Dark Paradise

Chapter 5: Meeting the Queen~

Chapter 5: Meeting the Queen~

The routine went on for the longest while for Selene. She would eat, sleep, and cry. There were many occasions where she would sit on the side of Chasity's bed and sing Comatose by Skillet to her, brushing her long hair, still matted over with small amounts of blood here and there.

"I don't wanna eat, I don't wanna sleep, unless I feel you next to me..." she sung quietly. "You take the pain I feel..." She went silent. Now is where Chasity would sing the part back to her, "Waking up to you never felt so real." Instead, she just layed there in silence, her shallow breathing being the only thing that defined her at that exact moment in time.

"I wonder if she knows she's even in a coma." Selene turned to look at Eli, who was smiling sadly at the two girls from the doorway. Selene looked away before Eli could see her cry. She wiped the tear away. "I doubt it." she mumbled. "She probably won't even wake up."

"Have you ever been this sad before?" Eli asked her, sitting down on thw window seat where Genevieve normally sat. She looked at him. "Yeah, when my grandfather was diagnosed with cancer.... and then when my dad had a heart attack. Why?"

Eli stared at her. "Think of what Chase said to you when you were this sad."

"She kept asking for hugs and if I wanted to talk it out." Selene remembered. "She told me that..."

"What did she tell you?"

"She told me that I shouldn't cry over the hard times becasue God never gives us more than we can handle. And through all that pain, you have to learn how to smile, and how to cry it out."

Eli looked at her through pitying eyes. "Don't you think that that's what she would want you to do?" Selene nodded and moved a strand of hair away from her eyes, just like Chasity did for her two weeks ago today.

"Don't get me wrong; if my significant other was trapped inside themself, I'd be down too. But you have to learn to look at the brighter side of everything." Eli got up and patted Selene on the shoulder before walking out. "If you need to talk," he called from the doorway. "just text me."

Selene absentmindedly began to sing Comatose again from the beginning, running her fingers through Chasity's long honey colored hair.

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We meandered through the forest, dodging every tree, every bush. The mace became heavier and heavier, and I was tired of holding the rolled up whip in my hand.

"Stop." Lydia instructed, swinging her arm out to her side to stop me. We had already arrived at the palace. It was a grand palace, with a diamond- shaped center court, barriered by a large, erected wall and towers, most likely watchposts.

"You're my accomplice, do you hear me?" She told me, trying to speak fast. "Your name.... it shall be Grace. Yes, you look like a Grace."

"Lydia." I told her, grabbing her wrist. "What's yoir real name?"

"Lydia." she said. "I told you my real name. Now let's go." She pulled me down a dirt path, towards the gates. She pulled out a thick, red veil and folded it over her eyes. "Keep your eyes low." Lydia instructed me. I did as I was told, and looked down at my feet, trying to hold up the skirt of my dress in the process.

"Welcome back, Lydia. Have you another criminal there?" a guard asked her.

"I do." she lied. "She must have an audience with Queen Maria now. If you'll excuse us." She pushed us past the guards and into the palace, towards the queen's court. "Watch now." Lydia said. I looked up and she opened the queen's doors, curtsying as she entered. I did the same, and we walked In next to one another.