Chapter Thirteen: The Wild West Becomes Wilder
Roselyn could still hear her heart beating in her ears as the two of them walked towards Frontierland. Banjo music played from invisible speakers, yet the normally festive mood was dampened by something far more sinister. It reminded Roselyn of the last time she saw Joe before he left her life forever.
They had not fought as most couples did, but instead had an eerie silence creep over their marriage like a thick fog. Joe became less and less visible, and Roselyn became less inclined to search for him. One night the silence had become all too unbearable, and Roselyn confronted Joe. She could still remember the exact tone of his voice when he looked her right in the eyes and told her to shut up. He said he didn’t need any of her lip and that she could go to hell for all he cared. Roselyn had been hurt more than if he had stabbed her through the heart with a dagger.
“Rosie??? You OK?” Mitzi’s voice pulled her back to the present.
“Yes, I…..memories, sorry,” Rosie apologized, shaking herself free from the grasp of the memory.
“Oh great! We are practically stabbed to death by three foot tall dolls, and you have time to reminisce? Come on now Roselyn. Wakie wakie- no more sleepy! Time to find the key or keyhole or whatever we are supposed to be doing to save mankind, remember????” Mitzi was near tears now, as if it was all becoming a burden that she was not quite able to bear.
Roselyn stopped walking and looked around, placing her hand on her friend’s shoulder.
“Mitzi, I really am sorry. I think memories bring up emotions, that’s all. I won’t let you down, really.”
“Oh all right, but can we keep the spacing out to a minimum, please??? For all I know some twangy country western singer could jump out from behind a bush and sing us to death next!” Mitzi smiled a bit.
“No problem.” Roselyn looked around again. “Aha!”
“Oh no. Not an ‘aha’!” Mitzi shook her head. “What is it now?”
“Look over there! It’s the Frontier Trading Post. I can see the light from inside. We are supposed to go in there. Come on- hurry!” Roselyn said.
“Oh sure. NOW we hurry,” Mitzi took off after her friend.
In the spirit of the American Old West, the building was long and narrow. Pins covered every wall as Guests browsed for purchases to collect. Roselyn scanned the area, and the light was so bright inside the building that she could hardly focus. “There must be a lot of good pins in here,” she joked with Mitzi. “I can’t tell where to head next. Got any ideas?”
“Hello there, friend! Would you like to trade pins with me?” someone interrupted suddenly.
Roselyn and Mitzi turned to see a very tall Cast Member behind them. He was holding out a pin lanyard that was covered in pins.
“Oh, hello sir. I, um, sure. Let me see….” Roselyn said, pretending not to notice Mitzi’s look of mild annoyance.
As Roselyn began to scan his pins, she noticed one that had a peculiar glow about it. It was a golden key with the initials “HTH” and a yellow tassel hanging from it. Not an exceptional pin, but Roselyn was positive that instead of the normal glow she would see from a good trade, she was seeing a bluish-green luminescence surrounding it.
“I will trade you one of mine…for that one,” Roselyn pointed to the key, searching the tall man’s face for any indication of confirmation. She was not disappointed.
“Why, little lady, I believe you are a special kind of trader. That pin has been waiting for someone special to come along, and I think you are just the one. You go ahead and take it, and don’t worry about giving me one to go in its place. Careful though, it’s heavier than it looks,” he winked as he placed the key-pin into Roselyn’s hand.
The pin was small, and yet the man had been right. It was much heavier than it looked. Roselyn felt the smoothness of the key and the softness of the tassel. “Thank you for the trade, sir,” she managed to say, but the tall stranger was already sauntering away through the crowd. Abruptly Roselyn noticed the clouds.
“Great. Now we have stopped for a pin trade with Paul Bunyan’s cousin,” she said, completely unaware of the impending gloom.
“Mitzi- hush. Trust me. Turn around and walk out of here. NOW.”
Mitzi scanned Roselyn’s face and became immediately convinced. She did as she was asked. Once outside and on the far side of the street, the two looked back at the clapboard-sided building. It was overflowing with people though there were fewer out on the street. “I can’t see the clouds, Rosie- but I can sure sense them.”
Roselyn nodded in agreement as she placed the new “key” in her pack with the other one Mickey himself had given to them. It was at that moment when she saw the tiny piece of paper. Neatly folded in between two sections of her fanny pack, she had not seen it before. Slowly, she unfolded the paper and read the neat and precise script that was on it aloud.
“Keys to the kingdoms will unchain your future… and rescue ours,” it read.
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Well done once again!! Please keep them coming!!
Sir Walter Scott~ All men who have turned out worth anything have had the chief hand in their own education.