Until Sunrise

Ch 3: A New World

I feel myself gaining consciousness but I don't open my eyes. There is only a faint sound of something clashing and as I gain more consciousness the sound grows louder.

Could it be water?

Suddenly I feel a burn in my lungs that is making me struggling to breathe. I open my eyes immediately and sit up finding myself coughing out water. Once I got it all out, my lungs still feeling the burn but breathing much better than before, I lay back down to try and calm myself down. I try to keep my eyes open but find myself squinting due to the sun being right in my eyes. The sky is a bright blue color already very different from the grey sky I'm used to. Curious at the sudden change in scenery, I use my hands to push myself up only to feel a grainy substance. Sand? My eyes, still squinting from the bright light, try to search for where I am only to be met with a large body of water. The waves coming in and out only managing to touch my feet which don't seem to have any shoes on. 

I guess now I know where that sound was coming from.

I keep looking around from my spot but all I can see is just sand and water. I try to remember how I came here in the first place retracing all the events that happened when I was last conscious. I remember getting ready then going down after I was done. I remember feeling nervous and how those voices in my head were making me feel. I remember walking towards my parents then kneeling down to accept the crown but I don't seem to remember anything after that. How the heck did I get here?

I should be in the palace getting started on my new training. I should be getting ready to find a new "partner", as my mother says, that would help me rule the kingdom. I should be studying and joining important meetings at the moment about political worries and whatnot. So, why am I here?

I slowly but surely get up and find that my dress is all soaked and torn up revealing my scars but I don't really care since I'm too busy trying to find a way back to the palace. I turn around and see that there are a bunch of trees and bushes that are just a few feet away from the beach. That wasn't there before was it? I make my way towards the mess of trees and vines hoping I could find a way out of this soon. 

Slowly the feeling of sand on the ground turns to grass. The trees cover the sun from me making me feel much cooler than before. I feel my long wet hair and dress slowly begin as I keep walking but I can tell that I probably still look like a mess as I am covered up with sand and showing more skin than I would like to however that it the least of my worries at the moment. 

I can't seem to find the damn exit to this jungle it feels like a maze I could've sworn that I have passed by the same set of trees at least 20 times by now. I start to get tired as it feels like I have spent hours walking. My body is now starting to sweat from the humidity as it seems to have gotten even hotter as the day goes on. My stomach suddenly starts to growl making me realize that I haven't eaten or drank anything since I woke up which starting to make me panic a little. I sit down on a rock giving up on walking as I feel weak from the heat and lack of food and water.

Ughh How could this happen to me now of all times?! 

I need to get out of here but I don't know how. Could there be anyone living around here? I could ask someone for help if I find anyone however, I doubt they would help me since as I mentioned before the people of my kingdom hate royalty. But it is worth a shot. Feeling determined to get out of this place, I get on my feet and start walking when I suddenly hear a whisper of what sounds like a child's voice making me stop on my tracks. 

"How long do you think she'll last before she finds out?" the sound of a little boy whispers in a giggling tone

"Shut up toby!... I think we should help her she doesn't look that great," whispers the voice of a little girl.