The Curse Of Lady Meredith

Chapter 1

My Sixteenth Birthday

Havilah Hecklesworth.

...six years ago...

I woke up with a yawn as I stretched across my queen-sized bed. My heart pounded with excitement when the window blinds were pulled away, and the early morning sunlight streamed into the room, directly hitting my face.

"Hey..." I frowned trying to step away from the light. "It's still so early, Meela. Why will you wake me up this way?"

Amelia's back was to me as she tucked the curtains away.

"You need to clean up, Ma'am." She said in her professional tone. "You only have an hour until the make-up artists come here. We have a big day planned out." With that, she walked out, without even wishing me a happy birthday.

Well, what did I expect? I choose to be happy today since I am officially a young adult. It would be easier to slip out of the palms of my father and stepmother who wanted nothing but use my beauty as a means of enriching themselves.

Everyone knew I didn't need makeup, but Sandra, my stepmother, always made sure to get me one so that her children would not feel bad. She wanted them to feel like their beauty was on the same level as mine, but then again...just like magic, the makeup always disappeared from my face after a few hours.

"Havilah? Are you still in bed?" Delaney, my stepsister, glided into the room with her satin nightgown, her hair was tied up in a messy bun, and she looked like she had also just woken up from bed.

"Nope." I told her dryly and turned away from her, heading to the bathroom.

I was emotionally drained right now because I knew she wanted yap about the suitors that would be coming to ask for my hand in marriage. No one really cared that I was just sixteen years old, no, I was only a trophy to be sold to the highest bidder.

A loud thud sounded behind me and I whirled around to see.

"Hav...i...lah!" Delaney was holding her neck and gasping for breath. Her face was turning blue.

"Oh my God! Delaney! What are you choking on?" I rushed to her side, immediately dropping on my knees and trying to hold her up. I reached out behind her to slightly tap her back, maybe what she swallowed could come out... but nothing was happening.

I was about to yell for help when my stepbrothers and Delaney's twin came bounding into my room. They stopped at the sight of Delaney choking in my doorway.

"Please... Help me! She just fell and started choking." My entire body was shaking with fear by now.

Something did not feel right at all. If anything happened to Delaney, my stepmother will blame me! She was in my room after all.

When no one came to my aid, I looked up to find each of them struggling to breathe as well. Their faces contorted in pain. Tristan and Michael were scratching their necks as if trying to pry invisible hands off them. Was this a prank? Were they doing this to scare me? I wouldn't put it past them, but this felt like something else.

"Guys, what is going on? You're scaring me!" I could feel cold sweat pouring from my body. My hands were shaking as I stared at the torturous scene. "If this is a game, stop it! I'm not ready for that today. Please." I begged, my eyes glistening with tears.

I went back to Delaney. She had stopped shaking and her eyes were closed. She looked peaceful as if she was sleeping. A voice in the back of my head told me to check if she was still breathing... and I cautiously lowered my head to her face level, bringing a finger close to her nose.

Delaney wasn't moving. She wasn't breathing. Her skin was entirely cold. Loud thumps on the floor, and when I turned to look, my stepbrothers and sister were also on the floor like Delaney, unmoving.

Dead? Goosebumps covered my skin. I could feel a lump in my throat, so big and painful. I didn't understand what was happening...or why it was happening. One minute they were all alive with mischief, the next minute they were all on the floor. Cold and lifeless.

I screamed at the top of my lungs. I screamed for help. I didn't know how long that went until lots of footsteps were rushing down the hall towards my room. My face was in my hands... I was crying hard.

"What happened? Delaney? Tristan? Michael? Cecelia? My children!" I perceived her perfume before I even heard her cry. She was rushing out her words with the worry of a mother laced in her voice.

My shoulders were still shaking. Everything had happened so fast. I couldn't help but wonder if they had been poisoned, but who would do that? My stepmother never allowed any of the chefs to cook for my father and her children, she always did it herself since she didn't trust the staff here.

"You witch! What did you do to my children?" Sandra was yelling and crying at the same time. She grabbed a handful of my hair and slammed my face into the doorframe.

The pain came instantly, and I could feel my nose was broken that I had began bleeding.

"Delaney!!! Tristan!!! Oh my God!!!" She was crying at the top of her lungs, and as far as I could see with my blurred vision, she had cradled Delaney in her embrace.

"Honey! What's the matter?" My father thundered up the stairs, rushing to check what was going on.

"She has done it! She has killed my children!" Sandra was shaking Delaney, trying to get her to wake up. "Your daughter has killed my children, Devaine!!!"

Sandra was moderately wicked to me while I was growing up. She always had the bold and fierce attitude, but now... she was broken. Tears ran down her eyes, snort streaming down her nose... The pain in her eyes as she shook her children... I couldn't take it. It was all too much to handle. The searing pain in my heart did not compare to my bleeding nose.

My step siblings were not that good to me, but I wouldn't wish death on them! Who could have done this? Who was so evil to do this kind of thing?

Suddenly, my father rushed to view, checking on everyone.

"What happened?" His question was directed to me. "What did you do to them? Why would you kill them?"

I couldn't see him properly. My vision was still blurry with tears.

"Answer him, you witch!!!" My shoulders were grabbed by my stepmother as she shook me really hard, her perfume mixed with tears.

But... As soon as she saw my face, touched me...her body went rigid, just like my siblings had done. She began convulsing as if she was having a seizure.

"Sweetheart!" I heard my father yelling as he rushed to Sandra's body. She had just collapsed with something foaming from her mouth. "No! No! No! This cannot be happening. This cannot... This shouldn't be."

I could feel my father's restlessness. I could picture him in my mind's eye. I was sure his hands were on his head, trying to figure out, as well as I, what was happening.

"Did you poison them?" The question was still directed at me. "I know I wanted to marry you off, but you should have to contend with me about that! Why would you kill them? How dare you, Havilah?"

"I... I didn't touch them." I hiccuped, tears still streaming down my eyes. I was shaking my head, trying to make him believe me. "I just woke up from sleep. Then, Delaney was here and..."

"Shut up! You want to tell me the cooks poisoned them? They don't cook for us, or even have access to the food we eat! You have more access to the food we eat. Tell me... Have you poisoned me too already?" He squatted to my level and held my shoulders just like my stepmother had done. "Tell me... How long do I have to live?"

The minute his eyes settled on my face, his jaw went slack and he collapsed sideways to the floor.

My chest caved in. The fear. The pain. Everything. It was all too much. The silence that surrounded me was too sharp. I was surrounded by the bodies of my family... None was breathing... They were all gone— dead.

Chapter 2

A New Friend.

Havilah Hecklesworth.

...three years ago...

I groaned in frustration. The person who knocked on my door repeatedly was beginning to get on my nerves. I forced myself out of bed for the fifth time this week to warn her off. The herbalist was so persistent that I wanted to tie her up and throw her far away from me.

"What do you want?" I yelled behind my door. "I told you to get out! Leave me alone! I don't need any friends! I will only kill you! Is that so hard for you to understand?"

"I will keep my head downwards at all times, Lady Havilah. It's not good for a young girl your age to be hidden away from the world."

I laughed in spite of my situation. It was better to be hidden away from the world. I would only reduce the population if I stepped out of this house. I would kill people with my face, just like I had done to my family.

"I brought you fresh