Beauty that lies Within

Chapter 10 - Witches & Princesses

Sophie squeezed her eyes shut, hoping that if she couldn't see anyone, they couldn't see her. That this was all some bad dream, that she would wake up, back in her grotty little village and that this nightmare could finally be over. So that when she woke up she would go to the School for Good like it should have been. As it should.

Cackles pealed through the hallway.

People could still see her then.

And she was still here.

Sophie was currently in a tricky spot - of which was through no fault of her own. However this consisted of her being paraded through dark, smelly halls, tied to gnarled wood (which left marks on her poor delicate wrists that would probably stay there for months on end) and an apple stuffed into her mouth like a pig. Sophie never felt more insulted in her life and how this happened she had absolutely no idea.

In fact, she rather fancied the thought that she was so important that it was necessary for her punishment to be done by six - not one, SIX - wolves and to carry her to goodness knew where to top it all off.

Since Sophie still had her eyes squeezed shut for the entire journey to wherever she was headed to, Sophie had no idea when they would stop so she was surprised as the wolves abruptly jerked to a halt and flung her in. She skidded smack! onto the floor, causing her to scowl and her hands to immediately fly to her face to check for marks.

They could have at least given me warning. That was the perfect time that Sophie decided to blearily open her eyes.

To see herself face-to-face to a warty foot.

"I told you we would get her," Sophie heard someone say in sour monotone. Sophie looked up, wondering why on Earth nobody was helping her get untied from the stake, which was surprisingly sturdy for however old and rickety it looked. If she tried anymore, Sophie worried it would leave permanent cuff marks.

Extremely annoyed, Sophie looked up hot-headly only for her anger to dissipate in seconds after seeing who was standing above her.

A girl with a menacing sneer, red streaks in greasy black hair and a terrifying tattoo of a buck-horned red-skulled demon on her neck loomed over her. Even after everything Sophie had been through, this girl screamed 'Don't mess with me' in every way possible and was by far one of the most deadly things she had encountered today.

And Sophie had encountered a lot of those.

However, Sophie admired the make-up and accessories, regardless of the limited use - from looking at this place she had assumed that no one here would use cosmetics in the first place. A nose-ring in one nostril, black lipstick with equally black flinting eyes (Sophie knew that the colour of this girl's eyes didn't count but Sophie only just noticed how suddenly black her eyes were).

Eyes that were currently locked on her and glaring.

This place never fails to keep on surprising me huh.

"She even smells like an Ever." The girl said.

"The fairies will retrieve it soon enough." A voice echoed from across the other side of the room. Sophie swung her head to see a deathly pale albino, with blood red eyes. Sophie almost squealed in horror at the sight of her standing over a cauldron and feeding three expectant black rats. Sophie despaired over the what-must-be multiple hygiene issues in the place.

Sophie felt nauseous.

"Pity. We could have slit its throat and hang it as a hall ornament." Her eyes widened in horror. Would they actually do that?!

If they truly meant it, Sophie could at least die knowing that whatever kind of ornament she was to be made into she would be a pretty one.

"How rude," Sophie turned around for the very last time to a smiley brunette seated on a bed, rotund as a hot air balloon (Sophie felt a smirk grow on her face that she quickly disguised into a smile) with a chocolate ice pop in each fist. "Besides, it's against the rules to kill other students." Sophie let out a huge sigh, her shoulders sagging in relief.