Short Story: Wither

If only I could bring them back…

Madeline sat at the end of the long dining table, a silver plate and cutlery before her. A servant delicately placed pieces of meat and vegetables on it. She wasn’t hungry. She didn’t feel much of anything besides loneliness.

“You must eat My Lady,” Madeline’s nurse, Teresa, said beside her. She was concerned.

Madeline looked down at the food in disgust. The smells coming from the plate made her stomach turn. She didn’t want to eat.

Teresa sighed. “Madeline, you have eaten barely a morsel for a week. You are withering away.”

“That’s fine,” Madeline murmured.

“My Lady! Many people care about your wellbeing. You are the Lady of this town now since your late mother and father…” Teresa trailed off.

“No one knows me. No one really cares who I am. Only my position and my wealth. Wealth I no longer want.”

Teresa’s voice changed from gentle concern to sternness. “You have responsibilities to the people of this town. Your parents both understood this and made their best efforts. They never intended to leave you with this duty so early but now you must do your best to continue their work.”

Madeline pushed her chair away from the table angrily. It made a loud screech across the stone floor. The nearby servants cringed visibly. 

“Madeline! Your food!” Teresa yelled after her.

“Give it to the town’s people; they’ll appreciate it more. There, duties fulfilled.”
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To read more of Wither click here.

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