By S. M. Lundy

When you’re five, your imaginary friend means the world to you. When you’re thirty-five, you wonder why they’re trying to kill your spouse.

“Alice…” My skin prickled at Carol’s voice as her fingertips pressed onto my neck. Her other hand had twisted my arms behind my back, her black and fuchsia tabby-striped dress brushing against my wedding gown. One small move and her nails would dig into my throat. I know this because I’d seen her halve frozen lemon tarts with them when I was ten.

Her breath was a whisper licking my ear. “How heroic, but your new husband won’t take you from me.”

My blood ran cold when she said husband and my eyes darted to Lewis, who lay unconscious on the forest floor with a bleeding eye, blood splotched on his tuxedo. I didn’t understand. All Lewis and I wanted was to escape our reception to spend some time alone in the forest. Instead, he’d come to my aid when I screamed as Carol grabbed me from behind, only for his eye to get slashed.

If I’d told him about Carol sooner, maybe this wouldn’t have happened. When I was a child, I just wanted a friend to love me. A best friend. And Carol filled that hole until I outgrew her like any other kid with an imaginary friend. Plus, she was clingy. I guess I deserved that after wanting a friend who’d love me no matter what, but I have Lewis for that now.

But Lewis would never believe me if I told him who Carol was and how she suddenly appeared, tangible, after twenty-five years, and at our wedding reception no less. He’d say I was crazy.

Either way, I swallowed my fear. I’m married to this man now, and he deserved to know the truth.

As if my thoughts traveled to him, he groaned before sharply inhaling through his teeth. He rubbed his injured eye before staring at me. “Alice?”

Carol pulled me closer to her with a death grip. “Don’t try to take her from me or I’ll knock you out again.”

Lewis blinked and strained to stand. “Alice. Who’s that?”

Now or never.

“Carol’s my imaginary friend,” I sputtered, struggling from her grasp. “But—now she’s real… for some reason.”

His gaze rolled over Carol. “An imaginary friend?”

“I’ve come back for what’s mine.” Carol threw me down hard, and I collapsed onto the forest floor as she snapped her fingers.

A sudden wind whipped my hair around me, and a shimmer caught my eye until I saw a full-body mirror towering over me with glass as clear as still water. The mirror cracked down its middle, splitting the glass into two jagged halves before yawning open to a world that made my jaw hang.

In the realm on the other side, people walked hand-in-hand with tall talking flowers, had tea with human-sized mice, and rode strange creatures that resembled rabbits with giant moth-like wings. All with painted smiles and glazed eyes that churned my gut. There was no ground, and everyone seemed to float in a black void.

Carol gestured to the strange world with a grand sweep of her arm as her lips curled unnaturally wide. “I’ve missed you, Alice. I took other imaginary friends and their humans and brought them here to make this fun, special place for you. For us. Come with me, and we’ll stay best friends forever.”

Carol had always been possessive, and from everyone’s hypnotic euphoria beyond the mirror, I saw that this was all her doing. I knew no happiness lay there. My true happiness was here. With Lewis. “No.”

Her eyes narrowed into slits. “You were always a stubborn brat!” She lunged and slashed her nails into my side. “I wasn’t asking.”

My screams traveled to the treetops as I rolled away and held my side. Warm liquid covered my palm, and my dress darkened and grew sticky. I smelled metal.

“Alice!” Lewis rushed to me, abandoning his injured eye to press both hands on my wound. He snapped his gaze at Carol. “You’re not taking her!”

She pulled the muddied ends of my dress toward the mirror. “Alice is mine. You’re welcome to join us if you’d like, but you won’t last long in my realm.”

I clawed at the earth, nails digging into the soil, but the ground was too soft, and Carol managed to get most of me through the portal. I faced Lewis, remorse filling me. “I’m sorry, Lewis. I started this, and I’ll deal with the consequences.”

He crawled to me and clutched my dirty hand with his soiled one, our blood from his eye and my side mixing for the first time as a married couple. “No. I’m not letting you go. Whatever all this is, we’ll do it together.”

My eyes stung with tears as all three of us fell through the giant looking glass. Lewis held me close as dolls, building blocks, crayons, and other random objects from my youth flew past us with the wind roaring in my ears. Someday, I’d get my chance to have a proper talk with him about Carol and my childhood. For now, Carol’s dark laughter accompanied our plummet into a strange, new wonderland.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

S. M. Lundy had loved reading and writing fantasy and romance before the term “romantasy” ever became a thing. Growing up in a christian household in the city has inspired her to write urban fantasy with Biblical truths. She has a Bachelor’s Degree in English and thrives in the heat of Florida where she can be found buying used books, playing video games, or lounging with her cats.

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Havok Stories