Just a girl who loves writing. Iâm obsessed with horror movies and romantasy so those are my genres! (I encourage you to start with my third writing titled âThe Danceâ) She/Her
Just a girl who loves writing. Iâm obsessed with horror movies and romantasy so those are my genres! (I encourage you to start with my third writing titled âThe Danceâ) She/Her
A song. Itâs just a song.
Just a simple little, Unimportant, Insignificant, Inconsequential, Trivial, song.
The words hardly have meaning, And it sounds just the same each time around, But something else about it makes me stick around.
Not the words, Or the melody. Not the harmony, Or the mood. Not the rhythm, Or the sound,
Something a little more imbued.
Just one little moment in time, Just one little moment that changed the tune.
That one moment in time, That really wasnât as great as a pantomime, But to me was pretty sublime,
Forever changed that song, apocalypse is what itâs called, and now whenever I hear it Iâm enthralled.
How could something so simple, so plain, as a song, make such an impact that Iâve listenened to it for this long?
If he listened to it during that moment as well, would he, too, be unable to break the spell?
Does he even feel the same? I donât even know if he knows my name.
The family is alone. Deep, deep in the woods in a clearing of dying grass. The unforgiving dark lake that appears jet black infront of the blood red tents sits still and silent waiting for a victim to get to close to the hidden current just below the surface. The wind blows once every few minutes ruffling the crunchy leaves causing it to sound like footsteps, but then deserts the scene leaving the campsite dead silent.
A blood curdling scream rips through the clearing that sounds like the scream of someone getting painfully tortured as the two kids of the family run around playing tag. The stationary grill is black and the ashes blow around as a sudden gale of wind batters through the campsite. It smacks against the bloody maroon tents and sounds like the banging of door.
Whence nighttime settles onto the campsite the kids and the mother and father retreat into their respected tents. Lightning cracks in the sky and thunder shakes the ground shortly afterwards signaling that rain would come and disturb the happy sunny days at the campsite. Will the family make it out in time?
The gloomy clouds drift across the blackened sky and infront of the pale full moon casting shadows like huge homicidal giants on the landscape below. The two kids huddle together in the tent as the wind picks up and creates an awful whistling sound as it moves through the looming trees of the foreboding forest.
The laughter of the children echoes through the campsite as they tell each other tales of delight but the sound gets horribly distorted by the wind and new coming rain causing it now to sound like clowns laughing in the back room of an abandoned circus tent. The kids fall asleep giggling and the sun shines through the tentâs door casting a shadow of a person standing right infront of the tent, watching, waiting.
The older of the two siblings creeps towards the door drowsily and unzips it. A scream tears through the childâs throat as the father, holding a butcher knife, brings it up into the air andâŚ
Smiles. The father smiles down at the child who is screaming with delight as he presents a plate with bacon and cake on it.
âHappy birthday, kiddo!â
âThanks! Itâs my favorite! Whereâs mom?â
âDonât worry youâll see her soon!â
âOkay! Wait⌠no dad! Stop! Help! ple-â
She didnât even notice her sibling was gone when she woke up. Maybe it couldâve been prevented if she did notice. Or maybe noticed the gash in the side of the tent where her little brother slept the night before. Or the blood on the pillow. Or the screaming. The cacophony of screaming from her mother and little brother. Itâs a shame she had to join them. And a shame that the forest was so dense her father got away with it all.
Non riesco a smettere di pensare a te This much is true.
Vorrei potertelo dire But it seems I donât have the nerve to.
My new favorite color is blue And it seems like it has something to do with you.
Youâre constantly on my mind But I donât even mind.
But I just have one question. Well maybe a few. Okay, more than two.
Do you think about me and lie awake at night wondering if I feel the same, like I do? Do you repeat my name over and over again in your head, like I do? Do you âhateâ making eye contact with me just like I âhateâ making eye contact with you? Do you think of me as often as I think about you?
Is is killing you like itâs killing me?
My emotions feel so mixed And I canât seem to fix it.
I would do anything to know what you think about me. Okay, maybe anything is too far.
But I donât even know if Iâm being figurative anymore.
I just canât take it anymore.
I canât seem to think of anything without you being there.
But I suppose, _io non cura. _
Im sitting on the bus with my best friend. I look up from my phone having a sudden urge to look to my left. Thatâs when I realize that he is sitting right across from me. My heartbeat starts to quicken, and my mind suddenly stops working. I subconsciously start twisting that white and gold ring on my left hand, a habit I only do when Iâm nervous, and look back over to my friend about to say something but for some reason I canât form a coherent sentence. Sheâs sitting there on her phone scrolling through instagram oblivious to my actions. I donât know why I feel this way or why I am acting like this. I donât like him.
_The next song that turned on in my AirPods will now be the song that I play on loop for weeks, maybe even months, because when that song turned on itâs when I looked back over at him. _
I canât help but feel a sudden rush of an emotion that I canât place. Was it nervousness? Maybe I was just distracted. I canât stop myself from looking over at him sitting across from me. Looking out the window, he runs a hand through his sandy blonde hair and watches as the trees pass quickly by. I bite down on my lip to stop myself from smiling but itâs no use. I look to my right to stop getting distracted and look out of the window me and my friend are sitting by. Iâm smiling now and I even laugh about how crazy I probably look. My friend looks at me and chuckles, âWhy are you smiling?â I shrug awkwardly and we both break into laughter to the point where we are almost in tears. She smiles and then looks back down at her phone. I then look over to my left and he is now on his phone too. I grin and am now aware of how much I am spinning the ring on my finger. As I go to turn away he turns his head and looks over at me. We make eye contact for at least ten seconds, which is ten seconds too long, and I immediately begin to feel myself blush. My heartbeat quickens just as it had minutes before and I quickly turn the other way. What was wrong with me? I have never felt this way before. I thought I already knew what it was like to have a crush on someone but now Iâm questioning that. Then that song that I never really liked in the first place and have no clue how it got on my playlist turns on again and I smile to myself. I have this thing where I associate songs with places or memories and now this song has its very own association.
_I am even listening to it now. _
I open my eyes and gasp for air. Memories come rushing back. The war, my mother yelling at me to stay in the castle and to not go fight, my father looking back at me with pleading eyes as a hooded figure shoved their sword into his chest. Wait. _Hooded figure? _The society. I remember the society. A secret society going behind enemy lines, and our lines, acting to help but just getting intel to take over both Aetheria and Lunaris after our kingdoms are weak and destroyed. The Black Lantern Society.
As tears well up in my eyes, I finally adjust to the dark room. My hands are cuffed to a cobblestone wall from my wrists and the dagger that was once strapped to my thigh has been taken. Panic sets in. With no way of defending myself, any point of breaking free of my cuffs is useless. More importantly, who had kidnapped me? And then it hit me. The society had. The leader of the society had. I remember getting knocked out on the battle field by the hooded figure who had killed my father. No one knows who the figure is but they are rumored to be the most powerful assassin in history.
I wanted to cry but no amount of tears could save me. No one would even be able to hear me given that the surrounding area hinted at me being underground, or in the middle of the forest. And suddenly I heard footsteps outside of the dank room and I braced myself for what was about to happen.
The old, rusty, metal door opened slowly letting the little remnants of lighting from nearby lanterns in the stairway illuminate the room ever so slightly. A man walked in. He wore a smooth black suit that fit him perfectly, and he had jet black hair that was unkempt. As he walked closer, I could see that his eyes were a deep shade of jade green. His expression remained the same, cold and hardened. He spoke and I was surprised at the way he sounded, âYou must be valuable to them.â It was clear he was talking about my kingdom. âPerhaps if I strike a deal with them, well, then Iâll let them take you. But first you have to tell me everything you know.â He fixed the sleeve of his suit and looked back up to meet my gaze, âFirst of all, If,â he paused, âand thatâs a strong word, If your petty family makes a deal with me, then you have to forget my face and tell them nothing.â I tried not to break down crying. âWho are you?â My voice sounded so faint and distant. âIsnât it obvious.â He gave a slight smile, though it was anything but sincere. I gasped, âYouâre the leaderâŚâ A tear rolled down my cheek, âYou killed my father.â His smile grew every so slightly, and it was evil, âPerhaps youâre smarter than you look.â I could tell he was bluffing. He knew what I was capable of, he knew I was smart and strong. Otherwise, he wouldnât have kidnapped me or taken my dagger away.
âNow, Iâll be back later. I have matters to attended to, donât go anywhere.â He said that with a smirk on his face knowing well I couldnât get out even if I tried.
After letting my guard down, a half and hour after he had left the door opened again. Quietly this time, and with more struggle. A woman stepped in. No. Not just any woman. My servant whom I have known for years. âOphelia!â I was shocked to see her. I nearly broke down into tears, âall this time, youâve been working with the society?â She spoke heartbroken, âNo Iâm undercover. You really thought?â She shook her head, ânever mind⌠Iâm here to get you out, Elizabeth. I have a spare key, Thorne trusts me the most out of the whole society.â She chuckled âCan you believe it? Getting sidetracked. Sorry your highness.â She took a step closer but I gasped as a figure came from behind her and slit her throat. I screamed and began to cry. Ophelia crumpled to the floor and made horrible gasping sounds but finally went silent. Thorne stepped into the room with my dagger in his hand, bloodied with Opheliaâs own blood, âYou physchopath! Why would you just kill her like that!â I screamed at him with hate filling my voice but his expression stayed the same nonetheless.
âPhyschopath? Thatâs a new one. I would never hurt you princess Elizabeth, but go ahead. Make me your villain.â He left me speechless as he walked out of the room leaving Opheliaâs deceased body on the bloodied floor. He would never hurt me. I didnât want to believe him but a part of me felt as if he wasnât lying. Most of me hated him. That wasnât a lie. But a part of me felt differently. I couldnât help it and I hated myself for it. That wasnât a lie either.
I had fallen asleep. The way I knew was because of a loud explosion from above me jarring me awake. The next thing I knew I was in a world of chaos. The wall my handcuffs were connected to exploded and sent me to the floor. My head hit the concrete floor and I felt blood trickle down the side of my face. As my vision cleared from the bluriness of pain, my ears began to ring. The explosion was loud and caught me off guard. I sit up as quickly as I can and spin around before I can get caught off guard yet again but no one is there. I get onto my feet and turn towards the door just to see it opening as Thorne runs in. âDo you really want to go back to that war? All of that violence and bloodshed, so much death and tragedy?â His voice was unsteady for the first time since Iâve met him. âItâs better than staying here with you.â I look at Thorne one more time and he looks desperate but before I can change my mind I run. I run into the woods without any recollection of where I am just to get away from Thorne and the society.
After what seemed like hours of running I collapse underneath of a tree. Out of breath and lost. I stand back up and look around but nothing seems familiar. Maybe I shouldâve stayed. No. donât think like that. I feel defeated. I turn to one direction and start walking. Worse case scenario, Thorne finds me and brings me back to civilization. Is that really that bad of a scenario? Yes. It is.
As I begin to see the sun set I canât help but feel the ever present sense of dread crawling up the back of my neck. Where do I go when the sun sets and the creatures of the night emerge from the gnarled remnants of the trees surrounding me? _Maybe I was better off⌠_
No.
Maybe I should just start running and hope I reach somewhere. Even if itâs just a cottage to stay in overnight. My heart is racing and I can feel the presence of the sun draining from the horizon. Thatâs when I hear a twig snap from behind me. I gasp and spin around but no one is there. âHello?â My voice is shaky though I know I canât show fear. Fear is just a weakness. As I start walking slowly towards a nearby tree to see if someone is hiding, a rookie mistake on my part, someone pushes me hard against the tree and pins my arms behind my back. The person chuckles, âLooks like we meet again princess.â Itâs Thorne.
Thorne spins me around to face him but still has me pinned. He pulls out a dagger and lightly traces my throat with it, âYou are such an annoying little thing, running away like that. But a promise is a promise.â He scowls at me from those deep green eyes and puts his knife away. âWhat are you going to do if I let you away from this tree?â Thorne is glaring at me but I swear I saw his eyes flicker to my lips. âIâm going to run.â I kick him in his shin and he winces but his arm stays steady across my chest. âYouâre going to have to do a lot more than that to try and get away.â Heâs mad now. At me. He could kill me at any point, slit my throat just like he did to Ophelia, snap my neck, plunge his knife through my heart. There is a million different ways Thorne could kill me but yet he doesnât.
âIf you let me go you have to take me back to Aetheria or else Iâm running away. We canât stay here all night like this.â I meet his eyes for the first time since I ran. Thornes eyes are cold and empty and filled with hatred but thereâs something behind that facade. Something Iâm realizing only I can see. Something only I am looking for. The rest of the world doesnât look too deep into others eyes because theyâre afraid of what they might find, lies and corruption. With Thorne, heâs hurt. Heâs tired of fighting. Heâs tired of killing all of those innocent people, but he has to act like he doesnât care because of this reputation he has upheld for so long. And then it hits me like a ton of bricks. The hatred in his eyes is really only hatred for himself. I falter as I realize this and blink a few times breaking our stare down.
âThorne. I-â he cuts me off âHow did you know my-? Never mind.â He clears his throat and builds that protective wall right back up. âI will bring you back to Aetheria. On one condition.â He glares at me again. âForget who I am. My name, my face, everything.â
âOkay.â A promise I hope to keep.
After walking for a few miles in silence Thorne finally says something. âAetheria is about half a mile that way.â He points to a dirt path leading to a clearing in the distance. âYour not coming?â I ask half expecting, or hoping, him to say yes. âWhy would I do that. I brought you here, now you can get as far away from me as you want. And the same for me.â He faltered saying the last part. What was his issue? âGoodbye Thorne. And I swear to god if you show your face in Aetheria ever again I will have my fathers men arrest, and behead you.â Thorne looked half expectant and half hurt but he hid it well. Without a word Thorne kept his eyes on me as long as he could and then turned around and began to walk away. Thorne was out of my life for good.
Walking out of the sorrowful forest, I saw the final bits of sun, slip underneath of the buildings and return the world before me to darkness. I hurried down the back streets of Aetheria as to avoid anyone seeing me. Shadows danced around the barren streets as I crept by making my way to the castle as quickly as possible. The looters and thieves watch me from the dark, hidden alleyways and whisper about the strange girl running through the village towards the castle.
Once I have made it through the near desolate village, I step up the dark, looming steps of the castle and hesitate as I reach for the door. I look behind me and feel a sudden rush of disappointment. I want to kick myself for feeling this way but I know itâs because in the woods I would always look back and be greeted by Thorne not paying attention to me and looking around like he was a little kid. In those woods was the first time I ever saw the slightest hint of his real smile. My own smile fades away just like the memory and I pull the huge doors open and walk into the castle I have lived in for so long but now seems unfamiliar in the chaos of the war.
Upon entering the dimly lit halls that usually have guards around every corner, I head straight for my parents throne room. They used to spend most of their time in there studying maps, or war strategyâs during times like these. Now the only thing different is my father being dead. I see my mother and a few guards gathered around a table to the left end of the throne room and decide to speak up since no one hears me come in. âMother.â She turns around and her eyes go wide. She runs over to me and wraps me into a hug, âOh, Elizabeth! I thought you were dead!â I can hear the tears in her voice and I look up at her. âIâm so sorry, I-â I pause. If my mother knows about Thorne she will have him on every wanted list and have the reward price of catching him higher than every single thing she has ever paid for in her life. But I want that right? I want Thorne to pay for what he has done to me and so many others. Instead, I make up a lie. âI- I got lost in the woods trying to hide during the war and couldnât find the way back. But Iâm okay now.â She smiles, âIâm glad your okay dear but I have matters to attend to about the war. Nothing has changed since youâve gone.â I look at my mother and she nods. âOkay. Iâll be in my room.â I hurry silently to the corridor where the stairs lead up to my bedroom and once Iâm outside of my door I slip inside and close it quietly.
Laying down in my own bed feels surreal. Iâm so used to the woods surrounding me and the cell Thorne kept me in that I forgot how luxurious my stupid princess life was like. My eyes flutter shut almost instantly but I still prefer the latter. I have a dream that night. I am dancing in a familiar ballroom but not my own. Im dancing with Thorne. He is wearing a blood red suit that makes him look amazing with his jet black hair so perfectly styled and his jade green eyes that are looking at me so intently. Weâre laughing about something but I donât know what. He smiles at me for the first time since we have met and itâs beautiful. His teeth are perfect and white, and he has dimples. I canât help but blush. I smile back but everything starts fading. Suddenly I am awoken by a sudden loud sound that sounds like it was coming from the village. I gasp as I recall my dream. If I were in control of my dreams it would end with me plunging a knife into Thornes heart and smiling as he bleeds out on the floor. I get up still dazed from sleep and my dream which was more like a nightmare and look out of my window to see a fire burning in the distance. I hurry to the door, flustered, and swing it open. My mother is standing in knocking position with her eyes filled with fear. âThe village has been bombed by Lunaris. Several have been injured, many are dead. Before the bombing a villager had gotten stabbed three times by a spy from Lunaris.â All of this imformation at once is too much to handle. My palms start sweating and my heart begins to race. I follow my mother out of my bedroom and downstairs to the windows facing the village.
There are soldiers killing secret Lunaris spies, and injured civilians lying on the ground calling for help. I put a hand up to my mouth and let out a sob. âDo you think you could tend to the one who got stabbed? He is in the infirmary at the moment but our nurse just went home a few hours earlier and I must figure this out because your father usuallyâŚâ she trails off. I have always been good at praticing first aid but Iâve never actually had to use my skills in a real emergency. I nod nonetheless.
As I walk into the infirmary, instead of being prepared to tend to a villager whom Iâve never met before, or a child who was walking outside when the bombing happened, Iâm greeted by a familiar face. I gasp. Thorne is in the first medical bed. He has blood all over his white shirt and is nearly the same color as porcelain. He is staring at me with those deep green eyes that I have always had a deep hatred for but says nothing. âThorne why were you-â he cuts me off just like the last time we spoke. âDonât.â He winces at the effort of talking, âI was just making sure you made it back. Donât turn this into something.â Heâs injured. Just help him and he can leave. I grab a clean cloth and dab it with wound cleaner. I walk back over to Thorne and hate that heâs here. âTake off your shirt.â I scowl at him as he pulls off his white shirt that is soaked with blood. I walk over and sit down in a chair next to the bed.
I wipe the blood off of the three stab wounds that cover Thornes chest and he doesnât make a sound. I lean back in my chair after Iâm finished with the blood and catch Thorne looking at me. âI didnât want to come back. Donât think this was voluntary.â The way he speaks is different, his voice sounds defeated and weak, instead of powerful and angry. âThen why did you.â I meet his eyes for the first time since we were in the woods, âDo you remember what I said about coming back?â Thorne avoids my gaze and looks down. âI heard about the bombing from a spy from Lunaris and had to come warn you.â He clenches his jaw and looks back up at me with pain in his eyes, âBefore I made it, I got stabbed by another spy and knocked out.â I grab more supplies and begin to stitch the biggest cut. âWhy would you come warn me if you hate me?â Thorne looks at me and is speechless but his gaze hardens. âDonât look at me like that.â I was caught by surprise, âWhat do you mean? Iâm not-â
âYes you are. Iâve seen that look before.â
âWhat look?â
âYou tell me.â
âWhat? Thorne why are you-â
âIâve killed thousands. Iâm planning on more. Your entire kingdom is going to fall whether you want it to or not.â Thorne stands up with only two out of three cuts stitched, âEventually im going to watch that light in your eyes go out whether itâs because of me or not.â He takes a step closer and I back up. âI will always hate you and the way you live. You think just because youâre royal means youâre safe from the world but thatâs just not true. Tragedy can happen to anyone. Death can happen to anyone, and it already has. Your father was killed. By me. On purpose.â Thornes expression is filled with hate now, âI know how youâre thinking just by the way youâre looking at me.â He takes a step back and shakes his head, âPart of that look means you want me dead. But what happens after that?â
âYou think I want you dead?â What was the other part though?
_Did I want him dead? _
âYes. Because I want you dead. Iâve killed everything and everyone youâve ever know except for your poor mother. You hate me, I know. I never want to see you again Elizabeth. If I do, it will be with my dagger in your chest and your blood on my hands. I swear that.â
Thorne walks out of the infirmary with a new white shirt already ruined by the third cut I didnât stitch, leaving me speechless and confused. I try to go after him but as I reach the door, he is already gone. A tear rolls down my cheek but Iâm unsure as to why. Is it because of the hatred Thorne has left me with because of his choice of words? Or the hidden intimacy I have just learned I have for him even though he has kidnapped and threatened me and killed most of everything I know? _Can it be both? _
I walk out of the infirmary and hurry to my room. I canât help but feel hot tears threatening to fall down my face and make me break down. I have to forget him. Forget everything Thorne has ever done. Forget his face, his history, his name, the way he looks at me from time to time, and the way he makes me feel. Forget all of it. Focus on the war. Focus on your future people. I will go to the local psychic tomorrow. See if she can help with the war and how to stop it. See if she can tell me if I have any chance of a future of being queen.
The next morning I hurry to get out of the castle without my mother knowing. Being gone for days made her never want to let me leave the castle ever again. I slip out of the double doors that keep me locked in this prison of a home and head straight for the richer part of the village. Lady Adena is the psychic in town. She helps everyone she can by telling them what she sees in their future. Itâs a fifty fifty chance but itâs worth knowing about the war if she can help. Upon reaching the large cobblestone and mahogany wood cottage, I knock on the door and wait for Lady Adena to come and let me in.
After waiting four, maybe five, minutes I get worried. Lady Adena never took more than three minutes. I reach for the knob and itâs unlocked. I push the door open even more and step inside. What greets me makes me have to stifle a scream. Lady Adena is on the floor covered in blood and someone is holding a dagger and looking back at me. With green eyes.
I slam the door shut as I step inside and lock it, âThorne! Why in gods name are you still here! Why did you kill her!â Iâm screaming at him hysterically. He said he was leaving. He said he would never come back. He said the next time he saw me he would kill me. âElizabeth. I was just about to leave. You donât understand-â
âNo! Stop. Donât try and make an excuse! You said you hated me! Said you wanted me dead! Said you were leaving and never coming back!â
âIâm sorry. I was just leaving but I had to see Lady Adena first. She helped me with where to go but she wouldnât stop talking about what she saw in my future.â Thorne took a shaky breath and looked at me, âShe saw you and me. Together.â I pull out my dagger and take a step closer. âIs that really the worst that could ever happen to you?!â Iâm crying now but Thorne just looks at me like Iâm the crazy one and not him. âYes. We hate each other! We are so different. I cause death and destruction, you are kind, and beautiful, and strong. Thatâs why I hate you. I will never have anyone who loves me. My parents left when I was five! I had to live on the streets of Lunaris for years until I started the society and I finally had somewhere where I felt safe and in control but you donât know what thatâs like Elizabeth!â He takes three steps closer and my back is now fully pressed against the wall. âYour life is perfect. You have someone waiting on you for everything you need! But some people need to work for the things they get. Some people have to fight to stay alive. We have to worry about food, and money, and safety. Unlike you royals. Thatâs what I started the society. To kill off all royals and finally let them know what it feels like to lose.â Thorne took another step and pins me against the wall just like the tree in the woods but this time he was fully intent on killing me. He presses his dagger against my throat to the point where he nicks it. I feel hot sticky blood drip down my throat and I start to cry. âI hate you Elizabeth. I hate you for being perfect, for being strong, for being royal, for not knowing failure but most of all I hate the way you make me feel. I canât ignore it. So I have to kill you.â
Thorne presses the dagger to my throat even more and I struggle to keep it from cutting me. âYou know, itâs easy to mistake true love for true hatred. Both of them leave you in agony; trading your last breath to someone undeserving of your attention.â The way he said this shook me to my core because I realized he was right. I have loved him from the start I just never realized it until now. Itâs because that love for him got covered by hatred. In a way they are very similar emotions. I canât help falling in love with him and I hate him for it. Thorne canât help loving me and he hates me for it. It goes both ways.
âChoose your last words princess Elizabeth. After all, they are your last.â He sneered at me and presses the dagger harder to the point where it hurts to breathe. I lift my head shakily to meet his deep jade green eyes. My eyes were blurry with hot tears but I take a deep shaky breath and blink, clearing my vision. Three words is all I say. Itâs all I ever needed to say to Thorne from the beginning.
âI love you.â
Thorne faltered and he begins to shake. âN- no donât say that.â He dropped the dagger to the floor and backed up. He looked at me with tears in his eyes and for the first time he looked scared, âYou donât know what your saying.â I took a step closer to him and put my dagger on the floor along with his. âThorne. I know you didnât want to kill any of them. I know why youâre so scared of admitting that you care about me. Itâs because youâre scared that everyone you love will leave you because up to this point in your life thatâs been true. But I also know that I love you and would never leave you and iâm not just saying that.â I take another step closer and Thorne just stands there. He stares at me in disbelief with tears filling his eyes and rolling down his face. âYou donât have to kill anymore people. You finally have a place where you belong. With me, Thorne. You belong with me.â I take a step closer, closing the gap between us and he finally says something, âItâs interesting.â
âWhat is? Thorne why do you keep saying things like this?â
âItâs interesting how intimacy and horror can come from the same place. There is a very thin line between the two, but Elizabeth, every time you cross that line, Iâll always⌠always, pull you back.â
âFrom which side of the line?â
âThe side in which my heart resides beside yours.â
He wraps his arms around me and pulls me into a hug and says three words I thought I would never hear back. âI love you too.â
I look up at him and he smiles just like he did in my dream. Perfect white teeth and dimples. I smile back up at him and his deep green eyes finally look happy for once in his life. He presses his lips against mine and I can tell he is still smiling. I wrap my arms around his neck and kiss him back. He pulls back and looks down at me, âI used to think I didnât have a soulmate. That I would always be alone without anyone to love me.â He pulls me closer again and whispers into my ear, âThat was until I met you. I hated you because I was irrevocably in love with you, my dear Elizabeth.â
âItâs too early to start dreaming about fall!â
Sorry, but youâre wrong. đ¤ˇââď¸
The leaves on the ground swirl around you in a colorful whirlwind of autumn and the air smells of long nights watching horror movies, rain, and soft, cashmere sweaters. The familiar sight of pumpkins carved with grotesque features, and cute original faces smiling back at you from the creaky porch of old houses, greets you as you peer down the block. Your hand is warm as you drive down the road underneath the gloomy sky above with the rain softly pattering on your windshield, as you hold your pumpkin spice latte with the same cinnamon dusting you canât wait to put on it every year.
As you pass the grave yard you smile sadly at all of those souls who were once so beautiful, no longer living, no longer breathing, but deep down you know theyâre in a better place. Once you pull into the small thrift store parking lot you get out and put your umbrella up. The rain comes down making a soothing melody of pitter patters on the clear top, and the leaves that have fallen but have not gotten soaked just yet from the small droplets of rain, crunch underneath of your doc martens creating that familiar feeling of fall time.
After leaving the thrift store, you get in your car once more and head to the other side of town to find your favorite murder mystery book at the local bookstore. The rain has eased up for now but the cast of clouds still looms overhead. When you walk into the bookstore the aroma of new paper in books that create endless fantasyâs and new obsessions makes you smile softly. You pick up âHow to Survive Your Murderâ and pay for it. After you get back into the car you drive back home to spend a quiet evening indoors, in the dark, with a new round of rain falling onto your roof. After settling in, you decide to get into your coziest fall pajamas, grab your new blanket that has ghosts on it that you bought from Home Goods, and watch Scream.
(I listened to Oh Klahoma by Jack Stauber while writing this in case anyone asked đ)
âWell what do you suppose we do. We canât just sit here, helpless and afraid.â I spoke to my mother with such disdain in my voice, on any regular day I would have gotten lessons on being proper. âEllisette. Your father and his men are fighting this war. We have been over this, you cannot go fight.â I clenched my fists until my knuckles went white. Perhaps any regular princess would have listened but I could not just sit in my room and let everyone in that god forsaken village die. âIâm going to my room.â I stood up and hurried away from my mothers judging eyes, to my room.
I grabbed the dagger I had kept hidden in my drawer for years waiting for an excuse to use it and hid it in my corset. I hurried through the halls of the castle and made sure to stay in the shadows as to not advert attention to myself from any servants or my mother. When I finally reached the corridor leading to the entry way I practically ran to escape the clutches of my home.
As I walked out, his image flashed into my mind; prince Grayson. The son of King Espian. His father had started this war and ever since then my hatred for him has grown. If I killed Grayson then Espian would call off the war, too devastated to keep fighting, and everything would be at peace again. My mind raced. I couldnât do this. He has never even done anything to make me hate him, he has ever only done things that made me fond of him. My parents have always just taught me to hate him. My heartbeat picked up and I bit my lip. He probably was trying to kill me as well, and he had much better training. I was as good as gone but I took my caramel brown hair out from the tight bun I kept it in and headed straight for the woods.
As I was walking, I made the mistake of having my guard down and I got ambushed. It was a three on one. I pulled the dagger from my corset and sized up my opponents. âWhatâs a princess like you, doing out here alone?â The one on the left of me said with a smirk on his face. He looked to be about thirty with several scars on his face. âIâm sure Espian would like to see her dead.â The one on the right added on. He was much older and had one scar going down the length of his face. The third one, behind me, was probably in his early twentyâs. He didnât say a single word and he looked scared. He would be the easiest target.
I lunged and my dagger went clean across the young ones throat. He fell to the floor, blood pouring from the fresh wound, no doubt he would die within seconds. I spun around in time to see the older one make a move, he slashed at my arm with his sword but missed and nearly tripped. Then a voice from behind them spoke, smooth and confident, âStand down.â It was Grayson. He had a silver chest plate on and his sword was pointed at the two men. The younger one spoke first, âBut sir, this is the princess. We kill her now, they stand down.â Grayson took a step closer, eyes narrowed, âI gave you an order, I expect you to follow it.â The older one spoke next. âVery well sir. We shall go back to the kingdom to speak with your father. Come now Castel.â The two guards hurried off through the woods until they were out of sight.
Grayson took a step closer, âI can probably make a guess as to what youâre thinking. If you kill me, then my father will stand down. Iâm thinking the same thing but with you.â He gently loosened my grip on my dagger and it fell to the floor. After that he put his sword down in the grass. _Why did I let him do that? _âWhy donât you just kill me?â I look up at him and his eyes take me off guard. Striking green, with hues of sea blue in them. His golden blonde hair was messy from fighting all day but he still looked, perfect. âWhy would I kill such a beautiful, albeit, stubborn girl?â He paused and looked at me curiously for a second before adding, âI want this war to end as much as you, but that doesnât mean one of us has to die.â
Me and Grayson have known each other for our whole lives. Our kingdoms were usually at peace. On my eighteenth birthday was when the war started, but ever since I was sixteen I had dreamt of dancing with Grayson at one of the partyâs my mother hosted, I would never admit it but it was the truth. When we were children we would always meet in the woods and explore. It was forbidden but we both loved breaking the rules. Looking at him now, we had both grown up so much. We had other things to worry about now. Bigger things than getting caught in the woods.
Grayson took a step closer, now having only inches apart. âDo you remember meeting in the woods when we were younger?â He had a small smile on his face but I wouldnât meet his gaze. I laughed softly, âHow could I not? I was always so paranoid of getting caught but you always told me you would take the blame.â The mood was strange. We were in the middle of a war but we were talking so casually, as if everything was normal again. âItâs almost like old times.â He put his hand on my waist and I gasped but I didnât stop him. He pulled me closer and I met his eyes. He looked at me like no one ever has, he looked at me with the look Iâve only ever dreamt aboutâŚ
He looked at me as if he loved me.
âIâve never found a way to tell you this, but,â Graysons voice was soft and careful but I cut him off, âI know.â I brought my hands up to his face and pressed my lips to his. Kissing him was every fantasy come true, every dream, every nightmare, every emotion, everything. His hands were warm against my back, and his lips were so soft. I ran my hands through his hair and I felt him smile slightly against my lips. He had always felt the same way but was too afraid to tell me, just like I had been. And the only thing keeping us apart now was a war.
He pulled back and looked at me in disbelief and then chuckled to himself. âI think I know a way to stop the war.â He looked at me again and my heartbeat quickened. How could we possibly stop this? What was his plan? And suddenly he took a step back and I already yearned to feel his touch again, but what happened next was worth every moment he was away from me.
âEllisette Hales, will you marry me?â I fell into his arms and hugged him while crying, âOf course.â I whispered it softly but he still heard and smiled down at me in his arms. âI will never leave your side, Love.â He whispered this into my ear and tilted my chin up. I looked into his eyes which were glistening with unshed tears and he kissed me.
Finding a way into tricky situations has never been a problem for me - although I still havenât learned the art of getting out of them. This by far is the most tricky situation I have ever found myself in. Let me explain.
I pull back the bow string and align my shot. Iâm about to release and let the arrow fly towards the target when my mothers voice from behind me makes me flinch. I miss. I curse and spin around. âMother. You scared me half to death. You know better than to scare me like that. I could have injured someone with that shot.â I keep my temper down and try not to show my disappointment. I set my bow down in the grass and turn back to see my mothers face scowling at me, âLenore, how many times must I tell you that archery and sword fighting is,â I finish the sentence with her, âImproper for a princess. I know mother.â I want to walk away at that moment after saying a rude remark but I must be that âperfectâ princess with âperfectâ deportment if I want to be queen someday. Little does she know, I donât want to be. âI do apologize but quite frankly I want to enjoy my life before getting married off by force to some ignorant prince.â My mother gasps but I clear my throat to speak again before she can get mad, "Now if you will excuse me I need to go to my room." i hurry off trying to get away from my mother before she mentions that I need to try on that dress she has been bugging me about for weeks.
As I sit on my bed I brush my wavy, fiery orange hair, I stereotypically think about my future. Itâs sad but true.
The kingdom of Aetheria is the biggest of the Five Pillars. Itâs also the kingdom I am the heir to. My mother is queen right now but my father passed away when I was eight, it was an incident in town with bombers. Ever since then I jump at the slightest noises. Unlike the other four, our kingdom is ruled by humans. Antaria is the second biggest kingdom, ruled by Angels, also the most strict kingdom. Then there is Infernia, the closest kingdom to Aetheria, and also the third biggest kingdom. Ruled by demons. Next to them is Crysterius, ruled by Faeries, which even though is one of the smallest kingdoms, has been in power for longer than Aetheria. Lastly, Aetheriaâs other neighboring kingdom, Nerropolis. An underwater city ruled by a family of sirens. And despite being underwater they are the richest kingdom in the Five Pillars of Fantasia. All of the kingdoms are seperated by a lush forest that is rumored to have bloodthirsty beasts roaming the grounds so the kingdoms have never necessarily came in contact with each other.
I hear a knock at the door and I am jarred from my thoughts. âCome in.â And with that my mother walks in holding that god forsaken jade green, ball gown. âI have told you a million times, I shall try it on when I have time. I am running into town in about five minutes. I promise I will know if it fits by the time the ball comes around.â For the first time in history my mother is hosting a ball and every kingdom is invited. She says itâs a chance for me to find a husband but Iâm not planning on it. âIt would look fantastic on you dear,â she sets it neatly on my bed, âBut very well. When you get back try to find time to put it on.â She gives me a small smile and exits the room.
I pick up the dagger I have hidden in my desk drawer and hide it in my corset, then I walk down the corridor and out into the cloudy afternoon.
As I walk into the village after a brisk half a mile walk, I get many looks of people recognizing me but I keep my head down and head to the local cobbler. Before I can reach the shop I notice a sound coming from a near alleyway. It sounds like the scraping of metal against metal and my curiousity gets the best of me. I look but am met with nothing but a dead end. I turn around to walk away but I feel a sudden sharp pain in the back of my head and everything goes black.
When I awake, I am in a dark room with my hands cuffed to a wall, it smells of mold and the atmosphere feels dank. I look around immediately planning how to escape but the door infront of me opens smoothly and a figure of a person steps inside. The figure lights a lantern and the room illuminates. Itâs a man. Around my age, eighteen or more likely nineteen, with dark black hair, eyes that I mistook for black but are instead deep blue, like the ocean of Nerropolis. âWhat do you want from me.â I keep my tone steady as to not reveal my panick. When he speaks, his voice is low and smooth, âNothing much. Iâll possibly use you for ransom.â He has a black suit on that fits him too perfectly and Iâm almost caught off guard by his presence. _No. Donât get distracted. _
He suddenly meets my gaze and his expression looks shocked and takes a step closer, eyes filled with recognition, âThe princess of Aetheria.â
(Part 2 coming soon)
We live in a land where where the footprints of ghosts linger.
Thatâs why I see you everywhere. In the halls walking with that smile on your face In the choir room singing with such grace At your house where you spent your final days.
Even the cardboard on the ground keeps your memory around And when someone asks for a hug I canât help but think about breaking down And now when I see someone walking I canât help but think about the last time I heard your sound.
And I canât help but wonder if I did this to myself, I highlighted my hair and made it shorter to make it look like yours, got new glasses that remind me of yours, even my smile in pictures look just like yours. Why do I torture myself like this?
Is this my way of letting go? Or just keeping you here? Maybe itâs time to let go, maybe itâs time to move on. Everyone else has, if I ask someone walking down the street who Lillian was they will shrug and just keep on walking.
They say the final stage of grief is acceptance, but it seems to me itâs just an endless cycle. Denial, anger, bargaining, and depression, but no acceptance.
If I accept that your gone, then youâll be forgotten.
non existent.
So Iâll just keep on living, with my (_your) _glasses, and my (your) hair, and even my (your) clothes, even friends at school say I look like your, and I think itâs because I donât want you to be a ghost any longer.
If he wasnât going to love me, he wasnât going to love anyone. I walked up to his door and glanced at the time on my phone, 11:37 at night. I knocked on the door three times and waited with a smile on my face for him to open the door. When he finally awoke and came downstairs he opened the door and there was shock on his face, âEmily? What are you doing here? We broke up, remember?â He tried to close the door but I grabbed the edge with my hand. âI just want to talk. I feel terrible about the way we left things. May I come in?â Even if he said no I was already inside. The knife was cold against my thigh, it was concealed within my skirt.
I didnât bother sitting down, after all I had important things to do. He was right infront of my and looked down. âMy wife is upstairs, you need to go soon. Oh, there she is.â A women stepped down the last step and appeared to be pregnant. âHoney who is this?â She smiled at me slightly but looked confused. I walked over and reached under my skirt and took out the knife. âJust an old friend.â I sliced her throat and smiled at her as she collapsed.
âNow about that talk.â I walked over to Evan and set the knife on the coffee table. âYouâre a psychopath!â He tried to run but I grasped his arm and pulled him closer. âI said I would only be a few minutes and Iâm not a liar.â I picked up the knife. He looked at me with fear in his eyes like prey being captured by the predator. I raised up the knife and sliced. He fell with a sickening thud and went quiet.
I smiled down at him and grabbed the flask I had hidden in my pocket. I untwisted the lid and drank the whole thing. It was acid. My insides disintegrated as the acid made its way down my throat and into my stomach. I fell, and screamed in agony for at least ten minutes before the ground was a mess of melted skin, blood, and flesh.
When the police found my body, I still had a smile on my face just as I had that night.
