“One…”
“Two…”
“Three…”
“Four…”
“Five…”
Little Audrey Vance’s feet echoed off the stairs as her mother Kristy stood in the kitchen below, her hands over her eyes as she counted. Audrey tried her best to contain her giggles as she rushed up to the second story of their quaint home in the suburbs of Charlotte, North Carolina. She now stood in a hallway faced with a choice and quickly evaporating time. She had a choice. She needed a place to hide.
Directly to her left was her own bedroom. Now you might imagine that the bedroom of a seven year old girl like Audrey may be painted pink with a princess castle inside it. Perhaps a bed lined with baby dolls and Barbies as far as the eye could see. But in Audrey’s room, she had wrestling action figures scattered about and posters of wrestlers hanging on her wall. But this would not be her choice of place to hide. Too obvious.
There was also the upstairs bathroom that could be a good place to hide. If only she hadn’t chosen to hide behind the shower curtain in the previous round. No, she couldn’t pick the same place twice.
At the end of the hall was her mother’s room. The master bedroom. Normally off limits to her… but during hide and seek, anything goes!
“Six…”
“Seven…”
“Eight…”
No time to dilly dally. She raced down the hallway, the pitter patter of her feet making it quite clear she was upstairs. That part would certainly be no mystery once Kristy would begin her search.
Audrey quietly opened and subsequently shut the door of her mother’s bedroom. The interior of the room was nothing fancy, as Kristy certainly wasn’t flourishing in her own career but did just enough to make sure her daughter got the things she wanted in life. So her own bedroom is fairly modest with a standard queen size bed with photos, mainly of the two of them along with some of them with Audrey’s grandparents.
“Nine…”
She needed to find the perfect spot. A spot she would never think to look for her. Maybe under the bed? No, that would probably be the first place she’d look…
“Ten!”
“Ready or not, here I come, Audrey!” Kristy's voice declared from downstairs.
Her time was up! It was now or never. Think, Audrey, think!
Ah ha!
She spotted it.
In the corner of the room sat an old wardrobe. A hand me down from Kristy’s own grandmother that she obtained after her passing a few years back. Its ornate carvings and aged wooden frame made it stand out amongst the more simple bedroom furniture in the room. Audrey giggled mischievously as she saw this as the perfect hiding place. She flung open the creaking doors, climbing inside as she could hear Kristy’s footsteps coming up the stairs. She slowly shut the door, closing her into the dark depths of the wardrobe’s interior.
Now it would be quite simple for her mother to enter the bedroom and think that her daughter would have climbed into the wardrobe. So it only made sense that Audrey further hid by getting behind the hanging clothes to try and mask herself. So she ducked in behind one of her mother’s coats, only to find that it was much larger than she had realized. There was a second row of garments! She giggled as she realized this was even more perfect. She kept making more progress toward what she thought would be the back of the furniture. She took more steps in, reaching her hands out through the darkness, just waiting to touch the woodwork of the back of the wardrobe.
She found it quite odd that she could not seem to find the back of the wardrobe. Eventually, she no longer would feel the softness of her mother’s hanging clothes. She suddenly felt alone and lost in the dark. A strange coldness began to creep across her entire body. She turned back around and decided to head back for the doors, but no matter which direction she ran, she could not find any of those clothes any more.
“Help!” she cried out. “Mommy! Help me! I’m trapped!”
But her voice just echoed in the darkness.
“Help! Help! Help!” she cried out over again, continuing to run aimlessly in the dark before she dropped to her knees in despair, burying her head into her hands as she began to cry.
“Is someone out there?”A voice in the distance called out.
“Hello?” Audrey lifted her head back up and removed her hands from her face. The darkness had faded and she was certainly no longer inside her mother’s old wardrobe. The world that surrounded her was surreal. She was in a field but there was no color around her. The ground beneath her feet, the forest in the distance, a looming and ominous tower just at the edge of her vantage point were all bathed in an eerie monochrome. What appeared before her seemed like the world of the old cartoons her mother had shown her in the past. Void of the vibrant colors of today’s cartoons and instead the forgotten world of black and white.
Audrey shivered and began to back away. She wanted to wake up from whatever dream this was.
“Hello there,” she heard that same voice again.
Audrey spun around, her eyes wide with trepidation. Standing before her was by far the most peculiar creature she had ever seen. The seven foot tall being towered over the young girl, and while it possessed arms and legs much like a human, its body was completely spherical in shape. Its eyes were wide with wonder atop of his body over a giant grin.
“What… who… are you?” Audrey stuttered as her voice trembled.
The creature smiled and nodded, tipping an invisible hat in greeting. “Why hello, little one. My name is Mr. Bobo! Delighted to make your acquaintance! What is your name, dear?”
The girl was apprehensive and remained silent.
“Ahh, you don’t want to talk to strangers? I see your mother has certainly taught you well, my dear! I can certainly see that you appear lost.”
Aubrey lightly sobbed as she nodded her head.
“How may I ask, did you get here?”
She looked around across the gray landscape, looking for a way to explain the situation but none of it made sense. “I’m… not sure… it makes any sense.”
Mr. Bobo chuckled, “I know a thing or two about the unimaginable. Just tell me what you know.”
“Well… I was at my house…”
“Right, your house. Which isn’t here. Correct?”
“Yes… this definitely is not my house. And I was playing hide and seek…”
“Oh! Hide and seek! How wonderful! I love that game!”
“Uh huh… well I was looking for a place to hide…”
“Yes! The most perfect of hiding spots! And you found it, didn’t you?”
“I did… or… at least, I thought I did.”
“Let me guess. It was a wardrobe?”
“How did you know?”
“Our king has a thing for wardrobes. Kind of his connection to our realm. But… that can only mean… no…” Mr. Bobo began to quietly reflect on something, a glimmer of hope in his eyes.
“What is it? What is this place?” Audrey inquired.
Mr. Bobo’s jovial expression briefly dimmed. He sighed as his furry shoulders began to droop. “I’m afraid it’s a shell of its former self. This isn’t what this place is supposed to be like.”
“What do you mean?”
“Well, my dear, this… is Friendtopia.”
“Wait… what?”
“Friendtopia. A once vibrant land where friendship reigned supreme. A land full of imagination and wonder. It was beautiful, my dear. A true utopia. Gone are the bright colors… and now all we have is this.”
“What happened?” Audrey leaned in, eager to know more.
“Alas, our noble leader, King Best, has gone missing after the betrayal of the one they call Krash. Our wonderful king created this world and made it the happiest place on Earth. A place where there was no pain or sorrow. Nothing bad could ever happen in Friendtopia. Well, he thought he could bring his friend Krash here and share this world with him… but this man was no friend at all. He stabbed our king in the back… but… ultimately, I think all he did was break his heart.”
“Oh no!”
“And now… in his absence, a coven of wicked witches now dominates this realm, draining all the color and life from our world!
“Witches?” Audrey once again felt herself trembling.
“Yes, just awful ones… led by the Queen Witch. She is harsh and unforgiving. In fact, according to her rules, as the Gatekeeper of Friendtopia, I should take you to her immediately.”
“What? No!” Audrey began to panic but Mr. Bobo shook his head.
“No, please do not fret, little one. I have no intention of taking you to her. But it is important that you leave this place and never come back.”
“Why would she want me?”
“Her rules were to bring any human that shows up in Friendtopia to her.”
“And then what?” she asked, afraid to know the answer.
“Well, that part is quite unclear. For you are the first human I’ve seen since King Best.”
“What does she have against humans, exactly?”
“Ah, my dear, it’s because of… The Prophecy.”
“The what now?”
“It has been prophesied that there was only one who can come and defeat the Queen Witch and allow for the return of our king to restore Friendtopia to its previous glory. Only a human, of a certain name, can break the Queen Witch’s curse. And that human’s name… is Bryan.”
Audrey furrowed her young brow in thought. “Bryan? Bryan… I do happen to know Bryan. Though I imagine Bryan is a pretty common name.”
Bobo’s eyes brightened with renewed hope. “Ah, with that you are correct, little one. However, there is only one specific Bryan that can defeat the Queen Witch. He is one who shares a most profound bond with King Best in your realm. And, I believe that it is no coincidence that you were brought to us as well. Meaning you too have a strong bond to this Bryan.”
“Bryan… Baxter?” Audrey said with uncertainty. Not only was he her favorite wrestler, but she had recently had the opportunity to meet him because he and her mother used to know one another many years ago. But she wasn’t sure what any of this had to do with him. Plus, he had pretty much distanced himself from her lately.
But Bobo’s face lit up at the mention of the name. “He is the one! Do you know him?! He is the one The Prophecy has told us about! You must bring him here, my dear. You must bring him to Friendtopia.”
While Bobo was full of excitement, Audrey was concerned. “But how? I’m not sure he’s even going to want to help me. He’s not exactly known to be very helpful.”
“But he must! Oh I have faith in you little one. You are an angel that has been brought to us to show us that we must remain hopeful! Only you can do this… and return our world to the way it should be.”
Audrey nodded and a smile began to form on her young face. “I promise I will do whatever I can. I want to bring back the colors to Friendtopia!”
“Wonderful!” Mr. Bobo said with glee as he began to wave his arms in a circle, forming a gray portal before them. “This should get you to him safely. You’ll know how to get him here… and once you are here, we will end this curse.”
The young girl stepped toward the portal. “I will see you again soon!”
“Thank you…”
“Oh, my name is Audrey, by the way.’’
“Thank you, Audrey. See you soon!”
Knock. Knock. Knock.
The sun hung low over Friendship, North Carolina casting long shadows over the town’s quiet streets as Bryan Baxter knocked on the red wooden door of a small, ranch style house nestled up against the woods on a corner lot within the neighborhood.
The door opened and he was greeted by the sight of a familiar masked face. A mask that prominently featured a mustache across it.
“Thanks for coming,” Sir Stache warmly greeted.
“What are you doing here?” Bryan Baxter greeted the masked man with clear annoyance.
“Same as you. Jeremy wanted our help.”
“I could’ve handled it myself,” Baxter said with exasperation as he invited himself through the door and into the home. The old, quaint house was, in fact, the childhood home of his friend and tag team partner, Jeremy Best. A place he had called home for most of his childhood and all of his teenage years until he moved out after high school. But now a for sale sign hung by the road.
The front door of the house brought him directly into a living room where not only was Sir Stache waiting for him, but the other masked buffoon (Baxter’s words anyway), Mejor Amigo.
“Where’s Jeremy?” Bryan said as he tried to peer around the corner into the kitchen, wondering if his friend was in there.
“Oh, you didn’t hear,” Amigo responded.
“Hear what?”
“Oh? He won’t be coming, mi amigo.”
“So he asked us to come lug furniture out of his mom’s house and he’s not even going to help?”
“Be more considerate, Bryan,” Sir Stache said, expressing concern. “This is not easy for Jeremy. This house means a lot to Jeremy and it pains him to even see it up for sale.”
There were a lot of places Bryan would rather be right now. He certainly had a lot on his mind… not just the fact that his friend had finally returned but also he was still dealing with feelings of guilt over some of the things he said to his daughter, Audrey, before Lights Out. And that’s before factoring in an upcoming match against Kleio De Santos and the looming threat of Chris Crowe as well.
So yeah, Bryan had a full plate.
But, at the same time, he owed a lot to Jeremy. He wouldn’t be here right now if it wasn’t for him. So if Jeremy asks him to move a piece of furniture out for him because his mother was moving into a retirement community, he would be there. “Alright, let’s just get this over with. Where is it?”
“Great!” Sir Stache exclaimed with renewed vigor. “Right this way!”
Sir Stache led the way down the hallway to a back room of the house. The room used to be that of Jeremy but has since been transformed into more of a hoarder’s paradise as it was filled to the brim with old antiques, trinkets, and knick-knacks. “I take it Jeremy’s mom ain’t one for yard sales.”
“You know Jeremy… he finds it hard to let go of things. Well, guess we know where he got it from.”
“Right…”
“There it is,” Sir Stache pointed to the corner. An old wooden wardrobe sat in the corner, covered in dust and cobwebs from being forgotten for years.
“That? Really? That’s what he wants?” Bryan expressed his disbelief.
“Of course. You should know how important it is to him?”
“That? A piece of junk closet? It looks like we should do him a favor and haul it off to the dump.”
"¡Dios mío!” Mejor Amigo exclaimed with shock.
“Bryan! Show some compassion!”
“What? What did I say?”
“This ‘piece of junk’ happens to have significant emotional value to our friend.”
“How so?”
“Well, if you must ask, it was his favorite place to hide when playing hide and seek! It was his favorite game to play with his father… but unfortunately his father got cancer and passed away when Jeremy was just a little kid. But still, Jeremy would go to that wardrobe to hide… it was like a sanctuary from the pain he felt from losing his father. When he went in there… Jeremy said it was like he was transported to another world where he didn’t have to worry about that pain. So yeah, it means a lot to him.”
Bryan's skeptical gaze landed on Sir Stache, surprised that the ever-fumbling luchadore could be so perceptive. "You're making all that up. Why would he tell you that and not me?"
"He's told us several times, Bryan."
"Si! He even told me about it when we met in Mexico. Was one of the first things he told me."
"You were with me each of the times he told me about it... I guess I just listen better. Maybe you should try that. Friends tend to listen to one another."
“Okay… whatever, let’s do this okay.” Bryan rolled his eyes, clearly annoyed by Stache’s condescending tone. The trio pushed their way through the obstacle course of junk, paving a way toward the wardrobe. As they began to shift the heavy piece of furniture, a curious rustling emerged from within the wardrobe.
"¡Dios mío! There is something in there!” Mejor Amigo exclaimed.
“Calm down,” Baxter said as he grabbed a newspaper off a dusty piano that was up against the adjacent wall. He rolled it up. “Probably just a mouse.”
The rustling happened again. It was louder and heavier.
“That’s a big mouse, amigo.”
“Okay… a rat…”
The room was filled with silence as they cautiously opened the doors, Baxter lifting the rolled up newspaper up in the air and ready to strike.
Out of the wardrobe, tumbling out with wide, innocent eyes was a little brunette girl. Baxter's eyes grew wide as he stopped himself in his tracks from smacking her with the newspaper. "AUDREY? WHAT THE HELL?"
"You know this mouse?!" Mejor Amigo said with clear confusion.
"I'm not a mouse!" Audrey said as she stood up, dusting herself off. She looked up at Bryan and offered a genuine smile.
"Audrey, what are you doing here? How did you get in here? Did you follow me here? Does your mother know where you are right now?"
Baxter was beside himself, trying to stop himself from having a panic attack while Sir Stache and Mejor Amigo were both clearly lost.
"Bryan, who is this little girl?"
"Oh, right... uhh.. this is.. Audrey. She's my dau...er, dog-on huge fan of mine... that keeps showing up conveniently. Now… like I was saying… why are you in Jeremy’s old wardrobe?”
“Well…” Audrey took a deep breath, ready to try to explain herself. “I… don’t think you’re gonna believe me…”
“But?”
“But… it actually… it’s about Jeremy.”
“If this is about the Best Crusades, my dear, I can say you’re a little late. Me and Amigo already solved that…”
“No… it’s much worse.”
“Audrey, just tell us what’s going on.”
“This wardrobe… I dunno… it’s weird. But, like… I was playing hide and seek and I hid in my mom’s wardrobe…”
“Oh my! Just like Señor Jeremy!”
“Huh?”
“Ignore him, go on.”
“Okay, so I climbed in because I thought it was the perfect hiding spot. She’d never find me, right? Well… as soon as I closed the doors… next thing I know I’m in this place called Friendtopia and talking to this big ole creature named Mr. Bobo and he’s telling me that this was Jeremy’s special world and now it’s been taken over by witches! And Mr. Bobo… he said there was a… oh gosh, what did he call it… a… uhh… profit… profitty…”
“Prophecy?” Mejor Amigo questioned, offering up a possible solution.
“Yes! That! The proffity was that Bryan could defeat the Queen Witch and save Friendtopia, allowing King Best to return to his throne!”
While Amigo and Sir Stache glanced at each other with a shared concern, Bryan Baxter began to laugh. He had heard she might’ve taken after him with some of the trouble at school and that she had been known to tell some lies, but that story was beyond anything even he could’ve ever come up with. “Wow… Audrey… that’s amazing.”
“I know, right! So let’s go in there and save the day!”
“No, I mean it’s amazing how you just sat there and said all that with a straight face. How long were you practicing that story while you were in there waiting for us?”
“What? No… Bryan… I’m telling the truth!”
“Yeah okay? So you want me to believe that both your mom’s wardrobe and Jeremy’s wardrobe both lead to a make believe land where you met Jeremy’s imaginary best friend?”
Audrey simply nodded innocently.
“And what? You want me to just climb in there myself and maaaaagically head to this land of Friendtopia?”
“Well, I’d go back too, of course.”
“Right,” Baxter nodded facetiously, “of course.”
Humoring the girl who was his daughter but was unaware of it, Bryan opened the door back up. “Alrighty then, let’s go…”
“Uhh… Señor…” Mejor Amigo said with concern as Audrey also began to climb in.
“No, no, it’s okay fellas. We’ll be back in a jiff - we just gotta go to FRIENDTOPIA and whip some witch ass…” Bryan gave a wink to both of them. “If you guys could kindly shut the doors behind us that’d be great.”
Sir Stache walked over and grabbed both doors. Bryan awkwardly tried to reposition his body to fit alongside Audrey inside the now quite crowded piece of furniture. He leaned over and whispered to Stache, “just shut the door for a few seconds and then open it back up… she’ll probably be confessing her lie pretty quickly.”
Stache nodded as he began to try and shut the doors, but struggled as Baxter alone was probably too big to be getting inside… much less adding another, albeit much smaller, person. Mejor Amigo came over to help and the duo used their combined force to push the door shut.
“Hey, watch it!” Baxter said as the doors nearly pinched his arm.
“¡Lo siento!” Amigo offered up his apologies.
Awkwardly Amigo and Stache stared at one another as they waited a sufficient amount of time.
“So, you wanna grab some lunch after this?”
“Si, that sounds great.”
“What do you think? A burger?”
“Ehhh…”
“We passed by a sandwich shop on the way in, how about that?”
“Si, now we’re talking!”
“They sure are quiet in there.”
“Maybe we should open it up. It’s been a few seconds.”
“Good idea.”
The duo each grabbed one of the doors of the wardrobe and pulled them open. They both peered inside.
"¡Dios mío!”
“What the…”
The wardrobe was empty.
“See I told you!”
Audrey proudly presented her proof as once again she stood in a colorless world surrounded by creepy woods. She turned to her side… and was disturbed to find that Bryan Baxter was not next to her. She looked to the right. She looked behind her. Bryan was nowhere to be found.
“Bryan? ….Bryan…..?” Audrey turned around nervously in the heart of the dark and twisted forest. “Mr… Bobo?”
A black crow flew overhead, startling her. As a cold chill went down her spine she began to feel the fear creeping in with the knowledge she was all alone in this grayscale nightmareland. She began to walk further through the forest, hoping to come across Bryan or Bobo. But all around her she could only see the dark black trees. Their branches reached out like gnarled fingers that if she didn’t know any better was trying to grab her.
Just as she began to feel lost and on the verge of despair, two women emerged from the shadows.
“Sister! Sister! Look! A child!” One of the women cried out with glee.
Audrey remained nervous as the two sisters emerged from the woods. While having some sisterly resemblance, both exuded different energies. One of the sisters had a kind smile and eyes that sparkled with warmth while the other bore a stern countenance.
“Hello child,” the kinder sister said invitingly. “You seem lost and frightened.”
“Yeah,” the other sister responded, “these woods aren’t exactly safe for children.”
Audrey hesitated but knew she needed help. “I lost my friend. One second he was with me.. And then he was gone.”
“Yeah, people get lost in these woods all the time.”
The other sister nudged her. “Oh hush. Pay no attention to my dear sister. I am sure your friend is fine. Maybe we can help.”
“You can?” Audrey said hopefully.
“Yes, we’d love to help, wouldn’t we, sister?”
“Sure, why not.”
“After all, this is a dangerous realm. It is not what it used to be. You’ll be much safer with us. And I think I know someone who will be able to help you find your friend.”
Audrey nodded eagerly, clutching onto the glimmer of hope that she might reunite with Bryan. "Please, I'll do anything. I just want to find my friend."
The kind sister nodded in understanding. "Come with us, then. Our friend will be very happy to see you.” She held out her hand with a warm invite to the child.
Realizing she had little choice, not wanting to travel this world alone… she took the kinder sister by the hand as they began to lead her through the dark forest.
“Okay, Frank… open the…”
Bryan realized he wasn’t in Jeremy’s childhood home anymore and Frank/Sir Stache was not there to open up the wardrobe.
No, he found himself standing on the edge of a dark forest on the edge of a meandering brook. While he himself still kept his human form, the world around him was an animated world void of any color. One moment he was being stuffed into a wardrobe trying to prove a point and now here he was in a surreal world that certainly had to be a dream.
“Well.. I guess I should learn to believe you…” Bryan turned to his side, now realizing that he too was alone. “Audrey? AUDREY?!”
Great, he’s lost his illegitimate child in a fantasy land. If Kristy wasn’t going to kill him before, she certainly was now.
Confusion and disorientation coursed through him as he scanned the desaturated landscape, frantically searching for any sign of Audrey.
“Okay, Audrey… I get it… you were right. But now is no time for hide and seek… come on… let’s get outta here…” Bryan looked around, turning away from the water to see the ominous forest behind him. How exactly they get ‘outta here’ was certainly up in the air. But one thing is for sure, he couldn’t just go back without her. No cop is going to believe that a magic wardrobe transported his daughter to a fairy tale land. Nope, he wasn’t going to jail. Not again… and certainly not for this.
“Seriously Audrey! Come out RIGHT NOW!” Bryan said, this time more confirmly… convinced that the mischievous girl was just playing another trick on him.
But there remained nothing but an eerie silence, save for the sound of crows coming from the forest.
Amidst the bewildering stillness, a voice broke through the silence, a voice that should have been the last thing he expected to hear—a high-pitched, cheerful voice that seemed utterly out of place in this bleak world.
“Hello there!”
Bryan searched for the sound of the voice. While female, the voice was certainly not that of Audrey’s. He turned back to the babbling brook before him to find the source. His eyes grew wide as a cartoon beaver had emerged from the water. No… don’t be stupid Bryan, that’s not where…
“Hi!” The beaver repeated.
“I’m really losing my mind. This can’t be real.”
“Oh, I am certainly very real!”
The beaver held out her furry paw in greeting. “Nice to meet you, sir! My name is Trixie!”
“This makes no sense. You can talk?”
Trixie nodded vigorously, her oversized eyes shining with enthusiasm. "Yep, I sure can, mister! And I'm super excited to meet you. What's your name?"
Bryan hesitated but finally gave in, “Uh.. it’s Bryan.”
“Nice to meet you Bryan! But you probably shouldn’t be here.”
“Yeah, no shit.”
Trixie the Beaver gasped at Bryan’s language. “Language, Bryan! We shouldn’t speak that way in Friendtopia. Well… I guess that’s not so much a rule anymore.”
“Look, I don’t got time for this. I don’t wanna be here so I’m happy to leave. But ain’t leavin’ without my daughter.”
“Oh dear,” Trixie responded with concern. “Oh no, oh no… that is not good. Not good at all.”
“You’re tellin’ me. Her mother hates me enough as it is. You haven’t seen a little girl around here have you?”
“No… I’m afraid I haven’t. Oh dear… what if… oh gosh, that would be bad… very bad.”
“What? Out with it beaver. What would be bad?”
“Well, those witches… they are really sneaky. I fear if you don’t know where she is, they may have gotten their hands on her.”
“Witches?” Bryan at first doubted this because it sounded dumb. But here he was talking to a talking cartoon beaver, so… yeah… why not have witches too.
“Yes, witches. The worst ones… especially the Queen Witch.” Trixie's cartoonish eyes became sorrowful, and she shifted her gaze to the ground. "I used to be a human, you know. I came here with the Coven of Witches because I heard stories about this magical, colorful land, the friendship utopia. But when I got here, the Queen Witch had no interest in that. She drained the land of all its color and happiness. It's a cold and sad place now."
Tears welled up in Trixie's eyes as she continued, her voice quivering with emotion. "I begged and pleaded with the Queen Witch to change it back. I believed in the power of friendship, but she turned me into a beaver and cast me away."
Bryan shook his head. “Look, really sad story, sure. So sorry for you, beaver. But what’s all this got to do with me? How do I get my daughter back and get the Hell outta here?”
“Well, I’m not sure there’s much you can do if the witches have already gotten to her.”
“Like Hell there isn’t. You just tell me where to find these bitches and…”
“Wait!” Trixie interrupted.
“What?”
Trixie looked up with a glimmer of hope in her eyes. "What did you say your name was again? Bryan?"
"Yeah, why?"
"Bryan... it can't be. Could it?"
"What? What the Hell are you yammerin' about. Out with it, beaver!"
"You, mister, are the one from the prophecy. The one who can save Friendtopia and restore it to the way it used to be."
Bryan chuckled, shaking his head. "Prophecies, huh? Sorry, but I'm not really a believer in that stuff. I just want to get Audrey and head back home."
Trixie's voice took on a pleading tone, her furry paws clasped together. "Please! You have to understand! You are the only one who can do this! You are the key to saving this place! The prophecy said so! You must help save Friendtopia!" Trixie could tell that Bryan still seemed reluctant to do anything to help out or care about the fate of the land. "And besides..." she continued, thinking of a way to get him to care, "if you want to find your daughter... you're going to have to go up against the Queen Witch one way or another."
Bryan sighed. He knew the beaver was right. He had little care about what happened to this world... but if he wasn't going back home with Audrey he may as well not come home at all. "Fine... tell me, beaver, how do I take out this witch?"
Audrey had been led by the two sisters through the ominous forest, believing that they were going to help her find her friend, Bryan. However, as they ventured deeper into the shadowy woods, a sense of unease began to gnaw at her. "Where did you say we are going again?"
The kind sister looked down at Audrey with a smile. "Going to see our friend, of course."
Audrey worried that perhaps she should've listened to her mother's advice this time and not talked to strangers. Mr. Bobo had been helpful but perhaps these sisters' intentions were not as benevolent as they had initially appeared.
The journey ended at the towering and sinister structure that had loomed in the distance—the very tower Audrey had seen from afar. Her heart pounded as she realized that she clearly had been tricked. "I don't think this is a good idea..."
Audrey pulled away from the woman's hand, trying to run, but the other sister flicked her wrist and suddenly Audrey couldn't move. "Not so fast, little one."
"Yes," the kinder sister smiled, the friendly glimmer in her eye disappearing. "I'm afraid we can't let you just leave."
"You are in the domain of our Queen, dear child," the older sister spoke with a cold and deliberate tone. "And she has been eager to meet you."
Audrey glanced around, her eyes filled with trepidation. "Where's Bryan? I thought you were going to help me find him."
The stern sister's lips curled into a chilling smile. "You'll see your friend soon enough. But first, we must present you to our Queen."
The sisters took Audrey by the arms, dragging her through the doors of the tower. Inside the tower, they lead her up the winding stairs of the ominous structure. At the top of the tower, they opened a door into the interior of a dark room lit only by torches. A multitude of cages lined the walls of the room, a nearby torch illuminating one of the cages.
Audrey's heart sank as she saw a familiar face in the cage. It was Mr. Bobo. "Mr. Bobo!" Audrey cried out in despair.
"Ah, a friend of yours?" the younger sister asked.
Mr. Bobo's cheerful demeanor had disappeared as he leaned against the bars of his cell. "I'm sorry, little one."
"What have you done to him?"
"He's being punished. He committed a crime."
"What crime?!"
"Treason of course," the older sister explained. "His job is to bring any humans that show up in this realm directly to the Queen. But instead he sent you back... and unfortunately, dear child, you made the mistake of coming back."
"Don't you hurt her!" Mr. Bobo pleaded. The sisters paid no heed to Mr. Bobo's pleas as they ushered Audrey into a nearby cell. They locked the door behind her, leaving her alone with Mr. Bobo, who reached out to her through the bars to offer a comforting hand.
"Stay strong..." Mr. Bobo tried to ease her worries, "we have to trust the prophecy. This all has to be happening for a reason."
Audrey's eyes welled up with tears as fear and confusion swirled around her. "I'm scared, Mr. Bobo. I just want to go home."
The sisters' voices echoed ominously from outside the cell. "The Queen Witch will be here soon, little girl. She is eager to meet the one who could change everything."
Bryan was still grappling with the absurdity of the situation as he sat on a rock by the brook, talking to a cartoon beaver in a world completely lacking in color. But this beaver at the moment was his only hope of finding Audrey and getting back home.
"So, what's it going to take to defeat this Queen Witch?"
Trixie's furry brows furrowed in thought as she explained, "According to the prophecy, the only way to defeat the Queen Witch and bring back the colors and happiness to Friendtopia is through Divine Manifestation of Friendship."
"What the Hell is that?"
"It's the ultimate sign of love and friendship."
Bryan shook his head, this was all meaningless. It all sounded like a bunch of mumbo jumbo that someone made up. "Look, I don't know anything about this prophecy but it sounds like you got the wrong guy for that. I don't care about any of that shit. Ask anyone about me. I'm a bastard. I only care about two things. Myself. And my North American Championship. Love and friendship? Nah, that ain't me, beaver."
Trixie, puzzled by the concept of a championship, inquired, "North American Championship. What's that? Sounds wonderful!"
Bryan waved off the question. "Nevermind that. But whatever you just said... I don't know what any of it means..."
"It's the only way, Bryan! That's the only way you're going to defeat her!"
Bryan began to roll up the sleeves of his long sleeve tee shirt. "I dunno, I think I can think of another way."
"I'm afraid not. There is no other way."
"There's always another way." Bryan smirked as he stood up. Bryan's motto has always been to win by any means necessary. It hasn't won him over many friends over the years, but it didn't matter. Winning was winning. And he would find a way to win, despite what this beaver may have thought.
"But..." Trixie tried to argue, but Bryan's stubbornness was too strong.
"All I need from you is to take me to them. I'll take care of the rest."
Trixie sighed. "Very well. Follow me."
Audrey could feel the hope escaping her body with every minute she spent staring through the gaps of her cage into the dark depths of the seemingly endless room atop the ominous tower. The sound of footsteps approaching from the spiral staircase only caused more anxiety.
“Deep breaths,” Mr. Bobo advised the young girl. “Try to keep your calm. The Queen will feed off of your fear.”
The Queen Witch entered the dimly lit room with an air of malevolence, her presence commanding the attention of Mr. Bobo and Audrey as they sat up in their separate cages. She took in the moment as she laid her eyes on the young girl. Slowly, she approached Audrey's cell, gazing at the child with an unsettling fascination.
"Well, well, what do we have here?"
"Don't you dare touch her!" Mr. Bobo warned, but the witch flicked her wrist back, sending Mr. Bobo flying backward in the cage.
"Hush, muppet."
"Mr. Bobo, are you okay?" Audrey expressed concern for her new friend.
"He will be fine, dear. And so will you... if you choose wisely."
"What am I supposed to choose?" Audrey asked with both concern and confusion.
The Queen smiled a sinister smile. "I like what I see in you, my dear. You have spirit, fight, and heart. Traits that would serve you well in my Coven. Your choice is simple, Audrey... your choice is to join me."
Audrey's eyes blazed with defiance as she yelled at the Queen Witch, "NEVER! I would never join you! Bryan Baxter is coming to save me and he is going to defeat you!"
The Queen Witch's laughter echoed through the chamber. "Oh, my dear, I know all about this Bryan Baxter. He's a selfish man, only looking out for himself. Sure, I know he's here... but from what I know about him, he's looking for a way to save his own skin. He wants nothing to do with you. You know that, don't you? I know all about how he just walked away from you... told you to stop contacting him. You think he actually cares about you?"
"He does! I just know it!"
"Well, how about this..." The Queen waved her arms in the air and in the air above them, a projection began to play before them. The vision showed Bryan Baxter talking to a beaver...
"I'm a bastard. I only care about two things. Myself. And my North American Championship."
Baxter's own words hung heavy in the chamber as The Queen waved her hands again and the projection disappeared with a poof of smoke.
"You see, my dear. He only cares about himself. So no, he's not coming for you. He's never going to be there for you."
Tears now were streaming down the young girl's face as the Queen approached her cell. She leaned in close, her voice dripping with insincere sympathy. "I understand how it feels, my dear, to be alone, with no one to care for you. That was my life until the Coven found me. Look at me now—I am the ruler of this realm. You could be a ruler too, someday."
Audrey lifted her head up, and wiped away the tears from her eyes. "GO TO HELL!"
The Queen Witch's smirk remained undisturbed as she retorted, "Very well, my dear. In that case, I suppose I'll just have to kill you."
The young girl gulped as she inched backward in her cage, her heart racing as she faced her sinister fate. She could only hope that the Witch was wrong. She could only hope that she was right. That Bryan was coming for her. That Bryan did care.
Bryan was in fact on his way. He begrudgingly had taken on the assistance of Trixie the cartoon beaver who led him through the dark and twisted forest and now standing before him was the tall, ominous tower before them.
"I guess I should say thank you, beaver." Bryan said as he dusted off some leaves off his shirt, "but I'll take it for him here."
"Are you sure... there's still many dangers ahead..." Trixie cautioned.
Baxter's confidence and determination were evident as he waved the beaver away as he marched toward the entrance. But Trixie immediately recognized the two figures that emerged from the tower and approached Bran. She was very familiar with the Sisters of the Coven.
"Well hello there, handsome," the younger sister said with a grin and she walked up to Brian.
"Yes, I don't believe you belong here, stranger," the older sister said as they now both stood on either side of him.
Bryan wasn't interested in playing games with them. "I don't have time for this. Is my daughter in there? Because I'm taking her with me..."
"Uh, Bryan, I should probably tell you..." Trixie tried to warn.
"Shut up, beaver! I am handling this."
"But..."
"I said shut up!"
The two sisters exchanged a malevolent glance, sharing an unspoken understanding. With a synchronized flick of their hands, they blew a fine, glimmering powder into Bryan's face. The powder wafted around him like a ghostly mist, settling upon his skin.
"What the fuck did you just do to me..." Bryan voiced his frustration as the world around him began to spin. "Ugh... I don't feel so good..." His eyelids grew heavy and an overwhelming lethargy washed over him. He struggled to maintain his balance as he felt his consciousness slipping away.
With a final, determined effort, he whispered, "Audrey..." as he felt his head hitting the ground.
He slowly began to open his eyes.
“Oh my God… what a fucking dream…”
Bryan's senses slowly returned as he regained consciousness.
"I'm afraid you're not dreaming, mister," an unfamiliar voice responded.
He rubbed his eyes and began to realize where he was. He found himself inside a cage, next to a strange circular creature with arms and legs that had just spoken to him. Next to the creature... he saw Audrey. "Audrey! Are you okay?"
"Bryan! I told them! I told them you were coming to save me."
"Yeah... I'm doing a bang up job of that," Bryan said, referencing the fact that he too was captive.
"Hahahahaha!" The evil cackling laugh of the Queen Witch echoed through the chamber as she paced with an air of smug satisfaction. She turned her sinister gaze toward Bryan as she spoke with a fake politeness. "So nice of you to join us, Bryan Baxter. Little Audrey sure seems pleased to see you again. It's too bad... your reunion is going to be... so short-lived."
The Queen flicked her wrist that opened up Audrey's cage. Audrey found herself unable to move as she levitated out of the cage and toward the Queen Witch. The young girl cried out in fear. "I told her you wouldn't be able to help her. I guess I was wrong about one thing... you did come... but now you'll get a front row seat to her demise."
Bryan rushed to the front of his cage, shaking violently on the door. "LET HER GO, YOU BITCH!"
"Hahaha... there's nothing you can do! And that's Queen Bitch to you."
"You think you're so tough? Attackin' a little girl? Let me outta here so I can kick your ass myself."
The Queen Witch, however, had other plans. With a wicked smile, she picked up a large golden sword as she dropped Audrey down to the ground in front of her.
"No... my Queen.. please!" Mr. Bobo also pleaded with her on deaf ears.
Bryan couldn't believe his eyes as he watched his daughter he barely knew staring down the sharp end of a sword. He felt a sense of worry and dread like he had never experienced before. He felt his chest tightening. He couldn't bear this...
"STOP!" He belted out. "Don't touch her!"
"You...."
"You can have me instead!"
The Queen Witch stopped in her tracks, lowering the sword away from the crying little girl. Her grin widened as she turned to Bryan. "I never thought you'd ask." Much like before, she flicked her wrist and Bryan's cage door flung open. Bryan felt his body tense and he was unable to move against her powers. Bryan felt his body floating through the air and until he rested down, now right next to Audrey.
"But why do you think I'd value your life over hers?"
"I know all about that stupid prophecy... that's what this is all about right? You're afraid. Afraid of me. I don't blame you, really. But I don't give a fuck about a prophecy. I don't care about this place. You kill me, you end the prophecy. You keep Friendtopia forever. But the deal is... you send Audrey back home. Promise you won't hurt her and she'll be safe. And you can do what you want with me."
"Bryan... NO!" Audrey cried out.
"This is the way it has to be," Bryan said calmly to her as tears ran down her face.
The Queen Witch's eyes glinted with satisfaction. "You drive a hard bargain, Baxter. Very well. Your noble sacrifice will end the prophecy and ensure my rule over this realm forever!"
With a cruel and swift motion, the Queen Witch thrust the sword into Bryan's chest.
He opened his eyes once again.
The light was bright. Blinding.
He had left behind a world of black and white and was now surrounded by an all-encompassing white light. In the midst of the ethereal glow, he saw an angelic face before him.
“Am… I… dead?”
“No, Bryan, you’re not dead.”
He knew that voice. The figure stepped forward from the light. It was Jeremy Best.
“Jeremy? What’s going on? If I’m not dead, then where am I?
Jeremy smiled as he approached the kneeling Bryan. He bent down to join Bryan, placing his hand on his friend’s shoulder. “I always knew you had it in you, my friend.”
“What are you talking about?”
“Care. Compassion. Love. I knew behind that tough exterior… you were capable of so much…”
Bryan shook his head, “I may be a bastard, Jeremy. But I’m not a monster. I wasn’t going to let her just kill a little girl…”
“No, of course you’re no monster. But you made the ultimate sacrifice for Audrey. That sacrifice, Bryan… was the true manifestation of friendship. The true manifestation of love.”
Bryan remained perplexed, searching for understanding. "I don't... I don't get it. What do you mean?"
Jeremy's eyes shimmered with wisdom as he explained, "You've fulfilled the prophecy, my friend. Your act of love and sacrifice was the key to defeating the Queen Witch and restoring Friendtopia.”
“What? I am most certainly dead, aren’t I?”
Jeremy laughed. “Don’t worry, Bryan. Everything is going to be okay. You did it. You really did it.”
Bryan looked down at his chest, expecting to see blood and gore… but not even a hole or wound. He looked back up at Jeremy who nodded knowingly. “I did it!”
“You sure did, buddy. And I’m proud of you.”
“So.. what now?”
“Now… we go take back my world.”
“HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!”
The Queen Witch cackled loudly, drowning out the tears and cries of the young Audrey Vance. “NO ONE CAN STOP ME NOW!”
Bryan’s lifeless body… let out a giant gasp of air as his eyes shot open.
The laughter immediately came to a stop. “What? NO! THIS IS IMPOSSIBLE!”
Bryan sat up from the ground, wrapping his hands around the sword protruding from his chest. With an otherworldly resolve, Bryan pulled the sword from his chest. It slowly left his body and came out completely clean. His chest quickly healed up and it was as if the blade had never punctured him.
“How? HOW? NO!”
From his cage, Mr. Bobo beamed ear to ear. “The prophecy. The Divine Manifestation of Friendship!”
“WHAT? NOOOOOOOOOOO!”
The world around them began to change. The black and white around them slowly began to transition back into the vibrant colors. Bright greens, blues, reds, oranges, purples, pinks… they all flooded the tower, the forest, the hills, the rivers.. The entire landscape was restored to its former beauty. Mr. Bobo’s cage opened up and he was free. Outside the tower, Trixie the Beaver was transformed back into her human form.
Back at the top of the tower, a radiant white light engulfed the room. King Best himself appeared in the top room of the tower, making his way to the throne of Friendtopia. His voice filled the room as he spoke to Bryan, "You have done it, my friend. Thank you."
The Queen Witch, fear evident in her eyes, fell to her knees, pleading for her life. "Please! Take pity on me! I beg for your forgiveness!"
Getting to his feet, Bryan rolled his eyes at the sudden change of heart of the once mighty Queen. But Jeremy seemed more content as he sat upon his throne. "You and your sisters will be spared. Firnedtopia is a world without hate. Without violence. Without spite. A realm where second chances are possible. But you must leave and never come back."
"Thank you, my King" the leader of the Coven said, her eyes showing a sense of relief.
Bryan's response, however, was swift and merciless. With a determined swing of the sword, he severed the Queen Witch's head from her body, much to the surprise of King Best. "I don't think so," Bryan stated coldly.
"MY QUEEN!" The sisters cried out as they ran to her now decapitated body. The two sisters, who had been so complicit in the Queen Witch's reign of terror, met similar demises as they approached. With swift strikes from the sword, Bryan made sure to end the reign of darkness of the Coven.
"Bryan... that wasn't necessary..." King Best said, shaking his head at the onslaught he had just witnessed.
"No..." Bryan said as he dropped the sword to the ground. “Maybe I do care about something more than my title after all… and if anyone comes after the things I care about… this… is what’s gonna happen to them. Fuck these witches… send them back to Hell where they belong.”
King Best seemed disappointed, but Audrey looked up at Bryan and had a big smile on her face as she gave him a hug. Bryan took her by the hand.
“Come on Audrey, let’s get you home to your mom.”
Bryan awoke in a state of shock. His phone on the nightstand was going off with a constant buzzing.
He blinked and rubbed his eyes, feeling quite disoriented. He was back in his own home in Charlotte, North Carolina. He looked to his nightstand and saw the digital clock reading 8 AM.
He took a deep breath. It really had all just been a dream. Because, of course it was. Right? Well whatever the case, he was starting to realize he may have made a mistake trying to push Audrey away… maybe there was hope. But for now, his dream made it clear he needed to focus on what’s next for him… and what’s next was defeating a witch.
Bryan grabbed his phone and unlocked it, seeing a new message pop up from Jeremy.
The message was simple… but laden with a sense of deja vu.
"Hey Bryan, can you do me a favor?I need some help moving furniture out of my mom's house."
Bryan’s eyes grew wide and immediately closed out his phone. “Nope… not gonna do that.”
