Scratch my last thought about HSM, because I now LOVE it!
Wow, talk about a quick personality change, but it's the truth! Once you learn the moves, it's a ton of fun! Plus, it also helps because…drum roll….I GOT THE SOLO FOR SHARPAY!
Yay!
Anyway, ya'll are probably like "WHATEVER, GET ON WITH THE CHAPTER…you took long enough to update…"
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Pain tore at my chest like a mauling beast as I walked slowly back to Gramma's house with Jack, but I did my best to ignore it.
It was incredibly slow going because of the fact that it required so much oxygen to walk and breathe at the same time, and even more to breathe in sub-zero air.
"How're you holding up?" Jack asked, and I stopped briefly so I could answer.
"About as well as one could ask for under such circumstances…" I said haltingly, wishing I could channel my air into the lung that wasn't injured.
"I wish that you could look up to me and say 'Why the bloody hell do you have to ask that question? I'm perfectly fine.'" He sighed, and I wished fervently that I could say the same.
We continued the sluggish pace until we finally arrived at Gramma's door. By that time I felt like I was going to collapse, and was leaning heavily against Jack, starting to cough frighteningly.
He wasted no time in knocking, and grabbed the key hidden in the snow drift in the front yard, dashing back to pick me up from where he leaned me against the door frame.
He slid the ice cold key into the lock and trust the door open, a wave of warm air rushed over us from the dying fire in the fireplace.
"Gramma?" He called out urgently, and a moment later Gramma appeared in the doorway of her room, clutching her wrapper tightly around her neck.
"What's going on?" She asked fearfully, still partially asleep.
"It's Genny…" Jack started, and Gramma seemed to snap awake, noticing me for the first time.
"Oh no…what's happened to her?" she demanded steely to Jack, tacking hold of my arm.
"Someone broke into the barn and tried to kidnap her…they knew who she was." he said, not bothering to say 'crown princess.'
"God almighty…" Gramma said faintly as she led me to the bedroom.
Truth be told, I felt exhausted and more than ready to faint to be away from this mind-numbing pain, but my mind was clear as a bell, and yet they were talking as though I was already fainted.
"And they hurt her?" she asked, her motherly nature driving her to take on a fierce tone.
"Broke her rib…" Jack said, adopting the same intonation.
"Dear God…how could someone be so cruel as to do that?" she asked rhetorically.
Jack opened my bedroom door open for us, and followed us inside, helping Gramma lay me out on the bed.
Lying vertically made my spine ache along with my chest, and I coughed harshly, twisting my head to the side, drawing my hand to my face.
My eyes cracked open when I felt something warm and wet spatter my hand, and widened my lids when the wet showed to be shining, red blood.
"Oh my God…" I whispered at the same time as Jack and Gramma.
A doctor was summoned, one who could be trusted not to breathe a word to anyone, as he was a Father in the church as well.
Gramma had told him what happened, and he only nodded and began to work.
He gave me a sweet tonic that made me feel like I was floating on a cloud, and I could feel only the slightest pain…
The days drifted by in a haze, never knowing where I was or what day it was…but I knew that when I opened my eyes there was always the same worried face that would break into a relieved smile…but before I could put a name with the face, I had slipped back into my delirious state.
And then one day, the world cleared up…I was no longer forever wandering in that painless fog, and I could see everything the way they were, and not distorted.
As soon as the relief of waking up, I felt a wave of panic.
Where was I?
I sat up quick, startling awake the man slumped over in the wingback armchair next to me, whose face showed only a moment of confusion before breaking into a happy grin.
"You're awake now?" He asked, eyes dancing.
Horror mingled with my confusion, and I screeched as I drew the cover sheet up to my chin.
A man…a man next to the bed I was in, dressed in only my shift!
An elderly woman burst into the room, a man in priests clothes following behind her, a harassed look on his face, as though my terror was annoying him.
"Genny, what's wrong?" she asked, evidently calling me by name.
"Him!" I screamed, pointing to the man who threw up his arms as if to show he was innocence.
"Jack, what the bloody hell did you do?" she asked, eyes narrowing.
"Nothing, Gramma, she just woke up, saw me and screamed!" He said, standing up and getting away from the bed.
In his place the woman called Gramma took up his place in the chair and scooted it close to the bed.
"Genny, what did he do?" she asked gently as if to comfort me.
"Who are you people?" I asked, my voice trembling even as I tried to keep it steady and brave.
The woman whipped her head to the priest man.
"Why can she not remember who I am?" She demanded, her voice fierce.
The priest held his hands up the same way as the Jack man had, and said with a velvety voice "it is only a temporary effect from the tonic…you need to refresh her memory a little, that is all…"
The old woman pursed her lips as though she wasn't happy, and crossed her arms across her chest.
"Is her rib in order then?" she asked, and I closed my eyes, not wishing to hear any more. I was completely at loss as to who I was and where in Heavens name I was…and why on earth these people were fussing with me, talking about ribs and tonics…
"She will be a little sore, but she can go about life as normal…just a little slower for a while." I heard the priest said, and I heard him whisper to the woman "Now if we could discuss the cost…" and I heard her stand and leave the room with the priest.
I peeked my eye open, checking the room was empty, and sat up again, this time with a plan…
It was obvious that I couldn't possibly stay here in a house full of whacko's that did nothing but confuse me…I would just have to sneak out…
I threw the covers off and stood up, and immediately blood rushed to my head, dizzying me and forcing me to sit until it passed. I shook my head before I stood, making sure that I wouldn't be hit with another wave of weird spots before my eyes, and stalked the room, looking for something to wear.
As I walked, I noticed that my chest ached as though I had a bruise that had yet to heal, and remembered what the priest had said about me being sore.
I flung open a wardrobe, and discovered a variety of dresses, and in the drawers below, stockings, nightgowns, and shifts. I grabbed a pair of cotton stockings and yanked them up my calves, and pulled a maroon dress over my neck, not bothering to notice that my hair was completely disheveled.
The window stuck when I first tried lifting it, but the second time I managed to force it open, letting in a blast of icy air that made me gasp.
Unfortunately for me, the same instant in which I opened the window, the door behind me opened, and a very surprised gasp went in sync with mine.
"Genny!" I heard the old woman cry, and I whirled around, a guilty expression plastered all over my face like a child caught sneaking cookies. "What in Heaven's name are you doing?"
"I-I...was…getting some…fresh air?" I lied, unsure as to why I didn't just tell her to shove off and leave me be.
"God's sake, you'll bring the chills upon you with that fresh air!" she said, brushing past me and slamming the window shut. "And as a matter of fact, I don't think you were getting some air, if you were you wouldn't have bothered to dress."
Was I really that transparent?
"Now, I know you're completely at loss as to why on earth you're here, and you have no clue who you are, so you'll be needing to stick around here until you remember, because there's a whole lot of people 'round here who you can't trust to tell you." She added, and motioned me to sit back on the bed.
I sat down obediently, but wished I had been quicker with the attempt to get away from these crazy people who seemed to think they knew me.
The old woman sighed heavily and leaned back against the chair, but I sat up straight…a habit that I knew, but I could only remember a vague outline of a woman telling me…
I tried to hold onto that memory, and as I held on tight to it, I felt things start to clear up as though I had lit a candle. The woman was called Cecilia, she was my nurse-mary, and had instructed me in manners lessons until I was old enough to go see other people…who…think! Think! What did they teach me? Math, science, reading…it was coming back quickly now…but how did they all address me…
"I'm Princess Lolly!" I cried suddenly, and things clicked again. "Why are you keeping me here, commoner? I demand you take me back! Kidnapped I was; that's the only reason I'm here now!"
The peasant looked taken aback, it was evident she had never been addressed that way in her life, and I had a suspicion I had never addressed anyone like that in my life, but I couldn't trust my memory right now…she, that priest and that other man had drugged me in some way…and I bet they were holding me ransom this very moment!
"Genny, its good you're getting your memory back…" she started, but I cut her off.
"I'm Princess Lolly, not Genny as you want me to think. I demand you take me back to the palace!" I commanded, a voice of authority that sounded foreign out of my mouth surprised me.
The old woman regarded me with an eyebrow cocked.
"Well now aren't you all high and mighty. Now you just sit back down and wait before you go jumping to conclusions that aren't correct." She said, popping my bubble of superiority. I sat back down.
"Now, shall we start from the beginning?" She asked rhetorically, but I nodded anyway.
"You, are indeed the Crown Princess, heir of Candy Land's crown, but…after discovering you're engaged to the one and only Lord Licorice, you ran away…" She started, and told an amazing story about me…one that was crazy…yet made sense…
"Which all leads up to where we are now." She finished, and there was a heavy pause where she waited with an expectant expression.
"And you're positive that was all me?" I asked doubtfully.
"Yes, I'm positive." she said, looking as though she was hanging on my every word.
I started to slouch, but remembering Cecilia, I straightened up.
"Are you starting to remember now?" she asked with baited breath.
"Not one bit."
She a great breath and stood up, leaving me alone to try and digest everything she had said.
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Happy Birthday to me, by the way…
I know I should proof-read, but I'm far too lazy…still…
Please Review!
(By the way, I want to know what your favourite part of the story is so far!)