"What? I didn't???" Madam Giselle wasn't going to listen to Veronica. Her daughter was hiding behind another headmistress a few feet's away, and Veronica could've sworn she saw the little psycho stick her tongue out mockingly and pull on her eyelids to degrade her.
"Wait—" Veronica wanted to plead for Madam Giselle to hear her out but the woman ran out of patience and lunged her fist into the doll's cheekbone. Veronica could feel her brain rattle within her skull after the collision. It was another reminder that there was a clear difference in physical strength between a witch and a human woman.
Veronica stumbled to the ground, her hand on her cheek as she fought back her threatening tears. Isabella was terrified though she wanted to help but her body had no will to move.
The other girls watched in silence as Madam Giselle continued with her battering despite Veronica's attempt to protect herself. Blood was all over Giselle's fist, it was getting a little too gruesome, even for Tulips to watch.
"Madam Giselle..." The other head mistress present had to intervene between the two women on the ground before the weaker one dies.
Giselle had to control her anger, but she wasn't done with Veronica yet. She yanked the girl by her head and pulled her across the field. The girl's skin grazed the hot ground with small sharp stones that left wounds on her body, and holes in her dress.
Giselle dragged her all the way to the punishment chamber. A cold, dusty place naughty dolls were placed in and most times Veronica made up the high percentage.
"I'm getting tired of you. One more offense and I will kill you I swear." Giselle threw Veronica in before forcing the door shut and walking away.
Veronica balled up at a corner and tucked her head in her knees before letting out her tears and sobbing in a faint whisper. She had no regrets for helping her friends but now that she was in the cell she could show her weak side and release the sorrow deep in her heart.
Once darkness came upon the land, the dolls had set up their dinner. The Madams allowed the girls to eat for the night but Veronica was to be denied food and water for the meantime.
On the long dinner table for the dolls, all they had was leafy greens and a few fruits to share while the madams had roasted cows and pigs, huge platters of fowl stuffed with savoury fruit and nuts, root vegetables, creamy sauces with garden herbs and the best hand picked fresh tomatoes.
"Ladies" Isabell spoke low but loud enough for the girls seated around the table to hear.
"Veronica hasn't eaten all day. I feel guilty. She's the one that has taken the beating whenever we were in trouble…"
"So?" Bianca, one of the oldest dolls said loudly and it caught the attention of the madams but in a sec, they continued with their food.
"I… I thought that maybe we'd sneak food to her. The leaves are barely enough to sustain us but I'm sure it'll—"
"Leave us out of it Isabell unless you want to get us dollified or even killed. We never asked Veronica to help us. She's probably aroused by the pain…"
The other girls on the table snickered and it angered Isabell, but there was nothing she could do. She mentally didn't have the strength to drag on the matter so she decided to handle it herself. Once it's time for cleanup, she'd sneak to the dungeons and sneak her food to Veronica.
A few hours later, wearing a cloak and stealing a lantern, Isabell scurried down the spiral staircase with the short time she had, but little did she know she was being followed by Bianca who wanted to make sure she was heading where she suspected, the chambers.