Catch Me If You Can (on hold)

Castle Gates

"No you don't understand! I have to see Thomas, please," I begged but the guard continued to glare down at me, shivering, wet and cold.

"That will be Prince Thomas to you, peasant," he snapped back and made no move to lift the gate. His glare stayed aimed at me and I could feel my brave facade start to shatter under the penetrating stare.

"Well at least take me to the shelter in the great hall. That is still up and running right?"

The shelter was a safe haven for children at night with no where to go. Hot drinks and hot food was provided along with a dry mattress and a warm blanket, not one of those ones that itch and irritate your skin. My father, before he fell ill thought of this idea and took it to the queen who, being the kind-hearted soul she was, saw the magic in his idea.

"No," the guard said and shoved me further into the rain. Hurt flashed in my eyes and the guard made a sudden movement to pull me further back inside his small hut beside the gate but before he could a slight dinging noise made him freeze and look at me in pity. Before I could comprehend what was happening, he had left the hut. I was alone once more.

A few minutes later, the gate started to creak outside of the wooden hut where I sat hunched in a ball, trying to keep warm. I lifted my head off my knees and listened some more. Splashes echoed though the dark and a light of an oil-lit lamp drifted my way. I could see the gate starting to rise and I jumped up and slipped outside where the rain now fell in gentle drops, kissing my skin apologetically. I bounced on the balls of my feet waiting for the gate to get high enough. I eyed the gate then flickered my gaze to the light that was getting closer with each passing moment. I could see a silhouette now, a shadow of the man holding the lamp. I could make out a tall hat and a long cloak, he was the new guard, coming in from dinner. My situation suddenly got far more severe than I thought it would. With a new guard coming, I had no time to go through what I did with the other. I needed to make my move. Swiftly, I darted underneath the rising, steal gate and darted to my left, making for the rose garden that Thomas strategically placed so he could have the best view. Oh, and so he wouldn't have the smell of the horses wafting up to him in the mornings. On my 4th birthday, I had the choice to move rooms and, so I could escape the stench of the stables, I also had the guilty reason to be closer to Thomas, we were that close. So, I chose the bedroom a floor down, my window was directly below Tommy's. We'd sneak to each other's rooms, using the ladder that the gardener had forgotten about, leaning up against the walls of the castle next to our windows. To make it stable so I would climb it on my own, Thomas had his father secure it to the bricks. And as I presumed, the ladder was still there however covered in green vines it was.

A haunting, red light came from my window, a shadow writhed through the glow. I furrowed my brow and walked up to the foot to the long ladder. "Hello?" I called out, hands cupped around my mouth. The shadow stopped moving and the red light flicked off, giving off a smell I recognised. Who wouldn't remember the horrific stench of an egg-run lava red glow using red food colouring and glow in the dark paste. I almost laughed out loud. The idiot still used that science experiment? It was one of the last Tommy and I did together.

"Who's there?" A voice called out. I smiled at the sound.

"Guess who?" I taunted jokingly. The silence was deafening and a knife could cut a clean slice, the tension was so thick. If it wasn't Thomas, I would be arrested and trialed.

A shadow loomed at the window and then it opened. "Alessandra?"

My stomach lurched at the sound of my name being used back in these walls, bile rose in my throat. "Here it's Sandra, Tommy. I'm still not used to hearing my name in this place,"

Thomas did not answer but a figure swung his legs out of the window and placed a foot on a rung. "I'm climbing down, Sandra," my new name sounded wrong, sticky and fake coming from his mouth. I almost asked him- no begged him to keep calling me Alessandara. But I didn't. And I won't.

Ten minutes in, Tommy had already started a small fire and we were roasting a bag of marsh mellows he said he just happened to have as I interrupted his 'egg light time', but I saw the pink sludge on his lips when he came close to hug me. "Mm, gosh Thomas, these marsh mellows are delicious! Where are they from?" 

Tommy smirked and wiped my lip with his finger. "You had a bit of something," he said, missing the question but I didn't push it. What we had going was amazing and I wouldn't trade his friendship or this moment for all the gold in the kingdom. "So," Tommy began, adjusting his position and crossing his ling, tan legs, "where have you been for the whole time?" 

I spluttered, this was not expected. Sure, it might come up later but not on our second meeting! "Uh- with Shania Tolk, I've, um, been using her last name. You were the first person who's called me 'Alessandra White' in a long time." 

Tommy exhaled, his breath fanned out in a white cloud in front of me. The fire created a warm feeling deep in my chest but the mysterious shadows made more doubts form in my mind. "Why?" Thomas asked. He reached for my hand but I jerked away from his touch. I wasn't sure why but with Brady's betrayal fresh and not having a proper gesture of love in a long time, I guess I didn't know how to accept his hand. 

"Why what?"

Thomas looked dejected, the sparkle in his eyes was gone and he placed his hand back in his lap. "Why didn't you come back?"

"I was scared, Tommy, real scared," I said suddenly. The night sky suddenly felt even darker and the flames were nothing but heat. "I was terrified you were going to hate me."

"What?" shocked, Tommy stared at me intently. I felt the need to confess everything to this boy in front of me like I used to. I don't know whether it was his eyes that remind me of the sea, calm, trustworthy and vast or our background, confusing, crushing and the best moments of my life.

"When she came into my room that night, I agreed to go with her, she told me that it would be an adventure! That's when I thought of you," I whispered. My hair fell lose, framing my cheeks where tears had taken residence. Tommy placed two fingers under my chin and lifted my head so our eyes met. He leaned forward and I thought he was going to kiss me but he merely placed out foreheads together. I could smell his minty breath and feel his hair, tickling my neck. I knew he wanted me to keep going so I took a deep breath and continued to speak. "I thought of all those times we went into the bush or into deserted parts of the castle and all those times we called it an adventure. I thought it was your idea of fun, waking me in the dark of night and getting me out of bed. Imagine the terror and shock I felt when Aunt Willow shoved a bag over my head and hit me, hard. I don't remember anything after that, only that I was a small orphan girl who needed a home."

Tears were cascading down my cheeks now, they were pooling in my mouth, the saltiness disgusted me but I swallowed them, just as I did with my fears. "The birthmark, I thought a scar and the memories came back in bits. I think it was so she knew I'd feel pain, the pain of being taken away from those that I loved. Shania Tolk, that wonderful woman, she came along one day and decided enough was enough. She's seen enough of me alone in the streets and she took me in. Tommy, you see? I wanted to come back but I was too afraid. I'm a coward and I hate myself for it."

Thomas shook his head nad brought me into an embrace. I wrapped my arms around his strong torso and sobbed into his shoulder, "I hate myself, Tommy! I'm a coward who wouldn't go back to my family!" 

Tommy hugged me tighter which only made the tears fall faster and more violently, small hiccups made their way out of my mouth and my body jerked with the emotions I was feeling. "You're not a coward, Alessandra, you were very brave," 

I shook my head but he didn't say anything more. We sat like that, me in his arms until the light of the morning sun. 

Wow. That was a pretty intense chapter. Alessandra's past has been uncovered just a bit more! Keep thinking, who do you think her parents are and why do you think her aunt took her away? The person who guesses right will get to be a character, whatever and whoever they want AND they get to give me and idea for a chapter which I will work off completely. Comment away!