queen of hearts / enoch o'connor / on hiatus

ix.

"Frances get your arse up!" I jump from my bed hearing Jane's constant screaming.

"I'm up! And please stop using such vile words."
I say grabbing a dress from the cabinet and changing my slip.

"What do you need Jane?" I ask as we got down the stairs. "Well... Ms. Crow asked for you to go down to her this instant." She says as I quicken my pace.

"Morning!" We hear Victoria say before rushing upstairs.

I go inside the parlor seeing Ms. Crow drinking tea.
"Ms. Crow Jane said you wanted to see me?" I ask.
"Well Frances, take a seat. Your peculiarity is quite difficult to control and although I do not support this decision you will be moved to another loop with Ms. Avocet in order to find a better solution for your peculiarity?"

I stand unbelieving of what she said.
"But... But you know I'd never hurt the children!" I say hurt that she'd even think about that.
"I know that Frances but they don't know that..."
She says but I block her out.

I run out the house and into the woods not caring that the storm has already started.

I look around me only seeing trees.
"Hello?" I call out as I walk deeper in the greenery.

I hear the grass crunch and I turn my head to see nothing.
"Victoria... don't play games with me!" I say hoping it's just Victoria and not something else.

"AHH!" I feel something lift me up in the air as I struggle to get out of it's grip.

No... why a hollowgast. Out of all the things why.

I feel something slither across my face and into my eyes as I try grabbing it's tentacles and stop it.

My screams pierce the quiet blanket of our loop as I try to shake out of the monster's grasp.

I fall to the ground as everything goes black.

()()()

"Frances! No no no Frances wake up!" I hear someone say but I couldn't see them.

I try to move and look but nothing happens.
I move my finger and hear someone gasp in surprise.
"Ms. Crow! I saw her hand move." I hear someone say as I try to move more.
I cough and sputter as I turn on my side hearing someone gasp in surprise.

"How is this possible?" I hear someone ask their voice having a hint of surprise.
"Frances? This is Ms. Crow. Can you hear me?" I hear her ask as I heard the wind whistle in my ear.
"Yeah... But I can't... I can't see you." I say moving my head and trying to at least see a hint of color.
"Frances do you remember what happened?" I hear her ask as I feel light.
"The hollows." I say before I hear the grass crunch under my weight

()()()

"Ms. Crow how is this even possible? How could she survive such an attack!"
"I don't know Ruby. But it the reason might be related in her peculiarity to be able to live without such things."
"What should we do now? Who knows what else might happen to her... She's already suffered enough."
"We can only stand and wait Ruby."

I remember their discussion as clear as day.
On how I was able to live through a hollow.