Nine years had passed since she came back to Dred Manor. Needless to say, nothing much about her routine changed except the occasional death here and there. Dominique became quieter than she had been when she was living in India. She felt pretty helpless living with her malicious family after all those years considering how her parents treated her and her siblings. They were expected to be just like their elders.
They, like those before them, were home-schooled to learn the ways of the Dreds. The children weren’t supposed to think for themselves until they were older. If they ever disobeyed their elders, the punishment would be harsh. Here are the twelve punishments in order of severity:
1.
No eating for the rest of the day.
2.
No eating for three days.
3.
No eating for a week.
4.
Being sent to their room for a week.
5.
Being sent to their room for two weeks.
6.
Being grounded for a month.
7.
Whipping
8.
Being bound in chains
9.
Being burned
10.
Being stabbed
11.
Being electrified
12.
Death
The Dreds’ reputation preceded them when it came to harshness. They were not ones for leniency. They would even kill their own children if they did something to deserve the punishment. The death punishment varied from beheading to hanging. It all depended on the level of disobedience and defiance. Only few Dred children have died as a punishment. Most often, the children were very loyal to their parents and hardly ever disobeyed.
When the parents would get close to death, usually the son got the house. However, if there was more than one of them, there would be a contest amongst them to see who is worthiest of receiving the household. When the successor was chosen, his siblings, if he had any, would be released from the family curse and revert to their pre-cursed selves. Then, they would set out into the world to make a living for themselves. They were a lot nicer when they were not under the influence of the curse and often regretted their past actions.
Sometimes, it would be a female who became the heir to the Dred Manor, whether an only daughter, the worthiest of just daughters, or if the only boy/s in her family were unable to inherit it. But it was unlikely that Dominique or her sisters would inherit the manor since Dietrich seemed competent of being the new patriarch when the time came. Not only was he competent, but he was also very smart and sneaky. Since he was their only son, he got away with mostly everything and was spoiled rotten. But it was different for Dominique and her sisters. Whenever they sassed, disobeyed, or defied their parents, they were punished, Dominique most of all.
Since she was raised in India for most of her childhood, she still kept much of her personality. That got her into a lot of trouble a lot. For days at a time, she went without food. But much of the time, she was so secretly admired by her servants that they brought her food. However, coming to her aid had its price. Several had died as a result of trying to help her.
Other than that and her state of living, Dominique had the only possession of her past that continued to instill hope in her: her swan. She was sleeping with it and the list of combinations the night she was taken. Every now and then, she twisted certain combinations of appendages to get different messages of hope. That was one of the things that enabled Dominique to keep her beauty and not appear like a Dred. Her parents wanted to give her a Dark Baptism if they could, but as long as she remained this way, she was virtually untouchable by darkness. There was one other person who helped her stay the way she was: her sister Donna.

Donna, the eldest of the children, was the only sibling who cared for Dominique and guided her. It was she who taught her when to be careful and when to be herself. Donna, now the only light in Dominique’s world since the passing of her grandparents, had helped her throughout the nine years Dominique had lived with her family. In return for her sister’s services, Dominique told her stories about her childhood in India. Donna’s eyes gleamed with wonder as Dominique told her every detail about the life that Donna herself never knew. That was the only thing that set her apart from her siblings: her eyes.


Even at seven years old, Donna was as malevolent as her sister and parents. She was pretty sure her infant brother would turn out like them, too. She, like her family, lacked emotions and understood only malice and cruelty. She and her sister still acted a little like wild animals and required some more discipline. They understood the concept of rules and punishment. They both knew death would be the ultimate consequence.

Donna was chasing frogs through their backyard marsh. One frog stopped in the middle of a bog. Donna got ready to jump to snatch it. But when she attempted to leap, she fell in. When she surfaced, she felt strange. She felt as if she understood everything about her family from the POV of the good side. She felt like her eyes were opened for the first time.

She suddenly became aware of the bad things she and her family had done and regretted it. She now knew she had to be careful around her family or risk being killed. However, shortly after she came inside, her family sensed a change in her. They forced her to reveal what happened to her and recognized the effects of magical water. They tried to revert her to what she was before, but they failed. When they considered killing her, she pleaded for her life and was sworn to absolute loyalty and obedience to the family.

After she was let off with a warning, she went to her room. As she passed the mirror on her vanity, she noticed something different about her. She looked closely at herself and immediately noticed something. Ever since she fell into the bog, she had deep blue eyes! This got her into thinking, Maybe that was why they knew I changed. I’m going to have to please my family, but I don’t want to be like them anymore.

And so began three years of torment and guilt. After she changed for the better, she found it rather hard to abide by their rules. As a result, she was being punished from time to time. It ranged from going without food to being burned. The punishment of being burned involved coming into contact with red-hot irons. The burns usually took weeks to heal.

Ever since the servants found out that she was a good Dred, they started helping Donna out. They usually died for it. One servant, who was close to her, offered to help her escape. But when they got close to the wall, they were caught. Donna ended up being electrified and when the process was paused, she was forced to watch her servant die in front of her. After this, Donna vowed never to let a single soul die for her; she was afraid of death until then. From then on, she would guarantee the safety of those close to her. Fortunately, she didn’t have to wait long to prove it, for Dominique was returned home.

When Dominique was reunited with her family, she didn’t know how to act around them. Luckily for her, Donna was the only family member who was good to her. Donna showed her all the dos and don’ts of behavior in the Dred household. They both had a lot in common, including having different features and being good. Almost immediately after Dominique had settled in, Donna and she were as close as sisters could be.


It was true that Donna had a twin sister, but she wasn’t very close to her after that day in the bog. Deirdre was almost like the bad side of Donna. Since Donna was the eldest of the two, Deirdre wanted to overrule her. She was the more malicious of the two and grew resentful of her sisters since they were the white sheep. Deirdre was determined to prove that she was the best daughter. Needless to say, her plan was working.

But Donna and Dominique could care less about that. All that mattered was that they looked out for each other and avoid getting into trouble most often. Donna’s love and care for Dominique helped the latter retain her beauty. As long as her older sister was around, nothing was going to change Dominique. Their bond also benefited Donna. She gained more courage and was willing to put herself on the line when standing up for others.

They had each other’s back for nine years as they got through every punishment thrown at them and aiding each other in their time of need. They also dug up secrets of the Dred family history. They learned that the Dreds and their lifestyle had existed way back in the 1600’s. Their first thought was that the Dreds have been rooted from devout Puritans who took their way of life seriously. They discarded that theory and soon came up with a new theory: the first Dreds were witches who were hiding during the Salem Witch Trials. But Donna and Dominique would soon learn something shocking that would change their view of the Dreds forever.


“Dominique! Dominique!”

The sound of soft whispers and light nudges woke Dominique from her slumber. She soon met the eyes of her sister, Donna. “Donna,” she said sleepily, “what’s wrong?” “I’ve discovered a secret passage and we have to explore it tonight,” Donna explained, “or else, we’ll never get another chance at this. So, get up.” “Alright, alright,” Dominique slowly rose from her bed.

With flashlights and essentials handy, Donna and Dominique found the secret passage and carefully made their way downwards. They were surprised with what they found: a massive stone room with items of sorcery shelved and organized. In the middle of the room sat a large pool that was for observing only. They searched for something that might help provide more answers. “Hey, Donna,” Dominique drew Donna’s attention towards her. She held a very white and luminescent orb. “Do you think this might help us in a way?”
Donna shrugged, “I don’t know. I’ll check the book over there.” She made her way across the room to the book on display. She flipped the pages and found a chapter on the orb. She read aloud, “‘This particular orb serves to contain a memory of a certain event.’”
She turned to Dominique and asked, “Is there more than one of them?” Dominique shook her head and said, “This was the only one. How do we activate the memory?” Donna continued to read, “’To see a memory, place the orb in the water and the memory will appear.’ Okay, let’s put it in the water and see what memory it is.” They carefully set it in the pool and something incredible happened. There was an explosion of white light and the water began to form a moving image.
In the image, two beings in cloaks were standing before a dark being only seen with his frightening eyes. “Please give us much-needed power and intimidation,” the first man implored. “I will give you those…” the dark figure rumbled, “…for the price of the souls of you and your future generations.” The brothers agreed to that, for they were power-hungry and blind with greed. A black cloud surrounded them and groaning was heard. Only seconds later, the black cloud dissipated to reveal a new change in the brothers. Their skin was pure white and like their new hair, their eyes were black as pitch.
The memory in the pool seemed to instill fear into Donna and Dominique as it faded away. “We have to leave,” Donna told Dominique. “You’re not leaving…physically,” an authorative voice echoed throughout the room as the sisters looked up in fear to see their family on the stairs.

The sisters were immediately seized and taken to the basement to be locked up in chains. They spent the whole night worrying what the consequences would be. Donna moaned, “This is all my fault. I should’ve never brought you into this.” Dominique disagreed, “I would gladly die with you if this is what sacrifice meant. I would rather spend the rest of eternity with you than remain here where I can suffer more.”
“No,” Donna raised her voice, “I cannot let you die!” She sighed and continued, “After I became good and before you came back, servants were sacrificing themselves for me. And all because I was afraid of death. I was afraid to stand up for myself. After that servant who almost helped me escape died, I promised myself I wouldn’t let others die because of me. I’m willing to go to great lengths to protect you, even if it means I can’t be around anymore.”
Dominique gasped, “I can’t let you sacrifice yourself for me! You’re the only sister I’ve ever truly loved.” Donna said, “Then let me prove myself to you. Let me die for you so that you’ll be safe, but please promise me that you’ll never let our family change you…ever. Do whatever you can to remain who you are. Just please be yourself after I’m gone. Do that for me, Dominique.”
Dominique’s heart beat with pity as Donna stared at her with pleading eyes. Finally, she couldn’t resist saying, “Alright, I promise I’ll never change.” Donna smiled gratefully, “Thank you…for being a wonderful little sister.” They both knew it was the end for either of them, so they made what little time they had left together. They waited solemnly for the sun to rise one last time.
When dawn came, they were retrieved by two hulking servants and dragged outside for execution. For which one, they didn’t know, but they were about to find out. The servants unwrapped the chains around the girls and brought them in front of their parents. Their parents looked very crossed and stood as tall as judges. The only plausible explanation for that was that Donna and Dominique were almost at their knees.
“Donna and Dominique Dred,” their father started in a fearsome tone, “you have been caught where you shouldn’t have been last night. This calls for serious consequences and the penalty of death.” The parents turned to Donna as the girls’ mother said, “Donna…” This caused Donna to drop her head in disgrace. “…twelve years ago, you made a vow that you swore absolute loyalty and obedience to us,” she continued in a tone equal to her husband’s. “Last night, you have broken that promise in the most disobedient way. What have you to say for yourself?”
Donna looked up in the most pitiful way for a Dred: with tears in the eyes. But she replied in an angry tone, “I just want you to stay away from Dominique. No matter what you do to me or her, she will never change, and don’t you DARE change the way she is!” Her mother looked back in an offended way. Then, her father ordered the servant holding Dominique, “Pull Dominique back!”
Dominique knew what this meant, but she also knew that further resistance will make the consequences worse. She couldn’t do anything but stand there and watch. Donna was thrown in front of her parents as her father withdrew a knife. Her mother grabbed her and Donna cooperated. Her father got ready to strike as he said, “Donna Dred, you have been released.” Dominique watched in horror as he ran the blade through Donna’s body, rendering her lifeless and cold.
The servant released Dominique from his grip as Donna fell to the ground. She turned the body to face her and wept with deep sorrow, “Donna…” The rest of her family thought that they would let Dominique wallow in despair for five minutes before she was to receive her punishment. A few minutes later, Dominique noticed something in Donna’s clenched hand. She opened it to find a golden locket. It wasn’t any locket; it was one of the pair of lockets that Donna gave to the both of them containing pictures of the other. More tears sprang from Dominique’s eyes when she opened it to see her own photo.

The punishment that followed was being stabbed in multiple areas. Although the stabs weren’t usually fatal, the victims did lose a lot of blood. Dominique seemed to care less about it, for the pain from Donna’s death seemed to have dulled the pain of piercing. However, after a second day of this, she could barely keep conscious. Dietrich came to deliver the final stab. Dominique couldn’t see it, but she could feel that familiar thud.
Suddenly, she felt weak and woozy. As she fell to the floor and succumbed to unconsciousness, she heard the words, “I think we broke her…”

Dominique had no idea what they meant. It was the first thing she remembered when she woke up. A few moments later, she found that she was in her room again. When she was fully conscious, she searched her pockets. She was relieved when she pulled out Donna’s locket. She opened her drawer and pulled out her own. She opened it to see Donna’s picture.

She couldn’t help but cry for her lost sister. Then she noticed that she ached terribly. The pain was not just in her heart, but on her wounds, too. She wanted to see where her wounds were, so she slowly got out of bed. She couldn’t help but groan in pain as she made her way to her vanity mirror. But when she looked into it, her wounds were not the first thing she saw was different.

She noticed her hair was darkening! Oh, no, she thought as she gasped. I’m turning into a Dred! While she calmed herself down, she remembered what Donna had told her before she died. “Please promise me that you’ll never let our family change you…ever,” Donna had said. “Do whatever you can to remain who you are.” Dominique reflected on her words and took special notice of “Do whatever you can to remain who you are.”

Then, Dominique knew what she had to do.


After Dominique had fully healed from her wounds, she went down for breakfast with her family. There, she saw an empty place where Donna once sat. As she sat down, Deirdre taunted, “So, how do you feel now that Donna’s gone? Your shield can’t be there for you anymore, so you’ll have to fend for yourself. Oh, wait. That’s right. You won’t have to, because you’re becoming one of us.”

But Dominique disagreed, “No matter how much my hair will change color, I’ll still be me. You can’t change who I am.” “Face it, Dominique,” her mother said. “You’ve lost all hope in your heart. You’ve lost the only person who cared for you. There’s nothing left for you to do but become one of us.”

It was mostly true; when Dominique lost her sister, she felt as if all hope was gone, but Donna had told her to fight. “I’ll never be like you,” Dominique scowled. “It won’t be that impossible,” her father sneered, “once you’ve completed the Dark Baptism.” Dominique was confused, but she knew it couldn’t be good. She asked, “Dark Baptism?”
He father explained, “When a Dred is born, it must go through the Dark Baptism. It happens every second full moon of the infant’s life. On that night, the infant will be initiated by being submerged in a special mixture that will allow it to become a true Dred. One with all the qualities and appearance it should possess. But you were taken away from us at a young age. You could not be initiated then.”
“Then why wasn’t I initiated when I returned home?” Dominique asked. “Since you grew up far away from us, you had changed from the being you were meant to be,” her father continued. “When you came back, we were unable to do it because you had hope in her heart and it had allowed you to stay the same. There was also someone else who kept that hope burning: Donna. As long as she was around and you remained unchanged, we could not touch you with darkness. So we have tried to break you with our punishments, but nothing worked. But now with Donna deceased, I think we have broken you.”
“You’re changing now,” her mother pointed out, “and there’s nothing you can do to stop it.” Dominique couldn’t believe her and refused to do so. She vowed, “I will find a way out. You cannot change who I am, and you never will. I’ll still be me and I’ll never be like you.” “You will go through that baptism and that is that,” her father scowled. “And there will be not another word on the matter.”
Dominique knew not to say any more about it, but she also knew the only way out that was inevitable: escape.

In the dead of night, Dominique quietly packed her bags very lightly. She took only the essentials and her most prized possessions: her swan and her lockets. A few of the servants helped her clear the way for her departure. But it wasn’t enough, for when she made her way down the hall, the atmosphere became very red. She knew it couldn’t be alarms, but also that it couldn’t be good. She ran for her life as she heard footsteps nearing her. She made it to the front door, but found it was locked.
Just then, a voice whispered to her, “Dominique! Over here!” She turned to see a teenage boy gesturing her to come with him. He beckoned, “Follow me!” He opened a secret door and led her outside. They were outside in the garden and ran towards the wall.
Before Dominique pointed out that they were trapped, the servant boy hunched down and put his palms together. “Let me hoist you up,” he said. Dominique hesitantly complied and she was lifted up towards the top of the wall. “Grab the vines!” he told her. She grabbed hold of the vines and climbed up to the top of the wall. She looked down and asked, “But what about you?”
“Don’t worry about me,” he replied. “Just get going. You’re free.” There was nothing she could do now but give her thanks and scaled down the other side of the wall. Just then, the door opened and guards came pouring out. One of them scolded to the boy, “You fool! You let her escape!”
Before the boy could react, he was knocked unconscious.
Dominique was fleeing for her life and getting farther away from the Manor. There was nothing before her but open plains. She ran as fast as she could before she ran into a mysterious figure. She was afraid the guards might’ve caught up to her, so she put her arms to her face. Suddenly, the being grabbed one of her arms and pulled her. Before she knew it, she was running again and a burst of light blinded her eyes. When her sight adjusted, she saw a portal tearing at the ground.
By now, she could see the stranger in bright light. He was at the edge and he beckoned, “Come with me if you want to live!” She was hesitant at first, but then considered the consequences should she go back. She sought no other choice than to do what he told. She took his hand and they leapt into the portal. When they got through, the portal vanished completely. By the time the guards were on the open plains, Dominique was gone.