The Entangled Tales

Hiding in Plain Sight

They never thought that their love would unfold in such a mysterious way. But then again, love is such an uncanny feeling. It lies at the top of the most beautiful flower, but the stem is strewn with thorns.

Jake and Alice, two young teens in love. But a love, that lay unfinished.

How they met, is cliché really, but that's how fate united them, attached them, only to bereave them of each other later.

Instead of beginning with a 'Once upon a time', how most great stories begin, this story begins with the happenings of one fine, grey afternoon, amidst the town of Peillon, in France, more than 70 ago.

The First World War had ended, and the entire world was still recovering from the shock. Lots of changes were coming, and amidst all this, Jake Willow was riding his horse around a secluded area, humming his own tune, unaware of anything that lay before him.

At the age of 16, Jake was a tall, young man, with light freckles and messy blond hair, and a personality charismatic enough to charm all the ladies of his age. Of course, Jake had never given a thought about love. That is, until this afternoon.

He had dismounted from his horse, and proceeded to walk through the passages he had discovered, near Peillon, but uninhabited. There stood a deserted, almost castle-like building, near the outer skirts of the town. He hadn't heard much of this formation, which slightly surprised him, for he had been living in this town for the past 5 years, and knew almost everyone, and everything about it.

A strange susurration sounded near from a nearby tree, and Jake's head instantly turned towards the tree. "Quoi?" He exclaimed in French, as he neared the tree, after hearing further rustling.

Jake was now directly beneath the tree, looking up to see what had made that sound, for it was too loud to be made by a squirrel or a bird. He stood there for a moment, and just the next, he heard a scream, followed by the sound of cloth tearing, and a girl, about his age, fell off the tree and on to him.

Jake didn't have any time to react, and the girl landed on top of him, as they rolled over, causing Jake to be on top. He had one of his hand behind the girl's head, and the other one supporting his weight, beside her head, as his hazel eyes bore deep into her blue ones.

"I'm sorry, I..." They both began in unison and abruptly stopped after hearing the other one. She slightly giggled, and Jake pulled both of them back up to their feet.

"I'm sorry, Monsieur..." she began, her tone suggesting him to introduce himself.

"Jake, I'm Jake Willow," Jake replied, with his thick French accent. The girl then continued, "I'm sorry, Monsieur Jake. I'm Alice, and I didn't mean to...uhm...fall on you like that." Her accent seemed to suggest that she was not French, and Jake pinned that as something to question later.

"It's no problem, Mademoiselle Alice. But might I know what you were up to on top of a tree?" He questioned, careful of his words.

Alice slightly laughed, before replying, "I was...uh, playing?"

"It doesn't take a genius to know that this was a lie, Alice," Jake said softly, his voice low. Alice slightly sighed, as she nervously fidgeted with her dress. "I...it was nothing."

Jake didn't buy that, he was determined to make Alice tell him the truth. "You can tell me, I know it's not 'nothing', Alice."

Alice let out a shaky breath before continuing. He didn't seem to recognize her, maybe it would be just fine to tell this handsome boy about her? "I was hiding." She blurted.

His widened, as he asked, "Why were you hiding?"

"That's a tale for another day. I need to get going." Alice shifted the topic so efficiently that Jake was slightly struck by this response. She turned that around pretty easily, he thought.

"Thanks a lot, Jake. Maybe I'll see you around, but I've got to go now." With this, Alice turned around, but stopped, as something grabbed her wrist. Or rather, someone did.

"Stay with me for the afternoon." He whispered. Jake was slightly surprised at his own actions, he had never been interested in a girl, but this mysterious young lady seemed to be making a deep impression of the juvenile, and he couldn't help but feel a warmth with her.

Alice's eyes widened, and she initially shook her head. But seeing the fond look Jake was subconsciously giving her, Alice decided to give in. Jake seemed much different than any other young man she had met after she had escaped.

Over the entire afternoon, Jake and Alice wandered around the remains of that castle. It was an old establishment and seemed as if abandoned because of an attack. Pieces of rubble and other remains of destruction blocked several pathways, but a few were still intact.

As these two spent more and more time together, the more they got to know each other, and the more they began finding how similar they were, and yet, were poles apart.

It was like love at first sight, so cliché, right?

As night fell, Alice told Jake that she had to go. Jake knew he wouldn't be able to get her off his mind, and wanted to know her more than for just one day. "Mademoiselle Alice, would you meet me again, tomorrow afternoon, at the same place? I enjoy your company much more than anyone, please, fulfil my request."

Alice smiled, as she agreed, and told him that she'd meet him again, tomorrow afternoon, at the Ruined Castle.

How that one day, turned into a week, and how that week, turned into a month, is something neither of them knew. But one afternoon, after Jake and Alice had become closer than ever, it all went down the drain. It's true what they say, good things fall apart.

It all began when Jake and Alice were lying on the grass, basking in the sun, and a distant stampede sounded, getting louder and louder every minute. Alice suddenly stood up, her expression unreadable, as she looked straight to where a group of horse riders were emerging from.

She suddenly gaped, grabbed Jake by the arm, and started to run into the ruins. She followed the clear path they had discovered and dragged Jake and herself to hide behind an intact wall. It had a hole nearby, and they could easily see the happenings of the field.

Once they were in there, Alice started tearing up, Jake rushed to her side, and whispered, "Alice, what happened? Why're you crying, love?"

Between sobs, Alice managed to answer, "Jake they'll take me away, don't let them take me away!"

Jake had no clue what this girl was saying, but he knew he would help her. In the past month, he had known her, he had never felt happier, more understood in his life. "Alice, I don't know what's going on, but I assure you, we'll get through it. We'll be okay, you and I."

Alice stared in his eyes, and Jake wiped her tears away, as she started to calm down. "Where are these men?" she asked him. Jake peeped through the space, to see the men retreating, and then he got back to Alice, who had slumped to the ground. "Alice, calm down, they're going. Tell me what's wrong?"

Alice's eyes brimmed with tears once more, as she quietly explained, "Jake, I'd have to leave. Remember Princess Catania? Jake, that's me! I'm Princess Catania!"

Jake's eyes widened as realization dawned upon him. That's why Alice had been so hesitant about staying with him.

"Jake, I can't stay. I'd have to leave again." Jake turned to look at her and softly sighed. He knew that she knew what he was thinking. "With your permission, Alice?"

Alice nodded her head, and that's all it took for Jake to bend down and gently press his lips to her. There were no words needed between them, for they already knew the love between them. The kiss they shared was soft, sweet and uncertain. Their first kiss, and maybe their last one.

After they pulled away, they both looked at each other one last time, before Alice stood up to go. But turned around, as Jake caught her arm, just like how he did, when they first met. "Is this the last time I'd see you?"

Alice smiled, before saying, "Just look around for me Jake, you'd find me hiding in plain sight." With that, she gave him a final kiss, whispered, "I love you." And turned around to leave.

Jake just stood there, unable to move, his heart weighing him down. Would he ever be able to see her? Or talk to her? He didn't know. But as he stood there, one thing that he did know, was that he had fallen in love with Alice, and he would look for her, while she would be hiding in plain sight.