Present time
The village's cobblestone streets had become ghastly rivers of gore.
It had been thirty minutes, thirty torturous minutes of the immense pain they had brought down on me. I crouched in my pool of blood, my expressionless face reflecting off the surface. Staring back at me was not the same Eleena I was before. Her eyes are a dull grey, unlike the intimidating smokey grey I used to have. Her cheeks are sunken, lips cracked and silky ebony hair now matted and bloody. I had become her, the Eleena in the reflection. The Eleena that was broken beyond repair.
The sickening crack of the whip against bone was enough to pull me out of my thoughts, the sound ringing in my ears.
I winced.
I bit my tongue to keep myself from screaming out loud. Trails of saltwater flowed down my eyes, the briny tang of tears coating my mouth. The wheezing of what must be my clogged nostrils became louder as the burn intensified on my back. What had I ever done wrong to deserve this? Who knows what pain and suffering the village Elders had in store for me.
Blood continued to flow down endlessly from my back, gushing from the newly reopened wounds of the past. I braced my hands on the muddy ground, anticipating the next strike. The whip cracked as I reined in my breathing, now fast and short. I won't give in. No, I had to keep my wits together, to stay strong for my family and myself.
The crowd of villagers jeered and laughed, their eyes burning holes into my body. I could see them exchanging coins, betting on how long it will take for me to release my first scream. The village Elders themselves were here. Dimitri, Japeth, and Gaius, the trio of men who had brought down this fate on me. Their eyes glinted with power and satisfaction as they observed, cruel smirks dancing on their lips. Along with them stood my family, arms bound by iron chains, forced to watch their sister's or daughter's unproven punishment. Alistair, the eldest brother, stood stone-faced and cold, unseeing and unblinking. My father hung his head in shame and embarrassment, not bothered to look at his daughter. Theodore, by far the most compassionate one of the family, watched me, his eyes welling with tears. I locked gazes with him, restraining myself from running up to him.
"Everything is going to be alright. I promise," he mouthed.
I cracked a small smile at that. Both of us know by heart that that was an absolute lie. I had been mutilated for at least a year now. Every month I would be brought to the town square to be whipped and beaten, entertaining thousands of villagers, including my family. Each time doesn't get easier. A shudder skittered down my spine at the thought.
"You know it's not true," I mouthed back.
He smiled sadly in understanding.
The pain had become unbearable now. I reached my shivering fingers towards my back, gently brushing them across torn skin and raw flesh. I gasped out and fell forwards, the heavy metal chains cuffed around my wrists and ankles clacking noisily on the ground. It had hurt like hell. Amazing how such a simple contact can bring forth so much agony. Bile stung in my throat.
Silence reverberated in my ears except for the faint sound of a woman's high-pitched shriek in the distance. It was a pleading wail, accentuated with the loud crack of the whip. My body was shaking. Was it from unfairness or fury, I didn't know. The screaming abruptly stopped, only to be replaced by my ragged panting. My throat is unusually hoarse as if I have just drunk liquid fire. Sweat beaded on my forehead and dry blood flaked off my scar-covered skin. Fresh blood flows down lazily down my back, collecting in puddles under my knees.
I then realised that I was the one screaming. My torturer had left, nowhere to be seen. I let out a sigh of relief. I didn't know how long more I could hold up for. I let my heavy eyelids droop as I spend the cherished few seconds of peace.
I must have dozed off, as the steady sound of slow clapping jolted me out of my daze. I whipped my head around, trying to see where the source of the noise was coming from, wincing at the sudden jerk of movement. Three figures emerged from the crowd, an aura of authority clinging to them. They continued clapping, a steady rhythm accompanied by their low laughs. They were cloaked in capes with hoods, their hoods drawn up even though it was a scorching summer day. I snickered quietly under my breath. Who do they think they are? Walking around as though they are fine kings. With a flick of their hands, their hoods are down revealing themselves to be the village Elders. Immediately, everyone bows but I refused to, instead setting into a hard stare, unflinching.
"Had a fun time Eleena dear?" Japeth, the second-eldest of the brothers drawled, his eyes scanning the crowd before sliding back to me.
I glared at them, pouring all the hatred and disgust into that one look. They are playing a dangerous game and I know it. I will not give them the satisfaction of using me as a pawn. The villagers slowly filed out in orderly lines, giving us some privacy.
"Of course, my lords," I say sweetly, sarcasm dripping off every word. I mentally cursed at them as I batted my eyelashes and smile.
Their raspy chuckle echoed in the air. Oh, they know. They know that I am walking a very fine line. This is indeed a very treacherous game.
"Eleena, Eleena, always the bold one," Gaius sighed as though scolding a child, "haven't you already learnt your lesson? Look at what happened to you the last time you stood against the village Elders. Haven't you had enough?"
I cringed. No, anything but that. I will not let them use me, never for the rest of my life. I shoved down the memory as it threatened to replay, glimpses of my family tied to wooden stakes flashed before me.
Bastards.
"Do you mean what you have brought onto the human realm?" I spat, "On you? On me? On everyone in this cursed village? Do you know what the faeries would do if they heard about how you-"
"Don't speak of another word bitch," Dimitri said, anger lacing his voice.
"You fool," hissed Gaius, "you know what happens when you say their name, it summons them."
They looked around frightfully as though they thought someone was watching us before all three of their heads snapped towards me. Anger was evident in their eyes as well as annoyance, loathing, and ... fear?
I grimaced. I had forgotten how powerful saying the name of their kind could be. No human dared talked about them, not unless they had a death wish.
Faeries. That single word burned into my mind. Creatures of beauty and wealth that live on the uppermost section of the land we shared. Rumour has it that they are bloodthirsty and inhumane savages, keeping human slaves as their personal pets. The humans had rebelled against the faeries of course, only to have their lives lost to the merciless fae. A full out war had raged then, killing millions of innocents from both parties. It was known as the human-fae war. After years of fighting, rulers from both sides had decided that it was enough, as the casualties were too high. They then came together to sign a truce, therefore creating the Covenant of Peace. The Covenant of Peace still stands to this day, keeping humans and faeries apart in reprieve.
I shuddered.
I was surprised and confused, to say the least. All humans and faeries know from birth of the Covenant of Peace forged millennia ago after the human-fae war. No human or faerie is allowed to cross onto foe's land or else they would be damned to have their life ended or forced to live with their oppositions' kind for eternity. So why are they afraid of faeries entering the human realm?
They dragged their eyes back to me, sickly sweet smiles plastered on their faces. I gagged.
"Now where were we?" Japeth stalked forward, like a predator advancing on its prey. He took his time, savouring every step. "Oh right, I remember now. We were just having a nice little chat."
I squirmed under his cold gaze, his eyes looking deep into my soul. A glint of metal catches my eye in Japeth's hand. I gasped and stumbled backwards, trying to get as much space as there is between him and myself.
"No ..., no ..., no ..., no ...!" I said, fear building up inside of me, "What do you want to do to me? What do you want from me?"
He has a dagger. Its silver blade gleamed wickedly under the hot afternoon sun. Japeth's grin widened, a sadistic gleam in his eyes.
"Answer my question Eleena and all this can end," Japeth said gesturing to me, to all the scars that now marred my body, "all your suffering would stop if you just give me the answer. I swear." He mocked an innocent look before returning to his ever-growing grin.
Japeth edged closer to me, so close that his warm breath tickled my ear as he spoke. My heart thumped rapidly in my chest, trying to break free. I know what the question is. I know what I was going to say is true, it was just that they refused to believe it. My breathing shallowed.
"Did you break the treaty to come into contact with a faerie?" Japeth whispered. Tension thickened in the atmosphere.
I stopped breathing.
"No," I replied firmly, clenching my hands to stop them from shaking.
He frowned at my answer, casually twirling the dagger between his fingers.
"I really thought you would tell us the truth this time around Eleena," Japeth said. He shrugged, the simple gesture enough to make my confidence falter. "Well, I guess I was wrong." A bitter feeling settled in around me.
Before I could do anything, his pale fingers wrapped around my chin, cold fingers biting onto my rather warm skin. He jerked my head upwards forcing me to look into his harsh brown eyes. Japeth held his dagger on my skin and slashed it across my cheek, deep enough to draw blood. A trail of crimson was left in its wake. As quickly as it came, he dropped his hold and stood, walking back to his brothers. I instantly clutched my cheek, smudging the blood.
"Let that be a reminder to you Eleena dear," Japeth spoke, his brothers cackling in the background, "never mess with the Elders."
And with those final words and a swish of their cloaks, they were gone.
A wave of relief washed over me. I let myself weep, letting the wall I had built to contain my emotions come down. I was vulnerable seeing as I didn't have an audience, or so I thought.
A twig snap was my only warning as someone's fist collided with my jaw. I was launched sideways due to the strong momentum. Another brutal blow was thrown at me this time aiming for my stomach. Blood sprayed out of my mouth, its sweet metallic flavour coated my tongue before I slipped into oblivion. Darkness consumed me whole.