In Her Waking [Formerly Breathe . . .]

Chapter 12

The previous three days were the pure definition of hell itself.

It was either because of my burnt and battered fingers or the fact that I still couldn't figure out what this place was.

There was a rash knock on the door.
"Come in, come in I muttered."

Whitingale came in. "Her majesty will See you now."

Deja vu.

"Oh... sure." I pull my hand on my chest and my head sideways and smiled.

Theadoress had let me know earlier that it was supposed to be a form of greeting from an elder to a younger person to signify you acknowledge their existence, views and decisions.

The fact that I didn't do it the first time must've been why Whitingale thought me rude.

A small smile spread across her face.

I quickly got into better clothes and ran to Mañana 's throne room.

Seriously!Why do I feel like this has happened before.

I curtsied infront of Mañana.

"You didn't think I'd forget, did you." She said, her voice sharp and penetrating.

I furrowed my brows in confusion.

"You snuck my daughter out of the safety of the palace gates." She made her words sharp.

"I only wanted..."
She cut me off. She wasn't listening to anything I had to say.

"Did I permit you to say anything? Did I?"
I didn't say anything, I just shook my head.

"You'll be punished and I'm not joking."

I kinda remember that last part.

Mañana stared at me for sometime.
I was afraid she would kill me.

I pleaded. "Please do not kill me. It won't happen again I promise!"

"I won't kill you. I'll torture you." Mañana said.

I had absolutely no idea what that meant until I saw Whitingale come in with a bowl.

She glanced my direction and mouthed the words. "I'm sorry."

Inside the transparent bowl was something I quickly identified as winter's gold.

I couldn't be wrong.

Whitingale handed the transparent bowl to Mañana.

As she left, she gave me that same sorry look.

I gulped.

Mañana's eyes stared at me.
I hopelessly stared back hoping this would not end up so badly.

"Open wide." She ordered as she picked up a handful of the gold.

I observed her hand. No irritations, no scratches. Nothing.

"Open wide." She repeated.

I silently hoped whatever torture she was talking about would not be so bad.

I stepped closer and opened my mouth.
She put only a thimbleful amount of what was in her palm onto my tongue.

I was wrong.
I was wrong to think her form of torture wouldn't be so bad.
I was wrong!

The moment the little granules made it's way to my tongue, it stung.

It stung like a million scorpions.
It stung like a trillion bees.

It stung like a million scorpions raping a trillion bees.

The next second I felt warm.
Too warm.

I was boiling!
My skin was like fire and water made it's way out of my eyes.

This was no ordinary type of fever.

Mañana gave a wicked smile.
A smile that meant this wasn't the end of it.

A million horrifying black dots clouded my vision.
I tried to speak, to beg her to stop.
To beg her to stop the torture.

I couldn't.

It felt as though someone had shoved a chainsaw down my throat.
It hurt.

The few muffled sounds I managed to squeak felt like fire.
I could taste my throat bleeding.

I could taste the warm, salty metallic taste of blood.

Then pain shot out all over me. A kind of pain I couldn't comprehend.

My arteries throbbed.
My stomach ached.
My chest hurt.
My legs screamed.
My ears exploded in pain.
My eyes, almost blinded by the dark spots screamed for mercy.

Mercy!

I could feel only pain.
Stinging pain.

I rolled on the floor, tried to scream but the only sounds I was able to make sounded like my head was under water.

My mind was constantly repeating the words.

Make it stop!
Make it stop!

Mañana didn't seem phased at all by my rolling on the ground, kicking and scratching.

"Do you want me to make it stop?"

She had to ask a few more times before I could finally make out her words.

I nodded.

"Will you take Araya out of the palace gates. Ever?" She asked.

I violently shook my head.

Was this how hell felt?
Was this what it felt like?

Mañana looked at me and cynically laughed.

"I won't make it stop."

Hot tears streamed down my almost useless eyes.
The stinging continued.
The heat continued.
The pain continued.

In seconds, I felt blood seeping out of my skin.

I looked worse than a ripe tomato.

I wondered how the blood made it's way out of my skin but that wonder only lasted for nano seconds before I felt myself go into paralysis.

It was horrible, with all the pain and stinging I couldn't move my limbs to try, at least try and soothe myself.

I let out loud hideous sobs.
I want to die!
Let me die!
Let me just die!

But no, the pain I felt all over was everything apart from letting me die.

It wouldn't let me die.
It wouldn't let me surrender my soul to the angels.

It only kept on making me scream death.

I couldn't take it anymore.

I used my eyes to beg.
Mañana still smiled.

She then looked out the window and stared indefinitely at something.

She returned her gaze to mine.

"I'll be busy for sometime so I'll let you off. You wouldn't want me to give you a worse punishment now would you?"

I shook my head, violently while gasping and panting.

"Good." Mañana said as she put her finger on my nose. "Boop."

She snapped her fingers and a huge wave of relief was all I felt.

Some traces of pain still continued but I still felt relief nonetheless.

"You may go." She said.

I staggered and made my way out of the throne room.

I swore I would never disobey her orders.

Never.