Chapter Four
I arrived at Mum Olga on time. The curse was so intense that I was forced to go faster. Mum Olga was displeased I arrived on time. I think she wants to punish me. Nerveless, she made scrub the floors I just scrubbed yesterday. There was nothing wrong with it actually. It shines like glass. Mum Olga must have thought if her reflection was ugly while mirrored by the floor, it is dirty. I am fortunate that she doesn't always look at the floor. If she does, then I fear that I would be scrubbing forever.
The guests were Hattie's friends. Blossom with the big worrywart and Delicia the whiner. Her odious group of friends. Mandy cooked them a lot of food. Quail eggs, deer, wild rice, currant bread, cream trifle, plum pudding, chocolate bonbons, spice cake, white cake made their way to their plates and found their doom in their stomachs. They have stomachs with holes.
Hattie especially loved it when she called me to the table.
"Ella dance for us." She said while smiling at her friends.
"Are you sure she'll obey you?" Blossom asked. Hattie nodded. She smiled evilly.
I was resisting all the time. I didn't want to dance. I didn't want to look like a puppet infront of Hattie's freak group! In breathlessness, nausea, dizziness, spinning of the room. I experienced it all. I danced a ballet. It stopped.
I looked absolutely silly making a pirouette while wearing a sooty maids' uniform. I twirled and soot flew. It covered the floors and landed on the empty plates.
"Ella stop dancing." Hattie coughed. I stopped. I could kiss her that time but I knew it was also her fault.
"I don't like that command. I want to do it to!" Delicia whined while making an absurd pout.
Hattie rolled her eyes. "All right."
Delicia said, "Bow down to me and say I'm a goddess."
I clutched my fists and pretended I was glued to the ground and that I also have grown roots.
"Why can't she obey me!?" Delicia moaned.
"Wait! She is resisting. See how red her face is? Let go Ella and it will stop." Hattie said.
I didn't but eventually I did do it. It was torture following rabbit queen's minions. They laughed at me, their puppet. I did a lot of crazy things. Because they ordered me. I didn't resist. I just imagined the day when the curse is gone. I would kick them and let them do all the things they forced me to do. Then I would laugh at them. They would also do that for the world.
Mandy interfered. She served some desert and the brutes were distracted in the meantime. They gobbled it while Mandy led the singing Ella away.
"Ella stop singing." Mandy said the countermand. I stopped.
"Ella, go out and stay out. Return when you see Blossom's and Delicia's carriages leaving the manor. Don't worry. I'll tell Lady Hattie and Dame Olga you are out doing some chores for me."
I was happy to obey. I ran outside and reached the orchard. It was a long way from Hattie. I concealed myself among the apple trees so then Mum Olga or Hattie or Olive won't see me. I sat down and wondered.
I daydreamed about Char. I saw Char while sliding down the stair rail. I saw his buttonless doublet flapping. I heard his laugh. I saw his face close to mine. I saw his grin. His handwriting.
Tears went down my cheeks. I will never be near Char again and dreaming about him won't help.
Hope is lost.
I arrived at Mum Olga on time. The curse was so intense that I was forced to go faster. Mum Olga was displeased I arrived on time. I think she wants to punish me. Nerveless, she made scrub the floors I just scrubbed yesterday. There was nothing wrong with it actually. It shines like glass. Mum Olga must have thought if her reflection was ugly while mirrored by the floor, it is dirty. I am fortunate that she doesn't always look at the floor. If she does, then I fear that I would be scrubbing forever.
The guests were Hattie's friends. Blossom with the big worrywart and Delicia the whiner. Her odious group of friends. Mandy cooked them a lot of food. Quail eggs, deer, wild rice, currant bread, cream trifle, plum pudding, chocolate bonbons, spice cake, white cake made their way to their plates and found their doom in their stomachs. They have stomachs with holes.
Hattie especially loved it when she called me to the table.
"Ella dance for us." She said while smiling at her friends.
"Are you sure she'll obey you?" Blossom asked. Hattie nodded. She smiled evilly.
I was resisting all the time. I didn't want to dance. I didn't want to look like a puppet infront of Hattie's freak group! In breathlessness, nausea, dizziness, spinning of the room. I experienced it all. I danced a ballet. It stopped.
I looked absolutely silly making a pirouette while wearing a sooty maids' uniform. I twirled and soot flew. It covered the floors and landed on the empty plates.
"Ella stop dancing." Hattie coughed. I stopped. I could kiss her that time but I knew it was also her fault.
"I don't like that command. I want to do it to!" Delicia whined while making an absurd pout.
Hattie rolled her eyes. "All right."
Delicia said, "Bow down to me and say I'm a goddess."
I clutched my fists and pretended I was glued to the ground and that I also have grown roots.
"Why can't she obey me!?" Delicia moaned.
"Wait! She is resisting. See how red her face is? Let go Ella and it will stop." Hattie said.
I didn't but eventually I did do it. It was torture following rabbit queen's minions. They laughed at me, their puppet. I did a lot of crazy things. Because they ordered me. I didn't resist. I just imagined the day when the curse is gone. I would kick them and let them do all the things they forced me to do. Then I would laugh at them. They would also do that for the world.
Mandy interfered. She served some desert and the brutes were distracted in the meantime. They gobbled it while Mandy led the singing Ella away.
"Ella stop singing." Mandy said the countermand. I stopped.
"Ella, go out and stay out. Return when you see Blossom's and Delicia's carriages leaving the manor. Don't worry. I'll tell Lady Hattie and Dame Olga you are out doing some chores for me."
I was happy to obey. I ran outside and reached the orchard. It was a long way from Hattie. I concealed myself among the apple trees so then Mum Olga or Hattie or Olive won't see me. I sat down and wondered.
I daydreamed about Char. I saw Char while sliding down the stair rail. I saw his buttonless doublet flapping. I heard his laugh. I saw his face close to mine. I saw his grin. His handwriting.
Tears went down my cheeks. I will never be near Char again and dreaming about him won't help.
Hope is lost.
