FWIPSH! FWIPSH! FWIPSH!
The sound of the whip crackled in her ear as the leather snapped in the air. She flinched each time, the sound serving as a warning to the pain that would soon strike her body.
A stinging, burning sensation bit at the flesh of her back. Warm liquid trickled down from her wounds, dying the fabric of her nightgown a crimson red.
Her brown hair fell in tangles, around her face, some strands sticking to her sweat slicked forehead.
She stared up at the wrought iron bars of the window in the stone dungeon as her vision faded into darkness.
Suddenly, she awoke with a gasp.
How many times would this nightmare of hers repeat?
Eilownia stared up at the sky; Spring's clear blue skies had come, the radiant sun shone down brightly, filtering through the glass sunroof.
What would've been a beautiful sight, something most people would dream of waking up to, meant nothing to her.
Thick dust floated through the air, chipped paint exposed rotting wood and years of water damage were exposed by the sun's rays.
The dilapidated garden shed at the edge of the Evans Estate was betrayed by the very thing that it was built to help nurture: nature and the neglect of man's hand.
A piece of splintered wood pressed uncomfortably against her back as she laid on the cold, hard, floor of the shed.
It had broken a few years ago already, a result of the continual damage and warping done to the forgotten building. She was used to it already, pretending it was a broken spring of some fancy mattress.
There wasn't much in the shed, mostly just broken and unusable gardening supplies, but there were a few things that made it Eilownia's home.
Hung above the potting bench were three dresses: a white sundress, a simple black dress and a long-sleeved dress for the winter. Next to her on the floor made of an old vegetable box, was a make-shift shelf.
Inside were a few knickknacks: a doll made from twigs and weaved grass that had seen better days, a once pink sheep plushie whose fur was now grey and covered in mildew that was missing an eye, a broken glass jaw with a few buttons inside, and a book that was falling apart.
"Good morning, friends~" Her voice was quiet and hoarse as she sat up and stared at the contents of the shelf.
Eilownia reached over and gently grabbed the book, afraid it may crumble into dust from too much force.
She carefully shifted to a less damaged part of the floor, careful not to get any splinters and pulled her knees up to her chest.
The book was a hardcopy covered with a fabric cover. Its edges were frayed and its body was warped. The black fabric was now a sad looking ash gray and what was once beautiful gold embossed lettering had oxidized and worn away, leaving barely legible title in its place.
"Lo….yond…..M…cs….ll" was all that was left.
Despite how careful she was, the book's spine crackled like uncooked pasta when she opened it.
Its pages were loose, the thread sewing them in slowly losing its grip, their coloring yellowed from age and use.
The ink that once adorned the pages with vibrant wording and a fantastical plot had faded from sun damage, resulting in a reddish ghost of the wordage stained on the page.
Some pages were in better condition than others, some…..practically gone to time.
Eilownia gently flipped to the back, seeking the final page.
There was a large tear stemming from the bottom middle of the book to the middle right, creating a large circular void. Its words had long disappeared from water and sun damage.
It must have been someone's favorite page. Eilownia could imagine the original owner reading that final page over and over again, just like she did.
She lightly slid her hand across the paper, back and forth, wondering what the original ending entailed.
With a quiet, content sigh, she went back to the first page, ready to start her journey again.
Most people would probably get bored reading the same book every day, some days, even multiple times; but Eilownia had her own way of keeping it fresh.
Today, she'd read the voices a little differently, imagine the characters to be shorter or taller. Maybe today, they'd be in a snowy landscape as opposed to the summery feel from last time she read it.
Just like every other time, she would make up her own ending, a new one each time.
As her eyes strained to scan the pages, her consciousness floated into a world beyond.
She stood tall as the cursed princess, her coat shielded her from the cold and caught the drifting snowflakes in its fur.
It wasn't long now until they would reach the ancient city, the one that was rumored to unlock the secrets of her curse.
'Men, gather your horses! We shall arrive before nightfall. Blizzards can come at any moment around these parts, we must hurry!' She barked her orders, accent thick, as she jumped up onto her white....no, black, horse and lead the way.
Eilownia continued to read, not at all noticing the sun shifting or her stomach growling.
Good, she preferred it that way.
Finally, she reached the end. She sucked on her lips for a moment while tapping her nails rhythmically against the page in thought.
Then, her eyes darted up to the sky. That's right, its spring now. That meant the famous flower festival would be occurring in the next kingdom over.
Eilownia smiled and looked back down at the paper before closing her eyes to imagine the scene.
The princess would arrive in a beautiful gown made of fresh flowers. Yellows, blues, pinks, purples, reds, all adorning her dress. The fragrance would waft into people's noses giving them a medley of scents just as they had visually provided for their eyes.
Citizens would be carrying bouquets of flowers as they inhaled the fresh, earthy smells. Children would be laughing and throwing flower petals at each other similar to how they would throw snowballs during the winter.
A handsome nobleman she'd met in her travels, Lord Harris, would approach and place a beautiful flower in her hair.
Then, the two of them would dance the night away floating like petals in the wind.
By the time she finished, it was midday and right on time, a maid entered the garden shed.
Eilownia looked up and furrowed her eyebrows.
"Who…..are you?"
The maid looked at her with disdain and tossed a small fabric bag at her. Eilownia flinched at the sudden toss and caught the bag, fumbling it a bit before securing her grip.
"Who are you to be asking that of me, Shed Girl? Be grateful I even came."
Before Eilownia could utter another word, the maid turned on her heel and marched out of the shed, slamming the door behind her.
The shed creaked in anger from the sudden, harsh movement of its old door. Its windows and ceiling skylight rattled and shook in protest. Eilownia pulled her knees tighter to her chest and covered her head, ready for them to shatter, but....they didn't.
Once they calmed down, she took a deep breath to calm her racing heart.
"I wonder what happened to the old maid….." She wondered out loud, staring at her rabbit plush and doll as if they would answer her.
As a child, she would be allowed in the servant's quarters, and while she would never form any mutual bonds with them, to her, they were all her friends.
She'd made an effort to recognize every line and wrinkle, each strand of hair, and who had a sparkle in the eye or not.
Once she got older, she was prohibited from leaving the shed except for at night.
Could something have happened? The previous maid didn't seem to be in bad health or poor spirits yesterday. Who was this new maid?
"I hope it was nothing bad. Well now, let's eat~" She stared at her rabbit and doll with a smile. Despite the cheery effort she put into her words, they were laced with sadness.
Eilownia unknotted the fabric bag and smiled wide.
Inside were three moldy buns, a piece of cheese that also had some mold, a handful of bitten and half-eaten vegetables, and four pieces of chicken bones with a few pieces of meat left on them.
"It's much better than yesterday! Look at what we got today! There's even enough for you two."
She proceeded to scrape off the mold with a broken spade that had been left behind, then dusted off the rust and dirt that was left behind.
After grabbing her doll and rabbit and placing them on the fabric, she handed them each the moldy pieces.
"I know these parts are your favorites~ …..No….no, don't feel bad! I don't mind sharing with you, really, I don't. If they are your favorites then you MUST have them. I will be happy to see you enjoy it~" She cooed, pushing the bits closer to them.
After that, her buns and cheese had reduced quite a bit, but regardless, she smiled.
"What a wonderful feast this is! Just like from our book, when the Princess gets invited to Lord Harris' estate. You both remember, right? Of course, how could you forget, it's one of our favorite scenes after all~"
Eilownia picked up one of the buns. It was a bit hard and crumbling like a sandcastle, but still she smiled.
She brought it to her lips and took a bite, crumbs sprinkled down into her lap.
"Mmmm, why yes Lord Harris, this honey cake is delicious!"
As she chewed the dry bread, her smile slowly faded, her head lowered as a tear slid down her face.
Just as soon as it had come, she wiped it away and placed the smile back on her face.
"Now, now, we mustn't cry over how delicious this is."