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Story of My Life. The Story of Rhine [Chapter 1]
Rhine clenched her fists desperately, tears streaming down her face and a broken heart deep within her soul. She wanted to scream, cry, scream cry and scream somemore. Her hair in tangles and dull, and her nails broken from scratching the hard-wood floor.
All up and down her pale arms were scratches and scars, cuts deep and shallow. Rhine coughed, her eyes red and puffy, wet. A small pool of blood flooded the floor, and started to grow as Rhine tried to move her hands, which were nailed to the floor, along with her feet. The cloth on her back was in rags, grey and dirty and old. She gasped, tried desperately it inhale but her lungs wouldn't take it in.
The atmosphere around her was a chamber, more of an eerie dungeon, bars on the windows and locks on the only door there, and faces looking in on her...Laughing at her, judging her. Slowly, her vision faded, her sobs quieted...The sights, smells, sounds and pain around her dulled. Her body fell, limp. And she was blank.
Rhine's eyes opened, she sat up from her warm, feather-soft bed. The fireplace that was on the right side to her bed had glowing coals from the night before, had died down. Ashes were scattered on the richly-colored red carpet, which covered the stone floor. On her left, was a breakfast tray of tender ham, and wonderfully cooked eggs. However, Rhine did not have much of an appitite this morning. A soft knock at the door, and a timid voice called her name.
"Princess Rhine? Princess Rhine..." A female voice, gentle and sweet and, young had called to her. "Are you up?" She cracked the door open ever so slightly, "Are you well? You've never slept in this late before..."
Rhine glanced at the maid that was now peeping her head through the crack of the door, her gaze distant. "Miss Cornilious, I am well and wish to be left alone." She said flatly.
With a baffled look, the maid said, "Yes, Your Highness." And skittered away, shutting the door behind her.
Rhine's stomach churned, and her eyes started to water as she recalled her dream. Surely it was just a dream? But it wasn't a dream. It was how she felt, inside herself. She slipped on a pair of soft slippers, and slowly walked to the window. Heavy, dark red velvet curtains blocked all sunlight from coming in, so the room was quite dark. But, as Rhine opened them ever so slightly, the light came flooding in through only a crack, making a line of sunlight down her face and gown. She hesitated for a moment, and with quickly pulled the curtains open completely, illuminating the entire chamber around her. She unlocked the window, and opened it, allowing the warm summer breeze embrace her, her robe floating up gently and her soft brown hair dance. She breathed in heavilly, and took a moment to take it all in.
"Rhine?" A voice called from the door, tearing her away from her pleasure and daydreams. "Rhinalea Genistria Xeatron, what are you doing at this hour?" The voice, male, sounded quite annoyed and amused at the same time. Rhine turned toward the man. He was tall, his hair white and face wrinkled with age.
"Oh, Father, I've slept in late." She said with a pleasent smile. Her father's smile was kind and understanding. His large gut, which hung over his waist and pants gave him that jolly 'Santa Clause' look. His eyes were deep blue, his petty coat made from expensive fabrics and sweet smells of myrrh could be smelled radiating from him.
"Well," he said with a sigh, "My dear, I can see that you are not dressed yet. I'll leave you to the maids, hmm?"
"I would rather dress myself, Papa." Rhina said sweetly, turning to the window and looking out at the seagulls that looked for scraps amoung town.
"Oh? Well then..." He chuckled, "Don't be too long." He said as he turned and left the room, gently closing the door behind him.
Rhine looked out the window, she sighed and felt a sudden pain in her heart. She wasn't going to get dressed today. She wasn't going to leave her room today... With tears now running down her cheeks, she curled up in her bed and cried. And cried, and cried somemore.
She didn't sleep. Not after that dream. She couldn't sleep.
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