The Silent Girl (Chapter 20)
*Disclaimer*: This is a work of fiction. Some events may be based on real life, but some events are made up.
“What time is it?” I asked a grownup. June had told me to Cherry, so I had a bad reputation with her. That was all June’s fault, it was her fault we had gotten into an argument in the first place, but she blamed it on me. It was fine, really, and I realized that without June, I could go rescue Samuel on my own. I wouldn’t need an ungrateful sister to lag behind me. Too time-consuming. Right now all I needed was to know the time.
The grownup turned to me, checking his wristwatch. “It’s 12:37 a.m,” he said. “Do you need help doing something?” “No,” I said. “Bye.”
I left, feeling hurried. June had told me that Coconut was leaving in an hour. She had told me at 11:45, which left fifteen minutes till 12:00 a.m. thirty-seven plus fifteen was fifty-two. Eight more minutes. That left me around fifteen minutes to pack, because I had to start later than Coconut, so that she wouldn’t see me. I had to hurry though, I had so much to pack!
I scanned around. Everyone seemed to be doing something. Something stupid, and time-comsuming. They looked focused though, so I quickly darted behind a tree. No eyes turned to me. Good.
I grabbed a low branch on the tree, and hauled myself up. I climbed higher and higher, until I was almost at the top. Unfurling my wings, I flapped them. Nothing. Maybe that was because I was holding onto the tree trunk. I let go, losing my balance. Whoa. Out of instinct, I flapped my wings again.
I didn’t fall. I wasn’t standing on the branch anymore. I was floating. FLOATING. My wings weren’t even flapping. Just floating. Wow. I gulped, out of amusement and fright. Flapping my wings, I made my way to the branch above me. I was actually flying. Without CXCoconut. Well, I didn’t even like Coconut anymore, so whatever. She was just going to lead me to Samuel. Nothing important. Nothing I cared about. Just leading me to the only person I liked. Yeah.
I stopped flapping my wings, to float in the air. I didn’t know how to fly forward, and it was pointless to just keep on flying up, because then someone would see me in the clear, blue sky, and I would just keep on drifting. I needed to stay hidden. I also needed to fly forward. I stepped toward the next tree, and moved forward. It was nice, but would take too long. I flapped my wings, and stepped forward. I moved a little bit, but it wasn’t because of my wings that I moved, it was because of my feet. I needed to find out a way to move without using my legs. A way that only used the lightweight, feathery wings that supported me. The only problem, which was a very big problem, was I didn’t know how.
I tried something else. I flapped my bird-like wings to the side, and pulled my feet back, so that my body curved. It was a hard stretch, but I was doing it for Samuel. Not Coconut. Gritting my teeth, I beat my wings as fast as I could. I moved. I actually moved. And not slowly, but very quick. I quickly untensed, and my wings turned to a more rhythmic pace. I ducked and dove my way through the forest, keeping my eyes on the path. It felt so nice to feel the breeze on my face, and the wind swirling around me. I felt free.
After a few minutes, I made out the small meadow, with the little creek. I landed softly on the flowery ground, and flew into the cottage, careful not to make a sound. Coconut was not inside. That was a relief.
I walked over to the cupboard, tucking my wings back in. I grabbed the plastic container filled with chocolate dots, and the ziplock bag of fruit strips.There were some other things in the cupboard too, like baking ingredients, but I didn’t care about those. I wanted to bring some fruit though, so I swiped two apples, three oranges, and one banana from the fruit bowl.Then, I explored the house trying to find a bag of some kind.
I finally realized that I could make a blue basket appear if I wanted to, so that's what I did. I turned it into a woven bag, and slid the food into it. I also went to my room, (it was mine because I now realized that I couldn’t trust June) and opened the closet to get a change of clothes. If I went to prison and things got bloody, at least I wouldn’t have to wear a shirt soaked in red liquid.
Once I had gotten a change of clothes, I finally left the cottage, flying near the trees, as not to be seen. Once I reached the coastline though, there were no more trees so I had to fly in the open. Taking a deep breath, I flew like a bullet with so much determinedness, I was on normal ground in the blink of an eye. Wow, I hadn’t realized I could do that.
I could see Coconut off in the distance, so I quickly ducked into the safety of the green foliage. I wove my way through the trees, keeping an eye on Coconut the whole way.
We flew for a few days. I ate some chocolate balls, and an apple and orange every day, with fruit strips on the side. Not very appetizing. I always kept an eye on Coconut, who sometimes stopped by at food stands to deliver baskets of food. Although I knew it was a very generous act, there was probably plenty of food around the island, and Coconut probably did it to portray how good she was. A reasonable act of selfishness, although an unkind one too. Sometimes I had to grit my teeth to stop from bursting at Coconut. She was so selfish, so ruthless!
Finally, a Palace came into sight, though it was very far away.. It was made of a pearly white stone, with golden gates and balconies. There were golden swirls dotting the whole palace two, and even a golden watch-tower! There was a beautiful garden surrounding the palace, with bunches of roses, and beautiful orchids. It was nice-looking, true, but even pretty looks couldn’t stop me from hating this place. This was the place Samuel was imprisoned! This was the place Uncle Liam resided! This was the place of nightmares! It looked so deceiving, just like Coconut was.
Regaining my calm so that Coconut wouldn’t see me, I landed on a tree outside of the palace gates. Coconut Landed a few trees to the right of me. I snarled, but when Coconut turned around, I quickly turned the woven bag into a camouflage bag that fit around me. It was hard to breathe in it, but I was out of it a few minutes later. By now, Coconut was a few meters in front of me. I quickly scampered from tree to tree like a monkey, except that I was flying at the same time.
Unfortunately, the forest soon cleared up into a prairie area with no trees and short grass. How was I supposed to hide in this? I decided to just take my chances and stay low to the ground. This worked for about a meter or so, but suddenly, I felt a slithering sound. What was that? Then I saw something that was beyond my nightmares. Worse then I had ever imagined. A……….
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