She's afraid, so afraid. She doesn't know where her mama is taking her, only that it's bad, that it's the end of her baby.
I want to keep the baby, Mama. It's mine and Melchior's, we'll take good care of it, I promise.
Her mother doesn't even turn around, just tightens her grip on her wrist and keeps pulling.
Mama, I'm scared!
Her mother stops then, for one brief moment, taking her in her arms. Oh, Wendla. I am too. That's why we're here, so we can stop being scared and be happy again. You can play with your friends again and go to school. We just have to get rid of the problem.
But Mama, I don't want--!
Too late. She's thrown into the arms of a strange man and her mama is leaving, trying to reassure her and failing.
Mama, don't leave me! Mamaaaaa!
The man drags her into a small room and puts her down on a table covered in a sheet. He's taking her dress off of her.
No, no! Melchior is the only man who can see her in her underclothes. But the man doesn't care, just straps her down on the table so she can't squirm.
An old woman brings a sponge soaked in something.
Here, dearie. Take a nice, deep breath of this and everything will be alright. It will make you sleep, and when you wake up your mama will take you home. That's what you want, isn't it?
She doesn't want to let them take her child, but she's so afraid. All she wants is for it to be over. She breathes deep once, twice, three times.
Yes, just like that.
And she's gone.
***
She is standing in a field of roses. Everything is so... soft. She runs and finds that her feet barely touch the ground.
There is something in front of her. What is it? She comes closer and sees. It's a girl. She has dark brown curls falling down her back and wears a beautiful white dress. The girl is waiting for someone, a boy. A man.
There he is now! He rides a black horse with a white star on its head. The man is so handsome. He is looking at the girl with sparkling green eyes. He is getting off the horse and taking her hands. Kissing her. No sins, no touch. Just sweet kisses.
Now he is helping the girl onto the horse. He is taking her to a shimmering castle. It is made of diamonds and sends rainbows across the land. She follows, wanting to see what they do next.
They go into the castle together. She knows they are going to get married, because they are obviously in love. And then they come out of the castle, holding a bundle. She runs right up to the girl, looking into the bundle. A baby, a beautiful baby!
She looks the girl right in the eye, wanting to say something kind about the baby. She then sees: the girl is her! The boy must be Melchior! And they are so happy. He takes the bundle in one arm and takes her hand with his free one and they begin to walk away.
She wants to burst. They are so happy together, a prince and princess with their beautiful child.
She lies down in the roses. Voices cut into this soft world, stabbing into her.
I can't stop this bleeding!
She wishes they would stop; the voices don't fit in here.
Her pulse... Oh God!
But the voices don't matter; nothing matters, because she knows she and Melchior will live happily ever after. How could the story end any other way?
The roses are slipping out from under her now, forming a pit. She's falling, and when she puts out her hands she can't stop herself. But that's okay, too. She isn't afraid anymore.
She doesn't know where this pit leads, but no matter what she has her happily ever after with Melchior.
So she lets herself fall deeper and deeper until suddenly...
She's gone.