What was there: a sequel to I'm the Queen Dammit!

Chapter Sixteen

Kelli's POV

"Never in a million years would I imagine you defending Christopher," Mariska chuckled as She laid on her back.

"Yeah, well I didn't need another guy hitting on my girlfriend," I responded. I put my book down, and I turned the light off. The light disappeared from the room as the darkness engulfed it. I took a deep breath before lying down myself.

I looked up at the ceiling. The blank surface blurred as I focused on one section of it, and thoughts began to swirl through my head. Not pleasant thoughts. Ones I hadn't encountered in a while.

I slowly ran my fingers over the scars. I tried to ignore the feeling of the nonexistent breath I felt on the back of my neck. I closed my eyes and tried to tell myself that she wasn't there. I knew she wasn't there, but in the back of my mind I could still hear the huffs she let out with every swing.

I jumped slightly when I felt Mariska still my hand with her own. "Are you alright?"

I opened my eyes and glanced at our hands before making eye contact with her, "Yeah, just thinking."

"About what?" She asked, her fingers intertwining with mine.

"Nothing really," I lied. "Just waiting until relieving sleep washes over me."

"You seemed tense is all," Mariska explained before letting go of my hand. She remained close and closed her eyes.

I looked at her one more time before I closed my eyes again. I began to trace the marks on my chest again, and I tried to think of other things. Wonderful things. Like Mariska's hair. Those wonderful chestnut curls that always smelled like roses. Or her smile, how her teeth seemed to glisten in the light. But her eyes were definitely more than amazing. It was like staring into melting chocolate.

Then there was my family. I hadn't seen them in a while. They were always pleasant to be around. Well, most of the time anyway. Then there was my cat. He was nice, but an asshole too. I wonder if my family ever let him go after it I left.

It's only when I feel a cold grasp on my arm that my eyes open. Only there was no
frozen hand grabbing my arm. There was only darkness to my right. Mariska was on my right, her breaths were even and warm on my skin. I try to shake the feeling of fear away and close my eyes again.

I focus on the warmth of Mariska's body next to mine, and I begin to slowly fall asleep.

I wake up to an empty bed. The room is pitch black aside from a dim light coming from under the door. I walk to the door and I look at the knob, or where the knob should be. It's too dark to tell. I reach out and feel the brass in my hands. I hesitantly turn the knob, and I peek through the doorway. The lights on the wall illuminate the long hallway. It's not a lot of light, and I can feel the difference of the temperature.

I step into the cold hallway. The floorboards don't squeak like they usually do, and I begin to start down the corridor. The vases on the tables hold dead flowers. I wander further away from the bedroom until I reach the end of the hall. I stand at the top of the stairs that lead to the main hall. The stairs opposite of me that also lead down there are empty.

I begin to walk down the staircase when I hear floorboards creak. I freeze. I didn't remember a single sound when I walked throughout the castle.

Then I feel a hard shove and I begin to fall over the rail. I grab the railing, and hold on for dear life. I look up to find a familiar face. Well, a familiarly sinister smile. Only that. Then I feel my fingers slipping and a pair of hands pull me down.

I wake up with a sharp inhale. And I sit up quickly in an attempt to get away from whatever had dragged me down. Although, there was nothing there. Then I look to my side. Mariska's arm is gripped tightly in my hand, and she looks looks at me with complete fear in her eyes. I look more closely at her arm as I let go. It was beginning to bruise. And my nails had broken the skin. She was bleeding.

I back away and continue to stare at her arm, "Oh my God. Oh... God. I'm so sorry."

She held out her hand of her uninjured arm, trying to comfort me. "Kelli..."

"No, I've got to go," I said as I pulled a pair of pants on quickly.

"Kelli, please," she tried as she began to stand up. "Don't go, I'm fine."

I shook my head as I grabbed my overcoat. I slipped my shoes on and began to walk down the hall.

I heard Mariska follow me and I began to pick up the pace. Her foot steps quicken behind me as she yells my name, "Kelli! Kelli, wait!"

I ignore her and run out the front entrance. I keep running and her voice becomes more distant.

I stop at the gates to catch my breath. I go in front of a hedge inside the castle garden. My breath hitches and I realize that I'm crying.

"Kelli."

I look up to see Mariska a few feet away from me. I try to run but she stops me with her uninjured arm. I don't struggle.

We look into each other's eyes. Then I feel her hand move from my arm to my hair. And kisses me. It's forceful but loving. Like all the frustration and tension and love from the past weeks wrap into one kiss. The kiss is passionate.

Then she breaks away. I looked her up and down again. I noticed how her arm hung there, almost lifeless. "Come on, let's go back inside."

I follow her for a few steps, and let her get farther ahead. She turns back to me once I'm farther away,"Kelli?"

Then I run. I leave the palace grounds and don't stop running, even after I hear Mariska call my name. I'm so sorry.

Author's Note: sorry I've been so inactive lately. I had to delete wattpad for a while due to storage issues on my phone. But school started up at the end of July, so I got wattpad on my school iPad. I keep it until the end of the year so hopefully I can keep updating.

-SFU