CONCIOUSNESS - SINKING TO REALITY
“You’re awake?”
Laurence heard a voice despite her feeling heavy and battered. It was low and dignified. Like it was mask with the sense of time and the experience he had accumulated over the years. Slowly, she opened her eyes revealing a luxurious chandelier hanging above her and a black and red room where she was staying.
‘Where’
Laurence’s body felt so heavy and her throat was dry. She can’t seem to moved even her fingers and her whole body was burning. Still, she can moved her pupils. Instinctively, she looked at her left where she can see a blurry figure of a man seated in a chair reading a book with his cane rested diagonally on a table near her.
As her vision gradually adjust to the light. Laurence saw the man with gray sideburns wearing a gold rimmed glasses. He looked like a middle age man who was a prime back in his youth. Perhaps he was already 40 years old. However, despite of the age, his deep blue eyes and dignified actions had told Laurence that this man wasn’t just a noble. Furthermore, there was sense of mysteriousness surrounding him the longer Laurence stared at him.
“W-Who?” she managed to let out a voice. It sounded pathetic and hoarse.
The man stood up, putting the book down on the table and walked towards the pitcher pouring a cup of water and then giving it to her. “You have been unconscious for the last three months. It’s winter now.”
Laurence glanced at the window seeing the tress with only their branches and the pile of snow laying on the ground. She also noticed the fire burning on the fireplace inside the room.
For a second, her mind processed on what was happening to her. She doesn’t have any idea and her mind was still buzzing and hazy. Laurence tried to appear calm but she was utterly confused.
Laurence tried to lean on the headboard of the bed. She then took the cup the man was handing to her. She took it expressing her little gratitude before downing it inside her mouth.
Feeling the warm water spreading on her chest, she heaved a sigh of relief.
However, in that instant, like a thunderbolt landing inside her brain, her memories flashed in her mind remembering all of what had happened in the past months before she miraculously ended up here.
Laurence saw the cold reflection of water under the moonlights rays and the images of people who wanted her death.
Right, she was drowning before she got here. All of the emotions she felt in that time mixed with rage slowly crawled to her. Her heart started pumping heavily as she felt her body burning up. Laurence’s cheeks turned flushed as her eyes teared up.
Her breath started to get uneven as her fingers trembled.
Laurence buried face on the pillows and sheets beside her. She wanted to shout but her body was weak and she can’t express her emotions further than this. In her mind, memories of pain, regrets, and despair she had experience were sinking in.
Laurence did not have the time to grief before. She wasn’t able to express her emotions the moment she saw her parents death or when she was falsely accused for she was busy fighting for her life. She was busy trying to save her little pride.
But now, now that she was all alone in this room with a body that looked so thin as a stick, she can only convey and express all of her regrets, confusion, fears, grief, and relief to her tears.
Inside this luxurious room her sob contained every single emotion she wasn’t able to release and it was slowly reminding her that after all the accusation almost brainwashing her that she was really a witch-a devil, these emotions reminded her that she was still a human capable of crying and grieving.
That she was still capable of feeling her grief and regrets. That she, just like all other humans, was feeling the injustice and unfairness she had experience over the time.
However, between the sheets and her sobs, Laurence vowed in her mind that this will be the last time she’ll grieve like this. Laurence vowed that this will be the last time she’ll be pathetic as this.
Laurence thought that she was really drowning and she can’t already be save. Despite of the thought, her prayers inside that water was heard not by the gods but the devil and the darkness lurking deep in the ocean.
Maybe they truly exist or maybe they don’t but there was only one thing clear to Laurence: She was allowed to continue even after experiencing death herself for she still have another purpose in life.
--
An hour after, Laurence felt her eyes hot and red. Her mind was calm now but she was empty inside.
“Are you calm now?” The man asked.
Laurence forgotten him as she was invested with all of her emotions and her vows to herself.
A little while before, the man did not interrupt her as she bawled her eyes out crying. Instead, he sat to where he was seated before and waited patiently like a gentleman he always were.
Laurence felt a little embarrassed crying but such emotion doesn’t matter now. Her embarrassment won’t save her.
“Who?” Laurence expressed her curiosity trying hard to wipe her tears and to calm her heart. The man grabbed the cup placed on the table and poured some warm water again before handing it out to her. Laurence accepted it.
The man then said, “I’m Arthur Wilfred Sinclair. I am not a noble but I own lands and some business all over the world and continent.”
Laurence blinked, thinking. “A merchant?” She asked, more like confirming.
The man, Sir Arthur, adjusted his rim glasses before giving a nod. He soon elaborated his encounter and the doctor’s diagnosis to her whole body.
“I found you three months ago on the shore. I was taking my morning walk when I saw you. Your body was beaten to death and you have several bruises in your back, legs, and even on your stomach. Your body have taken a sever shock and it will probably take time to heal, according to the doctor. However, the bruises and wounds on your back will heal but they’ll leave a mark. No ointment nor cream can hide those.”
With a heavy nod, Laurence accepted all of it. She clenched her jaw before answering. “I wasn’t planning on erasing them. My reputation had already plummet to the ground and I am beyond saving. These wounds would be my reminded.”
“Seems like you had a hard time.” Arthur’s gaze looked serious but he doesn’t want to pry any further.
Laurence pursed her lips. Eyes tearing up once again as she recalled what she had been through. “It was hell itself.”
“I won’t ask on how and why but I should let you know that it will be a little hard for you to walk again.”
“What?” Laurence slowly whispered.
“The bones on your legs were dislocated and some required a heavy surgery for it to return back to the way it was. The doctor said that there is a hope in you making your full physical recovery but it will take time.”
As Laurence hear this one by one, she can only swallow and let a small words of gratitude for her this was really a miracle.
“Thank you,” she whispered. Her voice started to choke once again. All of her emotions started to craw out of her stomach up to her throat.
Sir Arthur who was thinking of explaining more to her paused. He gave a gentle nod but his face was still void of emotions. However, in contrast to his facial expressions, his words after sounded sincere, like a parent who was proud of their child for coming this far.
“You should give yourself a credit for going this far. Your body kept on fighting. It seemed like you wanted to live.”
Laurence did not say anymore words. She accepted death before but she was alive now. As silence lingered between them, Arthur sighed thinking that he should leave for a while to give the lady a time to think and mull over especially, her condition. She was awake now but it would take years for her body to full recover specially for her feet and legs.
Arthur stood up grabbing his cane. “I would leave now and visit you tomorrow. I’ll instruct the servants to give you food and help you bath. If you ever need something, do not hesitate to tell me.”
Laurence smiled closing her eyes. “Thank you.”
Once the door was shut again, Laurence was left all alone by herself. Slowly, she crawled back to bed hovering the sheets to cover her body. Laurence stared at the ceiling. She heard the faint noises of fire crackling coming from the fireplace. Time passed by and she remained in that position for a long time not feeling anything.
Laurence felt numb and empty. However, in contrast to what she thought, the emptiness was somewhat heavy pinning her down giving her reasons to not continue life.
No, she should continue life.
That’s right. She needed to come back and have them pay one by one. Not with money but with blood.
.
--
“Lord Sinclair,” Arthur who had just come out of the room where Laurence was resting looked up to see his valet, Theodore and his aide, Oliver waiting for him.
Seeing their faces, he gave a nod walking passed them and entering through the corridors. “Let’s talk in my study.”
Both of the servants followed their master. “Yes, my Lord.”
--
“Her name is Laurence Williams,” the aide reported the moment they entered Sir Arthur’s study. This room was massive and was decorated with dark walls and bright chandeliers. It was filled with different important books that was even hard to find through the empire.
His valet, Theodore poured a cup of strong coffee to his master and putting it down gently on the table.
“She was a noble by the Williams county and was thought that she would succeed her father’s title being the first woman to receive a title. According to the reports, rumors, and investigations, her future seemed so bright and everyone looked up to her.”
Arthur listened intently as he sipped the coffee his valet had poured. Oliver continued with his report.
“However, one night, everything she had treasured was stripped from her. She was accused as a witch practicing forbidden arts with her parents corpse.” Oliver handed a picture to his master. Arthur took it and looked down seeing pieces of body cut and a magic circle with different ancient symbols was drawn with blood.
His valet who had seen this almost vomit. Theodore tried to control his body and move several paces away from his master. On the other hand, Arthur grabbed another copy of the documents his aide was reading flipping pages one after another.
“According to the reports from the imperial palace, they had received an information that the lady was practicing such heinous crimes using human sacrifices. The informant identity was still unknown.”
“However, people from the courts were afraid and they started doubting. Alarmed by the thought, the highest authority from the court of defiance had given the task of confirming this information to the new appointed duke, Duke Benedict Van Seinsfield.
He was also known as the war hero and the bastard of the Seinsfield family. Just like they predicted, they had caught the lady on act with her parent’s body on the cold marble floor. A much through investigation happened and they searched the lady’s lab seeing different forbidden books and text that was banned by the emperor himself. Immediately, the people who feared that she was really a witch demanded for her trial as soon as possible.”
“According to the Intel we have, she was lashed several times with a whip hoping that she would confess her crimes but Laurence Williams kept on insisting that she was innocent and was framed. According to the nobles who attended the trial, she was sentenced to death and was expected to die in the island of iliha De Grande. Weeks after, the duke reported her death.”
Just as Oliver finished his report, he looked at his master who was still busy reading. He added, “ the report coming from the duke of Seinsfield was false for the lady was still here and alive. My Lord, do you believe that she really is a witch or the devil?”
“We do not hastily judge a person base on the rumors. You knew well how information can be manipulated. And that child…”
Just as he said that, his gaze landed on the name of the duke. More correctly, his eyes landed on the name, Seinsfield.
--