The Runaway Prince

Chapter 3

  Later that day,Alex sat in the square (fully clothed) while he pondered over the events of that morning.He listened to the birds that chirped ever so loudly in the outside world.He watched the fountain near him in all its glory as the water trickled to the ground while the sun's light reflected off of the clear liquid.
  Alex sat on the very edge of it,and sighed in frustration,for he was still angry with himself about earlier."Geez,why did I do that?"he asked himself.He looked up at the blue sky,watching the clouds pass with the wind."I wonder if Saphire would ever help me get out of here."
  "Why of course!"A loud voice said right by his ear.Alex jumped off the edge and landed awkwardly on the stone floor.Saphire laughed in amusement when she saw his face when he realized it was her."Why did you do that!?Are you trying to give me a heart attack!?I've already been embarrassed once!"Alex yelled.
  Saphire all of a sudden stopped laughing and pointed to the doors that led out of the square."There's your exit."Alex was more confused than ever."What?"
  "You were wondering how to get out weren't you.That's the exit."Alex looked toward the direction of which she pointed and realized what she was saying."I meant the way out of the castle not the square,"Alex stated frustratedly.Saphire stood up off of the edge of the fountain and smiled amusingly,"I know,"she replied.
  Alex quickly stood up off the ground and ran towards her,"Then,would mind telling me how to get out?"Saphire looked at him sheepishly,"I dunno,you tell me.I can give you the answer, but weather or not you interpret it correctly or not is simply dependent of your IQ."Alex didn't understand what she meant at all,"ummm...ok so...what's the answer?"
  "Are really prepared for it riddle boy?"Alex rolled his eyes annoyed.Great,just great,now she's calling me "riddle boy".things can't possibly get any worse."Yes,I'm ready,"he answered.
  "Many things go in your head
   Go not with you,but there instead
   Time has flown
   That has been shown
   So where do you go to get home?"Alex sat there dumb founded.Nope,I was wrong,he thought.He stood there for a long moment trying to think about what it could mean."Is that even a riddle?It doesn't make any sense at all."
  "I dunno,is it?"she answered.Saphire then began walking out of the square to her room."Wait!How am I supposed to figure that out?!"Alex shouted.
  "Look around you riddle boy."
  "What?"he asked desperately.But Saphire never answered she only continued out the square never looking back.At that moment,Alex realized that the sun had started to go down again."Oh no!"He wordily said.He immediately began running towards the exit."I'm not in the main center!If the castle shifts..."Before he finished his sentence,the ground began spinning quickly,causing him to fall off of his feet.
  Alex could see the walls changing,some found underground,moving,shifting forward/backward,moving up.Everything in that square was about to disappear and completely change shape.Alex...was going to be lost in the castle maze of halls!He stood up as quickly as he could,the square exit was still visible through the change,but was beginning to move itself.Alex ran at full speed trying to make to the doors,but a wall had came up from the floor,blocking his path,and trapping him in another hall way.
  Eventually,the ground stopped moving,and everything became silent.When Alex had looked around him,he found that the square,and everything in it,had disappeared.There was no sound...exempt for one...the roar of a lion.Alex slowly turned around,and saw the large animal that sat behind him.You have got to be kidding me?!How did this thing even get here?!
  Alex backed away slowly,trying to avoid looking like a threat to the animal.The lion stood up on its legs,and slowly began walking toward him.The vibrations from the growling of the animal sent slivers of fear through Alexe's body.The lion kept walking faster and faster as it got closer to Alex,and he began running away from it as fast as possible.The lion followed behind him,it's eyes locked on its target.
  The halls of the castle were continuous,the rooms could be found everywhere on every corner.Alex needed to find a way out...and fast.Suddenly,he felt a hand grab him from the side,it pulled him into a room,and the hand held his mouth as the lion kept running in his direction.The lion jumped and was only one foot away before it hit an invisible shield that bounced it back and sent it running down the halls.
  The hand released his mouth,and Alex gasped for air,trying to keep up with everything that had happened within those few seconds.He heard a voice speak from behind him,"You should have known better than to walk out of the main center of the castle Alex."He turned around and saw Saphire sitting behind him."What do you mean?You knew the time was near,why didn't you warn me?!"
  "You needed to learn a lesson."
  "How did you get here?"
  "How do you think?"Alex took a few moments of thought,"oh that's right,you know everything about the castle."Saphire smiled while she stood up.She set her hand out for Alex to grab,"yes,and now I'm going to get you back to your room."Alex stood up in frustration and anger,"No!I want to get out of here,the CASTLE!You know how to do it!So why don't you?!"
  "I already told you!"
  "No!That wasn't an answer that was...something else!"
  "For the love of fudge look around you Alex!"
  "At what?!I don't get..."when Alex looked back forward,Saphire was gone.There was complete silence,he couldn't even hear the lion this time.Everything...was quiet...