Once Upon a Dream (Mother Miranda x Female Character)
The sun hadn't even risen properly when Dahlia woke up to start doing her duties. If she wanted a place to sleep, eat and bathe in that village, it was better for her to act in accordance with the contract she made with an old man, one of the local farmers. The deal they had made was simple: Dahlia had to take care of the animals, and the man, Maurice, would let her sleep in the back room.
While she was getting ready for the day, Dahlia couldnât stop thinking about what she had seen in the day she arrived. It had been a couple of weeks since the event, but it had completely occupied her mind, and no one seemed interested enough to explain to her how things worked there, leaving her to find out by herself.
The bodies, the song they were singing, the doors painted in red, and in the end, that goat and⊠that woman. Dahlia couldnât say if what she saw was real or an illusion, but the doors of the houses were still red, and every time before dinner, Maurice would pray. It wasnât a prayer to any of the known deities Dahlia was familiar with, but to that one from the song⊠Mother Miranda.
Who was Mother Miranda? Should she know who she was? Why hadnât anyone explained it to her, not even Maurice? It seemed like people were afraid of talking about Mother Miranda beyond the prayer.
It was the type of question that had surrounded Dahliaâs mind since that day.
After putting on her work clothes and having a quick breakfast, Dahlia made her way to the stables, where two horses lived. With the sun just beginning to rise and the dense fog around, it was hard to see more than two meters ahead, but she already knew the way to the stables, so it didnât take long for her to find them. One of the horses was already awake and seemed to greet her with a bow.
âGood morning, Regal,â Dahlia greeted him back in a soft voice, caressing the top of his nose. âShall we take your morning walk?â
The horse neighed again as the brunette began to put the saddle and reins on him, opening his gate afterward.
Dahlia still didnât know much about the village. In the first days, people looked at her strangely, sometimes even with curiosity, but no one attempted to talk to her. Maurice was the only one who asked if she was a foreigner, but that was it, nothing more. Consequently, she knew very little about the place. Craving to know more, she decided to change the way she usually rode with the horses.
Little by little, the number of houses began to decrease until they disappeared, leaving only the forest around her. Strangely, the fog only got worse the farther she went down that path, but she wouldnât give up. At some point, there was an old wooden bridge, falling into pieces. It was impossible to cross it with the horse, and even if she left him to cross by herself, that structure seemed like it was about to collapse.
âThere must be other wayâ, Dahlia assured, riding trough the trees on the horse, trying to find a new path to the other side.
After a few minutes of walking, she finally found a way to the other side, this time without bridges. It seemed she was already far from the village, and from what she could tell, it wasnât common to have people around there. She stopped for a moment, wondering if she should continue or go back to Mauriceâs house.
âYou know, Regal, I bet Maurice is still asleep, so I still have some time to explore. Letâs go.â The horse seemed to agree with a whinny at Dahliaâs words, and they continued riding along the new path they had found.
The fog grew increasingly thick as they walked. Dahlia couldnât see more than a meter ahead, and it seemed like an endless forest. There was no sign of any other creatures around; the only thing the woman heard was Regalâs steps on the ground. For a forest, everything was strangely too quiet. During their way, Dahlia took some time to look around â at least, she tried to.
One thing caught her attention, and she approached it with the horse. It was a very flowery shrub with yellow flowers that she had not seen in the region until now. They were incredibly beautiful and seemed well taken care ofâŠ
Regal looked tense after the sound of dry leaves and sticks breaking, as if someone was walking over them. It couldnât be them.
The poor horse took a few steps back, neighing nervously. Dahlia tried to convince herself it was just an animal, but⊠if it were, she wouldnât been feeling the sensation of being watched as she was.
âHey, calm down, boyâ, Dahlia caressing the horseâs mane as she glanced around. The fog wasnât helping, but she didnât see anything. It must be in her head, but why would Regal be so tense, and why did she feel watched? âI promise you, just a little more and then weâll go back, okay?â
After a few moments, Regal seemed to relax and continued their path, but Dahlia still felt watched. She tried not think about that, and she didnât even notice when they approached a metal grate topped with spears, along with a gate made of the same material.
Dahlia looked through the spears, and with a little difficulty, she saw what seemed to be tombstones.
Maybe it was a cemetery⊠But there wasnât any sign around.
Regal began to whinny, nervously and nonstop.
âWhatâs wrong, Regal?â Dahlia tried to calm the animal, holding tightly to the reins, but he wouldnât stop. âRegal!â
In a moment when Dahlia glanced to her side, a silhouette was standing a few steps from her, seeming to watch them. Dahlia weakened, letting go of the horse's reins at the same moment that the horse, which also seemed to notice the strange figure, raised its front legs, causing the brunette to lose balance and fall hard to the ground.
Dahlia felt dizzy for a few moments, trying to ignore the pain in her legs from the fall. As she slowly opened her eyes, the silhouette was gone, and so was Regal.
âHelp!â a scream echoed, alarming Dahlia.
She quickly looked around, but there wasnât anything there. When she turned her gaze to a small field nearby, she saw the silhouette again. Not just one this time, but two.
âPlease, have mercy!â a manâs voice screamed, accompanied by a desperate crying.
Even with the intense fog, it seemed like there were two people in the field. One of them appeared to wear a kind of halo along with long, dark clothes, while the other looked like they were in the regular clothes found in the village.
Dahlia thought she had been alone the entire time, despite the feeling of being watched. Had these two been following her?
The figure with a golden halo lifted the man with one hand, suspending his legs. The man screamed again, thrashing his body against the grip on his neck, but it didnât seem to bother the other figure. Dahlia felt her heart racing. She was paralyzed by fear and couldnât stand up and run.
A part of her wanted to flee, but the other part wanted to watch what was going to happen.
âPlease, Mother Miranda! I beg you!â the manâs crying grew louder, but in a instant, there was silence.
The only sound Dahlia heard was the thud of his body hitting the ground, followed by a womanâs laughter. It was the same laughter Dahlia had heard after witnessing that creepy event on the day she arrived.
The man had also named the other figure⊠Mother Miranda. The same name used in that prayer.
It seemed like that thing heard Dahliaâs thoughts. She turned towards the brunette, slowly walking to her. Dahlia was thinking about how to run, how to escape, but her body wouldnât respond to her commands. The woman was getting closer, Dahlia could hear her steps. Her breathing quickened as she thought what to do, but her body wouldnât obey. Dahlia closed her eyes, knowing the creature was getting closer and fearing that the same fate that befell the man would happen to her.
She never thought it would be her end.
Suddenly, the steps stopped.
Dahlia opened her eyes and quickly looked around, but she didnât see the figure anywhere. She gathered her strength and quickly stood up, noticing that the manâs body was no longer there.
âWhat the fâŠâ she was saying when she heard the same sound of dry leaves breaking under footsteps, the same thing as before.
Someone was approaching again. The feeling of being observed returned as well.
Dahlia picked up a long stick from the ground, hoping it would help her. As she prepared for a possible attack, she heard a familiar whinny, and it didnât take long for Regal to return.
âRegal!â Dahlia exclaimed in relief and true happiness, dropping the stick and running to meet the animal. âYouâd never make a war horse, you know? You left me alone here!â
The brunette joked with the animal as if he could comprehend her â though she doubted he could. She got on the horse again, looking around one last time.
She had not only seen, but also heard the manâs screams, the sound of his body hitting the floor, and that woman laughing after killing him. She had seen the woman walking towards her. All those flashes replayed in her mind, but now it was like nothing had happened there.
Dahlia knew that a lot of things would change once she decided to move to that place, but going crazy wasnât something she had expected. She needed to know more about the village, who Mother Miranda was and why everyone seemed both afraid of and devoted to her.
âItâs better to get out of hereâ she said, leading the animalâs reins back the way they came.
Strangely, the feeling of being watched didnât go away. In fact, Dahlia only felt free from it once a group of crows flew over her, disappearing on the dense fog around them.
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