Athenia's Choice (ON HOLD)

Athenia's Choice: Chapter Twenty-Three

Chapter Twenty-Three

Oh, those wicked, horrible, hateful men! What on earth was I going to do?

“Cordelia, I’m so sorry I’ve got you dragged into this,” I apologised.

“Don’t worry; I am sure we will think of something.” Cordelia reached out and squeezed my hand. We were immersed in our own thoughts for a while.

“It’s got to be you, not me,” I said out loud, and she gave me a blank look.

“You have to find the Laytoff children, even though their, beastly, scheming parents do not deserve them back,” I told her, and then explained the stages of my patchy plan. In my heart, I knew something was bound to go wrong.

So we waited for the return of Messers Tavener and Laytoff. There was a click, as the lock was turned. I lay flat down, trying my uttermost hardest to keep still. Cordelia lurked behind me.

“Made your decision yet?” Mr Laytoff sneered. Silence.

"Answer us, your intolerable girl,” Mr Tavener snapped. Silence. They both ventured in, and began shaking me, finding my lying still as if I were dead. Then, I sat up and screamed shrilly. Mr Laytoff hastily put his hand over my mouth, as I struggled and kicked.

"Silence your cries, or your fate will be worse. Now, tell me your choice,” Mr Tavener demanded.

My mind was racing. I couldn’t change the plan now, could I? No, I could only say ‘no’, to ensure we all got away. I was somewhat a selfish young girl, for I had to get away as well, and did not put the others before me. I tossed my hair indignantly, before telling him:

“No, I will not come with you, never in my entire life.”

“Are you sure?” Mr Laytoff said pointedly.

“Didn’t you hear me the first time?” I retorted.

“Do not be so impertinent.” Mr Tavener glared at me like a bull ready to attack someone who was unfortunately wearing a red garment. Now was time for my acting skills to be tested (depending on what the ruthless men did next.)

“If that is your decision… we shall send the children away to work for our colleagues, while you will work for us.” Mr Tavener laughed, with an air of carelessness. I gasped, overdramatically, as they pulled my wrists behind my back and dragged me out the cart.

"I see that Cordelia child has been quiet,” Mr Laytoff muttered, rummaging around in the back of the cart.

“Cordelia? Why, she’s dead,” I cried.

“You mean... no other girl has been in there with you?” I gave Mr Laytoff a look of ludicrousness. Their eyebrows shot up, mouths forming ‘o’ shapes, lines appearing on their foreheads. I tried to stifle my giggles as they began to panic and yell at each other for not locking the door properly. I crossed my fingers, and hoped Cordelia had found the Laytoff children.

Glancing over to where the men were still bickering, I decided it was time to ‘pretend’ run away. I sprinted as fast as I could into one of the tents.

Mr Taverner’s  yells and footsteps started to catch up with me. I fell over unintentionally, scraping my shins. I felt like crying. Before I could get myself up, one of them wrenched me up so hard that my stolen wig fell off my head, revealing my tangled mess of auburn curls, which gleamed under the moonlight.

“You can’t hide forever, Athenia,” Mr Laytoff grinned, pressing the vein on my wrist so hard that I could feel my bone screaming in pain. I stared defiantly into his glittering eyes, nostrils flaring, taking in shaky breaths.

They hauled me through the maze of tents. The yells of the fairgoers became more distant and muffled.

"In here.” The cupboard door next to me swung open, to reveal James and Annie crouched in it, countenances white and streaked with tears, ankles and wrists bound with rope.

“Where’s your sister?” Mr Tavener fumed, eyes widening even further. They both hunched over, cowering.

"Don’t frighten them, they haven’t done anything wrong,” I said.

"Be quiet.”   I crawled into the cupboard, wanting to comfort the petrified little souls.

“Don’t worry, everything’s going to be ok,” I murmured. Then the door slammed shut and we were enveloped in darkness. My face creased up in agony as my grazed knee started stinging, a reaction to the material the cupboard was lined with.

I sung lullabies and unravelled faerie stories to James and Annie during our confinement. We cuddled together tightly, weary, exhausted and aching, and fervently hoping.  I was annoyed for letting myself get trapped, but I was scared for all of our lives.

We must have fallen asleep because we were awoken by Lady Laytoff’s screaming and sobbing.

“My darlings, my darlings,” she cried. The fear in her expression wasn’t plastered on; I could sense it was real. That’s when I realised that she wasn’t part of the conspiracy, just used by her husband, a pawn in his game.

“Mama, oh Mama,” Annie cried, as she was swept into a hug, being lifted out of the cupboard. Susanna and Cordelia were standing behind Lady Laytoff, half smiling, as James and I clambered out the cell. Relief washed over me and my shoulders sagged. I went and hugged Cordelia, but then my smile dropped down into a thin wavering line.

“We need to get out of here, quickly,” I said to Lady Laytoff, heart beating faster at the thought of getting caught. She turned to face me, pupils large and livid, fists clenched.

“The reason my children were kidnapped by ruffians and bandits and goodness knows what else is because of you, Miss Mary-Jane.” I could not believe she was blaming all this on me!

"You took my children, my little babies, to a fairground and- and-” Uh oh. Her face twisted to resemble something so ugly and menacing words fail me to describe it.

"You. Have. Just. Lost. Your. Job.”