Once Upon a Hallow’s Eve Read online

  “So do you, Sky,” Jasmine said, squeezing his arm. She glanced around the dungeon, letting out a sigh. “But what are we going to do? We’re trapped Sky, with all these…” She flicked a scorpion off her shoulder. “Damned scorpions.”

  “Beats me.”

  “You’re kidding, right?” Jasmine swung her head around. “Come on, Sky! You’re supposed to be helping me here! You have to have some ideas.”

  “I don’t, Jasmine.”

  “Then what good are you?” Jasmine asked, jumping to her feet and pacing. “You’re our angel, Sky! You’re supposed to be helping us!”

  “I’m not some sort of damned manual, Jasmine!” Sky snapped, jumping to his feet and striding toward her. “I’m just as clueless as you are!”

  “But…”

  “So help me, if you’re about to say I should know everything, I’m going to lose it!” Sky snapped, stopping in front of her and glaring down at her. “I might know things about the demon world, about your powers, but there are things I don’t know, Jasmine! Things are always changing in the magical world.”

  “Then why are you here?”

  “To make sure you stay alive.”

  “Sky…” Jasmine trailed off, staring up into his bright, blue eyes. She wrapped a hand around his arm.

  “Jasmine…” Sky leaned in, his lips inches from hers. “We—”

  “Roar!”

  A loud roar suddenly sounded from behind them, and Jasmine jumped as the ground shook underneath her. Falling back against the wall as scorpions scrambled, running for their lives. “What the…”

  “Roar!”

  Another loud roar sounded, and she squinted as a large thump sounded. A large, black and orange striped tiger stepping out from the darkness. “Oh my God! It’s…”

  “Rajah,” Sky said, as a dark-haired man stepped up behind the tiger. His dark curls falling out from underneath the purple and red pattered hat he was wearing, as he laid a hand on the tiger’s large head.

  “Rajah, be quiet!” he cried, stroking the tiger’s head. “You’ll scare them!”

  “Aladdin?” Jasmine felt her jaw drop open. “Is it… really you?”

  “Yes. It’s me,” Aladdin said, glancing at her and Sky. “How do you know who I am? And who are you?”

  “We’re…”

  “Friends,” Sky said, stepping forward and extending a hand. “I’m Sky, and this is Jasmine. We kind of got sucked into this place. We’re from another world. I think we’ve been sent here to help you.”

  “I’m not so sure anyone can help us,” Aladdin said, sighing. He glanced at Jasmine. “Jasmine, huh? We knew a Jasmine once, didn’t we Rajah?”

  The tiger grunted, its yellow eyes looking sad. He laid down on the ground, putting his paws over his eyes.

  “Rajah’s still not over Jasmine leaving us,” Aladdin said.

  “Leaving you?”

  Aladdin nodded. “With Jafar.”

  “What? No! You two are supposed to be married!”

  “Not while Jafar has control of her. She doesn’t even know who I am anymore. She’s under control of that damned staff of his! And Genie…” He shook his head. “My poor friend. I promised him I’d free him, but now I don’t know if I’ll ever be able to. Especially while I’m stuck in here. Today, is their wedding day.”

  “What?” Jasmine shook her head. “No! Aladdin, we can’t let them get married! If they get married, the story will change. The happy ending will be gone and my world as I know it will never find happiness! We have to stop them!”

  “How? We’re trapped!”

  “We have a few tricks up our sleeve,” Sky said, smiling and glancing over his shoulder. “You can come out now.”

  “Eeek. Eeek.”

  Abu lifted his head from where he was cuddled underneath his shirt. Scrambling out and jumping to the floor. He raced toward Aladdin.

  “Abu!” Aladdin laughed, picking the monkey up off the floor and tossing him in the air. “Oh, how I have missed you old friend!”

  Abu jabbered something. He scrambled off Aladdin’s shoulder, and jumped to the ground. He placed his hands on his hips and jabbered a million miles a minute as he wagged his finger at Aladdin.

  “Okay. Okay. I know,” Aladdin said, raising his hands in surrender. “You’re right, I lost a good thing while I had her. I should have never postponed the wedding.”

  Abu nodded, jabbering some more and Jasmine laughed. “I think he’s scolding him,” she whispered to Sky.

  “What gave you the first clue?” Sky asked, laughing.

  “It wouldn’t be the first time,” Aladdin said, glancing over at them. “What were you two arguing about?”

  “Nothing.”

  “Didn’t sound like nothing,” Aladdin said. “You sound like an old married couple.”

  “We’re not married!”

  Aladdin just smirked. “Hey, Abu, I’ve got an idea,” he said, picking the monkey up and plopping him on his shoulder. He walked toward the door, pointing. “Look. The guard’s sleeping. His keys are in his pocket. Think you can steel them?”

  Abu glared at him, more gibberish escaping his lips.

  “I think that’s a yes,” Jasmine said. Laughing as the monkey snuck through the bars. He scurried across the floor, glancing down the hallway, then raced across to the guard. He stopped, jumping up and down in front of the guard. He waved his hands in the air, and when the guard didn’t move grabbed the keys from his pocket. Racing back toward the cell.

  “There you go, Abu! Now get us out of here!”

  Abu glared at him, jabbering some more.

  “Of course. I knew it was your plan all along.”

  Abu sighed, and stuck a key in the lock. He shook his head, trying another, then another. Finally, a click sounded and the door swung open.

  “Yes!”

  They shoved the door open, stepping into the hall. Voices sounded nearby, footsteps coming closer.

  “I think the guards are down the hallway,” Jasmine said.

  “We’re going to need a distraction,” Sky said, peering around the corner. Staring at the guards huddled at the far end of the hall. “There’s too many of them.”

  Rajah pawed at him, lifting his head.

  “I think Rajah’s got an idea,” Aladdin said, nodding to the tiger. “Go for it.”

  Rajah nodded, his lips turning into a smile. He turned, racing down the hallway and let out a loud roar.

  “Holy crap!”

  The guards jumped apart, grabbing their swords. “It’s the tiger!”

  “It’ll make a nice dinner, don’t you think?” One of the guards asked, stepping forward.

  Rajah growled at him, lunging forward. He grabbed the sword, tossing it away. He stalked toward the guard and lunged.

  “Ahh! My arm! My arm!”

  “Go!”

  “Run!”

  The guards hurried down the hallway, disappearing around the corner. A door slamming shut nearby.

  Aladdin laughed, walking up to the tiger and laying a hand on his shoulder. “Well done, Rajah. Now, let’s go get Jasmine.”

  “Easier said than done,” Jasmine murmured, crouching down in front of the tiger and stretching out a hand. “You’re so pretty.”

  The tiger groaned, rubbing his head against her hand. Then he stopped, jerking his head toward her.

  “Whoops. Did I say pretty?” Jasmine laughed. “I meant handsome.”

  “Smart too,” Sky added as they walked down the hallway, disappearing through the doorway. They trotted up the stairs and he glanced at Aladdin. “So, where are we going?”

  “The throne room. The ceremony’s being held there.”

  They exited the doorway and hurried down the long hallway. Stopping in front of a large, black and red colored door. Aladdin braced his hands against it. “Sky, help me out with this, will you?”

  The two men shoved the door open and the three of them squeezed through. Hiding behind a statue and staring off across the r
oom.

  “It’s almost time, my love,” Jafar said, reaching a hand out and gripping Jasmine’s chin in his hand. “In just hours, you’ll be my bride and soon you will give birth to my child. A child, that will bring ruins to this very city.” He grabbed the lamp from his belt, rubbing it. A blue stream seeped from the spout, a large, blue genie appearing in front of him.

  “What is it, you want my master?” the genie asked, bowing his head.

  “Well, my first wish of course,” Jafar said, grinning, as he twisted his black beard around his finger. His dark eyes twinkled as he shoved his red turban back. “For my first wish Genie, I…” He trailed off, his head suddenly jerking around. “Well, well, well, what do we have here? An audience?”

  “Let Jasmine go, Jafar!” Aladdin shouted, jumping out from behind the statue.

  “Oh, I can’t very well do that, Aladdin. She’s the love of my life.”

  “You’re not capable of love, you old brute!”

  “Harsh words, Aladdin,” Jafar said, laughing. He stepped forward, his black cloak floating around him, staring at the three.

  “He’s all talk, sir,” Eago said, flying through the air and landing on Jafar’s shoulder. “But we should have gotten rid of him. He’s going to ruin everything!”

  “Nah. I have plans for him, Eago. You know this.” He pointed to the genie. “Genie, for my first wish! Get rid of the intruders!”

  “No! Genie! Don’t do it!” Aladdin cried as the genie pointed a large, blue finger toward them. “It’s me! Aladdin!’

  “I know it is, Al,” the genie said, sad eyes staring at them. “But I have no choice. He’s my master now, and what he says I must do.” A bolt of electricity zinged toward them and they stumbled back, disappearing in the blink of an eye.

  “How do you guys get around this place?” Jade asked as they walked down the long, winding hallway. She gazed around at the portraits hanging on the walls, the expensive vase lying on the pedestal, and the exquisite carpet lying underneath her feet. “It’s so big!” She paused, peering around the corner. She gasped when she caught sight of Cinderella’s step-mother staring out the window on the other side of the large dining room. “Oh! Crap!”

  “What?” Jaq peered around her leg, staring at the woman. “Witch.”

  “Hey!”

  “Sorry.” He gave Jade an apologetic smile, and his small body suddenly quivered in fear. “Oh no!”

  “Jaq, what is it?”

  “A cat!” Jaq cried, pointing to the black and white feline walking toward them. “Gus! Hide!”

  “What?” Gus looked up from where he was eating a piece of cheese. The cheese dropped from his hand, and he quivered in fear. “Oh no! Not another one! Look! Jaq, behind us!” he cried, pointing to the gray cat walking up behind them. “Run!”

  Gus turned, running in circles and Jaq sighed. He grabbed him by the arm. “Stop being an idiot, Gus! And for goodness sakes, don’t run in circles! Come on!” He dragged him to the wall, pushing him through the hole and following behind them.

  The two cats stopped, staring at one another. They both let out a hiss, then disappeared around the corner.

  “It’s safe,” Jade said, tapping the wall. “The scary felines are gone.”

  “Whew!”

  The two mice scrambled out from the hole, dropping to the ground.

  “Thank you, Jade,” Gus said, shivering. “Cats are scary! The way they look at you. Chase you…”

  “And eat you,” Jaq added. “The sound of his bones crushing…” He shuddered. “I don’t ever, ever wanna see that again!”

  Gus quivered. “I don’t ever want to see it!” He rubbed his tummy, his stomach rumbling. “Man, I’m hungry! Does anyone have any cheese?”

  “You just ate!” Jade and Jaq cried in unison.

  “So what? That scare worked me up an appetite.”

  Jaq rolled his eyes. “You can eat later. Come on, we have to find Cinderella.”

  “And who just might you be?”

  The voice sounded nearby, and Jade jumped. She swung around, stumbling back when she spotted Cinderella’s step-mother. “Me?” she asked, pointing a finger at herself.

  “Well yes, you. Who else would I be talking about? There’s no one here!” the woman cried, gesturing around her. “Now, I’ll ask again. Who are you?”

  “I—” Jade stopped, thinking. What should she say? She couldn’t very well say that she was a witch, from another realm who had been dropped here by accident. “I’m Jade,” she finally said. “I was out drinking last night, and I kind of lost my way. Crashed here for the night.” She laughed, rubbing the side of her head. “Last night’s kind of a blur. I do hope I wasn’t an inconvenience. You really do have a lovely home.”

  “Hmm.” Lady Tremaine studied her, as if not sure she entirely believed what she was hearing. “Girls!”

  Jade jumped, her voice ricocheting around her, and nearby she heard running feet. She cringed, watching as the two women raced around the corner. One dark-haired and one red-haired, their feet sliding on the floor and nearly knocking over the painting sitting on an easel.

  “Girls! Be careful!”

  “Sorry, Mother,” Drusilla said, sliding to a stop and twirling in a circle. “But we were so excited! Look at this dress!” she cried, lifting the hem of the yellow dress she was wearing. “Who do you think wears it better? Me or Anastasia?”

  “Me, right Mother?” Anastasia asked, twirling in an identical yellow dress. She bumped into Drusilla, and Drusilla let out a yell. She lunged forward, knocking Anastasia to the ground.

  “I look better in it!”

  “No I do!”

  “No! I do!”

  “Girls!” Lady Tremaine thunked her cane on the floor, rolling her eyes. “Get a hold of yourselves! We have a guest!”

  “A guest?”

  They both rose to their feet, walking around Jade.

  “How did she get here?” Anastasia asked.

  “Who is she?” Drusilla asked.

  “Her name is Jade.”

  “Pretty name,” Drusilla murmured. “She does have pretty eyes.”

  “And pretty hair too,” Anastasia said, touching the dark strands.

  “You best get your hands off of me,” Jade got out between gritted teeth. “Or I’ll cut them off myself.”

  “Temper, temper, Jade,” Lady Tremaine wagged a finger at her. “That’s no way for a lady to act.”

  I always did hate that term, Jade thought, cringing.

  “She said she was out drinking last night,” Lady Tremaine continued. “And she crashed here. Do you believe her?”

  “I don’t see why not,” Anastasia said, dropping her hand and backing away. “Who wouldn’t want to party with her? She’s gorgeous!”

  Jade sighed. Was that all they could think about? About how pretty someone was, or how their dresses looked?

  You’re in a fairytale, remember, Jade?

  Of course. She closed her eyes, trying to calm herself. She clenched her fist, and her eyes suddenly snapped open. Where are my powers?

  “You don’t have any powers here, Jade,” Jaq said from where he was perched on her shoulder. “Powers don’t exist here, remember?”

  “Right. I forgot.”

  “Excuse me?”

  Lady Tremaine stared at her. “Who are you talking to, my dear?”

  Jade laughed. “My apologies, I was talking to myself. I forgot that I’m supposed to meet my mother for lunch…” she glanced at the clock lying on the wall. “In about an hour. I really do have to go, she’ll be so mad at me if I’m late!”

  “Well, we wouldn’t want that, would we?” Lady Tremaine asked, smiling. “Right girls?”

  “Of course, Mother.”

  “Thank you, and I do apologize for intruding. I promise, it won’t happen again.” She paused, glancing at Anastasia and Drusilla. “May I ask where you got those dresses? They do look lovely on you.”

  “You think?” The girls beamed. “We go
t them downtown, at this lovely dress shop. They’re for the ball tonight.”

  “The ball?”

  “Why yes. Everyone’s going!”

  “We’re going to dance.”

  “And eat.”

  “And meet all the suitors.”

  They sighed, looking dreamy. “And hopefully, get married to a prince!”

  “It’s what every girl dreams of.”

  “I suppose it is something every girl dreams about,” Jade murmured, softly.

  “Are you going, Jade?”

  “I don’t know,” Jade said, honestly. “I’ve never really seen myself as the ball type. I don’t believe that the only reason to be happy is to have a man at your side.”

  “What?” The girls looked at her in dismay. “But it’s the only way to be happy!”

  “Not true,” Jade said, silently laughing at the glare Lady Tremaine was sending her way. “Any woman has the ability to be happy, with or without a man and anyone who tells you otherwise is lying to you.” She glanced back at the clock. “Oh! I’ve gotta go! Thank you so much!” She hurried toward the big door and stopped. Staring at the young, blonde woman in the middle of the yard. “Who’s that?” she asked, glancing at the three women standing behind her.

  “Her?” Drusilla crinkled her nose in disgust. “That’s Cinderella. Our maid.”

  “Is she going to the ball?”

  “No, she’s not,” Lady Tremaine cut in. “She has other responsibilities.”

  “Well, that’s not fair, is it?”

  “Life isn’t fair, sweetheart,” Lady Tremaine said. “But I suggest you get going, Jade. You don’t want your mother getting angry now, do you?”

  “No. I do not. Thank you again!” She walked out the door and trotted down the steps. She glanced to the mice resting on her shoulder. “That was close!”

  “Too close!” Jaq cried. “I thought Lady Tremaine was going to throttle you when you said you don’t need a man to make you happy.” He laughed. “And those girls!” He laughed again. “They are a mess!”

  “At least you didn’t tell her you were a witch!” Gus cried. “Good thinking, Jade! That story about getting drunk… so good! And meeting your mother for lunch? That was good thinking too!”

  “I do tend to be the smart one in my family,” Jade said, as they walked across the yard. She stopped, cocking her head to the side. “That’s beautiful,” she whispered, listening to Cinderella’s voice sing through the air. “I would kill for a voice like that.”