Saturday, June 20, 2009
Friday, June 5, 2009
Josh's Mistake
“I swear I never meant for it to happen like this,” he said. A single tear fell from his eye. He looked solemnly out the window, gazing at the tranquil parking lot.
“You promised,” I said tearfully from the hospital bed. I wanted to scream at him, tell him to get out, but I knew he couldn’t take any bickering right now. He just wasn’t stable enough. I closed my eyes for a moment as I leaned back in the bed. It had been a grueling day and I wished that I had calloused my emotions earlier.
“I never would have gotten in the car if I’d known, Anna,” he told me. He looked at me, and I gazed back at him. The usually apathy hidden behind is honey colored eyes was gone. There was nothing but sorrow. “I didn’t mean to do it.”
“You promised me! You looked me right in the eyes and swore to me you stopped!” My voice rose to a scream, which soon turned to sobs. “You promised,” I said softly. He turned away. My best friend couldn’t even look at me. That was a habit of his. When he did something wrong, he never looked you in the eyes for more then a few seconds. Josh only did this to me once before.
“I know you hate me, and I know you think I’m a horrible, horrible person, but I’m pleading you, I’m begging you, please forgive me,” he said.
“Me?” I questioned. “You want me to forgive you?” My voice was rising again. “Why don’t you ask Tyler for forgiveness? You’ll find in a morgue drawer. He’s a morgue drawer. You know why he’s in there? He’s in there because…”
“Don’t you think I know why he’s there!” he yelled, curtailing my words. I continued anyway.
“He’s in there because you broke your promise and got behind the wheel. You did this to him. Maybe you can take solace in the fact that you weren’t hurt, but think about how I feel, think about how our friends feel. Think about how Tyler’s family feels.” His tears welled up again.
“I know what I did,” he whispers, trying to say something. I didn’t let him.
“Think about how my family feels, now that their only child, the star of the basketball team is confined to a wheelchair for the rest of her life.” I threw the covers off of the bed, revealing my battered and beaten legs. “That crash will forever affect my life, all because of your stupid mistake.” I wondered if he was happy, now that I could no longer follow my passion. As I looked at him, I re-realized my reason for wanted to defer this conversation. He was on the verge of a breakdown.
“Josh, I didn’t mean it,” I lied. “Really, I didn’t mean it, honestly.” My mood became based on how Josh was reacting to the words coming out of my mouth.
Josh remained silent as the pandemonium of those few moments flashed before my eyes. The party (oh God I should have been watching him), giving the keys to him (I told him I could do it, but he insisted), the pensive look in his eye (I should have looking for the signs).
“It’s not fair!” he yelled. “I’m perfectly fine and Tyler’s in a body bag in the basement!” He sat down on the bed next to me. With my thumb I wiped a tear from his face and placed a hand reassuringly on his shoulder. “I did this.”
I took Josh in my arms and he leaned his head against my chest. I gave him a cursory glance before taking in the whole picture. For the first time in my life I watched my best friend weep. I tried to be strong, but it was no use. I broke down. I leaned my head on his shoulder and sobbed with him.
A promise to abstain, now broken. A diligent student, now a dejected sprit. A bright future, extinguished by the recklessness of another. A stupid mistake, now a life lost.
“You promised,” I said tearfully from the hospital bed. I wanted to scream at him, tell him to get out, but I knew he couldn’t take any bickering right now. He just wasn’t stable enough. I closed my eyes for a moment as I leaned back in the bed. It had been a grueling day and I wished that I had calloused my emotions earlier.
“I never would have gotten in the car if I’d known, Anna,” he told me. He looked at me, and I gazed back at him. The usually apathy hidden behind is honey colored eyes was gone. There was nothing but sorrow. “I didn’t mean to do it.”
“You promised me! You looked me right in the eyes and swore to me you stopped!” My voice rose to a scream, which soon turned to sobs. “You promised,” I said softly. He turned away. My best friend couldn’t even look at me. That was a habit of his. When he did something wrong, he never looked you in the eyes for more then a few seconds. Josh only did this to me once before.
“I know you hate me, and I know you think I’m a horrible, horrible person, but I’m pleading you, I’m begging you, please forgive me,” he said.
“Me?” I questioned. “You want me to forgive you?” My voice was rising again. “Why don’t you ask Tyler for forgiveness? You’ll find in a morgue drawer. He’s a morgue drawer. You know why he’s in there? He’s in there because…”
“Don’t you think I know why he’s there!” he yelled, curtailing my words. I continued anyway.
“He’s in there because you broke your promise and got behind the wheel. You did this to him. Maybe you can take solace in the fact that you weren’t hurt, but think about how I feel, think about how our friends feel. Think about how Tyler’s family feels.” His tears welled up again.
“I know what I did,” he whispers, trying to say something. I didn’t let him.
“Think about how my family feels, now that their only child, the star of the basketball team is confined to a wheelchair for the rest of her life.” I threw the covers off of the bed, revealing my battered and beaten legs. “That crash will forever affect my life, all because of your stupid mistake.” I wondered if he was happy, now that I could no longer follow my passion. As I looked at him, I re-realized my reason for wanted to defer this conversation. He was on the verge of a breakdown.
“Josh, I didn’t mean it,” I lied. “Really, I didn’t mean it, honestly.” My mood became based on how Josh was reacting to the words coming out of my mouth.
Josh remained silent as the pandemonium of those few moments flashed before my eyes. The party (oh God I should have been watching him), giving the keys to him (I told him I could do it, but he insisted), the pensive look in his eye (I should have looking for the signs).
“It’s not fair!” he yelled. “I’m perfectly fine and Tyler’s in a body bag in the basement!” He sat down on the bed next to me. With my thumb I wiped a tear from his face and placed a hand reassuringly on his shoulder. “I did this.”
I took Josh in my arms and he leaned his head against my chest. I gave him a cursory glance before taking in the whole picture. For the first time in my life I watched my best friend weep. I tried to be strong, but it was no use. I broke down. I leaned my head on his shoulder and sobbed with him.
A promise to abstain, now broken. A diligent student, now a dejected sprit. A bright future, extinguished by the recklessness of another. A stupid mistake, now a life lost.
Saving Sarah
WARNING: This story contains disturbing themes and some self inflicted violence.
Saving Sarah
“Do it!” I yelled at her. She held the knife in her hand, not quite knowing what to think. “Well go ahead, you know you want to,” I said. Her eyes filled with tears as she ran the knife against her skin. I didn’t flinch until she had carved his whole name into her arm. She slapped the knife down on the counter, the blood caked under her fingernails. I grabbed the arm she had written on and held it out.
“See what you’re doing?” I screamed. “You’re killing yourself and everyone around you!” She tried to talk, but I wouldn’t let her. “I saw how torn down you were when he killed himself, Sarah, everybody saw. Do you see your doing the same thing to us?”
She looked away and I saw her green eyes flicker back to the knife. I picked it up, not caring that there was blood on my hands. I held it out to her.
“Take it,” I dared her, “take it and devastate us just like he devastated you.” She took the knife from and held out her other arm. I watched again as she carved the name into her arm, forever marking her arms with that name. James. She fell to her knees on the linoleum floor of the kitchen. I grabbed her arm and yanked her back up.
“Get up, we’re not done yet,” I said. She refused to look me in the eye. I reached out and slapped her. The noise rang in my ears for a few seconds. Now she looked me right in the eye. “What are you going to do now?” I challenged. “How about you go hang yourself in the bathroom just like he did? You want to spread the pain? Go, do it.”
She stood stunned in the center of the kitchen. My eyes never once betrayed the fear I felt in my heart. Sarah refused to move.
“Fine,” I said as I removed my belt. “I’ll do it.” I walked toward her. With my leather belt in my hands I tried to get it around her neck. For the first few seconds, she didn’t move, she didn’t flinch, and she didn’t try to stop it. It was only when I began to tighten it, only when she could feel the leather restricting her windpipe I saw a glimmer of the girl I used to know. She fought back.
Her nails flew to my face, and I felt a knee in my stomach. She pushed me back and my back slammed against the countertop. I resisted screaming in agony. Breathing heavily, she took the belt and tossed it aside. She stood face to face with me.
“What are you gonna do?” I asked. I saw her eyes turn back to the knife once again. I gave her another hard slap, this time on the other cheek. I saw other spark of her former self. She slapped me back. I gave a wicked smile. “There she is,” I whispered, but she didn’t hear me. She averted her eyes back to the floor. “So what’s it gonnna be?” She still refused to look at me. I grabbed her by the shoulders, forcing her too look at me.
“Are you going to kill us inside the same way James killed you,” I began. “You want to be a hypocrite? Fine, be a freaking hypocrite. I dare you. I grabbed the knife from the counter. “Do it, now.” She looked at me, her green eyes, now dead on the inside. I hoped for just a spark of life, and in that moment I saw it.
She hit me suddenly. Her fist flung toward me and I held on the counter, bracing for impact. She kept swinging, and I began. We began a full scale fight in the kitchen. Punches flew, and bruised would be evident tomorrow, but that didn’t matter. After a few minutes, her punches weakened, and she stopped defending herself. She had given up again.
“You know James as a big coward for doing that, and by following him, you’re just being a coward right along with him. You two are exactly the same. Something gets too hard and you crack under the pressure. You give up when things get rough. You cage yourselves in at the little sign of defeat. You think life is against you? Earth to Sarah, it’s against everyone. It’s called the world, and there are better ways to deal with it.” I drew in a long breath after that. Her upper lip curled in disgust and I heard her emit the tinniest of noises. I’ve done it now. She charged at me full force. This time I didn’t throw punches, I simply blocked a few, letting others hit me. She pounded and pounding as I stood in silence, until finally she collapsed at my feet, her breathing turned into sobs. I knelt down next to her, grasping her hands in mine.
She looked me in the eyes, and I still felt the sadness, but this time there was something else there. The smallest of sparks of hope beyond the misery. One final time, I handed her the knife. She examined it for a second, before tossing it across the floor, sliding it under the oven. She collapsed crying into my arms. I put my arms around her. At that moment, I knew that I had saved Sarah.
Saving Sarah
“Do it!” I yelled at her. She held the knife in her hand, not quite knowing what to think. “Well go ahead, you know you want to,” I said. Her eyes filled with tears as she ran the knife against her skin. I didn’t flinch until she had carved his whole name into her arm. She slapped the knife down on the counter, the blood caked under her fingernails. I grabbed the arm she had written on and held it out.
“See what you’re doing?” I screamed. “You’re killing yourself and everyone around you!” She tried to talk, but I wouldn’t let her. “I saw how torn down you were when he killed himself, Sarah, everybody saw. Do you see your doing the same thing to us?”
She looked away and I saw her green eyes flicker back to the knife. I picked it up, not caring that there was blood on my hands. I held it out to her.
“Take it,” I dared her, “take it and devastate us just like he devastated you.” She took the knife from and held out her other arm. I watched again as she carved the name into her arm, forever marking her arms with that name. James. She fell to her knees on the linoleum floor of the kitchen. I grabbed her arm and yanked her back up.
“Get up, we’re not done yet,” I said. She refused to look me in the eye. I reached out and slapped her. The noise rang in my ears for a few seconds. Now she looked me right in the eye. “What are you going to do now?” I challenged. “How about you go hang yourself in the bathroom just like he did? You want to spread the pain? Go, do it.”
She stood stunned in the center of the kitchen. My eyes never once betrayed the fear I felt in my heart. Sarah refused to move.
“Fine,” I said as I removed my belt. “I’ll do it.” I walked toward her. With my leather belt in my hands I tried to get it around her neck. For the first few seconds, she didn’t move, she didn’t flinch, and she didn’t try to stop it. It was only when I began to tighten it, only when she could feel the leather restricting her windpipe I saw a glimmer of the girl I used to know. She fought back.
Her nails flew to my face, and I felt a knee in my stomach. She pushed me back and my back slammed against the countertop. I resisted screaming in agony. Breathing heavily, she took the belt and tossed it aside. She stood face to face with me.
“What are you gonna do?” I asked. I saw her eyes turn back to the knife once again. I gave her another hard slap, this time on the other cheek. I saw other spark of her former self. She slapped me back. I gave a wicked smile. “There she is,” I whispered, but she didn’t hear me. She averted her eyes back to the floor. “So what’s it gonnna be?” She still refused to look at me. I grabbed her by the shoulders, forcing her too look at me.
“Are you going to kill us inside the same way James killed you,” I began. “You want to be a hypocrite? Fine, be a freaking hypocrite. I dare you. I grabbed the knife from the counter. “Do it, now.” She looked at me, her green eyes, now dead on the inside. I hoped for just a spark of life, and in that moment I saw it.
She hit me suddenly. Her fist flung toward me and I held on the counter, bracing for impact. She kept swinging, and I began. We began a full scale fight in the kitchen. Punches flew, and bruised would be evident tomorrow, but that didn’t matter. After a few minutes, her punches weakened, and she stopped defending herself. She had given up again.
“You know James as a big coward for doing that, and by following him, you’re just being a coward right along with him. You two are exactly the same. Something gets too hard and you crack under the pressure. You give up when things get rough. You cage yourselves in at the little sign of defeat. You think life is against you? Earth to Sarah, it’s against everyone. It’s called the world, and there are better ways to deal with it.” I drew in a long breath after that. Her upper lip curled in disgust and I heard her emit the tinniest of noises. I’ve done it now. She charged at me full force. This time I didn’t throw punches, I simply blocked a few, letting others hit me. She pounded and pounding as I stood in silence, until finally she collapsed at my feet, her breathing turned into sobs. I knelt down next to her, grasping her hands in mine.
She looked me in the eyes, and I still felt the sadness, but this time there was something else there. The smallest of sparks of hope beyond the misery. One final time, I handed her the knife. She examined it for a second, before tossing it across the floor, sliding it under the oven. She collapsed crying into my arms. I put my arms around her. At that moment, I knew that I had saved Sarah.
Thursday, June 4, 2009
Visions
Visions
Right after he saw it, he ran. Calling his partner’s name, he grabbed his medical bag and dashed to the car. His partner, Nick, knew better then to stop him when he was like this. He simply grabbed his bag and jumped into the passenger seat of the ambulance. The men let the silence settle as they caught their breath; only the soft whine of the ambulance could be heard.
“Neal,” Nick began cautiously, “what did you see?” Neal shook his head. He needed a few moments to process the information. Nick sat back and waited patiently. It wasn’t the first time this had happened. Neal took a deep breath before beginning.
“Man, mid 30’s, dark hair. Face down on the corner of 1st and Oak street,” he said.
“Got a time?” Nick asked.
“No.”
That was the downside to his visions. They were clear and concise, but he could never be certain of the time. This was a problem, in the business of EMS, as a matter of one minute could mean life or death for somebody.
The ambulance skidded to a halt at the corner of 1st and Oak. Neal saw a large crowd of people gathered around, watching something.
“He must be there already,” Neal said, running a hand through his thick, brown hair. Simultaneously, each of the men grabbed a medical bag and darted toward the crowd, leaving the sirens wailing.
Neal burst through the crowd, only to see a man juggling bowling pins. His eyes flickered around the crowd. No one was dead, or injured. He stood there, stunned. This was the first time one of his visions hadn’t come true.
He didn’t hear the shouting. He didn’t hear the crowd dive out of the way. He didn’t hear the screech of the tires as they slid onto the curb. Nick tried to scream, but he didn’t hear that either.
By the time he turned around it was too late. The car hit him at full speed, spinning him like a top. With a sickening thud he landed face down on the pavement, his dark brown hair matted with blood.
Right after he saw it, he ran. Calling his partner’s name, he grabbed his medical bag and dashed to the car. His partner, Nick, knew better then to stop him when he was like this. He simply grabbed his bag and jumped into the passenger seat of the ambulance. The men let the silence settle as they caught their breath; only the soft whine of the ambulance could be heard.
“Neal,” Nick began cautiously, “what did you see?” Neal shook his head. He needed a few moments to process the information. Nick sat back and waited patiently. It wasn’t the first time this had happened. Neal took a deep breath before beginning.
“Man, mid 30’s, dark hair. Face down on the corner of 1st and Oak street,” he said.
“Got a time?” Nick asked.
“No.”
That was the downside to his visions. They were clear and concise, but he could never be certain of the time. This was a problem, in the business of EMS, as a matter of one minute could mean life or death for somebody.
The ambulance skidded to a halt at the corner of 1st and Oak. Neal saw a large crowd of people gathered around, watching something.
“He must be there already,” Neal said, running a hand through his thick, brown hair. Simultaneously, each of the men grabbed a medical bag and darted toward the crowd, leaving the sirens wailing.
Neal burst through the crowd, only to see a man juggling bowling pins. His eyes flickered around the crowd. No one was dead, or injured. He stood there, stunned. This was the first time one of his visions hadn’t come true.
He didn’t hear the shouting. He didn’t hear the crowd dive out of the way. He didn’t hear the screech of the tires as they slid onto the curb. Nick tried to scream, but he didn’t hear that either.
By the time he turned around it was too late. The car hit him at full speed, spinning him like a top. With a sickening thud he landed face down on the pavement, his dark brown hair matted with blood.
Monday, June 1, 2009
Mobile Posting
Testing mobile posting
EDIT: This was jsut a test to see if mobile posting worked. And it did
EDIT: This was jsut a test to see if mobile posting worked. And it did
The Blood Countess, Chapter One
The Blood Countess
Chapter One
Anna stood with her back to the corner of the room while sister stood in front of her with a knife in her hand. It felt like years ago when Countess Elizabeth asked her to do the unthinkable, even though it was only days. Mary’s eyes glimmered with a spark of hatred. For a moment, they sparked with sadness and Anna thought she would back down. Then it was gone. Anna felt it in her heart that she was destined to die here in this corner. Her mind wandered back to the first day she arrived at the castle.
Mary and Anna were sisters who came to the castle at age five. The maid took them in, and they lived there, helping with the cleaning duties around the castle. Countess Elizabeth Bathory had taken a special interest in them. At the age of ten they became her ladies in waiting. They followed her and attended to whatever she needed. Elizabeth had always like Anna better. Countess Bathory knew it, Anna knew it, even Mary knew it. Mary always smiled and told her sister how proud she was but inside grew a wicked hatred.
At the age of fifteen it began. Mary had been fetching tea for the countess while Anna rested. A servant had come in. She had folded Elizabeth’s clothes incorrectly. The Countess went into one of her fits. She had slapped her maid and her long nails had left a mark on the servant’s cheek. A splash of blood hit Elizabeth just above one of her cheekbones. The servant rushed out in tears as Anna went to find a small towel for Elizabeth. The Countess went to one of her many mirrors in the room. Anna walked into the room. She realized Elizabeth was smiling.
“Rachel,” Elizabeth began, as she wiped the spot of off her cheek, “do you think my skin is glowing even more where that servant’s blood hit me?”
“Yes, Elizabeth.” Anna lied. It didn’t look any different, at least not to her.
“Go call on the alchemist,” the Countess demanded, “Bring him here.” Anna turned to exit when Elizabeth said something else.
“And the young servant, bring her also.”
“Yes, Countess.” Anna replied. She hurried off into the castle as Elizabeth stared at her self in the mirror, examining every angle in her face. Mary came in. She served Elizabeth the tea.
“Here you are, Elizabeth,” Mary said. “Is there anything else I can get for you?”
“Get out of here,” Elizabeth said. Mary left.
Days passed. The alchemist and Countess Elizabeth met several times. After the first meeting, the servant girl disappeared. No one in the castle seemed to notice. Anna soon began to take notice that Elizabeth was not herself when she began inviting peasant girls into the castle for etiquette lessons. Anna found it peculiar that Elizabeth told her they left at the midnight hour. She had stayed awake one night, to see the girls leave, but they never left. Anna asked Elizabeth about it the next day. She said once again that the girls had left that night. Anna was now aware that something was wrong, but did look into it any further.
The topic of the peasants soon came up again. Mary had just left the Elizabeth’s room after serving tea. Anna went in to dust the bed. When she walked in Elizabeth closed the door behind her then returned to her stool in front of the mirror.
“Do you know why I shut the door, Anna?” Elizabeth said, as she began to brush her hair.
“No, Elizabeth.” she said nervously.
“I want to talk to you.” the Countess said. Anna stopped dusting and turned to Elizabeth.
“I have a very special task for you, Anna.” she said.
“How I may be of assistance to you?” Anna asked. Her concern was growing.
“I’m going to share a secret with you. It is never to leave this room.”
“Yes, Countess.”
“I have discovered a new beauty remedy, and I need you to fetch the last ingredient for me.”
“Surely, madam,” Anna said. “What is it that you require?”
“Let me finish.” Elizabeth yelled. Anna knew her temper was flaring again. The Countess was usually calm, but her temper had been flaring up lately.
“Sorry, Elizabeth,” Anna said. Elizabeth picked a bottle from her vanity and held it.
“This is a very special remedy,” she said. “I need blood, human blood.” This worried Anna. Elizabeth was asking her to get blood. How was she supposed to get—
Her thoughts broke off as she noticed Elizabeth held a silver blade in her hand. Anna’s first instinct was to run from the room. She had even turned slightly. She not run thought. This was good thing. Elizabeth had locked the door behind her. Tears welled in Anna’s eyes. The Countess saw this.
“Don’t be afraid, Anna.” Elizabeth told her. “This isn’t for you.” Anna was happy, but only for a moment. Then it occurred to her that she had to get blood from someone else. This made Anna nervous. She was a small, slender girl with little muscle, certainly not strong enough to overpower most of the people in the castle.
“I have seen you in the room you and Mary share. You are a bit boyish. Am I correct?” Elizabeth asked.
Anna nodded to indicate a yes.
“You were wrestling with your sister a few nights ago. I saw you.” Countess Bathory said. Anna’s thoughts drifted back to that night. Mary and Anna had been playing together. A small argument grew into a playful wrestle. Anna had won despite the fact that Mary had pulled Anna’s long black hair.
“You beat Mary with great ease. I was impressed.” Anna nodded, still too afraid to speak.
“Have you ever wondered what is like to kill someone?” Elizabeth asked.
“No.” Anna stammered.
“Well, today you are going to learn.” Elizabeth said as she careful passed the blade to Anna, as a mother would pass down a family heirloom.
The next quarter of an hour Elizabeth spent teaching Anna basic sword techniques. Anna’s hand shook when she held the blade. She did not want to learn, but feared what might happen if she refused.
“You are working on a very special task for me.” Elizabeth said. “You need to fetch me the blood of Mary.” Anna stood in stunned silence. Could she kill her own sister to remain faithful to Elizabeth? She turned her eyes toward Elizabeth. Elizabeth was already at her vanity, brushing her hair again.
Anna turned to leave only to discover the door had been cracked open. Someone had seen her and Elizabeth with the blade. As she left the room she pushed the thought out of her mind and scurried down the hall. Anna wanted to talk to the old maid who had taken the role of mother in her life. She hurried down to room where she was laying in her bed.
Time had not been kind to Maria. The day Maria had adopted the sister, she a lovely young woman with dark skin and even darker hair. Now her skin was wrinkled, and spotted with age. Her once shiny hair was now short, just barely touching her neck. Maria had been afflicted with a disease that left her bed ridden. She often talked nonsense that the doctor had diagnosed as a problem in her brain. Anna knelt by her bed.
“Hi, Maria.” Anna said as she clutched one of Maria’s hands between her two hands. She had caught Maria during one of her lucid moments. Anna could tell she did not have much longer to live.
“Anna.” Maria whispered.
“Hush, save your breath.” Anna said. She glanced behind her. The door was closed and locked securely. She removed the blade that was tucked into her dress. “I need to talk to you.”
Maria’s eyes grew wide. Anna knew the thoughts racing through Maria’s head were the same thought that raced through her head not too long ago.
“Don’t be afraid.” Anna said in a voice that sounded familiar. “It’s not for you.”
Maria closed her eyes and sat in silence. Anna relayed the story of what had happened in Elizabeth’s room to her. She took a deep breath once she had finished her story.
“I need to tell you something,” Maria said, her voice was low and weak. Anna strained to hear.
“What I have told you before, about how you arrived here. It was not the truth. You came to be in this castle under very different circumstances.” Anna stared blankly at Maria as she continued her story. “You were born from the womb of someone within the castle walls. Mary had come later. Her story true, but you are not sisters.” Anna tried to speak but Maria interrupted her.
“Have you ever wondered why Elizabeth liked you best?” Maria asked.
“Yes.” Anna said. She wondered where this conversation was going but Maria interrupted her thoughts.
“You are the daughter of Elizabeth Bathory.”
Chapter One
Anna stood with her back to the corner of the room while sister stood in front of her with a knife in her hand. It felt like years ago when Countess Elizabeth asked her to do the unthinkable, even though it was only days. Mary’s eyes glimmered with a spark of hatred. For a moment, they sparked with sadness and Anna thought she would back down. Then it was gone. Anna felt it in her heart that she was destined to die here in this corner. Her mind wandered back to the first day she arrived at the castle.
Mary and Anna were sisters who came to the castle at age five. The maid took them in, and they lived there, helping with the cleaning duties around the castle. Countess Elizabeth Bathory had taken a special interest in them. At the age of ten they became her ladies in waiting. They followed her and attended to whatever she needed. Elizabeth had always like Anna better. Countess Bathory knew it, Anna knew it, even Mary knew it. Mary always smiled and told her sister how proud she was but inside grew a wicked hatred.
At the age of fifteen it began. Mary had been fetching tea for the countess while Anna rested. A servant had come in. She had folded Elizabeth’s clothes incorrectly. The Countess went into one of her fits. She had slapped her maid and her long nails had left a mark on the servant’s cheek. A splash of blood hit Elizabeth just above one of her cheekbones. The servant rushed out in tears as Anna went to find a small towel for Elizabeth. The Countess went to one of her many mirrors in the room. Anna walked into the room. She realized Elizabeth was smiling.
“Rachel,” Elizabeth began, as she wiped the spot of off her cheek, “do you think my skin is glowing even more where that servant’s blood hit me?”
“Yes, Elizabeth.” Anna lied. It didn’t look any different, at least not to her.
“Go call on the alchemist,” the Countess demanded, “Bring him here.” Anna turned to exit when Elizabeth said something else.
“And the young servant, bring her also.”
“Yes, Countess.” Anna replied. She hurried off into the castle as Elizabeth stared at her self in the mirror, examining every angle in her face. Mary came in. She served Elizabeth the tea.
“Here you are, Elizabeth,” Mary said. “Is there anything else I can get for you?”
“Get out of here,” Elizabeth said. Mary left.
Days passed. The alchemist and Countess Elizabeth met several times. After the first meeting, the servant girl disappeared. No one in the castle seemed to notice. Anna soon began to take notice that Elizabeth was not herself when she began inviting peasant girls into the castle for etiquette lessons. Anna found it peculiar that Elizabeth told her they left at the midnight hour. She had stayed awake one night, to see the girls leave, but they never left. Anna asked Elizabeth about it the next day. She said once again that the girls had left that night. Anna was now aware that something was wrong, but did look into it any further.
The topic of the peasants soon came up again. Mary had just left the Elizabeth’s room after serving tea. Anna went in to dust the bed. When she walked in Elizabeth closed the door behind her then returned to her stool in front of the mirror.
“Do you know why I shut the door, Anna?” Elizabeth said, as she began to brush her hair.
“No, Elizabeth.” she said nervously.
“I want to talk to you.” the Countess said. Anna stopped dusting and turned to Elizabeth.
“I have a very special task for you, Anna.” she said.
“How I may be of assistance to you?” Anna asked. Her concern was growing.
“I’m going to share a secret with you. It is never to leave this room.”
“Yes, Countess.”
“I have discovered a new beauty remedy, and I need you to fetch the last ingredient for me.”
“Surely, madam,” Anna said. “What is it that you require?”
“Let me finish.” Elizabeth yelled. Anna knew her temper was flaring again. The Countess was usually calm, but her temper had been flaring up lately.
“Sorry, Elizabeth,” Anna said. Elizabeth picked a bottle from her vanity and held it.
“This is a very special remedy,” she said. “I need blood, human blood.” This worried Anna. Elizabeth was asking her to get blood. How was she supposed to get—
Her thoughts broke off as she noticed Elizabeth held a silver blade in her hand. Anna’s first instinct was to run from the room. She had even turned slightly. She not run thought. This was good thing. Elizabeth had locked the door behind her. Tears welled in Anna’s eyes. The Countess saw this.
“Don’t be afraid, Anna.” Elizabeth told her. “This isn’t for you.” Anna was happy, but only for a moment. Then it occurred to her that she had to get blood from someone else. This made Anna nervous. She was a small, slender girl with little muscle, certainly not strong enough to overpower most of the people in the castle.
“I have seen you in the room you and Mary share. You are a bit boyish. Am I correct?” Elizabeth asked.
Anna nodded to indicate a yes.
“You were wrestling with your sister a few nights ago. I saw you.” Countess Bathory said. Anna’s thoughts drifted back to that night. Mary and Anna had been playing together. A small argument grew into a playful wrestle. Anna had won despite the fact that Mary had pulled Anna’s long black hair.
“You beat Mary with great ease. I was impressed.” Anna nodded, still too afraid to speak.
“Have you ever wondered what is like to kill someone?” Elizabeth asked.
“No.” Anna stammered.
“Well, today you are going to learn.” Elizabeth said as she careful passed the blade to Anna, as a mother would pass down a family heirloom.
The next quarter of an hour Elizabeth spent teaching Anna basic sword techniques. Anna’s hand shook when she held the blade. She did not want to learn, but feared what might happen if she refused.
“You are working on a very special task for me.” Elizabeth said. “You need to fetch me the blood of Mary.” Anna stood in stunned silence. Could she kill her own sister to remain faithful to Elizabeth? She turned her eyes toward Elizabeth. Elizabeth was already at her vanity, brushing her hair again.
Anna turned to leave only to discover the door had been cracked open. Someone had seen her and Elizabeth with the blade. As she left the room she pushed the thought out of her mind and scurried down the hall. Anna wanted to talk to the old maid who had taken the role of mother in her life. She hurried down to room where she was laying in her bed.
Time had not been kind to Maria. The day Maria had adopted the sister, she a lovely young woman with dark skin and even darker hair. Now her skin was wrinkled, and spotted with age. Her once shiny hair was now short, just barely touching her neck. Maria had been afflicted with a disease that left her bed ridden. She often talked nonsense that the doctor had diagnosed as a problem in her brain. Anna knelt by her bed.
“Hi, Maria.” Anna said as she clutched one of Maria’s hands between her two hands. She had caught Maria during one of her lucid moments. Anna could tell she did not have much longer to live.
“Anna.” Maria whispered.
“Hush, save your breath.” Anna said. She glanced behind her. The door was closed and locked securely. She removed the blade that was tucked into her dress. “I need to talk to you.”
Maria’s eyes grew wide. Anna knew the thoughts racing through Maria’s head were the same thought that raced through her head not too long ago.
“Don’t be afraid.” Anna said in a voice that sounded familiar. “It’s not for you.”
Maria closed her eyes and sat in silence. Anna relayed the story of what had happened in Elizabeth’s room to her. She took a deep breath once she had finished her story.
“I need to tell you something,” Maria said, her voice was low and weak. Anna strained to hear.
“What I have told you before, about how you arrived here. It was not the truth. You came to be in this castle under very different circumstances.” Anna stared blankly at Maria as she continued her story. “You were born from the womb of someone within the castle walls. Mary had come later. Her story true, but you are not sisters.” Anna tried to speak but Maria interrupted her.
“Have you ever wondered why Elizabeth liked you best?” Maria asked.
“Yes.” Anna said. She wondered where this conversation was going but Maria interrupted her thoughts.
“You are the daughter of Elizabeth Bathory.”
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