Being banished to the woods was really a wonderful outcome, except for the chance of ever winning her mother’s love. Once again, Prism has stolen any chance for her to be loved by the people who should automatically love her.

Alas, it was only her forest creatures that loved her. And now, she would get to spend all her time with them. It was not such a bad fate.

Still, Prickly seethed with anger for her weak sister.

“You can punish her”, the wolf said quietly.

“I am not allowed near her now”.

“Ah” the wolf said patiently, “but you have magic”.

“And some of her hair” Prickly realized.

Prickly went to work perfecting her spell. She would take away everything that everyone loved about her sister. All the joy, all the happiness, all the bunnies.

Wolf licked her lips at the thought of bunnies, wondering why they had to go.

In the morning, Prickly had all the ingredients she needed gathered and bubbling in the pot, she threw in her sisters’ hair as she recited the spell.

Your face will be erased in every mind.

Your thoughts will not be sought at any time.

You will be lost and have no name.

And you will find yourself in shame.

Confusion clouds keep your mind tricked

until the day your ear gets pricked.

At that moment, Princess Prism woke from sleep feeling extra groggy. She walked over to the mirror and jumped, startled by the stranger there.

“Who is that vision of beauty,” she asked herself, “who am I?”

She wandered out of the castle and kept wandering the village streets, not knowing who she was or where she belonged. Her hair got caught and straggled along the streets, getting all kinds of nonsense stuck in it. It ripped and tore until soon there was barely enough hair left to touch her feet.

The streets of the village became dark and cold. Hairballs as large as boulders bouncing down the cobblestone paths. Prism shivered in a corner where someone took pity on her and threw her a hoodie. She could often be seen walking around the village tucked into that hoodie, staring at her reflection in store windows, talking to herself, hiding in corners, and stealing bread. No one knew it was her. She didn't even know she was her.

Meanwhile, the entire village felt the deepest sadness anyone had ever felt. Little by little, they all lost their smiles. They became short-tempered and vicious with their tongues. Neighbor spun stories against neighbor. They didn’t know why; they only knew that it felt normal.

No one knew that an evil spell had been cast upon the Princess and that she could no longer remember who she was. The villagers did not remember her themselves. Everyone was just stuck in a fog of grim confusion.

Meanwhile, Princess Prickly watched from the forest's edge, the wolf standing beside her.

“You can go home now and rule,” she said.

“No."

“But they will all fear you. Your mother will not remember her!”

“Even so,” Princess Prickly spoke softly, “this is not what I wanted.”

Princess Prickly did not want to lead a bunch of whiny villagers. She loved the animals of the forest and had no plans of leaving them. And she did not want her mother to love her by default.

“Oh, why can’t she just get her ears pierced?” she asked.

“You can call her to it,” the wolf stated cryptically.

Prickly turned her head quickly towards the wolf, a sly smile spreading on her face.

“Yes” was all she said as they retreated into the forest.

One day, for reasons she would never know, the former holder of light, Princess Prism, in the hoodie, had such a strong urge to have her ears pierced. This need drew her, walking trancelike through the town until she came upon a small jeweler’s shop. Without hesitation, she entered the shop. Inside, she found a bent-over crone of a woman, and she asked the crooked woman to pierce her ears.

“Of course, deary, have a seat over there.” The old crone wheezed as she pointed one crooked finger at a very dusty chair.

At least, we think she was old since she was all bent over and twisted, so who could tell?

As soon as the needle broke her skin, Princess Prism grabbed her ear and stated, “Wait! I AM THE PRINCESS!”

Throwing the hoodie off, she screamed in delight as her thick chocolate brown locks grew exponentially, filling the village streets while two perfectly tiny diamond studs peeked out from her ear lobes! They were ears fit for such a tiny, enchanted Kingdom.

Princess Prism burst out onto the streets, which were bright once again. You could hear the music following her as she sang through the cobblestone avenues. Once again, her head sported a wreath of flowers, woodland creatures followed her dancing figure, and the villagers came out of their homes, filled once more with unexplained joy, rain clouds gone, sunny smiles back.

All was well once again.

Back at the jeweler’s, Princess Prickly, ruler and most loved leader of all that was the forest, stepped out of the shadows, sat in the chair, and said to the Crone,

“Prick me.”

At the forest's edge, you could see the wolf lounging on a rock while staring at the village.

A disappointed sigh escaped her mouth as she stared at the bunnies’ return to their lady.

“What a waste,” she said to Princess Prickly, who had just arrived at the rock.

“There are other things to eat,” the Princess admonished, “you will not bother them.”

“I love the ruby red,” the wolf commented on the new earrings on her master’s ears.

“Yes, so worth it all, don’t you think?”

And the two strode back into the forest that they loved.