Urge

Chapter 1

8 years ago

"Juliet, where are you?" He called down the hall. Her eyes went wide as she stood over her disembodied doll heads. She quickly scrambled to hide them, shoving them anywhere she could possibly think of, as his footsteps echoed down the hall towards her door. After shoving the last head under her pillow, she flopped onto the bed and pretended to be asleep. Her door creaked open, and he peeked his head inside, taking in her still body on the bed. He flung the door open and quickly walked over to her. She held her breath, hoping to get him close enough so she could reach him. He grabbed her wrist and checked for a pulse, audibly sighing in relief when he found one. In that moment, she snapped her eyes open, and flung herself at him wildly.
He stumbled against her sudden weight before falling to the ground with a hard thud. Her hands were wrapped around his throat, squeezing harder than she thought was possible. His face turning different shades of red and purple, he scratched at her hands furiously. After another moment, he relaxed under her and she rolled off of him. She moved back to her bed, and sat there quietly, waiting for what she knew was coming. As if on cue, more footsteps came towards her door. Her father flung it open, took in the sight of the servant sprawled across the floor, and sighed heavily.
"Another one, Juliet? You have to stop going through them so fast!" He replied, before calling someone to retrieve the lifeless body on her floor. Then he proceeded to sit on her bed across from her, and took her hand in his.
"I promise you whatever you are dealing with, we will find a cure. Just try to keep yourself contained, okay?" He asked quietly. She nodded quickly, suddenly not understanding what he was talking about. When he stood up and revealed the lifeless servant, she gasped and crawled back towards the wall, unable to cope with it. Another death at her small, eight year old hands. Another time she had given in to the urge. One thought flooded her mind in that moment.

This disease has to go.

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Later that night

Juliet wandered the hall aimlessly, keeping her hands tucked into her pockets. She didn't know when the next urge would come, and what it would make her want to do. Her childish mind was turned into one of horror as she remembered all of the others times she watched the light leave people's eyes at the mercy of her hands. Why did this have to affect her? She was the Princess in line to be Queen. This shouldn't be a trait she has.
"Juliet!" Her father called out, turning the corner in time to spot her.
"Hey, honey, come follow me. I think we have a winner this time." He followed this with a wink as he walked off in the direction he came from.

Juliet trailed after him, unsure of how he thought this one was going to be better than the last twelve. They were all the same. They asked her to describe her condition, what the urges felt like, how she tried to keep them down. They never came to any answers, and she eventually killed them after a strong urge hit her and her rage multiplied.

Her father led her into an examination room, one of many in the palace. A short, bald man sat on the spinning stool, smiling down at her. His face was round and flushed with a warm red color. His hand was stuck out in a greeting. She reached out to take it, and resisted the small urge she felt. After he had done some basics tests on her, he began peppering on the questions.

"How old are you?"
"Eight."
"Do you know when you are about to get an urge?"
"Yes."
"How do you know?"
"I just feel it in my stomach. It feels like my mind and heart go cold and nothing can affect me."
"Mhm, interesting, and this is how it feels every time?"
"Yes."
"What usually happens when you get an urge?"
"I kill people. I love destruction during my urges. I love violence and other people's pain."
"And how does it make you feel when it passes?"

The last question stopped her cold. No one had asked about after, just before and during. She took a long pause, and felt tears threatening to fall as she replied.
"I feel awful. I hate that it happens, I really do. I hate destruction and violence. I don't want to hurt anybody. But I can't control it, I'm too weak." At the end of her response, tears were falling hard, creating streaks down her pale cheeks. The doctor handed her tissues, and she slowly wiped at her face, feeling so defeated yet so understood. He smiled at her warmly when she looked back up at him.

"Juliet, it is perfectly normal to feel that way after this. I would be very concerned if you didn't. But what you need to know is that you must try to control the urges as much as possible. If you feel one, lock yourself in a room. Any room will work. Get away from people, anybody or anything you can hurt or kill." She nodded slowly, taking in all of the information. After a few moments, he spoke again.

"I am going to be working on a medicine for you. It will hopefully calm your urges, or at least help you to control them. Until then, please lock yourself away when you feel you are becoming a threat. I know you can do it, Juliet. Push through this, and I promise I will find you a cure." He smiled while he said this, and her heart warmed slightly. This man actually seemed to know how to help her, and he gave her the best advice she has been given so far. She stood up to leave, but turned around right before exiting.
"Doctor?"
"Yes?"
"What is your name?"
"Dr. Gordon."
She nodded and walked out of the room, feeling lighter than before.