Caraval - Chapter 2

Scarlett's feelings sprouted in a dark brown, turning darker as though drops of ink were mixed in, the color of fear, of anger. She flinched as Governor Dragna struck her sister for the second time, bringing Donatella to her knees, and the colors blossomed more vibrantly.

As her father stepped back from his crouching daughter, he smiled smugly, knowing that his punishments were more than persuasive. Scarlett watched as he wiped his bloody fingers on his guard's clean white shirt, the red staining the cloth in an unappealing way.

Then he turned to Scarlett, and although there wasn't much of a height difference, the governor seemed to tower over her. "Don't disappoint me again."

"I'm sorry, Father. I made a foolish mistake." Scarlett's eyes flicked to Tella's, letting her know that her sister had made a mistake as well. "I won't repeat it." And neither will you, Scarlett vowed, knowing she must protect her sister fiercely.

"I hope you mean that," the governor said, putting his plum-colored gloves back on.

For a moment, Scarlett was taken backwards in time through her memories, remembering the very phrase.

"I hope you mean that," her father had said to Scarlett's beautiful mother. There was no smug note in his voice, darker blues twirling through his voice instead.

Scarlett had been playing with four year old Tella, both of them hiding from each other, giggling. Scarlett was behind her mother's dresser, her silky dress scraping in the tight space. She could hear Tella's running steps as she peered around to find her sister, and Scarlett stuffed her small hand in her mouth to stifle her laughter. Tella's steps faded away, and Scarlett decided she wanted to find a new spot, as this one was tight and uncomfortable.

Besides, Tella won't come back here for a while, she thought.

Scarlett started to squirm out from the tight spot, and as she wriggled closer to the side, her foot got stuck. A sound of protest made its way from her mouth, but she bit her tongue to keep silent. After all, she didn't want Tella to find her. She shook her leg, trying to free her socked foot, but only succeeded in making her hot. Suddenly, the space felt more cramped, and a whimper escaped Scarlett.

She shook harder, getting scared now, and called out tentatively, "Mama!" hoping her mother was in the room and would hear her. But no one came to Scarlett's rescue, and her foot started to hurt. Sweat was beading on her back, and Scarlett felt it trickle down her spine. She thought she felt something brush her ankle, and she saw shades of brown and dark purple edge her vision.

She pushed harder, but the heavy dresser didn't budge. Tears of frustration and fear escaped the corners of Scarlett's eyes. "Mama!" she cried, louder this time. She knocked against the back of the dresser, hoping Paloma would hear her. "Mama!"

"Scarlett?"

Paloma's face appeared over Scarlett's, her mother peering over the dresser, Scarlett tilting her head back to see her. The dark colors vanished as fast as they came, and bright yellows filtered behind Paloma.

"Mama!" Scarlett said, her small voice overwhelmed with happiness. "I'm stuck!" She reached out her free hand to her mother, waiting expectantly to pull her out.

But Paloma didn't reach back. She just looked at Scarlett with a curious gleam in her eye, her brown iris darkening.

"Help me out?" Scarlett said, more of a question than a command.

Paloma stared at Scarlett's small outstretched hand, and Scarlett felt a dark feeling shudder through her, a ghost exposed to the chilling moonlight. Paloma's hand remained at her side, and her brow lowered, her lovely pink lips tightening.

"Mama!" Scarlett said, not understanding why her lovely mother wasn't helping her. "It's hot and scary here. I'm stuck!"

Paloma blinked, and reached out her hands to her daughter. "Oh no, darling. Let me help you out." She pulled the dresser back, giving Scarlett more room, and pulled her out, grabbing Scarlett's sweat-slicked hands.

Scarlett burst from the dresser like a puppet from a music box, free at last. She fell into Paloma's cool arms, savoring the chilly skin against her own. For a second, she lay there, then looked up into Paloma's eyes. "Why didn't you help me?" she whimpered.

Paloma smiled softly. "But I did, darling."

"Why did you take a long time? It was very scary."

"I was just thinking of the best way to get you out," Paloma said, kissing Scarlett on the head. "I didn't want to hurt you."

Scarlett buried her head in her mother's neck. "I thought you would leave me," she said, her voice muffled in Paloma's skin.

Paloma pulled back, and Scarlett still remembered the determined fix of her eyes, the way her arms tightened around her. "I will never, ever leave you, my darling, darling girl."

Startling both of them, the governor said behind the embracing family, "I hope you mean that." Paloma had stood, and both of them had talked in quiet voices. Scarlett had returned to Tella, recovered from her frightening experience by Paloma's words. Life had continued as it always had, until Paloma had left the family, had left Scarlett, a few years later.

Paloma had lied. She had left her darling, darling girl.

It was only years later that Scarlett considered that she had lied when Scarlett was hiding too.

That was why Scarlett protected her sister so fiercely. She had lived with a lie, and she wanted to make sure Tella never lived like that.

This fiction is just a rewrite of a few moments in the series, with an accompanying memory. If there are any requests for me to rewrite a chapter, just leave a review.

Thank you *blows kiss*