Her choice and his
Some time in the 1800,
The weather was horrible. She had lost all the feeling in her finger tips and her nose hurt like hell.
It hasn't ever been this cold, she thought.
As though she normally went outside during the winter. The season was more pleasant from the inside of the castle. Playing in the snow was something she did only few times when she was younger. Even when she did go out, it never felt like this.
She had been running for the last half-hour. Her breathing was nervous and frantic. The streets she knew well had been long past, and she swirled around and around for a safe place to hide for a time. But, by some doing, no single shop or pub was opened. Someones doing...
It had to be that devil's doing.
The girl never had to work a day in her existence. And here she was; running with all her might, in her heavy gown, in the heavy snow. Life truly could not be worse than this, she repeated to herself over, and over again. In all honesty, she found the idea of dying in the cold winter preferable to what would happen if he caught her. She'd much rather be found frozen in the snow.
That night was supposed to be her younger sister's debutante party. The governor, their father had spared no expense. It had almost been as grand as hers was last year. So of course she wore the yellow, bogus gown her mother had purchased to celebrate her sister's entrance into society. Despite her hesitance.If she had known what would have become of tonight she would have fled in the thickest winter coats and boots before dawn.
Maybe...she would have made it. At least for another day.
As she turned over at the last street, she noticed that she had already reached the woods. The blossom tree stood out immediately.That, she recognized, because that was where it all started.
The season she met him. The devil.
She ran into those woods, holding her dress as high up as she could manage. The streets she didn't know all too well, but the woods she could navigate like the back of her hand. The snow was not as deep in the woods so she no longer had to lift her dress. They were making it so much easier for her to run. She stopped when she came across a pond.
It was frozen over, but the memories of it from spring came flooding in and giving her warmth. That warmth was costing her everything now and would now finally consume her in it's flames. She wished she could take back those warm memories, and never met him.
Tears flowed down her cheeks without a sob. There was no way she could escape him. She always tried, but it never worked when it came to him. He always found her and showed up when he willed. She cried even more as when she realized how useless it was to even attempt escape in the first place. Her mother had been right when she called her stupid.
" Reminiscing?" an all too familiar voice said.
Her gut wrenched as a warm wind swept her face. She knew who it was. A " You." was all she managed, with her back facing him.
His low chuckle echoed as he walked towards her back." That was not an answer."
He brushed his hand across her neck, exposing her collarbone, ever so slowly. His touch sends shudders down her spine for all the wrong reasons. He was here to end her life, yet all she could think of was how warm his hands felt against her frigid skin.
" Just do it already." the girl whispered. She felt that warm wind again.
The hand slides to the nape of her neck and stays there. She hadn't seen his face yet, but she could tell he was smiling. As he usually does, enjoying the worst of things.
" Were you crying? You really shouldn't. It will only make this worse for me." He said, in a tone that made him seem emotional. " It's not like I truly want to harm you, love. I haven't got a choice really."
A sad smile sweeps across her face. " You make it sound like I'm the one in the wrong. All I did was love you."
" Well, If you say it like that, I sound like the one in the wrong." With his strong arms, he turns her over to face him. " I loved you too."
What a load of horse shit.
He places the gentlest kiss on her forehead, and then on her nose and lips. She couldn't help but sob this time. This was the very last kiss she would get. How ironic. Her first and last kiss would come from her first and last love. The universe surely was cruel. The real irony was the fact that her so-called love would be the one to end her stupid life.
He gazes at her with a menacing smile. " Any last wishes," he asked.
She sniffled. " You wouldn't be so kind."
" I never jest about a wish." he softly replies. He glides his hands down to the start of her hips. " Yellow suits you, love." He added.
She held her breath and smiled at the compliment. Her face went sour again. His words were meaningless now. Yet like a fool, she clung to his soft gentle whispers.
" Make my death meaningless to all that would care. I don't want to be remembered and cause my family pain. In fact...make it as though I never lived." She said to him, putting up a bold front. " Even to you."
He stopped smiling. The look on his face turned to glum. " How selfless. Quite typical of you."
He takes a huge breath and meets her eyes with grim. " Wish granted."
" Thank you, Dynos."
" Anything for you... Danielle."
Snap!
Her neck was more fragile than he had thought. For a moment he wished he hadn't done that. What if she was in pain? He brushed it off, telling himself it was only for a second. He always had a way of making the worst of actions mean nothing. It was the only way he could carry on.
Her lifeless body lay on the iced pond like a doll. He stood over her for several seconds, gazing upon her beauty like the pathetic man that he was.
He touched his cheeks and realized he was shedding tears. He forced a laugh. "Let this be the last time." He remarked to the open as the warm breeze swept him away for what he thought would be the final time.
It wasn't.