Shadowing Alice [Soon To Be Rewritten]

Ch. 28

I was shaking even more then, like not talking anymore was somehow much worse than talking.  It was probably the silence.  No one was doing or saying anything.  It scared me so much… because I could practically feel everyone was deciding my fate at that moment.  It didn't matter whether Mr. Rathowen said I had no charges.  It didn't matter whether Bishop took full responsibility or not.  Bishop might've loaded the gun, but I had pulled the trigger.  I had confessed to killing the king because I was the one who had done the actual killing; the councilmen would definitely make some charges against me.

            "Well," said Mr. Rathowen, awkwardly breaking the silence.  "Are there any questions—that are not about Alice Mallory?"  Everyone had started to raise their hand, but they set them back down again.  They would get their chance eventually.

            Mr. Rathowen consulted his notebook.  "Now, the last order of business is the leadership of Autumn Morning.  Upon his death, Richard Evergreen had officially left everything to his wife, Sandra Evergreen, and granted complete rulership of Autumn Morning to his son, Daniel Evergreen.  David Evergreen, during his rule, hadn't changed anything, so, Richard's will currently still stands.  In the event that Daniel Evergreen had not yet returned to Autumn Morning, or turned down the position, the councilmen—along with Bishop and myself—are to select a new king or queen of Autumn Morning from the common folk.  Seeing as how Daniel Evergreen has returned to Autumn Morning, we must now await for him to either accept or decline the position."          

            Everyone immediately turned to Danny.

            He shrank back in his seat, his hand squeezing mine for a few seconds.  "I-I'd like to think about it… if I can," he said.

            "Of course," Mr. Rathowen said.  "Take all the time you need."  He jotted something down in his notebook.  "Now then, we have all addressed the current situations in this meeting."  He glanced at a clock that hung over the door.  It was one o'clock in the afternoon; the meeting had been four hours long and only Bishop had eaten anything on his plate.  "Might I suggest a half-hour break before we—"

            A rock crashed through the window. 

            Frowning, Mr. Rathowen moved towards the window only to suddenly turn around and run back.  Everyone got to their feet as many more rocks started smashing through, glass showering over us like rain.

            We all gathered in the hallway, the men dusting small shards of glass off of their suits, or rubbing a spot where a rock might've hit them.  Danny and I had moved the farthest from the door as a few black Pawns made their way through the hallway.  Some went into the room, but the rest continued on.

            I turned to Danny.  "Are you okay?"  He was looking down at his hands, and I'd thought he'd gotten cut or something, but no.  He held a slip of paper. 

            "It's nothing," he said quickly, keeping it out my reach.  "It's not—Alice."

            I managed to grab it anyway and read it for myself.  It was wrinkly, so it must've been wrapped around a rock.  In big jagged lettering it said Off with Her Head… all over the entire page, written in bloody red ink.

            I felt like I was going to puke; good thing I hadn't eaten anything.

            Danny moved closer.  I turned and saw a few of the councilmen reading crumpled up pieces of paper too, which no doubt said the same things.  Everyone else was looking through the doorway of the dining hall… listening….