“William! William!!!!”
“Woah! H-Hey! What’s going on?!”
“William! William...William…”
I sobbed hopelessly in his arms. My breath heavy, my whole body shaking, tears streaming down my pale cheeks. I kept mumbling his name, crying and mewling.
He hugged me with his strong arms, caressing the back of my head.
Ever since I told him about my curse, he has always been there for me.
I foolishly thought he was going to help me get out of that nightmare as well.
“Take a deep breath for me.” He whispered.
I obeyed, nodding and taking a deep, long breath. My sobbing stopped, even if just a little. I stared him in the eyes, the darkness shrouding our figures.
“Okay. Tell me...what’s going on…?”
“I-…”
And then, my throat closed shut.
I couldn’t talk. I couldn’t tell him what was happening.
And after a couple of seconds, I realized.
I swallowed loudly, my lips trembling as I opened them. My gaze fixed into his.
“I had a bad dream. That’s all.”
image [https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/gzaugpuceq1t2utzjthn6/0.3s.gif?rlkey=kpz0ue35vw4joxgdxknaulbpi&raw=1]
Chapter I – Not a doll
“Hey…wake up…”
I felt her delicate hand on my shoulder. After a quick groan, I opened my eyes. Rays of sunlight bathing our bedroom. I rolled, lying on my back.
image [https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/jcxj5zlbb2bed6exrsjju/artist_missile228-a-lot-of-particles-depth-of-field-best-quality-illus-s-2844913127.png?rlkey=t2wtqdvtnhvb3xx5o6b46jbuy&raw=1]
Nelya was kneeling beside me, her side of the covers completely thrown aside. She was still wearing her blue nightgown, her face a mix of concern and happiness of seeing me awake.
“It’s ten. We missed breakfast.” She sighed. “Why did you sleep in?”
I stared at her with a dazed face. I still had to turn on all the lights in my head. However, I knew what she was talking about. Sleeping in was rare from me. I just wouldn’t, and it was my duty to wake her up for breakfast during week ends.
“I-I’m sorry…” I mumbled, clearing my throat after hearing my hoarse voice.
“No, it’s okay.” She shook her head. “I’m just worried. Are you sick?”
“No, I’m not.” I shook my head. “I just couldn’t sleep well last night.”
“Alrighty.” She patted my chest lightly, smiling at me dearly. “I’m gonna ask Cléa if she still has something for us.”
The door closed shut.
I stared at our canopy’s roof, my hands tightened their grip on the sheets.
I started sweating, my heart beating faster as I remembered every single detail of the previous night.
I wanted it to be a dream. But I couldn’t have been.
My eyes stung.
I wanted to cry, but somehow I couldn’t let it out. After rising, my bare feet touched the cold, creaky floor. The cool air brushed my whole body. The sweat attached to my skin began to annoy me. Walking across the room, I reached the bathroom.
The chirping of the always open window of the bathroom filled my ears. The cool morning air made me shiver.
“Mhck-!”
The contents of my stomach suddenly poured out of my mouth. My arms trembled as I held on to the sink. If Nelya had come back right at that moment, I would not have had a ready excuse.
I wiped my mouth after I was done, coughing and squeezing my eyes, more tears running down messed up my face. I quickly washed it with clean water, rinsing everything that was on the sink. A nauseous odor started filling my nostrils, making me almost want to throw up again.
I didn’t dare to look at the mirror again, because seeing my joints was probably what made me puke in the first place.
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“No, I’m actually not hungry.” I hugged myself as I watched her eat her breakfast. “I’ll wait for you.”
“Okay!” She chimed, Cléa smiling upon us as she waited for her to finish, so that she could clean up.
“I’ll be in the backyard.” I quickly mumbled, leaving the dining hall.
I wandered through my home’s corridors, my hand brushing along the countless windows as I reached the back doors.
The beautiful, tall tree greeted me. The sunlight shining all over its leaves. I walked to it slowly, still hugging my frail body.
Everything looked so tranquil, yet my emotions were in a turmoil.
“Ah-!”
My whole body suddenly jumped. I turned around and shrieked, Nelya’s hand stood there, up in the air…
“Since when you’re such a scaredy cat?” She asked. She was smiling, but her face clearly showed concern.
“I was immersed in my own thoughts.” I shook my head, giggling. “Sorry.”
“Alright then. What do you want to do?” She asked, her eyes glimmering with excitement.
I couldn’t tell her. I couldn’t tell anyone. Somehow, that witch made it that way.
“Tag! You’re it!”
“Ah! Hey! That’s not fair!”
I brushed her arm with my fingers, dodging her counterattack. I ran around the tree, looking at her hand trying to catch me.
Smiling through was all I could do.
I had to find a different way to fix everything, and it couldn’t involve any of my loved ones.
Nelya finally reached me, giggling excitedly as she started running away from me after touching my shoulders from behind the tree’s trunk. I chuckled as I tried to catch up with her – she was very fast, and the one with most wins at that game.
She unexpectedly went inside the mansion, opening the doors frantically.
I followed her inside. I could barely keep my breath, yet I kept being right behind her. She looked like she was having the time of her life, laughing and turning around too see if I was near, her golden hair bouncing behind her.
We ran up the first stairs we could find, going up to the second floor.
She disappeared, dashing to the right. I immediately followed her tracks when I reached the top of the stairs. Competitiveness suddenly filling my heart.
“Ah!”
I almost fell, bumping into someone. It was Erika, who held both our bodies by gripping the wall’s edge before it was too late.
I backed off, Nelya was at my left, laughing her butt off as she looked at us...Erika grunted, fixing her precious dress.
“Can you two act your age, for once?” She asked, sighing.
“Sorry Erika.” I nodded. “Y-You...c-come here!!!”
“It seems that your fear of ghosts vanished, hm?”
“E-Eh?”
I suddenly stopped. Nelya kept running instead, thinking I was after her once more.
“You looked all pale when I told you about it. You even tried to barge in my room.” She said, going down the stairs slowly. “I’m glad you are so carefree. I wish it was the same for me.”
“W-Wait, what do you mean? Did something else happen?” I asked her.
She stopped, turned around and glared at me.
“Huh, so you suddenly care about it again?”
“C-Come on, stop being such a jerk!” I stomped my foot on the floor. “I do care about it. It’s just that I can’t have a frown all day! I’m not you.”
“Alright…” she leaned against the wall, standing on one of the steps. “...last night, I felt that bad aura again. It was even stronger.”
“R-Really?”
“Yes.”
“Did you go check?!” I feigned shock, going down the stairs closer to her. “Like, around the house?”
“No. I didn’t bother...this time. I checked everyone’s behavior this morning, though. We were all fine. Expect William…” she held her own chin, looking down. “...he somehow looked distressed.”
William was worrying about me. Erika wasn’t stupid though – she always saw right through most of the lies.
“Maybe William heard the ghost and didn’t tell you because he thought he’d sound silly…” I shrugged. “...but really, this thing is...scary.”
“It is concerning, yes.” She nodded, sighing deeply. “Well, I suppose that you do care after all. I’ll tell you if something else comes up.”
“O-Okay...thank you, Erika.” I walked backwards up the stairs, glancing at the direction Nelya ran off. “I have to go now. See you!”
I started running again, hoping I’d find Nelya before she could suspect anything.
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“Ah! No!!”
Nelya suddenly started tripping. She had to brace herself from falling, and that gave me a huge advantage.
“Come here! Finally!!!!”
I didn’t hesitate...I jumped right at her and threw her on the ground. She laughed audibly as I tickled her, grunting out of frustration.
After running around the mansion for almost an hour...we were back under the tree. I held Nelya down, grass caressing her body as she giggled.
I was out of breath, my face burned.
“Why...why are you so fast?!” I asked her, shaking her shoulders as she giggled.
“Because I do P.E at school...while you do nothing!”
“Aren’t our play sessions enough…?!” I asked, sighing and falling right beside her.
“Apparently, they aren’t!” She chuckled, rising and looking down at me. Lying down again, her head rested on my chest.
I stared at her. Her beautiful and constant smile, her gorgeous locks of golden hair. My hand suddenly went for them...making the strands go through my fingers gently. They were silky, delicate and soft.
“What are you doing?” She asked, giggling. Her head rose, her gaze fixing on mine.
I let her hair go, looking away. My ears started burning.
“Nothing…” I mumbled. “...I just like your hair.”
“Yours are way better.” She shook her head, her hand grabbing a strand of my white hair. She brought them to her cheek, rubbing them all over it. “They are so smooth. Like the hair of a doll.”
I suddenly froze. My whole body stiffened.
Nelya felt that, and she immediately let my hair fall down.
“What’s wrong…?” She asked, tilting her head.
“I’m not a doll.” I muttered.
“I know, dummy.” She chuckled nervously, clearly unnerved by my dead stare. “But your hair-”
“I am not a doll!” I repeated, grabbing her shoulders. “Please don’t say that!”
“O-Okay! Jeez! I’m sorry Lillya...don’t be mad…” She suddenly panicked. My heart sunk upon realizing what I just did. I hugged her immediately.
“I’m...I’m sorry.” I muttered.
“It’s okay.” she whispered, her heart beating together with mine as she clung to my body. “You’re not a doll, alright? You’re my dear sister.”