Thelma’s Plight
1400 Words
Thelma felt a terrible ache as she moved. For a moment, she could’ve sworn she was dead. Huh? I survived? How?
She opened her eyes slowly. Her sister sat beside her, stirring a cup of warm tea. Sabrina smiled gently as she blew away the steam.
“You’re finally awake,” she said, brushing Thelma’s hair.
Thelma looked around. This wasn’t the abandoned building anymore. It was somewhere warmer. Safer.
Suddenly, she sat up and grabbed a nearby fork in defense.
“Where the hell are we?” she demanded.
“Girl, relax.” Sabrina reached over and gently took the fork from her hand. “Chill, okay? Why don’t you have some tea? The old lady said it would help with the pain.”
Thelma raised an eyebrow. She took the tea, sipped once, then placed the cup on the side table.
“Sabrina, what’s going on? I thought I died. I thought we both died.”
“The boar almost killed us,” Sabrina explained. “Luckily, there were hunters nearby. They rescued us and brought us here.”
She smiled. “Guess what we’re having for dinner?”
Thelma rolled her eyes. “Sabrina, this isn’t funny. We almost died. I couldn’t save you.”
“My love, could you stop trying to save everyone?” Sabrina said, touching her cheek softly. “You never think about yourself. It’s always killing vampires or protecting me. Please, think about you for once.”
Thelma didn’t respond. She glanced around the cozy room—then her heart skipped.
“My quiver. Where are my arrows?”
“The old lady kept them safe,” Sabrina replied casually.
“Sabrina, I need to keep my eyes on them. Those aren’t ordinary arrows.”
“Don’t worry. They’re safe,” she assured her. “You need rest. I just want my little sister back—the one I grew up with.”
“We’re not safe, Sabrina,” Thelma’s voice cracked. “It might look like we are, but we’re not. That arrow… it’s my only way to defeat them.”
“Relax, baby girl,” Sabrina said softly. “We’re safe here. No vampires.”
Thelma sighed and held Sabrina’s arm. She tried to calm her pounding heart, nodding weakly. But no matter how she tried, the dread lingered. She picked up the cup again and took another sip.
Just then, the door creaked open. An elderly woman in her late sixties entered, holding a set of folded clothes. She smiled warmly at Thelma.
“You’re as beautiful as I imagined. Those green eyes,” she said, almost too sweetly.
Thelma smiled back politely, though something about her tone made her uneasy.
“Change into these. I’ll get your old clothes washed,” the woman said kindly.
“Thank you, Mrs. Laura,” Sabrina responded with her usual grin.
“You were both in a terrible state when the men brought you in. I’m so relieved your sister wasn’t seriously injured,” Mrs. Laura added, glancing at Sabrina.
“I’m okay, thank you,” Thelma said flatly.
“You seem like the moody one,” Mrs. Laura remarked.
“I promise, Thelma’s the light of our lives,” Sabrina laughed. “She’s not moody at all.”
Mrs. Laura gave Thelma another skeptical glance.
“Is something wrong?” she asked.
“I want my quiver of arrows,” Thelma said plainly.
“No, you don’t,” Sabrina interrupted. “You’re going to rest as long as I say. Forget about being a vampire hunter, at least for now.”
Thelma didn’t answer. Mrs. Laura looked between them, then handed over a long purple dress.
“Listen to your sister,” she advised before leaving the room.
Thelma hissed and tossed the dress across the bed. Vampires are everywhere, she thought bitterly. They’re slick. Chameleons. Even Mrs. Laura could be one… who knows?
“I’ll be back, okay?” Sabrina said, picking up the dress from the floor. “Change before I return.”
“I don’t trust anyone,” Thelma muttered. “We need to get out of here.”
“Thelma, you’re scaring me. It’s been a month since they died. Why haven’t you healed?”
“I’m just… worried,” she confessed.
“It was hard, I know. But breathe,” Sabrina pleaded. “I’m here. Our family’s here. No one else is dying—I promise.”
Thelma nodded, hugging her sister tightly. Her hands trembled as the past crept into her mind. No. Don’t think about it. Don’t.
“Should I get you a doctor?” Sabrina asked. “Someone to talk to?”
“I hate talking about my feelings. You know that.”
“Okay, okay, sorry,” Sabrina said, easing her onto the bed. “Just rest. Don’t go anywhere.”
Seconds later, she was gone.
Thelma’s breathing grew heavier. Her hand clutched her chest. She needed to calm down. She tried. She picked up the dress again—it was vibrant. Too vibrant. She hadn’t worn colorful clothes since… everything. Frustrated, she tossed it back.
Meanwhile…
“Sometimes I wish my sister and I had been born into a normal family,” Sabrina confessed to Mrs. Laura as they sat in the living room. “Ever since the prophecy and what happened… she’s never been the same.”
“Are you both royals?” Mrs. Laura asked.
“Yes.” Sabrina nodded. “Thelma’s younger than me. Last year, she married her childhood sweetheart—he was a prince. We told her to wait for me, but she was too in love to listen.”
She laughed sadly.
“She looks… cold,” Mrs. Laura said.
“If you’d gone through what she did, you would too,” Sabrina replied. “She didn’t deserve what happened.”
“What did happen?”
“We learned about the prophecy when we were ten. No one knew which of us would be the sacrifice, but deep down, I always felt it was Thelma. She got married, had a baby—Timothy—nine months later. Then one day, her husband, baby, and our grandfather went on a trip… and they never came back.”
Mrs. Laura’s face dropped.
“They were all brutally killed. No one knows if it was vampires or wild animals. Thelma believes it was vampires. She lost the three most important people in her life that day.”
“God…” Mrs. Laura murmured. “I misjudged her.”
“Everyone does. They think I’m the sweet one and she’s the cold one. But she’s just scared. When I ran away to sacrifice myself for her, fate brought us back together. She saved me from vampires. And now we’re here—far from our kingdom, with no way back.”
“Where is your kingdom?”
“Darian Arch,” Sabrina replied. “We are the Darian Princesses.”
Mrs. Laura gasped. “You… you’re the Darian princesses?”
Their royal family was well-known—even if rarely seen in public. It wasn’t surprising she hadn’t recognized them sooner.
“Don’t say that outside,” Mrs. Laura whispered. “You never know who’s listening.”
“We’ve stayed low,” Sabrina assured. “But if you can help us return home, we’ll be forever grateful. Also… Thelma still produces milk. She hasn’t stopped since the baby…”
“I understand,” Mrs. Laura said, taking her hands. “I had two sons. I know what it means to be a mother.”
“Thank you,” Sabrina smiled warmly.
Suddenly, she noticed something. A feeding bottle on the table.
“You care for other nursing mothers?” she asked.
“Oh, no! That’s for a young man who arrived last night. He had a baby and… a food cooler,” Mrs. Laura explained, chuckling. “Your sister would’ve thought he was a vampire, I swear.”
Sabrina’s body stiffened. A chill ran down her spine.
“A food cooler?” she repeated.
“He was… odd. Said he fed the baby through a bag. I was about to take him the bottle.”
Sabrina shot to her feet.
“I’ll come with you. I want to see who he is.”
“Sure,” Mrs. Laura said, grabbing the bottle. “Just be careful. The baby’s very young.”
- Writer
