Steel Princess (Royal Elite 2)

Thump...

The moment the outside air hits me, I fight the urge to throw up.

The air is asphyxiating with something rotten.

I block my nose with both my hands as I stare at Ma. She doesn’t seem bothered by the smell as if she’s not detecting it.

How could she not? The rotten air is so potent like a fucking morgue.

Wait.

A morgue?

“Hush little baby don’t you cry…”

No.

Ma continues stroking the little child’s hair. “Everything is going to be alright.”

No. Shut up, Ma.

I block both my ears with my hands.

It’s useless.

The sound continues barging through my head like a symphony gone wrong.

The scratching of nails against a chalkboard.

The monsters’ slow haunting murmurs.

“Hush little baby… hush little baby…”

Her voice grows in volume and intensity. It’s the only thing I hear.

It possesses me and flows under my skin.

I can’t even make out my own breathing.

I can’t even hear my own heartbeat.

“Hush…”

“Hush…”

“Shut up!” I scream, but no words come out. “Shut up, Ma!”

The little girl raises her head.

I freeze.

Slowly, too slowly, her head turns in my direction. My heartbeat nearly stops when I meet those blue eyes.

The same eyes as mine.

Me.

The girl is me.