GLASSHEARTS❤️ 💙

Chapter 16- The Darkness That Haunts Me

Red's POV

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I sat in the garden, trying to clear my head after the lesson. Maya had to nudge me to remind me the class was over. I packed my bag and escaped to the garden, seeking fresh air and solitude. But my mind kept wandering back to Chloe. Ugh, why couldn't I shake her off?

"Red, you're a rude bitch, nonchalant and don't care about anyone," I reminded myself. But the words felt hollow. I was going mad, thinking about Chloe all the time.

Just then, a voice behind me said, "You know shouting ain't gonna help you, mate." I spun around, ready to attack, but a lanky guy with a mischievous grin held up his hands in surrender.

"Whoa, calm down! I didn't mean to scare you," he said in a thick British accent.

I glared at him. "Who said I was scared?"

He chuckled. "Sure, sure. I'm Rylan, son of Robin Hood and Roland's stepbrother."

I raised an eyebrow. "Never asked, did I?"

Rylan sat beside me without waiting for an invitation. "You're a feisty one. I like it."

I handed him a scathing look, but he just winked. We started talking, and I found myself laughing at his jokes and stories about the forest and his father's adventures.

But when Chloe appeared, I panicked. I grabbed Rylan's arm and kissed him hard, trying to avoid her. Chloe's eyes widened before she turned and ran.

Rylan looked at me, confused. "Hey, what was that for?"

I hesitated, unsure how much to reveal. "I wasn't ready to talk to her."

He raised an eyebrow. "You have a problem with your girlfriend?"

I bristled. "She's not my girlfriend!"

Rylan chuckled. "Alright, alright. But she seems hot, though."

I stepped closer, my anger flaring. "Watch it."

Rylan held up his hands again. "I'm kidding! You really like her, don't you?"

I glared at him, unsure how to respond.

........

Chloe's POV

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After Science class, I rushed out, eager to talk to Red about us and what happened. But my thoughts were a jumble. Did I do something wrong? Or did she not like me like she said? No, Red likes me... I thought.

As I turned a corner, I saw Red walking with a guy I'd never seen before. And then, she kissed him. I blinked rapidly, trying to process what I was seeing. Tears flowed down my face as I quickly got as far away from her as possible. I hurried to my room, feeling like my heart had stopped beating.

Kaida, Queen Anna and Kristoff's daughter, found me sobbing on the floor. "Hey, Chloe, you forgot... what happened to you?" she asked, hugging me.

I wiped my tears, and more flowed. "You know the girl I was telling you about in Science class..." I said, looking down.

"Yeah, did you talk to her about how you feel? What did she say?" Kaida asked.

I took a deep breath. "No, I was going to talk to her, then I saw her with a guy, and she kissed him." I started sobbing again.

Kaida rubbed my back. "Ow, Chloe, that's so bad."

I felt worse, but Kaida's story about her parents, Anna and Kristoff, gave me a glimmer of hope. Maybe Red had a reason for her actions. Maybe she was fighting her feelings.

Kaida's words stuck with me: "People try to fight their feelings for some reason, but if you guys are really meant for each other, she'll come around."

With Kaida's help, I started feeling a bit better. We went to get food, and her lightheartedness lifted my mood. I was grateful for our friendship and her support.

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Red's POV:

I stood outside Chloe's door, hesitating. I had to see her, had to make sure she was okay after what I did. I slowly turned the handle and slipped inside.

The room was dimly lit, but I could see Chloe's form on her bed, fast asleep. I felt a wave of relief wash over me. At least she's alright, I thought.

I approached her bed, looking at her peaceful face. I felt a pang of guilt and regret. Why did I kiss Rylan? Why did I hurt her like that?

I turned to leave, but my feet felt heavy. I didn't want to leave her, didn't want to be away from her. So, I climbed onto my own bed, lying down and staring at the ceiling.

My mind raced with thoughts and emotions, but as I looked over at Chloe, I felt my eyelids growing heavy. I closed my eyes, letting the exhaustion take over.

As I drifted off to sleep, I knew I had to make things right with Chloe. I just didn't know how.

I was trapped in a never-ending darkness, my childhood memories haunting me like a curse. I saw myself as a little girl, standing in the throne room, watching in horror as my mother, the Queen of Hearts, sentenced another victim to death.

I tried to stop her, pleading with her to spare their life. But she just laughed, her eyes gleaming with madness. "No, no, no!" I screamed, but she slapped me, sending me tumbling to the floor.

"Off with his head!" she cackled, her voice echoing off the cold stone walls.

The guards moved forward, their swords glinting in the dim light. I tried to look away, but she forced me to watch, her grip like a vice.

The sound of the sword slicing through flesh and bone still echoed in my mind, the blood splattering everywhere, staining my clothes, my skin, my soul. I was consumed by the darkness, unable to escape.

I thrashed about in bed, my sheets drenched in sweat, my heart racing like a wild animal. "No, no, no!" I screamed, but my voice was muffled, trapped in my own private hell.

I couldn't wake up, couldn't escape the nightmare that had haunted me for so long. My mother's laughter still echoed in my mind, her words etched in my memory like a curse: "You'll never be free, Red. You'll always be mine."

My mother's voice dripped with venom as she leaned in close, her breath cold against my ear. "You're such a disappointment, Red. Worthless. You'll never be the queen I am."

She dragged me to the window, forcing me to look out at the courtyard below. The guards were gathered around a group of people, their faces twisted in fear.

"Watch," my mother hissed, her grip on my shoulder like a vice. "Watch what happens to those who disobey me."

The guards began to torture the prisoners, their screams echoing up to us. My mother laughed, the sound sending shivers down my spine.

"See, Red? This is what happens when you don't follow the rules. When you don't obey me."

I tried to look away, but she forced me to watch, her fingers digging deep into my skin.

One by one, the prisoners were beheaded, their bodies left to rot in the courtyard. My mother's laughter grew louder, more manic, as the blood flowed.

I felt my mind slipping, my sanity fraying at the edges. I was trapped in this never-ending nightmare, forced to witness the horrors my mother inflicted on others.

And then, she turned to me, her eyes blazing with fury. "You're next, Red. You're next if you don't learn to obey me."

I screamed, but my voice was drowned out by the sound of my own heartbeat. I was trapped, trapped in this living hell, with no escape.