Arranged (5 page)

The hours dragged by. She watched out her window as the sun set and the sky was littered with stars. Even then, she waited longer. Her stomach was churning dangerously with nerves. She had taken care of herself for as long as she could remember, but she had never had to fully depend on herself for shelter and food. She was sure she could handle it. She had planned out a route to make it to the city and stock up on provisions and find her way to her father's house.

She had to admit that excitement was also racing through her at the same time. However, the waiting was killing her. But she knew that the more time she waited, the less chance she had of getting caught. So, she waited. Neither of the men came to her door again that night.

The moon was high in the cloudless sky, shining brightly on the ground below. It was the perfect night for an escape. Alison finally donned her dark green cloak, strapped her boots and pulled up her hood. She had carefully chosen her outfit to allow her to easily blend into the night. She grabbed her pack and slung it over her shoulder, walking to her door.

She slowly moved the chair and cracked the door. Her heart picked up slightly as adrenaline coursed through her. Without a sound, she let herself into the hall, silently closing the door behind her. She carefully watched her front and back, but the only sounds she heard were the sounds of heavy, sleepy breathing.

She tiptoed past her uncle's bedroom, then past James' room to the stairs. She swallowed hard as she stepped down the first step, then the second. The fifth step creaked and she froze. She watched the top of the stairs, waiting for her uncle to burst out of his room and catch her.

Seconds ticked by into eternity. Jackson didn't come out.

Alison took a deep breath and continued down the stairs. The servants slept at the back of the house, around the kitchen. She would have to be very careful now. She doubted they were as heavy sleepers as her uncle. She hurried through the halls, barely hearing the sound of the light padding of her own feet over the drumming of her heart in her ears. She opened the kitchen door and to her relief everything was quiet.

The moon shone through the window, lighting her way. She set her pack on the floor and went to a few cabinets, grabbing things she thought she would need. She took a whole loaf of bread and wrapped it in a cloth. She also grabbed some fruit and some dried meat they had.

Her pack bulged with food, but still she shoved more. She had one final stop. She slipped out the kitchen and tiptoed to her uncle's study. To her surprise, the door was open, but she had a problem. The key! She had completely forgotten it in her haste to get out of the house before she was caught. It was always on a string around her uncle's neck.

She mentally chided herself. However she decided to make sure the key was needed. Setting her pack down, she went to his large oak desk. Her luck ran out here. The desk was indeed locked. She jiggled it roughly but it held fast. She had no idea how to get it open without the key and she was wasting too much time. She needed those papers.

She grabbed the dagger that was displayed on Jackson's desk and without another minute to lose, she let herself back into the hallway and back up the stairs. She skipped the fifth step from the top and hurried down the hall to her uncle's room. She steadied herself before opening the door. Thank goodness none of the hinges squeaked.

The room was nearly pitch-black. She had to give her eyes time to adjust. Then she saw him, her uncle's sleeping form in his huge bed. She palmed the dagger and crept forward.

She normally wasn't a violent person; but the thought of waking him up with a knife to his throat did sound appealing for a moment. She'd demand that Jackson call off the arranged marriage. But he would probably have her arrested as soon as he got the chance. Besides, she could never go through with it. She really wasn't a violent person.

She reached the bed, staring down at his sleeping form. He had a slight snore to his breathing. The tension between her shoulders lessened slightly, his breathing meant he was sleeping deeply. His arm was strewn over his eyes, while the blankets were pulled up to his chin.

She leaned closer, eyeing the simple string he kept his key on. She gently pulled the blankets down and licked her dry lips. Her breath froze in her lungs as she reached across his form and took the string between her fingers. Very gently, she tugged the string until the key peeked out from under his shirt. Her hands shook slightly as she gripped the dagger. On the count of three, she sliced the string, hoping the sound didn't wake Jackson.

He snorted slightly, but slept on. She took a slow breath and pulled the key until it was off the string. With a slight sigh of relief, she palmed the key and the dagger and turned quickly to leave. In the process, her foot caught the rug and she was sent flying. The dagger skidded across the floor and she fell with an "oof!".

She clamped her mouth shut as she froze. When she slowly turned her head, Jackson was sitting up in bed, his eyes darting around the room. It took her a second to realize that he couldn't see her. Her forest green cloak was covering her well. She remained frozen.

He looked around again, finally relaxing and laying back down. She stayed where she was for ten minutes. As soon as his snores filled the air, she dared to move. The key had made an imprint in her hand from how tightly she had held it. She made her way to the door, keeping low to the ground. Without one last glance at her uncle, she slipped into the hallway.

She took a deep breath, trying to steady her shaky nerves. That was much too close. She pushed herself off the wall, heading for the stairs again. The longer she stayed in the house, the more she felt as though she were going to be caught. So, she hurried down the stairs, skipping the fifth and nearly running to her uncle's office. She was getting a serious case of the nerves.

She jammed the key into the oak desk and opened the drawer. Many papers lay inside. She shuffled through a few of them, but she was growing very anxious. So she took all of them, shoving them in her already full pack. She didn't bother to shut and lock the drawer, when Jackson woke up he would find her missing. Then he would discover the missing key. She wished she could see his face. He had put her through so much these past few days.

She slung her pack over her shoulder and crept through the halls to the back door. She opened it quietly, looking around. Her uncle had set up guards, but they were all posted in the front, below her window. She smiled at her luck as the moon shone the way to the woods. Today was the beginning of a new life for her.

She closed the door to the manor behind her and without a backward glance, she stepped into the trees.

The canopy of trees blocked most of the moonlight; however, Alison still managed to make her way through the woods. She picked her way over branches and through bushes. Her nerves made her move quickly through the dark, putting as much distance between the manor and herself as possible. Her pack was heavy, but she didn't mind, inside she had everything she needed for her escape.

Eyes as dark as tar, caught a glimpse of movement through the trees. The creature slinked forward, blending perfectly into its surroundings.

Alison rested against a tree, not knowing that she was being watched. She let her pack rest on the ground as she leaned against the trunk trying to catch her breath.

A second creature joined the first, peering around at the resting girl. "Qwessannsssa badeaaaa essss raaaaaa," one hissed to the other. Without pausing, the second to arrive took off into the trees, a blur of gray.

It easily leapt over logs and skidded past trees, rushing to a strange rock face. It slipped through an invisible doorway and entered a series of caves. In a faster blur, it navigated through the shadows until it arrived at a large gate. The gate stood taller than five men.

The gate opened for the creature and it lost no time rushing into an underground city, searching for its master.

Alison fought off sleep. She pushed herself up from the trunk, forcing herself to keep going. Her fingers circled the strap of her pack and slung it over her shoulder. She had only walked a few feet when she caught a blur out of the corner of her eye. She studied the trees, but couldn't see anything. She shook off the feeling of paranoia and continued through the dark.

Another blur. Her head snapped to follow it. She stared at the trees, hard. Through the dark she could barely make out the forms of the trees and shrubs. Then she saw something. She stared harder, her eyes making out a skinny body and eyes as dark as the night around them, staring back at her. She gasped as the creature crept closer, silently.

Without another thought, she took off into the trees. She heard a strange hissing behind her, but she didn't dare look back. She dodged trees, holding her pack close so it wouldn't bounce and slow her down as she ran. Her cloak billowed behind her.

What is that?
She thought as she ran in fear.

She heard more hissing and finally glanced back, wishing she had never done such a thing. Her heart leapt into her throat as she spotted three creatures chasing her, and gaining. She screamed and dodged to the right, hoping to throw them off her trail. They stayed right with her.

Her foot caught a root hidden by the underbrush, and she stumbled, dropping her bag. Their hisses grew louder and she scrambled up, leaving her bag. She ran for her life.

Without the added weight of the pack, she ran much faster. She knew she needed the bag, but she needed to get away first. Again, she changed direction, diving behind a tree before they could see her. She held her breath, her heart beating wildly in her chest as they ran past, not seeing her. For the second time that night, she thanked her green cloak.

She ran the other way, back towards her pack. However, she was helplessly lost. The woods looked completely different in the dark. The creatures had more than likely realized they were chasing nothing. Before she went any farther, she spotted a tree that she could easily climb. She hoisted herself up, wrapping her cloak around her.

Her whole body was shaking from the amount of adrenaline rushing through her system. She tried to steady her ragged breathing, but her lungs couldn't get enough oxygen. Suddenly, a strange silence settled over the woods and Alison knew they were coming.

Moments later, a blur of gray passed below the tree. Her eyes widened in fear. It scared her more that she could not see what was chasing her. A few more blurs went by and she stayed where she was.

Too soon, they returned to the tree.
How do they know where I am?
She thought. She silently curled her legs in, making her smaller against the trunk. They circled back a few times, each time growing closer to the tree as they slowed down. Finally, one stopped below her tree, lifting its head in a strange up and down motion. After a moment, she realized that it was sniffing the air.

Her heart stopped as she stared at it. It seemed as if time had slowed down. She watched as it lifted its head more, its pitch black eyes taking her in. Its mouth opened in a strange hiss at its discovery. She had to act fast, or be eaten by the creature. So, she did the first thing that came to mind and jumped out of the tree, onto the creature.

She felt its body crumble under hers. She recovered quickly, running into the forest before the others could catch her. They were faster than she thought. They found the unconscious creature and shrieked in anger. Alison pushed herself, her muscles burned, but she ran on. She never should have left the manor. She didn't even know where her bag was. She felt completely lost, only driven by the need to survive.

She heard an angry shriek not too far behind her and turned her head. The other two were making their way through the trees, quickly. Her breath was coming in gasps, but she ignored it. They were getting closer; she could hear them right behind her now. She tried desperately to lose them.

She glanced back again, and found that it was only one now.
Where is the other one?
She wondered. Had she outrun it? She didn't have too much time to ponder, because the one behind her had a sudden burst of speed and touched her.

Her blood ran cold with fear and a new shot of adrenaline raced through her. She pulled ahead, if only by a few feet. The creature that had gone missing suddenly appeared in the trees ahead of her. She screamed and swerved, nearly running into a tree in her haste. She regained her step and ran. Again one fell behind, but the one that had touched her, picked up speed, catching up to her easily. It almost seemed as if they were playing with her.

The moon broke through the trees ahead; she headed full speed toward the clearing. The creature hissed behind her, touching her again. She could feel its fingers on her shoulder. Then her eyes widened in fear, they were coming to a cliff, very quickly. The reason she could see the moon was because the trees parted in a deep ravine. She tried to stop, but the dirt and leaves beneath her did nothing for traction.

She screamed as her feet fell out from under her, her hands flailing for something to hold onto. The creature behind her slipped too and hissed, spotting the ravine too late. It stumbled over Alison, trying to grab onto her to stop its fall.

Alison's fingers dug into the dirt, trying to stop from going over the edge. Then finally, her hand surrounded a root. She grabbed it for dear life. Her already wounded hand scrapped along the hard root causing her to grit her teeth against the pain. The creature's fingers brushed her ankle. She screamed and kicked frantically, sending the creature careening head over heels down into the ravine.