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The Thorn That Hid Amongst Petals1,104 words
Et sanguinem lacrimarum1,006 words
Fractis memorias1,223 words

The Thorn That Hid Amongst Petals

The room was pitch black and seemed to be filled with a darkness that one could not only see, but touch. The air was musty and smelled of decay. It was the one room in the entirety of our manor that had been left untouched for years. It sat, seemingly forgotten, beneath the old stairs that led up to the west wing.

As I let the door creak closed, groaning in protest upon its rusted hinges all the while, the last remaining sliver of light was extinguished like a flame doused by water. Mother would have had my head if she was aware I had been sneaking in here every day for the past several months. She always was one to despise all things vile. I never thought anypony truly enjoyed filth, but her definition was much less lenient than most. If a speck of dust ever dared to tarnish her beloved vases, she would make quick work of it. Father always insisted that one of the plethora of reasons he loved his wife was because of her cleanliness.

I shuddered at the thought that anypony could ever love such a creature as my mother, let alone my beloved dad.

I stood there in the utter darkness with my hooves raised above my head so as to fumble about for the light switch. For several moments, they groped aimlessly through the shadows until they had met their mark: a small chord adorned with metal beads dangling from the ceiling. I gave it a hearty yank. With a rather noisy clink, the room was bathed in a dim light, just enough for me to see my way around.

A metal bar that acted as a clothes rack was lined with old, garish clothes that belonged in an entirely different era. Several had visible holes where moths may have gnawed, leaving behind the wretched aroma of mothballs. On the opposite side of the closet stood an old wooden shelf. Upon it was row upon row of dusty, old encyclopaedias. Their backs torn and pages bent with time. Several had yellowed with age and now resembled the shade of sour, puckered, old lemons.

Looking every which way as to ensure I wasn't being spied upon, I assured myself that my prize was safe. From the saddlebag I had strapped over my back, I drew a long dangling silver chain, at the end, a pendant. The pendant was of a heart fashioned completely out of diamond. It shone like the stars, as though they had been trapped in this stone by some ancient magic.

It was Mother's. But certainly she wouldn't miss it for she had so much more jewellery, much of it far more beautiful than this little treasure I had swiped while she was at a party. I hugged the necklace to my chest. Carefully, I unfastened it and placed it around my neck, clasping it together once more. How I wished I had a looking glass to study myself in.

I was jolted out of my reverie by a loud rapping on the closet door. My heart was drumming like a hammer against my ribcage. I bolted for the cord, pulled it and let the room fall into darkness. I pressed myself against the wall, breathing through my nose as best I could. Hopefully whomever it was would chalk it up to an old house making the ruckus and move along.

No such luck.

"I know you're in there, Trixie!" my eldest sister yelled, continuing to pound on the door. Accepting my fate, I gingerly opened the door and stepped out to face my sister. Her eyes searched mine before they fell to the pendant, where they lingered for some time.

"Mother's pendant! You wicked little foal," she spat.

"Please don't tell Mother!" I yelped, hiding as best I could behind my pale blue mane.

"Or what, rat?" she snapped as her lips curled into a malicious grin.

"Or... nothing..." I sighed in defeat.

My eyes cast to the ground as I waved my verbal white flag in surrender. My sister harrumphed, tossing aside a lock of curled navy mane and shot me smirk of triumph. She turned on her hoof and trotted briskly away, not even bothering to glance back at my shuddering form.

"That's that, then. I shall tell mother, you beast," she said over her shoulder. I chased after her, my hooves creating a hollow sound against the loose floorboards as I pursued my sister. In desperation, I bit her tail and dragged her back.

"Please, Acantha!" I pleaded after letting go of her tail. "Please! No, no, no! Don't tell her! Don't tell Mom!" My throat ached as I sobbed, tears collecting upon my eyelashes and streaming down my face. "Y-you know what she'll do to me!"

My sister threw up her muzzle, averting her eyes from my tearful face.

"She'll beat you," she deadpanned, no hint of sympathy in her voice.

"Y-yes! So please... please! I'll do anything. Anything!" I whimpered. Acantha frowned, biting her lip. My heart leapt for a moment as I swore I saw a flash of sadness creep over her, but my gut plummeted as it turned from sorrow to fury.

"You! You think I don't know what it's like living with Mother? Ever since you were born, we've all suffered! MOTHER NEVER LOVED YOU! WE HATE YOU! WE HATE YOU! You think I haven't been beaten during one of her temper tantrums? She wasn't a drunk until you came along!"

My mind swirled with emotions. I bit my lip so hard, it drew blood. It tasted salty upon my tongue. My tears pooled on the floor, growing with every passing moment. Agony gripped my heart like the bony hand of death.

Wailing, I curled up on the floor amongst my own tears and sobbed... sobbed and waited for mother to come storming in, seize me by the tail and drag me off to my room. I could already hear her hooves thundering against the old floor, nearing like a cougar about to pounce on its prey.

"You little witch," my mother slurred.

I felt a tingling sensation as I was enveloped in a faint blue aura which belonged to my mother. I continued to cry, hugging the necklace to my chest as I was dragged down the hallways towards another painful night.

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