Scorched

15

Seeing a bashed-in head with its insides sprawling across the floor like a disgusting rag is definitely something caused by a demon. Cleo instantly knew it was. She just read about the hooves being able to bash through anything, and just like that it happened.

The blood is still fresh from Genevieve's now dead body laying on the tiles of the Rose Compartment in the waiting room. The smell of rotting flesh and the metallic scent is potent in the air as soon as she ran after Kaleb, and the looks of a brain mushed into pieces with broken skull sutures made it even worse— she had to fight back a gag reflex, because she knows it'll end up in a gag anyway. And that won't make the current sight prettier.

Nurses, servants and healers layed crying in one another's arms aggressively, refusing to look at Genevieve.

A few feet away from Genevieve was her tray with her various instruments and medicines scattered all the floor, and a scalpel lay not too far from her fingertips. So she must have seen the demon immediately, dropped her tray and grabbed the scalpel from it in self-defense.

Something small broke inside of Cleo. Genevieve was a warm-hearted and good person, the best healer one could ask for. And here she lay with no head, the tiles soaked with her dark red blood, and her  green dress sprawled around her like grass. If only the grass was real and the blood was a blanket. She could be having a lovely lunch with her sister in the garden.

Her sister has it worse, she is screaming her lungs out grasping tightly onto her sisters dress until her knuckles turned white, with a few nurses behind her trying to draw her away, but to no avail. Gwen is too violent.

She could feel everyone's eyes on her waiting for her next command. Waiting for the words of reassurance. To explain what happened. But she couldn't. She continued to stare at the sisters.

What was she supposed to say? It's alright? She knows this is isn't alright, this is beyond anything of her imagination.

How the hell had the demon entered? How'd they not hear? Where the fuck were the guards?

The loud sound of footsteps drew her attention away from her thoughts of the demon, but not her gaze which remains plastered onto Genevieve.

It was Lady Delilah. She is galloping as she comes to stand
beside Cleo looking at the horror before and presses her hand over her mouth, Cleo didn't need to look beside her to know that Delilah was crying.

"Well, what happened here? Who did this? MISS!" Delilah's voice then broke and she wails even louder than Gwen. Talk about dramatic and trying to be better.

"Miss?" That shocked voice was Landon's but  there is still a hint of high authority in it. He had to stand strong in a time like this. No emotion, as it causes more heartbreak and no way forward.

"I want a curtain. And not the one I'm wearing. A proper one." She looks to Mabel and her bunny teeth were quivering very slightly, "And also I'm going to the library."

Cleo turns around ignoring the remarks made about her and sways her way back out of the compartment in the direction of the library. Just as she knew, Landon comes running after her his steps sounding faulty.

"Miss? Uh... Where are you going?" He sounds out of breath and pauses in front of her. It was clear he was struggling to keep his cry and heartbreak in because he kept glancing over her shoulder to the body behind her.

"The library. I just said."

He frowns hugely drawing his gaze back down to her, "Miss? But you have to discuss what happened, who the killer is, we need to call an urgent meeting for this from higher Mistresses and Sirs."