From: An anonymous benefactor
Message: (Prepare yourself for a ridiculously long story...)
You stand by your bed, exhausted by the grueling day you had faced today. You wonder to yourself, will anything interesting ever happen to you?
&No,& you conclude, &Probably not.&
As you prepare to settle into bed and rest your eyes, a flicker of light catches your attention.
"Weird," you think, "I&m the only one that lives here."
Oddly curious, you reach for your flashlight. You notice now that the light seems to be moving to and fro your room. You decide to follow the light. As you shuffle on, you see the slight outline of a person in front of you. This person is eerily quiet and seems to move with quick and indecisive motions.
Hesitantly, you whisper,"H-hello? Um, who are you?"
&&&you&&you can see me?& the figure inquires.
&Of course I can see you,& you reply, &Why would I not?&
&Oh&&you see&&I&&I&m not alive&&anymore&&&
As you step closer, you notice that the figure is that of a petite girl. Her hair hangs in loose blond locks, her dress tattered, and fists clenched. You step closer still, and you see that she is silently crying.
"Why are you crying?" you ask.
"...I...I'm not crying..." she answers quietly, and rubs her eyes quickly.
You are now close enough to touch her. You gently reach out and pet her hair. The girl barely responds. With more petting, it is uncovered that she has several bruises on her head.
"Little girl," you say softly, "Why is your head covered in bruises?"
The girl, though reluctant, divulges the answer with a quiet whisper, "My&&mother&&she was the queen of cakes&&but, one day&&a&&big meanie came&&and k-k-killed everyone&&"
The girl continues to cry, and you try to hug her. However, she pushes you back.
"&&d-don&t touch me!" She mutters softly, "Y-you&re&&you&re too much like mommy&&"
You try again, but this time more softly. She lets you hug her, perhaps out of memory of her mother. After a while, she stops crying.
"&&hey&&I think I have to go now&&" she says.
"Why?" you ask, "I&ve only just met you."
"I&m sorry&&" she mummers, "I&m not&&alive anymore&&so&&I have to go&&now&&sorry&&"
She disappears and the light fades. In her place is a delicately wrapped gift box. There is a tag that says in a child&s handwriting, "This used to belong to me. You can have it now."
Nestled inside is a necklace. Gently, you pick it up.
* * * * * * *
You stare at the necklace you had received from the lost little ghost girl not too long ago. She wanted you to have it, huh? You had a feeling you knew this child in a past life...and if not in this one, then a past one...
A feeling of comfort bubbles from within you. In the span of seconds, you are sent spiraling into a world of memories...
* * * * * *
You watched as a young princess dashed after the fleeing form of a petite rabbit in the courtyard. Her mother, the queen, was garbed in equally as complex clothing, but lagged behind.
"Serenity," she called, "Wait for me!"
Serenity turned towards her mother and she ceased running.
"Mum, are you tired? Would you like to sit down?"
"I...Serenity, I'm fine."
"No you're not! Clearly, you are out of breath! Please, sit down!"
"...Alright darling." The queen smiled and plopped gingerly onto the ground with a steady sort of grace only acquired after years of practice. She pointed at the rose bushes surrounding the courtyard.
"Sweetheart, do you see all those rose bushes?"
"Of course."
"Would you care to describe them for me?"
"Well, they aren't there in the winter...but they come back in the spring, they don't taste very good...and they're pretty!"
"Now," the queen pointed at herself, "Think of me as one of those flowers."
"Oh, so you're pretty like the flowers?"
"Oh, Serenity, you flatter me...but no," the queen stated sadly, "Sweetheart, I...one day, you're going to take over my throne. You'll have to be queen. And remember this, some people...some cannot be trusted with power."
"I know mum! That will be when you're too old to be queen, right?"
"Serenity...I...I might not be able to live that long..." the queen mumbled.
"Sorry mum, I couldn't hear you...what?"
"Oh, it was nothing, sweetheart."
* * * * *
A maid was standing in the entrance of the opened doors to the queen's chambers. She watched as mother and daughter fought and pleaded for each other's sake. The maid did not interject in any part of the conversation because, well, that was what was expected.
* * * *
"Mother, I can't bare it any longer! I simply cannot be your heir! It is too much responsibility for a little girl like me!"
My daughter's pleas affected me more than she realized. With a deep pang in my heart I answered with authority instead of love.
"Serenity, you knew t-this would happen someday. We a-all did. You of all people should-"
"No! Mother, I really cannot bear the burden of the kingdom! You, you just forced this upon be, you know?"
"S-serenity..." I said weakly.
"I mean," her voice became soft, "I...I just can't bear it anymore...mother, why must you die while I am still young?"
I tried to answer, I really did. But...my breath caught and I knew, oh how I knew, that my heart would not be beating for much longer.
"Mother? Mother, are you alright?!" she half yelled. I coughed in response.
Serenity ran up to me and proceeded to hug me tenderly. I had not the strength to hug back.
"Mother, mum, please, please don't leave me! Please don't...don't die..."
She began to cry. I...I truly, truly did not want to leave this earth, but I knew that my time had come.
With weak fingers, I grasped my daughters hair tenderly.
"It's a-alright Serenity. I know y-you'll be able to lead the kingdom. Just...just promise me this."
My daughter lifted her head up and I saw all the tears on my ruined dress and on hers and I felt so, so guilty inside.
"D-darling, I would like for you to have this necklace. Please keep it by your side until you leave this realm. I'll be w-waiting for you..." I felt even weaker now. I clutched both my hands into the soft mattress of my bed as a pain hit me and I moaned weakly.
"Mother?! Mother, I promise, I will treasure this necklace forever! Mum...mum, please don't die!" Serenity pleaded to me with great urgency in her voice.
I closed my eyes. I never opened them again. But even years after death, I heard her pain and sorrows in my thoughts, and I end up wondering why, oh why, did I have to die?
* * *
The maid sighed mournfully. So the queen was dead now. Honestly, she was never very close with the queen, but what she knew of her was enough to let her feel sorrow. The maid then proceeded to tell the rest of the servants in the castle the horrendous news.
* *
A day later, it is announced that the queen was poisoned by a maid working in the castle. Apparently, she did not do so willingly.
And so the rule of the tyrants begins. War begins. Thousands die. The kingdom is enveloped in chaos. The princess was killed, all heirs to the throne lost.
*
The flash of memories stop. You are in your room again. You clutch the necklace closer. "So this is what your life was like..."
~The Bunny Queen
500
