ERICA

The Heartfilia Clan Massacre

Devastatingly traumatized Erica just stood rooted to the ground. Her voice was stuck below the huge knot building inside her neck. With a shattering look on her face, her figure quavering uncontrollably, her mind playing the scene over and over again. Finally a huge sob managed to break through the knot inside her throat and she fell on her knees. Tears began falling wildly down her cheeks, whimpering she started crawling to the place where her, now dead, sister stood before her fall. Eyes blurring due to the wetness she peeked below, there was no sign of Marianne. She couldn't help but blame herself. Mari...please...please don't leave me alone... she begged in vain. All Erica wanted was for Marianne to return, play picnic with her. She could give up her most treasured possession---her favorite crystal tiara, just to hear her sister's gleeful giggles and see her exuberant smile, which now disappeared with Marianne. 

Then something clicked in Erica's head. What if she is still alive, down there all alone, waiting for help ...Erica's eyes bulged at that thought and she ran. She ran fast, as fast as her small legs could carry her, tearing through the spirit forest completely ignoring her surroundings which once dazzled her. She couldn't afford to waste a single second. Mari will be waiting...she needs help...i have to help her... determined with a purpose, Erica didn't even stop to catch her breath. Her lungs were adjuring her to breathe, her body escalated with pain. Tears were still cascading down her face, and an occasional whimper broke out of her lips, both, for the agonizing pain in her legs and immeasurable grief for her sister. The steaming layer separating the castle garden and the spirit forest was now visible. Erica swept through it and...

Flames bursting outside from the castle's windows. Huge chunks of debris of what was once before the castle walls, lay inattentive on the ground. Erica couldn't believe what she was seeing. Maybe this was all a bad dream and when she wakes up again Marianne would greet her good morning, barging through her chamber doors, Lady Catherine urging them to eat their breakfast, mumma would kiss and give her the warmest hug, papa would pick her up in his strong arms and blow a raspberry on her belly. Mumma and papa... suddenly realizing, Erica started running around the ruins in search of her parents. "Mumma!! Papa!!...please!! Anybody!! helppp!!!", she shouted on top of her lungs. Nothing but the crackling of the fire and a rare crash from the falling debris replied to her pleas. Panic had reached new heights in her chest. THUD ... Erica gravitated onto the broken glass of a window and cried in pain. Small pieces of glass dug into her palms and legs and one large shard pierced in her right thigh. It was hurting tormentingly, blood was oozing out of her hands and legs. The pain was unbearable.She clutched the end of the the piece of glass and tried to pull it out with her trembling hands but pain perforated through her thigh and she screamed in agony. Erica, after too many failed attempts, at last, managed to take it out but instantly regretted it . The crimson liquid started flowing, covering her whole thigh and the end of her dress in a blanket of red. With all the strength, the five year old could muster, she began her search again, limping. The pain in her left leg was immense, but she tried to ignore it. She almost succeeded when...

Erica heard a blood curdling scream of a woman...it came from her left side so she peered from behind the huge debris of the castle wall. What she saw next horrified her to the core. Queen Rose lay lifeless on her stomach with a black katana sword in her back, she was facing opposite to Erica who let out a quiet bleat but instantly covered her mouth with her bloody hands. Her father was cursing words at the huge men, especially at the one who had the scariest features, he apparently had stabbed her mother. " You shall pay for this disgraceful act of yours, Valentine!!!", sneered King Augustus. Valentine just gave a hearty laugh and taunted Augustus in his heavy voice," And what my dear Heartfilia could you possibly do. In case u failed to notice, let me enlighten you, you are on the ground at my mercy, I am the one holding the sword and you are the one bound by the binding spell." He took the handle of the katana that stood rigid inside the queen's back and dragged it towards August slowly. It slashed through Rose's back till her head tearing her upper body in two clean halves. Augustus screamed in protest. He couldn't help but let the tears of grief flood his face and watched his once beautiful wife who was now left deranged, lying in her own puddle of blood.

"To prove my point", SLASH "There." He cut Augustus' arm off his shoulder. Erica was was feeling nauseated and utterly petrified at the scene playing in front of her. She couldn't believe that someone could do such a horrendous act.

"Lord Valentine, we have wasted quite a lot of time here. We should leave before they arrive.", said a huge bulky dark bald man with a stern look. "Tch, well you just ruined all the fun Dexter. Very well." "That's right Valentine flee like the..."

And just like that, without a second's deliberation, Valentine stabbed Augustus' open mouth without letting him finish his taunt. The sword peirced through the back of Augustus' neck and was immediately pulled out. Blood squirted out of the backside of his neck and flooded out of his mouth. The binding spell broke and he fell down on his face with a thud. And the men finally left.

Dead, her sister, her mother, her father, all of them... In a single day. Erica couldn't even cry for if the cruel, heartless men heard her, she would be killed too. Erica couldn't hold her nausea in and vomited out her guts. Sudden blackness surrounded her eyes... Her ears started ringing and her whole body felt numb...she fell on her knees yet again and couldn't find the energy to run anymore. She fell in her own vomit and blood with her eyes open for a second and then they closed off one their own accord. She now lay unconcious pathetically, in the ruins of her home with no parents and no sister. The five year old had seen and felt somethings that no other kid probably should.