Chapter Eighteen - Save Your Breathe And Stay Alive

So I was going to update Trouble : The New Generation. However, I just couldn't get my muse on the chapter. So, from there, I decided to try and update Spotlight next. But I wasn't feeling inspired there either. (I did actually attempt to start an update for both that I will hopefully be continuing soon.) So that's why I am back here, updating this twice in a row. cx Oops. Hopefully you guys like this update though, because I'm really inspired to write it and I'm super excited! Let's check up on Mina in the mess she's in, shall we?

Evx : Ah, yes, everyone wants Savannah to die in my stories. cx Has she managed to tie with Grimorie yet hate wise? XD I hope you're happy to see this story updated so quickly! I'm glad you're so excited for it to be updated, so hopefully this lives up to this. And you'd do anything? Besides those two things? :p Hm, I'll keep that in mind for later. c; I'm glad you love the centaurs! They were super fun to write. This should satisfy you on needing to know what's happening next, although it might just make you crave another update. Ah yes, the annoying collar. Well, we'll have to see about that coming off. And yes, Temple can be rather mean. I see that he and Savannah are both not liked by you. XD And if you remember, Teague did try and save her from Scylla. He just didn't really try very much. And I mean, he might want Mina to die. We're still going to have to find out whether or not that hate for what her ancestor Willa did and the want to punish her for it through the curse will be worth more to him than having her live.

Now that I'm done rambling, let's get to the story! I'm super hyped! :D

"Give me the names." She says, extending a hand to demand them as if I can hand them to her.

I shake my head. "Not until you promise."

"Give me the names!" She demands again.

This time, I comply. "Well...Well, there's me for one."

She stares at me, shaking her head. "You don't count, you idiot. Who else?"

I give a shrug. "Who knows? I'm assuming there are others though. After all, who could appreciate you ruling over them?"

She shakes her head, turning to the left and speaking to someone. "Take her away."

"Wait!" I shout as Blue begins to step away. "We made a deal!"

She snorts. "Ha. You told me that you weren't interested in making deals with me. Besides, your information doesn't count. We already knew you didn't, and without any names, it doesn't matter." She pauses. "However, I'll let you live one more miserable day. I'll kill you tomorrow, but I'll torture you tonight."

I try to shake away the two sets of hands that grab me, looking up at her. I don't know what comes over me, but something does, and as I look at Savannah I scream. It's not a normal scream. It's an unearthly scream that makes me wince in pain. It does worse to those around me, who cover their ears and seem to be in immense pain. Savannah seems to be in the most pain, sinking to her knees and screaming some not nice words at me. I hesitate, not sure what I've done, before trying to run away. But that hesitation was all it took. The two centaurs - I can't see who they are - grab me again, and although I try to scream, those are just normal. I kick and squirm, but it doesn't work. I'm beginning to get dragged away, and it dawns on me that I've really messed up this time. I'm going to die.

Mina's Point of View

Sitting in a wooden, dark cell, I push myself further into the corner, as if it'll help me to disappear from existence. I also shut my eyes, although there's not much of a difference when I do. Whether they open or close, everything is pretty much pitch black. In the dark, I let my hands grab at my neck. To be more specific, I allow them to grab and feel the necklaces there. There's an "s" on the end because I now have two, thanks to the lovely Savannah White. Templestiltskin's still is rather warm to touch, and the difference in temperature and tightness when comparing it to the newest one is almost surprising. Almost.

Savannah's is white, and from what I heard when I was eavesdropping while I was having it forced on, it works the same as Templestiltskin's. Which is a shame. If only it grew colder, then it might balance out Temple's. Seriously, is anyone creative here? Or does everyone use this device? I guess the point of having this put on me is to ensure that I won't get very far if I try and somehow succeed in getting out of this awful cell. Templestilskin's necklace has actually grown a bit cooler and loosened the tiniest bit, but no amount of tugging and prying is showing any success in getting either one off.

Not that it really matters, seeing as I'm scheduled to be executed tomorrow. Or is today? I don't know what time of day it is or how long I've been here after being tortured.

I've shut my eyes for two reasons, and neither reason is for sleep or because of the dark, although both might be legitimate ideas. Not that I really want to sleep. I'd rather savor the last bit of time I have before dying, even though I'll spend a lot of it dreading the fact that I'm going to die.

The first reason happens to be the fact that I have them closed to try and keep any tears I'm risking releasing at bay. I'm going to die. It's finally sunk in, and so I don't really have to be strong any more. It's not that I consider crying to be for the weak either way, as I've cried before, although crying in this situation is probably somewhat weak. However, as much as I want to cry, I also don't want to at the same time. I don't want to give Savannah the satisfaction of knowing that she's gotten to me. I won't let her break me. I won't let her see me be vulnerable or weak, because that's how she'll see it. And deep down, I have a feeling I'll see it like that too.

The second reason is so that I don't have to look at my hands and arms. It's silly, because they hurt either way, especially because I'm trying to use them to pry these necklaces off so I can die without them on. I don't want to die looking like I was owned by anyone. It's also silly to close my eyes so that I won't have to see them, as the room is dark enough that I won't be able to see them either way. But somehow closing them makes me feel like I can ignore it, even though I know I can't because of the pain. They were injured while I was being tortured, before I was locked in here. Although punching the wall probably didn't help. I got thrown around - literally - and insulted during the whole torture process, but that wasn't the worst of it. My arms and hands were injured very purposefully, being cut up a bit and bruised. If I'm correct, they're still bleeding. Savannah claimed it was more to hinder me escaping than anything else, although if anything you'd think my legs would be broken or something if they wanted to accomplish that. So, I know differently. Does it hinder any escape I might be able to make if my arms and hands are injured and in pain? Yes. But it is more to hurt me - and probably my pride - than anything else.

I hate the stupid Sylph. How did I never notice that Savannah was Fae? I'll admit, she's been better at concealing it than I would've expected, although I can't figure out how she got into the Grimorie. I bet I'd hate other Sylphs too, if I knew what they were.

"Mina?" That's when I hear a voice I haven't heard in a very long time.

I open one eye cautiously at my name, wary of the fact that this could be a trick. No, I'm not just wary about it. I'm worried for it, because it almost definitely is a trick, yet I'm already getting my hopes up. I need to stop that. I will not get my hopes up over a trick. A trick that would be exceedingly cruel. However, out of that one eye, I see that everything is black, which isn't true. Except for the fact that I don't feel like I'm sitting on the floor anymore. Instead, it feels as if I'm floating, and I realize that both of the necklaces around my neck are gone. I open my other eye, feeling around my neck in confusion. What happened? I spin around, searching for the speaker, because I want some answers. Not to mention the fact that I really want to see him again.

And I do. He flickers in and out of my vision, and he's exactly as I remember him before I saw him laying on the floor dead. I rush towards him, and he hugs me. It's then that I realize that he's not solid, because his arms don't really feel like they're there. If I wanted to, I could probably go right though him. But I pretend like I'm a little girl again, being held by my dad. He was the only one in my family who loved me.

"Dad?" I ask, my voice shaky, and when I look up, I see him nod. Now I nearly begin to sob, so relieved to see him, although I don't. I'm safe in his arms. It dawns on me then that he's dead, so it shouldn't be possible to see him unless I am too. And if I'm dead, that would certainly explain why where we are is so weird. "Am I dead?"

He pauses, letting his arms come back to his sides and shakes his head. "Not necessarily."

I frown. "What is that supposed to me?"

"That depends on what you decide." He responds, but I can tell from his eyes that he expects me to make a certain decision.

"What does it matter? I'm going to die either way." My response is bitter. "If I'm not dead now, then I will be soon. Savannah is going to kill me. It'd be much better not to give her the satisfaction."

He actually looks a bit angered by my statement. "What happened to my daughter who wasn't going to let anything stop her?"

"Everything got worse when you died, and now I've nearly died so many times. I'm obviously going to sooner than later, so I'd rather do it on my terms over anyone else's." I say, but I avoid his gaze, because I'm afraid to look. I'm afraid to see the disappointment that I can imagine will be there.

"Do you want me to be dead for nothing?" He asks, although he's basically yelling at me, and I finch. "It's your fault I died, Wilhelmina!"

He's using my full name. He only uses that when he's really mad. But I can barely think about that. I burst into tears, sinking down. "It's not my fault!"

"It is your fault! If you hadn't gotten hurt, I wouldn't have died!" He's still shouting at me.

"No. No no no." I grab my knees, pulling them to my chest as I curl up to try and block him out.

"You killed me." He keeps going, and it's literally killing me.

"No! No, I didn't!" I sob the words. "Stop it!"

His response is, "Then don't choose to die. If you don't want me to have died for no reason, and if you don't want my death to be your fault, then get up and save your life! Or are you going to let your mother be right?"

That makes me stop in my tracks. I choke, my tears stopping. My mother hates me. She always has, and never wanted me. I can't let her be right. The mere thought of that makes me angry.

"My mother is wrong about me! How could you say that?" I snap the words at my dad, looking up to face him again.

But he's not there. No one is. Instead, a voice echoes in my head. My mother's. "Your father's death is your fault, Wilhelmina. In fact, all of this is your fault."

"No, it's not!" I snarl the words, climbing to my feet and looking around to try and locate the source of her voice.

"Oh, but it is." I can imagine her shaking her head as she says it. "You are a foolish, stupid, little girl."

"I am not!" I shout the words this time, still spinning around and feeling rather foolish as I look for her.

She laughs. "I wish you'd never even come into existence. Then my husband would still be alive, and my son wouldn't be mute. You've brought nothing but misery on my family."

"How can you say things like that?" I ask, honestly not sure how she is able to say such horrible things. "How can you say that you don't want your own daughter? You act as if I've never even been yours!"

"I didn't want you." She hisses back, and I flinch involuntarily, even though I knew that. "You are worthless trash and a pathetic excuse for a creature. You belong in the Grimorie, because that's where monsters are kept. And you are certainly a monster." My hands curl into fists as she keeps going. "You never learned how to fit in, yet you wonder why no one likes you."

"That's not my fault!" I cry out.

"You have no friends. After all, who would want to be friends with you?" It ends in a laugh that makes me even angrier.

I shake my head. "You are a liar! I have a friend. Nix Taylor!"

She laughs again. "And where is he now, Wilhelmina? It doesn't count if he's dead."

"Just stop already!" My hands uncurl from their firsts, and I grab my ears. "Just stop!"

"You are playing a game I told you you wouldn't be able to win. I told you it was going to be horrible, didn't I? Just give up now. You can't win. You'll just end up dead sooner or later." She's parroting what I said earlier. "Why not just die now on your own terms? Prove how weak you are, Wilhelmina. Prove me right."

"No!" I finally shout the words at her. "I'm going to survive, and I'm going to prove you wrong! I am not weak! I deserve to exist! You were lucky to have me! I can win this game!"

Everything begins to flicker in and out, and then suddenly everything begins to spin. I hear my mother's voice say something unintelligible. And then I hear my father's voice say two simple words. "Thank you."

I open my eyes to find myself in the same position I was in my cell that I was whenever I shut my eyes. I release my grip on the necklaces which have returned, deciding not to bother with them. I can't get them off. I have to focus on escaping right now. I run a hand across the wall, ignoring the fact that it still hurts, as I look for any place that might allow me to get out. As I walk the border of the room, I reach a section that I can only guess is the door. Curious, I push my ear against it to see if I can hear anything through the wood.

"If we're looking to rebel against the stupid tyrant 'Her Majesty' so much, why don't we just free this girl and get her out of here?" One of the centaurs standing guard says this, and it startles me. I know both of the centaurs who on guard, unless they changed out. They were the two that escorted me to this cell after the torture process, and they happen to be Blonde and Blue. I can't tell their voices apart though.

The other hisses, "Quiet! Do you want us to get killed?"

"No. I've just been thinking this entire time that-" The other begins again, but they're quickly interrupted.

"There's your problem." The second one says again. "You've been thinking. Don't do that."

The first one seems shocked. "She saved our lives!"

The second one - who I think might be Blue - says, "So? She was going to rat us out originally, and I would like to stay alive."

Number one sighs. "So I'm doing this the hard way?"

This startles me, and I scurry backwards, finding that I can still hear them as I push against the corner, trying to hide myself. "What do you mean, you're doing this the hard wa-"

They don't get to finish the statement, and I hear the sound of a hoof colliding with...something. I don't really want to know what just happened, but I'm really wanting to hide in this corner. I don't know what's going on, but I'm terrified. I can't really figure out what was going on in that conversation, and that terrifies me.

The door opens, and light comes flooding in, and I blink. It seems so bright compared to this dark room, and it takes me a moment to even be able to see. It's like it temporarily blinded me. However, when I can, a centaur stands in the light in full glory. I expect to see Blonde there, but I don't. Instead, I see Blue, and I'm too stunned to say anything. I didn't even consider it, but here it is, right smack in my face. He was blue and gray in coloring. It all makes sense. How did I miss it?

He slowly begins to shrink down a bit, and the whole horse part disappears, turning into normal, human-looking legs. His hair changes to black in color, and the tail disappears completely. His hair adjusts a little in style as well, becoming it's normal look again. His clothes are there, the black in color I'm still getting used to when considering the gray clothes I saw him in for two weeks. And his eyes. The eyes that I once thought were gray stay the same, because they were blue the entire time. I thought I knew Blonde's eyes as his, but I can see now that I was wrong. If I'd seen Blue's eyes, I would've known.

"Miss me, Princess?" A smirk takes his face, and he extends his arms almost as if he's expecting me to run over and hug me. "Your prince has come to save you from the tower."

I can't decide if I want to cry in relief from the fact that he's saving me - again - or murder him.

Woah! How many of you guys saw all that coming? What do you guys think about the fact that Mina now has two necklaces that do the same thing on? What did you guys think of Mina's encounter with her father? What about all the stuff her mother's voice was saying? How do you feel about how she handled it all? And what about the arrival of Teague? Were you expecting him to come? Did you think he was one of the centaurs, or were you expecting him to arrive as himself? If you did think he was one of the centaurs, did you think he was Blue? Or were you expecting him to be one of the others, such as Blonde?

Please review! I loving hearing about what you guys think, and seeing the answers to any of the questions I asked! Do you guys have any predictions? Hopes? Worries? Reactions? Please let me know!

See you (figuratively) at the next update, or at any of my other current stories that you might be reading!

~ Dagger