Winter's Dead Bride

Chapter Sixteen

Friday 7 December, night, Land of Never-Ending Autumn.

Drenched in beads of sweat, I abruptly got up from my long slumber in total shock from my nightmare...Even I have nightmares. Nightmares of the wretched antidote. I gasped as I finally caught a glimpse of what was around me, forgetting any memory of the awful nightmare now as my heart beat harder inside me.

"Wherrre am I?" I murmured, sitting up in the warm bed, pounding my head as I felt a headache coming along.

I was heavily breathing inside a strange house with the heat infuriating me as it stroked my skin like some disease. I panicked...which was very rare. It was growing more unbearable even as I tore off the blankets on top of me. I don't have any memories of Winter ever being so warm! I became frustrated as the heat crawled onto my skin, making me sweat a lot more...

Ugh...

This isn't even Winter, is it? The air is definitely uncontaminated. I craved something cold...like ice in between my teeth and...human flesh.

UGH!!!

How did my foolish self allow me to be brought here? And for how long?! I was already starving this much... Even when I decided to give her a break for once, she goes ahead and mistreats me like some ungrateful servant? Wait... was I caught? Did she go and get herself caught?! N-no... I wouldn't be given a bed to sleep on, let alone a whole room... I would have already died, given no chance to even defend myself...

I raked my fingers through my hair, growing more and more annoyed as the warmth began to choke me. I continued to desperately look around, my eyes trying to pick up any kind of escape route but all I saw was the moonlit walls and everything was in negative as my eyes scanned the ceiling, wondering if I should go through all the trouble of breaking it. How do I escape if this is a prison after all and they were just being kind to me so I could be fooled and open up to them even more? But I still doubt that when I've killed all their loved ones... And my foolish self will just start crying, confused about what's going on... How to escape... Perhaps I can leave her memory this time and then she'll understand the situation and try to communicate with me... I can write her letters and she can write back... 

How in Hell do I escape? 

I drew in a measured breath, telling myself to calm down a little and think of a doable plan. The silent moon pressed its light into the room, making me feel more desperate to be outside in the dead night. Oh, gentle moonlight... Oh... MOONLIGHT!! I had completely convinced myself that I was in the Guardhouse that I had forgotten all about a thing called common sense! I found the source of the light, the curtain gently wavering with the illusion of a calm wind. A smirk etched its way onto my face as I hoisted myself off the bed and onto my bare feet. My long, white hair was sprawled out on the floor with the red tips like fresh blood against the soft carpet. The golden bells in my tangled hair rung with excitement but this was the first time I've ever wanted to silence them because I couldn't possibly be alone in such a dream-like house...

My every movement could wake up the dead and my bells tingling served as no help as I carefully tried to open the window wider so that I could properly fit through it. At last, I hoisted the window up completely and let out a sigh of desperation at the amount of noise it made. I stood still for a while, only making out the sound of light breathing from somewhere else in the house. They must have been sleeping quite well, otherwise, I would have already faced my end by now... I then let my panicked breath slip out from in between my lips and gave myself a victorious pat on my shoulder. The night's growing wind wasn't much help either as it swept into the room now, making my bells go even crazier. I quickly reached out to clutch my bells when a gentle knock came at the door.

How come I didn't hear the footsteps or hear anyone wake...not even a stir?

"Everything alright?" came a familiar voice.

Familiar?

"Y-yes. Everrrything's fine," I quickly piped up, stumbling over my words a little as I rolled out my 'r' s a little more than usual.

Familiar...?

"Are you sure you don't need anything?" asked the worried voice again.

I swallowed hard, trying to put a name on the familiar voice.

"Cerrrtain," I assured, holding my breath as I hoped that he wouldn't ask any further questions.

He was quiet for a while then sighed.

"Goodnight then," he said softly.

Hmm...I'm sure I've encountered this voice before. But when? Where? How?

"Night," I replied, a little too quickly as I let myself calm down a little but not completely as I began moving to the open window.

"Sweet dreams," he told me, I could tell he was smiling as he said that.

"Hm. You too," I answered, clutching onto my bells harder as the wind's volume increased.

I was feeling extremely triumphant at the moment. I knew that he wasn't going to try and come here again unless something serious happened. I listened carefully, listening to his fading footsteps then once everything was quiet again — everything but for the violent wind outside that is, I let my bells ring freely as I swiftly leapt out of the window. I landed outside with a soft thud as I slowed down my fall by letting my blood-stained dress act like a parachute. Then my hair was lifted by the wind, adding more excitement to the cold night. My bells rang louder, promising me a great journey tonight. I then set for a sprint, positioning my feet like that of an animal. I let myself breathe in the cool air of the smoky autumn, a grin on my face and my blood-seeking fangs poking out from the sides of my mouth.

I ran at the speed of light, everything a blur as I passed them and soon enough I was crossing the bridge and on my way home.