Darkness was all Alexa could discern amidst the chaos of her mind. The last thing she recalled was gazing at the car hurtling towards her. Daniel, her brother, sprinted over to her, his words unintelligible. She remembered the metallic taste of blood in her mouth and the throbbing pain in her head. Her brother's anxious expression was the final image etched in her memory before she succumbed to unconsciousness. From then on, everything was engulfed by a shroud of silence and darkness. Until, now.
Now, the silence had been overtaken by the faint sound of music. Not just any music, but the kind Anna hated. She groaned faintly and breathed deeply, trying to calm her anxious heart. Fragrances of flowers she couldn't place infiltrated her senses, further soothing her nerves. Her eyes felt heavy as she struggled to open them. Slowly but surely, her eyes fluttered open to reveal a warmly lit room. However, her head was pounding, the pain relentless.
With blurry sight, Anna scanned the room. She came to realise she was lying down on a soft cotton mattress. Nothing like the hard worn out mattress she was used to at her dorm. As she turned her head to the side, she noticed the walls made of wooden panels. "Where am I?" She wondered aloud.
As Anna's eyes adjusted to the light, she noticed the gentle flicker of candles casting dancing shadows across the room. The warmth of the room enveloped her, contrasting sharply with the cold dread that had filled her moments ago.
Struggling to sit up, Anna winced as a wave of pain shot through her head. She reached up to touch her temple, feeling the tender bruising. Memories of the accident flooded back, sending a shiver down her spine.
Pushing aside her discomfort, Anna forced herself to focus on her surroundings. The room seemed familiar, yet foreign at the same time. The rustic wooden panels, the soft glow of the candles—it all felt strangely comforting yet unsettling.
As her gaze traveled around the room, she noticed a small bedside table adorned with a vase of fresh flowers she had never seen before. Their sweet fragrance filled the air, mingling with the scent of the burning candles. Anna couldn't help but wonder who had placed them there, and why. Feeling a surge of curiosity and apprehension, Anna swung her legs over the edge of the bed and gingerly pushed herself upright. Anna expected the very movement to send a jolt of pain through her body, but instead, she seemed to be fine as her feet painlessly landed on the carpeted floor.
With tentative steps, Anna made her way across the room, her senses on high alert. She noticed the tomes of books that were stacked against a wooden table. As she made her way to the books, she noticed the portraits on the wall that seemed to be framed with gold. The beauty of them all took her by awe but when she saw the painting on one particular portrait properly, her jaw almost dropped to the floor. It was a painting of her dressed in a ball gown.
A sense of unease crept over Anna as she approached the portrait, her eyes scanning every detail. The likeness was uncanny—the same brown eyes, the same tousled hair, the same freckles scattered across her cheeks. But how could this be possible? How could there be a portrait of her in this unfamiliar room? She had never worn a ball gown in her entire life.
Her mind reeled with questions. Just then, a voice interrupted her thoughts.
"My lady, why are you not dressed yet?" Startled, Anna spun around to find a figure standing in the doorway, their features obscured by the dim light of the room. The figure was tall and imposing, dressed in attire that seemed straight out of a historical drama. A long coat with intricate embroidery, a waistcoat adorned with golden buttons, and polished leather boots—all gave the impression of someone from a bygone era.
"My..My lady?" She stuttered, her heart increasing its pace "who are you?"
"Come now lady Rosaline" The woman stepped into the light. She seemed to be no older than Anna herself. Her green eyes looked at Anna in all seriousness "This is no time to play around. Your presence is expected at the ball." She chided looking around the room "And you have neither bathed nor changed clothes. We better hurry if we want you dressed and ready in time."
"I don't understand.." Anna tried wrapping her head around everything that the woman was saying. Before she could comprehend the words however, the woman pushed anna into a small adjacent room that was drowned in darkness.
"Strip, please." She said, rushing around the room to light the many candles that were tactically placed.
"You don't understand..I am not Ro-"
"Please." The woman urged "Just strip, my lady."
As the woman busied herself with lighting the candles, Anna couldn't help but steal glances at her. Despite her authoritative demeanor, there was a softness in her eyes that hinted at kindness. But Anna couldn't shake off the feeling of being trapped, like a pawn in a game she didn't understand. Feeling a sense of unease creeping over her, Anna hesitated, unsure of how to proceed. But the urgency in the woman's voice spurred her into action. With trembling hands, she began to unbutton her tunic, her movements slow and uncertain.
As she peeled off her clothes and stood there in nothing but her undergarments, Anna couldn't suppress the wave of vulnerability that washed over her. She felt exposed, stripped of her dignity and privacy. But the woman didn't seem to notice or care, her attention focused solely on her task at hand.
Once all the candles were lit, the woman turned to face Anna, a gentle smile playing on her lips. "I'll get the water ready." She said, moving to heat the water for the bath. Anna stood motionless, her gaze fixated on her reflection in the gold-rimmed mirror before her. The soft flicker of candlelight danced across her features, casting fleeting shadows that seemed to accentuate the lines of exhaustion etched on her face.
Staring into her own eyes, Anna couldn't help but feel a sense of disconnection—a feeling that this person staring back at her was a stranger, someone she couldn't quite recognize.
Lost in her thoughts, Anna traced the outline of her face with her fingertips, as if trying to grasp onto some semblance of reality. But the reflection remained unchanged, a silent reminder of the uncertainty that lay ahead. Her fingertips grazed over a prominent scar nestled between her bosom. It stood out starkly against the smooth skin, a jagged reminder of some past trauma.
How had she acquired such a scar? Why couldn't she remember it? The lack of recollection only added to the sense of disconnection she felt with her own body. It was as if she were piecing together fragments of a puzzle, each piece unlocking a new layer of her past.
The sound of running water broke through the silence, drawing Anna's attention back to the present. Turning away from the mirror, she watched as the woman carefully filled the tub with warm water, steam rising in gentle wisps.
"Your bath is ready, my lady," the woman said, her voice soft and reassuring. "Let's get you cleaned up and dressed for the ball." The woman ushered her towards the waiting bath,
As she stepped into the warm water, the heat seeped into Anna's bones, soothing her weary muscles. But even in the midst of the comforting embrace of the bath, Anna couldn't shake the feeling of being watched, of being scrutinized by unseen eyes.
Closing her eyes, Anna allowed herself to sink deeper into the water, hoping to drown out the nagging doubts that plagued her mind. Yet, no matter how hard she tried to push them away, they lingered like shadows in the recesses of her thoughts, whispering of secrets long forgotten.
Anna couldn't shake off the feeling that her life was about to take a drastic turn—one that would change everything she thought she knew about herself and the world around her.