Chapter 3

The burning wax doll


  The wedding had passed, and she sat in her new room, waiting for her newlywed husband to come back. He said he needed to deal with something and that he’d be right back. She sighed and laid down on the bed, wondering if tonight's dream would go just like the others.

  Would she see Atlas again? 

  If she did see him, she knew she couldn’t act around him as she used to. I mean—she was a married woman. But she’d still like to be his friend.

  Deep in her thoughts, she felt something pulling her down. She tried opening her eyes, but she couldn’t, and no sound came from her lips either when she tried to scream. Desperately grasping onto her sheets, she fell down and down until she woke up again on the same grass field she’d dreamed about waking up her whole life.

  She fell into her dream.

  Confused on how she’d manage to fall asleep so quickly and partly dizzy, she followed her way to the familiar scent. The table of fruits and delights was there, just like it had been yesterday. But no Atlas.

  “Atlas?” she called out, but he didn’t seem to be anywhere around.

  She saw his shed from afar and assumed he’d be there. She picked up her skirts and made her way towards it. She opened the door.

  “Atlas, are you there?” she yelled out again. 

  In panic, she ran around his house to find a trace of him but he wasn’t there.

Was he gone?

  Another scent shot her out of her thoughts. It smelled like—like her husband?

  She went towards it and stood in front of a door where the scent seemed to come from. She hesitantly pushed the door open.

  Her stomach dropped as a doll made out of wax came into view, surrounded by a room full of drawings of Daniel with writings on them. A wax doll that looked just like Daniel. With the scent of Daniel.

  What the fuck?

  She ran towards it and immediately tried blowing out the candle. It turned on again.

  She blew it out again.

  It lit up again.

  She turned around the room and pulled the drawings of him off of the wall, breathing heavily.

  Creak.

  Someone was here. Atlas was here, she thought before running out of the room. She saw him sitting on a chair while looking straight at her.

  “Atlas, what the hell is going on here!”

  He shrugged and stood up, stepping closer to her. She stepped backwards.

 “I told you not to leave me,” he said as he continued walking towards her.

 “You—You’re crazy!” she managed out, but there was no denying the fact that she was scared.

 “Stop what’s going on in that room immediately!” she yelled at him, pointing towards the room where the wax doll of Daniel was currently melting. 

 “No.”

  He stood right in front of her now. His gaze darkened as he lowered himself towards her. 

She shivered before closing her eyes. And she’d never been thankful enough that deep down, she feared him. Because that’s exactly what finally woke her up.

She didn't exactly wake up where she thought she would, though, as she sat in her bed at her mother's house.

Why wasn't she in the palace?