Dictator [One Direction AU]

14

Date: 07.03.2063

As the mesh of trees thickened, Grace (Jane's trusty horse) found galloping forward more and more difficult till the poor animal was forced back into a trot. This sudden withdrawal from adrenaline made Jane more aware of her surroundings, and suddenly the magical forest became more sinister. The trees twisted branches grabbed out to her, trying to claw her face with their pointed ends. Her smile faded to a frown as she listened to the noises of the wood, the calling of the night owl and the whining of the fox from further in the maze of trees.

"Grace, how are you not scared?" Jane asked the horse whom didn't seemed fazed by the surroundings that looked like they fit in a horror movie. The night air bit at her skin and she hugged her small arms around herself to stay warm.

When it became impossible to travel by horse, Jane regrettably got down from the regal animal and placed her feet on the moss that carpeted the forest. Grace the horse ran away before Jane could even begin to plan her route and the young woman was left alone, making her even more vulnerable.

Pulling the hood of her cloak up, she tentatively walked forward, enveloping herself the shadows of the trees; the forest floor was littered with branches and plants with thorns that snagged at the hem of her dress and she found herself becoming frustrated with the slow progress that she was making.

The previous night sky was becoming lighter by the second and she could tell that soon the sun would rise and act as her demise- she needed to find shelter.

"Where are these stupid cottages and huts where I should supposedly stay?" She murmured to herself, looking around with wild eyes. All she could see was the thick mass of evergreen trees which seemed to be looming over her like strict guards, watching every movement she made.

As if the gods above were listening to her, suddenly an old, decrepit cottage came into view; it had ivy growing up the wall like snakes and the windows were covered in a thick layer of grime. Jane felt a shiver run down her spine as she saw the building, which looked like it could be knocked down with a gentle breeze, and knew that there was something wrong with the place. What was it doing in the forest?

Slowly, she walked towards the front door and considered knocking but instead decided to walk inside, hoping that the place was as uninhabited as it looked. The cottage smelt musty, like it hadn't been lived in for a while and she noticed that the kitchen looked untouched. It wasn't as dirty as she imagined but it was obvious that no one lived there anymore, all furniture except an old couch and a table had been taken.

Suddenly there was a bang upstairs and Jane felt her heart skip a beat, terror coursing through her veins instead of blood. Fumbling behind her, she tried to find the door knob for the front door so she could escape but her hands were frozen. The only thing she could do was stand there, in the middle of the living room with eyes as wide as saucers.

She heard footsteps come down the stairs, and she closed her eyes, preparing herself for whoever would see her.

"I have been found already," she whispered to herself, waiting for one of the guards from the palace to appear.

"Hello?" A voice said in a confused tone and Jane opened her eyes to see a blonde haired boy who was wearing a flat cap, and some ripped clothes.

"Hello," she replied back and the man stared in shock at this new arrival in his house. The pair stood in awkward silence, neither sure of what to say or how to even begin the conversation. Jane was still shock, almost as if her feet were permanently glued to the floor and she was unable to move.

"Would you like some tea?" The boy asked, walking over to the kitchen and pulling out a kettle from the cupboard; all Jane could do was nod feebly and then avert her eyes to the floor.

This was not going according to plan. She had planned to live in an abandoned cottage, not one that already had a resident. She wasn't sure if she could trust this new man in her life, but she knew she had to.

The kettle boiled and the two people stood in silence again, this time the man had sat down on the table which Jane thought was an extremely rude thing to do in the presence of a guest- even an uninvited one.

"Who are you?" Jane's tongue was dry and her voice was quiet but the man still heard her and turned around to see her, he was attractive but Jane knew that he would never be her Harry. The man had blonde hair, a contagious smile and a tall build.

"My name is Niall," his accent became apparent to her, and she gave him a weak smile which he returned- the girl had still not given a reason for her intrusion into his home.

"I am Jane," she responded back, slowly walking over to the boy, "and nobody can know I am here."

"That is fine by me, because no one can know I am here either," Jane narrowed her eyes at the boy who gave her a sheepish smile, she knew then that the boy had secrets hiding inside of him. But that was fine, because she had her own.