Chapter 8:
N/A:
Hello, Author Almond speaking; just to note, all my chapters don't represent a day if a chapter ends, then continues with another, it doesn't necessarily mean that it's, well, a completely different date.
Depending on what I want to get through to you, I may use up to three chapters to explain one day's worth of information.
Anyhow...
I know my story is a little bit confusing since I haven't explained anything about Ceres, Camille's past, y'know, but don't worry :D.
I have written to around chapter 30 in advance, in terms of the storyline, so, I haven't been writing, too blindly, ;).
Warning; mild swearing.
"Shit"
Elizabeth cursed under her breath, as she groggily propped herself onto her elbows, while cold sweat dripped down her face, drenching both her skin, and small strands of hair.
What the hell was that?
Was it a lucid dream?
It should have been, but...
That felt too real...
She put her hand on her chest, closing her eyes, as she slowly felt her racing heart, and thumping eardrums, slowly amble to a steadier, more harmless melody.
Elizabeth breathed in, raising her chest, as her fingers felt her lungs fill in with air, before it all, forcefully pushed out, leaving with a hollow sound.
But alas, the fear lingered, and didn't seem to leave, and which, resulted in Elizabeth opting for more, different tactics, to try and appease her clobbering bones.
How?;
By simply, squinting her eyes, the propelled anxiety, and elongating fear lessened;
For now, she had finally pulled her self together, escaping from thinking too much, on her current situation, after all, it wouldn't do much good, in the latter.
By any means, she seemed alive, and was breathing fine...And, was in...
The bedroom?
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Wait a second. Why can't I hear...
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Neo?
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Where's Neo?
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WHERE IS HE?
He's not sleeping beside me?
Despite her desperate eyes, her sights set on upon an empty, other-side of the bed, that laid, almost untouched;
Her stomach immediately plunged into a pit.
Where was he?
The small, familiar sound of breathing...
The small little rustles of the blanket...
Where'd it all go?
No.
No.
No.
Nononononononono.
Elizabeth frantically turned her head in every direction, as she only could hear a pounding, dismay gag her throat, suffocating her in an endless cycle.
It felt like the utter, apprehensive end; and it frankly had crawled up to her, as such
Yet, despite how close she seemed, and felt, to be near death's door, it never truly creaked open, and sucked her in, as one would anticipate; instead, it only tormented her, bringing enough distress, to push her onto the brink of insanity.
Shit.
Neo?.....
...Neo...?
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My..God...
P-Please...
Elizabeth lowered her head, as her eyes stung with unimaginable pain, before finally releasing a shower of trickling tears; with a wailing sob sounded across the room.
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"N-Neo..."
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"You're awake honey?"
"...Mom?"
Elizabeth turned around, as she exposed her red, teary-eyed face to her mom, while she sat in a clueless, vulnerable fashion, with her back slumped with gloom.
"Hm? Yes-?"
...
"M-Mom...W-Where's Neo?" Elizabeth croaked, with a dry voice, as she started to curl her mouth into a frown again, ready to start bawling out in weeps.
Elizabeth's mother looked taken back, widening her eyes, while her thin, pink lips parted, before she jingled in a small chuckle.
She brought her hand to scarcely cover her smile; matching her classic, elegant demeanour, which was much to the dismay of Elizabeth.
"Now, look at you, did you have a nightmare again?" She rang out, with a mature-like smile, as she teased her only daughter, while making her way to the bed, with a noticeable limp.
"Mom..."
"Hm?"
Elizabeth smiled sadly at her mother's legs.
She surely worried about Neo...But...How...Could she ignore her mom's limping?
It's alright, to the look of mom's face, Neo should be fine. I'll just focus on the well being of mom, for now.
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She must be in pain...Shouldn't she be in bed right now?
Sighs...
But...
I...
Frankly, she was trying to feel a sense of gratefulness, that her mother had even decided to have gotten out of bed; it didn't matter, what reason had persuaded her to, but she hoped the cause wasn't because of her.
Or, even mildly involved with her.
After all;
They didn't know what Elizabeth's mother had been poisoned with, all they knew, was that Elizabeth's father, died of the same, "illness."
Even though Elizabeth's remaining memories weren't charged with clarity, nor absolute, the ones that she would be able to recollect perspicaciously, were a group of strongly labelled, echoing prospects, on how her parents scuffle with day-to-day life.
Whether it was a memory, of viewing her struggling parents, squeezing their eyes in pain, or simply, staying bedridden; they were etched, and carved with the utmost detail.
Every word.
Every movement.
Every smile.
They were all burnt into her skull, and chiseled with the most, strained accuracy, and perhaps, that was why she had always been abnormally lenient towards her parents; fighting every urge to yell, to argue, all for the sake of her morals.
She knew, exactly just how strenuous it was, to try and endure the pain; yet, all she could find, as an indication of pain, were merely occasional winces.
It truly did frustrate her sometimes;
"If you're in pain, why wouldn't say so?"
She couldn't think of any reasons, except for one;
It was for her.
Were they?
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Ah...They were...
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They were trying hard for her, and their sake; how could she find the heart to argue with them?
All she had to do, was be an obedient, law-abiding daughter, and not bring any trouble to them; she would do so peacefully, until the white flowers would descend from the heavens.
Yet, her wish was soon shattered; her triumph with leniency ended with a terrifying drop, on that fateful day, when she learnt that she was pregnant, with an unknown man's child.
Was she raped?
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But, she hadn't even married yet.
What made it worse, was, as to her expectation, her mother didn't get upset, or even displayed disappointment, in a matter of fact, it was just the way she always was; she never got upset, disappointed, or angry with her daughter, more or less, anyone.
Yet, although she knew her mother's temperament was akin, to a heavenly saint, she felt as if;
she had expected this.
By each passing day, Elizabeth, who became sunken with guilt, condensed her ball of hatred, for the, "lowly", being that lived exclusively in her, and vowed to never have a shred of sympathy, or kindness for, "it."
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Who knew that she'd die in labour?
Such a pitiful lady, wouldn't you say so?
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Elizabeth looked at her mother once again, who had already made her way to the bed, sitting on the edge; her body diagonal from it.
"Neo's outside..."
"Hm? Oh"
Aha, so I could've just walked outside?
"Elizabeth..."
"Yes?"
Her mother then gazed at her with a serious expression, as she took her daughter's hands in hers, gripping them tightly, before her eyebrows furrowed with grief.
"I don't mean to intrude your privacy, since you're quite capable and all..."
"..."
"But where did you go?"
"When I asked what happened, all Neo told me was that, you two were walking up the mountain, when you suddenly collapsed."
Elizabeth didn't respond, and kept watching her mother talk with a hint of anticipation.
"You slept for around, 5 days dear."
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"5 DAYS?"
◢✥◣
I let out a small sigh, as I ran my hands across the wrinkled surface of the white, cotton sheets, smoothing out it's flowing creases.
Bending my back, I crouched even lower, to tuck the edges of it, snugly back into the laying, light-weighted, straw mattress which sat beneath it.
Whooo...
"That should do it..." I mumbled satisfyingly, under my, somewhat staggering breath, while I swayed myself back into a standing position.
Alrighty...
I have lots to do today...
I need to-
Hm?
For some reason, at the thought of doing chores, my gut suddenly churned, with an underlying sense of guilt, or perhaps, with a feeling of something repeatedly nagging at me. Yet, I had no idea why; feeling a little curious, I furrowed my brows, as I tried to recall, exactly what I had, apparently forgotten.
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Hmm...
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Ah...
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Oooo...o
Maybe it's because...
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Ah-
"...Just, forget it."
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"OHHHH, maybe it's because-, ah never mind." I exclaimed, in an airy tone, as my eyes twinkled with excitement, before filling with disappointment. However, much to the display of my eyes, while they stayed focused on the bed;my head continued to spin for a moment longer, before finally succumbing to give up.
Much like one would assume, despite that, my will, desired to simply forget, and to try to ignore such irritating feelings; they don't leave as easily.
Awfully enough, it seemed that it'd had been glued to me, making it even more annoying, since it seemed as if, distractions couldn't resolve this pit of mine.
Did I try distracting myself?
Nope, I had no time to.
After all, who knows that time it is; time is rather precious to me, right now.
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It's...
Sighs.
It's just a tiny bit...Just...a little bit tire..-some...
Rolling my shoulders back, a distracting, sense of unwanted frustration washed over me, before l huffed my shoulders up, before releasing them with a dramatic drop.
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Sighs.
Ok.
Just, ignore it, it'll go away eventually.
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Anyways...Hm...So, what exactly should I be doing?
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I know that I got the bed done, and, well...
Actually, that's pretty much it, I didn't do anything at all, other than...Making the bed.
Ahem.
Then, I have to...
"Crap, what was I supposed to do again?"
Forgetting my train of thought, once again, I slowly closed my eyes, as my hands rested on my hips.
Soon, the room, floored with wooden planks, and two, small beds, dissipated as into a sheet of inevitable darkness, tightly shutting their colours into a temporary state of denial.
I faintly tilted my head towards the ceiling, in a contemplating manner, as I felt the skin under my chin, stretch with a sense of tension; before shutting my eyes closed.
Ok...
Firstly, I got the bed done...So, I don't need to worry about that.
Then...I'll get ready, check on Neo...
Then...I need to wash the clothes again, then go get the bows wrapped, then check on the bamboo shoots, then, get mother's medicine boiled.
I also have to bring Neo to the village, so he can go have fun with the other kids...
After that, I need to-
Wait, no, I have to get his lunchbox done first, before all of that.
Huh?
No.
It depends on the time, right?
What time is it?
I-
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SERIOUSLY, HOW THE HELL DID I NOT WAKE UP IN THE COURSE, OF FREAKING 5 DAYS?
NOW, NOW, I HAVE LIKE, 20 THINGS TO DO, AND...I don't have paper to write it down on...
I took a slow breath in, as I tried to list everything I needed to do, today, at the very least, in complete order;
Let's see...
Ah, this one's for sure;
1. Go down and watch the soldiers do their daily training. —SUPER IMPORTANT.
...
Aha...
Sorry about that, let me restart.
But, I'm not saying I was wrong, because it is, important.
1. Do the bed, and get ready.
2. Make food, and pack it up.
3. Check on Neo, and bring him down to the village, with the lunchbox.
3. Come back up, and quickly boil mother's medicine.
4. Make more food, for lunch.
EXTRA NOTE; don't forget to feed mother food first, then wait for 30 minutes, then feed her medicine.
5. Check the preserved bamboo shoots.
6. Check the time, and record the date: Father's death anniversary is closing in.
7. Do the laundry.
8. Wrap the bows.
9. Check the smoked meat.
10. Make dinner, and give mother her food.
11. Pick up Neo.
12. Give him food.
13. Teach him numbers, cause, he needs to learn numbers. I mean, I was the head of a money-making empire in my past life, I can't have Neo become unable to use numbers.
14. Get him to bed, after brushing his teeth: make sure mother doesn't use magic to brush his teeth, since she's probably exhausted, due to the fact that I wasn't up for the past week.
15. Take a bath.
16. Make plans for tomorrow.
NOTES: find time to apologize to Neo, since we couldn't go, "hunting", like we had promised, and tell him that we'll go soon, once all the work is done.
Also, find a time to have Neo apologize to mother, about the pail; it doesn't matter when, well, but, the earlier the better. Don't forget, you grandma.
And...THAT's it.
YOU GOOO ELIZABETH.
Paper, and pen?
Never heard of them.
Genius?
AHAHAH, RIGHT HERE BABY.
Alrighty.
Cough cough.
Since we've got our stuff listed, let's start.