Yeah No!

“It was so terribly cold. Snow was falling, and it was almost dark.” 

Why are you talking to yourself?       

The little, adorable girl spun around. A tall woman, cloaked in a pitch-black cloak of satin with cobalt-blue edges that sparkled, stood behind her.

She narrowed her eyes.

I remember the days when I was standing out in the cold, waiting for the parents to come—

The woman squinted. The parents? She asked. Aren’t they…?

But the girl smacked her almost frost-bitten hands to her numb ears. “No—don’t remind me! Too much.”

The girl started to cry.

The woman tried taking her in her cloak for warmth’s sake, but the girl jerked away, and spun around, running.

“Come back!”

The girl didn’t respond.

The woman didn’t know what to do.

Where were her parents?

Where were her siblings, if she had any? Hopefully.

The woman strived to find her parents. She tried finding the girl, but to no avail, so she could describe her to people.

“It’s no use. If she didn’t want to come into my cloak, she won’t want to receive my help for finding her parents.” The woman sighed. A frosty breath only made her shiver.

Maybe if I find her, I’ll ask her questions. Press her a little bit. She can remember what they look like, right?

At last, she saw an adorable little panda hat!

The girl spun around. But it wasn’t her. Finally, wrapping herself with her almost-too-thin-to-wear cloak, the woman gave up.

She never found her.

She returned to her volcano. Inside, crackled a fire (as if it wasn’t hot enough!). But the woman was fine.

She looked over at her pets. They were made of fire. They could turn into German Shepherds at will.

Anyway, the woman lamented. The fire dogs said that she was just a little girl. She…wait, one of the dogs piped up.

What? asked the other. Hm?

Well, the girl might have ice powers. She may have fled to her ice cave.

The woman said she had lost her parents, or something, because she remembers them from the past. And she said ‘the parents’. Which is weird. But she’s out there somewhere. I need to find her!

The woman left just as one of the fire dogs was going to mention something.

Oh well, the dog said. He shrugged. The others looked at him, and smiled.

She’ll never make it.

The other dog cackled. When she got up on the table, she barked, let’s have a council session.

Every dog appeared—every kind—at the table. Then they listened as the German Shepherd started her little rant.

Everyone cheered and applauded.

“Now—let it begin!”   

The woman couldn’t find the girl.

Where did she go? It’s terribly cold out here!

She pondered whether a four-year-old could make it out here. Fear coated her throat. Did she…? No, she didn’t. The woman called, yelled and then screamed the word girl for a very long time. Her throat raw, she shouted, “Where are you? Where—”

“Where were you?!”

She grabbed her and returned to her volcano.

“Where were you?”

The girl stood resilient. She glared, her small fists balled.

She growled out that she’d rather be eaten by the snow monsters she made up in her mind than be with this woman. The woman strived being patient with her, but all that came out was a sharp ‘stay here with me!’

The girl suddenly took off her winter clothes. She then started crying, her skin was so hot. It was like she was burning up.

The woman made the temperature a lot colder by taking the redressing girl outside into the freezing cold. It was still snowing, and now it was very dark. But the lava around the volcano made it so the glow shone off of the girl’s face. And the woman’s.

Look, the woman said. I don’t know you very well, but I want you to be safe. I can’t keep protecting you. I need you to stay with me. You can… The woman said this very carefully. You can find your parents later. Or if you don’t have parents, maybe I can adopt you.

I don’t have parents, the girl glowered at the woman. I’m not going anywhere. Then she said, I don’t have anyone. I’m an only child.

Please, the woman said. We can turn your life around. Please, I’m the only one for you.

No, I have relatives.

You just said—

I don’t have any relatives—

You like.

The woman sighed. Well, I don’t see why you can’t live with me. I’m not a magician, I just have magical powers.

The girl looked at the woman. You’re not—

I’m not a relative but I’m the only one. Who else—

Me! It’s all me. I’m my own family.

What? The woman laughed, wanting to embrace the four-year-old-looking girl. Come here!

The girl went to her, and she held her in her arms, snuggling. Are you cold? The woman asked.

No, the girl said. No.

You’re a magical girl, too?

No.

Then—

Suddenly, the woman threw the girl out of her lap. What in the world?!

A German Shepherd landed not too far away from her, snarling and gnashing her teeth.

What do you want?

The woman shook.

“And take over my volcano? And for what?”

The German Shepherd cackled. You’ll see! And she bounded away.

The woman protected her volcano by turning it into an ice castle.

Then what was she talking…? Never mind. She was playing me this whole time! There was no little girl. She was lying this whole time.

The woman returned to her ice castle, returning it to a volcano. She sat by the fire, crackling as if desperate to escape. It wanted out.

Do you really? The woman asked it. Why should I even bother?

The fire just spat at her. She laughed.

Well, I’m here. And I can do what I want. No pets can stop me.

Or so they can…

The German Shepherd gathered her dogs around the long, Medieval table with elegant chairs all around and a head chair at the end. In it sat her.

Now, the German Shepherd began. I’m bored. I want to turn into more than fire and a dog. What else?

Um, one of them suggested. You—

Um is not a suggestion! Next. She looked over at a docile-looking German Shepherd.

Yes?

Well, I was thinking—

Well is not a suggestion, either!

She chucked her golden wine cup across the volcano and it landed on the floor, the wine spilled. Now, she rose, bounding onto the table. Each of you is going to find that woman and bring her to me. You’ll see—we’ll rule. And she’ll give me her powers and make me her queen!

I’m sorry, but how are you going to convince her you’ll be her queen if you’re a dog?

Total icy silence filled the room.

Every dog stared at this one brave one.

Uh, one piped up. Just…then he shut his mouth. Never mind.

Yes, you fools. She will never dominate over us again.

But we’re—

Silence!

That was the last yell before the German Shepherd whisked herself away to a Medieval castle, where she would become a human woman dressed in a lava-rich colored dress all the way down to the cold stone floor. She called, and servants came running.

“Find that woman. She’s probably looking for the same girl. Just another one!”

Yes, Your Majesty.

The servants strived all they could, shapeshifting into poor, dirty, tired donkeys and then grabbing at the woman’s cloak and almost ripping it as they tore at her hair and kicked at her, screaming for her to come with them so their mistress could be appeased.

No, no! The woman defeated them, and went away. Then they blocked her ability to enter her own volcano!

Begging won’t do anything!

Before she knew it, she—the woman—was turned over to the queen, shoving her in front of the silver studded throne. The queen lounged, one bare foot hanging out before her. She looked down, frustrated at waiting, at the bowing woman.

What do you want? The woman asked her, just saying it.

Take this slave back to my palace.

Palace? The woman laughed. This is your palace—

Then the woman found herself in her volcano! She got back up, looking all around.

Yes, the woman entered, still a Medieval queen. Yes, this is my throne room, too. Oh, I also own all the spy, fantasy, sci-fi, historical, horrific and all other genre throne rooms, too. Oh, and I have servants and every other throne room is a place I go to, because I own all of them.

You need my volcano—

To satisfy my collection of throne rooms.

The woman turned around. The golden wine cup was still there. “So you’re…queen…”

Yes, why else would I take your dumb—

If it’s dumb, then why would you want it?

The woman snapped her fingers, and fire snakes, snakes made of fire, wrapped themselves around her wrists and ankles. They were heavy, weighing the woman down. She just wanted to lie down and take a nap, but didn’t. She was too smart to allow the other woman to win.

She didn’t move, or look tired. Or anything that would make the woman sing her own praises.

The woman mumbled something to herself.

What was that?

The woman ignored her. That girl…I wish she were real. I just…I’m too lonely here. I would like a family of my own. I don’t want to be with this volcano—

Then give it to me!

No. the woman grit her teeth. I’d rather die than—

Then my snakes will poison you.

The snakes widened their mouths, their fangs inches away from killing her.

She blinked. No, I don’t want to die. You’ll…

Then she told the snakes to leave her alone.

They resisted, but the other woman told them to listen. They returned to the fire, and then the woman turned around. She looked down.

What? Want a family—

I want a friend or someone who will be with me. A loyal companion.

I have no one! The woman cried, tucking herself into her cloak. A piece of clothing and a home aren’t real. They’re just material objects.

You don’t know death until you’ve tasted it.

Yeah, I know, little girl. You told me.

No, not really. Turn around, and I’ll tell you.

The woman turned around. What—

Look, I need you to—

Bow to you!

The woman was about to open her mouth to protest, but she stopped. She said she wanted a family of her own, too. That backstory was real. She didn’t really have parents, more like guardians. She only had guardians. But they weren’t her parents. She wanted someone to love.

Then why do you command me to bow to you? What are you trying to get? Aren’t you queen?

No.

Then you have—

Nothing. None of those throne rooms have any resemblance of family. I wasn’t born into a family. I mean, I was…I only have my servants and those characters I create. But they’re not flesh-and-blood, and even if they were, they’re not my immediate family. I’m desperate.

The two women looked at each other, a silky-haired woman standing in front of the fire with a black and cobalt-fringed cloak. Another woman with a lava-colored dress. She didn’t tear away from each other. She just stood there, and then the woman in the cloak said, I understand. Can you please let me know whether you want to be sisters or just…

I want a real family. I don’t want to meet and befriend a stranger.

Well…

Never mind. It doesn’t matter—

It does! The woman bobbed her head. It does. You can—we can—look for your guardians and your guardians can be our parents. If you want to.

The woman shook her head violently. No! Then she used, abused and insulted the woman over the next years, telling her she’d never belong to anyone. Finally, the woman cast her out, telling her she’d never belong to anyone. What a nuisance! This is my volcano, and you’re not taking it from me. Go write your own story. With a volcano!

The woman dashed away as a German Shepherd, but the other woman turned away, shaking her head. I’ve grown up with her. What does it matter that she changes heart? I know her like she would know how to shapeshift. Or something like that.

Then a question came to mind. She shrugged it off.

She walked away, back to the fire. It crackled and popped, snapped and flickered. But the woman wanted cold, too. She was getting hot. And took off her cloak. But then she was freezing. How could she be both at the same time?

I just want to be someone. I want her to be someone, too.

The woman started chasing the other woman like she had looked for in the freezing cold years ago. She got up every day, searching. But in vain. She obviously didn’t want her, but she didn’t give up. So kind, an embodiment of peace, joy and love. But the other woman snipped, snapped and yelled at her. She threw wine goblets at her, but the woman just caught them and took them. Soon, the woman began to steal from her. She stole everything.

Soon, the woman stole everything back.

Take it all, the woman in the cloak said. I can just imagine myself in a volcano. My own volcano. And she did.

She returned all her stolen things, apologizing. But the other woman wanted nothing to do with her.

The woman went out, searching. She finally found someone in a cloak. He was a man. He wore a scarlet fringed cloak, freely flowing in the wind. He was a handsome man, starch-black hair with beautiful dark eyes.

What do you want? He said.

A family.

Me, too.

He turned to her, a beautiful man. Loneliness sparkled in those tender eyes.

At first, she always worried. She hoped and told him he better be careful. He nodded, but he reminded her he wasn’t interested in being with someone else yet. He didn’t know whether he should make an ice castle or live under a bridge or dig an underground hollow.

She begged him to marry her.

He said he’d think about it.

Soon, they married.

Moving into her volcano, he said they didn’t want to be together in a volcano. Maybe a nice mossy—

No! Horror.

Why?

Just...I don’t want to explain it. Go to the woman.

What woman?

The woman who turned into a little girl and a German Shepherd and now is ruling such a throne room, or throne rooms. She thinks she owns everything.

The man searched out the woman. He found her lying cold-faced on the ground. He walked slowly up to her, and looked down. Kneeling, he was startled when she came alive, saying with eyes sparkling with mischief, that he was kneeling before her.

No, he said, getting back up. I wasn’t kneeling before you. He whisked away before she could do or say anything else, and then they found themselves in a Medieval castle.

But this is hers.

Yeah—

The woman in the cloak dashed to the woman. She said peacefully she could be her sister or something. Maybe just friend from a distance? Something to make her less lonely.

The woman’s eyes filled with tears. “I don’t want anyone who’s asking.”

Then go find someone who’s worthy of your love.

The man whisked her away. They lived happily ever after—

The woman in the cloak had told her the other woman was always lying. She never told the truth. She wasn’t going to find love—

Then use your powers of peacefulness and love. Go befriend her.

She doesn’t want friends—

You said she lied to you. She—

Doesn’t want anything but herself. Her own selfishness. I bet it’s a cat or something.

She approached her throne room in the medieval castle. She was petting a cat.

“That’s your selfishness.”

The woman pursed her lips.

“Admit it. You’ll never be with anyone unless—”

The woman disappeared she said to a Western. Then a story with pirates. But she could never stay. She always had to leave.

The woman asked her whether it’d be okay if she stay here in this medieval castle until she helped her mend her broken heart. The other woman said it’d be fine.

How are you so kind to me when I lie?

Because you’re not always lying. You don’t need to just do that. You can tell the truth.

The woman blinked. Not really sure how you’re always—

Just look for companionship.

The woman was silent.

All the power in the world could not fill this woman’s heart with satisfaction. The woman in the cloak said she might need to wear something specific. Maybe that lava-colored dress was a bit too cold for her out in the cold?

Here, the woman said. I’ll take you under my wing.

The woman looked at her. And then ended her life somewhere in another world. The woman was mad. She always wanted a German Shepherd.

When she returned to her husband, the German Shepherd was there—but it wasn’t the woman. It was just another German Shepherd.

“Come on, let’s be together.”

“Okay.”

The woman and her husband held hands as they looked outside the other woman’s castle, owning it. As king and queen. Forever. Owning the other worlds, too.

Soon, the couple died.

The woman

Of a broken heart.  

The woman woke up and turned to her husband. “Let’s die together.”

And they did.

In peace.

But the woman still had a broken heart,

Wishing she’d died peacefully.

They both died,

The man and woman,

After living blessedly together forever.

They loved.

And lived.

Together.