[Mellisond] Short Stories

Still Doll [꿈 Pt. 2]

{Song -  Still Doll by Kanon Wakeshima}

     'Am I dead?'

     My eyes open before I'm even aware of my own body. Darkness still hovers over me, but a storm lights up the sky with a crackling bang every so often.

     I mentally register every part of me making note of the pain and numbness coming together. The rain drives down in a frenzy hitting me like pellets and drenching my clothes. Slowly, I move my limbs trying to sit up.

     Ground lights shine on a massive stone house with green vines crawling up its walls just short of the roof. The mahogany front door suddenly opens, and a man dressed in a red tailcoat instantly sets his eyes on me.

     "Christ," he says, holding an umbrella in his hand and taking hurried strides my way. He stops next to me and holds out his hand smiling brightly. "You shouldn't be out in this storm."

     I stare at his hand before placing mine in it, and he gently pulls me up to my feet. He wraps his arm around my shoulders keeping me under the umbrella along with himself.

     We step through the front door and into a foyer where the walls are a sapphire blue, and a gold walkway lays under my feet. The man nudges the door shut and drops his umbrella into a small basket.

     "What were you doing out there?" he asks.

     I remember being in the bathroom of the 'Reminisce' place, and I remember meeting Exzel, but I can't for the life of me think of how I ended up here. ". . .I'm not sure."

     "Well, you're welcome to stay until the storm passes. You can call me Prince," he says, bowing his head a little. "You must be completely famished." My stomach gurgles as if the sole mention of food could awaken my hunger.

     Four women, all wearing the same simple black dress, walk up to us with quick little synchronized steps. They have their heads lowered and their hands clasped together in front of them.

     "They can take you to get cleaned up," Prince says. I look down at the dirt covering my tattered clothing.

     I follow the group of women into a vintage bedroom colored with the same blue and gold in the foyer. A lavish white dress lays out on the bed with a pair of translucent heels next to it.

     "This is for me?" I ask confused, turning to the women still standing in the room, but none of them answer. They don't even look at me. They avoid having their eyes meet mine by keeping them on the ground.

     In the adjoined bathroom, I'm glad to wash the dirt off my skin. Reluctantly, I put on the dress just to have something on that's clean. I think to look in a mirror, but the bathroom doesn't have one and neither does the bedroom.

     The women walk me into a dining hall as the glass shoes scrape against my skin with every step. I try to shuffle along lifting up the dress a little to stop it from dragging across the floor.

     Uniformed men are stationed along every inch of the four walls. They all stand with their feet shoulder length apart and hands behind their back. Their heads are casted down as if they are sleeping.

     Prince sits at one end of a long table and smiles when he sees me. "You look absolutely beautiful. Just as I suspected."

     Unsure of how to respond, I simply say, "Thanks."

     Prince grins bearing his teeth. "Have a seat," he says motioning his hand towards the seat across from him. "I employ some of the best chefs- Artists, they are. Impeccable work."

     I sit down and eat bits off of my plate as Prince passionately talks about the design and history of his house. He explains how it was passed down to him, and that the employees  are the only other people that live here.

     "How are you liking your meal?" Prince asks, wiping his face with a cloth.

     "It's-"

     A crash sounds behind me, and I turn to see pieces of glass on the floor. One of the female servants gets on her knees trying to quickly pick up whatever broke. I start to stand to help her.

     "No need for that. Let her do her job," Prince says, shaking his head. I slowly sit back down in my seat, noticing a piece of glass under my chair. I pick it up, and the woman holds out her hand to grab it from me with her face still directed toward the ground.

     My ears pick up a small voice, but I can't make out what's said. "What?" I ask, inching closer to the woman.

     She quickly raises her head revealing red eyes and says in a low but harsh voice, "Run, Alice."

     "Enough! Leave! All of you," Prince shouts slamming his fist against the table, making it shake and the dishware clatter.

     The woman quickly stands with the shards in her hands and rushes out of the dining hall while the men file out in a controlled line.

     "Christ," Prince spats with a heavy breath. He suddenly stands up and walks over toward my side of the table. My breathing becomes uneasy, and my eyes avoid looking at Prince's approaching frame.

     "I'm overjoyed that you're here," he says, putting himself behind my chair. He places his hands on the crooks of my neck making me shiver.

     My eyes are frozen on my plate as he takes my hair into his hands moving it onto my back to uncover my neck. "You're very special," he says, leaning down to whisper it into my ear.

     His breath is hot on my neck before I feel his lips press against it. My body tenses up as my heart races.

     "Uhm, thank you for helping me," I say, sliding off of my chair and out of his grasp. "But I think I need to go." I step back to create a needed distance.

     Prince smiles the way he did out in the rain, but the leer in his eyes gives him away. "Why? The storm hasn't cleared up yet. You're free to stay here as long as you need."

     I start to take steps around him to get to the hallway and say, "I really do appreciate everything, but-"

     With the blink of an eye, Prince wraps his hand around my wrist and yanks me out of the dining hall. I yell for him to let go and try planting my feet to stop him from being able to pull me, but my feet slide along until I fall, nearly hitting my head on the gold floor.

     He pulls even harder practically yanking my arm out of its socket and drags me into the room where I changed. I scream loud enough for it to pierce my own ears, thinking someone would help if they heard me.

     Prince stops at the foot of the bed and lets go of my wrist. I quickly sit up, about to run, but he grabs my neck tightly, digging his nails into my skin and hindering my breath.

     "Please-"

     "Shut up," he says through clenched teeth. He pulls me close to his face, and his eyes bore into mine. "If you actually appreciated anything you wouldn't be so quick to leave." His eyes start to water and he quickly releases his grip on my neck.

     I catch my breath and hear Prince's footsteps towards the door. "You're an ungrateful brat," he says, his voice breaking. "And you will stay here until you learn some respect."

     Tears run down his face before he slams the door shut, leaving me sitting on the floor. I get onto my feet to rush toward the door and try the knob knowing that it'd be locked.

     "Let me out!" I yell, banging on the door.

The story continues next. . .

{Thanks for reading}

This book is a collection of short stories inspired by a variety of songs.
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