The Sweet Trap of Lord Licorice

    By Meilynn Wilken

    The Sweet Trap of Lord Licorice cover image

    10 Oct, 2024

    a painting of a girl in a dress standing in front of a pink flower garden with a house and a stream of water, an ultrafine detailed painting, Alice Prin, pop surrealism, rossdraws global illumination

    Lily and Rose, two best friends, found themselves in Candy Land, a place they had only imagined in their dreams.

    two girls are standing in a park with balloons in the sky and a house in the background, and a pink tree with pink flowers, a storybook illustration, Chris LaBrooy, pop surrealism, official art

    They gazed in awe at the sugary kingdom, their eyes wide with wonder. The sweetness in the air was intoxicating, and they could hardly contain their excitement.

    a man standing in front of a castle with red flowers in front of him and a pink sky behind him, a storybook illustration, Cedric Seaut (Keos Masons), gothic art, official art

    In the heart of Candy Land stood Licorice Castle, the residence of Lord Licorice. His eyes gleamed with wickedness as he spotted Lily and Rose.

    a man and a woman in a red dress standing in front of a castle with a red rose on it, a storybook illustration, Cliff Childs, fantasy art, official art

    Lord Licorice grinned and said, 'Welcome, girls, to my sweet kingdom! It's not every day we get such delightful visitors.' His voice was as bitter as his licorice castle.

    two girls standing in a room full of presents and balloons and gifts for christmas time, with a christmas tree in the background, a storybook illustration, Carol Sutton, pop surrealism, storybook illustration

    Lily and Rose followed Lord Licorice into the castle where they were led into a room. Suddenly, the door closed behind them, trapping them inside.

    two girls in christmas dresses standing next to a christmas tree and presents in a store window with a christmas tree, a storybook illustration, Brothers Hildebrandt, cloisonnism, official art

    Lord Licorice's laughter echoed as he said, 'Enjoy your stay, girls.' The girls looked at each other with fear in their eyes.

    two girls are standing in front of a candy cane tunnel with candy canes on the ground and a red ribbon in the background, a storybook illustration, Alice Prin, pop surrealism, rossdraws global illumination

    Lily and Rose were stuck in a candy cane maze. They had to find a way out before Lord Licorice returned.

    two girls are walking through a candy cane tunnel with candy canes in the background and a candy cane in the foreground, a storybook illustration, Alice Prin, magic realism, rossdraws global illumination

    The girls held hands and navigated through the maze. Their hearts pounded, but they were determined to escape.

    two little girls holding hands in front of a rose tunnel with roses on either side of them and a red rose in the middle, a storybook illustration, disney, neo-romanticism, official art

    After what seemed like hours, Rose noticed a giant gumdrop. On closer inspection, they found a hidden door behind it.

    two young girls standing in front of a door with a light shining on them and a doorway behind them, concept art, disney, sots art, official art

    With a collective sigh of relief, they opened the door and found a passageway leading outside. They had found their escape route.

    a cartoon of two girls standing in front of a castle with pink flowers and trees in the background,, a storybook illustration, disney, magical realism, rossdraws global illumination

    Lily and Rose emerged from the castle, back in Candy Land. They could see Licorice Castle in the distance, its shadow slowly fading away.

    two girls are walking down a path towards a castle with a castle in the background and flowers in the foreground, a detailed matte painting, Brothers Hildebrandt, naive art, rossdraws global illumination

    They ran as fast as they could, leaving the castle behind. They were free at last, their hearts filled with joy and relief.

    two girls standing next to each other in front of a tree and flowers with a castle in the background, a storybook illustration, disney, fantasy art, official art

    As they reached the edge of Candy Land, they saw a shimmering portal. It was their ticket back home.

    two girls are walking through a candy land with lollipops and a rainbow in the background,, an ultrafine detailed painting, Drew Struzan, pop surrealism, rossdraws global illumination

    Hand in hand, they jumped into the portal. The sweet smell of Candy Land faded as they were whisked away to their own world.

    two young girls standing in a library with bookshelves full of books and teddy bears on the floor, a storybook illustration, disney, magical realism, official art

    Lily and Rose found themselves back in their room. Everything seemed normal, as if they had never left.

    a painting of two girls in a bedroom with a bed full of candy balls and teddy bears in the background, a storybook illustration, disney, magical realism, official art

    They looked at each other, their adventure in Candy Land now a sweet memory. They knew they would always remember their journey.

    two girls sitting on a bed with balloons in the air above them and a pink bed spread on the bed, a storybook illustration, disney, fantasy art, highly detailed oil painting

    That night, as the girls drifted to sleep, they dreamt of their adventure. Candy Land was now a part of them, a magical memory.

    two girls sitting on a bed with pink flowers in the sky above them and a night sky with clouds, a storybook illustration, disney, fantasy art, official art

    Though they were back in their own world, they knew they would always cherish their sweet escape from Lord Licorice's trap.

    two little girls standing next to each other in front of a book shelf filled with books and bookshelves, a detailed painting, Brothers Hildebrandt, fantasy art, detailed painting

    When morning came, the girls woke up. Their dreams of Candy Land had faded, but the memory of their adventure was still fresh.

    two young girls standing next to each other in a bedroom next to a bed and a window with a picture of a girl on it, a painting, disney, harlem renaissance, official art

    As they prepared for a new day, they wondered what other adventures awaited them. But whatever they were, Lily and Rose knew they would face them together.

    two girls standing in a bedroom next to a bed and a teddy bear on a rug in front of a window, a storybook illustration, disney, american scene painting, rossdraws global illumination

    They knew they could overcome anything, as long as they had each other. After all, they had escaped from Lord Licorice's sweet trap.

    two girls sitting at a table with a book and a vase of flowers in front of them, looking at the viewer, a storybook illustration, Artgerm, fantasy art, cushart krenz

    Lily and Rose looked out of their window, their eyes full of hope and excitement for the new day. Their adventure in Candy Land was just the beginning.

    The Sweet Trap of Lord Licorice