Women of Supernatural! 3.05: Callie Garrison
“A Princess Stopped on Her Way to the Palace”
Callie Garrison, from 3.05, Bedtime Stories
1100 words.
No pairings, no warnings. Canon character death.
Summary: Sometimes stepmothers are scary even when they love you; sometimes the Prince and the Hunstman are brothers; sometimes Death changes her mind.
Once upon a time there was a little girl named Callie whose father and stepmother loved her very much. Callie’s father was a wise and gentle doctor, beloved by the people of the town where they lived. Callie’s mother had died when she was very young, and her father had soon married the beautiful Julie, who loved Callie as her own.
Callie loved her parents, but sometimes Julie frightened her. Sometimes when her Daddy had a lot of work to do at the hospital, Julie seemed lonely and distracted. Then she would bring a tray of ice cream sundaes up to Callie’s room. Julie said they were to “cheer her up.” The sundaes looked delicious in the Julie’s crystal parfait glasses, with several colors of ice cream, hot fudge sauce, whipped cream and a cherry on top, but Callie didn’t like them. While Julie ate hers, enjoying every spoonful, her gaze would drift off into the distance. Callie would pick at the sundae, complaining of the bitter taste like dish soap in the ice cream. But Julie just smiled and said nothing was wrong and made her eat it all up.
When Callie got sick, Daddy would come home to take care of her, praising Julie for being such a loving and attentive mother. Callie couldn’t understand why the sundaes made her sick and yet Julie happily ate hers with never a problem.
One day, her Daddy traveled to a conference and was away all week. Every day, Julie seemed more distracted, her gaze wandering off into the distance, the smile thinner and tighter on her lips. Callie was afraid. When her Daddy finally got home, flu had stricken several doctors at the hospital, keeping him on double shifts for several more days. Though Julie brightened a little when Daddy called to check in on them, Callie knew soon something terrible would happen.
Late Sunday afternoon, Daddy called to say he would not be home until the morning. He had to pull another shift which would start in a few hours, after he took a short nap in the break room.
Julie’s eyes grew terrible. The smile on her face became even more fixed and vacant. She took Callie up to her room and picked out her prettiest white dress and helped her into it, and brushed her dark hair till it shone, tying it back with a red satin ribbon.
Julie didn’t seem to notice when Callie followed her back downstairs, though her black patent leather mary janes always squeaked a little. Callie’s eyes widened in alarm as Julie opened the door of the cleaning cupboard Daddy said should be kept safely locked. Julie took out a bottle of bleach, carried it into the kitchen and set it on the counter. Opening the refrigerator, she brought out six beautiful yellow lemons, which she cut in half with her shining knife --she was very good at chopping. She juiced the lemons into a sparkling glass pitcher, added plenty of sugar and a tiny pinch of salt, and filled the pitcher to the brim with cold filtered water from the refrigerator.
The glassware in the Garrison household always sparkled in the cupboards. Julie took down two heavy drinking glasses, and poured a big dollop of bleach into one. Then she filled them up with lemonade and set them on the silver carrying tray to serve to Callie.
Callie saw it all. She knew what she had to do. As she lifted the glass to her lips, Julie smiled her vacant smile. Callie would go away for a while, like Snow White in the fairy tale. She was already dressed for the funeral.
Callie grew weary of all her years in the glass coffin. She loved to hear her Daddy’s voice, and she loved to hear the fairy tales, but she didn’t like it when Daddy would give the big girl wearing her red ribbon a kiss on the forehead instead of her. She began to roam the town, and saw many things she recognized from stories - but a lot of things she didn’t like.
Callie never dreamed of a handsome prince. She was waiting for the huntsman to come with the guns and knives of his trade. The stepmother thought he would cut out her heart, but he really came to kill the monster. He would make it safe to come out.
When they finally arrived, the prince and the huntsman came together. The tall, handsome prince made her Daddy cry, which made Callie angry, but the huntsman was very brave and strong when he fought the wolf.
In the end, it was her Daddy who kissed her goodbye. He knew about Julie now; the prince had explained it all to him.
Callie was ready to go, but she had one last thing to do to make everything right. She whispered in Riding Hood’s ear and held on to her hand, though nobody could see her.
Riding Hood asked to see her grandmother’s body, and she asked for Detective Page to go with her to the morgue.
When they pulled the drawer open, Callie smiled. The grandmother had just been hiding. The huntsman had beaten the bad old wolf.
“Take her hand,” the little girl said to Dean.
“What?” said the puzzled Hunter. Bad enough he had to look at the old woman’s tragic, mauled corpse, but to show it to the little girl? She had been so insistent though, and no one could deny a bereaved girl’s request to see her beloved grandma. Dr. Garrison gave the approval and led them down to the morgue.
Take her hand, Callie whispered, and the little girl said it out loud.
Dr. Garrison pulled the cloth from over the old woman’s body. Strangely, she looked a lot better than she had the day before.
The radiant black-haired woman standing next to Callie said, “It wasn’t her time.” Callie told the woman she was sorry, and the woman nodded, laying her hand over Dean’s as the Hunter took the grandmother’s hand.
Dean gasped in shock. The old woman’s hand was warm. Quickly, he touched her neck, her forehead, and though he didn’t seem to notice, Callie saw the glowing woman’s hand follow his, streaming with a gentle white light.
The old woman breathed in and opened her eyes. Dr. Garrison watched it all in shock.
“Grandma!” the little girl smiled.
The Hunter’s eyes were wide with alarm, but he helped the grandmother sit up as the Reaper opened her arms to take Callie into her embrace.
“Where am I going?” Callie asked. “To the Palace?”
The Reaper smiled slightly, but didn’t say.
Callie Garrison, from 3.05, Bedtime Stories
1100 words.
No pairings, no warnings. Canon character death.
Summary: Sometimes stepmothers are scary even when they love you; sometimes the Prince and the Hunstman are brothers; sometimes Death changes her mind.
Once upon a time there was a little girl named Callie whose father and stepmother loved her very much. Callie’s father was a wise and gentle doctor, beloved by the people of the town where they lived. Callie’s mother had died when she was very young, and her father had soon married the beautiful Julie, who loved Callie as her own.
Callie loved her parents, but sometimes Julie frightened her. Sometimes when her Daddy had a lot of work to do at the hospital, Julie seemed lonely and distracted. Then she would bring a tray of ice cream sundaes up to Callie’s room. Julie said they were to “cheer her up.” The sundaes looked delicious in the Julie’s crystal parfait glasses, with several colors of ice cream, hot fudge sauce, whipped cream and a cherry on top, but Callie didn’t like them. While Julie ate hers, enjoying every spoonful, her gaze would drift off into the distance. Callie would pick at the sundae, complaining of the bitter taste like dish soap in the ice cream. But Julie just smiled and said nothing was wrong and made her eat it all up.
When Callie got sick, Daddy would come home to take care of her, praising Julie for being such a loving and attentive mother. Callie couldn’t understand why the sundaes made her sick and yet Julie happily ate hers with never a problem.
One day, her Daddy traveled to a conference and was away all week. Every day, Julie seemed more distracted, her gaze wandering off into the distance, the smile thinner and tighter on her lips. Callie was afraid. When her Daddy finally got home, flu had stricken several doctors at the hospital, keeping him on double shifts for several more days. Though Julie brightened a little when Daddy called to check in on them, Callie knew soon something terrible would happen.
Late Sunday afternoon, Daddy called to say he would not be home until the morning. He had to pull another shift which would start in a few hours, after he took a short nap in the break room.
Julie’s eyes grew terrible. The smile on her face became even more fixed and vacant. She took Callie up to her room and picked out her prettiest white dress and helped her into it, and brushed her dark hair till it shone, tying it back with a red satin ribbon.
Julie didn’t seem to notice when Callie followed her back downstairs, though her black patent leather mary janes always squeaked a little. Callie’s eyes widened in alarm as Julie opened the door of the cleaning cupboard Daddy said should be kept safely locked. Julie took out a bottle of bleach, carried it into the kitchen and set it on the counter. Opening the refrigerator, she brought out six beautiful yellow lemons, which she cut in half with her shining knife --she was very good at chopping. She juiced the lemons into a sparkling glass pitcher, added plenty of sugar and a tiny pinch of salt, and filled the pitcher to the brim with cold filtered water from the refrigerator.
The glassware in the Garrison household always sparkled in the cupboards. Julie took down two heavy drinking glasses, and poured a big dollop of bleach into one. Then she filled them up with lemonade and set them on the silver carrying tray to serve to Callie.
Callie saw it all. She knew what she had to do. As she lifted the glass to her lips, Julie smiled her vacant smile. Callie would go away for a while, like Snow White in the fairy tale. She was already dressed for the funeral.
Callie grew weary of all her years in the glass coffin. She loved to hear her Daddy’s voice, and she loved to hear the fairy tales, but she didn’t like it when Daddy would give the big girl wearing her red ribbon a kiss on the forehead instead of her. She began to roam the town, and saw many things she recognized from stories - but a lot of things she didn’t like.
Callie never dreamed of a handsome prince. She was waiting for the huntsman to come with the guns and knives of his trade. The stepmother thought he would cut out her heart, but he really came to kill the monster. He would make it safe to come out.
When they finally arrived, the prince and the huntsman came together. The tall, handsome prince made her Daddy cry, which made Callie angry, but the huntsman was very brave and strong when he fought the wolf.
In the end, it was her Daddy who kissed her goodbye. He knew about Julie now; the prince had explained it all to him.
Callie was ready to go, but she had one last thing to do to make everything right. She whispered in Riding Hood’s ear and held on to her hand, though nobody could see her.
Riding Hood asked to see her grandmother’s body, and she asked for Detective Page to go with her to the morgue.
When they pulled the drawer open, Callie smiled. The grandmother had just been hiding. The huntsman had beaten the bad old wolf.
“Take her hand,” the little girl said to Dean.
“What?” said the puzzled Hunter. Bad enough he had to look at the old woman’s tragic, mauled corpse, but to show it to the little girl? She had been so insistent though, and no one could deny a bereaved girl’s request to see her beloved grandma. Dr. Garrison gave the approval and led them down to the morgue.
Take her hand, Callie whispered, and the little girl said it out loud.
Dr. Garrison pulled the cloth from over the old woman’s body. Strangely, she looked a lot better than she had the day before.
The radiant black-haired woman standing next to Callie said, “It wasn’t her time.” Callie told the woman she was sorry, and the woman nodded, laying her hand over Dean’s as the Hunter took the grandmother’s hand.
Dean gasped in shock. The old woman’s hand was warm. Quickly, he touched her neck, her forehead, and though he didn’t seem to notice, Callie saw the glowing woman’s hand follow his, streaming with a gentle white light.
The old woman breathed in and opened her eyes. Dr. Garrison watched it all in shock.
“Grandma!” the little girl smiled.
The Hunter’s eyes were wide with alarm, but he helped the grandmother sit up as the Reaper opened her arms to take Callie into her embrace.
“Where am I going?” Callie asked. “To the Palace?”
The Reaper smiled slightly, but didn’t say.