Chapter 22

Her Path

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Jennie lay in the corner of the bed, unmoving, eyes are red from crying, her swollen eyelids brought back memories of her arrival to this place. Peering around the room, she discovered that she's alone, her mother has finally left her alone. A Relief, since she can't take to look at her. Just not right now.

Jennie sat up, for the first time since she arrived, she looked, really looked to her surrounding. The bedroom looked larger than Lisa's. The room looked elegant and cozy at the same time, but for Jennie this was more like a prison than a room. This beautiful room will be her prison for next twenty four hours, possibly days or weeks.

Jennie listens if there were anyone who was guarding outside, but the only sound she hears is the memory of her crying and pounding the bedroom, begging her mother to have her go. The knocking at the door made Jennie start. Tentatively, Jennie watched as the door opened and a lady entered the room. The lady comes out to be human and have the same height as her with black hair bound up. She was wearing traditional cloth. As she drew close,  she spoke. "I'm here to help you get ready. The Queen and your mother are waiting for you."

Jennie tilted her head, confused. What did she mean get ready? What the hell is this?  Her mother not only knows people from NC but also the Queen herself. Just how many secrets does her mother was hiding from her.

"Excuse me, but what do you mean 'get ready'?"

"Her Majesty, order me to bring you to her as soon you wake up."

At first, Jennie hesitated, but she asked it anyway. She has to at least. "Um,  Can you tell where I am?"

"Ms. Jennie, I'm sorry but it's not up to me to tell you that. I'm only here to serve you." In didn't help at all.  Even so, in frustration, for some reason, Jennie believed her.

 The lady continued, “It's not good if we get the queen wait this long. Perhaps we could start with your hair?"

"If you can't tell me where I am then how about your name at least."

While Jennie spoke, the lady went from the closet with a white dress. "Oh, to whom are those dress belong to?"

"My name is Jihyo and these are yours. Now, miss, we should move along. Her Majesty appreciates punctuality."

Jihad gently took the Jennie’s hand and walked her into the dresser table. Jennie obediently sat as Jihyo began to gently brush her hair. She decided to not protest because it's simply a waste of energy and plus she need to think a way to get away from this prison.

After Jihyo finished brushing her hair, she began to apply makeup to Jennie. It wasn’t long until she were satisfied with the results and then Jihyo assisted Jennie with the attire.

Jihyo smiled approvingly at Jennie as she stepped in front of the mirror. But Jennie's attention was not on her appearance, it was in a flower vase at the top of the table.  "Now, your shoes, one last touch and we're done here.”  Jihyo said, bending to get Jennie's shoes to the cabinet.

As soon as Jihyo focused left her,  Jennie went fast for the vase on the table and silently went behind Jihyo. Then she lifted the vase over her head, brought it crashing down on Jihyo head, knocking the poor lady down.

"Oh my god, I'm so sorry. I hope you're not dead. " Jennie knelt down beside Jihyo body and began to search her body with trembling hands. "Pull yourself together, Jennie. You got this." Jennie drew a steadying breath. Jennie fumbled for the key in Jihyo's pocket, When she finally got the key, Jennie hurried to the door and tried the key. It slipped into the keyhole and... Click.

Jennie slowly nudged the door and glanced over the hall, when it's clear, Jennie darted down the hallway, with bare feet. She has no idea where to go, but all she knows was she needed to get out from this prison. Jennie rounded the corner, she heard voices, men’s voices from the other side of the hallway. She took a step backwards, her eyes searching the room for an exit. When she heard that they getting closer, Jennie decided to take the opposite direction, and hasten into the first door she find. She hurriedly turned the doorknob and Jennie jumped inside the room. 

Jennie paused for a moment and listened. When she heard nothing, Jennie breath out and eventually took a noticed to the place she got in. It's a huge, magnificent ballroom. She can't hide from here, it's opened and there's no room for hiding. Jennie scanned the room and discovered a door from the other side of the room. Jennie hurried out into the door and found herself into another hall.  Walking on silent feet around the hallway, she rounded the corner and from the end of the hall, she saw a double door, she darted down and opened the door, it leads her the veranda. 

She's finally out!

Now, all she had to do was to find the stair.  Her feet are aching for the lack of footwear, but she needs to endure the pain in order to get out. When she at last found the stairs, Jennie rushed down and headed towards the hallway lit with gas lamps.

"You!" Jennie wheeled around and saw a half man with a mask covering his face heading to her. 

"What are you doing here?"

A startled squeak escaped her as the man seized her elbow.

"What are you doing here, meandering around without your mask. If a vampire sees you they sure will mistake you as a giver, especially that you're wearing your mask." Then the man took off dragging her towards the corridor. "Come along. You need to go back to the servant's chamber and put on your mask."

 Wait... Did he just mistook me as a one of the servants?

No. She's didn't almost killed somebody just to be dragged down into another room.

Jennie yanked her arm and kick him in the shin, he kneeled and groaned.

"I'm sorry." Before the man could stop her, she stepped away and running down the hall.

"Hey, get back here!" The man was on her heels as Jennie hit the darker park of the hallway and raced for the door, another double door. A solid five inch thick oak door.

Seizing her by arms, the man swung her back before she could even get any closer to the threshold.

"Listen to me. Get back to the servant's chamber before the vampire see us in here."

"Let go of me. I need to get away from here."

"What are you talking about?  You're not getting away from here. We took an oath to the vampire and we are not getting away from that oath until our masters or mistresses free us from the oath."

"You don't understand. I'm really not supposed to be here. Let go of me."

"You're the one that doesn't get it.  If the vampire sees us in here,  we'll be punished or worst kill us for not abiding by the rules. We are not meant to be here!  We are forbidden to come or step in this hall."

"I'm not a servant!" With a furious snarl, Jennie shoved the man hard enough to let go of her and slammed her fist into his nose as hard she I could.

The man scream, stumbling back, hands flying to his face. Then Jennie darted the hall and she yanked on the door latch and stumbled into the room because she used force to open

She heard the man shout a warning, but Jennie didn't finish hearing it because as soon as she got in,