Behind The Walls

Chapter 11 : Who Are You?

My eyes fluttered open to the agonising pain in my head. I was still on the floor and pushed off it to sit up.

My pain tolerance was very high due to always falling off Tucker since I started horse riding but this was a different type of pain; even my heart ached. I looked around the bedroom, eyes landing on a jug of water next to a glass on the bedside table.

I crawled towards it, knees feeling as though they would snap. Feebly, I pouring the jug of water into the glass, I devoured three without a pause. I tried looking around for a clock to see what time it was; a tall vintage clock stated: half past eleven.

I had been laying here for 4 hours!
Where the hell was Hugo?!

Attempting to get up to change, my legs wouldn't allow me to put any weight onto them. I wanted to take off my corset as it was getting hard to breath but even my fingers found it hard to bend.

I made my way, by crawling, over to the dresser and pulled down a oval, vintage hand mirror from it to see how much of a mess I looked. A large contusion had swelled at the right of my forehead where I hit my head on the front seat of the carriage; it was a discoloured mixture of purple and red.

The unpleasant site of it appalled me and so I ruffled my hair onto my face, styling it in a way that my bruise could be out of sight or at least less visible.

The door opened to reveal a sweating Hugo also still in his wedding attire: red, velvet suit and white ruffled dress-shirt with a black tie.

He slammed the door behind him and was panting as though he had just come back from running a marathon.

"Are you ok?" I asked knowing that question was actually coming my way. He looked at me only just realising I was there and nodded with his eyes shut and hands on his knees, it was my first time seeing him so unsettled.

He stood there for a moment trying to catch his breath, back leaning against the door. I watched his chest rise and fall as he heavily breathed; he turned his body upright and around, facing me.

"You weren't lying when you said you liked sitting on the floor." He remarked slowly going back to his usual, arrogant self.

I chocked trying to get my words out, the corset was making it impossible to breathe now but I couldn't take it off, especially not now that Hugo was here.

I couldn't let him see me vulnerable and I was happy he hadn't noticed the injury on my head because what if he tried to take advantage of my situation?

"Yes, hhh-I like it here." I tried to say confidently raising my chin high.

"Well I'm going to need you to leave." He half-demanded as if I would easily obey.

How dare he?

"This is my room now too and if you have a problem me then you can go discuss is with your father or sleep at place more suitable for people like you. I personally would recommend going to a mental hospital for starters then maybe HELL!"

A smirk lurked across his face; was he actually smiling? He seemed amused by my sudden confidence. "You've got guts kiddo."

Was he referring to me as a child? I get it, I'm almost 4 years younger but this was just disrespectful.

"I'm now well over 18 and am not considered a child so do not refer to me as that."

"Ooooo~ scaryyy"

I sat there with a petty I-do-what-I-want look on my face crossing my arms, each breath getting harder to take.

"Anyways," he continued, "GET OUT!"

"I'll do as I please."

"And so will I." He pronounced every word clearly as if it was some life threatening quote, staring at me sitting as if he was expecting an apology. I stayed sitting there staring back; acting as though I couldn't care less about his opinion.

He began walking towards me.

Maybe I was being overly confident; maybe it wasn't such a good idea to try compete with this guy. I stood up using the bedside table beside me for support, this time my knees didn't give in because of the pressure.

He stopped a foot away from me and looked down at me scrutiny. Taking hold of my knees that just felt like the were starting to recover and he scooped me over onto his left shoulder.

"What the hell are you doing?! Put me down you son of a-" I hardly coughed out, his stiff shoulder stabbing into my stomach.

"If you weren't such a brat, I wouldn't have to do this." He scoffed carrying my out the room and down the hallway.

"Put me down!" I cried out, fists drumming on his back and trying to kick my way out as hard as I could, "where are you even taking me?!" I managed to let out though I had no energy left in me.

He dismissed my question and threw me onto the floor without hesitation. "In there. Sleep in there. You can come back for your luggage tomorrow." He ordered, gesturing at the door I landed next to, before leaving. I clenched my stomach that pained immensely; I could barely turn the handle to open the door.

'A little rest outside the door' later, I managed to get into the room and shut the door behind me. It was a small room single bedded room, no window and no wardrobe. I just barely being able to loosen my corset .

I was guessing he purposely dropped me off to a servants empty room instead of a guest room. Absolute jerk. I had no hope left for him.

That night I fell asleep the sandy carpeted floor, leaning against the door thinking 'how could someone who seemed so nice be so cruel.'

Duality check.