The next morning Gisele felt slightly dazed. It was early, and everyone seemed to be hiding. No one had brought her her breakfast. Luckily she was no longer under lock and key and could find food herself.
When she stepped out into the hallway, she was struck by its stillness. No other patients moved. There wasn’t a sound.
Gisele felt slightly dizzy, queasy, but she moved hastily down the hallway. When she would have descended the staircase, she changed her mind and ascended it instead. She went where she usually had no mind to go-- to the prior’s quarters. She passed the prior’s office and it was empty. Beyond that the hall was dark, and the rooms it opened to were uninhabited.
Gisele checked all of them as she went, urgent on a sudden prowl, struck by queasy suspicion, fear. The hall went on and on. She tripped and saw a broken doll lying on the floor.
Tenderly she picked it up and turned it over, brushing its dirty costume, flicking at dirt on its cracked face. Still holding the doll, she moved toward noises at the end of the corridor.
She went hot and cold, clutched the doll like an innocent child. Her limbs felt leaden as she moved toward the dark, empty room.
The bed squeaked, the voice groaned. The darkness of the room swam before her eyes, then parted to a stream of light illuminating a pillow, mattress, two bodies.
Gisele’s eyes flooded in green as she watched them couple, one head gray, the other’s fire-red.
Fire-red. She squeezed the doll and turned away, then broke into a run down the hallway.
She found Eden in the kitchen, paring potatoes. Her slim fingers were red and swollen. Gisele took her hand and dragged her, startled, into the pantry, then held her close.
She pulled down Eden’s wimple and touched her hair, smooth and black as it was. She breathed heavily in relief and pressed her face to Eden’s hair.
Eden’s blue eyes were wide, staring. “What are you doing?” she squeaked.
Tears constricted Gisele’s voice, and she said nothing, only stroked Eden’s hair. The doll still dangled from her hand. Finally, she said. “Promise me you’ll come tonight.”
“You know I will.”
“You’ll stay with me. I’ll never let him have you.”
Eden squeezed her eyes closed. “Oh, Gisele.”
Cassandra stood poised at her vanity mirror. Her long hair, which spilled past her waist, was twisted in one hand, and in the other was a pair of jeweled scissors.
As she lifted the scissors to cut, a larger hand wrapped around hers. Cassandra withdrew with a cry. "Kell! I didn't see you come in." He took the scissors away. "I take it you got the job." "I did," she said crisply. "Return my scissors to me." "Not if you intend to cut off your hair. What do you mean by this nonsense?" "I can't have long hair in the laboratory. It might catch fire or something." "Look there." He guided her to the window. Below them lay the scattered remains of a centuries-old city park. The benches were near invisible due to growth, while the pond had extended far beyond its original boundaries. Ducks floated serenely on its surface. "We played as children. Do you remember how you prized your hair?" Cassandra laughed a little drily. "Of course. I insisted all my powers as princess lay in my hair. I was haughty. unworthy of the friendship of you and your sister." ...