Page 2 of Grotesque Love

He raises an eyebrow, sizing me up. “You look lost, little princess.”

I chuckle nervously even though his nickname for me isn’t cute or endearing. They all call me that at school, but in a mean way. They think I’m posh, a platinum blond rich bitch who thinks her shit doesn’t stink. I’ve heard worse whispered about me in the corridors.

“You could say that.”

He takes another sip of his drink before motioning toward the exit. “Wanna get out of here? This party is shit.”

Relief floods over me as his words echo my own thoughts. Without hesitation, I nod and follow his lead.

We slip away from the crowd and make our way outside, leaving behind the pulsating bass and suffocating atmosphere of the party. The cool night air hits my face, instantly refreshing me after being trapped in that chaotic room.

As we walk down through the dimly lit garden, I realise that I don’t even know anything beyond this boy’s name. And that he’s freakishly good at maths. It’s strange how we can feel a connectionwith someone we barely know, yet it feels like we’ve known each other for ages. Maybe it’s because he sees through the façade, just like I do.

“You don’t look like you came here with anyone tonight.”

“I didn’t. I got an Uber.”

“So, what’s your escape plan?” he asks, breaking the comfortable silence between us.

“For the party?” I ask, blinking.

“For getting out of this hell hole they call a town.”

I contemplate his question for a moment, revelling in the surge of excitement rushing through me. “I want to travel,” I confess. “I want to see the world. Experience life on my terms.”

He smirks, his eyes twinkling with mischief. “Well, lucky for you, I happen to have a motorcycle parked just around the corner. How about we take a spontaneous road trip? No predetermined destination, just freedom and adventure.”

A grin spreads across my face at his proposal. This is exactly what I need – an escape from the suffocating expectations and restrictions placed upon me. To be free from the shadow of my mother’s disapproval. She didn’t want me to come to the party, well, it looks like she’s going to get her wish because I’m leaving it.

“I’m in,” I reply without hesitation. Maybe the one small cup of punch I was handed upon arrival has gone to my head, or maybe it’s my first taste of freedom, but I’m feeling bold.

I want to experiencesomething.

I want to live.

Within an hour, I’m convinced this is going to be the best night of my life.

By dawn I know it’ll always be remembered as the worst.

J

SIX MONTHS LATER

Usually, the days blend into each other, marked only by the shifting shadows cast by the sun as it journeys across the sky. Time seems to stretch on endlessly, each moment an eternity as I stand sentinel upon my stone perch.

But this is different.

Today, there is a stirring in the air, a subtle shift that sets my heart pounding within my stony chest. A new inhabitant has arrived alongside the Lord of the Manor, their presence a whisper on the late afternoon breeze.

Restlessness gnaws at my core, urging me to break free from the confines of my stone prison and venture forth to greet the newcomer. Will they be happy here? Or will they fall victim to the malediction of this estate?

As the sun dips below the horizon, casting the world in hues of fiery red and gold, exhilaration courses through my veins. With a mighty heave, I push against the weight of centuries, willing my stony form to yield to my command.

Slowly, agonisingly, the bonds of my curse begin to loosen, the stone around me crumbling away like dust upon the wind.With a triumphant roar, I break free from my prison, spreading my wings wide as I take to the night sky.

The world unfolds beneath me, a tapestry of shadows and new secrets waiting to be uncovered. I soar through the darkness, my senses heightened by the thrill of my nightly freedom. Below, the estate sprawls out in all its ruined grandeur, its ancient halls and forgotten chambers calling out to me like a siren’s song.

With each beat of my wings, I draw closer to the heart of the estate, my curiosity driving me ever onward. And as I alight upon the windowsill of the newest inhabitant’s chamber, I’m almost trembling with anticipation.

---