Renée

Chapter 7

I'm not sure how much time has passed, but I've been sitting beside this rose bush for a while, and I haven't moved an inch. The moon is now floating above my head, illuminating the surrounding darkness with a soft glow.

My hand is tightly wrapped around the rose stem and covered in blood. I trace the trail of blood down my hand to the ground, which has stained both the dress and the grass red. I no longer feel the thorns inside my skin, my hand numb to the pain.

I shiver as a powerful gust of wind flies past me. The temperature has dropped a lot since the sunset, and the wind has picked up speed. Judging by the temperature and the state of the garden, I'd say it's late August. I can't imagine it being any other time of year.

I glance at the stem in my hand before shutting my eyes. But all I see is the horror of the plane crash again. Everything is so vivid in my mind that my eyes dart open. "Damn!" I tremble in anger. A shaky breath escapes me as I press my forehead against my knees. "Dammit!"

I feel empty on the inside. There's nothing left of me anymore. My friends are gone. My life is gone. Even my body is gone. All that's left are the memories haunting me, and this body that looks different.

And I'm not calm. Part of it is because of my emotional state. But when I lift my head, all I see is darkness. The moon may provide light, but it's also casting shadows under the foliage. Each rustle of the leaves and every branch that snaps makes me flinch. My hands shake, and I let out a deep breath to calm myself.

A flash of orange light catches my attention as it passes between two trees. I turn my head to see a small fire, like a torch, dancing in the darkness as it gets closer. I watch it for a moment before something clicks in my head. I'm alone out here.

My body trembles. It could be a thief, a murderer, or even a kidnapper moving through the foliage. And I'm here, alone, unprotected, and in the open. I could easily be abducted, or better yet, I could be murdered, and no one would find me until sunrise. I know I wished I had died with my friends and could join them, but this isn't what I meant when I asked for that!

I back up towards the rose bush. If worse comes to worst, I'll jump into the bush behind me and hide. Although it'll be painful, it should provide enough shelter so that I'm not found. Thorns dig into my skin, making me wince, but I keep moving towards the bush. My arms, back, and head all scream at me. I squeeze my eyes shut, bearing with the pain as I struggle not to make a sound.

"...née!" I hear someone shout off in the distance. I pause, listening in silence. "..enée!" they call again. "Renée! Where are you?!"

And then it hits me. Renée's brother. It's Nigel's voice.

The bushes in front of me rustle for a moment. I freeze as the sound gets closer, holding my breath. A second later, a man in a knight's uniform, holding a torch, steps out of the bushes. He looks around before his eyes land on me. "Lady Renée!"

I stare back with wide eyes, not responding.

"Sir Nigel! I've found her!" the knight screams back in the direction he came.

Within seconds, Nigel dashes out from the bushes, making me jump. He's dishevelled, his clothes torn, dirty, and his hair flying in every direction.

His eyes land on me as a relieved smile covers his face. "Renée." He moves towards me and crouches down. A few people dressed like knights step out of the bushes, and they watch us. "Thank the Goddess you're alright," Nigel says as he pulls me into a hug. He buries his head into my shoulder and lets out a long sigh.

I sit there, unsure of what to do. Do I wrap my arms around him and hug him back? Do I keep my hands resting at my side? What should I do in this situation?