ARTEMISIA
"No…" I cried as the woman flashed me a wicked smile. Her face was concealed by a veil of some sort but I could see her pearly white teeth as she smiled.
"Please, spare the child!"
"Too late, darling." She cackled. And tossed the infant wrapped in a swaddle in the air.
My heartbeat faltered. I was certain it did as I jetted forwards to catch the child as it began to descend downwards.
But, I wasn't fast enough.
I believed I could have met up but something had happened along the way that made it seem almost impossible.
"I---I…"
"I told you." The woman said. She tilted her head whilst I snatched the swaddle on the cool grass.
The child wasn't in it. My baby wasn't in it!
"W-what did you do?" I gazed at her. My eyes widened with each word I met and my throat constricted.
"I did what should have been done." The woman said and yanked me away from the ground.
She closed her hands around my neck before I could make meaning of what was happening.
"Now, it's your turn to be extinguished." She whispered in my ear.
"N-No!"
I jerked awake.
Sweat dribbled down my creased forehead and my eyes darted around the room.
Then it stayed on two pairs of dark eyes.
I shrieked before I could help myself and landed on the floor with my backside.
"What the hell?!" Sin yelled, climbing down from the bed.
"Sin?!" I asked with wide eyes as I attempted to stand to my feet.
He helped me up and I grimaced whilst rubbing my sore backside.
For a moment, I had thought he was the woman who had not only haunted me in my dreams but had also come to haunt me in real life.
It had been just two days since I lost my baby and it had become even worse. I could barely close my eyes without seeing the woman or hearing the horrid cry of a baby.
I had tried my very best to avert the nightmare but it kept coming back stronger.
"It's just a nightmare." Sin mumbled.
I hoisted my head as I heard his voice. I nodded and sighed.
Indeed, it was. But it felt real seeing as I had lost my child.
"You need to go back to sleep."
I slapped his hands that were coming toward me away and glared.
I turned my back to him and brought up the duvet to my cheeks.
I hadn't forgiven him for what happened. I was told it wasn't his fault and I should stop trying to kill him.
I had stopped but I still blamed him. I had lost everything because of him whilst Emma had hers and could still gloat about it.
The doubt I had about Emma being pregnant disappeared when I noticed her tiny baby bump.
And she had never ceased to rub the fact that I wasn't pregnant anymore on my face with the little chance she had and it pisses me off each time.
"I just want you to be okay." Sin said.
"I am okay." I almost snapped at him. I let out a deep breath before turning to face him.
A deep frown etched on his face and he shook his head, "I see I am not forgiven yet?"
"And don't expect to be for now." I retorted. "If you hadn't been selfish looking out only for yourself, we wouldn't be this way."
"But,"
"Please, spare me the sermon. I am exhausted and need some rest." I cut him off.
"Very well." Sin said. He didn't try to talk to me anymore but I realized he stood from the bed soon after I snapped at him.
Was I too cruel?
Maybe. He hadn't planned the invasion but I was making it look as though he had and I didn't think I could change whatever belief I had in my head.
"If you need anything, I will be around. Just holler my name."
"Where are you going?" I said rather upset. "Do you want to go to Emma?"
I shouldn't have said that but I could not help myself.
"Artemisia…" Sin narrowed his eyes at me and for a brief second I thought he was going to snap but he said nothing.
He packed up what he needed and stormed out of the room.
I let out a groan and shoved my hands through my hair before plopping back on the bed.
My eyes went to the ceiling, for a brief second I thought between running to meet Sin wherever he was and staying in the room.
The thought of sleeping alone in the room and having the same nightmare over again frightened me.
But I believed getting my mind off things would do me a lot of good.
So I thought of the happy moment I had before everything spiralled out of control.
Soon enough, I become weary and my eyes shut on their own.
********
"Hey, b*tch." Emma greeted me.
The urge to yank her back by her hair filled me but I resisted it and I dug my nails into my palm.
I could kill her.
I was certain of that-if I attacked her. But I didn't want to. The guilt of doing something awful to her would haunt me forever and I didn't want to feel that way.
I turned away from her after sizing her up but I didn't think she was ready to leave me just yet.
"I am talking to you b*tch." Emma began. She gripped my hand and pulled me back. "How does it feel not being pregnant again? You know I haven't lost a child before and I am wondering if it makes one feel…"
I didn't let her finish her sentences. I couldn't let her.
Heck, the blow I landed on her cheek was unexpected as I hadn't planned it but Emma blabbing on and on about my lost baby got on my nerves more than her annoying self.
Again, she deserved it.
"Insult me all you want but never say something awful to a child who could have been the ruler of this kingdom!"
"B*tch!" Emma gasped. Her hand was on her right cheek where I slapped and she stormed toward me.
"A stupid fetus that didn't wait for it to be born? I would say the child was so lucky to have been aborted. I mean who wants a stupid witch for a mother?!"
"Emma…" I said in a low voice. I didn't want to hit her again but as she kept coming at me, I didn't think she could escape it.
"Yeah? You'll hit me again?" She yelled. "F*cking do what you are best at, whore!"
"Cut the crap out!"