September 2020 Writing Prompts

Day 23 - Briar

Scrambling through the briar was her only option, though she wished it wasn't as prickly. She couldn't take a step without wincing as another sharp thorn impaled itself in her fair colored flesh, staining a small dot of it with dark red that shouldn't ever leave her. It tangled her hair as it clawed at her, yearning to trap her within its tight embrace but she could not stop.

She feared the possy behind her, sure, but she feared what they would do to her back at the castle more. She wasn't supposed to leave. She wasn't supposed to go outside without a guard, much less out of the castle. But she did not listen and soon, she used a simple spell to teleport outside the castle walls. What she hadn't prepared for, was the group of guards she had teleported in front of spotting her. 

And so the chase began, Gal doing any spell she could to quicken her speed or confuse her pursuers. Not that it mattered. It'd just make her parents more angry, but in a state of adreniline, Gal didn't think of this possibility as she was too busy running for what she illusioned was her life.

The guards had stopped almost as she entered the dense briar patch, seeming almost sorrowful. Gal didn't pay this mind, still running as quick as she could, which wasn't very quick, within the briar to gain ground between them. She didn't even notice they had left until she stumbled, panting from lack of breath and overexertion.

She had almost reached the end of the briar, which was surrounded by tall looming trees the princess had never seen before. The trees she saw were only in books and were mere caricatures of the great works of nature looming over her. Small blue flowers littered the clearing, along with soft grass that glistened with that morning's dew.

Gal gazed around in wonder, completely forgetting her previous engagements, as she stepped into the clearing, now free from the prickly briar that had tried oh so hard to keep her there. It didn't take long for her gaze to fall upon the oldest looking tree. It was darker than the others and had many glowing blue petals that only seemed to beckon Gal nearer.

It was hypnotizing, the blue light that infected her vision. It was a very light blue that almost seemed sort of green. Each slow step Gal took towards the tree, the brighter and more intense the light got, almost as if it were growing excited she was coming. Gal raised her hand, in a full trance now, to touch the rough bark of the old tree.

With a jolt, Gal shot out of bed, panting. The dream had felt so real. She could almost feel the bark upon her skin, though she hadn't the chance to touch it in the dream. It was then that she noticed the pale turquoise vine tattooed into her flesh.

It was elegantly designed, definitely not the work of a tattoo artist. It was thin and started around her elbow and went up to wrap around her wrist,with occasional thorns popping up along the way. The vine led into her palm, which Gal opened curiously. Now decorating her palm was a lily, each detail perfect in every way. If she hadn't known better, she would have thought it was an actual lily.