The Difference - Disney's Descendants| COMPLETE

Chapter 30: Nowhere To Run

Uma crashed into the tree and it brought a whole new sensation of pain across her entire body. She gripped the bark, digging her fingers into the wood as she tried to stop herself from doubling over.

Keep going, she told herself, trying to catch her breath. She could hear the guards coming from afar. Getting out of DunBroch castle wasn't an easy task but she'd done it but she couldn't stop herself from being seen. 

She pushed herself away from the tree despite her protesting body and ran. She had nowhere to go, nowhere to hide; but she wasn't about to give up. The first river she came across she swore she would jump in and hide under, but there was nothing but trees and valleys on this land. So for now all Uma could do was keep running.

She couldn't give up...not this time.

Keep going, she repeated in her head when her feet grew sore. Keep going, she said when her head made her eyes water. Keep going, even when everything was starting to blend in front of he eyes and nothing looked right.

She was used to the dark and cold of the night, she wasn't much used to the running. She was a pirate and a swimmer—not a runner.

A faint haze of blue could be seen just ahead and the blue burned her eyes in a way that Uma simply had to follow them. They could be a way out. She followed the lights if only because she had nothing else to go on. Something hit her nose and Uma looked up feeling the sudden drops of water on her face.

She smiled letting the water freely hit her face, the water always calmed her. It reminded her of the peaceful swims she would have when she was younger, racing from the barrier to the isle with the other children—she always won. There was no way for her to lose.

And she couldn't lose now.

She continued on with a determined smile on her face.

The blue lights suddenly vanished and something else had replaced them.

A cottage.

Grass grew over it, almost as if it were part of the ground and if anyone was nearby they would miss it if it wasn't for the lantern burning brightly through one of the windows.

Uma grew closer to it, checking behind her for a sign of any guards, or anything that meant someone was following her, but she saw no other light and she heard no other footsteps but her own. She crouched down, staying just out of the line of sight as she slowly peered in. It was nearly empty except for a cauldron in the middle of the room emitting gray steam and a lantern placed on a small round table. Uma scanned the room for a sign of anyone but she saw nothing. There had to be someone around there was no way she lucked out and found an empty little cottage in the middle of nowhere.

She had few choices. She could stay out in the woods, climb a tree and stay there until morning or she could stay in the cottage she found and risk being caught by someone.

Neither sounded pleasant but one thing was for sure—she needed to disguise herself once again. Just change her appearance enough to stay out of people's line of sight.

Uma carefully tried the door finding it miraculously unlocked. With a push of her hand, the door slowly creaked open. Uma looked around and listened for any footsteps before she stepped foot inside. Hearing nothing she took one step, then another. She closed the door just enough before making her way inside.

"It's always polite to knock dear."

Uma clenched her jaw and stopped in her tracks at the sound of the Witch's voice.

She was at the end of the room with a bag in her hands and all Uma could think of was how she just wasn't having a good day.

"Oh dear, I didn't hurt you too bad did I?" The Witch asked, pointing at the bandage.

Uma stared at her and shook her head. The Witch took a step forward and Uma took a step back.

"Don't be afraid. I'm sorry for what happened but I had no choice."

Uma raised her eyebrows, pursing her lips together. If she got too close to her she wasn't going to hold back and that was a battle Uma was not going to win. The safest thing, though she didn't enjoy doing it, was to back away.

"Now I know we got off on the wrong foot but I can help you with your problem." She said it with a cheerful smile and Uma shook her head.

"I have no problem." she mouthed.

The Witch narrowed her eyes to read Uma's lips, then blinked,  "Oh! If they catch you you'll be sent back to the isle of the lost." The Witch warned.

"If you turn me in I can let them know, without saying a word, what the truth is." She moved her lips though they made no sound.

The Witch blinked sheepishly, "The truth? The truth is that I made a teeny mistake, a mistake anyone could have made."

Uma grinned, finding that extremely amusing.

"There is a way for me to help you stay." The Witch spoke, "Not only stay but start anew. Live a life you've always dreamed of without the misery of the past..." The Witch rummaged through her bad, taking something out. Uma's eyes went wide when she saw what she took out.

The poisoned scones.

She offered one of them to Uma.

She could forget everything. She could forget herself; her name; her mother. She could forget the isle and the suffering. She could forget her ship and her crew. She could forget Gil and his stupid jokes, frustrating her to no end. If she ever saw a grey hair on her head she was sure it would be his fault.

She could forget Harry and his smile. She could forget the way his eyes lit up when he saw her, she could forget his smell, like he'd been swimming in the sea and moisturizing with the seaweed. Unique and intoxicating. Wonderful and something she couldn't get out of her head.

Uma looked at the scone for a few seconds and carefully approached the Witch, whose eyes gleamed with satisfaction. She was hoping Uma would take it.

The Witch dropped the scone in her hand. It felt light—potions never did weigh anything down.

"They wouldn't send you back. You'd get to stay." The Witch said, as way to motivate her to take it.

Uma moved her lips again, feeling tired as she muttered nonsense the Witch couldn't make out.

She would forget the taste of Harry's lips when she had finally kissed him, and the way he made her smile. She would forget how she felt for him and how much he meant to her even if she tried to deny it all.

Uma peeled the wrapper away as the Witch nodded for her to continue.

"They wouldn't be able to blame you for what happened." The Witch said to convince her.

She could feel her energy draining, her shoulders slumped down and her legs felt stiff but she continued muttering her soundless words.

Uma got a quick glance at the lantern, which was hovering in mid-air before it came crashing down into the Witch's head. She crumbled to the floor, falling over her bag.

Uma stopped mouthing the words and let herself fall to the floor, the scone flying out of her fist. The pounding in the back of her head got heavier and Uma had trouble pushing it away.

She hated herself for not biting into it, but she would never want to forget one day of her life. No matter what, it's what makes her Uma. Every feeling; every word she ever said; every fight, it was all Uma was and she wasn't going to give it all up for something she was never going to be.

She shakily stood back up and placed her hand to the back of her head, mouthing the words the dwarf's wife taught her to heal herself. Uma took a few steps toward the Witch and leaned down to make sure she hadn't accidentally killed her.

"This is exactly what I imagined would happen with you off the isle." It was that sneering voice she hated to hear.

The day was really not going her way.