Cruel

Scarlett’s POV

As soon as I uttered the words, I saw his eyes widen in shock… and something akin to regret as his beatings immediately came to a halt. 

I also didn’t miss the angered look that suddenly fleeted across Annabel’s face before she quickly pushed him aside to stand right in front of me.

“So you think lying about a baby would get you out of here right?” She seethed with so much loathing, it made me shiver.

“I am not making this up Anna! I’m pregnant!” I choked out. 

I could feel the wetness begin to form a puddle beneath me, and I knew they could smell the blood too but simply chose to ignore it.

“If you’re really pregnant, then there’s only one way to find out!” She snapped.

I was about to ask her what she meant by that when she suddenly knelt beside me and began tearing the piece of my fabric slowly away from my body.

“What’re you trying to do?!” I called out frightfully, but she ignored me, focusing almost all of her attention into cutting out the cloth, especially the ones around my midriff until my exposed stomach was in view.

“Baby..?” I heard Luke’s confused voice call out to her but she didn’t pay attention, and continued with what she was doing.

“BABY!” He growled again, and this time, she turned to stare angrily at him, with flared nostrils.

“What?!” She snapped.

“What’re you trying to do?”

“I’m trying to cut out the baby, to see it for myself!” She growled. 

I wasn’t sure if it was the tone of voice she had used or the words she had uttered that suddenly filled me with a kind of fear that I had never felt before. I found myself shrinking away from her, and from her hands that were still clasped around my body.

“You do not have to do that!” Luke snarled.

“Oh yes I do!” She retaliated with equal fierceness. “I asked you to go to her! To be with her! I never asked you to sleep with her or get her pregnant!” She screeched.

“But no, you couldn’t stick to plans and decided that that stupid little member of yours needed to take part in all the fun!” She yelled, pointing a perfectly manicured finger at the bulge in his pants.

Her voice sounded foreign to me; even the sudden change in her behavior scared me.

“It happened! I never planned for it to!” He yelled at her. “Now just kill her off and stop trying to soil your hands in some stupid fetus blood.”

“Some stupid fetus blood?” She asked, cocking her eyebrows at him. “…or is that the stupid excuse you can come up with to hide the affection you feel towards her?”

She suddenly stood up, away from me to walk towards him, that is after she had successfully landed three heavy kicks to my midriff. 

I could feel the hatred burning in her gaze, could see the way her body twitched in anger and even felt the tension that flowed from the steely stares they silently threw at each other.

The silence that followed soon after was too thick, so thick that it could literally be cut with a knife.

“I do not feel anything other than contempt towards her.” Luke said suddenly, and I could almost swear I heard my heart shattering into a million tiny pieces from his utterance.

“Really?” she asked, tilting her head.

“Yes, really.” He replied coolly.

“Prove it then… I no longer want to kill her, Luke. Kill her yourself.” She said slowly whilst pointing the knife in Luke’s direction.

I couldn’t believe them.

“Baby…” Luke started but she cut him off abruptly by raising her hands up to his face.

“Kill her… that’s the only way you can prove to me that you haven’t started catching feelings for her already.” She whispered.

I watched in open shock as he took the knife from her outstretched hands and began to slowly walk towards me.

I didn’t want to die yet!

My heartbeat accelerated as he stalked closer to me until he was only a few feet away from where I lay on the floor. 

He suddenly knelt in front of me and I could almost swear I heard him say something along the lines of “I’m sorry.” 

I wanted to ask him about what he was so sorry for before he raised the knife high up into the air and plummeted it right back down against my stomach with so much force, I heard it tearing into my skin, leaving sizzling noises in its wake.

He didn’t stop there though but continued stabbing at every part of my body, continuously until I could no longer move.

All I could see was black…

My eyes suddenly sprung open, and in shock I slapped my hands against my body desperately whilst expecting to feel the excruciating pains from the stab wounds but surprisingly, I felt nothing.

“What is happening?” I whispered, looking around the empty room I now lay in awe. 

Even Annabel and Luke were nowhere to be found.

“Is anyone out there?!” I called into the darkness but only my voice echoed back at me, thus proving to me that I was alone.

“How did I get here?” I questioned myself again, but as usual no answer came forth.

From a distance, I could hear shuffling sounds of something moving; and when I turned to look in the direction of the noise, I was met with the most beautiful woman I had ever seen in my entire life.

She had long straight dark hair that ran down the length of her back to her waist and had a skin so creamy that it looked just as smooth as porcelain. 

Her dark eyes glimmered in the light and was a stark contrast to her plump red lips and her dark hair.

One thing was quite strange about her though, she was sitting on...the moon?

“Hi?!” I called softly, looking up at her beautiful face; and as soon as she caught me staring, she smiled lovingly in my direction.

“Where am I?”

“You’re in the abstract point between life and death; and at this point you aren’t dead or alive yet until I pronounce you.” She replied, making me gasp in shock. 

Her voice was the most beautiful thing I had ever heard in my life. It was so soft and that I closed my eyes, listening to it as though it was a beautiful melody.

I watched her sit quietly with her eyes closed for a while and was about to say something when I immediately remembered that I had been stabbed only a few minutes ago.

“I was stabbed…” I started.

“I know...” She replied curtly.

To my absolute amazement, when she got up to move towards me, she literally glided in the air, across the room until she stopped just a few inches away from me.

“What are you?” I asked in fear as I took a few steps away from her dainty frame which hovered over me intimidatingly.

“You really do not know who I am?” She questioned with a smile.

“No.” I deadpanned.

“Well child, it’s I Selene… the moon goddess, and I’m here to take you back.” She said, making me gasp.

“I do not want to go back.”

“Has it occurred to you that Annabel would finally have that thing she’s always wanted if you do not go back?” 

I didn’t know exactly what it was that came over me, but the prospect of Annabel having my throne filled me with an inexplicable rage, I had no other option but to nod my head in agreement.

“I’m going back.” I rushed out, earning myself a small smile from her.

“Now come here, dear.” She said, whilst opening her arms wide in order for me to walk into her embrace. 

I was skeptical at first, but I did.

“I give you this new chance to live, my child. Do with it whatever you want, for now you have the right to make choices between good and bad and an edge over every other mortal that would cross paths with you.” She said in a chant-like manner.

I immediately felt empowered, like some sort of strength had begun to manifest within me.

In shock, I looked up at her to see that she had a small smile across her face but was about to ask her why I suddenly felt so strong when she suddenly pushed me.

I fell… and into a deep dark hole.