The Runaway Prince

Chapter 4

  Alex trended frustratedly on the ground below him as he walked down the maze of halls."Look around you she said,you should have known she said! Hm,well I'm looking around! What do I see? A wall,another wall,a ceiling,another ceiling!All I see are walls and ceilings!!" He yelled.
  Alex looked forward and suddenly fell down a bunch of stairs.Alex slowly stood up looking at the large staircase."What?Where did that come from?!"Saphires voice rang in his head as he rubbed it out of pain."You see the things that don't exist.It seems so real so true.And though you think that you see nothing.You have to look round you."
"Basically you're saying that I'm hallucinating,there are no stairs,and I'm supposed to believe there's something else here.Am I right?Where are you anyway?!"There was no response,everything around him went quiet again.Alex turned around to go back up the stairs...but they were gone.He looked around him trying to look for Saphire...but saw nothing.
  Alex then began to hear something,it was a sound so faint he could barely grasp where it was coming from.The walls,it was coming from the walls.It sounded like...whispering...Alex walked toward the wall on his right,and gently placed his ear on it to listen.It was the voice of a boy about his age asking for something.
  He couldn't completely hear what he was asking,but it kept getting louder and louder and louder.Until he heard footsteps behind him.Alex turned around and saw the boy standing right in front of him.Alex yelled and punched him in the face out of reflex.They both fell to the floor in pain.Alex held his now swollen fist tightly and the boy in front of him held his nose.
  "Ow!What'd you do that for?!"The boy yelled.
  "It's your fault!You should know better than to sneak up on someone like that!"Alex responded."When Saphire told me to look around I didn't think she was preparing me for a jump scare!"
  "And I wasn't expecting some idiot to punch me in the face when I was asking for directions!"Alex stared at him in confusion."Directions from whom?There's no one here genius!"
"Um hello!You're here!"
"Oh...right..."
Alex had been very confused after falling down the stairs.It took him a minute before he really started to pay attention to the appearance of the boy.He had silky midnight black hair and dark skin.He wore a gray jacket with a green shirt and light blue jeans.He looked at Alex curiously for a few moments before he asked,"Are you a Prince?"
Stunned Alex nodded to him and said,"How did you know?"
"Please,I hadn't seen such fine clothing as that in years.You're bound to be royalty."
"Literally,"Alex replied sadly.
"What do you mean?"
"I was forced to be.I never wanted to take this part.I want to go home...back to my mom."The boy looked down at the ground,as if to try and comprehend what he had told him."I am too,I'm trying to escape this place and get home."
  If the boy was forced into this castle as well...then didn't that mean...."Who are you?"Alex asked.
  "My name is Prince Cody of this kingdom."
  "Another prince?!I thought I was the only one!"
  "When something happens to one prince,the people who created this castle go after another to take his place.I got lost in the maze,I guess they never bothered to find me.And by the way,I don't think I ever got your name?"
  Alex held out his hand gently,"Prince Alex,but please just call me Alex."Cody took his hand and shook it,"Same,just call me Cody and we'll get along just fine.It's a pleasure to meet you."
  Suddenly,they heard Saphires voice again,"30 days,2 hours,and 12 minutes."Alex and Cody both gave off faces of confusion,"What?"they said in sync.Saphire appeared out of nowhere walking through the the shadows of the walls."30 days,2 hours, and 12 minutes."She pointed to the end of the hall that lay in front of them.There was a clock,an odd looking clock on a dead end wall.
  "How much time did you think you had riddle boy?How long have you been in this castle?"
  "I don't know what you mean."Alex said.Saphire disappeared again with her last words saying,"riddle boy."
  "What is she talking about?"Asked Cody.
  "Riddle boy...the riddle!What was the riddle?"
  "What riddle?"
  "Our ticket out of here!How did it go again?"
  "How am I supposed to know?!I don't even know what you're talking about."Cody frustratedly sat down on the floor.Alex looked at him teasingly,"You know,for someone whose been stuck in here longer than I have,you sure aren't much help."
  Alex sat for a few seconds,thinking and trying to remember the words Saphire has spoken to him when they met.Then he mumbled,"Many things go in your head.Go not with you but there instead.Time has flown and that is shown,so where do you go to get home?"
Cody looked at him in confusion,"I have no idea what you just said."
"Correction,I mumbled,"Alex teased again.His face hardened again as he regained his seriousness."Time has flown...Cody,how long do YOU think we've been in here?"
"Well,I've only been in here for about a week."
"That's impossible..."
"Why?"
"You said they add a new Prince every time something happens to one.I came to this palace when I was ten,I'm sixteen now.But if it felt like a week to you..."
  "Oh no..."They said at the same time.