Can you see them?

Imagine three things, a crown, a sobbing little girl, and darkness. Sounds negative does it? Well the little girl was indeed intelligent, cunning, bold, and truly talented. She could do almost everything in the world though she never surpassed the high expectations of her parents. But two people did, and it was no other than her two elder brothers, they are a respected and popular duo. Would herself and her intelligent mind be enough to avoid these troubles?

You might be wondering whose writing this , to whoever may be reading it. My name is Viviette Xyclovia Vermillion, the young mistress of the Vermillion manor. Though I was never exactly allowed to attend those important cases my brother gets assigned in. I would rather read the books I had found on my fathers study. Fairy tales do exist, just not in this world.

Enough about myself, my apologies that I hadn’t introduced my family as first. My mother, Leanne Elona Vermillion. Elona means alone, so my mother always thought she was destined to be away as an outcast to “the dark world full of lies”. She was a scientist, an author, and most importantly…she loves deciphering numbers and letters. She was a very unique woman, people called her mad or, to say the least a lost cause. Next is my father: Bernadict Xyclon Vermillion, a very noble and serious man. Rumours has it, that he hasn’t cracked a smile ever since he was 15, it spread like wild fire! And lastly my two elder brothers: Vivian Xyriel and Xavion Victor, who I specifically despise. Vivian is quite well known from the cases he covered and succeeded in, he’s quite the trouble maker. He’s good on the acting department as well. Meanwhile Xavion was in the laws and nobility side, he even got himself the nickname “Marquess of the Vermillion Monarchy”. He’s mostly serious like our father, he just avoids speaking to the servants at home and sometimes well…

Enough of the introduction shall we? Let us move on to what actually happened.

1856

It was cold winter night in London, and I was anticipating our parents arrival since they left with out reasons…but I never really questioned it, one of my biggest mistakes. I was a 15 year old naive child with two elder brothers who were either studying or calculating something up alone in their rooms. I sat on the manor stairs , watching the clock go tick-tock-tick-tock I was lost in the non-existent realm of daydreams until I heard a loud knock from the large wooden doors that stood in front of me. It was almost instinct to run up and check through the peephole. There stood my mother, “she looked paler than usual with dilated pupils” I took note. As I heard my brother Xavion voice’s echo from upstairs

“Who is it?”

“Mother is back so soon”

I spoke while peeking through the peephole for confirmation, and there I saw my mother’s face once again. I felt a wave of unease wash over me. She isn’t moving at all, just paralyzed like a corpse

“What do you mean she’s back? Her and father are still in Yokohama.”

I froze.

I turned my head to look in the peephole one last time and he was right. Mother was never here, there was nothing outside. Just the cold air ruffling the leaves and making them sway through the black starry night.

“Viviette, for heavens sake. Get to bed, they aren’tcoming home until the next week.”

“Oh?”

I blinked, the state of shock I felt was faltering slowly. “A deep breath is all it takes” I mumbled to myself before nodding and swiftly returning into my chambers. Just before I opened the door, Xavion spoke.

“You saw something, did you?”

I halted, as my mind went blank in the process. He knew what I saw, did he? I turned to face him and he was already gone, droplets of water splattering onto our windows. It had started to rain, and the night was only going to get deeper.

I slid into my room, locking the door behind me. As I sat on my bed while blowing out the candle to dim my room much more. I watched as the darkness enveloped me. Normally the dim lights feels like a comforting shadow,, but now…it feels like there’s a tall figure looming over me, an eerie and negative presence. Taking a deep breath I laid down while shutting my eyes tightly due to the unease creeping onto me once again, to the point until I drifted off to deep slumber.

Around 5 am, the light started seeping In through the window opening, hitting my face. I sat up while groggily rubbing my eyes, yawning tiredly. It had to be early in the morning due to the chime of the nearby clock tower signifying that it was turning 6. I got up and headed downstairs though…my brother “Vivian” even “Xavion” wasn’t home as well.

“weird…they were always home”

I mumbled to myself when I heard a loud bang in the living room, I flinched from the sudden distraction of the peaceful environment but still managed to take up the courage to investigate. And there was…nothing? I saw my brothers enter and asked if they heard the loud bang as well but Vivian just stared at me like I said something I was never meant to say.

“Its just your hallucinations again”

“I don’t have hallucinations”

“You do”

“I do not, and even if I did it cant be caused by it!”

“Yes, it is, your just not educated enough to understand that what you’re seeing is not real!”

I stared at him in shock by his sudden outburst, tears slowly welling up in my eyes as I watched him storm away. I would admit, It was a hard task for a young girl to not let the tears fall, though I managed to hold it until I reached my bedroom door. I let it fall, tears streaming down my face as I sat tiredly on the tip of my bed. Sniffling and sobbing, it felt like an eternity until I saw something move in the corner of my room. My eyes ached from crying, I felt dread washing over me. A shadow almost carefree and graceful, moving from corner to corner like its…taunting me, Its fast just like an illusion but why does it feel so real? It duplicated…over and over again until it made me fall into a trance.

I woke up in my room, though it looked the same, the warmth and comforting feeling feels like it got sucked right out. Its dim, no where to look at. I felt trapped, helpless, vulnerable. Their watching me, words that sound like a broken record, never ending, always repeating. I looked around, eyes started to appear from the shadows, watching my every move. Like their watching their favourite show, they find me amusing. Like a little circus toy, their scaring me but I can’t say anything. I’ve lost my voice, there’s nothing I could do…Tears fell from my eyes, I felt like a used puppet. I felt bad, the darkness swallowing me whole. I saw my parents in the crowd, my naïve self attempted to run towards them but they shoved me to the ground. Eyes filled with hatred and disgust, They abandoned you, the entities whispered, repeating it like they regularly did. They know my weak spots, I scoffed in annoyance, It went quiet, too quiet. The sensation felt like I was getting pricked by needles per word leaving their mouth, I felt like a withered flower. Resentment attempting to fill my heart, and it was working. Very clearly. I dare not speak, it is best not to give into the illusion of the wicked. I blinked, and everything changed once again.

In just split seconds, I was outside my house. Again it had this creepy old feeling. The surroundings felt wrong, too colourful, too lively, and the people? Too happy. I looked around once more, The streets weren’t made with bricks anymore…its filled with luscious plants that were quite hard to find, especially near the manor. I reached out to touch one of it but…it disappeared into thin air. The mood shifted in to something more disturbing. Fire spread everywhere. Screaming, crying…then someone yelled my name?”

“There she is! Viviette Xyclovia”

“Burn the outcast!”

“She doesn’t belong here!”

“She has taken the life of lady Leanne Elona!”

“What a disgrace”

“Burn her!”

“Burn her!” “Burn her!”

I heard them chant, I didn’t understand what they said. All I saw was people holding torches with fire, their eyes fuelled with anger and hatred. What do they mean I killed my mother? Someone framed me. Someone threw a locket towards me, a locket that had strands of my mothers’ lamp black hair. I looked up and there stood my two brothers, one with a expression filled with loathing, and another whose emotionless. Vivian managed to crack a smirk before he spoke.

“Oh, Viviette…How could you do this to our mother?”

“You….framed me, how could you?!”

I yelled, tears started forming. Not due to the sadness of the situation yet the resentment of being pushed aside my whole life. Vivian walked closer and kneeled in front of my face, his eyes showed no mercy whatsoever. He leaned in and whispered on my ear, his voice turning cold as ice.

“To show you who’s the real outcast between us”

I froze in fear as he walked back to the crowd, he was playing the victim. Again…The light of the fire reflected from my pupils as I watched them dash towards me. I shut my eyes once again until I heard cracking, I peaked one of my eye open and Scream. I fell? I’m falling… I’m falling! I opened my eyes fully until I hit the dark marble like ground with a thud. I woke up, breathing heavily as I frantically look around my room. It was still dark outside, It took a while to calm myself but once I finally managed to, I got up and quietly tip toed down the stairs. It would be unpleasant to wake my brother, especially in the alarmed state I was in. I managed getting inside the kitchen and successfully getting some fresh water without creating any additional noises. I frowned to myself, that dream…It felt so? Real. I felt it all, the emotions, the fear. I flinched, someone’s here with me. And no, its not my brother this time.

Let me ask you something, have you ever felt like there’s somebody watching you. Even if you cant see anyone? Maybe check, because you never know when are they going make their move.

I put my glass down, a shadow as graceful as it could be, was in the living room.Apprehension getting to me as I stared at it. Every second feels like an eternity, I blinked…It only got closer. I cant move, Its moving closer. Its body flowing like mist, and the worst thing? Only I could see it, and I have absolutely no idea why. As it was moving, It vanished into thin air.

I blinked, the quiet cold air settling in my skin. The loud chime of the bell was heard clearly outside, echoing in the halls. It was morning already? It was night and dimmed outside just minutes ago, how could the sun already rise up this fast? Questions flooded my mind, I didn’t even noticed my Vivian walking downstairs. I only looked up when he called out to me.

“Viviette, why exactly are you awake at sunrise? You’re supposed to be asleep at this time of day. Have you took the medication that father gave you?”

“Vivian…I was just going to drink some water.”

“This early? Viviette, are you in the right mind to lie to me.”

“I did not lie to you, I am not that reckless.

I spoke, annoyance laced in my tone. I saw him frown, its clear he didn’t believe me but he its quite good that he didn’t push any more. He sighed and walked past me to order the servants to serve breakfast for the three of us. I stared at him and recalled the memories from my dream. It was disturbing

To say the least.

Before I could say anymore, Xavion entered the room as a wave of tension filled the room. I could hear Vivian scoff in annoyance. The silence was deafening.

And there it hit me..in the most literal way I suppose. Excruciating pain exerting from the back of my head. Stumbling, I gripped my own hair before falling back and hitting my head on the ground with a loud thud. The feeling of slipping away into a realm of subconsciousness doesn’t exactly sound too pleasant. Could I possibly ask…is it normal to feel like your getting torn apart?, it feels like my skull is being cracked open by a force that doesn’t even exist, or does it? Know I hadn’t even noticed.Where exactly am I?