It was a peculiarly cold and soundless night, the car struggled through the thick snow as we arrived at the manor. Belladonna had been quiet since she woke up after she fell asleep in the car where I picked her up at the grand ballet theater after her impeccable performance of Giselle. Her usual smile had been stolen, ivory hair was now maroon, and her short hair had grown quite a bit, she looked like a completely different person, but she was still my beautiful Belladonna, she just needed a few changes. As we pulled through the black portals at the entrance of the gardens I glanced at my wife with a smile welcoming her back home, our home. She had disappeared one day and I had to search heaven and hell to bring her back to me, to my heart's disillusion she did not share the same joy.
"My dear I finally found you." I broke the agonizing silence, "Did you know how much I missed you?"
She did not dare to speak and proceeded to nod with her delicate head in response. She must still be sorry after our last fight that night, her guilt must-have left her mute. Still, I feel something missing from my Belladonna.
Suddenly the automobile ceased its movement signaling our arrival at the front doors of the old state. For many who pass by it may seem an obscure place taken over by the constant sing of the black ravens settled in an unsettling atmosphere but such an atmosphere had grown profound in me. That was where I met her and will live with her until our bodies lay six feet under and our souls reach heaven. Many will say I am madly in love with her, but I will not disagree for I have fallen to the point of blindness for love, maybe even obsession, I could not live without her. I would kill for her, just so I could prove my utter devotion to her. The car door opened, as I stepped down I offered my arm for her to grab as she stepped down the grey automobile. Thankfully she accepted it, later I dismissed the coachman, and still holding her hand we entered our home.
We now found ourselves in the antechamber, resting on the couch with a glass of Bourbon. I followed her movements as she looked around the dim candle-lit room as if she had not been living there for almost nine years. Her steps paused facing the fireplace, her wondering dark azure eyes laying on a certain object hung on top of it. It was the Prodigium family sword, it was said that the original owner of the sword had fallen into insanity, poor man. I stood up finishing the second glass before approaching her with my hands on top of her naked shoulders as she was still accoutred in her pale pink ballet gown.
"Darling I believe it is time to go to bed" I whispered to her ear. "You had a big show this afternoon and it must have left you dead of fatigue."
Her body froze as if she were a statue and once again just nodded. I had noticed her face as more pallid than usual, her gaze avoiding mine as if I were Medusa. Such behavior from her left me nonplussed, her usual candid and joyful self seems to have been thrown out of the window, something was wrong with Belladonna. I stepped back and poured myself another glassful of Bourbon, I forgot the number of glasses I had consumed in the short span of half an hour that we stayed in the room, I could feel the alcohol slightly act on me.
I gently grabbed her hand and signaled in the direction of our bedroom. Through the darkened halls and stairs of the manor, with black and white marble floors, walls decorated with red velvet curtains and family portraits. It was now late at night causing the darkness and the coldness of the halls was consumed by an eerie atmosphere as we walked through them and entered the large room. Belladonna had left the bathroom to change into her silk gossamer pajama gown as I changed into mine. Suddenly I heard loud footsteps out of her location run down the hall. I rapidly got out and chased her down, she was far away from me, which she took advantage of once she arrived at the front door which was looked at from both sides, and only I had the key to open. Then rapidly ran into the nearest room with a door and closed it. Once I finally ran into the door but as I turned the knob but it did not turn, she had locked herself in.
"Belladonna?" I knocked on the door, "Belladonna what is going on?"
Silence. What was wrong with her today? She was acting so out of character, like a completely different person. I was growing tired of such character and rage started to appear.
"Belladonna, open the door right now." I expressed with a firm voice.
A silent whimper could be heard, but she did not answer. I continued to try to convince her to open the door but nothing happened. It looked like she was hiding from something or someone. By now my patience had run out and I was filled with anger.
"Belladonna!" I furiously screamed, "Open the door at this instant!"
"Avaunt, you blackguard!" she yelled in aghast. "My name is Ophelia I am not Belladonna!"
I started to laugh, the laugh that came out of my mouth resounded on every inch of the manor. I had finally lost all composure and control, like that day. She had gone mad! Not only she insulted me but she was now speaking nonsense! Of course, she was not my Belladonna, not for now but I am sure that soon she would; I only had to change some things.
"You want to play this game?" I said, "Then let us play it!"
Knowing now that she would not open the door I knew I had to open it myself. Full of rage I graved the first sharp thing I saw that could allow me to open the door. I rapidly entered the antechamber, my gaze laid upon the family sword, then proceeded to come back to the locked door.
"You better back away kitten," I said "We wouldn't want anything to happen to you am I right?"
Without any other say, I raised the sword and started hitting a door as if it were an ax. Agitated breathing could be faintly heard between each hit and an occasional silenced scream, that room had no windows so once I had opened the door she would not be able to escape from me. After that I would fully turn her into who was my wife, she would enjoy it, either way, I was sure I would. After a frozen of hits, the sword had carved a cole big enough for me to properly open the lock and enter the room.
"Kitten you have lost in this game." I said in a sweet voice, "Now it is time to do as I say."
She was curled up hiding behind the many bookcases in the room, sadly for her uncontrollable sobs and agitated breath that she tried to silence gave her spot out instantly. I approached her spot, but as I was about to grab her she threw an avalanche of books on me, then ran away.
"You witch!" I cursed. "You won't escape from me!"
Somehow she had found an open window and jumped out of it, I as well jumped chasing her down. Tonight was an incredibly cold and gloomy night, we were both in our nightwears which did not warm us much and without light, the game of catch became harder to continue. Knowing that she was barefoot I sensed she would not be able to escape much longer. Not much later I had finally caught her, she cried and struggled in her attempt to escape. I had already lost all my control and what happened next went so fast I could not remember. It was as if for a second I had been possessed, the next thing I remember was a lifeless figure and a sword drenched in red liquid. I had killed her. I had killed her just like last time. I lost control and did it again. The sudden realization brought me back to reality, I had ended a life, just like I did with Belladonna. I now remember what happened to her. She did not leave me, I had killed her. My guilt and desperation made me forget about it, it was all my fault.
I grabbed her body and carried it behind the orange trees, where there was her resting place. I grabbed a shovel from the nearby storage house and started to dig. Both of them would rest there now, after I laid her lifeless body I left the sword with her, I said my prayers, and filled the pit. Finally with the last thing I did was carve "In pace requiescat" in a moist plank of wood with a knife I found in the storage house.
I now sat in bed, regret drowning me and pulling me down into the pit of darkness. I did not wish to take my life but I did wish to forget it all, so I drank. I drank in the dark silent room until I passed out. Hoping that once I awoke again such memories would banish from the intoxication of the sweet alcohol, not to be recalled anymore. Later that night I could find myself unconscious surrounded by the many maroon and green bottles empty from the pitiful state I created upon myself.
Once morning arrived I had forgotten everything from last night. I found myself perplexed by the many empty bottles surrounding me and a headache that felt as if my brain had combusted and wondered how I ended up like this. All I could remember was an anomalous nightmare in which I killed a woman that tried to convince me she was my wife. It was such a macabre nightmare the images stayed ingrained in my head. The mere presence of it made me mortified. Even if it had been just a dream it felt too real, but it was all just a dream, or so I hoped to be.
I rolled around the bed searching for the warmth of my beloved but her side was cold as ice. She had left while I was sleeping, I guessed that she had already left for the ballet academy and allowed me to sleep for a while more since it was Saturday morning. I spent my day working at the conservatory room composing music to later perform for her, waiting for her return, but once twilight fell upon the manor I was still waiting for her return. Today's newspaper announced that a strong blizzard was about to arrive after I read the article I concluded that such a storm trapped her, stopping her on her return.
I waited for her return the next day, that day turned into a week, then into a fortnight. She disappeared again. Where did she go? Did she run away? Had she been abducted? The what-ifs inundated my being, the pain and desolation of her absence slowly drew me down into insanity. Had I gone mad? I for sure had my desperation caused me to see the same image everywhere I went. The picture of a cadaverously pale woman in thorned gowns looking from all the corners and mirrors of the house, and graphic nightmares about monstrous beings hunting me down. I drowned my suffering in alcohol, no longer being able to tolerate such circumstances, long before I knew I was already passed out by four in the afternoon. What happened to her? What happened to my Belladonna?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Authors note:
Hey guys so this was something I had to write for school and I liked it so much I felt like sharing it with y'all. I know the ending may be rushed but I had a page limit lol. I think I will try to make it longer an edit a lot of the wording cause rereading it now I used words just for the sake of being fancy. I hope you enjoyed it!
