Page 6 of Tainted Serenity

My pulse spikes as I stare at him with wide doe eyes, terrified of the meaning of his words. I watch as that horror-like grin spreads across his lips, the one that is far too wide, filling me with a sense of unease and taking me back to Grimhill Manor and Frederick.

“You are now my doll to do whatever I please with. Welcome to the dollhouse.”

Chapter 3

Naya

The wind whizzes likea hissing monster in my ears, taunting and teasing me into unknown fears as I stumble forward. There is an emotion that fills me with hopelessness, causing tears to spill from the corners of my eyes, shimmering like dewdrops on a fragile flower. A restless force of frustration and despair takes over me; the unfamiliar path in front of me only making it worse. As I venture further, the path becomes all the more narrow. My surroundings feel suffocating, as if the forest itself can squeeze out the air from my lungs, leaving me breathless.

For every cracking sound around me, my heart beats twice as hard while I try to calm my nerves, needing to keep my head clear.

“Find the true path forward. Don’t, and you will get shredded to pieces by the wild animals surrounding the forest.”

Arthur told me those words right after I found the doll replicating Grey, and it feels hopeless to follow his directive because nothing good will ever come out of it.

What the hell did he mean by finding the true path? The frustration of the situation dawns upon me, leaving my blood boiling as if in anger, and I wish I could fucking strangle Arthur Grimhill to death. It’s the least of what he deserves.

The road ahead is unsafe, with stones scattered everywhere in no particular pattern and overhanging branches relentlessly clawing at my black tights that won’t remain much of clothing soon. My breath echoes around me as I move forward at a rapid pace, desperately trying to figure out which path is the true one.

I’m tired, exhausted even. As the feeling spreads over me like a heavy shroud, it consumes my entire being, permeating me. I need to get there as fast as I can, but the uneven ground below me makes it impossible.

Far off in the distance, I can hear the sound of something howling, but it sounds too loud and distorted to come from a wolf. Sweat forms on my forehead, running down my spine and causing my shirt to stick to my back. The energy drains from my body with every step I take, and all I want to do is lie down in the bushes and sleep for all eternity, but I know I can’t. Either the wild animals will take me, shredding me to pieces like Arthur said, or he will come and get me. I can’t decipher what’s worse, and I would have given up if I didn’t have the desperate hope of seeing Grey again.

Suddenly, the world shifts beneath my feet as I find myself caught in the disorienting chaos of a trip, my feet stumbling forward as I lose balance. Pain spreads through me like wildfire, but all I can think about is that I have to stand up again. I can’t stay down on the ground.

My heart pounds inside my chest as I struggle to rise. A throbbing ache ignites from my foot, shooting through me like a sudden urge of electricity. But worst of all is the sensation that emanates from my stomach, causing bile to rise up my throat.

Something sharp pushes into my sole, and I brace myself while working to get the thing out. The agony it inflicts makes me want to scream, but I bite my lower lip to keep it from erupting, the metallic tang settling on my taste buds. In spite of the pain, I continue moving forward with a determination that has me in a relentless grip, not affording to stop for even a second. I have to keep going, no matter how much it tortures me, because Grey’s life depends on it.

When whatever animal I heard before howls once again, my heart flies up into the pit of my throat, and I quicken my steps.

Before me lies a smaller opening blocked by several larger stones, and my body trembles increasingly at the sight. The snow has settled over the frozen grass, yet I still recognize the place.

I’m back in the place I started, having run in circles. This is not the path that Arthur meant with finding the true path, and I mentally want to slap myself for being so stupid.

“Come out, come out. Wherever you are.”

A haunting melody washes over all the trees in the forest and makes me slow down for a second. Attempting to pinpoint the sound that I now recognize all too well, a childlike laugh follows the words, and I feel nausea churning in my stomach.

Fuck this shit.

In front of me is an antique music box, the same one I saw before while chained to a tree, and it continues to play its macabre music. With hesitant steps, I move forward, but the pain in my stomach only increases when the world spins around me, the tree crowns twirling fast.

My hand reaches for the nearest tree trunk as my body leans against it, unable to keep myself steady on two legs any longer. The adrenaline within me made my body forget about the excruciating pain, but when it wears off, the agony comes back a hundred times worse. The world around me spins far too fast as I stumble to the ground, heaving up a yellowish bile that only fuels my nausea. With my hand, I wipe away the vomit from the corners of my mouth while scrambling to my knees, the cold ground beneath me only worsening the tremble.

There are two dolls right in front of me, one with navy blue, chestnut hair and torn clothes, chained to the nearest tree, and the other buried, looking as if he’s fighting for breath he will never receive. My heart races at the thought of my defeat as I kneel on the ground, overwhelmed by panic.

How long has it been since I woke up here, in the same position as the doll? Has it been a few hours or days?

My body lacks nutrition from food, making me weaker than usual as the pain from my abdomen and foot takes its toll on me. All my exhaustion takes over from the inside out when I feel how it drains over me like a deadly wave. There’s no energy left—nothing to provide for me to flee from this hell. If I close my eyes for just a second to rest, then I can continue forward soon enough.

With a last effort to stand up, my body slumps against the tree as I drift out of consciousness while trying to stay awake, but it’s physically impossible.

A second of rest will be enough.

And I let my eyes flutter shut, the trees swirling around me with their taunting echoes and whistles, along with the sound of branches snapping nearby.

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