Shh, she can hear me

Warning: This chapter contains sensitive material involving forcibly eating, cation is advised.

I woke up with multiple faces surrounding me, each with a dull expression and one simple soup in the middle.

"Lady. Victoria, it is time to wake up and eat." 

I blink back and rub my eyes, looking at each one of the faces around me, "Why, are you in my room? Couldn't you leave the food at my door?" They shook their heads, "We, had to make sure you actually ate this time, orders from the lady above." 

I nod, forcing a smile, "I see, t-thank her for me, I am honored that she is checking on my well-being." 

"She will be pleased to hear that, now please-", they pass me a spoon with a big smile, "Eat."

I look down at the soup and try not to scrunch up my face, the chunky layer on the top making me want to regurgitate. I take a deep breath sinking the spoon into the apple-colored broth, a layer of peel comes up with the spoon. It takes every part of me to force myself to eat as the sour smell makes my teeth clench up.

I move my nose from side to side, the texture and every taste makes me squirm and it already starts to come up but I force it down. Acid liquid burns from my eyes as I squeeze the spoon tight, glancing at the rest of the soup in front of me.

I have to finish, but I don't want to. I look at one of the maids for sympathy, and there is none in their eyes as a tear crawls down my chestnut, brown face. My head shakes as I force another spoonful into my mouth, and then another and another to follow. Still, the bowl with the spoiled-looking base is damn-near full to the brim, and each bite I take seems to shed minutes of my pride off.

If I can distract myself maybe this will go by faster, all I need is a distraction.

Distraction

Maybe if she had a distraction then she would have been okay, with no scar to remind her of the pain but instead, she is running. Running as fast as her legs would take her, blood dripping from the side of her face with fear racing through her heart.

She didn't know if he was still behind her but it didn't matter, the adrenaline in her would not let her stop even if his face echoed in her brain. 

Hunger, Anger, Pain, and Love.

So much love, even if he hated her, but deep in her chest she felt there was good in him, good that made him who he was today. Even with the clear evil spurting out she didn't care, but it was a reminder. A reminder of what she faced and what would always be a part of her.

The Witch and The Wolf a wicked tale that is simple yet complicated, in so many ways, a friendship that would have worked if people were just kinder. If monsters were seen for their heart and not their ways and if love was stronger than human hatred.

Human Hatred.

It's what fuels us all, the rotten tomato at the bottom of the soup contaminating the whole bowl. Even if you take it out, it doesn't change the fact that the rest is still rotten and full of bacteria and mold. If you eat it then it will harm you, because the rest is bad, all of it is bad.

"Help! Help! I-I need medical attention! I need help!" She stumbled onto the ground, barely able to push herself up with tears in her eyes. "Can someone please help me?"

She had ran into the human village asking for help and while there were humans there, they were simply preoccupied. 

"Please! Anyone! I am bleeding! It is me! Your healer! The Witch who always comes to your aid! I just need a bit of medicine and I will be on my way, please will anyone?"

She looked around and no one stopped for her, even as carriages rode by and wheat was pressed on the back of boxes. They continued with their work and ignored her.

She blinked back, shaking her head, "H-how could you all? Can't you see I am in need? Why won't you help me?" She balled her fists as a local townsperson spit and walked over to her, "You need help?" "Yes." "Then why would you do this to yourself?"

"What? What are you blabbering about?" 

They squat down and meet with her, eye to eye, "We told you of the wolf's deeds yes?" "You did." "We told you of the auburn fur, right?" "Yes but-" "You see why we wanted to kill him, yet you let the demon live, let him stalk behind you." 

She shook her head, "I saw innocence in him, I couldn't just let him die!" "Now, look at you!" Attention was on the two of them now. "You seen his clear intentions, yet chose to ignore them and now he's got to you too." 

The townsperson stood up and looked around at the others then back to the witch, "You don't need any help, because even when we gave you warning, you ignored and put all our efforts to shame. It doesn't matter what you did for us before. It is worthless now."

"Worthless?" She muttered with a laugh, forcing herself up, "No, what was worthless, was thinking any of you cared. Or would help someone who helped you, millions of times!"

"You did this to yourself! We told you he was evil!" Others nodded along with their fellow townsperson, "Yet you wanted to play devil's advocate, you wanted to choose both sides instead of choosing the obvious one, which was the one who needed you. But you turned your back on us."

The witch smiled and let one last tear shed before she put her hands together, "No, you turned your back on me."

Blood leaked down her nose and she took a deep breath before raising her finger in the air. Spinning in circles with a hellish laugh, "You want me to show you betrayal? I'll show you betrayal."

Snap!