Crap, crap, crap, crap, crap, I'm so screwed! Juliet was right about all of this. I'm just curious to why he was in my room at this point. What do I do now? Do I tell Francisco or make another elaborate lie to get out of it? No, I had to tell him now. Lying just tangles you in a web. I never liked spiders, so a web isn't my idea of a good place to be. It was now or never.
"Okay, Francisco, you caught me. I'm the white wind," I said. His eyes popped out with surprise. I should have let him tell me what he thought the mask meant.
"What? Scarlet, you're the white wind?" he exclaimed. We weren't on the same page, were we?
"Of course! What did you think that mask meant?" I shouted back, panicking.
"I thought the white wind had visited you and left the mask in your room! You said you knew her so I thought she just came over and you didn't tell me! Oh dear Escalus," he shouted, frustrated and shocked at all of this. He walked past me into the main room and sat down at a chair, mumbling to himself, oh my faith. I walked to the chair beside him and sat down.
"Francisco, I'm sorry," I said, he looked up at me, shaking his head with disappointment. He let out a heavy sigh, trying to find words to continue.
"All I want to know is why. Why wouldn't you just tell me? I feel the same about you," he asked. I didn't know what to tell him. I looked to the window, searching the stars for my answer.
"I was terrified. I had no idea what I'd do if you didn't love me back. If you didn't return the feelings and you knew it was me, what would that have done for us? Francisco, we went from hate to love too quickly. What else do you want me to say? I was insecure, I was jealous, I was curious, I was skeptical, what do you want?" I asked. I felt tears welling up in my eyes. I felt like this was going to end.
"You, insecure, jealous. Not a chance. Skeptical and curious I can believe, but Scarlet, insecure? And jealous of who?" he asked. I looked at Francisco, trying to stop the tears from coming out, but the wall I had built against them was breaking fast.
"I wanted to find out if you loved me back. Once as the white wind you hinted that there was another woman, I was jealous of her. I didn't want to be second place to a girl I didn't know. It wasn't until you told me earlier to day that the other woman was me that I felt stupidly relieved. Francisco, I'm sorry. I've lost your trust in this charade. All I can really do now is ask for another chance. No more secrets, no more lies, no more masks, I promise you that. Just, please, I don't think I could handle another heart break," I sobbed. I had no idea of what he would do, but I prayed that he would forgive me. I felt his arms wrap around me.
"I made a promise to never hurt you, and I will keep that promise. We all make mistakes Scarlet and we all need to forgive the ones we love," he whispered. I cried even harder into him, not crying of fear, but relief. I never wanted to leave this position. I wanted to stay in his arms, with him.
"It's getting late, Francisco. I think we should be off to bed," I said. We broke apart and he nodded. We got up and he walked me to my room.
"Good night, my love, sweet dreams," he said, kissing my hand.
"Good night, Francisco," I replied, before giving him a quick peck good night. I closed the door and sighed. Love was so beautiful. I quickly changed into my night gown, hopped into bed, and waited to fall asleep to bring tomorrow closer.
I was lying in a field, looking at the sky. I was surrounded by irises. I hear myself saying something around the corner. Knowing this must be impossible, I walk around to investigate. I see myself at seventeen, talking to a boy with dark brown hair and bright blue eyes. I'm blushing like mad as I choke words out.
"Scarlet, just spit it out!" he laughed. I remembered this day. The day I was rejected, the day I was heart broken, the day I locked my emotions up.
"No, don't do it!" I yelled. My younger self looked back at me. I ran over to her, and the boy, trying to get the words out. "You'll regret it. I guarantee it. Save those three words for someone that you can say it to and mean in with all of your existence. He won't return the feelings. Save it for a man you'll meet later. His name will be Sir Francisco. He's handsome, caring, romantic, and a bit of an idiot, but he's the right one for those words, not him."
"Who are you?" my younger self asked.
"I'm you, but older. I'm twenty three," I told her. She still questioned me.
"Uh, can this wait? Scarlet was going…" the boy started. I shot him a glare to shut him up.
"No it can't. This can't wait Casio," I spat. So that's what his name was, Casio.
"You can't be me. I'm me," little me said. I took her wrists and forced her to look at me.
"Scarlet, I am you. My name is Scarlet Massima Donatella Capulet. I'm a survivor of the Capulet house. I live with my friend Melanie Marie Ann Kellin. She goes off every Tuesday to the market to go try and catch Sir Francisco's attention. The nineteen year old boy with the long blonde hair. I occasionally tag along to talk with my best friend Curio and Francisco's sister Cordilia. I've been searching for my little sister Juliet since I was twelve. She's been missing for fourteen years. Curio, Cordilia, and Francisco all know her. I've been able to find her though," I finished. Myself didn't look convinced. I sighed. "You have a burn on your upper arm from the time we messed around with the pots and one fell down and burnt your arm. We also have a birthmark on the small of our backs that we were always convinced looked like a dragon horse." My younger self's eyes grew wide, showing she finally realizing I was her.
"Wait, I'm going to fall in love with Francisco? EW! He's an arrogant, idiotic, perverted womanizer! Not to mention he's a major creeper. I'll never fall in love with that scum!" little me gave a disgusted face. I laughed and put a hand on her shoulder.
"Believe me, I didn't think I'd fall in love with him either, but it happened. And he loves you too. No matter how much he teases you, he really cares about you," I assured.
"Capulets?" Casio stuttered, falling back. The field suddenly changed into a dark stone room. The Montague crest covered the room and before us stood Casio and the Prince. Little me suddenly turned to dust and was blown away. Casio soon departed in the same way. The prince took out his sword and pointed at to me.
"Capulets must die," was all he said before he lunged at me. I quickly dodged it, realizing I didn't have a sword of my own. He lunged past me again, as I dodged again. My elbow slammed into the back of his neck, paralyzing him. He slid across the dark marble floor and remained still and lifeless.
"If only, if only," I voice recited behind me. I turned around, horrified at what I saw. Ophelia stood before me, holding a dagger. "The birds never flew."
"If only, if only, it was just me and you," I finished.
"If only, if only, there were dew colored flowers," Ophelia continued.
"If only, if only, we could lay here for hours," I replied.
"If only, if only, the birds could not fly."
"If only, if only, you never asked why."
"If only, if only, the sky was not gray."
"If only, if only, we'd see another day." I finished. Suddenly Ophelia's image melted into Francisco's.
"If only, if only," said Ophelia's voice. "You could see," continued Francisco's voice. He opened his arms to me.
"If only, if only, you would love me!" I finished, running into his arms. He rested his head on mine as we stood there.
"If only, if only, this pigeon was a dove. If only, if only, she'd see there's no love," Francisco whispered. I felt the blade pierce my back. It wasn't painful physically, but I knew Francisco was the one who had pierced my heart. The pain of heart break, after all this time returned.
"I told you he didn't love us!" I heard my younger self say. I turned my head to see her, drenched in blood, with a sword through her heart as well. The prince pulled his blade out and let my younger self fall, lifeless. I looked back to Francisco, whose face flickered back and forth from Ophelia to himself. I screamed, knowing I was helpless.
I sat up, drenched in sweat screaming. I relaxed as I saw it was all just a dream. Francisco, Curio, Conrad, Juliet, and Cordilia all ran into my room, panicked. Francisco instantly came over to embrace me, but I screamed again, pushing him away. He instantly backed away. My nightmare was suddenly returning, mixing with reality. Francisco flickered back and forth to Ophelia. Conrad became the prince, Curio became Casio, Juliet became the younger version of me, drenched in blood. Cordilia came in and out of the scene. I looked at where Francisco's dagger had plunged into me and grasped at the clothing. It appeared as if I were truly bleeding. I couldn't scream I was so terrified. I looked at my hand, seeing the red liquid. I looked up, barely able to breath I was so terrified. I sobbed hysterically, terrified at the reality I faced.
"What's wrong Scarlet?" my younger self asked with Juliet's voice. "What do you see?" asked Juliet.
"Scarlet," said Casio, using Curio's voice. "Tell us what's wrong," commanded Curio.
"We can't help you," the prince said in Conrad's voice. "If you don't tell us what is wrong," Conrad completed.
"Scarlet, my love," Francisco said gently as Ophelia. "Please let us help you," he finished as himself. I felt arms around me, trying to comfort me. I looked over to see Cordilia, but she soon disappeared again. She came back soon enough.
"I'm surrounded by a bloody version of myself at seventeen, the prince, Ophelia who turned into Francisco and stabbed me, Casio a boy from my past, and a flickering image of Cordilia," I sobbed. I pointed to my chest, looking at them hysterically. "Don't you see the blood? Don't you see the blood on me and my younger self?" I screamed gesturing to Juliet. "And how can you, my dear prince, stand around, looking stunned like you didn't just stab her?" I screamed at Conrad. He gave me a confused look.
"Scarlet, calm down. You're hallucinating," Ophelia said, gently. I jumped hearing her, but glared. I got up and walked right up to her.
"Don't you dare tell me to calm down! You're the one who stabbed me! You betrayed me! You pretended to be Francisco and then you stabbed me in the back!" I shouted at him.
"I could never stab you Scarlet, I love you too much," Francisco said as himself. I looked at him as if he had grown two heads.
"You don't love me! Both of us know that! Don't you remember? If only, if only, this pigeon was a dove. If only, if only, she knew there was no love!" I recited. I ran past all of them letting their calls for me drift behind me. My nightmare had become too strong, so strong it was tampering with my view on reality. I sprinted out of the theater, running into the square. Merlin's Magic was open, with the woman standing outside. I ran towards her screaming, "Make it stop! Make these hallucinations stop, please!" She went into her shop and I followed. I fell before the table we were at earlier. The woman looked through a drawer before finding a blue scarf. She laid it over me and I instantly felt calm. Francisco, Curio, Conrad, Juliet, and Cordilia burst through the door as I collapsed.
"Don't touch her! She's in a terrible condition! I'm trying to help her!" was all I heard before the world went dark.