A Dance of Memories and Time

Chapter 1: Don't Die This Time

                                                                              February 7, 1840

My whole life has led up to today. I was beaten up, but it was worth it. I wasn't going to die yet. Not until I can talk to her properly again.

Grunting, I roll to my side, debating whether I should move or not. Minutes pass by until I decide to push myself into a sitting position against the wall I dragged myself to earlier when avoiding the royal guards.

The sun's beginning to go down and I sigh, my ribs hurting when I try to take a deep breath in. I look around me. There are a few kids running around kicking a leather ball when a guard yells at them to go home before curfew.

I watch them leave as candles in houses get lit on by housewives and the husbands sit in the living rooms with their children. It's all peaceful considering the hell of a day I just had. I go through my personal belongings, the dagger at my ankle, and everything in my satchel is still there. Including my music box. I open the circular lid, a tiny ballerina in a pink tutu beside a tiny swan popping out and spinning as classical music softly reaches my ear.

I close the box and I touch different limbs that were hurting, looking at the damage when I realize that she cut my ribs, arm, and cheek, blood covering my uninjured hand when I look at it.

Which, hopefully, isn't that bad. I grab a cloth from one of my ankle pockets and immediately start bandaging up both my arm and my ribs. Cursing under my breath while I tighten the makeshift bandages.

I mutter quietly, "Fucking Kasumi. Hurting me like this. Very smart not gonna lie, but I barely even laid a hand on her. I hate –"

"I'm telling you I heard something over here!"

I freeze. I look down at my hands, still holding my bandages around my torso. Hastily, I look around, trying to find something to cover myself with but finding nothing other than a trash can a few feet away from me. I hold my breath, as a young girl in a pale pink dress runs towards my direction, but stops abruptly.

"Zielle, don't go wandering off like that," yells another voice, catching up to the first girl and grabbing her hand. "We have to go back, I swear you'll be the death of me." She too has a nice dress and her brown hair done into a pretty bun with multiple jewels in it. Expensive and not something a commoner would wear.

The girl, who looks presumably younger, shrugs her off and looks around. "Hold on." I stay still, hoping she doesn't look at me when she slowly turns around in circles. She stops for a split second looking at my direction and I pray that the sun is low enough for me to be hidden. She takes a few small steps towards me, but another voice stops her.

"It was probably a stray. Zielle, let's go," yet another voice pipes up and slowly two more people come into my view. Two guys. Both wearing white dress shirts with multiple dirt stains on them. Not very prince-like I presume.

"No. I heard something, I swear. It was a person."

"Everyone's inside, it's past curfew and we're here without protection."

The girl named Zielle turns to face her companions and hesitates before they begin to leave. Once they're a good feet away from me, I decide it's a good time to get away from my hiding spot and find somewhere to camp for the night. I get up but I lose my balance when I see all the blood on the floor. You would think many years of fighting would not make me queasy when I see blood.

Quickly, I close my eyes and put my hand on the wall, trying to steady myself. I take a few breaths and when I wrap my free arm around my ribs to put pressure on the wound, I push myself away from the wall but trip and fall, hitting my head on the concrete. My satchel falls to the ground with me and my music box rolls out of it hitting the foot of one of the girls walking away. It opens and softly begins to play music.

They turn around back to face me and as black spots my vision, these four strangers run up to me.