Morticia

CHAPTER FIVE

Vesh Elijah Mortem, the first son of Empress Serina, My first half brother, the Crown Prince of this empire...

... And the one I genuinely fear.

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I can't sleep... I thought as I lay in my bed staring at the ceiling. I can't stop thinking about the incident earlier in the morning. I have to be on guard. I'm tired and yet I don't want to sleep. I shifted my position in my bed. I put my scissors under my pillow, just in case... I pursed my lips and tightly closed my eyes pushing the negative thoughts out of my head. I sighed and heaved deep breaths to calm my unstable heart. I'm tired... Physically and emotionally...

...

Three days after my mother's death. I sat behind the big oak tree. My second brother has class today so he can't hurt me. I sat on the grass, hugging my teddy. I miss, Mom... I buried my face in the soft stuffed animal as I again started to tear up remembering my mother. Mother's funeral has been going on for two days now. It would go on until the ninth day since my mother's death to get the people a chance to let them give their condolences and wishes to the dead.

I wiped my tears away and sighed. I shouldn't cry. Mom would be sad if she knew I cried. I tightly hugged my teddy bear again as I looked behind me when I heard footsteps coming this way.

" First brother..." I was stunned and a little afraid as he walked up to me. He doesn't talk much but he doesn't stare at me with disgust like Damien. He was 4 years older than me and I'm now 8 years old. Damien is two years older than me... He knelt in front of me and suddenly hugged me. I was scared at first and was stunned by what he did...

"I'm sorry for your loss..." My first brother said in a mournful voice. Is he sad too? I... Didn't know he is nice...

"T-thank you... I---" I was about to say something when I heard him chuckle... Huh? I was confused. Why is he laughing? Did I say something funny? His small chuckles, later on, turned into hysterical laughs as if he heard a very funny joke. Why is this scene so familiar? Fear immediately washed over me and I don't even know why. My gut feeling tells me to run and hide... But why? I don't think he's bad. He even grieved about my mother's death earlier. That mournful voice couldn't possibly be fake...

" Morticia..." He said after his laughter diminished. Something about the way he called my name unsettled me to the core which made me want to get away from him. I decided to follow my instincts but he immediately locked both of his hands in my neck and pressed both of his thumbs in my windpipe making me unable to breathe. I trashed and hit his arms to free myself but my feeble arms didn't even make him budge. I tried to get his hands to loosen his grip, I tried digging my nails into his palms scratching it in an attempt to get his hand off me I even tried kicking him but to no avail...

I'm but a frail 8-year-old girl and the one who's trying to kill me is a 12-year-old boy who's a prodigy at swordsmanship...! I can't breathe... I am dying... I don't want that... Please..! Someone... Help...

There was a figure standing a few meters away watching everything unfold... As my vision blurred, I tried to reach my hand into that person hoping she would help me but she turned away... She turned a blind eye to what's happening to me... My body lost strength and my hands are now dangling by my side...

I was on the verge of fainting when he suddenly loosened his grip on my neck and let go. People were calling for him, finding him. He immediately went to the servants and I was left there lying on the ground catching my breath as I closed my eyes and my consciousness turned black...

...

I can't breathe!! I abruptly opened my eyes only to find out my first brother doing the same thing as what he did in my dream! My eyes widened as I saw his deranged eyes, the same color as the emperor's while he laughed hysterically putting more pressure on my neck and never loosening his grip. I immediately searched for the scissor I hid in my pillow while thrashing and trying to get his hand off me. Come on! Come on! Come on! Where is it?!! I'm running out of air where the hell is it?!!

Teardrops started flowing out of my eyes as the pain of my lungs being restricted doubled as time goes by. I felt my way under my pillows and luckily found the scissors. I immediately stabbed his hand multiple times until he finally loosened his hand. I pushed him and moved far away from him, coughing and trying to catch my breath. He looked at his hand dripping with blood as my bed sheets have now been dyed red. He looked up and looked straight into my eyes and fear made me freeze.  He didn't even wince...

My brother went and jumped out of the window and flew away from my room using his wind magic. I tried to calm my heart but it never worked. I almost died... I tried to be positive in thinking that I'll be able to get away. That I'll be able to escape from this hellhole, and yet... With the way things are...

... I don't think I would last long.