Blood in the Water

Amethyste Villin sat listlessly, in the small and deserted boudoir, looking through the curtained doorway on the dancing couples - looking at them, yet seeing nothing; hearing the music, yet conscious of the feeling of expectancy, of anxious and weary waiting. Tonight, was the night that would change her future forever - for the better or for the worse. Tonight was the night where her true colours would finally be revealed. Tonight was the night no one could hide. Her mind conjured before her the vision of what was possibly happening downstairs at that very moment. The half-deserted dining room, the fateful hour and the dead silence of the night were all in her favour. The party had started to trickle out. After hours of jovial chattering, dancing and eating, everyone was ready to crash into their beds.

Her mind, however, was far from peaceful - it was like a civil war going on in her mind, between her conscience and her mind. She had waited forever for that night, the perfect timing. She had everything planned out, there was no way she could get caught. Her position in society would not make anyone doubt her. Her vivacious and alluring personality could easily manipulate anyone who suspected her. Her wide smiles and hearty laughs could easily conceal the vicious and malicious thoughts that ran in her mind - but her palms were sweaty, her heart was in her throat and chills ran down her spine.

She was engulfed in her thoughts when the clock struck one. The sound echoed loudly through the mansion, which was deserted except for six people - five of whom death would kiss tonight. Amethyste stared at herself in the mirror, determined to complete this task, determined to not fail, determined to not let her emotions take over. She had already slipped a sleeping drug in their food earlier that night. Everything was going according to the plan.

As she walked in the isolated hallways of the huge mansion, her heart beat rapidly. With every step she took, her condition got progressively worse. She couldn't think straight. Whispers seemed to echo in the passageway. She looked around, breathing shakily, as those whispers seemed to come closer. Her heart raced as she finally came in front of the doors of the room, the room in which the victims of the horrendous crime slept blissfully, having no clue of their destiny. Her face contorted silently in pain as the knife dug deep in their chests. When she saw the innocent faces of the sleeping children, she almost felt a twang of mercy. She stroked their faces with her blood covered palm, before she mercilessly dug the same knife into their chests.

The deed was finally done. She stood triumphantly over the lifeless bodies, a crooked grin on her face as one last drop of blood fell on the beautifully cursed marbled floors. Her delicate hands were covered with the accursed blood of her victims - the Badeaux family. As she washed her hands clean of the blood, she felt a certain sense of dread and guilt. She looked in her mirror, envisioning only the same scene over and over - the innocent faces of the children and their two parents, and their cruel, cruel destiny. She shook her head and splashed some water on her face, to cleanse off all the memories.

Soon the golden rays of the sun bloomed on the horizon as golden rays stretched ever outwards into the rich blue. Everything was cheerful and bright, except Amethyste's mind. She kept thinking about the events which had taken place a few hours ago. She kept imagining the blood covering her hands and no matter how hard she tried to scrub it off, it seemed to permanently stain her skin. Soon her house was filled with people, hurrying about, mourning the death of the beloved Badeaux family. And none of them knew of her dark secret.

---

Years had passed by, after that heinous crime had been committed. Every day, she was reminded of that day - the blood covering her porcelain skin and the bodies lying, disfigured. It was difficult to move on; her conscience refused to let her. She was snapped out of the chain of thoughts when she heard lots of shouting and loud noises outside her house. She peered through the large curtains covering the beautiful French windows. She saw a few men outside her house. After a fraction of second, it struck her. All of a sudden, the men burst in through the door. Amethyste knew what was going to happen. Her face fell and her eyes hardened. They knew.

"What's going on?" Aidan Alarie came from his study room, worry evident on his face. His hair was thinning out and gradually turning grey. He had blue eyes which seemed to get duller with time. A little girl, with long brown hair and chocolate brown eyes, ran up to him and hugged his leg. She looked up at him with a terrified look on her face and tears pooling in her eyes. The little girl always despised loud noises.

"What's happening? Amethyste do you know what these men are doing here?" Aidan called out, bewildered by this sudden intrusion.

"She killed them all, mercilessly." A man sneered, disgust in his eyes as he looked at Amethyste. “One by one. She didn’t even spare the children! Those poor innocent children who had done nothing wrong. May the Badeaux family rest in peace. They didn’t do anything to you.” At the end of sentence, the man choked back the tears. They all were furious.

Aidan looked like his knees would give away any second. Deep down in his heart, he knew. He knew that it was true, but still tried to deny it. His heart was thumping loudly. "I-Is this true? What they are saying? It can't be! How could she have ever done such a-"

He was cut off by Amethyste's cold laughter. Aidan was looking more confused and terrified than ever.

Her emotionless face filled with rage, "of course, it's true. They deserved it, after all that they had done to my family and my father. They deserved to die!" She screeched.

Tears fell down Aidan's eyes. He covered his daughter’s eyes as Amethyste was dragged out of their house. Her screams were drowned in the silence that followed after. After all, life is cruel, isn't it?

Written by Lipika Jhunjhunwala

Edited by Ishani Bhowmick

Illustrated by Mohona Sengupta and Picture Edited by Sangya Pal