“Hello?” she called out, but there was no reply. She took more steps forward, hating the echo of emptiness that seemed to trail her every move.
“Hello?” she called again. “Is anyone here?”
Then there was a piercing scream from behind her. Ceana turned around, frightened and saw a girl with a knife stabbed in the stomach. She collapsed to the ground, revealing her attacker behind her. The man was tall, huge, and terrifying. On his face was a mask that showed only his eyes. In them, Ceana saw all her greatest fears. The man laughed and then stretched out an arm.
“Ceana, help me,” she begged.
The man faded out, but the dying girl stayed, and Ceana rushed to her. She looked at her face and saw Bridget’s and then Amanda’s.” Ceana screamed and fell to the ground. She was ready to run away when she heard a familiar voice.
“Ceana, help me.”
The dying girl had become Alina. Ceana gasped and rushed to her sister, trying desperately to stop the bleeding. But it seemed as though that the blood was pouring from a pool that would never dry.
Suddenly, her hands became soaked fully in blood. Ceana screamed.
“That’s her!” Ceana looked up and saw a group of people pointing at her. “That is her. She killed her own sister!”
The mob descended on her at that moment, pulling her away from Alina, who was dying. They all seemed to bother more about her than Alina, who could still be saved.
“Death!” they were saying. “the killer must be put to death.”
“She is me sister,” Ceana was yelling. “I didnae stab her!”
“Death! The killer must be put to death.”
Ceana awoke from her nightmare with a gasp. She hadn’t found sleep ever since the night Amanda was killed, and just as she had managed to slip off to sleep, she had a nightmare. Ceana stared long and hard outside the window. It was how she had begun to spend her time lately. Guilt. It riddled her almost as much as the pain did. Thinking about him hurt her in ways she couldn’t explain, yet she couldn’t stop. If she could go back, she would do so much differently. She should never have accused him, and when they were taking him away, she should have made a loud scene. Now, it was much too late.
She sniffled to herself. He was in prison now, and she hadn’t done anything. If she couldn’t even convince Alina and her mother, why would anyone else listen to her?
Alina stepped into her sister’s chamber without knocking, but Ceana didn’t notice.
“Ceana?” she called.
Ceana turned to face her then turned back to the window. “I didnae hear ye come in.”
Alina nodded. “‘Tis time for lunch and ye do nae seem ready.”
Ceana turned to Alina. She was angry. How dare Alina act like all was well. “I am sorry, Alina, but I do nae have any appetite knowing that an innocent man lies in the prisons.”
Alina rolled her eyes. “There ye go again, calling him innocent. The man was found with a knife and the dead body. What more is needed?”
“He was trying to save her!”
“That was what he told ye.”
“Nay,” Ceana shook her head sadly. “I saw it. I swear by the gods that I did. But ye refused to believe it.”
“Because I ken ye. Ye are stupidly in love with-”
Ceana raised her hand. “Stop it.”
“What do-”
“‘Tis nae about Torcall,sister,” the last word was spoken like poison. “‘Tis about the fact that me own blood had nae value for me words.”
“Ye are smitten with the man.”
“I see,” Ceana turned away from her sister. “Ye may leave. We have naught else to say to each other.”
