Fiolee: A Thousand Years in the Making

Chapter 22: Nightmares

We were mostly silent when we arrived at the treehouse.

"Goodnight Marshall," I said going inside.

"Fi, do you want me to stay with you?" Marshall asked.

"No that's okay," I said. "I'll just wait until Cake comes home."

"Are you sure," he asked. "It seems like you're just not yourself tonight since we left the party."

Was it that obvious? I thought.

"Yes I'm sure," I snapped. "I just want to go to bed."

"Fine Fi, if that's what you want. Goodnight Fi," he said, and then flew away.

"Goodnight Marshall," I muttered before going inside.

***

"Cake when are you coming home?" I asked my sister on the phone.

"You're already home baby?" Cake asked. "I thought you would leave the party at least eleven. It's only 9:30."

"Yeah, I well I wasn't feeling good," I said. "So I asked Marshall Lee to take me home early."

"Marshall Lee?" she said worried. "He didn't try anything did he?"

"No Cake, he didn't try anything," I said annoyed. "He just took me home. When will you be getting here?"

"Actually, Fi," Cake said nervously. "Lord wants me to spend the night with him."

"What!" I said surprised.

"But if you're not feeling well..."

"No it's fine Cake. I'll probably feel better in the morning."

"Are you sure?" she asked.

"Yes," I said. "Go enjoy your time with Lord."

"Okay," she said. "Goodnight, baby, get well. I hope you feel better in the morning."

"Goodnight Cake," I said hanging up.

Looks like I really am alone tonight.

It was what I wanted.

But it just didn't feel right, I thought as I climbed the ladder to go upstairs.

***

It was 12:02 AM when I woke up again for the third time that night.

I tried to go to sleep. I really did.

But every time I closed my eyes, I kept having flashbacks and nightmares about what happened at the party.

The nightmare I had just woken up from was the worst.

In the dream, I was about to leave the treehouse to hang out with Marshall, but when I opened the door, I was back in the ballroom of the castle.

When I turned around, I saw Marshall Lee in a tuxedo, and he looked kind of handsome.

"Dance with me Fionna," he said.

"I'm not the best dancer," I said.

"Just follow my lead then," he said.

We started dancing with other couples on the dance floor when suddenly there was a spotlight on just us. Everyone had left the dance floor and just stared at us now, even Cake.

This made me uneasy, so I decided to just look at Marshall.

But when I looked at him again, it wasn't Marshall Lee I saw, but Prince Gumball.

Next thing I know we were back in that room again.

Gumball was naked and he pushed me on the bed.

"No not this again!" I yelled.

"I'm giving you what you want Fionna," he said pulling my dress off. "You said you wanted me to be more romantic."

"Not like this!" I shouted. I was in my underwear again and before he could take them off, I kicked him in his gumballs.

I reached for my sword once more, but he knocked it out of my hand. I tried to make a run for the door but every time I got close to it, it seemed to stretch farther away from me until Gumball dragged me back to the bed again.

"This is what you asked for Fionna!" Gumball yelled with a wide eyed look. "You've been wanting my attention lately, well now we're alone and you've got it."

There was nothing but darkness around us and then I heard laughter.

Suddenly everyone from the party was watching Gumball force himself on me again.

"Somebody help me!" I called out to them.

But nobody helped me, not even Cake and Marshall. They just kept pointing and laughing.

Then I heard the whispers.

"She's so weak."

"What kind of hero can't save herself?"

"She's such a fraud!"

"You're too weak to fight back," Marshall said. "You'll always be you pathetic human!"

What he said hurt, but what I heard from the last voice hurt me the most.

"She's no sister of mine," Cake said.

"Cake how can you say that?" I said with tears in my eyes.

"We aren't even related by blood," she said. "You're just a pathetic little boom-boom baby, all alone in the world with no one to ever love you."

"That not true, because she's MINE!" Gumball said before pouncing on me again.

Then I woke up in a cold sweat. I looked around and saw that I was back in the treehouse on my bed.

I'm safe, I thought.

I'm not in the Candy Kingdom.

I'm not in that room.

But I'm...I'm...I'm all alone again.

Just like in my dreams.

Then I started crying. I didn't know how long I was crying until I felt someone hug me.

"Don't cry Fi," Marshall said.

***