Sinful Pleasure

16

S I X T E E N

I knew that coming out here to look for Alice on my own was a bad idea. An extremely horrible and compulsively stupid one as well.

"Alice!" Holding the lantern out before me, my eyes darted back and forth between the coverage of bushes and trees. My heart heavily pounding against the barrier of my chest. "Everyone's worried about you Alice!" I didn't know if me shouting was a useless matter, but I didn't stop. My palms were sweating, my hands were shaking... The overwhelming feeling of fear was slowly consuming me. "Alice!"

Gripping the handle of the lantern more tightly in my hand, I took in a deep breath. Slowly exhaling the air out of my lungs as I leaned against a nearby tree. The air was chilling, nipping away at my skin. The little flare of fire from the lantern did very little to keep my bare arms warm.

Distinctively in the distance I could hear the slight oncoming of a commotion brewing. The familiar sound of Mr. Petrovic as he yelled for both me and Alice to return back home. Mrs. Lucilla slowly on the brink of panicking. It was only a matter of time before they set off our monitors. Sending bolts of electricity through our bodies as we wither about in pain. The mere thought of it was enough to have me shuddering where I stand.

"Alice!" My throat was running dry, burning from the strain of having to yell. But there was nothing else I could do. I'd walk and walk past similar mounts of trees and bushes but there was no sign of her anywhere.

Biting my lip, I held the lantern out in front of me. My eyes darting in any and every direction as I slowly swiveled around in a circle. I didn't like the idea of being out here on my own. It was dark, creepy, cold... And to make matters worse there was a slow drizzle of rain rolling in. Each droplet seeming to feel much heavier then the last. "I have to get back." I mumbled. A storm was brewing. The wind was harsh, the sky was illuminated with flashes of lightening, and the rain was pelting down like bullets.

I knew that I needed to find Alice... But my mind was so over clouded with fear. All I wanted to do was get out of this dark Forest and to a warm and sheltered place of comfort.

"I'm sorry Alice." My voice was merely a whisper as I turned around and ran in the direction in which I had came. Or so I had hoped. Every tree looked the same, every path of the same structure. I had no idea where I was going, nor could I see clearly with the intensity of the storm. So it was no surprise when my foot got tangled in the mass of overgrown vines. The suddenness causing me to loss my balance as I fell crashing towards the ground. The lantern falling no more then a few feet away from me. My only source of light gone.

Groaning I slowly turned my head to the side. My eyebrows drawing together as a sharp pain shot up the path of my right leg. It was so hauntingly painful, I nearly wanted to cry. I knew that something was wrong... When I could hardly move my body or manage to get up. I felt as if I were paralyzed. Stripped away the function of being able to move.

"Please." Looking around the dark forest, I found myself pleading. "Someone help me." My voice was hardly audible and on the verge of cracking... But that didn't stop me from crying out for help. For someone... Or anyone to help me. My body was withering in pain, my lips quivering from the cold friction of the rain and wind. My gown was sticking to my body as if it were a second skin. Frigid and wet.

I didn't know what to do in this moment. I could clearly hear Mr. Petrovic as he belted out his anger... But I couldn't find my voice to speak. Honestly I wasn't quite sure whether I wanted too.

For the first time in a long time, I was free... Injured but free. And though I couldn't relish in it as I had wanted too due to the circumstances, I figured that if I simply close my eyes. Take a few much needed deep breaths, and block out the raging sound of the storm... Then maybe, just maybe I could enjoy this moment.