Hallow King

October

Leiah could hear the voices of people around her, all gathering together in the center of town to seek out decorations for the special celebration to come.

"Make sure we find the best Christmas ornaments," a woman close by spoke to her children, urging them forward as the crowd started to grow bigger, "It doesn't matter the price, just grab the biggest ones." Leiah watched the family make their way into the throng of people until they were no longer visible. She was safe where she was, looking over everyone chattering excitedly to one another.  Unlike them, the young dark-haired Leiah did not share their amusement. She was always a lover of darker things and although she did look forward to spending Christmas with her own family, the fact that everyone started to prepare for it 2 months before wore her out. It was barely the month of October and already the people around her were fumbling for presents and decorations to fill their houses with.

Leiah jumped off the boulder she was on and scurried off to an isolated part of town. The sound of excitement vanished away and only a few citizens here and there made their way past her. Rolling her tired shoulders, the young woman sighed and looked up at the bloody moon overhead. It brought a smile to her face as the cool wind sent a chill down her spine.

Yes, it was October, but unfortunately Halloween was no longer celebrated. The small kingdom began to slowly abandon the practice of trick or treating and dressing up as the years passed by. Ultimately, Halloween stopped all together. It appeared that people were no longer interested and preferred to focus their attention on the one time of the year that made everything glow- Christmas. Leiah herself had never gotten a chance to celebrate Halloween. It had been many years since the last time the Kingdom of Feria had placed a pumpkin in their garden. Now, the dark holiday was only a page in a history book.

Pulling on her light blue cloak, Leiah hurried down the streets, hoping that she would be able to finally spend some more time on the streets before getting caught.

A strong gust of wind blew through the dimly lit path, causing stray orange leaves to float in the air. Leiah's arms got goosebumps as she realized that the wind was even frostier than it was in the morning. With a defiant look in her eye, she walked over to a closed hat shop and positioned herself behind the building. Examining the rugged brick wall, she latched on to one indented part and began to climb her way up, never taking her eyes off the roof. The shop was not very tall, so she wasn't too concerned about hurting herself if she suddenly made a wrong step.

"Come on, almost there." She cheered herself on before grabbing on to the roof. Just as quick as a wave of victory rushed over her, a sudden feeling of disappointment took over as a familiar, annoyed voice broke through the silence below her.

"Ah, there you are, your highness."

Leiah felt her arms go limp as she looked down and forged a grin on her face, "Hello, Tyrell." She sighed dramatically, eyeing the castle guard beneath her. The tall man in armor shook his hooded head, holding up a gloved hand towards her, "Get down before you break a leg." Leiah chewed on the inside of her mouth, refocusing her attention on the roof before her.

Tyrell knew she wouldn't willingly go with him. As if sensing Leiah's next move, he took one step forward, "No, no. Don't you-."

"Sorry, Tyrell. I don't want to go home just yet." With that, she pulled herself up on the roof and began to run. From behind her, she could hear the guard yelling out her name as she jumped from shop to shop, a grin painted on her face.

Adrenaline rushed through her veins as she felt the breeze running through her hair, loose strands gently brushing against her ears. She continued to snicker playfully as the distance between her and Tyrell began to grow.