Sophia
I've been thinking about how to answer Radley's question and I still can't think of a good answer. I've managed to avoid him for another week but I know it's only a matter of time until I bump into him again and when that happens, I want to be ready. It's hard to try and think of a good answer when he wouldn't take my original answer that I just don't like him in that way. It's not like I can even use another boy to say that he's not the only boy that I talk to. Maybe I could invent some kind of other boy. If only there was another boy, perhaps I wouldn't have to invent one.
"You're quiet," my dad says. My dad was home early from the school which was a bit of a pain. I actually thought I had some more time to think before I would be interrupted. I think I would have preferred it to be mum who was home. She tends to leave me to my own thoughts but my dad definitely doesn't.
"I'm just thinking," I reply. If I was to create a fake boyfriend, what would they be called?
"What are you thinking about?"
"I'm sure it won't be interesting for you," I say and I know it won't be.
"You might as well tell me."
I sigh, it seems my dad won't leave me alone until I tell him what I'm thinking about. "Radley asked me to be his girlfriend a few weeks ago and I'm trying to think of a response"
"I thought you liked Radley." I didn't even know that my dad knew who Radley was, yet alone knew what I apparently thought of him.
"I like Radley as a friend not as a possible boyfriend," I explain. I don't know why just because I'm friends with a boy that I have to automatically see them as a potential boyfriend. Radley and I are good friends and apparently for most people that isn't good enough. I'm not even sure if Radley even likes me or if he's being forced into it.
"Are you sure?"
"You sound like Radley there. He said I should look at my options and realise that he's the only male in this village that I actually talk to." I mean it's not like that's not true but I still don't see why that's a valid reason why I should throw my whole life away.
"He has a point."
"Merlin, please don't tell me you're serious," I mutter.
"Sophia as much as you're our little girl, you've grown up and you need to start thinking about the future." Oh yes, the future where I have to be paired off with some boy just so I can have children. That sounds really great.
"Why does that future have to be with Radley or even any male at all? Why can't I just be happy by myself?" It's where Sophie and Agatha's story went wrong. They both thought that their only source of happiness could come from a boy and it lead them to being on the verge of death multiple times. Being by myself means that I can be free, which I can't do with a male involved.
"It's the way things are done. Radley is a good option for you. Being honest Sophia, he's your only option."
"Just because he's the only male that I talk to doesn't mean that he's my only option."
"Yes it does. What other option is there then?"
My whole life has been constricted to this village, to the people within it but there's a whole other world in the woods where perhaps I could find happiness. "Well, I could always find someone from the woods."
"That's not possible Sophia, you know that."
"Why not? Just because I wasn't accepted into the school it means I'm stuck in Gavaldon for the rest of my life." It seems like the stupidest system. Just because I didn't get selected to go to a school means that I'm going to be trapped in Gavaldon for the rest of my life.
"Yes it does."
"Why though? Surely there's some way to break through the barrier into the woods." There must be some way to get through the barrier that surrounds the village. If the school master could take people to the school there must be a way where you can pass through it.
"Breaking the barrier! Listen to yourself, that's not the life for you."
"It is, I know it is. I'll tell Radley no and then I'll try and find a way into the woods myself." This is the perfect plan. I'm not really sure how I'll find that way but there must be an answer somewhere. I could first try looking in the storybooks which always seem to have the right answer located in them somewhere.
"If I had known you would have been like this, I would have let the School Master take you!" Intsantly, I can see my dad has slipped up and said something that he shouldn't have.
"What?" I can feel my breath deep in my chest, telling me that something is wrong. What is he talking about?
"It's nothing, I didn't say anything." Yes, he definitely said something that he wasn't supposed to as now he's trying to act like it never happened.
"No, you said that you would have let the School Master take me. Are you saying that he came for me?" That couldn't be possible, it just can't be. I would have known if the School Master had come for me.
"We'd just lost Frederick, we weren't about to lose you to the woods." Frederick was my older brother who died years ago. It's weird having this hole in the family where he used to be. I was really close to him and I was so upset after he died but I had to stay strong, for my parents. I guess my parents needed me more than I might have thought.
"So he actually came for me. He came for me the same year he took Sophie and Agatha." Well then he definitely couldn't have come for me then. Sophie and Agatha were destined to go to the school so he couldn't have wanted to take me too.
"He would only ever take two, it made sense that Sophie and Agatha would be the ones he would take and he did."
"So what makes you think that he came for me?"
"I saw him that night. I stayed out guarding the house alongside other people in the village. They knew that losing you would be too much for your mother and I."
"You saw him?" If my dad did see him, that means he's actually telling the truth. The School Master actually did come to take me to the school. Wait a second, there were people guarding the house and then the school master just happened to come? "Hang on, how did you know he was definitely coming for me?"
"There were signs. I didn't know for sure but after Federick's death you were so helpful and everyone remarked on how Good you were. I decided to board up the house one night but when I woke up, it had all disappeared. That's when I knew for sure."
"That's why I've been feeling so lost. I should be out in the woods." It's all making sense, these feelings that I've been having that have been growing stronger each day. A part of me is destined to be in the woods, living my story. It's why I can never imagine a future here.
"We just couldn't lose you. You understand that, don't you?"
My parents may have lied to me but I understand why. It would have destroyed them if I was taken so close after Frederick's death. I can feel the anger brewing up inside of me but I don't want to hurt my dad, he means too much to me. "I do but you should have told me. I need some air." I leave straight away, slamming the door behind me. I needed some space to catch my breath. I should be out in the woods instead of being stuck in Gavaldon. I should have gone to the school and then be out in the woods living my fairytale. How could things have gone so wrong?
I decide to take a walk, maybe that will allow me to make sense of everything. I still haven't worked out what I'm going to say to Radley when I see him again. Maybe I should just tell him that I'm going to the woods and then he won't want to associate with me because he'll think I'm crazy.
If I'm supposed to be in the woods, maybe that's why my storybook kept showing me Rafal. It was trying to tell me the truth about why I felt so lost. Well it's nice to know but the school master is dead, as dead as he possibly can be. If only there was a way to get into the woods, some other way. Somebody could whisk me away and I could have a real shot at getting my happily ever after. If only there wasn't a stupid barrier around the village, I would be able to go myself. Instead, I'm stuck in this boring village where I'll most likely have to marryy Radley. Won't someone save me?
Suddenly, I hear shouting. That's weird, Gavaldon is so boring and peaceful that nobody would ever shout. I decide to follow the sound which gradually grows louder. It's then that I see the crowd of people by the woods. Now this is interesting.
Quicker than before, I make my way over to the crowd. I wonder what's going on? I can't see clearly due to the sheer number of people. I wouldn't be surpirsed if basically the whole of the village was here. It's then that I spot some red hair through the crowd. Radley. I know I wanted to avoid him but he might know what's going on here and I'm too curious not to find out.
"Radley, what's going on?" I ask. Radley turns to me confused but then after recognising that it's me, his face lights up. I guess he might have genuine feelings for me. That's going to make rejecting him nicely an even harder feat.
"Apparently someone has crossed into the village from the woods."
I can't be hearing this right. "That's not possible." People can't just cross into the village from the woods just like people can't cross into the woods from the village.
"Of course it isn't but someone has." This can't be happening, especially when I just talked to my dad about finding a way to cross over to the woods. I have to go and see what this person looks like.
I push my way through the crowd, saying 'excuse me' as I go. The crowd starts to thin and I find myself at the front, staring at someone who's crouched down on the ground. It's actually true. They certainly don't look like they're from Gavaldon, their clothes look different.
Tentatively, I make my way closer to the person my heart rate quickening at each step I take. "Excuse me, are you okay?" I ask, softly.
The person looks at me and I'm struck with sheer horror. No, no, no. That isn't possible. This person can't be here, they're dead. I know they're dead.
"Frederick,"I say, my voice hitching in my throat. It's then that I notice my vision is starting to blur. What's happening? I can feel the panic rising in me as I feel my balance falter. I start to fall but I feel two arms wrap around me as I succumb to the darkness.