Club Scaretale (Part 7)

When Anette came to, she felt a warm sensation in her chest. It spread to the rest of her body and woke the cold skin. She heard voices all around her; almost all of them were frantic. All cells in her body were buzzing, which meant that someone was practicing magic on her.

Anette opened her eyes and saw how the Wishmaster was hovering over her, his hands outstretched and glowing in a dark green color.

“She is waking up!” Tarja’s relieved voice sounded.

“What happened?” Anette’s voice was hoarse and wavered slightly. Her whole body was still hurting and the worst pain radiated from her wrist where she had placed the bracelet she got as a gift. When her hand reached for the jewelry, she felt that it was no longer in place.

“It was hurting you, so we had to remove it, or else it would have killed you. It has the same features as the arrowhead.”

Anette rose from the ground and felt how her legs were shaking from both the murder attempt and from the knowledge of who had given her the bracelet.

“If it were not for the Wishmaster’s healing capabilities, then we would surely have lost you.” Tarja said and Anette heard the tears in her voice.

Anette was boiling with anger. Anger caused by the death of her friend and the sorrow that followed, the betrayal of a friend and colleague, a regular who abused her trust, and finally the worry and horror that crossed her friends faces. She had had enough.

With determined steps, she walked up to John and bend forward, clenching her hands on his knees. When he squirmed underneath her, she leaned even more forward and whispered in a cold tone in his ear:

“Oh, you are going to talk. And until you do, I will enjoy every moment of you screaming and begging for me to stop. You deserve everything that is coming your way.”

“NO STOP, PLEASE!”

“The bride shrieks while her body transforms into hundreds of spiders, and they will proceed to crawl up the man’s legs. When they are on his lap, they will come together and form a goblin with big, razor sharp teeth. The goblin will laugh before launching at the man and make his chair fall over. The floor around him feels like hundreds of needles are pressed into his skin.”

John screamed while Anette’s voice never wavered. She was consumed with rage.

“Hands reach up from the floor and grabs the man. They yank him down as the floor turns to water. A sea serpent swims up to him and caress his arms and chest with its cold and slippery skin. The serpent opens its mouth and swallows the man whole.”

Tarja and the guys stood behind Anette and felt how the magic poured out of her. It was a frightening sight.

“The Bride pulls the man up from the darkness and throws him into a mist. It is thick and almost suffocating him. Mutilated faces greets him, people missing their jaws, eyes, noses and lips.”

“Stop, I will tell you everything, I swear!”

Tears slipped down John’s cheeks, but Anette was relentless. She kept on reading. The Bride was powerful and lured Anette in further. In the back of her head, Anette knew that it was dangerous to give into the hate, but it was hard to stop when she felt this much in power.

“The Bride’s eyes are black, her lips turned into a wicked grin. She wants to kill the man in front of her. She chuckles deep in her throat and pulls a dagger from her robe. It is already covered in dried blood.”

“NO!”

“Someone has to stop her; she is going to kill him!”

Anette could feel the Bride’s hate. They were one. She could see John through her eyes, his eyes widened in fear. It made Anette laugh bitterly.

“The Bride lifts the dagger and slowly she…”

The image was shattered, the book slipped from her hands. Anette saw how the Bride disappeared. The feeling of absolute power left her and she growled deep in her throat and turned around. The Wishmaster stood there with a triumphant smile on his lips. Anette lashed out and tried to grab a hold of his suit, but strong arms stopped her.

“Anette, calm down, you almost killed John!”

“I do not care, he killed Emma!”

“Revenge is never good and it will not bring Emma back. It will only darken your heart.”

“Please, release me, I will talk. Just… do not bring her back.” John’s voice was weak and strained.

Marco stood in front of John, untied the ropes, and yanked him to his feet. In a low and threatening voice, the bearded man spoke:

“Who are you working for?”

John cleared his throat and met Marco’s blazing eyes.

“We are the ones that will bring an end to magic. My mission is to kill every magical creature that crosses my path. The Storyteller is only the beginning, Frederick and the rest of us will bring an end to Club Scaretale.”

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A/N

Wow, this is getting really intense, I can't wait to read more! Wait, I'm the author... never mind... 

I don't know about you, but Anette getting all intense and murderous is pretty exciting. She seems to be the fluffiest and sweetest angel out there, but she has to lose control once in a while. Yayyy for writing!

So, one more chapter maybe and then this story will end *sob*

Club Scaretale (Part 6)

A loud thump brought her out of her daze. Cracking of bones and painful groans reached her ears. A hand on her bicep made her eyes move around.

“Anette, are you okay?! Did he hurt you?!”

The man was no longer in the doorway.

The chock released its hold on her body as tears slipped down her cheeks. Strong arms soon surrounded her as comforting words were whispered in her ear.

“You fucking bastard!”

Another thump. Anette recognized Marco’s voice as he kept shouting at someone. Presumably her attacker.

“Marco, stop, that is enough!” Tarja’s voice was laced with panic.

Anette lifted her head and saw how Tuomas dragged Marco away from the unconscious man on the ground.

“Calm down!”

“He was trying to kill her; of course I am not going to calm down!”

Tuomas slammed Marco up against the wall and held him there in a vice like grip in order to calm him down.

Anette broke free from Jukka’s arms and approached the man on the floor. She recognized his face immediately, a small part of her had suspected who it was ever since she found the arrowhead in Emma’s dressing room.

“John?”

They tied him up in a chair in the middle of the main floor. The Wishmaster had joined them and now they were discussing what to do with the attacker.

Anette sat on the edge of the stage and stared of into nothingness.

“We should turn him in.”

“I will most likely kill him before that ever happens.” Marco said and rubbed his sore knuckles.

“No, we will do no such thing. Not yet anyway.” the Wishmaster said and looked over at the badly beaten man on the chair.

“So, what do you suggest we do then?”

“Interrogate him, find out what he knows.” The man with the top hat said and started to make his way towards John.

The man had taken a heavy beating, which resulted in a broken nose, his lip and eyebrow split open, and a swollen right eye. A large amount of blood coated his white t-shirt.

“I did not want to turn him in because of the arrow. It is much more complex on the inside than on the outside. It contains a high amount of technology and it gave off a high electricity charge when I touched it. When Emppu touched it, it did no such thing. When Anette did it, she felt the charge too”

Finally, Anette looked up and saw the confusion on everybody’s faces. He was right, the guys had secured John’s weapons and turned and inspected them closely. She and the Wishmaster were the only ones affected.

“You think he is working for someone?”

“Maybe, but we will find out soon enough.”

“ANSWER US!”

They had dropped the calm approach a long time ago and now the shouting started. John just sat there, unfazed by the growing tension. Marco looked like he wanted to punch the man again, but Jukka and Tuomas held him back. Tarja sat by Anette’s side, held her company, and tried to distract her. Emppu and the Wishmaster sat by the sidelines in order to figure out what to do next.

Suddenly, an idea formed in Anette’s mind.

“What if we use magic?”

The question lingered in the air as Anette’s eyes locked with the Wishmaster’s.

“I could get the answers out of him.”

The Wishamster looked at her curiously.

“And how exactly are you planning on doing that?”

Anette rose from the stage and walked towards John, her eyes ablaze with newfound determination. This was probably the man who had killed Emma, and she was not going to let him get away.

“I am going to scare him. And when he begs the Nightmare to leave him, then he will be ready to answer every question we ask him.”

She was going to wake the Bride, the Nightmare in human form. A role she herself had played. Only this time, Anette had to give a face to her.

Anette sat with the Storybook in her lap and the quill in her right hand, her thoughts in a rollercoaster. She could feel the betrayal seeping into her veins. She had considered John a friend, and she had trusted him. Now he was going to pay.

Anette placed the tip of the quill on the paper, a story quickly forming in her mind. Suddenly, she felt the electric shock yet again, but this time it was intensified. She gritted her teeth before a scream tore from her throat, the pain in her arm and chest was too great. Her body convulsed and dropped to the ground. Hours of pain seemed to have went by, but in reality, it was only a few seconds, before she felt a yank of her wrist and suddenly the convulsions stopped before the world went black.

----------------------------------------

A/N

Part 7 should be up very soon. I had to split up this chapter or else it would have been too long.

Club Scaretale (Part 5)

“My fall will be for you
My love will be in you
You were the one to cut me
So I'll bleed forever”

The stage exploded as the last chorus of tonight’s final song reached the audience. Tarja, dressed in a dark, blue dress, held on tightly to a microphone in one hand while the other reached out for the Ghost. The transparent woman held out her hand as well, but was pulled back by crashing waves. Both she and Tarja were in tears.

Anette felt the goose bumps on her skin intensifying. This song had been a rollercoaster from the beginning; absolute calm was quickly changed to a storm of terror and loss. Sirens and angels had entered the stage, before the ocean had washed them away. The Ghost had been crying oven an innocence and love long lost.

Anette cleared her throat and read he last of the lines.

“And so the Ghost was lost in the sea. Forever damned to a life of memories of the loved one she once held close. Never to touch her again”

Her words appeared over Tarja’s head, beautifully written but holding so much sadness.

When the music stopped, Anette looked up at the audience. The adults had tears in their eyes, some of them had dropped their heads against their palms and sobbed quietly against them. The children sat in an awe, with their eyes wide open and their breaths caught in their throats.

 It took a while, but finally applauds rained over the band. Tarja wiped her tears and smiled brightly. This was the first time they had ever performed this song and they were worried about the reception from the audience, but the bright smiles and tearstained cheeks erased their worries.

The band bowed before they exited the stage.

Anette breathed in heavily and closed the Storybook, feeling how the magic left her body. She got up from the chair and walked out the door to greet the band and the audience who chose to remain until the club closed.

She stepped out from the backstage area and smiling faces greeted her immediately. Children talking a mile a minute about how amazing the show was, their parents shaking her hand and thanking her for the amazing night. And during this time, Anette felt how her heart fluttered in her chest out of pure joy.

As the families slowly exited the club, the regulars took their seats at the bar. Anette caught their glances while she made her towards the band. Tarja immediately engulfed her in a hug while the guys offered her a drink. This was a part of the job that she truly cherished, being able to relax with the people she worked with.

“It does not happen a lot, bringing the audience to tears, and we figured that you would be the one to do it.” Tuomas spoke and raised his beer glass. The others mimicked his gesture and turned their heads to look at the blush that crept up on Anette’s cheeks.

They began to talk about tonight’s performance, when Frederick Peterson, one of the regulars, stepped up to the group with a small box in his hand.

“Good evening gentlemen!” he said and then turned to Tarja and Anette.

“And ladies!” Frederick spoke and kissed the women’s right hands before he turned to Anette.

“I realized I have not properly shown my gratitude towards the new Storyteller, since you are the only reason I visit this place. So, without prolonging this further, please accept my gift as a token of my appreciation.”

Frederick opened the box and revealed a silver bracelet with a big red stone, shaped in a triangular form with symbols and markings covering the rest of the jewelry. As small gasp fell from Anette’s lips when her eyes landed on the jewelry.

“May I borrow your hand?”

Anette blushed once again as Frederick lifted the bracelet form the box and gently placed it around Anette’s thin wrist.

“A beautiful thing for a beautiful lady.” Frederick said and showed of his pearl white teeth in a radiant smile.

“Th…thank you.” Anette managed to say and returned the man’s smile.

“You are welcome. Excuse me while I retire, the night has been rather draining. I will see you another day.”

“Yes, of course, have a good night.”

“And to you too.”

Anette watched him leave and then turned to her friends. They were all wearing broad grins, which made Anette fidget in her seat slightly. She felt an uneasiness in her stomach when Frederick was walking up to her, but it quickly disappeared when she saw the bracelet. It was quite beautiful and fit her perfectly.

“To the beautiful lady!” Marco said and raised his glass. The rest of the band laughed loudly and mimicked his movements and words while Anette rolled her eyes.

Something drew her here, and she was not sure what it was. But here she stood, in the middle of Emma’s dressing room, and cleaned. She picked up her old dresses, heels, and notebooks. She did it with great sorrow in her heart, but she needed this. She could not let Emma’s death hold her down forever, and one thing that bothered Anette was the stage of her deceased friend’s room. She placed the dresses and shoes in one pile, meaning to return them to Jeremy the first thing tomorrow. Jeremy was a neat freak and probably itched to get his hands on the dresses. They were his creations after all, but he left them in Emma’s room out of respect, saying that he needed to process the blonde-haired woman’s death first. That had been two months ago.

As Anette picked up the final dress, a dark purple one, she heard something clatter against the floor. Looking down, she spotted an arrow with a yellow tip. Anette recognized it immediately; she had seen it when she received a piece of paper from John, the stage manager. She picked it up and felt a slight electrical shock coming from the arrow, which made her drop it.

When she bent down to pick it up, Anette could hear footsteps coming through the door. The man standing there had a hood over his head, which made it impossible to see his face, as the black material concealed it. Anette’s eyes widened when she saw the crossbow and gun in his hand. The man stepped over the threshold and pointed the crossbow at the black haired woman. Anette stood completely frozen on the spot.

“Goodbye, Storyteller” the man said as his finger closed down on the trigger. 

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A/N

Ahhh, a cliffhanger! I really hate those, so I gave you one. I'm evil!

So this update was a little late, but I've been kind of busy so I will blame it on that. There will probably be an update on Monday, since all the action parts of this story are coming up. But I can't make any promises.

Club Scaretale (Part 4)

By the end of the night, Anette’s voice was hoarse and her hands were shaking badly. The final bows from her and the performers went by in a blur; the effect of the magic still buzzed in her mind and clouded her senses. 

When Anette walked backstage, she immediately became surrounded by the employees at Club Scaretale, all of them congratulating her on a job well done. Anette quickly came down from her rush and thanked them all and gave them her most sincere smile.

Suddenly, she felt how she was being lifted from the ground and into a crushing embrace. She recognized the bass player and giggled slightly.

“Marco, put me down right now! You are going to crush me to death!”

“Oh come on, this is my way of celebrating you! You were awesome tonight!” The man said and lowered Anette to the ground. She soon spotted the rest of the band and they proceeded to embrace her as well.

“Drinks all around!” Emppu, the guitarist exclaimed, and the band looked at him in utter disbelief.

“You know we are going to drink all of your paycheck away right?” Tuomas said and chuckled.

Emppu considered his words and shook his head.

“Nah, you guys cannot handle that much booze anyway. And besides, this is a celebration. Right, Anette?”

Anette considered their invitation, and though it was tempting, she could feel how the exhaustion seeped into her bones. It had been a long day and now all she wanted to do was sleeping. Therefore, with an apologetic smile, she declined the invitation, explaining that she was tired and needed to rest.

“Oh no, you are not avoiding it that easy, but we understand. Maybe another time then?”

Anette nodded and wished the guys a good night.   

Some other congratulations were washed over her before she could make her way to the dressing rooms. Each performer had their own one and on her way to her own, Anette passed by Emma’s. The door was ajar and she could see the lit candles and bouquets of flowers on the floor in the middle of the room.

Anette bit the inside of her cheek. Her thoughts had been about her departed friend all night. The thoughts swam in a sea of light and darkness, the good ones with the bad ones. Two nervous young women, seeking job as waitresses and bartenders. How ordinary their lives would have been if they never had applied for the job at Club Scaretale. But the both of them never liked to play it safe, they wanted adventure and always sought anything unpredictable. And now, that came back to bite them both.

Anette took one last look around the room before retiring to her own. Emma had always been messy, leaving clothes on the floor and on various kinds of furniture with her shoes scattered around the room. A sad smile grazed Anette’s red painted lips when she made her way down the corridor.

After changing her clothes, Anette made her way out of the building and started walking towards her apartment, already feeling how her eyelids started to close, not noticing the pair of eyes that were watching her.

The next couple of days passed by quickly, and Anette was barely hanging on. She became more comfortable in her role as Storyteller, gaining respect and admiration from both her coworkers and the club regulars.

She had gotten more confident in her magic abilities, but she had not yet made a move to pick up the quill and write her own stage shows. Anette always believed that she would screw things up by writing down her own effects, staining Emma’s immaculate ones.

Club Scaretale had gotten a new singer. Tarja, her name was. She had an operatic singing voice, which blew everyone away since everyone were used to Anette’s slightly more melodic one. For the last couple of days, Tarja and the guys in the house band had been writing songs and exploring Tarja’s vocal range. And today, they had requested a meeting with Anette where she would read the lyrics and try to come up with a mind-blowing stage show.

Anette grabbed the Storybook, a couple of papers, some pencils, and finally her quill.

There was a table set up in front of the stage where the band and the new singer were seated. Anette greeted all of them before sitting down, placing all of her writing necessities on the table.

“Wow, is that it?” Anette searched for Tarja’s eyes and found them resting on the Storybook.

“Yes, it is the one and only.”

Anette could feel Tarja’s bubbles of excitement from across the table, and was tossed back in time when she herself had been sitting across from Emma, with the guys by her side, to discuss the special effects they were going to incorporate in their show.

Shaking of the memory, Anette placed a paper in front of herself and grabbed a pen.

“Come on you guys, blow me away!”

And that was exactly what they did.

“Two bright, shining stars between the performer’s head and the ceiling. They twinkle and casts a light over the audience.”

This song would be Anette’s and the bands masterpiece, they could all feel it. The descriptions of the scenery’s easily came out of their mouths and ended up as text in Anette’s Storybook. They had some trouble with the other songs, but with this one, this one was different.

Anette’s hand travelled eagerly over the papers, writing everything that came to mind. But when she picked up the quill to write the final version in the book, she did so with great care, fully aware of the power these words held. And when the band prepared for their performance, she breathed in deeply to try to calm her nerves. Now there was no turning back.

The first lines of the song began and Anette focused on the words in the book.

“The audience will travel through the second star to the right, flying over fields and forests, villages and castles, mountains and valleys, and finally land in the castle of the Wishmaster. His golden crown resting on his head, a staff firmly placed in his hand. He leads you to a hall of mirrors where you can look over his subjects. The scenes that you see are not pleasant ones. Family turning against you, princesses locked in towers, tears of despair, men and women separated from the ones they love, beasts lurking behind every corner, and the villain towering over the hero and the heroine.”

Anette looked up at Tarja and saw the amazement in her green eyes. The air was filled with magic and the feeling send a shill down Anette’s spine.

“The mirrors switch and green smoke oozes from a black cauldron. From the smoke, a sorceress rises. Her irises turn to black before she engulfs herself in black smoke. A black dragon stands in her place, exhaling green flames. A knight in shining armor runs forward and pierces the dragon’s heart with his sword. A prince waking his sleeping love with True Love’s kiss. Talking and singing animals. A lamp and a genie that grants you three wishes. A mermaid and a sea hag, facing the waves. Lost boys on an island.

The mirrors shatter as the song comes to an end.”

Anette jumped in her seat when she heard the glass landing on the stage. She looked up and all eyes were on her. In the corner of her eye, she saw the owner of the club.

“I did it!” Anette thought as a smile broke out on her lips.

The band made their way towards her and suddenly she felt a pair of arms encircling her in a crushing embrace.

“That was so amazing! We have to rehearse some more songs, that was so cool!” Tarja was talking a mile a minute and Anette barely caught the words that came out of her mouth.

She saw how the Wishmaster tilted his hat and bowed slightly before he made his way to his office.

Anette felt light, like something had been lifted from her chest. She was now the official Storyteller and believed that brighter days were ahead of her.

Oh, how wrong she could be.

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A/N

So yay, Tarja appeared. I had some doubts about incorporate her in this story, but I couldn't resist. She is just too cute. And FantasMic, oh my goddess! One of my favorite songs.

Darker times ahead *dumh dumh dumh* 

I don't know how long I will make this fic. Maybe five or six more chapters? And is the length okay? Should the chapters be longer? Tell me what you think!

Club Scaretale (Part 3)

It was a small room with a desk right by the stage that was the Storyteller’s quarters. There were no walls in front of the desk and gave a perfect view of the stage. Magic had been used so that the Storyteller could look out, but no one on the outside could look in.

On the desk lay the Storybook, as Emma used to call it. The brown leather and the golden lettering had faded slightly by the constant turning of the many pages. Bottles of ink and crumpled up paper were scattered around the desk.

Tears burned behind Anette’s eyes as she entered the room. This was not the first time she had been in here, but this time was different.

She set down the quill next to the book and sat down on the chair by the desk. She looked out on the stage and already missed the feeling of spotlights and the undivided attention of the audience directed at her.

With shaking hands, she opened up the Storybook and read the first page.

In a world of magic and wonder

At the top of each page stood the name of the act that the Storyteller was supposed to bring to life with complicated lightshows and other effects. Anette’s eyes soon found some of her own:

Slow, Love, Slow… Scaretale… Sleeping Sun… The Heart Asks Pleasure First… Storytime… The Crow, The Owl, And The Dove…

Her curiosity got the better of her and she started to read from the show named Sleeping Sun:

“The ceiling has a color of pink and blue with a few white, fluffy clouds. Above the singer there is a bright, yellow sun that is about to go down over the horizon. On the stage, water are in calm waves, reflecting the band on the surface. As the song continues, the sun slowly starts to descend and the stage goes dark. When the last chorus starts, the stars begins to appear and the moon…”

“Holy shit!” Anette exclaimed when she looked up and saw how the moon appeared. She placed a hand over her rapidly beating heart and took long, deep breaths to try to calm herself down.

As her concentration faltered, the stage returned to its normal self.

Anette ran a hand through her long, black hair and continued to flip through the pages. There were drawings and short stories in the back of the book. Magical creatures, mythology, and signs.

Anette was mesmerized.

A loud knock managed to break through the haze and Anette jumped in her seat. She quickly got up and when she opened the door, the drummer in the house band, Jukka, greeted her.

“Hey, what’s up? You are getting comfy in here?”

“Yes, I am trying to. It is just so much to take in. you know?”

“Hmm, I can imagine. By the way, I watched your sunset. Pretty impressive!” Jukka said and nudged Anette gently in the ribs.

“That was nothing, just beginners luck.” Anette said and smiled brightly.

“Well then, I must be going, the doors will open in an hour.”

“Wait, an hour?!” Anette said in disbelief.

“Yes, we did not want to interrupt you, like you said, it is a lot to take in.”

“Yeah, yeah. Do you know where I can get tonight’s program?”

“I think that Jeremy passed it on to John just some minutes ago.”

“Okay, thank you, I will see you later!”

Jukka said his goodbyes and disappeared down the hallway.

After talking to Jeremy, the costume designer, Anette made her way back the stage and spotted John, the stage and prop manager.

“Hey, John!”

John immediately dropped his notepad and leaned towards the nearby wall.

“God Anette, you really scared me!”

Anette giggled slightly and reached her hand out towards the stage manager.

“Tonight’s program, if you would be so kind.”

John, still a little shaken up, fumbled his way through his jeans pockets in search for the small piece of paper.

“It must be in here somewhere.”

After a few moments, the young man pulled out the crumbled piece of paper he had been looking for. Anette was just about to take it when she noticed a small object on the floor right next to John’s shoes. It looked like a small arrowhead and the tip of it was colored slightly in yellow. Quickly averting her eyes, Anette grabbed the paper and made her way to the kitchen, where she ate her dinner before the show was going to start.

Dressed in a dark, green dress with black high heels, Anette made her way to the Storyteller’s room. She had just been introduced as the new Storyteller in front of tonight’s audience and many disappointed voices could be heard when they announced that she would no longer be performing regularly.

She placed the program next to the book and sat down. Tonight’s theme was “Fire and Water”, which meant a fire breather and a water bender.

Anette found the page named Burning Angelwings To Dust and waited for the performer to enter the stage.

When Anette’s eyes spotted the redheaded woman named Jennifer, her gaze fell to the book in front of her and she started to read.

“From the first exhale, a butterfly shall be formed. From the wings, a small rain of fire will be falling down on the audience while it flies, but not touch them. The butterfly will return to the performer and be placed gently on her hand before she will crush it.”

Anette heard a few gasps, and the band playing in the background.

“From the second exhale, the Phoenix bird shall be formed. From its beak, bone-shivering shrieks of its newly formed freedom shall travel through the audience.”

Anette heard the sounds and nearly jumped out of her skin.

“This is real, this is really real!” Anette told herself and continued to read.

“The bird will take flight, flying up towards the ceiling, and then the performer will call for it.”

Anette waited for Jennifer’s voice to call out for the bird before she continued.

“The bird will land on the performer’s arm before the third and last exhale will begin. From the third exhale, a dragon shall be formed.”

Anette heard the shrieks of terror from the audience. Anette nearly wanted to end, but she shook her head and bit her lip before she continued.

“The dragon will spit fire on the audience, but the fire will not touch or harm them. The wings of the dragon will touch the ceiling and set it on fire. The dragon then will set its eyes on the performer, with malicious things in mind before it flies towards the stage. The Phoenix bird will go face to face with the dragon to defend its master. The bird will rip at the dragon’s throat and bite its wings.”

And this time, Anette did look up. Her stomach did a quick flip while her eyes watered at the intense heat that radiated from the fire show. The audience were glued to their seats while the fight continued. Anette saw how the Phoenix bird struggled, while the dragon had lost the glint in its eyes.

“Defeated and weak, the dragon will land on the side of the stage with the bird clutching onto it. While the last chorus begins to play, the water bender that will enter the stage will put out the dragon and bird. Swirls of water will surround them and end their newly found life. The fire breather, displeased with the water benders arrival, begins to swirl fire around its body. Their powers will clash at each other, sending water and fire towards the audience. After a particularly hard clash, the stage and audience will be covered in a thick mist.”

Anette noticed that it was eerily quiet.

“The mist will clear and the performers will disappear from stage. The fire in the ceiling and the creatures born from fire will disappear.”

Anette looked up and held her breath.

When the first sets of applauds broke through the silence, Anette felt like she could breathe again. Jennifer, and the water bender Will, came up on stage and bowed deeply.

Anette leaned back in her chair and whispered quietly.

“This is amazing, Emma. This is not just nothing. This is everything”

Club Scaretale (Part 2)

She was murdered. The Storyteller had been murdered, and for days, Anette had been closed off from the world.

Emma’s funeral had been a quiet one, all the staff from the club turned up, even the owner. Speeches and tears had been shed. Anette could not remember much of it. Anger and sorrow had been battling in her heart, but she made an effort not to let it show on the outside. It was a weakness.

One week she had been given to grieve, then she would go back to work.

It was hard to get back to how it used to be. The pure joy she felt of going to work had been extinguished when she found out that Emma had been murdered in one of the dressing rooms. Tuomas, the pianist, had been the one who found her, lying in a pool of her own blood. It was a gunshot wound to the chest that had been her undoing. No one had seen anything and the security cameras had been turned off.

“Well, that is fucking fantastic!” Anette thought when she heard about it. The investigators had found no evidence that could point out the murderer, so the club continued their business as usual.

But this time it would be different. A new Storyteller had to be chosen.

    

Anette raised her hand and knocked gently on the blood red door that led to the Wishmaster’s room. 

“Come in!”

Hesitantly, she opened the door and immediately the heavy scent of incense greeted her. Candles in each corner and on the heavy wooden desk lighted up the office. There were several bookshelves filled with old, leather covered books. An old phonograph played a soft melody while the man behind the desk looked at it, deep in thought.

Anette sat down on the visitors chair and noticed the quill in front of her.

“So, it is a replacement you are looking for?” Anette thought somberly and swallowed back the sob that threatened to escape.

“This is not easy.”

The Wishamster’s voice cut through her thoughts and she looked up to meet his gaze. He was, as always, dressed in a black suit and a top hat, not even a strand of hair in the wrong place.

“We both know that we need a Storyteller.”

“No, YOU need one. She was the reason why people came to visit this place, the reason why people kept throwing money in front of your feet. It is the green little monster called Greed that keeps telling you that we need to replace her and do not think…”

He brought down his clenched fist on the desk, quickly silencing the black haired woman.

“You are not the only one who has been grieving her. I know we have had our differences in the past, Anette, but for once, just trust me when I say that it is not just about the money.”

The man settled back in his chair.

“This place is an escape. People need a place to which they can escape. You, as well as I, see the joy in people’s eyes when they go home after a night filled with wonders. To take it away from them would be cruel.”

Anette was well aware of what he was saying. She had made hard ass men and women cry like little children during her performances. She knew what power she had over them.

Club Scaretale was addicting and people always came back for more.

The best part was when children started to come with their parents. The joy and amazement in their eyes did not go unnoticed by either of the employees.

“It was real life Disney magic!” they often called it.

That was the best part of Anette’s job.

Anette crossed her arms over her chest.

“I am well aware of what you are saying.”

“Good, then why are you hesitating? You look at the quill like it is going to burn you.”

He was right, of course. She hated that about him. Arguments between herself and the Wishmaster often erupted. She was the only one who dared to defy him. Countless arguments about working hours to the position of the piano on stage left their lips and often fell on deaf ears. But Anette was always too stubborn and refused to back down until she got what she wanted. Although this time, she caved.

She breathed in deeply and uncrossed her arms before she picked up the quill with shaking hands.

She felt the familiar buzz of magic, it tickled in her fingertips and spread towards her chest. She closed her eyes and felt how her heart started to flutter before a warm blanket seemed to have covered every inch of her skin.

Anette opened her eyes and looked at the quill. It glowed intensely and lit up the dim room.

She looked back up on the Wishmaster and saw the astonishment in his eyes.

Shocked and speechless, Anette dropped the quill and ran out the door, quickly shutting it and leaning her forehead on the wall outside the office.

She tried to calm down her rapidly beating heart while the feeling of newly discovered magic continued to buzz on her skin.

Big changes were on their way, and for Anette they would be life changing.

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A/N

Hey all! 

I won't be updating next Monday, since we are celebrating Midsummer here in Sweden and it's kind of a big holiday for me, both religiously and traditionally. The next chapter will only be delayed one week, nothing more.

This chapter is a bit short, I know, but I wanted some kind of background before the story truly begins. The storyline is already finished in my head, just needs some polishing before I put it down in a document.

Club Scaretale (Part 1)

She felt the anticipation in the air. The smell of smoke and the sound of clinking glasses filled her senses while the smooth, black piano felt cool against her warm skin. Behind the curtain, she was in her own little world, preparing herself for the long night ahead.

Soon, everyone’s eyes were going to be on her.

“Five minutes left, Anette.”

Anette adjusted the microphone and took a deep breath. The familiar stage fright kicked in and made her head feel dizzy. However, she knew that it would fade away just as the curtains were drawn back and the light from the spotlights fell onto the stage.

This was the place where she belonged.

Around her, the band began to pick up their instruments. She felt the gaze of the pianist as he sat down on the bench in front of the piano. Anette smiled gently at him and nodded her head in greeting.

She heard the steps of the club owner behind the curtain before his voice drifted through the speakers.

“Ladies and gentlemen, be heartlessly welcome to this magical evening here at club Scaretale. The place where your greatest nightmares and fantasies may come to life. With us tonight is the beautiful and talented singer Anette Olzon and the house band. Let us all give them a big hand!”

The applause rained over Anette as the curtains drew back and revealed the audience. The piano began to play the familiar melody and soon Anette began to sing. She held the microphone tightly in her hand and scanned the crowd in search for familiar faces.

It was a Friday night and the club was packed. Men in suits and women in evening gowns were sipping their drinks while Anette’s voice drifted through their ears and into their very core.

She recognized all of them. Businessmen, mayors, and other important people in the government were here. They came here every Friday to watch her sing.

But Anette was reminded that it was not only her they came here to see. She lifted her eyes towards the ceiling and watched how a myriad of colors and stars began to swirl together. As she sang the chorus, the color red seemed to explode over her and made her long, red dress glow. Anette smirked as she heard a few small gasps from the audience. Carefully, she sat up on the piano and swayed her head back and forth as the guitar solo came up. The lightshow above started to calm down and changed to a calm blue color. Anette soon found the pair of eyes she was looking for. They belonged to one of her most loyal regulars, Frederick Peterson. He and his friends came here almost every Friday and Wednesday night and left a generous tip for her after her performance.

The guitar solo came to an end and Anette breathed in deeply before the final chorus. The ceiling exploded in a bright pink color and rained down on the audience.

When the song was over and applauds erupted, Anette got down from the piano and bowed deeply. She smiled brightly and exited the stage, moving towards the dressing rooms to change to another dress.

The night was young and the show was far from over.

She sang a number of songs during the evening, most of them were ballads, and the audience were in an awe. But soon she would rip them from the security they seemed to have formed.

The most wicked song was left, to Anette’s delight. She always enjoyed singing this one.

Dressed in her Evil Snow White costume, she stepped out on stage. The audience applauded, knowing what was going to happen next.

The spotlights dimmed down while Anette grabbed the microphone and held it tightly in her hand.

She was no longer Anette, she was the Bride, the Nightmare in human form.

This was her show.

A carousel appeared in the middle of the room. White and purple horses went up and down, accompanied by a soft melody. A children’s choir could be heard in the distance.

The pianist brought down his keys hard and broke the peaceful sight.

Clowns and skeletons with hollow eyes appeared and danced around the tables. They were an illusion, but Anette could see the fright in people’s eyes.

She plastered a wicked grin on her lips and started to sing.

“Once upon a time in a daymare…”

The audience was on a rollercoaster, arriving to one horrible thing after the other. Anette’s voice was haunting them and the lightshow above made their eyes widen. Blue danced around with black and purple. There were circus acts. Sword swallowers, fire breathers, jongleurs, trapeze artists and animal handlers. The ceiling was alive, and when the ringmaster’s voice came, they all stopped for a moment.

“Ladies and gentlemen

Be heartlessly welcome

To Cirque De Morgue

And what a show we have for you tonight”

If you touched the clowns, they would dissolve into smoke. But none of the audience members dared to move. Anette watched them in amusement.

Fireworks erupted. A pendulum swooped down and cut through the crowd. Even though they knew it would dissolve, they still screamed.

The song came to an end. The carousel was back as the clowns and the skeletons moved to the back of the stage.

Anette came back to being herself and felt how the Bride left her body.

The audience applauded and Anette bowed deeply again.

“Great show tonight!”

Anette turned her head from looking in the body length mirror in her dressing room to the person who stood at the threshold.

“You were not so bad yourself, Emma!” Anette said and walked towards the Storyteller.

Magic was what made club Scaretale special. You could feel it lying heavily in the air. The lightshow and all other special effects came from magic. The club was built upon a fissure that transported magic from another realm to this world. It was a well-kept secret between the employees and the owner, a man called the Wishamster. He had come from the other world, bringing with him various books and knowledge about the fissure and the magic that was leaking out of it.

To make a magnificent show they needed a Storyteller. Someone who could bring written words to life. The Wishmaster passed around a quill and when it began glow in a bright yellow color, the quill had chosen its master. It made its way through the employee’s hands until it ended up in Emma’s hand, and the bright color that erupted when she touched it almost blinded her.

Since that day, Emma had been the one responsible for the amazing effects in the club. She had a book where she wrote down all the shows and what effects she wanted to use.

It took a long time for Anette to get used to the club, but now, she could not imagine a life without it.

It was the end of the night and only a handful of people remained in the club. Emma and Anette walked out from the backstage area to the bar and ordered drinks for themselves.

“It still amazes me, you know? What you do…”

Emma gave Anette a confused look before she grabbed the beer on the countertop and gulped down the cold liquid.

“Nahh, its nothing. Just write and read. It does not get more complicated than that.”

Emma and Anette never had time to spend time outside of work and every Friday night they would order drinks and talk until the club closed.

A question burned on Anette’s tongue and she had to get it out before her whole mouth caught fire.

“When the song Scaretale come up… do you…. do you control me in any way? Give me another personality somehow? Because the slight change in me scares me sometimes.”

Emma smiled brightly at her friend and brought a lock of blonde hair behind her ear.

“No that is actually not me. I would never do that to someone. The whole control thing freaks me out. But it is really fascinating to see the Nightmare, or whatever you want to call her.”

“Yeah I can imagine. Having all that power in your hand and at the tip of your tongue. I do not think I could handle that.”

Emma chuckled and shifted in the barstool.

“It is addictive and dangerous, but at the same time, it is really beautiful. If you would read a book aloud, then the chapters would play like a movie in front of you.”

Anette let Emma’s words sink in and finished her own drink.

They continued their conversation until Anette had a hard time to stifle the yawn that tried to escape her lips. She got up from the stool and turned towards Emma.

“Are you coming?”

Emma looked at the black hired woman and nodded.

“No I think I am going to stay here for a while. I just… there are some things I have to go through.”

Anette frowned at the slight stutter in her friend’s voice, but chose not to make a comment about it. Emma was a private person, and even though they had been friends for months, she still was hesitant to reveal any major secrets about herself.

Anette did not want to push her, so instead she leaned forward and gave the blonde a hug.

“See you tomorrow!” Anette said in her cheerful tone before she went to the exit, leaving a night of work behind her and a comfortable bed to look forward to.

The constant buzzing of her phone woke her up. Anette rubbed her eyes with the back of her hand and went to grab the device on the bedside table. She quickly checked the caller ID and saw the name Emppu on the screen. The guys in the house band rarely called her, they did most of their discussions face to face.

Anette cleared her throat and pressed the button to answer the call.

“Hello?”

“Anette…!”

He had a slight tremor in his voice and immediately it felt like a bucket of ice water had been poured into her veins.

“Emppu… what happened?”

“It’s… I… there was so much blood… we could not save her…”

Anette heard the tears in his voice and shot up in a sitting position in her bed.

“Who”

There was a pause at the other end of the phone before Emppu spoke up.

“It is Emma, she is… she is dead.”   

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A/N

I just couldn't help myself. Yes, I did steal some things from Once Upon A Time and I will continue to do so. Don't judge me, it's a great show! 

Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this chapter. I will start to write on the next one as soon as possible.