It was dark yet it wasn't night. It was cold, but it wasn't winter yet. It was painful and unbearable yet it felt still numb. She tried to move her limbs but she couldn't. She wanted to lift up a finger but nothing happened despite her trying. She wanted to scream, to call for someone, anyone, but she was muted.
Her blood was boiling and her veins throbbing violently as if they were about to explode. Her heart felt like in a race, and her head like bursting in any moment.
'Why...?' said a petit little voice inaudibly.
"Hmm..." a man hummed from beside where she was. And short after that, scribbling sounds were heard. She tried to move and open her eyes but couldn't. Instead, a low groan escaped her plump, pale, little lips.
"Three minutes and thirty six seconds earlier than last time. Good." the man said looking at his pocket watch, nodding. He stepped nearer to the table-like bed where the little girl was laying.
He took a notebook from the near table on his left and wrote some words and scratched some lines then put it back down."So, how do you feel today?" he asked the half conscious girl while adjusting his glasses.
The little girl finally able to move her eyelids, flickered her eyes open but with great difficulty. Her light gray eyes moved left and right scanning her surroundings. It was a bright white in contrast with the empty black she was in a minute ago. Her gaze met the man's yellowish-green eyes. It looked at her unpleasantly, still waiting for an answer to his question.
Seeing his demanding gaze, her eyes turned from empty and tired to angry and disgusted. The man sighed when she kept glaring at him without an answer. He then looked at her with a fierce look and said coldly: "Let's make it clear, little girl, now and for once. I am the scientist and you, are the mouse. The scientist's job is to study and do researches about things. And to do that, the scientist needs to experiment, usually on a mouse. And you just happen to be that very mouse. Now, either you erase that irritating look of yours and answer my every question honestly, or you become one of those disobedient mice in my collection. Eh? What do you say?
The little girl's vengeful look vanished instantly and tears welled up in her eyes, but she refused to cry and appear more helpless than she already is. She swallowed her saliva and moved her trembling lips and said with a bowed gaze: "It feels numb."
the man kept looking at her for some time. Probably making sure she was telling the truth about what she felt since it was a crucial information for the mission. He then grabbed some scattered papers and went through them thoroughly.
He returned his gaze back to her and ordered her to lift up her right and left arms to which the black haired little girl complied but failed to accomplish.
He hummed again, rubbing his chin with his gloved hand.
"Guess another shot won't harm." he mumbled under his breath.
Although she wasn't feeling fine at all and it was like she was sunk in a dense liquid, her senses were just too sharp that couldn't not to hear his subdued words. Realizing what was coming next, the girl started to shake her tied body violently in a vain attempt to free herself from that hell.
Despite all the ruckus she was making, the scientist didn't even bat an eye. He held a shot full of black liquid, pushed out all the remaining air inside of it, spilling some black drops in the process.
Fear. Only fear roamed the little girl's heart. All of the rage and hatred she had toward the man in front of her disappeared, replaced by a wave of horror. She didn't know what that black liquid was exactly, or what it was made from, but every time it gets into her veins, every muscle in her tiny body would feel like tearing apart. Her blood becomes so hot as if it were boiling and it would be impossible to even breath.
"P-Please! Please don't, please! I'll succeed in every test you put me in, I promise. I don't need anymore shots, I swear. Please Master, please!" she pleaded, tears streaming down her cheeks.
Through all of her crying, begging, and pleading, the man stayed calm. All it took him to shut her up was moving his index finger up to his mouth while glancing at the series of glass containers.
The girl, understanding the man's gesture, gulped dryly. Every glass container has a different kind of creature inside of it, skinned,and still alive. Whenever she disobeyed him, the scientist would bring her to a dark room, the play room as he calls it. She would be forced to watch him, removing the victim's skin bit by bit, enjoying every scream and cry. When the victim passes out because of unbearable pain, he would stop torturing them. Only when they regain consciousness will he resume the game.
[ it's boring to keep playing now that they are sleeping. It's like playing with dolls. It's no fun. Don't you think, mouse?]
she witnessed his madness with her own eyes. And she had no desire to be one of his play things. But still, it was unbearable to get another shot when she barely woke up a few minutes ago. She felt unjust. Why would he, someone she doesn't know, do all of this to her? For what reason?
"All of this is for your own benefit. You should be thankful, mouse." and with that, he injected the black liquid into her wrist and to her whole body.
The once beautiful, now tired and empty gray eyes went wide, and the little girl found nothing but her screams and tears as consolation for what she is going through. She screamed maniacally before falling into the dark again.
****
"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAH"
She woke up from her sleep with a scream. She clutched the bed sheets under her trembling body, trying to even her labored breathing. She looked all around her with shaken eyes and finally realized she was in her bedroom, safe.
The door went open and in came Anna with a worried look on her face.
"Your highness, are you alright?" asked Anna worriedly. Though she didn't get an answer from her mistress, yet Anna had a rough idea of what might have happened.
"Is it another nightmare, your highness?" asked Anna in a soft voice to which the princess replied with a tired nod.
Looking at her mistress with all the tears wetting her rosy cheeks, Anna dropped all her etiquette as a maid to the fireplace and hugged her lady's trembling frame, patting and stroking her back until she calmed down.
*****
It was ten in the morning and it was finally the end of the etiquette course with Mrs. Claire. Though the lady wasn't a stern person, but whenever Elisabeth was with her, she would feel so inexplicably uncomfortable. Maybe because she had a rare pair of yellowish-green eyes that would seem like piercing through your very soul. And so Elisabeth would constantly be nervous while in her presence.
She thought back to the nightmare she had last night. To the man she saw there. He had the same yellowish-green eyes as Mrs . Claire's. She thought that it was because of her nervousness around her tutor that she saw that nightmare.
Little did know that it was the exact opposite.
"Your highness." came the voice of one of the maids from behind the door.
"come in." A young maid came in with a little envelope in her hands. "A letter has arrived, your highness." handing her the letter, the maid excused herself out of the room with a bow.
Today's etiquette course was about emblems of every and each household. So, Elisabeth knew exactly who's emblem it was.
Two southern wolves standing facing each other, holding a full moon with their paws.
"House Krams." she mumbled.