The pain was sharp, and everywhere.
Lucille curled up a little on the chair, holding her stomach. A sharp pain stabbed through her belly. She couldn't breathe well. Her mouth felt dry and sticky. Her heart raced fast.
What was happening to her? She tried to sit up, but her head spun. She felt dizzy, and cold sweat covered her forehead.
A knock came softly on the door. Before Lucille could answer, the door opened.
"Lucille?" a soft voice called.
It was Ophelia. She had heard from the servants that Lucille was back, so she sneaked in to see her.
Lucille turned her head slowly and saw Ophelia standing at the door.
As soon as Ophelia walked in, her face twisted. She wrinkled her nose like she smelled something bad. The room smelled damp, sweaty, and mixed with the smell of the food Lucille just ate.
But then Ophelia stopped, her eyes locked on Lucille, who was holding her stomach, her face twisted in pain. Ophelia forgot about the bad smell right away.
"Oh no! What happened?" Ophelia cried and ran to kneel beside her.
Lucille tried to speak, but no words came. She winced in pain. Her lips were dry and cracked as she whispered, "My stomach... it burns. I feel dizzy... like I'm going to faint."
Ophelia looked at the food tray on the desk. Her eyes grew wide. "You just ate?" she asked, and Lucille nodded weakly.
Ophelia reached for the bottle of juice on the tray, but Lucille grabbed her hand quickly.
"No... don't," Lucille stuttered. "I think it's poisoned. Even the food."
Ophelia froze and slowly put the juice back down. "Poisoned?" her voice unsure.
"Who brought the food?" She asked curiously.
Lucille shook her head, her voice came out hoarse. "I don't know... I saw it when I woke up."
Ophelia stared at her, her thoughts running wild. Then she stood up quickly. "Wait here, I'll bring you some water. And some herbs."
Before Lucille could say anything, Ophelia rushed out.
Minutes passed, feeling like hours.
Lucille leaned her head back against the chair. Her sweat soaked her dirty, smelly dress. She could hardly breathe.
Was this how she would die? Maybe she could have escaped...
Then the door opened again.
Ophelia came back, breathing fast, holding a cup of water and another cup with some colored liquid. It smelled like herbs.
"I made this myself," Ophelia said. "It helps with cramps and stomach pain. Drink it. It's safe."
Lucille didn't think twice. She grabbed the cup with her shaking hands and drank it. The water was warm. It tasted bitter, but it felt nice going down her throat.
"Thank you," she whispered, closing her eyes and trying to calm her fast-beating heart.
Ophelia helped Lucille to the bed and made her sit on it, resting her back against the wall.
Slowly, Lucille sipped the herbal drink Ophelia gave her. The bitter taste stayed on her tongue, but her stomach started to feel a little better.
Ophelia sat beside her, watching her closely.
"You scared me," Ophelia said softly. "I thought something bad happened to you."
Lucille gave a weak smile. "It just hurt so much... I thought I was poisoned."
Ophelia looked at the tray of food. "What did you eat?"
"Rice, fried chicken, vegetable soup, and that juice," Lucille said, pointing at the table.
A deep frown appeared on Ophelia's face. "What?"
Even as a paid servant, she had never eaten such good food in Edward's house. No servant ever had. How did Lucille get it?
It could only be if Edward himself gave the order.
"It might be Edward," Ophelia said, her eyebrows tight together. "Even we servants never got such food,"
Lucille narrowed her eyes. Edward? Giving her good food? Impossible. "That's impossible. You know it too," she said.
Ophelia nodded slowly, her eyes serious. "Yeah," Edward would never do something kind for Lucille.
It must be someone else, but who?
They stayed quiet for a while. Then Lucille spoke again. "I'm tired of this life I'm stuck in."
"I know," Ophelia said sadly. "It even hurts me, and I'm not the one living it. I can only imagine how hard it is for you."
She gave a small laugh. "You still smell like that dirty cell," she teased gently.
Ophelia stood up and opened the small window. Fresh air came in, soft and cool, trying to push out the bad smell in the room.
"Try to take a bath," she said kindly. "You'll feel better."
Lucille nodded slowly. "I must be smelling really bad," her lips curled into a tired smile.
Ophelia laughed quietly. "You are really stinking," she said playfully, but sincerely
"Two days without a bath. What do you expect?" Lucille sighed softly.
"You know what I think happened?" Ophelia spoke in a quiet voice
"Your body is in shock," Ophelia said. "You haven't eaten real food for two days. Your stomach wasn't ready for it. It's not poison. It's just your body reacting."
Lucille closed her eyes. "You think so?"
"I know so," She affirmed, and squeezed Lucille's hand. "But next time? Don't eat like you're starving after not eating for days."
Lucille gave a small, tired laugh. "Noted, dear friend,"
For the first time, she called Ophelia a friend. She really was more than a friend.
Ophelia smiled warmly. "I'll bring more herbs," then left the room.
Lucille stayed still for a moment. Her stomach had stopped hurting. Her chest felt a little lighter. Maybe Ophelia was right. Maybe it wasn't poison after all.
She stood up slowly and went toward the bathroom. Inside, she quickly pulled off her dirty dress.
Her hands were shaking a little as she picked up her old toothbrush. She squeezed some paste onto it and brushed her teeth carefully. When she was done, she put the brush away and reached for a cheap soap and an old sponge.
She turned on the shower. The water dripped slowly, cold and clear. She stepped under it. The cold water made her gasp. It was so cold it hurt her skin, but she didn't move away. She needed this. She needed to feel clean again. She needed to wash off the dirt, the pain, and the sadness.
Her hands moved slowly, scrubbing her arms, her back, her neck. The sponge was rough, but she didn't stop. She scrubbed and scrubbed. Dirt and old sweat came off her body. Her hair stuck to her face, heavy and wet.
As she washed, she felt her wolf stir weakly inside her, like it was trying to wake up.
"We're back," the soft voice of her wolf came.
Lucille closed her eyes, letting the cold water run over her face. "Yeah," she whispered, "but we're not free yet."
"Too bad," her wolf mumbled, then went quiet again, hiding deep inside her.
Lucille gave a small, bitter smile. Her wolf was hurting too. "Please be patient,"
She turned off the water and reached for the towel, but suddenly, her head spun. The room around her started to blur. Her body swayed.
"No," she whispered, grabbing at the tiled wall. Her fingers slipped on the wet surface.
She tried to take a step, but her legs were shaking badly. Her foot slid a little on the floor. Then, she lost her balance and fell.
Her head hit the cold wall with a soft thud, and then her body dropped hard to the floor.
The bathroom fell silent.
Lucille lay there, motionless.