by Yume
* * *
The front door swung open. Dorothy’s heart almost skipped a beat. She stood up abruptly but the mistress was always faster. Before she could escape from the scene, Madam Hernandez appeared in front of her.
“What’re you doing here?” She commanded, still puffing.
“I…” Dorothy stammered. “I…”
“You traitor!” Madam Hernandez slapped her face. Dorothy fell and cried.
“Madam…”
“CHARLES!” Madam Hernandez bellowed. The butler scurried to her side. “Seize this traitor and throw her into the dungeon!”
“Yes, madam.” The butler nodded. Reluctantly, he grabbed Dorothy’s arms and dragged her away.
“Madam!” Dorothy cried for one last time.
Madam Hernandez stood still and glared at the door ahead. She had never expected Dorothy, one of her loyal servants, would betray her. If she wasn’t home early, she wouldn’t have caught Dorothy helping Maria in the dark room, passing her food secretly.
“Maria.” Madam Hernandez muttered to herself. “Margorie.”
The two names were close enough. If what Hanzel said was right, this maid who had just arrived the previous night had to be the witch in disguise.
Madam Hernandez turned the knob violently and gripped Maria’s wrist. Maria screeched in pain.
“You, wicked witch!” Madam Hernandez wailed. “Today, I’m going to put an end to your life!”
“Madam, you’re hurting me!” Maria whimpered, struggling.
“You’re Margorie!” Madam Hernandez shouted. “I know it’s you! Do you really think you can hide that by changing your name?”
“What are you talking about, madam?” Maria frowned, horrified.
“Stop pretending!” Madam Hernandez clutched the maid’s hand. “Charles, come here at once!”
In a fleeting moment, the poor maid was brought to another room and a brand-new session of chastisement began.
The butler handed the whips to Madam Hernandez, who snatched them from him. Wielding the whips, Madam Hernandez started her game. With each whip, Maria’s skin split open and blood sprinkled all over the place. As a drop of blood spattered onto Madam Hernandez’s cheek, she smiled proudly to herself.
For her, this was the last execution. For her, this was a good deed ever achieved in this world. For her, this was justice…
And yet…
“Madam, the maid is dead.” Charles reported.
Still indulging in the frenzy of whipping, Madam Hernandez had not realized she had unconsciously beaten the girl to death.
“Eh?” Madam Hernandez paused for once. She grasped the girl’s messy hair and pulled her to the front. Her face was as dead as could be, stained with blood.
“Wake up, Margorie.” Madam Hernandez laughed. “You’re one terrible actress. Stop pretending! Your torture has not ended yet!”
Still, the girl did not move a bit. Her heart had stopped beating long ago. She no longer breathed.
“You’re joking.” Madam Hernandez shook her head continuously, unable to believe the scene.
“Madam, she’s really dead.” The butler confirmed again.
“No!” Madam Hernandez screamed and rushed out of the room.
The butler watched as his mistress went insane and kept on screaming.
“Madam!” Charles got hold of Madam Hernandez’s arms but she pushed him away.
“My head!” Madam Hernandez cried. “It hurts!”
Something was trying to crawl out through her cranium. It was as though her brain was being stabbed by numerous nails and bullets. She could not get the ache out. Blood was flooding in her head. Neurons were whirling and darting in all direction, crashing against her skull. For a second, she felt her head might explode at any rate.
In addition to the pain, there was more. There were screams and flashes. She heard all those snivels and groans from the servants she had killed. She saw images of all those bloody corpses and broken limbs, which had once been a product of her evil art. They were coming back to get her. The innocents were retaliating.
“NO!” Madam Hernandez screamed again. Dizziness had overtaken her. Daze was all she felt.
She held her head with both of her hands and shook it vigorously, hoping to shake away all the soreness and ghostly faces.
“Help me!” It was probably Madam Hernandez’s last spoken line. Standing in the distance was Charles, the butler, who looked astound. He, indeed, had no intention to walk up and help his mistress. Any reasonable person would make such decision. It’s not that he was cruel. He just saw no way to assist her. From the day he arrived, Madam Hernandez had been treating him like a slave. He served her and yet she never stopped mistreating him. There were many times when he wished so much to have the courage to stand up, either for himself or for all those unfortunate girls who died in her hands. Now, the day had arrived for Madam Hernandez to meet her destiny. Who wouldn’t wish to see that?
“Ahhh…” With one careless turn, Madam Hernandez tripped over and fell straight down the long, wide stairs. As she landed, there was a loud “creak”. Followed was a stream of crimson liquid coming out from her head. Apparently, her cranium had broken when her head hit the ground. It served her right, though. At least, all those evil thoughts of hers were now released. Released in her evil, black blood.