I

Mother

She pulled me out of the house, skipping quickly, we kick up the dusty soil on a wide forest road until we see civillization in the form of a town.

I resisted her tug, my heart hammered, the presence of soldiers could plague this village and it would ruin my peaceful life. Of course Ms. Hilda did not understand any of this, I was disturbing her, at the same time I could risk dragging her into my past. I gulped and began to retreat down the road, to my mother it seemed like I was backing away from her, she looked confused and a bit hurt. I gulped down the dryness in my throat.

She took a stick from the side of the road and crouched in the dirt, beginning to write, it had become our usual method of conversation, it seemed that she could not speak much.

'Shopping for clothes for you' the guilt was weighing down my soldiers, I looked at my scratched up hands. I was no longer my past self, I had dirt stains and messy free flowing hair which I had also clipped to shoulder length. I wore the graying threadbare clothes my adoptive mother had given to me. I relaxed my hands, sighing out my heart's rhythm, the uneasy was immovable. Sweet Concealment, I clenched the graying far too long dress.

Perhaps, just perhaps... this lie could extend it's freedom to the village. Maybe I could be allowed to move about, even moreso than when I lived in the palace. After all, this was not the capital. My heart picked up with something else and the wind rushed past me, creating small tornadoes of redening leaves.

I could hardly feel my legs, but before I realized it, I had dashed into the small leaf circles. They settled, leaving the leaves in a small ring around my foot.

My mother soon joined me and laughed, joyously, it was on mute and I smiled at how silly it looked.

We continued down the dirt roads of the village, I look around to the darkstone walls on both sides. Men and women continued down the roads in their village finery, even a horse or two trotted along patiently.

I could not stop smiling, no one suspected anything, my dark hair was common and I looked normal. I skipped down the streets softly, in front of my mother, who would always be smiling and looking at me. In between a row of houses, a square immerged. The ground was lined with cobblestone and small crowds of people conversed around the edges, children played in the center.

I watched mesmerized, when one of the boys would touch the others, the game would reverse and everyone would run from the person who was touched.

I felt my feet fly towards them and my heart pick up, "May I join?" I looked to my feet, heart picking up. They stopped their play midway and wary of the boy who was touched, they looked to me. One boy with strange blond hair and a long brown coat replied. " "Course you can." he smiled and took a step back, "-but only if you're it."

The Kids scattered away from me, I raised my voice "What am I to do then?"

A boy behind me yelled "Catch us" he snickered slightly, I smiled, I would show them my powers.

I hiked up my skirt and turned on my heel, dashing towards the closest boy, he had a similar dark hair to me. I reached out my one hand. I had felt triumph on my fingertips, I began to smile smuggy. He dashed to the side at the last moment.

Shock, as I saw my empty hand, the blood rushed to my ears. Embarassment grew as they began to snicker. "This is not the end." I called out to them defensively and picked up my chase further. They always spread keeping one step away from me in all directions. My heart hammered and I looked around.

That dark haired boy continued dodge me at the last minute, let my dress go, asperated. "Seems you can't play with us afterall." I let out a small battle cry and dashed after that boy, I lunged at him over and over, he repeatedly hopped back. Farther from the group, until he senses his proximity to the adults and stumbles, not wanting to bump into a lady. I catch his arm.