There’s an annual gameshow where I’m from: temporary monarchs, where the winners get to rule our nation for one year. Once their time is up, they can sign up to play and try winning again. Dear mirror and reflection, why am I telling you this? You live here, I’m sure you know how it works. You’ve lived here forever, and […]
I dipped my feet into the water as I waited. I couldn’t recognise myself, I looked monstrous, with shredded lips and a bleeding mouth. Your reflection appeared behind me and in a daze, almost reached in. I turned around to face you but something was wrong. You held onto a letter, twin to my own, and pressed it into my […]
The punishment for stealing something is the amputation of a hand, if not both. So it made sense that the punishment for having an affair was the loss of a tongue. ‘Oh hush.’ My mother said after it was done. ‘If you wanted to prevent this then you should have kept out of trouble.’ I wondered if she knew the […]
He had fabricated another lie, and no matter how much we disputed it, my parents didn’t believe me. We had gone to the gardens, him and I, but I had soon excused myself to go and get some refreshments. I had instead gone with you to a secluded room. My father screamed at me, my mother had cried for my […]
I don’t remember much, for I was dizzy with fear. The man had told you to leave us be, it was none of your business, after all. You told him to get out, or you would make him. You did in the end anyway. I was sitting on the baldachin bed, frantically tying up my corset, arms aching as I […]
Needless to say, we didn’t go to the gardens. He had taken me into one of the guest bedrooms and closed the door, making sure that no one had seen us. My head told me to plead, to beg him to let me go, but I knew that would be in vain. All I could do was hope he would […]
Where did I go wrong? It must have been the day I met you. My family threw a ball, an annual occurrence, one I despised. Wretched things happened every time, there was always someone to push you up against a dark, secluded corner, someone that the day before wouldn’t even have looked you in the eye. They would leave in […]
The pain came first if I remember correctly. I drove my dagger into your chest, and as you bled, I got my voice back. After what must have been eons of silence, the first word I whispered was your name, as you died in my arms.