The Sleeping Beauty - Book 1 - Chapter 5
I woke up. I actually woke up. I felt horrible, but I woke up.
Fairy tales are real.
Rose Briar is a diabetic college student without insurance. She’s been scraping by through a combination of maxing out credit cards and relying upon the kindness of strangers.
Unfortunately, she’s spent every dollar at her disposal. There’s no money left to buy her life-saving insulin.
Without her medication, Rose falls into a diabetic coma. She tumbles into a deep slumber and wakes up in a fantastical place called the Dream Realm, where fairy tales and legends of old are still very much alive.
She has one chance to wake up.
She must trek across the world, visit the most powerful object in the land, the Obsidian Spindle, and entreat with the fates; the only beings powerful enough to send her soul back to Earth.
But evil forces don’t want her to leave. They will stop at nothing to capture her and make sure she never goes home again.
Now, with the help of her half-gorgon girlfriend and a mysterious red rider, Rose must race across the land fighting dragons, monsters, and the forces of the Wicked Witch, Nimue, in order to reach the Obsidian Spindle before her body dies on Earth and she’s trapped in the Dream Realm forever.
Will she be able to wake up? Can she survive? Find out by reading The Sleeping Beauty today. If you love mythology, fairy tales, and dark fantasy, then you’ll love the first book in The Obsidian Spindle Saga.
Paid subscribers can access the entire archive of this series from the beginning, along with other series and every article I’ve ever written. If you aren’t a paid subscriber, you can access the archive for free with a 7-day trial.
I woke up.
I actually woke up.
I felt horrible, but I woke up.
I gently rolled Chelle off me and crawled toward the door. Her wig tilted as she turned over, and her snakes popped open their eyes and cooed at me. I don’t know how she was able to keep her secret for so long. She was miserable at disguises and subterfuge, but I was glad she shared it with me. It actually made me feel silly that I hadn’t figured it out sooner. I quietly opened the door to the van and stumbled outside. I had to be careful that nobody saw Chelle in her natural state.
“Morning, Rose.”
I turned to see Jamil, another one of my classmates living in her car. She had a big smile and was carrying a towel under her arm. We were headed to the same place. The gym opened at six, and we both needed a shower before class.
“How did you sleep?” I asked, opening the passenger’s side door and pulling out my towel. I looked back to see Chelle still sleeping sweetly. It was difficult to believe she did anything sweetly, but she was a very peaceful sleeper, especially after a fight.
“You know, the El Camino isn’t as nice as the camper, but I make do.”
I followed her toward the sidewalk. “I’m telling you, a camper is where it’s at. I converted this thing first semester and it’s the best decision I ever made.”
Jamil leaned in. “Don’t let Chelle hear you say it.”
“Hear me?” I chuckled. “She’d agree with me. Why do you think she’s been with me so long? Her old jalopy can’t compete.”
“I’m gonna ask her, you watch.” Jamil opened the door to the gym.
“Do it. I would love to know what she says.”
The quick shower did little to alleviate my mood, or the sickness bubbling up in my stomach. By the time I turned the knob on the hot water, I could barely stand. I tried to lift my leg to dry it off, but I ended up stumbling back into the shower.
I sat down on one of the toilets to catch my breath, and after a couple of minutes the room stopped spinning. I was able to finish drying myself and put on my clothes, but when I got to the sink to brush my hair, a fire shot up through my stomach. I tried to catch myself on the counter, but my hands couldn’t catch hold, and I fell onto the linoleum.
I pushed myself up to my knees. The room spun again, then everything went blurry. I fell into darkness.
Fairy tales are real.
Find out by reading The Sleeping Beauty today. If you love mythology, fairy tales, and dark fantasy, then you’ll love the first book in The Obsidian Spindle Saga.
Paid subscribers can access the entire archive of this series from the beginning, along with other series and every article I’ve ever written. If you aren’t a paid subscriber, you can access the archive for free with a 7-day trial.