The Amulet: Chapter Three.

CHAPTER THREE:
       
        Clutching her throbbing head, Alize struggled to open the front door, using the door frame for support. She stepped into the dark cavernous hall quietly. After closing the door behind herself she stumbled across the seemingly endless room. The room spun before her eyes and every hushed footstep still managed to echo. She felt as if she was watching herself perform movements. Her body and mind were so detached. Nothing made any sense, everything was spinning. She felt for the side door blindly in the dark and found it.
   
    “Alizabeth Anne Hawthorne ” Alize winced. Not so much at the tone of her mothers voice but at the sudden bright light proceeding towards her, she wiped her streaming eyes, “What... happened ”
   
    As Alize was flooded with the light of the lamp her mother came into view. She was an older version of Alize herself with darker eyes and lighter hair. As she took in the sight she paled and her eyes widened with fright. Blinking against the glare of the lamp Alize vaguely heard herself say, “Sleep walking.”
   
    “Oh, Alize darling  I’m so sorry, What were you doing? Oh, you’re bleeding and I’m standing here. I’ll arouse Felicity,” Her mother stood, staring in shock, then tenderly reached for her blood-matted hair but hesitated and pulled back, wiping her hands on her skirt.  Alize swallowed hard then turned, with effort, towards the door. Her mother, seemed to come to again, “Oh, right... Let’s get you to your room.”
   
    Leading her by the small of her back she brought Alize to her room, assisting her up the stairs. Her mother swiftly left the room after laying her down and moments later a tired but flustered looking Felicity entered the room. She stepped over to the bed with a cup of water, Alize hadn’t realized how thirsty she was until Felicity forced the drink down her throat. Coughing slightly, which sent a searing pain to her head, she noticed the funny after taste of the drink. She lay back on the pillow and felt even dizzier. She must have hit her head harder than she’d thought.
   
    Felicity was fussing with a cloth, tearing it into strips. She was the house maid, an older plump woman with plain brown hair she always kept in a bun. Vaguely, Alize thought she heard voices starting to fill the hall. But before she could process them her eyes rolled to the ceiling and she slipped into darkness.

* * *

        The first thing she noticed were the loud noises. They were echoing through her head, it took a moment before she recognized them as voices, her father’s, her mother’s, Iram’s. Iram was here? Why? She went through a few confused moments before, slowly, the events of the night dawned over her. The beach walk, the man, the boy, the knives, those eyes, running home, her mother. She tried to open her eyes and say something but her body wouldn’t respond. She finally managed to prop them open a bit and immediately shut them again against the light flooding through the windows.
   
    “Sleeping walking she says,” She heard her mother frantically explaining, “They say she must have fallen down the front steps.”
     
  “Most probably,” Iram rumbled. Alize smiled at this, dear Iram if only she could...
   
    “Oh no you won’t missy.” She was forced down by a rough hand before she realized she’d been trying to sit up. Alize blinked profusely and her surroundings swarmed into view. She was sitting in her bed surrounded by her mother and father, Iram and his mother and Felicity, who was now glaring at her, “Now you drink this water girl and stay put, you aren’t movin’ until I says so.”
   
    Alize took the drink and managed to swallow a small sip of it, then she realized the entire room was staring at her. She tried to speak but coughed instead.
     
  “Oh thank god you’re awake ” Her mother finally spoke, propelling her body on top of the bed. Alize groaned under the pressure.
   
    “Now miss,” Felicity interrupted carefully, “She be fragile right now, try an’ be gentle.”
 
      “Right sorry,” Her mother stared down at her and Alize looked into her green eyes, the mirror image of her own. She didn’t see concern in those eyes however, she saw something that for a second looked remarkably like frustration. Alize turned away in confusion.
   
    She found herself facing Iram, who was standing on the other side of her bed. He was in simple day clothes, his hair shown in the light from the window. His eyes caught her attention as usual, this blue standing out against his golden skin, the blue she had come to love. He was gazing at her with the same masked emotion he usually wore, but if she looked hard enough Alize swore there was a hint of concern. She gave him a weak smile and attempted to sit up. Felicity reached for her again.
   
    “I’m fine, really.” She managed to pant. Felicity didn’t look convinced but she held back and turned to her mother.
   
    “Ma’am you should-” Felicity started to say but was cut off when her father stepped forward. He was the Duke of ______, advisor to King of Arangosa, therefore, whenever he had something to say all other sounds ceased. It was a moment before he said anything and when he spoke it was clear, quiet and emotionless.
   
    “How exactly did you receive these injuries, Alizabeth?” He asked. Felicity started forward to prevent Alize from talking, but seemed to think better of it and backed away again. Alize tried not to let hegaze raise upward, but she couldn’t help it. She found herself staring into her father’s eyes. She tried not to speak but she found her mouth opening of it’s own accord, as if he was controlling her every movement.
   
    “Sleep-walking,” she lied calmly, “I woke up and found myself at the bottom of the front steps.”
   
    His piercing gaze searched her for some other answer but she stared back at him, unwavering. Did he not believe her? His stare then flickered to the necklace she donned. Felicity quickly interrupted, insisting everyone give her rest. Alize watched her father as he finally broke eye contact and shooed everyone out. Just before he left he turned and quickly glanced at the finger shaped bruises on her arm, his aura radiating worry and doubt.
     
  Alize watched the door blankly. Let him think what he felt like thinking. It wasn’t like her father cared about her anyway, just himself and his own image. Iram would understand, that she was sure of. She pictured his emotionless face and somehow an image or the boy was conjured in her mind, the way he’d looked at her before letting her go. Why had he let her go anyway? He’d been trying to kill that man, so why not her too? She shuddered and tried to shake the images out of her head but they kept coming, uninvited. The anger in his eyes, the dagger, the blood-curdling scream. It was a moment before she realized she was shaking.
   
    “Miss?” She jumped and gasped, before she realized Felicity hadn’t left yet, “I’m sorry, Miss.” Felicity bowed her head.
   
    “Oh no, you just scared me. I thought you left.” Alize explained in a hoarse voice and then coughed lightly.
   
    Felicity looked up, “He doesn’t believe you miss. Neither does the young master.”
 
      “Who doesn’t? What are you talking about?” Alize stared at her, alarmed.

        “You should be more careful. He is afraid you have shunned the family, I has over heard them talking while I was cleaning in the kitchen.” Felicity straightened the bed sheet absentmindedly, Alize gaped at her. “I is just saying maybe you should be more appreciative of the young master, you ain’t gonna find another one like that.”

        “I haven’t done anything,” Alize breathed, she couldn’t, wouldn’t believe what the maid was saying. “What are you trying to say Felicity?”

        “I’m not sure It’s my place to tell, Miss,” She avoided looking Alize in the eyes.

        “Felicity don’t hold back from me, not now.”

        Her maid nodded slightly, “They is talking about reconsidering the engagement,” Alize tried to imagine she wasn’t hearing this, “They are no longer sure that you are... pure... enough, for him.”

        Alize shut her eyes and breathed in sharply. “Leave, now.”

        At her sharp tone Felicity winced, “Yes Miss. I am sorry. It was not my place to interfere.” With that she left the room before Alize could say anything else. Instead, she watched the door slam shut. She was so appalled she couldn’t move for a good minute. Her stomach sank and disbelief overtook her as she realized what her parents thought, what the situation looked like. She’d snuck out in the middle of the night and returned beaten.  Alize shuddered, she not been raped. She’d almost been murdered, yes, but not raped. Suddenly she was racked by new tremors. Her family didn’t care. Their concerns didn’t lie with her well being, they were solely focused on the family reputation and how she may or may not have defiled it. With disgust she fought back sudden tears, Iram would understand. He would have to. If not anyone else, he would. 

         Alize laid back down and hugged her pillow. The images returned and it was only moments before the previous night was flashing in front of her eyes again, joined by new ones involving the faces of her family and the prospect of what was to come. Sliding down under her covers she squeezed her pillow tighter, eyes wide with fear. She couldn’t even imagine any of this was happening, not to her.