Prison Palace

The Dreams

Ebbie tossed and turned in her sleep. It wasn't anything different really, she usually moved a bit in her sleep, but this wasn't a normal rest. She arose out of her bed and went to her window. She sighed and rested a hand on it. She glanced down at the bottom of the pane before looking back up through the glass, only to stumble backward, having been met with bright yellow eyes. Ebbie took a minute to register what the creature was before realizing it was just Presley on the windowpane outside the window. But he was different. he had great black wings sprouting from his back. The wings stretched in the moonlight and the feathers rustled and blew gently with the wind. Presley didn't move but his eyes followed her as she scrambled around on the floor. She waved at him and, yet, he stayed frozen in place. She started to think he was pranking her so she started towards the window, whisper-shouting to him, "Presley that wasn't funny. I thought u were a thug or something. It definitely doesn't help that you're wearing all black." She was about to curse him out but stopped right before the window. If this was a prank, how did he get up on the third floor? None of the trees outside had branches thick enough to support him. And how would he have gotten those wings? Did he craft them? Seeing as they were so full and entirely covered in dark feathers, he would've had to pluck a lot of birds. Which he wouldn't have done that, he loves animals. Especially birds. So how was this happening?

She started to get nervous. "Presley?" she whispered, "is that really you?" Presley said nothing. Instead, he pushed open the window (which she was sure she locked) and stepped into her room. He gazed at her wistfully before picking her up and carrying her out the window, she got scared as he jumped and covered her eyes, but they never hit the ground. She dared to open her eyes and look up at him. He was staring straight forward as he carried her. She looked down and realized they were flying. Ebbie was still confused about what was happening but looked forward to see where they were going. Her eyes widened as she saw the hulking, shadowy shape of the castle she had seen that day. She started to feel drawn to the castle, as it drew nearer and nearer. Ebbie started to hear a soft low voice in her head. It was only a whisper but it was loud enough for her to hear it clearly as it spoke, "Ebbie......Ebbie.... come closer....." Suddenly, she was at the castle's doors. She stepped to the door, unable to control herself. She looked back at Presley to serif he was there, but he had vanished. The voice came back, beckoning her further. "Ebbie....come inside..." At first, the voice seemed frightening but now it sounded welcoming and sweet. She listens and gave in to the voice as she pushed open the door. A sense of belonging washed over her as she walked to the dark throne in the middle of the room. She reached a hand towards it and felt herself needing the chair as if she couldn't breathe or survive without it. The whispers grew louder to the point where even her own thoughts were drowned out. All of them telling her the same thing. "Claim your throne."

Suddenly, Ebbie woke up in her bed. She looked around the room and saw Presley was nowhere to be found. She sighed and looked out the window. "It was all a dream?" she whispered to herself. She sat up and stretched. Ebbie got up to get dressed and took off her bonnet. After she put her hair together, got dressed, and put a bookbag together, she headed out to the kitchen. Her family wasn't up yet, thankfully. Ebbie tiptoed through the kitchen and grabbed herself a plum. Her favorite fruit. Best on chilly mornings and when you need something quiet to bite into. She creeped to the door and slowly unlocked it. She breathed in the chilly, early morning air as she stepped outside. She smiled and pulled out her phone to see what time it was. 6:39 am it read. She sighed and pocketed the device as she put her backpack on and started into the woods.

About halfway into the forest, she took a break. Ebbie sat down and took a sip of her water. As she sipped quietly, she took in the silence. She never truly got a break, having 3 little sisters and a single mother. She had lost her father to a car crash when she 3. All she remembered of him was how brave he was, and all she had of him was his lucky pocket knife. She fiddled with it and twisted it around her fingers the way she had taught herself. She admired the beauty of the morning, the way the sun looked in the sky, the way the breeze rustled the trees, and how the moss on the logs glistened with morning dew. She closed her eyes and listened to the morning birds' song. Suddenly, interrupting her peace, she heard a sound in the bushes. She glanced at it from the corner of her eye and clutched the knife in a defensive pose. "Who's there?" she asked. "If you don't come out," she started as she slowly approached the bush, ready to fight whatever it was, "I'm going in." Before she could reach into the brush and see what it was herself, Presley jumped out of the bush with a panther mask on, startling her. "RAAAAAHHH!!" he shouted as she receded a bit, taken aback. "P-Presley..." she mumbled. "Jeez, you're jumpy today. You alright?" he asked, standing up to face her, worried. "Y-yea...I'm just-" she sighed. Should I tell him about the dream or would he think I'm weird for it? She thought worriedly. "Hey," he stepped a bit closer and placed a hand on her shoulder, grounding her again, "Ya know you can talk to me right?" Ebbie sighed and looked into his eyes. "I had a dream about you last night." Presley blushed. "Uhh...That's...not weird. I mean I know I'm attractive and we are really close, soooo-" "Not like that, you dipstick." she rolled her eyes and backed up. "Like, you were at my window and picked me up and flew me and you-" "Flew?" he interrupted. "Yea, you had wings, like a...a..." she trailed off, looking for a word to describe it. "A dove?" Presley suggested. "No no more like a...a crow." She stated, finally. "Anyways, you flew us to that big castle over there." Ebbie pointed to it, showing Presley where it was. "And there were these voices telling me stuff but I couldn't hear what they were saying, but it didn't seem good." Presley smiled. "Well looks like we got an adventure on our hands. I know you're headed to the castle. Might as well bring a friend." She smiled back. "I guess you're right. Well then, let's be on our way." And so they began on their way, together,

to the castle...