31Ellen had a few choice words she wanted to say to Viola, but now wasn't the time for that. She had to escape and the first step was to figure out where she was which she recognized as her old room. It looked much cleaner without all the blood on the floor and much brighter than normal with all three windows in the room catching the sun's rays, but what gave it away was the placement of all the furniture was the same. The bed was in the center of the room; the desk where she did most of her reading and writing in was at the far right end, the bookshelf which was filled with her spell books was located at the far left end, and right next it was her luxurious full body sized mirror.
Taking notice of her reflection, the blonde couldn't help but reminisce about her past with Viola. There hasn't been a single day that has gone by that Ellen didn't think about the other girl. It would happen each and every time her 'father' and 'friends' would address her by that name, Viola. What would Viola be doing right now if she was still alive? How would she be spending her day? However, Ellen always came back to the same conclusion. She'd take revenge on her for what she did, any normal person would. So when Viola had kidnapped her and trapped her back in her old house, she thought for sure she'd be killed on the spot or at the very least tortured till she couldn't take it anymore. Just the idea of pain was enough to make Ellen cringe, but what Viola put her through wasn't pain. The way she caressed her cheek in such a caring manner, the way she traced down the center of her body with her finger, the way she place her lips on her neck and sucked on her soft skin, Ellen reflexively touched the spot on her neck and felt Viola's lingering warmth. She honestly didn't know what to make of this situation, but one thing was clear. She was free to look around and Viola would allow her to escape if she wanted to, so there was no harm in trying.
Resolved to find a way out, Ellen started exploring her old home. As she made her way throughout the mansion, she realized Viola wasn't kidding when she said she did some remodeling. On top of looking newer and brighter, the location of the rooms seemed different than she remembered. A door she thought led to one of the guest rooms turned out to be the bathroom; another door she thought led to the dining room turned out to be the piano room. This was going to take a while, but at the very least there weren't any traps or monsters to worry about. After, wandering around aimlessly from floor to floor for almost an hour, she heard voices coming from down the hallway. One of the voices she could tell immediately belonged to Viola while the other seemed to come from a young girl.
"Did you have another fight with your mom?" Viola asked.
"Yes, she yelled at me for wandering into the forest again… So, I ran away from home." The young girl answered.
Even though this was the perfect chance for Ellen to sneak off, for some strange reason she felt compelled to stay and listen in on their conversation.
"You do realize your mother is probably worried sick about you."
"I know that, but I wanted to see you again."
"You know what I am right?"
"You're a witch."
"And what did I tell you about witches?"
"You said I shouldn't trust them."
"So why do you keep coming back here despite that?"
"Because… you're my friend…"
Ellen poked her head around the corner and saw Viola sitting on a couch inside of what looked like the living room. On her lap was a young girl with long raven black hair staring back at her 'best friend' with pleading eyes. She wore a blue dress with a red bow on the back of her head.
"What am I going to do with you?" Viola sighed giving into the young girl's whims. "You can stay here for now, but I'm taking you back home before the sun sets whether you like it or not."
"Okay…"
Watching the two girls, Ellen couldn't help but be reminded of how Viola used to come over and play with her despite knowing what she truly was.
"You're welcome to come in Ellen."
Upon hearing her name, she stepped into the living room. "You noticed me?"
"This is the witch's house after all. There's nothing here that goes on without my knowing about it." Viola replied.
The child glared daggers at the blonde.
Ellen looked into her deep cerulean blue eyes and sensed her hostility towards her. "What's wrong with her?"
"I told her the truth about me which included details about how a certain someone stole my life." Viola answered.
"You told her everything?"
The child stuck her tongue out at the blonde as if to confirm her suspicions, before turning back to hug Viola.
"I thought it would be a good lesson for her, but despite my warnings she keeps coming back here." Viola pet the girl's head in an affectionate manner which she seemed to enjoy.
"Oh, where are manners? Let me introduce you, this child's name is Dawn. She lives with her mother in the nearby village." Viola then turned her attention to the child in question. "Dawn, this is my best friend Ellen."
"I don't like her." Dawn said bluntly.
Ellen's left eye twitched out of irritation. Why did she have to take this from such an unruly child anyway?
Despite Dawn's attitude, Viola could only smile at her before turning her attention back to the blonde. "Try not to take it personally Ellen."
"As if I care what that brat thinks!"
"Is that so? Then I guess you wouldn't mind staying with us a while or would you prefer getting lost trying to find your way around my house again?" Viola teased.
Ellen stood her ground and crossed her arms defiantly. "I don't have to take this from you! I escaped this place once and I can do it again!"
"I see…" Viola snapped her fingers and a giant red arrow appeared on the wall. "If you follow those arrows, you'll find your way out."
Ellen eyed the super witch suspiciously. "Why are you helping me?"
"I can't very well entertain you and play with Dawn at the same time. That wouldn't be fair to either of you." Viola explained.
Dawn's eyes lit up with excitement. "You really mean that Viola? You'll play with me again today?"
Viola knew she was spoiling the child by playing with her every time she visited, but she just didn't have the heart to refuse her. Despite what she was on the outside, on the inside she still was a very sweet and kind-hearted girl who always put the needs of others before her own. "Of course, you took the time to come here after all. It'd be a waste if we don't do something fun right?"
"Yes, I love you!" Dawn exclaimed before embracing the violet-haired woman in a tight hug.
"There you have it Ellen. If you're that insistent on leaving then you're free to go. I won't stop you."
Ellen couldn't believe the words she was hearing. Viola, the person who kidnapped her and held her here against her will was now letting her escape without so much as putting up a fight. Instead, she'd rather devote her time to playing with a child that wasn't even her own. "You're actually letting me leave? You're not even going to try and stop me?"
"What's the matter? I thought you'd be thrilled about this…" Viola's lips curled into a mischievous smile. "…or did you perhaps want to continue where we left off earlier? To think, my dear sweet Ellen was that type of woman…"
"I'm leaving!" Ellen interrupted her as she stomped out of the room.
Viola simply shrugged her shoulders turned her attention back to the child. "So what would you like to do first Dawn?"
Ellen reluctantly followed the path of red arrows. She considered the possibility of it being a trap, but she was hopelessly lost in this mansion, so it wasn't like she had a choice in the matter. Besides, the blonde had something more pressing on her mind. Just when she thought she had Viola all figured out, she does something that completely takes her by surprise. She should be happy about this situation. Viola decided to let her go free and instead play with that child. Ellen stopped in her tracks and balled her hands into fists. "How could she pay attention to that brat more than me!?"
Why did she just scream that? More importantly, why was she so irritated by this situation? It shouldn't make any difference to her what Viola did with her time. Yet for some strange reason, Ellen couldn't stop thinking about her. Her thoughts drifted back to how Viola had her pinned on the bed. The way she looked at her, the way she touched her body, the way she smiled at her… could it be that she really wanted Viola to finish what she started? Ellen shook her head and pushed the thought from her mind. Doubting herself was exactly what Viola wanted her to do. Convinced the super witch was just screwing with her, Ellen pressed onwards.
After making her way through hallway after hallway and walking down staircase after staircase, she had finally made it to the foyer. Compared to the other rooms she's seen thus far, this room was far more grandiose and extravagant. Eight columns equally spaced around the outer edge of the circular room supported a second floor balcony which overlooked the intricate patterned marble floor that originated from the center. On the other side of the room were two large double doors which seemed to lead outside. However, the foyer seemed darker than the other rooms in the house. It reminded her of how the witch's house used to be as it gave a dark and gloomy feeling. The room was also noticeably colder as she could actually see her breath in front of her. Ellen really didn't want to walk into this room, but it was her only way out of the witch's house. She could always retrace her steps and go back to where Viola was. At the very least it seemed like she wasn't going to try anything as long as that child was there. No, if she did that, Viola wouldn't let her here the end of it. Her pride wouldn't allow her to give in to her or this house. She made it this far and she wasn't about to let something like this stop her.
Ellen took a deep breath and walked into the darkness albeit at a quickened pace as she didn't want to be in this room longer than she had to. Relief washed over her as she placed a hand on the knob of the exit. Finally, she could leave this place or so she thought. When she twisted the knob, she found the door wouldn't open. Becoming desperate, she tried a few more times, but it was to no avail. In despair she backed away from the door and sat down pulling her knees into her chest for warmth. Ellen cursed herself for actually believing Viola would let her go so easily. By this point, the foyer had become disturbingly darker and the temperature had significantly dropped. Seeing no further use in staying, Ellen decided to leave the room and find another way out. However, when she turned around she became as white as a sheet. A large dark hand had emerged from the ground and was slowly closing in on the blonde. She wanted desperately to move, but she was too overwhelmed by the malevolent aura the shadowy appendage was giving off to stand. Was this Viola's trap, lead her to the exit only to kill her at the end? No, for some strange reason Ellen didn't feel like she was behind this. While Viola remained a mystery to her, this thing's killing intent was so oppressive it could be felt in atmosphere of the room. The space around the blonde became darker and darker as the giant limb slowly squeezed its shadowy fingers around her. Ellen closed her eyes and desperately hoped for a miracle, desperately hoped someone would save her.
"Ellen…"
Upon hearing a familiar voice call her name, the blonde opened her eyes. "Viola…"
The violet-haired woman breathed a sigh of relief. "Looks like I made it just in time."
Just when she needed it most, Viola had come to her rescue standing tall in all her dominatrix glory. Ellen wondered just how her 'friend' was able to wear such an outfit without the slightest hint of shame, but that was beside the point. That thing was still in the room with them and it seemed more menacing than ever. "What is that thing?"
"It's a restless spirit. I was very thorough when I cleared this place of everything dangerous. To think something like this was lying dormant here the entire time."
Ellen's eyes widened in terror as the oversized shadow hand encroached on their position again. "It's behind you!"
Viola didn't even bother to move. Instead, showing the difference in their power, she repelled the apparition with just her overwhelming aura. "My, my… first you attack my woman and then you have the nerve to go pull this stunt. You must be very brave or very stupid." She turned around and faced her unsuspecting prey.
While Ellen was relieved that Viola was here to save her, watching her scare even the dead with just her intimidating presence was unsettling in its own right. "Um, Viola…"
"Don't worry Ellen. This will only take a moment."
AN: This chapter, I introduce a little girl named Dawn who has apparently been making regular visits to the witch's house much like Viola did for Ellen in the past. I was debating whether or not to reveal more information about her character this chapter, but decided to save it for later. As for Ellen, between what Viola put her though last chapter and her actions now in this chapter, you could think of it as a mind game Viola is playing on her. Finally, that large hand that attacked Ellen out of nowhere should seem familiar and that's all I'll going to say about it.