Get a grip, kill the character

A/n: I wrote this for my creative writing class this past semester in college. I did pretty well on it so I decided to post it. 

Maeve sighed, leaning against the rock wall. Another day, another so-called hero and each one seemed more arrogant and pig-headed than the last. It’d been almost three years since she’d been stuck here by the fountain and time was running short. It was all her fault, really, she’d been warned time and time again by her family, but something about the fountain pulled her to it and one day leaning a bit too close, she fell in and the cursed fountain locked her in this garden with nothing but her satchel that contained her journal, pen and a book, and the now tattered tunic and skirt she’d made into a baggy pair of pants that she wore on her person. Only until a hero with pure heart, undaunted by the task, came to rescue her would she be free from the curse. The catch? Well, if no one suitable came to her rescue by the time three years was up, she’d become a sentient being that lived in the garden for the rest of her life.     “Cheer up my child, someone will come along and set you free.” Pomona, the large, wise willow tree that stood tall and proud by the wall spoke up, shaking Maeve from her reverie. A scoff from up in the tree made her glance up to find Bitsy, the saucy, magic cat that carelessly spoke her mind.    “Oh yeah right, that’ll be the day, her parents sending a suitable hero that isn’t a total doorknob.”     “Hush, Bitsy,” Pomona snapped.     “Well, I’m just telling it like it is. Another “hero” like that last one and I’m going to open my mouth and tell the bozo make like a tree and beat it.”     “Bitsy-,”     “It’s not like you’re much better, you’re the one who throws fruit at them,” Pomona huffs as Bitsy continues. Maeve giggles to herself as Pomona winds up one of her vines, scrunching up her nose and taking aim, letting the vine snap the impudent cat right where it counts. A yowl and the aggravated cat appears on the ground by Maeve, hackles risen as she hisses in outrage at Pomona who disregards the empty threats made by the bold cat.      “Cheeky,” Pomona mutters as Bitsy stalks away still grumbling under her breath before turning back to Maeve.     “Don’t you worry dear, someone will come for you,” Pomona comforts her with a sad smile     “I hope you’re right,” Maeve sighs again     “They will just you wait and see,” Pomona reassures her and Maeve smiles and settles into her usual routine while she waits for the next hero to try and free her.   Over the next several months, many “heroes” approached from far away lands, but they failed to break her curse, from charging the wall with their horse only for their horse to throw them at the last second, using their “brute strength” but failing miserably and throwing a temper tantrum to awkward and horrible serenades as they attempted to climb the wall and their offensive or vulgar acts towards her, they didn’t seem to learn from the last. Maeve became exhausted by the rush of heroes and their ignorant, unchanging ways and Bitsy almost bit a couple of their heads off, Pomona barely able to stop her from attacking the unsuspecting men. Over the years since she’d been put under the curse, Maeve had learned the certain types of heroes, from how they acted and spoke she could easily tell what they were really after and she’d shoot them down before they had a chance to speak, not caring if they called her a shrew and not worth the journey. Pomona and Bitsy kept her spirits up, rallying her when all hope seemed lost, and for awhile, it really seemed to be. “Oh lord, will it ever end?” Bitsy moaned, covering her ears with her paws in agony as she sent a hateful glare towards the last “hero” still stumbling around from Pomona’s accurate apple throwing skills.   “Crazy bitch!” he yelled, a poor attempt to get the last laugh as he made his hasty retreat. “ Why you little!" -Bitsy howled, obviously offended by his crude and inaccurate remark, baring her claws with a hiss, as Pomona held back the aggressive feline, who could barely contain her fury. Maeve smiled to herself as Bitsy and Pomona sent glares to the retreating form. The pair had become rather protective of her since she’d been trapped in the garden. It was funny to Maeve how they acted towards the heroes, disapproving and judgemental of them, protective mother hen mode appeared the second they were spotted on the horizon. Maeve didn’t mind it though, it was nice to have someone care for her so much. Back home she’d been the oldest of eight and had often been overlooked and brushed aside, learning to take care of herself and younger siblings. Now, she had two confidants and caretakers that refused to let her be hurt by the halfwits with shallow and uncaring personalities that didn’t really truly care about her. Maeve was grateful for their comfort and care, the only thing that kept her from being truly happy was the looming deadline as time began to run out. If the right hero didn’t show up soon, she’d be left in the garden, forgotten like her friends.    It was a day before her time was up, and no progress had been made if anything it’d gotten steadily worse, it had become evidently clear that her parents were desperate and had begun to make promises of money to sweeten the deal, thus attracting all sorts of nutjobs and cons looking to make a little money off of saving some girl trapped in a cursed garden. Maeve had lost all expectations for escape. She long since cried all her tears away. All her ambitions of being freed was lost, she’d accepted her fate. Pomona and Bitsy watched her sadly, knowing her fate would soon be sealed. Falling asleep that night to the lullaby of Pomona’s vines singing a sad song as they swayed in the wind and Bitsy’s snores, Maeve held onto the small thread of hope she had left to be saved.      Hours later, late in the dark of night, Maeve woke to the sound of Pomona’s anguished cries and Bitsy’s threatening hisses. Jolting out of sleep in shock, the hammock she slept in spinning and dumping her on the ground in a heap, Maeve finds Pomona’s withered, old trunk and branches set ablaze, shouts of angry men below trying to free Maeve.      “Pomona!” Maeve cried rushing to her suddenly afraid and desperate not to lose one of her best friends.      “My child… You must stop them…” Pomona gasps, fire beginning to engulf her trunk     “What?!” Maeve cried “But... how?” She had never felt so sick to her stomach about losing someone like this before, the feeling shook her to her core.   Pomona whispered, “The pen... in your satchel,” Maeve rushes to the satchel she had on her since she’d been locked in the garden, collapsing onto her knees, dumping out the contents, desperately sifting through the clutter before her hands find the pen. Rushing back to Pomona she holds it up in triumph.     “Use it to protect this place you know how.”     “What? What do you mean?” She cries, but there is no answer as a loud crack is heard as the fire engulfs the whole tree and a midsection of the tree cracks and crumbles under the weight of the fire and falling debris, giving way as it collapses over the side of the wall, down. Down. Down.     “NO!” Maeve shrieks watching as her friends fall, even Bitsy, her brazen cat friend has perished, her hisses turning to wailing cries and then to nothing as she’s cut down by the hands of ignorant fools. Crying out, Maeve falls to her knees beside her fallen friends,     “I’m sorry, I’m sorry… This is all my fault,” She sobbed, looking up as cheerful and rowdy shouts approach and she’s taken back by the sudden feeling of anger towards these egotistical cretins. Standing up she walks through the smoke and flames, ash falling in the sky around her like snow.  Planting herself firmly she holds the pen high above her head, closing her eyes, tears still streaming freely from them and screams with all her might,     “MURDERERS!” The rage and surge of power she feels in her veins as she utters these words amaze her as she’s lifted from the ground and to her surprise, the pen has turned into a wand, the magic aura surrounding her and stopping the approaching army of foolish men. The wind whips her hair as it transforms her makeshift pants and baggy tunic into a beautifully woven dress. With a wave of the wand, the men are turned into harmless woodland creatures and quickly scamper away in fear. She settles unsteadily back on the ground as the ruins of the tree and cat disappeared, in there place stood two beings, one made entirely of leaves and flower petals, looking wise beyond her years and a short, plump woman with catlike features stood in their place. Pomona rushed to Maeve’s side hugging her close.     “Oh, my dear, you did it! You’ve broken the curse; didn’t I tell you she’d do it Bitsy?”     “Yeah, yeah everyday… congrats kiddo, now where’s the nearest food joint? I haven’t eaten anything decent in over a century.” Pomona rolled her eyes, “Oh Bitsy, for once could you not think with your stomach?”   “Well there’s no need to get so sentimental,” Bitsy answered “Bitsy!” Pomona scolded   “Do you think there’s a Krispy Kreme somewhere nearby?” Bitsy asked with a shit eating grin on her face, winking at Maeve as Pomona sighed deeply, rolling her eyes as if asking why she had to put up with Bitsy’s antics, before turning back to Maeve, her wise, eyes shining brightly with pride.  “But how? I thought I must be saved by a hero?” Maeve asked but Pomona only laughed      “But my child, you had the power all along.”        “You didn’t need no man to save you!” Bitsy interjected.      “You needed a hero, so that’s what you became” Pomona explained, sending Bitsy a glare, who shrugged in response. Taken back by this revelation Maeve grinned widely opening her mouth only to be interrupted by Bitsy.    “Yeah yeah, okay we’re all happy for you now and as much as I’d love to sit here and shoot the breeze all day, can we focus on more important matters? I’m starving... If I ever see a mouse again, it’ll be too soon.” Pomona huffed at Bitsy, but her face still held a proud smile and she enveloped Maeve tight, reassuring hug before turning and the trio walked together down the path, not bothering to look back. If they had, they would’ve caught sight of the garden as it’s closed its walls, the magic put upon it by an enchantress long ago casting a facade over the garden waiting for its next unsuspecting victim to fall upon it and the fountain whistled a haunting tune to itself, satisfied at the outcome of events. 

Hoping to expand more on this later, I can’t get it out of my head. I literally wrote this whole thing during work today. I started the first part and the rest came pouring out. I’m not sure about the name, I might change it... Please let me know what you think (the title or the excerpt)!!!