TW: disassociation
The lingering umami and aromatic woody smell clash with the earthy smell of soil stirred by little, seemingly inconsequential movements. The hum of leaves and the soft touch of the breeze can be softly heard from the outside mixing with small jibber and jabbers of the people outside of the room.
Waking up, my line of sight is caught by the subtle rays of the sun. The window is slightly ajar and the small gap showed vibrant colors of a bright sunny day.
A breath of relief is what followed. What a peaceful day.
Compared to what I dreamt of, this new day is surely better and I know I'll have to go out and....
Wait. There's no trees outside of my apartment and instead of this peaceful buzz, I should be expecting a busy and rambunctious noise from all of the traffic and busy bustle of the city.
With a jostle and a tumble, I rush up and inspect my surroundings.
No no no no no.
NO!
Why am I still here?
I drop to my knees and a flurry of anxious jitters envelope my body. Why is this happening to me? Did I die? Am I in some sort of coma?
I've got to stay calm and think this through. First, I'll have to confirm if this is really what I think it is.
I scurry and find the vanity mirror from the last time I was here. With bloodshot eyes of amaranthine and a messy twist of jet-black hair, I sigh in defeat. I slowly touch the cheeks. This is not what I look like. This is someone else's face. Someone else. It's her face. Elysia's face.
In a snap of a second, it felt as if I was not there within my body, or is it even mine? Is this even real? I stare at a pair of eyes which do not belong to me. My senses are lost one by one and I feel out of touch with everything around me.
Dull pain travels across my right palms and my left fingers, it intensifies but is oddly comforting.
I hear a faint voice somewhere distant and closes by every second I stare in the mirror.
"....ia....ady....sia! M'lady Elysia!"
My thoughts disintegrating and finally in touch with my senses, I turn around to see a woman wearing a long gown and a sleeveless tunic. She is on both her knees and her hands are on both my shoulders, shaking it violently. Her eyes are watery and her eyebrows are creased. "Wh-what?" I manage to let out a word and she heaves out a sigh of relief.
"I'm sorry for the impertinence, M'lady. However, you were crying while staring at the mirror with a cold expression. I called for your name many a'times-"
I smile bitterly and assure her that I was fine and that I was just thinking of something that upset me.
She was supposed to be the one to wash my face but I told her I needed a minute to think. She was hesitant at first but in the end, I convinced her to leave.
I have never experienced something like that before. I must have been so stressed out and anxious that I disassociated for a minute after seeing my appearance.
With the water and cloth that the maid provided, I start to wash my face and the cool water against my face is all I could ask for this moment. I need to strengthen my will and go forward amidst this confusing 'thing' that has happened to me. I'm in control. If this is truly my story, and I am currently one of the characters, I should be prepared for the future.
I'll have to recall everything that happens in this story, first and foremost.
If I remember correctly, Elysia is currently 16. 4 more years and the story of The Red Rose will formally start.
I peer outside the window and think of how this happened but I won't let this take my resolve down.
A knock on the door was what it took for me to be snapped out of my thoughts. "M'lady, we are here to help you dress up for breakfast with the Mistress."