Beyond The Walls

Gone

Jane Crocker

You absolutely hate your life. There is no one in your entire miserable life that could change that. Not even John. You would trade your life any day, even with the poorest peasant. At least they have freedom. But you have John. John is why you're still here. You sigh and sit up in your luxurious bed, rubbing the sleep out of your droopy, blue eyes since you can't seem to fall asleep. You grab your red-framed glasses off the nightstand and slide them onto your face, taking a look around using the faint moonlight that shines throughout your room. So it wasn't morning.

The empty space in your room as you look around still makes you feel small, even after all these years. Your bedroom is as large as one of the houses down in the village below. The halls behind your tall, decorative door are as long as the winding roads throughout the kingdom of Prospit. The garden outside the grand double doors is bigger than the entire palace itself. The shining castle walls rise high but not merely halfway up the tallest tower. That tower happens to be your bedroom, looming above all else.

You often gaze out the golden windowsill, wondering what it would be like to be free, to roam anywhere outside the palace gates. Because even with all the space and money and riches you own, you feel trapped—a fly tangled within the taut webs made by the most vicious spider.

You have freedom, but not their type of freedom. They don't have to uphold a reputation or reach high expectations. They don't have to always act so high and proper. They can play and have fun almost anytime whereas you are jack-packed with activities and shit that you don't care for. They don't have everyone else depending on them  to one day be the ru-

You jerk up, startled by the sudden coupled knocks at your door that broke the wishful silence you had gotten lost in.

"May I come in your Highness?" says a muffled voice.

What? Who could be at your door so late? It must be important to be at this time.

"Yes you may," you answer dismissively, sure it is just your servant.

As you begin to get out of bed you hear the soft click and turn of the doorknob, and the silent creaking of the door opening coming shortly after. You turn towards the sounds to see who waits in the doorway for you.

"Who are you?" you whisper as the unfamiliar figure standing in the doorway begins to take large steps toward you.

"What are you doing? Stay away from me!"

The tall silhouette seems to ignore your exclaims and  still makes its way to you. You begin to back away from your bed towards the windowsill. You can't do anything. You know you are defenseless because your powers only heal. And you begin to panic.

"Stop!"

The strange, horned figure is about five feet away from you and closing in.

"Stop! Leave me alone!"  Why is no one coming? Can't they hear you?

"Guards!"

You can hear its harsh breathing. You push yourself against the glistening wall as you feel a searing pain across your chest.

You suck in a breath through your teeth as you raise your hand to feel the bleeding cut across your collarbone. As soon as you place your hand on it, it heals. The cut rapidly closes up, and the blood slowly seeps back into your skin. You snap your head back up at the figure in fear, quickly taking in its small features. Glossy eyes, tinted skin; the scleras were not white as they should be. Its slimy hand brings a shimmering veil over your head.

"No!" You duck away and back up quickly; you've seen that veil before. Those unlucky to come into into contact with it are never conscious to see the next quarter windsweeps. You try to paste yourself against the wall again, but you failed see where you were going.