"Rebekah... Rebekah... can you hear me? You need to wake up..." I could hear Linda's fading voice as I drifted in and out of consciousness. I don't know why I felt so tired or why I couldn't open my eyes as yet. My body felt heavy and I just wanted to lay there in complete darkness without opening my eyes to events I had seen. But even if I wanted to open them, I couldn't. Well, it was more like I wouldn't or rather I was too scared to.
Too scared to open my eyes to a reality I refuse to accept. Scared that I would only see the ripped flesh clinging to Lizzy's face. To only see the dark ugly bruises littering her neck and to smell nothing but the scent of rotting flesh. But most of all I was scared that I would open my eyes to only see Lizzy's body in a far worse state than I remember.
I'm scared that once I'm awake I'll be unable to handle the sight of my sister's cold lifeless body. What I had seen was not only horrifying but also unbelievable. Her face and neck had been in a state I didn't think was possible. And to think that it was my own sister who had felt the pain of every one of those injuries. That she was brutally murder in a matter of hours and all the while we were all unaware of the changes that were to come. What was the need for such brutality? All my wandering thoughts had made it far worse to imagine the parts of her hidden under those blood stained sheets?
What would I do if I saw every cut, burn and stab on her body?
Scream?
Break down?
But what good would any of that do? It wouldn't bring my sister back. She would still be a dead, rotting corpse. And I'll never be able to think of her without seeing her perfectly dressed body morphing into the horrifying images of her beaten and bruised body.
I'll never see her walk to the altar on her wedding day or hear her nagging voice as she scolded me for once again mistreating Arthur. I'll never see her hold her first child. I'll never see her live the life she wanted because she's just dead. And you know what? A small selfish part of me wanted to believe that what I had seen was nothing more than a horrible nightmare. That I was stuck in a never-ending dream. That she would be right next to me when I woke up, ready to give me a lecturing about my appearance. But she's just gone...
"Becks, I know you're scared but we need you to open your eyes. Can you please just open your eyes? We're here for you." I could hear Linda's voice crack at the end. Hearing her like this was rare and to be honest it didn't make me feel any better but was I suppose to do? I was hurting on the inside like everyone else.
My life was changing to a point I could no longer figure out what was happening. I'm getting married to a man I could never call mine. My sister is dead. And Scarlet? She hates me. All she sees me as is a pawn in her sick, twisted game to be queen. And not once did she think of the risks I would have to take or the people she would hurt to get what she wants. It was all just a joke. A game. And I was stuck in the middle of it all with no return. My dreams for the future and even my own life didn't matter to her. She only thinks about herself and what she can gain by using others.
And it is times like these that I question if I'm only a disposable game piece to everyone around me.
"Is Rebekah going to be alright? Why isn't she waking up? Should we get Doctor Lily to check on her again?"
"Linda, calm down. She's going to be alright. There isn't any need for Doctor Lily to check on her again. She already told us the medication she gave Rebekah would soon ware off."
Deciding that it was time for me to be brave and swallow my fears, I slowly opened my eyes. I'm momentarily blinded by the bright lights in the room. Blinking a few times I waited for my eyes to adjust to the lights before I tried to move my aching body. After a few seconds, I groaned in pain when I felt the sharp sting in my head and arm when I tried to move.
"Oh my god! You're awake!" I heard Linda scream before I'm engulfed in her arms. I held back the urge to pull away from her as the pain in my arm intensified. Her death hold and rambling were blocked out as I focused on keeping a neutral expression.
"You shouldn't hold onto her so tightly. Her arm isn't healed. She might not say anything but you're causing her to feel unnecessary pain."
Like a frightened child, Linda detached herself from my body and wiped away her tears as she moved to the front of the bed. I sighed in relief the moment she released me and the pain slowly began to subside. This wasn't what I was expecting when I woke up. Yes, I expected a slight pain in my head but I didn't know my arm would be bandaged and bleeding as well.
"Why does my body hurt so much? And what do you mean I injured my arm? Didn't I only hit my head when I fainted." I questioned as I sat up, resting my aching head against the headboard. I could feel my body's protest with that small movement. But I ignored it. No one said anything for a few minutes that I almost thought that I hadn't spoken a word out loud but inside my head instead.
I turned my head to the side to ask Linda again but instead of seeing my best friend I saw Prince Marcus. He was sitting in the small armchair next to the bed I was in. His midnight black hair was messy as if he had continuously run his fingers through them. His usually pressed shirt was wrinkled and the sleeves rolled up to his elbows. His face held a tiredness you would see on an old businessman. At that moment he didn't look like a wealthy and confident Prince but a man who refused to accept defeat. He looked like a regular hard working man.
"Rebekah, do you remember what happened before you fainted?" Prince Marcus asked as I frowned at his question. Of course, I remembered what happened. I had finally made up my mind to do what I had to in order for Linda's mother to continue her treatment. After that, I had found out about my sister's death in the worse way possible. Then I fainted. Did they think me being unconscious for a few hours would make forget everything?
"Of course I remember what happened. What does that have to do with the injury to my arm?" I asked as he sighed. He collected the glass of water on the nightstand and placed it into my hand. He looked like he wanted to say something but chose not to, instead he kept quiet.
"According to Prince Marcus, you accidentally knocked over some of the test tubes and beaker when you fainted. The broken pieces of glass embedded themselves deep into your left arm but not your head. Luckily there were only a few deep cuts here and there. Nothing too serious. But the doctor did say that because of the force you hit your head with, it might have caused you to temporarily forget what happened. Also Doctor Lily had used a new type of pain relievers and we were told to keep watch over you in case you had a bad reaction towards it." Linda explained as she kept her distance from us. I guess that's why they were so concerned when I didn't give a response to them. Now that she knew I was fine her concerned and frightened expression was replaced with a serious one.
"Alright that explains my injuries and you worrying but it seems like there is something you're not telling me," I said as I took a sip of the water Prince Marcus had given me. I hadn't realized how thirsty I was until I drank some of the water. Finishing off the water in the glass I waited for one them to say something.
"I have seen that you're alright and awake. So I will be taking my leave now. I do believe you and Prince Marcus have much to discuss." Linda said as she bowed her head in respect and walked out of the room making me frown in confusion. Just what in the world is going on?
______
"Prince Marcus is there something you're not telling me?"
I waited for him to say something but he once again he remained silent. Linda had left half an hour ago and he still didn't say anything. All he did was ask the staff to bring my dinner to my room and then he was quiet again. I sighed in frustration as I looked at the wall across the room.
After what felt like hours he finally replied. "It's nothing for you to worry about. You should get some rest. Tomorrow's going to be a busy day with the burial of Lizzy's body. We can discuss other matters afterward." He said as he got off the chair he had been sitting in. I could tell that he was tired but I had questions and I needed them to be answered, now. I may not be in the state to do much right now but I'm determined to get the truth behind Lizzy's death from Prince Marcus.
It was obvious that Lizzy was murdered but the question is why was she the unfortunate one to face that kind of death? Was it intentional? Did they have any leads or a suspect behind her death? Why was her body was in the palace medical wing instead of the town's morgue? How was my family coping with her death? There was so much I wanted to ask and only he could give me the answers I needed.
"That's all you have to say to me? We're going to bury my sister and then you'll tell what I want to know! What is the point of that? You can't just leave me with unanswered questions. I gave you the chance to tell me something about her death since I woke up but you stayed quiet. And you expect me to keep my questions to myself until you feel like telling me!" I shouted in frustration. My head was pounding and my arm was hurting from throwing my hands in the air. But I ignored the pain I felt. I won't let him leave.
I know it was childish to lash out at him but it is in my right to know the truth. Even if I couldn't forget the horrifying images of Lizzy's rotting corpse I still needed to know why her. Why kill someone with little to no enemies? Why couldn't he be honest with me for once? Was it that hard to tell me the truth?
Did he think I was a fragile China doll that would break under pressure? I admit that I'm terrified of hearing what happened but it was better to know rather than to not anything at all.
"Yes, I expect you to stay silent and wait until I'm ready to tell! Why can't you just do that? Look at yourself. You're head and arm are bandaged and bloody. And you're still feeling the side effects of the medication. You need to rest, Rebekah!" Prince Marcus turned around to face me. I hung my head low as I pursed my lips into a thin line.
"I want to know what happened to my sister and I want to know everything now!" I said firmly as I lifted my head to look at him. We both stubbornly stared at each other as he walked in my direction with an angry scowl on his face. I know he was only trying to help but I refuse to wait until tomorrow.
"I'm trying to do the right thing by taking care of you. So, why must you be so stubborn?" Prince Marcus angrily asked as he approached the edge of the bed. I glared at him as he got closer to me.
"What do you think you're do-"