Crystalline Heart

Chapter One: New Dangers

 It was a sickly, sludgy twist in her stomach that yanked her from sleep into an upright position. By the time her eyes had focused, sticky, dull magic had already covered her front and the comforter that had fallen onto her lap. She was breathing hard; her throat felt hoarse and raw. A few seconds passed before the truth set in. She'd just thrown up on the bed. They were going to be angry. With a nervous sigh, she hung her head, resigned to sit in her filth so it didn't spread. The last time she'd tried cleaning up, she'd been praised, but then punished for either trying to hide it or for making more of a mess. She couldn't remember. Everything felt foggy; she couldn't see the door clearly, couldn't see anything past the bed clearly at all.

There were already footsteps coming closer and closer, authoritative and brisk. It had to be him. He must've sensed her fear. He was going to punish her.

The door gently clicked open to reveal a white skeleton in golden and blue clothing. Her soul sank. New recruits again... He always warned them to only punish her when necessary, but they usually took it to mean whenever she looked at them the wrong way. How much worse would it be because of her sickness?

Shivers seized her bones, and she hunched her shoulders, feeling smaller and smaller, and she squeezed her eyes shut.

"Oh... Oh, dear, you poor thing..." The newcomer's voice was a soft, gentle baritone. "Ink! I need a damp cloth and some paper towels, please!"

He came closer, she could hear it over her rattling bones.

"Hey, it's alright; it's alright... I'm not going to hurt you, I promise... Just take some deep breaths, Miss; I need you to try and stay calm. My friend's coming with some things to clean you up. It's okay, I promise it's okay."

Another set of footsteps pounded down the hallway and burst into the room within seconds. "I got the stuff!"

She flinched, hard.

"Shh!"

"Oh-" The second voice hushed immediately. "Sorry, I didn't... I didn't realize-"

"It's alright, but please, keep your voice down. She's just woken up and vomited, and I doubt she feels any better."

"Oh... Ew. Is she sick? She's so little."

"The medicine must have had unwanted side effects, that's all. And yes, she is. It worries me."

"Why?"

"...She doesn't look healthy based on her size, but we should discuss this later."

There was a hand on her cheek.

"Miss, can you look up for me? I'm just going to clean you up a bit."

Struggling to stifle her trembling, she tilted her chin up. A cool, damp cloth wiped the sick off her chin.

"Hey, can you look me in my eyes?"

She stiffened and swallowed. Making eye-contact was a dangerous game. It suggested defiance, rebellion, a desire for dominance and control, things she wasn't allowed to have and didn't want anyway. If she tried... She gulped and blinked hard. This was a trap.

The rising panic at disobeying an order, however—because suggestions were only soft orders—pushed her gaze up, up to soft, round cheekbones and warm, golden eyelights. She found herself staring right at their glabella, and she watched the area around it wrinkle up as the skeleton furrowed his brow.

"Whoa," the second skeleton breathed. "It's so pretty!"

"Yes, Ink, but it's still dilated."

"But it's better now, right? It's not even close to filling up her eyesocket like you said it was!"