BRITTANY'S POV
My eyes went open but my head was blank for a while as I lied down, looking at what was above me.
It was the ceiling and it was way high above. I figured that I needed a break as my whole body was aching terribly bad that I couldn't even feel some part of my body.
My next action was coughing. I coughed so deeply that I could feel it in my chest. I didn't even remember who I was when I opened my eyes and just when I was about to recollect information about my identity, I saw myself being surrounded.
They were people.
Then everything about me and what I remembered happened to me last rushed into my head.
I couldn't move my body for a moment. Was I dead?
I studied the faces of everyone around me. There were two old men and three men that weren't as old as the two others. They were older than me but weren't so old.
Again, where was I?
I tried sitting up but it felt as if my back was broken. As they were watching me struggle, I looked back at them in curiosity.
I attempted to speak but I couldn't. Was I tamed? And who were these people?
"The human is awake, let's start the ritual," announced one of the old men. He appeared to be the oldest among them all. But I didn't care about that. All I wanted at that moment was to know what was going around me.
Could it be that I was back home as I was seeing humans and not those beasts I saw in the dark forest? If I wasn't dead, then it must mean that I was able to escape the beasts with the help of this people.
That sounded like a relief but if the beasts did not have me, what would happen to my people? Everything was just so complicated, making my headache even more.
The old men left through a door, making me realize that the space I was in was so large, bigger than my family's cabin and I was sure that no space in the king's palace was this enormous. Therefore, I could not be in Birch Wood.
Why my body was numb, why I couldn't speak, where I was and who the men were was unknown to me. It made me so frustrated but what could I do?
Then, the three younger men were standing, looking at me as if I was food but eventually they left one by one.
After some time, I could sit up. It was at this moment I realized that I had injuries on my skin. However, I couldn't fathom where the numbness came from and why my body was so weak. What really happened?
The door went open and three young ladies like my age entered the room. They rushed to me and lifted me out…wait, what have I been lying on?
I looked behind me when I was off it and saw that this wasn't a mat but was a big mattress, better than the one in the king's palace.
This place was different.
They washed me with a sweet fragrance body wash and tended to my wounds gently. I felt better but deep down, I missed my family and was starting to wonder what state they must be in at the moment.
I knew that my mother would refuse to eat but with my brothers and father, things would get better there, if the beasts didn't attack Birch Wood for my disappearance.
I needed to know something about where I was before jumping into conclusion about the beasts, so I decided to speak again.
"Why am I being dressed this heavily?" Oh, my God, I could talk now. Oh… I felt so relieved. I could hear my voice.
One of them looked at me and smiled. "You need to be welcomed just like we do to every girl from your community who comes to this pack," the one who smiled answered.
I guess I was in the right place but I knew what I saw when I was in the dark forest. My head… Could I… perhaps I was dreaming.
They brought me to stand on a wood and when I looked forward, I saw myself and my reflection was so clear. In Birch Wood, our reflection was always blur. I was wearing a long blue gown and below my breasts was tightened so hard, making my upper breasts plumpy. The neckline of the gown was wide.
My hair was resting around my shoulders, having a pleasant and fruity smell.
"Why am I being welcomed?"
I thought I was supposed to be eaten by the beasts and they weren't looking like the beasts I saw in the dark forest. The environment wasn't even feeling like the dark forest.
For God's sake, what's going on?!
"Because… you are our new queen," the same woman who answered my previous question said and bowed her head.
After hearing this, I knew I was dreaming.
Queen?
How?
I was supposed to be eaten! Not like I wanted the worst to happen, but I just didn't want to hope for something like this only for it to be false.
"Come on, it's time for the ceremony!"
They took my hand and brought me off the wood. The next minute, I was led out of the space through the door.
After a very long walk, I finally saw people gathering. It was dark but I couldn't tell because of the large lanterns in that space.
I looked behind me to see how huge the house was. This couldn't be compared to the king's palace. It was 10 time bigger.
I was tugged by someone while I was still in awe about the size of the building and how large lanterns covered it.
I heard them talk about starting the ritual, so I began to look around me. Then, I saw the dark forest.
While I was trying to figure out if I was in a dream or not, I saw a cup in front of me and traced the hand of the person holding it. It was the old man from earlier, the oldest of them all.
"Drink!" He ordered.
"Why should I…" he didn't let me finish.
"Drink!" His voice was getting harsh so I took the cup and drank from it. It was so bitter, and my whole body felt it.
After sometime, I began to feel dizzy and nauseous but I could see everyone drifting away from me.
I looked in front of me only to see those three men that stayed behind earlier before leaving one by one.
Voices began to echo in my head but I couldn't understand anything I was hearing. Everything was now appearing double in my eyes. It was as if I'd fall down.
I was then blindfolded. "Go in the direction of the smell," I heard the old man's voice, which kept ringing in my head.
Which smell? What smell?
My body was spinning even though my eyes were closed. My nose was filled with the smell of burning wood. 'Go in the direction of the smell,' the voice didn't sound like the old man's voice this time. It sounded like an instinct and it kept replaying in my head.
I could only smell the burning wood and it was all around me so which smell? What… smell?
Wait… I was grabbing something. It was faint but I smelled something. Slowly, the smell became stronger, filling every corner of my nose.
I liked the smell. It smelled so warm, like the mixture of mango and pineapple. I wanted to eat whatever had that smell as I followed it.
Suddenly, the smell vanished. The dizziness, the confusion and the burning wood disappeared. Everything stopped. It was as if I was placed in another realm and was brought back.
I heard people celebrating, causing me to wonder what I did. It was just like when Miss Grace picked me when I did absolutely nothing to prove that I was the one for the sacrifice.
The blindfold was removed and the first person I saw was one of the three men who stood before me when I was getting blindfolded.
"Prepare for the wedding tonight!" That's what I heard when I met one of the men's emotionless eyes.
Wedding?! What!