He Who Weaves Dreams | #ONC2023

10

Four maids and Linda stripped Claire's clothing. The girl struggled against their hold but she was weak compared to their combined strength.

"What are you doing? Let me go!" They weren't listening to her protests. "Linda!"

Naked, the maids wiped every inch of her body with clean water and then dressed her in a long, white wedding gown. Scared and freaked out, Claire tried to wriggle out of their grasp.

Linda caressed her cheek. "Oh, dear child," the caretaker said with no sympathy. "You should be glad. Being a wife of a Belmonte brings you and your family great honor. Don't be like my mother, she ran away from the family and that's why she died poor and powerless."

Claire breathed in and out, steeling her nerves. "And you're not like that? You want power so you came back to the Belmontes?"

The older woman smirked. "Who doesn't?"

"I don't. So let me out of this," she squirmed as hands held her body.

Linda tutted. "I'm sorry, dear, but there's already no way out." She looked at and instructed the maids, "Take her to the attic."

Obedient, they dragged Claire out of her room and climbed the stairs.

"Let go! Somebody! Is somebody out there? Help me! Please! I don't like this! Let me go!" the girl cried.

Stopping near the office of Fernando Del Monte, Linda said, "Wait." She knocked on the door of the forbidden room. In a moment, Edgar exited the office with a bound and gagged Wendy on his shoulders. Claire's best friend was struggling in the burly gardener's hold. Tears streamed down her reddened eyes.

"Wendy!" Her eyes widened as they looked at each other. Claire's heart constricted. What are they gonna do with the two of them? "Wendy!"

"Feisty, this one," Edgar casually commented as he joined their trip to the attic. "The other two are more docile."

What other two? Don't tell me... Anika and Georgie?

Claire's breathing became faster, suffering a panic attack. Linda put a hand on her trembling shoulder and said, "Oh, stop overreacting it's not as if it'll be the first time for you to consume a sacrifice."

She looked at Linda.

"Just recently you enjoyed the kaldereta and bopis."

What did she mean by that? Oh, gosh. Oh gosh. Oh gosh. Tears were endless streams on Claire's face. "W-w-who--" she stuttered.

The caretaker waved her hand dismissively. "I think Fiona was her name. Quite plump so everybody in the feast was able to eat."

Claire was about to pass out. She just learned that she freaking ate a human being! Her stomach roiled and she leaned forward to empty it as she vomited on the shining herringbone floor. The others didn't seem to mind what she had done nor cared about how she felt because they just continued dragging her to their destination.

It was Edgar who opened the hatch and first put Wendy inside the attic. Followed by Linda and then Claire and the maids. The room was as it was in her dream when she saw Keith. It was wide and had symbols on its white floors. There were red stains here and there and Claire knew it was the blood of those who were sacrificed.

Standing in the middle was the preacher of the church dressed in all red. On his left hand was a book and on his right was a silver dagger adorned with different-colored gems. Present in the room were people from outside Sta. Barbara who she guessed were from the Belmonte bloodline. The pregnant Corazon was there, too, and Claire's father.

"Papa!" She shouted and rushed toward her father. This time, the maids let her. "Papa, what's going on? I don't like it here. Let's go home!"

But the old man just smiled at her, held her cheeks, and kissed her temple. "You look so beautiful tonight, my dear Claire."