Knowledge Can Kill — By Madison Seal
By: Madison Seal
Tags: Ficton, Books, Magic, Secrets, Murder

Knowledge Can Kill — By Madison Seal

Long ago with the petticoats and pride lived a young girl Scarlet. Scarlet had the most lushes and beautiful shade of strawberry blond hair around. It was always tied up with a silky white ribbon from her mother. But her eyes are what everyone was envious of. They were green, not just any green but dark emerald green. No one around her had magical eyes like that. They even had hints of gold sparkle in the sun like her father. Scarlet had pale skin with many freckles on her sculpted face and thin arms. She was tall for her age and fragile-looking, but her mind stayed strong withholding all her secrets. She always paired her outfits with a nice smile and a pair of silk gloves.

She was the daughter of a wealthy and important man and woman, James and Rose. James was a strict man, he meant what he said and got what he wanted. James always had a stern voice, his actions showed that, but he had a soft spot for his love Rose. Rose was a quiet and gentle soul. She looked at the world differently because she saw the unspoken words in people. Rose ended up with James because she saw the good in him and not many people did. Rose and James were both nice-looking people, but together they made a striking couple.

The three of them lived joyfully in an old castle on a prairie in Ireland. Their home was marvelous, with all the historical statues and silky curtains you could think of. The house was tall and dark, but the family always made it feel like home. The family inherited the house after the passing of Scarlet’s Grandmother. The house had rooms upon rooms down each hallway, but Scarlet was always in the library with a book in hand. She read all different kinds of books, from books about art and literature to talking animals and fairies in a faraway land. But her favorite was a book serious about a special little girl who could read minds and could feel what others felt. She loved those books because she related, she was special just like the girl in the books. Scarlet was sensitive, she could feel emotions when she touched something.

Scarlet has been sensitive since a young age, the first time she felt something was when she was seven years old, it started with touching her Grandmother’s old quilt. When Scarlet touched the quilt, she became very sorrowful. Scarlet then saw her Grandmother on her death dead years prior with her father putting the quilt over her. It was almost like a flashback, but Scarlet was not alive at the time, she was not there to remember that. That was a while ago, she has come a long way in nine years. Now she wears gloves to help stop the emotions from spilling over into her reality. But sometimes she uses her abilities to learn more, she often uses it when reading books. Scarlet will pick up and book and with a clear mind be filled up with memories that are not hers. It’s like a movie to Scarlet, until last year.

Scarlet was doing her usual daily reading, she got distracted by the wind howling outside and turned to see an unusual book. It was sitting on her Fathers leather reading chair in the corner of the room. Scarlet has seen hundreds of books in the library but never came across that specific one. The book looked a little rugged and old. Scarlet was a curious girl; she wanted to know and understand the world as much as she could. So, wanting to know the history of the mysterious book she strolled over picked it up.

Scarlet closed her eyes and opened them to see her father. But he looked younger, she glances around, and she detects she is in the library. But with half the number of books and the usual peeling wallpaper is all in tack. Scarlet walks over to James sitting and reading. Scarlet waves her hands around but he doesn’t notice because this is not her reality and can’t intercept it. Scarlet then jumps at a loud banging, it sounds like it’s at the front door. Scarlet gets up and treads along with her father to the main entrance. The front door then squeaks open to reveal a man, he is wearing a long trench coat paired with a black shirt and trousers. Scarlet noticed him from a picture that sits on her father’s nightstand. James’s face instantly manifests with anger when their eyes lock contact. James lets out words of annoyance mixed with a loud “Get out” The man then walks inside denying James’s request.

James then remarks, “I told you to stay away Walter, you ruined my life and my chance at a future, and I can never forgive you for that.”

Walter then counteracts James and says, “We both messed up that day, you can’t act like the victim.”

Scarlet is standing in the corner with her brain running with all the possible reasons this account is happening. James stands tall, breathes in, and declares, “I didn’t cast the spell that killed her, you did. But I took the blame and got expelled.”

Scarlet is caught off guard with the word spell, she never knew or even thought her father had something to do with magic and was special. Scarlet then is reminded of the situation when Walter glances at James and utters, “I know okay, I’m sorry. It wasn’t supposed to happen like that. I bagged the headmaster to let you back to school, but he denied.”

James looks up at Walter and screams, “Oh so you can beg, but not tell the truth!”

Mid-sentence James balls his hand up in a fist, then throws a punch, hitting Walter’s face. Walter trembles back and the two of them scramble around the house. While fighting they end up in the library, hands in each other’s faces. James then begins being choked by Walter. James’s lips start turning blue and as a last resort James picks up the mysterious book. James then strikes Walter in the head with the book. Walter tumbles back and James goes at him again and again until Walter is on the ground.

Blood is smeared all over Walter’s face and the book, James then takes one last batter at him with the book and Walter turns cold. Scarlet is scanning over the situation with terror and fright in her eyes. James then falls to the ground and lets out a scream when he realizes what he did. Out of the blue Rose races down the stairs after sensing death, she turns to the library and is shocked at the sight of her fiancé standing over a dead man’s body. She runs over to James as he looks up and sputters out, “I’m so sorry, stuff got out of hand and I had to. Please don’t tell anyone, I can hide him.”

Out of panic Scarlet focuses on her hand and rips it off the book. Scarlet opens her eyes and is back to the library by herself holding the blood-stained book. She trembles back and falls into her father’s chair reflecting on what she just witnessed. Tears burn in her eyes and fall down her cheeks. She just found out her father was a murderer and is special like her. Scarlet’s father then strolls in from the sounds of his chair, he looks up and sees Scarlet with tears running down her face. He walks over to her with concern, then he sees his book in Scarlet’s trembling hands.

James sat down next to her and slowly took the book out of Scarlet’s cold hands. James then put it into a drawer and looked at Scarlet like he was waiting for her to admit that she did something wrong. “I told you to wear those gloves, you are not ready for what life holds.” James vocalizes in a serious tone.

Scarlet looking disgusted says, “It’s not the world” she pauses and then utters “It’s the people like you. You’re getting mad at me for finding out you are a murderer!”

Ever since that day she wears her gloves, never wanting to experience something like that again. Scarlet never told anyone else what she saw and relives that memory of her father killing a man with a book over and over. Her father tried to help Scarlet understand how bad Walter was, Scarlet acted like she forgave him but never did. Who would have guessed Knowledge can kill as much as mankind does.

12/10/20