The Faces of Juliet

Chapter 1: It is empty and cold

Darkness is empty and cold. An endless void with silence at its loudest form. Being lost was never an option, for a single soul will never know where exactly was the right place to be. A destination and a home were non-existent. Walking and floating seemed to be just the same because there were no floors or pavements. I can't even see myself and my movements felt so slow like time was still held.

Until the darkness was shattered by an exploded light that's so bright I had to look away from it. Once the light had calmed itself down, I looked back and in spite of my blurred sight, I saw a curtain with the shade of cocoa. I blinked and my vision was getting much clearer. The curtain's design had such elegance and as my eyes followed the pattern of the fabric, the curtain was placed in four corners. It seemed that it was placed to cover the soft fabric that I'm laying on.

I looked around and when I saw how far the closet as well as the vanity mirror were, I instantly came to a conclusion that I was in such a large room. The windows are tall and wide, covering almost an entire wall. It was covered with curtains again and a little sunlight had escaped from it all the way to the edge of my bed.

"Miss Juliet?" A familiar female voice spoke all of a sudden. I turned to my right and there she was, her hand on the doorknob and half of her body was inside the room. She always had that nervous expression on her face but this time her usual face has a mixture of shock in it.

I didn't answer. I just stared at her as she awkwardly let herself inside. I don't know but I feel like I'm frozen in my spot or maybe it's only because of the dream I had. Nothing was actually scary about it but somehow a part of me thought that I was in that dark place for a long time. That's why everything in my room seemed so new to me yet at the same time, I knew everything in this place from top to bottom.

"Are you alright, miss? You looked like you've seen a ghost!" She stood there at the edge of my bed with a straight posture and hands on her back. She looked like she's ready to do anything for you, even take you to a bath. Which she actually does.

"I'm doing fine, Trudie." I replied. I've decided to take a sit and once I did, I felt a wince of pain in my head. "Can you get me a glass of water, please?"

Trudie quickly nodded and sprinted outside the room to get my water. I tried to get up again but slower this time and sat down at the edge of my bed. Trudie came back as quickly as expected with a glass of water in her hand. I drank it and the glass was already empty in a matter of seconds.

"May I ask what happened?" She asked.

"Just a nightmare,"

I handed her the empty glass and she placed it on my nightstand. "You haven't had one for a while. Maybe something's bothering you, miss. Would you like to talk about it?"

"No, thank you."' I answered.

•

I listened to my mother as she rambled on about me having to be married while I'm still young. It wasn't new to me though, this discussion is like our breakfast every morning. I barely touched my food, nor even finished my tea. Father was on his usual spot, cigar and newspaper in hand. Trudie stands next to me, while a butler stands near my father and two maids for my mother.

"Juliet, darling, why are you not finishing your breakfast? Does it taste bad?" Mother asked.

"I'm fine, mother."

"Are you sure? Are you ill? Oh my, you shouldn't be! We must go outside and have a stroll! Maybe you'll see that handsome Franciscus in the park and-"

"Mother, I don't want to go to the park today. Can I just go to school?" I said as my mother went silent. And then, the whole dining room was silent.