Chapter 3: Twice Upon a Time

947 30 1
                                    

My head hits the roof of the carriage and then I'm thrown into the left door.

"Ow," I wince, clutching my head. I try to steady myself by bracing myself against the door. That is when I notice the body on the floor. "Ahhhhhh!"

"Did you really think that would work?" I look up to see a woman sitting perfectly still in the seat in front of me.

"What?" I scream as blood drips down the woman's head.

"You're not allowed to leave." The woman says as she collapses. I reach out to try and grab her but that's when I see my hands. Small and delicate like a child's. A broken mirror on the floor catches my eye. Oh no.

I am still Claudette but now much younger. She looks like a middle schooler, or maybe a highschool freshman. Wait, is this Claudette's backstory. The carriage rocks harder this time, throwing me to the other side of the carriage. When Claudette was 13 she was the only survivor of a carriage accident. How did she survive? Just then the carriage flips. I brace myself for impact and then everything goes black.

There is noise outside. I can hear the sound of the carriage being kicked open. Splinters sprinkle my face but I can't open my eyes. I feel the tight embrace of someone as they pull me out. It reminds me of my brother, carrying me around the city when I was too tired to walk.

"It's gonna be okay," says the voice "I'm gonna protect you" And I fell into a peaceful sleep in these arms that remind me so much of my brother's.

I wake up to a pair of large green eyes staring at me. Cordellia. Then she ran away from me screaming.

"She's awake! She's awake!" And within 5 seconds I was being swarmed by doctors and nurses. I swear if any of them try bloodletting on me they'll be the ones bleeding.

"What are you doing?" I ask them. My voice is hoarse but I remember what my mother taught me. Speak up for yourself, no one else will.

"Your uncle will come soon and explain," said the doctor with a sad smile. And it was with that sad smile I suddenly had my next plan.

"My what?" I said giving my best impression of an innocent child. The doctor put a hand to my forehead then checked it against his own.

"Miss, what do you remember?" Just then the Baron burst into the room. His sudden appearance startles me, making me jump backwards in my bed.

"How is she?" his voice is not dispassionate like it was in the future instead it was full of care and compassion. What happened to him? A blakc sleeve of morning marks his sleeve.

"I-don't... She is fine physically but" The doctor struggles to put his discovery into words. Ugh, guess I'll have to do it for him.

"Who are you?" I stare up at him. And the Oscar goes to- my thoughts are interrupted as an arm pushes me against the wall.

"What was your mother's eye color?"

"I don't know"

"What was your mother's eye color!?!!"

"I don't know!...i don't know" I began to sob as I realized the truth. My beautiful mother, who cared for me so much, what was the color of her eyes?

5 months later  

I Must Save the Evil KingWhere stories live. Discover now