In Times To Come

My head hurt; a piercing pain that jolted through my nerves and was spreading to the tips of my fingers. I had had some relief with the coming of the darkness, but it was back. I couldn’t move, couldn’t breathe. My body was so hot.

* * * * * * * *

I awoke with a start as I realized it was extremely hard for me to breathe. My vision was completely obstructed and it was almost impossible for me to move. My arms were stretched out over my head, my fingers once again clamped to the bed post. I unhitched my fingernails and turned to the more pressing issue.

Struggling within the suffocating sea of blankets, I was slowly scooting myself to the edge of the bed. There was a clearly audible crack as I landed on my side. Lying on the cold stone flooring was a relief, but I was still trapped. Further moving around made it possible for me to shift my way out of the deadly fabric.

My shoulder hurt where I had smacked into the floor, but it was slowly forgotten with the new wave of pain that made itself present. My head felt like it was splitting open.

I didn’t think I had hit it as I fell, but who knows? I could have given myself a concussion for all I knew.

Sitting up, I moved my hands slowly over the back of my head and across the sides. Nothing. There wasn’t any tender skin or lumps that I could feel. The pain was more internal; piercing the very core. It spread through my nerves and made the slightest move of my body to tingle in a strange sort of ache. Even my eyes were especially sensitive to the bright morning sunlight that streamed in through the windows.

Knock. Knock. Knock. “My lady, are you up?”

I knew it was the maid, Erin, most likely bringing me breakfast and a change of clothes. The problem was the state in which I now found myself.

Despite the splitting headache, I got to my feet and shoved the disheveled sheets back onto the bed.

“Come in,” I croaked through a dry throat.

The door opened and Erin entered with a tray of sweet smelling fruit and a kettle of tea. She spoke as she set the food onto the table.

“His highness felt bad that for your first full day in the castle you had to be confined to your room, so he has planned an exciting day for you. He thought maybe a walk in the garden would be most enjoyable and then I suggested-” she paused to look up and bow, however instead of continuing, she stood and stared. “My lady-” she began. “My lady, are you alright?”

“Hmm?” I moaned in question. I hadn’t quite heard what she’d said.

“Are you alright?” she asked with further concern.

“Oh, yes, fine,” I answered back. I could tell she wasn’t at all convinced. I tried to ease her worry by sitting down and starting on the fresh fruit. “Just hungry,” I added.

“Of course,” she said, a little more relaxed. “Well, your dress has already been prepared this morning.” She walked to the bed and set down the yellow dress that had been slung over her shoulder. “You should have no problem with this one, just put it on over your head,” she instructed.

I nodded to show that I had understood, shoving another orange slice in my mouth.

“Lord Zarek has requested your presence as well this morning. Perhaps you two could meet out in the courtyard.” She smirked as she bowed and left the room. Maybe I would have caught on to her playful gestures had I not been in so much pain.

I was so relieved to see the door close behind her that I practically fell out of my chair. I groaned and set my head down on the hard surface of the table.

‘So much for my second day in the castle,’ I thought.

Sitting around wasn’t going to get rid of this migraine, so I stood and walked over to the bed. Erin was right, the dress was easy to put on, or should I say “would have been easy”? The sluggish pace at which I placed it on made it “easy” for me to get it caught on the top of my head and then on my elbows as I pulled it into place.

The pain seemed to be subsiding a little. ‘Perhaps I just needed to get my blood pumping.’

I left the room, having no idea as to where I should be heading in order to reach the gardens. I found myself craving the cold morning air with every moment that I spent thinking about it.

Since my room had a balcony, it made sense that I would have to go down in order to reach the ground floor; at least it made sense to me. So, I turned down the first flight of stairs that I saw.

The stairs were a little narrow and steeper than I would have liked. It was hard to keep my balance. There was no railing and little light as I continued. Had I been thinking straight that morning, I would have turned around the second I began to notice the smell. It was a sick odor, like one you might smell had you passed a dead animal along the path.

As I reached the bottom landing, it became completely black. I could barely keep my bearings as I felt around for another hall, a door, anything.

My fingertips scraped against rough wood that I took to be a door. I flattened my palms against it and pushed with all my might. It didn’t even budge.

‘Why in the world would they build a door that didn’t open?’ I questioned angrily. That’s when I let my hands down and felt the cold ring that had been placed into the wood.

I grabbed the metal handle with both hands and pulled. The door began to creak open and I stepped back to let it swing to its full.

The air coming from inside made me shiver, but it was the smell that really nailed me. I had finally taken notice of it and this time I almost heaved in the doorway.

This was not outside.