Demons of the Queen

Chapter 9

I pause in my walk through a dense forest to make sure I am in the right place. The man who told me where I could find a wild dragon was a little bit sketchy, but then again, I don't think he would lie to his queen.

My ghost family is trailing behind me solemnly. My sister is wearing an expression that is especially sullen, most likely since this task is supposed to represent her. I wish the tasks were in a different order, but that doesn't matter since in a few days I will have completed all of my tasks and my family will finally stop haunting me.

At least no one else can see them. My family, I mean. Things would be much more complicated if they weren't invisible to the rest of the people in the kingdom. I wonder if my advisor is always followed by hundreds of ghosts. After all, he is the reason all of those soldiers are dead. My advisor gave orders to the military during a war a couple of years ago and he didn't ask my parents' permission first. This was a huge violation of conduct, but since other than that he has been a decent advisor my parents decided to keep him. But ever since the funeral ceremony for the soldiers that we had lost because of him, he always looks over his shoulder and behind himself nervously. It must be the ghosts.

I would share the way to get rid of ghosts haunting you with him, but that would raise so much suspicion about me being involved with my family's deaths. After all, he has known me my whole life so he knows I haven't murdered anyone. And I haven't. Murdered anyone, I mean. At least not since I killed my family.

I hear rustling behind me. Ghosts don't make any noise. Is someone following me?

I turn around and see a rabbit. It looks up as it hears me.

My ghost family continues staring at me.

"Stop!" I yell at them.

They don't listen to me.

"Argh!" I scream.

They keep staring at me. They almost look like they are pitying me.

I do not need pity. I am happy just the way I am.

I turn around so I don't have to look at their faces anymore and continue my journey through the woods.

This journey is taking much longer than I thought it would. I am very glad I started early in the morning, otherwise, I would have to stay here overnight. I should be able to tame this dragon quickly. After all, who is more stubborn and authoritative than me? I will have this dragon bowing at my feet before the sun sets.

Finally, I reach the waterfall I have been looking for. Apparently, the dragon lives behind the waterfall in a small cave.

I quickly scan the area to see if there is a way into the cave other than going through the water. My hope of keeping myself dry vanishes in mere seconds.

"Well, I might as well get this over with," I mutter to myself as I dive headfirst into the water.

The water is surprisingly warm. Usually, I would stay and swim for a bit longer, but my dress is weighing me down and I want to get rid of my ghost family so I need to get to the dragon.

I suck as much air as possible into my lungs and plunge my head beneath the water's surface.

I open my eyes underwater and identify where the waterfall is.

I begin to kick more powerfully so that I have some more momentum when I go under the waterfall and the water pounds my body downwards.

I get stuck under the waterfall. The water pushing me down is so strong I don't think I can fight it. I'm running out of air. I flail my arms and legs and break free from the downward force of the waterfall. Finally! I burst out of the water; gasping for air.