Expectations When Expecting

Book 1, Chapter 15

"El borracho!" She called, presenting the makeshift card to the boys.

"Hell yeah!" Deuce cheered, placing a small stone over the drawn and replicated four times loteria card. "Loteria!" He called, chest puffing proudly.

It had been about three hours since the group had gotten yuu to draw out the entire game of loteria.

"Congrats Deuce!" Yuu chuckled, pulling the notebook paper cards back into a very thin deck. "Alright boys, let's head to bed before I struggle to wake myself up." She remarked, dismissing the group.

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The moment Yuu closed her eyes, she felt something odd pulling at her. It was... familiar, yet terrifying. Some strange force that she could not fight. It became quite evident to her, when the scent of the old Ramshackle room disappeared, a slight aroma of a rose garden replacing the smell of moisture.

Another dream...? Yuu opened her eyes, examining the area of what appeared to be a maze of roses. Her eyes landed on two figures. A tall, intimidating woman, a queen waving around an uprooted rose bush, and a young girl in blue cowering close to the ground. Alice...

"For painting my roses red, someone will lose his head!" She fumed, glaring at three cards that shivered, terrified at her words.

"Y-your majesty..." The three of clubs trembled. "If anyone is to blame, it's him!" He pointed to the Two of clubs.

"Have mercy, you grace!" The two pleaded. "It was the Ace!"

"So it was YOU." The queen demanded with a terrifying glare. The Ace shrunk back, cowering at her presence.

"Gah! No! It was the two!" He blamed. Yuu furrowed her brows, a frown deepening on her face. They're willing to do anything to stay alive, but they cannot protect each other...

"Then he will pay!" The queen growled, prompting the two to jump to his own defense.

"It was the three, I say!" He cried, face dropping in horror as Yuu saw that the Queen had finally seemed to snap.

"Enough of this!" She snarled, glaring at the three cards, taking a deep breath as her face became bright red. "OFF with ALL their heads!" She roared as the card soldiers errupted into cheering.

Yuu watched in stunned horror at the sight of the three cards being dragged away, one leaving behind a trail of red paint turning the scene all the more morbid.

Just before Yuu could avert her eyes, she caught a glimpse of the queen, who giggled as if she had done nothing wrong in sending off three of her people to an unfair execution.

"A fitting end. Color, you can't mend." The two of diamonds praised, the three following suit.

"Everyone knows the roses should be red." He sang, praising the queen.

Yuu felt horrified dread pool into her stomach, beginning to suffocate her. She closed her eyes tightly, trying not to imagine the moments before the execution of the cards. And then, she woke up.

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"Yuu, wake up." The young woman felt her body being shaken gently. "The unbirthday party is today. If we're late, well, you know..."

Gasping for breath, Yuu shot up, her head nearly colliding with Deuce's nose.

"Woah!" He yelped, noticing Yuu's confused expression. She paused, processing her surroundings and the information before slowly nodding.