Castle Asylum-4

Chapter Four in "Chic."

 Anise sat there for hours, just stroking and re-storking Clara's light red hair. Clara had fallen asleep, but Anise still stayed ther even as the sun had fallen into the edge of the earth until it was seen no more. The room was darkness as it neared midnight, and Anise still stayed there, so happy to have some one to teach and love, like Clara.

Footsteps creaked as another servant walked into the room. Anise stayed still.

"Oh, there you are, Anise. Come, get up. Master Darlen is missing!"

Anise was still memorized my the sound of Clara breathing, how she tossed and turned in her sleep, and how beautiful her pulled up hair was.

"Yes, yes it is. Yes it is beautiful," she said, answering her own thoughts.

"Anise! Come quickly! Master Dralen is missing!"

"Yes, Clara. Your hair is pretty."

The servant stomped out of the room. It wasn't until half an hour later that another one came in, telling the exact same thing as Anise babbled on with her foolish nosense about Clara's hair. Another hour passed, and, again, another serant walked in. He explained the suitation just like the other two did. But Anise still didn't listen. Not as much as five minutes passed before the forth servant walked in. No. It was the one from before. This time, he grabbed Anise by the arm and pulled her away from Clara. He, whose name was Charles, looked Anise straight in the eye, grabbing and shaking her shoulders as he did, and yelped, "The master is missing!"

This woke Clara. But there was something far worse happening then having the twelve-year-old awake.

Anise stared at the floor, strokign her hand in the air, from where Clara's hair should be.

"Oh, my Dear Lord!" Clara exclaimed. She made the sign of the cross, something Anise had taught her to do after one of her 'fake studies.' "She's gone mad! Insane!"

As Clara's words echoed through the house, Charles and the rest of the servants had realized that Clara's words ahd been true. Anise had gone mad. Insane. Crazy. But why? For love. For the joy of having Clara there right beside her for her whole life. That is what she truly wanted.

"Clara, yes," Charles exclaimed.

"Yes, Clara, come here, chile'" This was Anise, annoucing her words in a deluted voice. Charles pushed Anise away from his or anybody else's grasp, so she fell to the ground in a thud in which, by the sound of her voice, she felt was fun.

"Your father is missing."

Clara, like Anise but with some common sense, still did not fully understnad what he was saying.

"Your father is missing," he repeated.

After no respone, he grudged and stampered out the door. He was already too confused for one night.

Once he had left, Clara returned her mind to the room. She cradeled Anise as she mumbled on about the sky and the magical water that fell from it.

"Oh, Anise. How love has tortured you so. Father is right, love is untrue. You should never have love. You should just live your life off of studies and rules." It wasn't until after she said it that she realized how much she sounded like her father. Anise shivered.

"No! No, Reynold! Love is wonderful! Live, love, and laugh! Those are the things you hate!" Had these been words that she had said to Reynold Darlen before? It was clear to everyone in the room why she was saying this. Because she knew the master was wrong. Well, everyone but Clara. She just sat there stroking Anise's dark hair like she had just once did to hers until a servant gently placed a hand on her shoulder, a sign that it was time to leave.

As Clara and the servant, Benjamin, walked out of the room, Anise continued to moan about the joys of love.

Author's Note

The emotions set up in this chapter. Would you think that happened too quickly?