Hooked

Chapter Sixteen

I watched as she ran around wildly, snapping her fingers at people who held out foods and towels for her.

I cleared my throat as she paused to pick up a truffle. She shooed away the delicacies, and straightened herself, "Madeline. You may go to your room."

I was silent, shifting my weight from foot to foot.

"I said, leave me!" She startled me with her yell.

I silently turned on my heel and started to walk up the red carpeted staircase, when a girl of younger age than I holding a silver platter with tea stopped me.

She didn't really do anything to stop me though. She only watched intently as I nearly passed her.

"Oh. Um... Hello. My name is Madeline. You are...?" I awkwardly held out a hand for her to shake.

She stared at my hand, and looked up at me with her golden-flecked eyes. I gave a nervous giggle of sorts, lowering my hand to my side, "What's your name?"

She was silent. Her only response was her large eyes staring up at me pleadingly. What did she go through in this palace - no - dungeon?

I was about to ask, when I heard the Red Queen yell up towards the both of us, "What are you doing? Get down here at once!"

I watched as the girl rushed away obediently, red as a tomato, the silverware on the platter clinking as she shook nervously, taking each (almost) calm, slow step.

I looked over the side of the railing, to see the Red Queen point a judging finger at the girl. The girl struggled against her spell, only to fall to her knees, gasping for air. The platter clashed to the ground, the hot tea spilled along the tiles of the floor, and the silver cups broke into tiny pieces.

Her whole body shook with tension in her seemingly aching muscles that struggled to support her weight, all of her energy draining, tears running down her red, splotchy cheeks. I held onto the railing for dear life, or else I might've fallen from the pain I saw in front of me. I wanted to scream out at the Red Queen. Tell her to stop immediately.

My knuckles were turning white, and the cold medal made my hands feel numb. My heart told me to look away, but my head told me differently. I felt the need to see what the Red Queen was capable of doing to her own servants.

She flicked her finger, and the girl, strangled, was limply lifted high into the air, her curled blonde hair falling over her shoulders.

I painfully unclenched my hands from the side of the staircase balcony that overlooked the scene before me, and ran away from it. I just couldn't handle it anymore. Tears soaked my face, and my adrenaline was pumping from the fear that I found in it all.

I took many deep breaths, finding my way to my room. I started to pace, the scene replaying over and over like a broken record player. It was driving me insane for about thirty minutes, until the Red Queen herself came into my room without knocking.

She threw a dress similar to the one the girl wore onto my silk sheets, and said with no feeling laced in her voice, "Seems like you're my new servant."