Mothers Threat: The Last Escape

Happy Birthday

"Happy Birthday Pluto!" The maids of the castle surrounded me, shouting in my ear.

The kitchen workers joined in. I smiled ear to ear, overfilled with joy, looking at my first handmade cake.

It was flavored red velvet with strawberries that were stacked between the layers. Covered with white buttercream, and decorated with purple crystals to give it a geo look. I asked for it to be specially made like this.

This was the first birthday I've ever gotten to celebrate. My 22nd birthday, this was a start to a great year, or so I thought....

•••

"Hurry, the queen is coming! Don't breathe through your nose!" A maid said from the stairwell, All maids were required to greet the queen at the end of the stairs every morning and say,

"Good Morning Your Highness, a wonderful morning it is!" The maids chanted in unison.

"Thank you, my children." The queen, whom we refer to as mother when we aren't greeting her in the morning replied.

Mother adopted us all at the age of around 10 and has asked us to call her Mother ever since.

I have no recollection of my past and no one seems to remember the years before ten years old. It's odd but we eventually stopped questioning it.

As Mother walked by, I was so lost in thought that I completely forgot to breathe through my mouth instead of my nose.

I caught a big whiff as I snapped back into reality and quite literally almost fainted.

Mother has a known stench around the castle, and only the castle. If word got out that the queen stinks we'd all be sent to the basement. A torture chamber to say the least.

It's dark and warm down there. The warmness makes the air thick, sometimes unbearable. No one wants to go to the basement. So instead of trying to figure out what happens if we're sent down there, we stay quiet about her stench.

You might ask how Mother gets away with this smell, but she never leaves the castle and only interacts with citizens from her balcony when needed.

I fell back from the abominable smell that entered my body. One of the maids caught me and I tried to regain my composure quickly.

It was as if Mother smelled of a barn yard filled with pigs who rolled around in horse manure, and decomposed organs that sat on a swamp.

The smell was almost indescribable, but if these things were to be smelled, you'd think of Mother instantly.

The reason for this smell is unknown, but rumor goes around that she doesn't bathe. Not even her personal maid Mira, has seen Mother bathe.

•••

The Maids were cooking lunch now and I was busy scrubbing the floors as Mother walked up behind me.

"Hello Pluto, darling."

My heart hit my stomach as she startled me.

I quickly got up from my knees and wiped my hands off on my apron and smoothing my dress out to look as presentable as I can while wearing dirty clothes from cleaning.

"Hello Mother!" I said as enthusiastically as I could.

"So you have turned 22 recently." She said sinisterly.

"Yes Ma'am, that is correct." I confirmed while never giving eye contact as I know if I did, it'd be seen as disrespectful. I couldn't take my chances so I stayed focused on the bottom hem of the dress she wore, while continuing to breathe through my mouth.

Mother hummed softly, and motioned for me to follow her. "Come with me Pluto, I have something special to show you."

I was surprised by the words that left her mouth that I almost looked her in her eyes before I Caught myself.

I nodded and followed.

Mother led me to the back balcony that was in place to look out at the backyard and fields the castle possessed.

"I know of your secret Pluto, and I have a deal to make with you." Mother said, looking over the balcony railing.

"I'm sorry but I have no idea of what you are referring to." I said as I stood a little ways behind her so the stench isn't so strong in my nose.

"Oh, don't play coy, Pluto." Mother turns abruptly and runs towards me.

It didn't register in my mind what was actually going on.

My reaction was going to be delayed and in my head I knew this, but everything seemed to slow down in front of me.

I noticed Mother held a knife of some sort in her hand. Was she going to....

Kill me?

I couldn't think, my heart was punching my chest. My throat felt swollen. I took short quick breaths out of my mouth.

What's going on? I asked myself.

I threw my hands out in front of me towards Mother and I turned away, squeezing my eyes shut in fear.

She screamed in terror, almost sounding like a cry.

When I turned back to Mother, she was covering her face and screaming.

Her hands looked wrinkly and jagged. Like she had layers of skin that were stitched on top of each other.

I was disgusted, my senses were overwhelmed.

"How could you!?! I knew you were acting innocent this entire time. I will get you back!"

She screamed as she looked at me.

That's when I finally made eye contact with Mother.

Her cheek sagged below her chin. Eye Bags that were sunk into her skull, a nose so thin I'm not surprised she couldn't smell herself. Her eyes were big, bulging out of her skull. It was a repulsing sight. My stomach twisted into a knot and I almost regurgitated right there.

Disgust.

It's all that filled my mind as I looked at her wailing in pain.

She looked inhumane.

It was impossible to believe what was happening right before my eyes.

Mother, or whatever it is now, tried to attack again by pushing her hand out when a ball of light was cultivated.

My fight or flight responses kicked in and that's when my body began to turn around and run before I found out what the light meant.

As I ran it felt as if everything in my body was being used to move as fast as I could, my lungs felt like they were going to collapse any minute with the lack of air I had.