Cruel by nature

Chapter 10

The view from my window is nauseatingly spectacular. Most people would call it beautiful, and I dare say that some would even go as far as to call it breathtaking. Despite the fact that it's only on the third floor, the greenery outside is exhilaratingly intricate and pure. Untouched. The window faces west, showcasing what lies hidden behind the grand castle. There's no roads, no houses... nothing except a thriving forest. If you look real close, you'd be able to catch a glimpse of something dark blue glisterning at the far back of the trees, hiding behind hundreds of leaves and branches. A lake, I assume. My heart aches at the sight, silently crying behind the invisible wall that separates me from my freedom.

Only a fool, if anyone, would deny the beauty of the landscape below, but if it was up to me, I'd much rather face something ugly. Something that doesn't remind me of what I've lost. Of what I may or may not experience ever again. There's no knowing what the future holds for me. Maybe I'll die today, or in a few days, weeks or months. Or maybe, just maybe, I'll manage to escape. If I'm really, really lucky, for once in my life, they'd even let me go.

I throw a sad glance at the world outside. The sun is setting, bathing the green landscape in a warm, red light. Again, my heart aches, longing to feel the last rays of sunshine before the night turns cold, and cruel. I keep my eyes on the horizon, my eyes trained at the sun that keeps getting consumed by the treetops. When the last light of the day disappears, I turn around, weighted by sadness.

The room I've been locked inside is awfully bare, save for the bedding and spare blankets brought by Bree. There is, however, an adjacent bathroom, which I still find incredulously luxurious. The thought of taking a warm, hot shower has tempted my mind more times than I would like to admit, but the fear of someone marching inside whilst I'm at my most vulnerable state has kept me from giving in to my urges. That, and the fact that my shoulder's still bandaged and throbbing with pain. My whole body is in a more or less constant, dull ache, but my sore ribs are getting less and less noticeable for each day that goes by. It still hurts, but the wound inflicted by the werewolve's claws have proved to be at least equally as painful, if not even worse.

A shiver runs down my spine, reminding me that I'm only human, and that Bree was right when she said the walls didn't do a very good job at keeping the cold out. Sighing deeply, I turn around and walk towards the bed. The mattress sinks underneath my weight, and I grimace as I pull the maroon-clad duvet over my body. Seeing as I'm used to sleeping on the cold, hard ground, the mattress is far too soft for my liking. It's unstable, and causes me to move around clumsily as the mattress shifts with my every move. It is my best chance at keeping warm, though. I adjust the pillows behind me, so as to leave as much weight as possible off of my sore shoulder, whilst throwing a dirty glance at the fireplace on the opposite wall. It's staring back at me, dark and hollow. No one's bothered to stock up on the firewood, and I can't help but wonder if it was a deliberate choice.

Just as I'm somewhat content with my position, there's a knock on the door. I freeze, but don't utter a word.

The person on the other side of the room waits for a few more seconds before turning the key in the lock and opening the door.

Bree peeks her head inside, her eyes lighting up as she sees me on the bed, surrounded by the blanket she went out of her way to get for me.

"It's time for dinner", she chirps, "I hope you're hungry, because our chefs are amazing".

She looks at me expectantly, and I realize she's waiting for me to get up and follow her. Oh no.

"I'm not-"

"No", she cuts me off, raising her finger threateningly at me, "no excuses. I won't let you stay locked in here like some prisoner. For now, you're our guest, and our guests dine together with us in the dining room."