"You're the one who left. Not me." She said.
"Yeah, and staying worked out so well for you." He waved his hand around indicating the cell they were trapped in.
"It's not horrible." She replied.
"Are you serious?"
She shrugged, a smile trying to show itself on her face. "I have a plan. Don't worry."
"A plan? You, have a plan? You have never had a plan in your whole life."
"People can change." She said as she was absently looking around the cell and up at the barred window.
"Ok, so what is it?"
"What's what?" She broke whatever thought she was having.
"What's your plan?" He asked through gritted teeth.
"Oh, yeah, that...I don't have all the details worked out yet, but don't worry it will work."
He clenched his jaw until his head hurt trying to breathe. "That's it?"
She smiled a wide toothy grin.
The sound of a key turning in the thick cell door interrupted loud enough to stifle his rising irritation.
He whispered through clenched teeth, "They are going to kill us!"
She smiled.
They were led out of the cell to the town square. The gallows standing tall and menacing.
"Hmmm..."
"What?" He asked.
"Gallows. Seems a tad old fashioned, but whatever."
"We are about to be executed, and you're concerned that it seems old-fashioned?"
"Not concerned. Just observing."
He grunted. "Even this close to death, you are irritating."
"Relax bro, I got this."
The townsfolk were anxiously waiting. All of them afraid of breathing wrong, or they might end up on the gallows too. They watched as the two prisoners were shoved up the steps and positioned by their respective ropes.
The High Commander sat on his chair on the podium at the top of the Capitol's steps. Back straight, face stern like stone.
"You have been found guilty of treason." The man read from his prepared notecards. "You have been found guilty of leading a rebellion against the High Commander and have therefore been sentenced to death by hanging. Any last words?"
"No." Her brother replied, anger and resignation set on his face.
"I do." She replied cheerfully. The man blinked at her, then turned to the High Commander waiting for a sign. The commander nodded once. "Very well." The man said. "Speak."
She smiled and looked into the eyes of the High Commander. "You should have killed me years ago, Dad. It would have been easier. Now you're going to have to earn it."
The High Commander arched an eyebrow at his daughter. His booming voice echoed over the square. “True. Letting you live as long as I did was a mistake. One I’m going to rectify. And it seems I have earned it.” He shifted his gaze to his son, “My only regret is that you came back just as unenlightened as you were when you left. If you had come back seeing the truth, it might have been different.”
“I do see the truth.” His son replied. “You should not be in power. You should not have the control over these people that you do.”
The High Commander sighed. “I am sorry you have been corrupted. Now the only way to cleanse the world of your foolish notions is to end you. Both of you.”
“Foolish notions....” She said to herself as she looked at the sky, blue as far as the eye could see.
Her brother and the High Commander looked at her.
“What is your actual problem?” Her brother demanded.
“Hmmm...Oh, I was just thinking.”
“We are about to die, what could you possibly be thinking about?”
“I was just thinking how funny it’ll be when we’re not killed.” She glanced at the High Commander and smiled again. The Commander’s eyes narrowed as he looked at her, “Get on with it.” He ordered.
The executioner moved to put the nooses around their necks. “Yeah, I don’t think so.” She said. She ducked down and pivoted around the big man and came to her full height behind him. She landed a solid kick and sent him off the gallows headfirst. She leaped up and brought her tied hands under her feet and landed with them in front. “Anytime people!” She yelled.
Rebel’s seemed to appear out of thin air. They stormed the square. The townsfolk all backed away, and the High Commander’s guards all crumpled to the ground by various weapons and means. The High Commander jumped to his feet. “Destroy them!” He shouted. His face is red with his veins bulging. His face suddenly relaxed as he caught a sound he was sure he was not going to like. He looked at his children. They had gotten their hands free and were fighting alongside the rebels.
The sound grew louder. His daughter heard it too. She finished breaking a guard’s neck by stomping on it and looked up at the sky. She smiled as she shifted focus to her father. He saw her eyes, and that’s when he knew. She did it. She actually did it. She succeeded where he did not. He knew the sound he was hearing was the sky ripping open. Literally.
Creatures from the other side of reality swarmed in the sky. They blocked out the sun darkening the whole city. Then they attacked. The High Commander’s men were no match. Some were lifted into the sky and then unceremoniously dropped, others were impaled and others were bitten in half. It all depended on what creature they had the misfortune of attracting. The townsfolk and the rebels all ducked low to the ground and waited.
The High Commander decided it was time to utilize his escape plan. Before he vanished into the capitol building he chanced a look back. His daughter, eyes completely black, was staring at him. She smiled. Her teeth had morphed into jagged razors and she was everything the commander had been terrified she would become if she succeeded. Now she ruled the other side and the monsters were very excited to do her bidding. “Everyone thinks I’m a monster.” The Commander thought to himself as he turned away, “They have no idea.”