Kidnapping The Princess (Editing For Publication) (lesbian, girlxgirl)

Chapter 44. Awake

Chapter 44. Awake

Death was not a foreign concept to me. Since Ronaldo came into our chambers that night, stabbing my parents to death and sealing my fate of being dethroned, death has been constant in my life. I have been surrounded by death throughout my journey. It started with my parent's death, and was followed by the numerous people that I myself have put into eternal slumber.

In my mind, I have toyed with death. I have conquered it, mastered it even. That was why I was unafraid of kidnapping the princess, because death for me was not really a punishment, but a gateway into another realm, which would lead me to my parents. Yet as I lay there, bathing with my own blood, watching the stars as it began to fade away from the sky, I was washed with fear. For all those years I have welcomed death into my life, I was still afraid. Not for me, but for the people I would leave behind.

"Hold on Cybele!" Was that Talia's voice? "If you die, I will follow you shortly my love. Don't you dare give up on us!" Someone took hold of my hand. It was warm and soft.

"Don't say that Talia. Her majesty will make it!" said another person. I couldn't figure out who it was. My mind was one big jumble of nerves that refused to function properly.

I heard something thud, followed by an unstable movement. "Buckle up everyone. This will be a shaky ride," someone announced. I didn't open my eyes to see who said it. My whole being was focused on the numbing pain that my body was experiencing. The feeling was leaving my body fast.

"Just go! The bleeding won't stop. She needs medical treatment soon." Someone shook my shoulders. "Wake up! You're not allowed to sleep. I won't let you." More shaking.

"I. . . Will. . . Read you another. . ." I gulped a lungful of air. "Book some. . . Other. . . Time Talia. . ."

I tried to battle for my consciousness. My goal was to focus on a single thought. To grasp it as if it had an arm and a hand. To hold it and keep it into my memory. But try as I might, my grip began to slip. I tumbled and fell, until the thought I was holding was so far that I couldn't reach it. My consciousness began to fade. It felt like I was being sucked into a tunnel. At first there was light. Then there was dark. And then there was nothing.

When you wake up from deep sleep, you tend to lose all sense of time. You open your eyes, take note of your surroundings, and wonder what happened. You only realize that it was morning as you see the sunlight streaming from the window. Sometimes it was the alarm clock that would alert you of the current time. That for all intents and purposes, it was time to wake up and start your day.

Now imagine waking up suddenly. The room was dark, so you didn't know what time it was. There was no alarm clock. It was peaceful, yet as you glanced around, you realized that there were wires around you, hooked on your hand, your nose, everywhere. You tried to speak, yet your mouth refused to function. As if your tongue was rolled somewhere at the back of your throat.

That was exactly what happened to me. I panicked. Disoriented, I tried to pull the wires from my hand. A needle was attached at the end. I tried peeling the tapes, cords, whatever it was that was attached from my body. I did it clumsily, shakily, like a baby trying to master her first movements. After I was sure that it was removed, my next mission was to stand up.

My legs felt like it was made from lead, all heavy and nonfunctional. It was like it wasn't a part of me. I wiggled my toes for quite some time, until I was confident that I would be able to swing my legs to the side of the bed. It was so dark that I could barely see. What little light there was came from somewhere on the wall. It was merely a crack, so I wasn't sure what it was.

It took a while before I could finally support my body with my legs while standing up. I tried walking once, twice, all the while searching for the exit. A door was on my immediate left. I dragged my feet there, twisting the handles open. The other side was bright. Brighter than expected. I had to shield my face with my hands, blinking a few times.