»The palace and his traps«

In the end I went. I thought of what Minhyun told me before I went out of the house.

"I will follow you in a different form. Just watch out." In what form probably? I looked down at the ring he gave me a few minutes ago. Although I'm a man I still get happy if I see a jewelry. I smiled slightly.

"A talisman. So you come back home safely." I melted away by those words from Minyhun. I really felt at home in the castle and everyone treated me so good and lovely. It was a really good and peacful feeling.  

My stick firmly in my hand, I walked all the way to the palace. I have that feeling that this will never end good but even so I went forward.

From time to time I looked around. Crows flew over my head. Is he turned into a crow? At a stature of the former king sat pigeons. "Minhyun would transform in something colorful."

As a small open plane flew past me I saw a pretty young woman with an sunumbrella in her hands. She clung to the pilot. and laughed a clear and cheerful laugh. "In her not too." I said soberly. That would be something else, I chuckled slightly.

Arriving at the palace gate I was taken aback. "That's a really long way to the palace."

The inner courtyard was huge and many people cavorted around there. Suddenly I noticed a slightly older dog that followed me. The kind of dog I couldn't quite determind what for a breed it was. Was that Minhyun? I looked at the dog out of the corner of my eyes. He was right beside me. What was I supposed to think otherwise?

"Minhyun? Minhyun you're not really him right?", Now I'm talking even with a dog. Ah, here I have to ask the scarecrow still for her/his name! The dog sneezed once and that was enough of an answer for me.

"Why an old dog and not a young one? Do you know how hard it is to be old?" I asked him and kept going.

A small red/green carriage appeared beside me. Rubber men carryed it. The curtain went up and a big face appeared. The witch from the no man's land looked at me curiously and self-conscious.

"Long time no see, dear. Aren't you the hatter from that time?" I didn't know what to answer. I didn't even wanted to talk to her. I just ...

"Congratulations and thank you that you sent my message to Minhyun." I looked carefully at the dog next to me. He sneezed again and just kept running.

"And how is Minhyun doing?" she asked me.

"He trembles right now in fear and now I have the task to clean his castle. And this is ing big, my witch." I said sarcasticly. She just laughed at that.

"I think it's wonderful. Which reminds me, what brings you to the king?"

"I want to find a new job. I'm sick of Minhyuns childish behavior and why do you want to him?" I asked not really interested.

"Because the king has called me.", she said softly and seductively. She fanned herself with her fan. It was a hot summer day. "Even the foolish Madam Sulli.", she whispered pleased with herself.

"It finally seems like they need my strength." She said smugly.

"Could you maybe solve my curse before all this?" I asked, looking at her from the side.

"No. I'm afraid I can't. I'm a witch who can curses but I can't solve them so easily. Then see you later!", she said and the curtain fell down.

"Yah! Wait a minute!" I stared down at the dog. "Damn if you hadn't been near me I would have beat them up with my stick." Aish. She stood really on my nerves.

What is this for a witch? From a distance I watched as her rubber men slowly dissapeared and the coach stood slone there. The witch of the no man's land got out. She kicked the coach and her air servants and went, with raised head to the many stairs.

What had happened?, I asked myself and walked past the coach. I stared up at the entrance. It separated us 100 steps or maybe more. You serious? 

"Okay. Let's go Minhyun." Only when I had passed the witch I noticed that Minhyun the dog wasn't next to me.

On the lowest step he stood with a wagged tail and he looked happy. I went down and swore to myself if we were home, I would tell him my own opinion to his behavoir.

He was so heavy. Like really heavy. For such a small dog he weighed too much. I passed with difficulty the old witch again. She was pretty slow but it seemed as if she strain properly. "Yah! Grandfather wait for me!" She called out to me breathless.

"What is it? Are you thinking about how to solve my curse?"

"I told you *breath heavly* I can't.", she managed to say. "Then I would begin to learn it!" I shouted angrily and carried Minhyun further up the stairs.

"That's strange. Where does this old fart have all the energy?" muttered the witch and wiped her sweat away. Her black dress and her black big hat were already soaked and she couldn't breath slowly anymore. It was much more difficult for her to climb up the stairs but she did it anyway.

After about seventy step Ren sat on one step and looked back at her. The dog beside him. He was too heavy I need a break.

"Minhyun. When we're at home you go on a diet right away." I murmured to him. He sneezed again and ran in circles.

"If I were you, I would give up already. You can't do it!" I called to the witch who was sweating heavily. The sun was very bright and wasn't any help for her. I really doubted it. But she remained stubborn and walked up the stairs.

"Fifty years ago, I have been chased out of here and since then I've been waiting for this moment. *long breath* I need to make it."  I admired her a little.

"Well then good luck. I will not help you." I waved with my hand and took Minhyun again.

"What a heartless person you are. Next time I'll make you even older." The witch said, but I pretended I havn't heard anything. I climbed up the last stairs and was about to drop the dog.  

"What is it? Come on!" I yelled out to the witch's breath.

A servant of the king asked me to follow him. "Help the person down there." I told him. He shook his head. "It's forbidden to help anyone." Forbidden to help? What was that? The king commanded her to come and yet...

"You're almost there. Only a few steps. You're a witch!"

"Shut up. I don't have to hear that from you."

"Huh? You are suddenly aged quite a bit.", I mentioned as she was standing next to me.

We went into the palace. Both our names were already called. I handed my stick that I didn't needed anymore to the witch. She walked still relatively elegantly beside me but I think she was tired.

She didn't really talked to me anymore or crused at me. Our names were repeated again now angry and impatiently.

"Pentragon? Where have I heard that name before?" asked me the witch.

"Of course you head it before. That's the name of my hatshop.", I said quietly, looking at the dog next to me. "Oh really?" the witch just replaid.

In a big room with only one chair inside, we should wait. "A chair!", cried the witch equally and sat down quickly. "That's mine."

The room was already strange enough. A chair and 6 red curtains were inside. No table or other pieces of furniture. The only chair was in the middle of the great room.

"Minhyun-ah their is something wrong with this room." I said and looked at the dog who was gone. I looked after him and saw him disappear around a corner. Quickly, I ran after him.

A dead end, I turned myself around to look for the dog as a secret door with a young man watching me appeared. 

"Please follow me Sir." He bowed and I followed him while gulping hard.

The witch heard nothing and she couldn't see probably.

She had her eyes still closed and was breathing heavily. At least she was here but she had imagined her appearance differently. Not so weak.

She sighed as she opened her eyes.

Suddenly the red curtains raised up and six light bulbs came in sight. Panic rose in the witch. The room was darkened and the light bulbs began to glow soflty.

They were bright and the light blinded the witch strongly. What was happening now?

With the stick from the grandfather in her hands she tried to defend herself against whatever. She screamed in panic as from the corner of her eye small shadow people of the time she had made a pact with the demon appeared.

No, she cried sadly. NO!

The shadows turned in a circle and sang the one song she didn't wanted to hear a second time. Why is all this happening?, the witch thought even before she lost all her power.