HAZELShe is here. She really is. My mother is here. She is just a few feet away from me!“Mother!" I yell, reaching out to her. I try to move closer to her, but it seems like the closer I move towards her, the farther she becomes.But I don’t want that at all. I want to touch her and feel her hands wrapped around my cold body in comfort, but… but, I can't. I just can’t. When I touch my face, I notice that it's wet. That’s when I realize that I'm crying.“Please, don't go!" I manage to voice out amidst tears. My sobs increase as more tears pour out of my eyes, and I'm about to break down completely at this point.However, I'm not ready to give up just yet. I keep on walking towards her, and a sheer kind of determination is very visible on my wet and now red face.While I'm walking towards her, I notice something startling: she is not alone. There is someone just right beside her.My face morphs into a frown as I pull to a stop to see who it is. Slowly, the tall shadow becomes visible a
HAZELI'm done with all of my chores for the day, and currently, I'm on my way to my room because I have just had dinner in the kitchen, and I have nothing else to do. I push the door to my room open when I get there and when I'm inside, I take off my clothes and put on my pajamas. I don't bother to shower because I'm so tired, and I just want to sleep. I jump on the pallet I use as a bed, ready to fall asleep immediately my head hits my makeshift pillow, but I'm surprised as that doesn't happen.Instead, I keep tossing and turning on the bed with my eyes wide open. I'm so restless, and it's apparent that the sleep I need is not coming anytime soon.I try to will myself to sleep, but I can't because my thoughts are all over the place. I even try to think about a calming memory that can serve as a lullaby to lure me to sleep, but no matter how I search the recesses of my memory, I can't seem to find a single one.Perhaps, it's because I don't have a single happy memory in my entire li
HAZELI scream, the sound filling the small space of my room as I'm suddenly jolted awake from my sleep. My breathing is heavy as I pant loudly, and my eyes dart around the whole place as I check if the unknown monstrous creature is still anywhere near me. My eyes are wide as I do that and after scanning the entire room for a few minutes, I still don't see anything remotely close to that, so I give up on my search and focus on getting my breathing steady.I'm still breathing hard even as I look through the windows so that I can determine the time of the day and see if it's already time for me to get up and prepare myself for my daily chores. ***As I go about my morning routine, the remnants of the nightmare are still clinging to the edges of my mind like cobwebs, and they refuse to be brushed aside for whatever reason. The image of that unrecognizable monstrous creature that was chasing me through the woods is just replaying in my mind over and over again, and it leaves me with a se
HAZELIt’s a new day and what it just means is another day of work for me. And the only thing that is certain about today for me is that I'm sure no one will bully or accost me. I'm also certain that I won't have that many chores to do today, and I'm glad about that, at least.Later on, as I move through the halls, a sense of isolation weighs heavily on my shoulders like a bundle of invisible chains binding me to the shadows and bringing me down.As I pass by the other maids, it is very obvious to me that they are avoiding me and their eyes slide past me as if I'm nothing more than a ghost haunting the corridors of the pack house. They have always avoided me, but it seems that now, they are only making it a point to do so because the taskmaster probably issued them a warning to stay away from me.The whole thing is quite irrelevant to me so I just label it as unnecessary and push it out of my mind, choosing instead to focus on my familiar routine of cleaning, sweeping, and mopping the
HAZELAs the news of the head taskmaster's departure from the pack spreads through the pack house like wildfire, I know that things will be different for me from now on.The rest of the taskmasters around, including the low ranking ones, will surely be glad that they have been given free rein for the moment, and the cooks will be happy that they won't have him breathing down their necks for some time, while the maids will be pleased that the taskmaster's presence won't hang around them and suffocate them anymore.As for me, a sense of foreboding settles over me like a heavy cloak as the news gets to me where I am. For the first time in recent times, I find myself truly alone. I will be without protection from this moment.I know all too well what this means. It means that with the head taskmaster gone, I will definitely be vulnerable to whoever wants to take advantage of me. It also means that I will be exposed to the whims and machinations of the other maids in the pack. They have ha
HAZELPanic surges through me and a primal instinct deep within me is urging me to flee, but I know that resistance of any form from me would be futile. They outnumber me far too much, and their combined strength surpasses my own too, so it means that I'm powerless to stop them as they drag me out into the hallway while their cruel laughter echoes in my ears like a haunting melody. With each step, the fear that has been lurking at the edges of my consciousness threatens to overwhelm me, but I refuse to give into despair. I square my shoulders as I steel myself for whatever lies ahead, because I'm determined to face my adversaries with dignity, even in the face of their relentless cruelty. But as they push me further down the hallway, their taunts grow louder and more vicious with each passing moment. I can't help but feel a sense of helplessness wash over me like a wave. Right now, I'm completely at their mercy because I'm just a pawn in their twisted games of bully and dominance, an
HAZELAs the announcement of the King’s impending visit spreads through the pack house like wildfire, a sense of apprehension settles over me like a dark cloud. Even though I know that this pack is his territory and he can come here anytime he wants to, I still can’t shake the feeling that the timing of his return is no mere coincidence. With each moment that passes by, my mind races with a lot of possibilities, and each one is more serious than the last. They run through my mind endlessly and I can’t help but dwell deeply on them. Could it be that the Alpha King has caught wind of the last disagreement that happened between me and my fellow maids? And if that is so, how did he hear about it? Who in this pack cares about me that much, enough to inform the King about this? Is he returning here to address the grievances that have been happening in this pack of late? That thought alone sends a shiver down my spine because I know all too well the consequences of getting the King angry.
HAZEL The maids I’m passing by are speaking in hushed tones about the embarrassment and humiliation I endured at their hands and as usual, Cathy and Gwen are in the middle of the conversation. As they keep talking about it, the words pierce my heart like daggers and I can't help the pain I feel in that moment.It is at that moment I know — with a sinking feeling of inevitability — that I’m indeed the reason for the King’s return. My altercation with the maids didn’t go unnoticed because someone definitely reported the situation to him, and now, they will have to face the consequences of their actions, whatever that may be. I just hope it’s not something too drastic because I won’t be able to stomach that if it happens. ***Now, I’m alone in my room and I’m completely surrounded by the deafening silence of my thoughts. I wrestle with the weight of the impending visit from the king. I can hear the rest of the people in the pack house buzzing about with excitement and anticipation, an