The Art of Imagination

Chapter 2

Ingrid was careful in making sure the glass jars were placed securely at the bottom of the basket before she started racing down the alley. She passed many little clusters of houses and apartments at the rear ends of stores located in town. Twisting left and right, Ingrid found herself losing track of which way she was going and before she knew it, she found herself inevitably lost.

But the fact that she had no idea where she was gave her thrills. Ingrid needed something like this, a distraction. It would have been much better without the groceries weighing her arm down but it would have to do for now.

A light tinge of pink had coloured her cheeks as her breath quickened. Ingrid couldn’t help the slightest of smiles tweaking her equally pink lips. Her heart raced in her ribcage and she could feel her blood starting to pump harder in her ears.

More. I want more. Ingrid wanted to feel more of that excitement, even if she was running away from her sorrows and troubles at home. Just this once, let yourself go. Despite that her father’s absence left a hollow ache in her chest, the reality of her situation hit her hard in that very moment.

She was free. Her mother was distracted and still grieving at home and no doubt the staff were trying to distract themselves too. Ingrid wouldn’t be missed for a while and once they realised her absence, she’d be back before they could make a fuss.

This had to be the first time she was truly free. The driver said she wouldn’t be back for an hour since the woman also had some errands to run for the household.

Freedom. The word rang through her mind before it crawled into her throat and onto the tip of her tongue. “Freedom.”

Ingrid giggled. The word tasted so foreign in her mouth and yet it felt just right. For the past seventeen years, she’d been confined to the manor. On the rare occasions, she’d been allowed to accompany the Head Chef into town and now she was here, alone, unsupervised and free.

In that moment, all her worries melted away. All her grief, the pain, the distress seemed to disappear. And she took advantage of it.

Laughing at the top of her lungs, Ingrid lifted her skirts and started down a maze of alleys. Every now and then, a small child would pop up and look at her with curious eyes but they vanished as quickly as they appeared when she passed them by. She felt a broad grin stretching across her lips as she ducked beneath a low archway between two buildings and burst onto a bridge across an empty train track far below. The fresh air filled her lungs, brimming her with the exciting sensation of freedom. She threw her free arm to the side and tossed her head back, swirling round and round until she grew dizzy, the sky spinning before her eyes.

Being surrounded by unfamiliar buildings was the least of her worries. Nothing could compare to the swelling in her chest, the hammering of her heart or the rush of adrenaline pumping out short, breaths. In the distance she could hear the hiss and whistle of the train rushing along the tracks and the black smoke it puffed was gradually drawing nearer.

She twisted around to face the oncoming vehicle. The bridge was high enough to avoid the fumes which would give her a clear view of the train when it raced beneath her. Oh, how exciting!

“We’re quite high up.”

A shriek of surprise escaped Ingrid, her body jumping slightly. She turned to find a figure leisurely standing beside her much too close for her liking. He leaned against the rail of the bridge, the sea breeze tousling his jet black hair.

“W-Who are you?” she barked, stepping back cautiously. Immediately, she was on her guard, her prior unladylike scream being the least of her worries. Her father warned her of rascals that may try take advantage of her while she was in town. It was one of the many things both her parents claimed they protected her from by confining her to the manor. She ignored the pain at the thought of her father and focused her thoughts. Ingrid would show her father she could take care of herself when he came back – starting with this man.