The Bewitched Soul - Chapter 2 The River Of Blood
The year 1871
December 13th
It was a bright sunny day in Brookville. It was rare to witness a bright sunny day in Brookville, as it’s famous for its sudden weather change.
Grasping the opportunity, women of Brookville started washing clothes and drying them under the hot sun. Whereas the men were happily farming, children were happily playing around and the birds were sailing through the sky.
It was a Happy-Day for the residents of Brookville.
“Momma, Marrie wants to go play!” little Margaret pleaded her mother to allow her to play outside with her friends. Seeing her big doe-like eyes as serene like morning dew, it was mostly like they were blue and purple at the same time like it had the ability to captivate one’s soul, Emilia finally agreed to let Margaret play.
“Okay. Do not wander around far, it’s not safe,” the mother kissed her cheek and finally let her go.
“Marrie loves Momma a lot!!” the little girl hugged her mother.
“Come home soon Marrie.” Emilia whispered as she saw Margaret stepping out of the house.
As Margaret ran across the fields, her perfectly thick, silk blonde hair rhythmically swayed with the wind. Her eyes scanned around to find her friends. Her plump lips with a natural shade of red were parted, gasping for air.
for visiting.
“Hey there George, Camilia, Rupert!” Margaret shouted.
“Where were you, Margaret? We have been waiting since long.” George complained as he saw the little girl running towards him.
“I’m sorry, I woke up late.” Margaret lied confidently.
“Now come on! Let’s start playing,” exclaimed Camilia.
After playing for a few hours,
The bright sky suddenly turned dark. Lightning flashed across the sky, the hailstones clattered to the ground like marbles spilled from a box. The sky was gray, but far in the distance emerged a doomy black mass.
Emilia felt tense on the doorstep for her daughter to return. She cursed herself for letting the little girl go, even knowing the circumstances. She feared that Margaret might not return if she crossed the field. But for now, she hoped for her only daughter to return safely back to her.
One hour passed…
There was no sign of Margaret and her friends. Emilia knew what would have happened to her.
She rushed back to her room and hesitantly took the silver dagger out of the secret drawer. the moment she stepped out of her house, she saw Margaret running towards her crying.
The rough blustery winds buffeted the little girl’s dress. She rushed into her mother’s warm embrace. Finally, she found herself to be safe, engulfed in the embrace it gave her a barrier of protection. Her mother’s strong arms wrapped around her small body, promising her well-being.
“Mo-m-maa..” Margaret shuttered.
“They killed my friends.”, the little girl buried her face in her mother’s chest. Emilia said nothing as she knew this was coming. From the day she gave birth to Margaret, she knew the possible dangers wandering around her.
Five years ago,
When Margaret was born, Catherine, Emilia’s maid warned her about the dangers surrounding her.
“Are you sure? Will it be safe to keep this baby alive? You know very well that they are after you!!”, Catherine warned Emilia.
“She’s the only hope for me. I vow to protect her till my last breath. She must live.”, Emilia told as she looked at the crystal child. She smiled as she noticed that her child had her features, her doe-like eyes, straight small nose, skin as white as porcelain, except for the saphire blue eyes and blonde hair which she inherited from her father, which she knew would cause trouble in the near future.
The girl had a moon shaped birthmark on her left chest. A crescent moon surrounded by 3 stars, which when connected formed a triangle. Touching the birthmark, Emilia smiled bitterly. She must protect her precious asset from them.
———————-
“Margaret listen to Momma,” her mother pleaded with her hands cupping the small face.
“The world is not a safe place for you. If I leave you, do not cry okay? You must live”, the crying mother tried to pull her lips to smile but she failed.
She wrapped a simple pendant around her daughter’s neck.
“Keep this pendant safe, never lose it. It’s very special. Remember N-E-V-E-R L-O-S-E it “, the girl nodded as she carefully listened to her mother.
“Momma loves you,” Emilia kissed her daughter for the last time.
Having no idea of what was happening, she saw her mother leave the house without turning back.
Moving out and running towards the barren land near her house, Emilia took out the dagger she hid in her pocket. The rain kept pouring. The scent of rain was dark and strong. The sky roared with the lightning flashed the dark sky.
A group of black mass stood in front of her, surrounding her in all directions. She noticed each one of them. Her pitch black eyes turned into blood red. She grew stronger. She took a step forward.
As a fighter in her youth, her moves very smooth, she pierced the dagger into the heart of one of the beings. A loud scream echoed, followed by another. She kept on killing them with grace and her bold moves. While attacking another, one of them stabbed her back. She stumbled upon the ground. She stood up in spite of the pain and managed to kill the remaining two. She knew that she was stabbed by a poisonous dagger, the poison which promised her short time in her hands.
Far away, a tall black hooded man approached her. Looking at the approaching figure, Emilia recognized him as the one who killed her husband.
“You’re still strong Emilia,” smirked the man.
“Always,” Emilia replied.
“Tsk-Tsk No, look at you now Emili… seeing you in this state makes me sad. Your one wrong decision landed you here. You could have accepted my proposal back then Emili… you–” he spoke as he was cut off by Emilia.
“Shut up David!! I’ve only loved one person… I loved him and will keep loving him.” she revolted.
“You can never have me, David.” she groaned in pain as the poison started to spread through her body.
“Then die.”, he smiled.
With one swift move, he pierced the dagger through her heart. She smiled at him as she laid on the ground drowned in her own pool of blood. The rain showered on her and formed a small river of blood flowing towards the feet of the man who killed her.
Looking up, he closed his eyes as the rain washed his face.
Meanwhile, Margaret kept herself hiding in a secret place which she discovered when she used to hide from her mother while playing indoors. Never could her mother find her once.
Hearing the tearing flesh and screams of the people around her, she hid in the corner.
Little did she know that she had her last safe hug from her mother. The embrace which would keep her warm for eternity. She cried silently, wishing for her mother to come back and shower her with kisses and hugs. A few hours ago, everything seemed perfect until the moment her world drowned in the ocean of blood. She grabbed the pendant and kept it close to her heart.
The pendant glowed.