"Madeline, help!" 125Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6TnFklapuy
Daliana screamed, and her voice was so terrified it made tears fall down my cheeks.
My precious little sister, I had to save her--so why couldn't I move?125Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡErafttGkqt
Why was I frozen?125Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnz34zdXep7
"Linny, help..." Tazan begged, they were all so cornered.
They could see me.125Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2786sg8XAJ
They could see me not doing anything.
And then he stabbed Daliana right in the chest, and the gut-wrenching scream she gave...it was the worst sound I'd ever heard.125Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgwxGx4q78G
"Daliana! Daliana! Please!" I wanted to scream, but my voice wouldn't work.
I struggled desperately against whatever was holding me, but no matter what I did, I was trapped.125Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzMLmEdsKFN
I couldn't close my eyes, I couldn't help, as the scene kept playing.
He laughed and stabbed them all, blood spilling everywhere, getting all over me...
"Let them go! Let them go!"
I tried to scream as loud as I could, but I was paralyzed, I couldn't do anything.
I slipped in it and fell with a shriek.
Blood coated everything, their blood, as they moved closer and closer to me.
Then he turned to face me, a wicked smile on his face
125Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiB0nipSwUX
125Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5x3zJSCNY4
--
125Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhd2UlMkS2y
Couldn't sleep--my dreams hurt too much.
Nothing was ok.
Nothing would get better.
Nothing was real.
I couldn't walk straight, let alone think straight, it had been so long since I'd slept....
It had been five days--or six?-- since I'd closed my eyes.
M y e y e s b u r n e d s o b a d.
I stumbled around, talking to family who weren't there--but who else would I talk to?
"Pretty paintings...huh...Daliana?" I muttered, trying to dust them all off, but it was hard because my vision was split into three.
And because I didn't care--but why would I?
Why would it possibly matter?
I hummed to myself, putting the duster up as I finished, well, those paintings probably looked fine.
I stumbled out, rubbing my neck and popping some painkillers.
They couldn't work fast enough, I thought shaking my head, but that movement exhausted me.
All I wanted was to sit down, but I couldn't, because I knew I couldn't get up again.
So tired...
While I walked I found myself bouncing between the walls, and I couldn't think straight.
I heard footsteps coming, in the back of my mind, but it was probably just in my head.
That happened sometimes.
I kept my head down because keeping it up hurt too much and--
Bam!
Scorvis walked into me, paying just as little attention as me.
I lost my balance and fell to the floor...and just stayed there--yes, sitting was very nice.
"Oh Madeline, I'm sorry...." Scorvis said, kneeling next to me and trying to help me up, but my body was too weak.
Or I just wasn't strong enough.
Pathetic.
"A-are you ok, Madeline?"
"Mmm, I'm on a floor...right Genius?" I asked, vaguely knowing I wasn't making a lot of sense.
I saw, out of the corner of my eye him starting to help me up, but he flinched and stopped.
I felt him use a brief burst of his magic on me and gasped.
What an odd feeling!
It made me feel like I was lighter than air, so of course I could get up.
Before I even realized what I was doing, I was standing.
"Nice powers...."
"Er...thank you?"
"Why can you only control animals and people? " I asked sleepily, my vision clouded and my legs weak.
It would be very good, my thoughts pieced together.
Then I wouldn't have to be his cleaner--he could do it himself.
Scorvis tilted his head like a puppy, his curls falling into his eyes, and that made me giggle.
He was so silly.
"What on Monde are you talking about, Madeline?"
He asked, but I just laughed--I didn't feel like explaining things right now.
Scorvis got closer to me, examining me, and from this close, I could smell his breath.
He cleared his throat, clasping his hands tight, oh he was so high-strung--why couldn't he just have a bit of fun?
That was what the world was meant to be, after all!
That was all it was.
"Madeline, er...how long has it been since you've slept?"
"F-four--no five? Six?"
"Ok, it's time to go to bed," Scorvis sighed, like it was an inconvenience to him, as he took my hand.
"No!"
I shouted, my voice echoing throughout the halls, flinching away from his hand.
I ran my hands through my long hair, backing away from him.
No, no, no, no, no wouldn't sleep, I couldn't sleep, not with what I saw.
I didn't want to see the same scenes over and over again.
I'd seen them enough, hadn't I?
Hadn't I?
Scorvis looked at me emptily but curiously, and all he said was:
"Yes, you will, you need to sleep."
"No," I muttered, backing away from him and nearly tripping, my eyes glowing.
"No more nightmares."
It was childish, it was p a t h e t i c, but I just couldn't do it.
Even if I was so tired.
Scorvis gave a soft, tired sigh before he tilted his head and used his magic once more.
And then I was standing right beside him.
That was annoying.
"Can she drive the boat?"
Scorvis said under his breath, in his language.
"No... definitely not. Come along Madeline," He said normally, clearing his throat.
He was rude, very, very rude, I thought.
I just wanted to sleep...but I couldn't...could I?
No, not with my nightmares, not with my memories.
I j u s t w a n t e d t o s l e e p.
"Now Madeline, isn't your bed so nice and comfortable?"
Scorvis pulled me into the boat, and I almost collapsed, blackness clouding my vision.
"And it's a cold day outside, so it'll be nice to be in blankets, right?"
"Oh...not fair," I whispered, my eyes only half open. The rocking of the boat on the water was nice, and Scorvis was being very naughty.
It was so hard to stay awake, now...and maybe I didn't need to.
"And sometimes...dreams...they reflect the past we want to see. Things...we can't have again, right?"
I couldn't hold myself up any longer, and fell into him, head on his shoulder.
His whole body tensed, and I heard him take a sharp breath like he had been hurt.
Huh...?
What was wrong?
I tried to look up and Scorvis simply brushed my eyes closed.
But before he did, I saw him.
I saw the longing in his eyes...and the tear that fell down his cheeks.
Why didn't he want me to see? Oh, he was just like my brother, wasn't he?
Heh...not like I could talk.
I buried my head into his shoulder...and fell asleep.
For the first time in years, my scars stopped hurting.
125Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWcwou0Msrj
--
125Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFLcjAnsrGT
"Madeline! You have to wake up, now! You've slept to long!"
"Oh, please just a little longer."
I whispered, my whole body aching as I curled even deeper into the blankets.
My eyes had just closed, I didn't want to wake up right now....
"Madeline please, I've let you sleep as long as I can, and we're already off schedule!"
Her voice was panicked, and that was odd, because mom never sounded panicked.
She gave me a light shake, and I finally cracked my bloodshot eyes open.
But it wasn't my mom, it was some stranger leaning over me and I had to bite back a scream.
I scrambled up in my covers, adrenaline rushing through me.
Oh.
It was just...Marienette...so why did it make my heart hurt?
And just as it did my scars sent a pulse of pain that made a cry of pain burn through my throat.
It was like fire being sent through my veins--no different then every other time but I was so sick of the pain.
The world around me was spinning, and my head was light.
I thought it would get better, that I would at least get used to hurting
It was funny, really, how wrong I was.
"Madeline, are you ok? What's wrong?"
Marienette's voice was high with panic, like...like she really cared.
I gripped the blankets, longing breaking through my chest even worse then the pain.
"I---"
My voice caught in my throat, and all I could do was stare at her.
"I'll get your pain medicine and--"
"Don't go."
I caught her wrist, not to manipulate her, not to convince her that I was more sane; but because suddenly, being left alone felt like the worst thing that could happen.
"Oh, my dear...."
Her eyes were so bright and so worried, just like someone I would never ever be able to see again.
Just like love I would never be able to have again.
It wasn't fair....
One single burning tear made it's way down my cheek, and suddenly all of them fell freely, no matter how hard I tried.
And before I could stop her, she pulled me close, my head on her shoulder.
Tears boiled in my eyes, as she ran her fingers down my hair, whispering everything was going to be alright.
But it wouldn't be.
I needed to pull away, I needed to go back into my fantasy, where nothing hurt like this.
What had I done?
What had I become?125Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6LzAlCZH0N
My family would be ashamed of m--the thought hurt so much I refused to think it.
Instead, I buried my head into her shoulder, unable to hold in my sobs.
I had tried to kill someone...oh, I had tried to kill someone.
But he was the murderer, right?
He had to be, because I had seen it and--
"Was I wrong...?" I whispered, looking at Marienette blindly.
She just hummed a soft song, her fingers still intertwined with my hair.
I pressed my head against the soft fabric of her dress, and let all the thoughts drown out.
She sung quietly, with words in a language I didn't understand, but her voice was soft and comforting.
And for just one moment, I felt like a little girl again, still running into her mother's arms with a scraped knee.
I sobbed until there were no more tears to cry, and there was just and there was just an awful ache in my chest.
But still, for some reason, I stayed in her arms.
Because she...she made me feel safe, because she made me feel like somehow, I could still possibly be loved by anyone else.
Even if I was being weak.
"There," she whispered after a few more moments, pulling away, but her warm hands were still on my shoulders.
"Do you feel any better?"
"I--I don't know," I murmured, my voice barely audible.
"I don't like this feeling...."
It hurt so badly, and it hurt everywhere...so why did I still feel it?
Why did her caring matter?
Why?
She cupped my cheek in her hand, and I automatically leaned into her touch.
"I know, honey, I know. But nobody can be happy all the time. Sometimes it's ok to be sad."
"No, it's not! I can't do it, I can't do it!" My voice rose to a half shout at the end.
I leaned against the window, my palms against the cool glass.
The sky was so big, and the grass was so far below.
T h e w i n d o w w a s u n l o c k a b l e .
Would it feel like flying?
Was it really worth it to keep chasing the murderer?
Even if I killed him, would it ever matter?
Nobody would even care and--
I gave a small gasp when Marienette pulled me away from the window.
"It's going to be alright, Madeline, I promise."
I didn't respond, because if I did, I would just cry again.
"And do you want to know something, my dear?"
She cupped my cheek once more, and I stayed, my eyes locked with her kind ones.
"I never break a promise."
I swallowed, and without even thinking, I whispered, "Alright."
Marienette smiled, taking my hand and pulling me out the door.
"Now let's go."
"Hey Marienette?"
"Yes, my dear?"
"...thank you."
ns 15.158.61.20da2
