Whitney Writes…

Her slippers clicked softly on the limestone steps as she ascended the twirling staircase, holding the pale blue silk skirt of gown aloft. The air was brisk, like ice against the skin, in this part of the palace. No one came to this wing any longer. And Fadiya was determined to learn why.

Her father, King Rahim, was keeping secrets from her, she just knew it. Her mother had vanished from the palace when Fadiya had only been a child. The palace had been in alarm for only a few hours before no one ever spoke of it again. She knew there was a reason. There had to be. People, especially queens, did not simply vanish.

Just a few weeks ago, Fadiya had overheard one of the kitchen staff mention the haunting of this old, closed off wing of the palace. When she had asked why no one did anything about it, the poor sod had said “No one has since the queen tried…” before realizing his mistake. Fadiya had tried her best to hide her pure glee and delight at someone finally having given her some information. But… she was only sixteen, after all.

She had waited for tonight, her father’s coronation anniversary ball, so she would be able to slip away, undetected. Fadiya had no idea her father would certainly notice her absence, as he was planning to formally declare her as his heir at the ball.

At the top of the staircase stood a formidable door. It was etched of stone with glittering metal inlay. It looked heavy and Fadiya had the feeling she had come all this way for nothing. Her heart skipped a beat when she leaned into the door, it shuddered against her, and then eased slowly open. She held her breath as she slipped inside, unsure of what she would discover.

The stone chamber was filled with an ethereal, purple light. It came from a hideous carving on the far side of the room. The other-worldly light cast ominous shadows upon the grotesque sculpture. It stood around the height of two grown men, in the shape of a head. Facing forwards, towards Fadiya, was a face, mouth opened in a scream, wide enough for a grown man to walk inside, the haunting purple light pouring out from it and washing the stone floor. The eyes of the sculpture also glowed ominously.

As Fadiya moved closer to the statue, she saw if she moved to the side, either side of the main, screaming face, had a secondary face. The secondary faces shared an eye with the main face, but each had their own screaming mouth doorway.

Her skin crawled.

What sort of demon was responsible for this? Did her father know this was here? Had her mother? Questions abounded through her mind.

She turned to go, recognizing a task that was too great for her. Fadiya paused, however, when she heard a voice. It was familiar. One she had not heard in many, many years. But it was wrong. “Fadiya,” it called. She steeled herself, begging herself to not fall for it. Whatever Daedra was responsible for this, that was not her mother calling out to her.

“Faaaadiyaaaa,” it called again, an echo forming as it grew closer to the lit doorway of the sculpture.

No, Fadiya thought, it’s not her. It’s not real.

The cold fingers that slid around her upper arm, however, were very real.

Inktober 2024, Prompt #2: DISCOVER🧡🖤👻🎃