There is No Bright Side of Black - Wattpad Weekly Contests: Whodunit

A Blue Dress on a Black Night

I knew I shouldn't have come.

You're doomed, Madelein, the voice in my head whispered. Cursed. You may as well lay down and never get up again.

I shook off the thought and rose from the bed, sweeping across the large room to snatch up a piece of clothing draped across the vanity chair. A pretty blue dress, the color of salty Mediterranean waves on a clear day, spotted with tiny yellow flowers. Holding it up, I fingered the fabric of the left sleeve, just where it met with the shoulder. A gaping tear, halfway stitched back together, flapped mockingly in my hand.

I threw the dress back down on the chair and turned away with a huff. Everything about it insulted me. I'd had to to borrow it from my sister, Bridgette. I'm a disaster when it comes to fashion, and never have anything nice to wear for special occasions. And I'm too much of a space-case to take the time to go shopping myself. That's where Bridgette always comes in handy. Smart, capable, beautiful Bridgette. Always knows just what to say. Just what to wear. I sometimes wondered how we are related. And I loved her with all my heart. But I couldn't deny the envy I felt when I looked at her. She was everything I wished I could be. When she handed me that pretty blue dress, part of me had wanted to hug her, while the other part wanted to rip the dress in two. I hadn't even needed to ask to borrow it. When I'd told her about being invited to the esteemed Delilah Black's birthday celebration, she'd just known. I knew I should have been thankful, should have appreciated the fact that I had a sister so caring and attentive, she knew exactly what I needed without me even asking. But, somewhere deep down, an angry fist of annoyance tightened around my heart when she handed me that dress. When I saw the pity behind her eyes.

Madelein is hopeless, her eyes said. How would she survive without me?

But, of course, I took the dress graciously. Because I was hopeless. I would have had nothing to wear, otherwise.

And then, just to add insult to injury, not a moment after settling into my room at the Black estate, I tore the damned dress while unpacking. I'd only wanted to take it out of my bag so that it wouldn't wrinkle. But my clumsy, fumbling fingers had yanked it so hard, I nearly ripped the whole left sleeve off. I was so close to just packing it back up and going home. What would I wear to the party? I would be too humiliated to show up in my normal clothes, especially when I knew so many of Delilah's important and revered friends would be attending.

But then fate finally seemed to give me a chance. A great storm descended upon the Black estate, and the celebration plans were to be postponed until the following day. Huzzah! Now I had plenty of time to mend the dress before we all met at the lake for the party.

But I never got to finish repairing the dress. Just as the clock struck its final and twelfth toll at midnight, a horrifying shriek echoed through the halls of the mansion.

I dropped the dress and needle to the floor with trembling fingers.

Then, just as suddenly, doors were flung open with force, footsteps pounded all around, shouts and panicked voices seeped through the walls. And I was frozen to the spot. I knew the night had taken a terrible turn. I could feel evil intent in the air.

On shaky legs, I finally stood and crept to the door. The moment I stepped out, a surge of people came sweeping down the hallway and I was pulled along with them. My senses seemed to blur, as if I were inside a dream, and I soon found myself in the dining room along with all forty-nine of the other guests.

And there was Delilah Black. Dead.

Chaos ensued, little of it I was consciously present for. The doctor stepped forward and it was confirmed. Not only was Delilah deceased, but he had been the victim of foul play. This was no natural death. Accusing eyes swept across the room and the chaos arose once again.