The ballroom spun around her, shapes twisting and tumbling and the floor swinging about her, like a slightly over-excited clock hand. Well, more accurately she had spun around the ballroom, and now she faced the consequences. So, realistically, the dizzy spell that ailed her was only natural, however Matilda could not fight of her contempt for the feeling of nausea she now fought, and the sickly, bitter bile that rose to the back of her throat was less then pleasant. She had danced, and floated and spun until forced to come to a sickly halt, while she had been sweeping the great floor that she now crouched on, witch had been arguably as contemptuous as her current predicament but it was neither here or there
"Matty?" Called a shrill voice from a worryingly immediate vicinity.
"MATILDA." it called again, much to the dismay of the young girl it was addressing. An elderly, yet stern woman strode into the room, her hair pulled back tightly into a neat bun, and her features arranged carefully into a cold mask of fury and contempt.
"Matty, I find it rather telling that you are sitting there on the floor instead of seeing to your usual duties, have you taken your medication today?" Granny Betts said this as if it was a question, Matilda knew it wasn't, but was instead a rather accurate accusation, so chose to neither nod nor shake her head. Granny sighed in punctuation to her silence.
"Come with me girl, I expect you to first attend the doctors office, where I'm sure your presence will be a especially welcome, then find me again, we have matters to discuss". With that rather ominous remark Granny Betts strode out of the room with a sweep of her great gown, expecting Matilda to follow, and so she did, with a substantially less impressive sweep of her own flat black dress.
The cold stone walls seemed even more frosty that day, and Matilda could remember the way the eyes of the portraits subjects seemed to follow her more than ever that morning. Maybe she did need to take her meds. Granny turned off the hallway into one of the high oak doors that lined it, glancing back at Matilda once more before addressing her.
"Remember, to the doctors office then straight back here, any detours can, and will, land you in a days solitary".
The threat had seemed unnecessary, but Matilda nodded her agreement and solemnly floated down the remainder of the hallway. The door to the doctors office was large, and held only a great white sign with the words 'On site doctors office' printed disproportionately small in the centre, and a similarly disproportionate door Handel and lock laying next to it. Matilda knocked 3 times, then waited solemnly until a bored, male voice bode her "Enter".
So she meekly pushed open the door and stepped into the office. The man that perched lethargically behind the intimidating mahogany desk was potentially the most grey being in existence. His hair was a shocking white grey, and his suit, witch was probably supposed to be black, was instead a similar shade, even his skin was of this dull pallor, though this was much to the shock and worry of those around him, as he was not of the old age that would warrant such a complexion. Despite the overwhelming hue of the man himself, the office was shockingly normal in both colour and contents.
"Miss Anders, please do take the seat" he said, as he gestured to the comparatively small chair in front of his desk. Matilda sat, despite her better interests, and made a point to stare into the mans grey eyes as unflinchingly as possible.
"As you might remember, my name is Dr Grey" she hadn't remembered, his name had always seemed too on the nose be true. He continued, " I wouldn't be surprised if you had forgotten, seeing as you seem to be quite pointedly avoiding me, worrying behaviour from an individual such as yourself". Matilda shrugged, he was bang on the money, but she also felt it would be wrong to outright agree with him.
"Still not talking? You know, our little sessions here won't go away for as long as you refuse to progress, so I suggest that you start trying harder, or for you to at least see me for your daily medications." His words might have warranted a sarcastic or rude tone, but his voice remained flat as ever, and Matilda put a similar effort into remaining as still as possible, as response to his remark. He slid a triad of small black pills towards her alongside a half full cup of water. She took them in one sip, then proceeded to glance pointedly towards the door.
"Go ahead and leave, but be back this time tomorrow, or I'll send Bunny and Hoops after you, and nobody wants a visit from them" another unnecessary threat, but Matilda nodded her head and took her leave none the less, and stepped back out into the cold eerie passage.
The hallway seemed to stretch further then usual, the end seeming miles away, down a twisting vortex of paintings doors and flickering lights. Shadows contorted into the horrific shapes of nightmares, and Granny Betts office door seemed like it was miles away. Matilda thought she felt another person run past her, but all she could focus on was those horrible, swirling patches of darkness, and the ever increasing length of the once average corridor.
She felt her body start to topple over to her left side, and realised too late that she was inches away from crashing into one of the unused doors that lined the hall. However instead of the disconcerting crash of her own head hitting hard oak that she had expected, the door swung inwards with an ominous creak allowing her into the room. As she studied the dark wood of the floor, witch she now realised was worryingly close to her face, she heard a mildly disturbing bang and click from behind her, that sounded uncomfortably like a door closing, and locking itself.
Darkness surrounded her.