Elsie is supposed to be a young, demure Victorian woman, waiting to enter the high society and search for a husband. The problem is that ever since she was a child she has had a secret that makes her disappear every night. Not exactly something she...
The cobblestones were slippery under my boots, coated with the cold mist that clung to every surface. The guards herded my double and me like errant sheep towards the gaping maw of the prison carriage. Its black lacquered sides gleamed under the flickering gas lamps, the golden griffin on the roof glistening in the indirect light - an iron beast ready to swallow us whole.
My breath came in ragged gasps, echoing the pulsing terror that clawed at my heart. I kept glancing behind us in the vain hope someone would come to the rescue. I saw no sympathy in the eyes of those who made way for our captors.
"Please, you must listen! We've done nothing wrong! This is a mistake!" I shouted and tried to hit my heels on the street to slow us down. But for all the good it did, my shouting and attempts to hit my heels on the street were like a whisper lost to the wind. No one came to our defense; the religious police were feared enough to quash any thoughts of rebellion among the onlookers.
Next to me, the other girl drooped. She lowered her head and let her blonde hair fall over her face. It seemed as if she was intentionally hiding herself from view. I could tell that she had already resigned herself to whatever fate awaited us.
With a creak, the back doors of the prison carriage swung open, revealing the dimly lit interior with its ominous benches and shackles fixed to the walls, awaiting our arrival.
"Fight back!" my anger was boiling over at her surrender.
The constable twisted my arms painfully behind my back, preventing me from grabbing the dagger in my belt. It was only a matter of time before they took it and my prized watch away from me. If I could just get to my dagger, these two goons would regret ever crossing me. But for now, I was completely at their mercy. Not only did they have exoskeletons hidden under their cloaks, giving them extra strength, but I also felt a sharp blade pressed against my back.
Also, the restricting corset around my torso made it difficult to catch my breath and added to my frustration. My heart thundered against it, and I knew that if I continued to raise my pulse, I would probably do the womanly thing and faint. I cursed the fashionable but impractical trend of tightly laced waists before considering playing into the weak female stereotype by pretending to faint, hoping to get the police to stop. But as soon as the thought crossed my mind, I dismissed it; being dragged through the streets and tossed into a carriage like a sack of potatoes was not an appealing option.
"Move!" barked the constable, his grip iron on my arm. The other policeman had it easier. All he needed to do was to push my doppelgänger forward.
"Please," I heard her finally open her mouth, her voice almost lost in the cacophony of the crowd cheering at the sight, "This isn't right."
Just as despair threatened to choke me, a sudden commotion erupted behind us. It started as a murmur, turning into a collective gasp rippling through the mass of onlookers. A sudden commotion erupted behind us, and it caused heads to turn. Even the constables were distracted, their attention snatched by the clamor.
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