doing? This isn’t another one of your childish
games, is it?”
“But I thought, no I saw you… there was a
monster, you didn’t even flinch.”
Anya folded her arms, furrowing her brow like
a withered old woman. “Why do you always have to lie about
everything? I’m sick of it! And I’m sick of you.”
Astrid looked up at her sister, regretting
every tear she had shed for her.
“I didn’t lie about it! I saw it!” Astrid
jumped to her feet, raking the tears from her cheeks. Her face
burned with fury.
“So what was it, another one of your monsters
come to gobble you up? I’m surprised you’re not running off to
mother. That’s what you always do. Babies always go crying to
mommy,” Anya said, miming a frightful little girl with her
glassy-eyed doll.
Astrid’s face blazed red as hot breath poured
from her nostrils and sweat simmered on her forehead. She lunged at
her twin in a fiery rage, pulling at her hair, scratching at her
face, doing anything to hurt her. Anya batted at her, bawling and
whimpering, trying to get away.
Neither girl had noticed the servants
gathering in the corridor until unseen arms dragged them apart.
Astrid’s arms struggled to get free while her feet kicked
everything in their way. “I HATE YOU! I HATE YOU!” She kept
screaming to the point where it almost seemed like breathing. She
no longer knew the words that came out only that they had to or
else she felt she would die.
“Astrid! Astrid, stop this! Stop this now!”
Her mother’s voice cut through her sobs like the sobering prick of
the fingertip on a rose’s thorn.
Astrid couldn’t see at first through the
sweat and tears, stinging holes into her eyes. Her small chest
heaved and shook with each breath. Her mother looked down at her
with an expression of pity and anger.
“Astrid. I don’t know what to say to you
right now. Maybe it’s best this way. I want you to spend the rest
of the day in your room. The door will be locked. I want you to
think about why I’m doing this. And I want you to know that I
never, ever want to see you stoop to such a level again. I’m
ashamed to call you mine.” Her mother’s voice was a string strung
too tightly, seconds from breaking.
“But mother please don’t, please. You don’t
understand.” Astrid’s eyes begged for any signs of compassion, but
none came.
“Not another word,” her mother said, her
voice strengthening to a queen’s rumble, and turned away to whisper
orders in a nearby servant’s ear.
“It serves you right!” Anya stood with a
triumphant smirk on her lips and a purple bruise swelling on her
cheek.
Evanna spun around, her finger stabbing into
the air like a lightning bolt. “And you, young lady, will be locked
in my bedroom for the rest of the day. I know you had more to do
with this than it seems, as usual. Trust me when I say I’m ashamed
of you both.” Their mother’s green eyes cut into each of the girls
one last time before she proceeded back to the throne room.
Astrid was lifted up and carried away, her
body limp and tired from struggling with the world. She could hear
Anya howling in protest further down the corridor and couldn’t help
but smile. However, she couldn’t help but think about the strange
monster that she had seen.
It was so much like a dream, but it couldn’t
have been. Could it?
She was laid out on her bed by a bustling
group of servants. They left a tray of food on a nearby table and
scampered out as fast as their feet could carry them. The door
hushed closed and the lock clicked. She sighed and nestled her head
into the soft pillow. The silence welcomed her like an old
friend.
I wish I could always be alone like this.
Nobody to fight with, nobody to make angry. Just me to take care of
and no one else.
She yawned wide as her eyes drifted
closed.
How I wish I lived alone.
All on my own.
The world as my home.
Free to roam, no bratty sister, no binding
stones,
Alone, alone, alone!
Astrid smiled, wondering what
games, is it?”
“But I thought, no I saw you… there was a
monster, you didn’t even flinch.”
Anya folded her arms, furrowing her brow like
a withered old woman. “Why do you always have to lie about
everything? I’m sick of it! And I’m sick of you.”
Astrid looked up at her sister, regretting
every tear she had shed for her.
“I didn’t lie about it! I saw it!” Astrid
jumped to her feet, raking the tears from her cheeks. Her face
burned with fury.
“So what was it, another one of your monsters
come to gobble you up? I’m surprised you’re not running off to
mother. That’s what you always do. Babies always go crying to
mommy,” Anya said, miming a frightful little girl with her
glassy-eyed doll.
Astrid’s face blazed red as hot breath poured
from her nostrils and sweat simmered on her forehead. She lunged at
her twin in a fiery rage, pulling at her hair, scratching at her
face, doing anything to hurt her. Anya batted at her, bawling and
whimpering, trying to get away.
Neither girl had noticed the servants
gathering in the corridor until unseen arms dragged them apart.
Astrid’s arms struggled to get free while her feet kicked
everything in their way. “I HATE YOU! I HATE YOU!” She kept
screaming to the point where it almost seemed like breathing. She
no longer knew the words that came out only that they had to or
else she felt she would die.
“Astrid! Astrid, stop this! Stop this now!”
Her mother’s voice cut through her sobs like the sobering prick of
the fingertip on a rose’s thorn.
Astrid couldn’t see at first through the
sweat and tears, stinging holes into her eyes. Her small chest
heaved and shook with each breath. Her mother looked down at her
with an expression of pity and anger.
“Astrid. I don’t know what to say to you
right now. Maybe it’s best this way. I want you to spend the rest
of the day in your room. The door will be locked. I want you to
think about why I’m doing this. And I want you to know that I
never, ever want to see you stoop to such a level again. I’m
ashamed to call you mine.” Her mother’s voice was a string strung
too tightly, seconds from breaking.
“But mother please don’t, please. You don’t
understand.” Astrid’s eyes begged for any signs of compassion, but
none came.
“Not another word,” her mother said, her
voice strengthening to a queen’s rumble, and turned away to whisper
orders in a nearby servant’s ear.
“It serves you right!” Anya stood with a
triumphant smirk on her lips and a purple bruise swelling on her
cheek.
Evanna spun around, her finger stabbing into
the air like a lightning bolt. “And you, young lady, will be locked
in my bedroom for the rest of the day. I know you had more to do
with this than it seems, as usual. Trust me when I say I’m ashamed
of you both.” Their mother’s green eyes cut into each of the girls
one last time before she proceeded back to the throne room.
Astrid was lifted up and carried away, her
body limp and tired from struggling with the world. She could hear
Anya howling in protest further down the corridor and couldn’t help
but smile. However, she couldn’t help but think about the strange
monster that she had seen.
It was so much like a dream, but it couldn’t
have been. Could it?
She was laid out on her bed by a bustling
group of servants. They left a tray of food on a nearby table and
scampered out as fast as their feet could carry them. The door
hushed closed and the lock clicked. She sighed and nestled her head
into the soft pillow. The silence welcomed her like an old
friend.
I wish I could always be alone like this.
Nobody to fight with, nobody to make angry. Just me to take care of
and no one else.
She yawned wide as her eyes drifted
closed.
How I wish I lived alone.
All on my own.
The world as my home.
Free to roam, no bratty sister, no binding
stones,
Alone, alone, alone!
Astrid smiled, wondering what
Similar Books
