Royal Pain

Chapter 19- Lies Cause Brokenness

Royal Pain

Madeline looked into her vanity mirror and her sleep deprived face wasn't getting any prettier. She signed for what seemed like the thousandth time, and placed her head in her hands. Madeline wasn't sure what was going on. All the people she was close to who had died were miraculously alive and better. Her mother and Melody did this for 'them.'

Madeline looked out her window and saw the trees swaying back and forth. She some how had moved from her seat, to across the room in front of her window. Madeline was looking on the ground when she saw a figure cross the castle's lawn. Madeline focused her vision on that spot of the lawn and saw nothing. "Just in my head." Madeline said to herself as she turned around to look at her room.

It felt like her room was old and dusty. Like it hadn't been used in centuries. Madeline looked back out the window to see a creature standing in the center of the lawn, looking directly back up into Madeline's window. Madeline froze, she couldn't believe it. She didn't know if it could see her or not so she just, froze. The creature must not have seen her because it seemed to look past Madeline.

It pulled out a mask and placed it on it's face. A bright light shinned causing Madeline to jolt back, tripping over something and falling. "Madeline! Are you alright?" Michael asked swinging the door open and running to her. Madeline nodded and pointed to the window. "Look." Madeline sat up and watched Michael walk to the window and froze. "Did you see it?" Madeline asked. No answer. Madeline stood up and walked to Michael's side to see what he saw.

Standing outside on the lawn was Michael. Looking directly back at Madeline- and Michael.

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Madeline broke back into a a cold sweat and ended up falling to her knees. Madeline's breathing began to speed up. All these events were too overwhelming. "Madeline." Michael said kneeling in front of her. Lightly shaking her he said, "Madeline, you have to trust me. It's me Michael. I am not standing out on that lawn. We're just seeing things." Madeline began to nod in agreement when her vanity mirror gained a small crack along the top corner. The more Michael tried to persuade her the bigger that crack got.

Madeline slowly looked over her shoulder as all Michael's words began to blur together into a hum. All she saw was the cracks on her mirror. It seemed her focus was only on the mirror as her surroundings melted together. She was realizing what was happening. Madeline looked back at Michael hearing what he was finally saying. "Talk to me!" He almost shouted at her. Madeline made eye contact with him and uttered these few words.

"Lies cause brokenness."