Chapter 3

I woke up from my sleep when I felt someone gently comb my hair. I'm familiar with this feeling; what time is it? How did Grandma bring me here?

"I know you're awake, Claret." I heard grandma's hoarse voice as she continued to comb my hair. Is she crying?

Where am I now? In the big bathroom where grandma used to bathe me with pure milk. Currently, my whole body is soaked in pure milk in a bathtub made from good-quality wood.

I just glanced at the full moon from the window. Beautiful to look at, the beautiful moon never fails to attract me.

I suddenly closed my eyes when I remembered the strange people who came to our house earlier. Did it really happen? Or a long dream while grandma soaks me?

"Grandma, did we have any visitors earlier?" I asked Grandma, who was currently raising my hair.

"Guest? We don't have any guests," she told me seriously.

"That said! So I'm really just dreaming? Who's your majesty? There's a second prince. Oh damn, maybe I'm just really tired today," I laughed. Grandma remained speechless about what I was saying; if later she had preached to me because I mentioned a man, weird.

"Grandma.." I frowned when I noticed an unfamiliar, huge mirror right in front of me.

"Grandma, why did I just see this mirror now?" My reflection in the mirror is very clear, and it has a unique design on the top.

"Spade?" The 'majesty' in my dream entered my mind again. especially when he said these words: 'I may not have a spade birthmark." What does my dream mean? Why does every detail of my dream seem so clear? Is it possible that Grandma is not telling the truth? It is possible that this is not a dream. There are really people who want to draw my blood.

I was just surprised when our antique grandfather's clock rang loudly, signaling that it was twelve o'clock.

"Happy birthday, Claret." I felt Grandma kiss my cheek.

"Thank you," I smiled at grandma.

"Look in the mirror; I'm going to give you my present." I just smiled when grandma put me on a necklace with a black stone.

"It's beautiful, grandma." I didn't think that she would give me a necklace.

"Promise that you will never remove that from your body, no matter what happens." She asked me in front of the mirror.

"Why should I remove it? "You give it to me, grandma; I will never take it off my body," I said happily while looking at the beautiful necklace. Where did Grandma buy it? It looks like it will be loved.

"Can I go out, grandma?" I said.

"You can," she answered me coldly, while I just stared.

"Are you serious, grandma?" I asked her in disbelief.

"Do what you want; you're an adult." I just grinned at what she said. I will not rush. I just glanced at the round moon again.

I couldn't help but scream when I saw that the moon was red.

"Grandma! Grandma! The moon!" I tried to pull Grandma, who had her back turned and was busy with the clothes I was going to wear, "Red?" Grandma and I turned to the moon together, and my forehead frowned without any hint of red on it.

"Claret." Grandma called my name seriously.

"Grandma, I saw it. The moon turned red! Like the eyes of the woman in my dream." My eyes widened when I saw that my body was no longer soaked in milk. I violently stood up in the bathtub, and I didn't care about my entire nakedness just to get out of it.

"Grandma! The milk is colored with blood." I screamed, turning my back on the tub I came from. Why is the milk I pour red? What's happening to me?

"Grandma, I'm scared of what I see." That tub, grandma... I kept my back turned.

"What is happening to you, Blood? All I see is pure milk. Come and I'll wash you; you're just tired." I forced myself to look at the milk again.

My forehead was stained with blood, and I frowned even more when I saw that there was no blood on it.

What the hell is happening to me?

Grandma quickly rinsed me while she waited for me to get the towel I needed.

"Come, and I'll dry you in front of the mirror." I was speechless at what Grandma said. Grandma always bathes me, and seeing me naked is not new to me. In fact, she is even more familiar with the curves of my body and some angles that can be intimidating to me.

I'm now sitting in front of the mirror while she wipes my hair.

"Grandma, are my breasts small?" I suddenly asked. She barely glanced at me before she answered me.

"That's right." I just nodded to what Grandma said. If that's the case, and my chest isn't really small, what's the problem with my dream and the size of my chest being included?

"You can continue with your body, Claret; I'll just change your clothes." I slightly nodded to Grandma, and I started to wipe myself.

When I felt a cold wind caress my neck, I immediately left the mirror. I wrapped myself in a towel and hurried out of the bathroom. I don't really feel good here.

Grandma handed me my black Victorian dress that I wear when I sleep.

"I don't have school later, grandma; let's go for a walk when I wake up," I said happily to grandma, who was still lethargic.

"Alright." I was just surprised when she suddenly hugged me.

"Grandma loves you very much; always take care of yourself. Follow my instructions for you," she suddenly said.

"Grandma, will you leave me?" I asked.

"No, go ahead and get dressed and sleep." I kissed her on the cheek before I hurried up the stairs.

When I got dressed, I immediately lay down on the bed. I don't know why I feel so tired. But I only know what I need most: a long sleep.

--

I was distracted again, not because I was soaked in milk again but because of the man's voice calling me. Damn, I don't want anymore. I just want to sleep.

I forced myself to go back to sleep, but every time he called my name, it got louder. I mustered up the courage to leave my room. I quickly turned on the light and hurried downstairs to follow the man's voice.

"Where are you? What do you need from me?" I asked nervously.

"Claret.." I immediately looked behind me, but no one was there. I'm just holding my chest; I'm nervous.

"Claret." My eyes automatically went in the direction where the bathroom was.

I took a deep breath and bravely stepped to my feet. If I don't recognize the man calling me, sure.

I'll just keep getting distracted.

As soon as I opened the door of the huge bathroom, a very clear mirror showed me my reflection. I don't know what force pushed me to get closer to it, but as soon as I reached the huge mirror, I just cursed when my reflection suddenly disappeared and my eyes saw a chained man with a bowed head.

"You're hallucinating, Claret." I shook myself, and when I looked at it again, what I was seeing was my reflection.

I just sighed and turned away from the mirror. but I was pulled back again when I was greeted by two familiar faces who both smiled at me. They are the strange people in my dreams.

"Happy Birthday!" A beautiful woman and a man with gray hair greeted me at the same time.

I was just surprised when they pushed both of my shoulders at the same time. And I just closed my eyes when I started to fall into some place that I didn't understand. Am I falling? Can I say something in our bathroom?

Where did they push me? Is it possible that I fell into the mirror? I tried to raise my right hand as if to reach something, but I still fell into a void that I did not understand. Am I dreaming again?

Why are my dreams like this?

My body fell into something soft that I couldn't explain. What did I drop? I can't see well, especially since I don't have glasses.

Shit.

The environment is so dark, I can barely see anything. I forced myself to stand up and walk to see if my fall was bad. I am so thankful that my whole body feels good. Suddenly, I just finished myself off with the wind. It's too cold. The hairs on my body were also starting to stand up when I heard the gentle dripping of water from some direction.

"Where am I?" I asked myself. I'm like the hero of a horror film who doesn't know where she is. And at any time, there may be a soul that suddenly appears before me. I shook my head at my bad thoughts. I shouldn't have scared myself in this situation.

I felt something strange. I noticed that my feet were wet because they were submerged in water. Why is there water here? I was once again in a state of gratitude when my house slippers did not come off my feet.

When I barely saw a light, I quickly followed it. My eyes need light; my eyes are no longer clear, and it is not good for me to stay in the dark. When I noticed that there was a small lamp hanging on the wall, I immediately took it off to serve as a light for my walk, but when I took it off, I could see more clearly what I was stepping on. I just felt the warm liquid running from my eyes. I'm crying. Why am I in this place?

"Blood." My feet were covered in blood. Not in water, which submerged my feet, but in the river of blood.