Cursed Hearts

Break the Dark

Light from up above guided her as she sprinted forward. The pathway, long and narrow, lead to endless possibilities of wonder and danger. Her breath lingered in the air as she continued to run towards an unknown exit. With every turn, the maze became even more confusing, desperation clouding her vision. Then, in a flash of purple light, she was sucked into a vortex, suddenly reappearing in a spacious room with towering windows. She looked down, realizing that her hands were bound in chains. Guards began filing into the room, one by one, until they flanked the back wall. Then, massive doors burst open behind her, causing the girl to whip around with a frantic look in her eye.

The woman who entered seemed to take all the air out of the room, rapidly approaching towards her with a murderous glint in her eyes. The girl's breath caught in her throat as the woman approached her slowly.

"Now, what is a girl like you doing wandering around my garden?"

Her voice held a power that sent shivers down her spine. She stood frozen in place, staring in a stupor up at the Evil Queen.

"Do you know what I do with pesky little intruders in my kingdom?"

The woman leaned forward, closing in on the space between them and clutching her chin between her fingers.

"I throw them in the dungeon," she growled, her nails digging into her soft skin.

"Guards!"

She jolted awake, sitting upwards and glancing around her room in a panic. Darkness surrounded her, but she knew she was still in her bedroom. As her heart continued to race in her chest, she tried to make sense of the nightmare she had just experienced. The feeling of loneliness and fear quickly began setting in, causing her to strip off her bedsheets and race out of her room, silently striding down the hallway until she arrived at her parent's bedroom. Even in the blackness, Caroline expertly navigated her way towards their bed and climbed up, situating herself between them and getting under the covers.

Her parents stirred slightly as she made herself comfortable, the both of them no strangers to the middle of the night ritual that Caroline was accustomed to doing in her younger years. The girl instantly felt the nervousness leave her mind, replaced by a tranquility that was long awaited. As she looked over towards her mother, though barely visible in the faint moonlight, she studied her softened features, something she had done ever since she could remember. There was a certain beauty her mother beheld, one that was heightened in quiet moments. Her confidence has always been something she admired, but it was her kindness that sealed the love she had for her mother.

She was fully aware that the same person she was gazing at was also the deranged woman from her nightmares that wanted nothing more than to end her existence right then and there. It still felt impossible that both personas existed in the same being; only time could fully tell that story. Those were her last thoughts before drifting off to sleep.

A wave of happiness passed through him as Robin awoke, the first feeling of positivity he had experienced in days. Caroline was tucked up against her mother, both of them fast asleep with no indication of the worries that plagued their livelihoods. In that moment, everything was okay.

Careful not to disturb them, Robin made his way downstairs. Evidence of the previous day lay strewn across the kitchen and living room, everything frozen in place. He knew that they had been preoccupied with other things, but the messiness was uncharacteristic. After searching the pantry for something to eat, Robin found himself staring up at the family picture that hung above the fireplace mantle. He remembered when they took that picture- Henry had just returned from a baseball game, and refused to go home and change out of his uniform. Caroline had a beaming smile on her face, the purple studded earrings reflecting small rays of sunlight. Even Roland was so much smaller in that picture, with the same curly hair. They all looked happy.