Drop.

Drop.

Drop.

An eye opened up as the water flowed over the now bruised eyelid.

"Ahh...ah..."

A groan went out as the girl tried to get up.

' Everything hurts. '

"Ah."

A bleat is heard as her head meets the wall.

The girl slowly opened her eyes. Her blurry vision gradually got used to the little light there was.

The room was small, dark and damp. She and the hallway were separated by closely placed metal rods.

The prisoner swung up almost falling but is able to grasp the bars on time.

“MOM! DAD! MICHAEL! ANYONE, CAN ANYONE HEAR ME!!???”, Dahlia cried out, tears running down her cheeks.

“MOM CAN YOU HEAR ME DAD MICHAEL CAN YOU HEAR ME MICHAEL”, she yelled on top of her lungs, using all the strength she had left.

Only silence could be heard.

She collapsed onto the ground sobbing, her battered fingernails piercing her flesh.

Her cries were the only thing she could hear for hours until that too stopped.

……..

Dahlia stopped crying.

Exhausted, she was sitting on the floor, her back to the wall, staring into the ground.

‘ What is it that we did so wrong to deserve this? '

' Things were finally getting better. Is this the Cattleyas’ doing? ’

‘ They are the reason dad went to the capital. Are they behind this? '

' Did they set us up? And dad couldn't defend himself. ’

“ Damn it .” A thump was heard as Dahlia hit her fist to the floor.

‘ If only I acted the moment I found things suspicious no, if only I had taken interest earlier. ’

‘ I knew something was off about the deal with the Cattleyas. I should have protested more or dealt with them or something ’.

Dahlia let out a chuckle and her face turned into a pained expression.

‘ Its my fault. ’

‘ I should have done something, anything. ’

‘ Even on Michel’s birthday, maybe I could have at least saved us and then find a way to free dad. ’

Tears started slowly falling on her face.

‘ I should have done something. It's all my fault. Why couldn't I use this stupid head of mine? I'm useless. I’m fucking useless. I’ve never done anything useful my whole life. ’

Dahlia’s thoughts were cut short as two guards barged into the prison cell, grabbing her.

“ Let go of me uhhh where are you taking me !!” she struggled as the guards dragged her through the hallway.

As they opened the door, shining light blinded her eyes and she could hear cheers and chants.

She adjusted to the light and saw what was happening.

The Cattleyas' family head about to be executed on the guillotine, on one side the heads of higher nobility, on the other a line of people shackled, waiting in fear to be executed. And all around them a crowd chanting " Death to the traitors ”.

Dahlia watched with shock as a guard kicked her and she fell on the ground.

“ Get moving. ”

Still in a daze, she started walking until she reached the line of people.

“ Dahlia, Dahlia!!! ”

A voice yelled her name. It was her parents.

“ Mom,Dad ,” she tried to go and hug them but was stopped by the guards.

“ I’m sorry, I’m so sorry. I tried to tell them but no one listened, ” her father cried out.

“Ahhhh, Ahhh !!! ”

A child crying was brought next to Dahlia.

“ Michael, ” she hugged him as soon as she saw him.

“ Keep your brother next to you. ”

That's all her mother could say before she and her husband carried off to the execution block.

“ Mama, Papa, ” Michael screamed while in Dahlia's embrace.

Dahlia herself couldn't say a thing.

She couldn't hear anything.

She couldn't hear her brother's cries.

She couldn't hear her fathers apologies.

“Slash”

She couldn't hear her mothers screams as her father’s head went tumbling.

She couldn't hear her mother’s ‘I love you’.

She stood there frozen as her mother's head was cut off.

She couldn't cry.

She couldn’t scream.

She came back to reality as it was her turn to die.

“ No, I want my sister. ”

” Michael, ” Dahlia was separated from her brother.

“ Please let him go. He's only a child. He.. he didn't do anything wrong he.. please. ”

Dahlia's plea went to deaf ears; her head was placed on the same chopping block that had taken the lives of her family mere seconds ago.

She saw, on the balcony of the building across from her, the royal family watching as things unfolded. The king, the queen, the crown prince and the person she saw a lot two years ago, the crown princess.

‘ Mom was right. I should have made allies while I was there. This wouldn't have happened. '

‘ It's all my fault. It's all my fault. It's all my fault. It's all my... ’

‘ It doesn't matter now. ’

‘ Nothing matters now. ’

She closed her eyes as she saw the man letting go of the rope. The blade that was stained with the blood of her loved ones fell and her thoughts came to a stop.