Paldoive

Chapter One

The halls were silent. All the house keepers in bed or at home for the night. The grandfather clock in the entry rang through the house, the barren, cream walls and marbled white floors- so polished even mice dare not step on it to make it filthy- carry the ringing. 11 pangs from the clock. 11 years since the death of Prince Jackson and 11 years of Euphemia attempting to cope with the loss of a brother who was taken from her in the dead of night. 

The light snores came from her right, and a soft breathe of air hit her from the left. She dearly loved her friends but Euphemia was tried and her two friends were not making it easy. Freddie inhaled and the snoring stop for a second before coming back twice as loudly. Lovely. Patre was dead asleep and short of pushing her childhood friend off the bed, Euphemia had no way to turn her friend over. 

As carefully as possible, Euphemia wriggled to the end of her king bed, the sheets and duvet were weighing her down. But after a lot of wriggling and near misses of feet to the face Euphemia was free of the stuffy bed and gulping in fresh breathes of air. Freedom. Padding quietly across the wooden floor boards, Euphemia felt cold. Shrugging it off as a result from just having vacated  a bed with two other humans pressed against herself. Her slippers lay by the door and before stepping out into the cold hallway with highly polished floors she slipped them on. 

When she was younger the castle at night would scare her, the tall empty walls and dark corners made her feel as though she was being watched. She found herself often running through the halls to her parents room, and if she was truly too scared she fondly remembers running  to her brothers room and crawling into his bed for comfort. 

Now, at 18, she still struggles to shake the feelings of being watched as she walks around at night but she understands that it is just her imagination coming up with the fear. Moving as delicately as she could through the quiet halls and down the grand set of stairs 'til she reached the front room. Two plush couches faced each other, a marble coffee table laying low, a vase of white lily's resting in the middle. The fireplace on the back wall was dark, when only a few hours ago, a roaring fire blazing in the cream and black fireplace. 

The room, all though empty, still held the warmth in it from the fire that once was. Euphemia found comfort in the room as it was one of the few rooms in the castle that was furnished and seem to hold some sense of a home to it. Paintings on the wall. Light comfy furniture, fresh colourful flowers placed carefully around the room. Carefully lowering down onto the couch, Euphemia relaxed in the warm air. The heat seeping into her cold and tight muscles. 

Walking aimlessly down the halls, slowly meandering back towards her bedroom. Brought out of her own thoughts by an repetitive drip, echoing down the hall towards her. 

Cautiously following the sound, Euphemia found herself stepping into the entry way, the large round room amplifying the dripping, making it sound like a death toll in her ears. 

Walking till she was in the middle of the room, carefully spinning around till she was facing the front door. And there, in the darkened alcove, a black mass hung, a dark red puddle collected underneath.

Euphemia screamed. 

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Hey guys!

Thank you so much for taking the time to read Paldoive, I haven't edited this chapter yet, but I hope you all enjoy what you read and I look forward to reading your comments and hearing your feedback.

Love you all :D

(30.01.19)