Book of my random stories

Freedom is what we all need

The edo period of japan. The period where females are all restricted. The period where females could only stay home and do housework, help out to earn money and lastly, to be married out of the house.

I am proud to say that i am a 14 year old girl who has been doing the 2 out of the 3 things as mentioned above. Earning money and taking care for my siblings. As for marriage wise, my parents are actually arranging my marriage with a scholar. Even though i have met him a few times during our arranged dates, i actually harbour no feelings or sorts for him. The only reason i agreed to the marriage was for the sake of my parents who worked so hard for me.

However, i actually have a plan for freedom. Ever since young, i never had the opportunity to do the things that i have wanted to do, always adhering to my parents wishes. This time however, i have decided to fight for my own happiness, or should i say i am being selfish. I am going to ditch the wedding. I actually have the whole thing planned out.

The plan is really simple, really. All i had to do was to wait for an opening before i strike, simple right? Now for the real challenge, when is the right time to get away? I did not have to wait long for an opening though.

2 days later~

Today, my parents will be having a meetup with my soon-to-be-husband's parents. My brothers will also be attending school in the afternoon, leaving me alone in the house for exactly an hour. The moment my brothers left the house, I removed my kimono and chopped off its sleaves(issit correctly spelled?). Using a pair of scissors, i shortened the kimono until it reached my knees. I packed up my savings, a compass and an extra set of kimono into a box. I wrapped up the box with a piece pf cloth and slung it around my shoulders. Before i left the house, i used a piece of green cloth and tied it around my face, trying to make sure that as much surface area of my face was covered with it. Peering around cautiously, I slipped out of my house from the back door and climbed over the fence. The moment i touched the grass from the fields surrounding my house, i quickly took off towards the forest.

"Stop there!" "Thief!!!" I immediately halted and spun around, just in time to see my neighbours running towards me. They clutched on to their hoes and any form of weapon they could find. Tightening the cloth which was slung around my shoulders, i quickened my pace and bolted for the forest.

I neared the fence which was separating the fields. Using one arm, i vaulted over the fence and landed safely on the other side, or at least that was what i thought. When i clenched my fist, i felt a wet liquid drip down from my hand. I peered down and realised that there was a splinter stuck in my hand. Ignoring the pain, i gritted my teeth and continued running.

"Stop!!" Yoshioki-san's shouts became louder as i trudged on. My feet and legs scraped across the rocks and thorns of the plants, causing a multitude of scratches to form. Still, i turned a blind eye towards the pain and raced for the forest which was now just a few metres ahead of me.

"Stop!! Thief!" I stopped running when i reached the forests. Using my hands, I picked up some rocks and pelted them at the neighbours, attempting to slow them down. My footsteps resonated in the quiet forest as i sprinted as fast as my skinny legs could carry me.

Most of the villagers had stopped chasing since the forest was rumored to be haunted, except for some who were not superstitious. I hid behind a stone as i watched them run past, their hands all weilding rakes, or some sort of weapon. I uttered silent prayers in my heart, hoping that the spirits and villagers would leave me alone as i progressed into the dark forest. I now noticed a huge tree standing in the middle of the road. Shifting my kimono, i dug my fingers into the tree trunk and scaled up the abnormally tall tree.

"Left hand up, right hand on the branch..." i mumbled, trying to keep myself focused on the climbing. "Shit!" I cursed as my left hand slipped, causing blood to pour out from the freshly made wound. I clenched my hand into a fist and continued climbing, being more cautious compared to the previous time. This time, i finally made up all the way to the top of the tree.

I poked my head through the leaves and the smell of food immediately rusbed into my nose. The azure blue sky welcomed me with open arms while the birds chirped peacefully. This was what i had always been dreaming for, freedom.