𝐈 𝐌𝐈𝐒𝐒 𝐘𝐎𝐔; tommyinnit

𝐢𝐯. 𝐆𝐨𝐨𝐝

✩᯽☾︎❄︎☽︎᯽✩

"we gotta get away from here."
- sign of the times, harry styles

I woke up with a start, my eyes wildly darting around the room with concern. I pushed myself up and leant back on my hands, closing my eyes to focus on calming my rapidly beating heart.

Was yesterday actually real? Did you actually go outside?

My mind couldn't seem to process the fact that I had stepped foot into the outside world for the first time in so long, it being too much for me to handle on such short notice. I didn't think I would actually go through with it, but I was thrilled that I did. I had overcome my fears and found that ounce of bravery that I needed, the ounce that had been hidden inside of me for so long. I had brought it out and used it, and now I could use it again.

I leaped off my bed and grabbed the lantern off the shelf, excitement already filling my body. My royal nightgown gracefully flew behind me, whipping around each corner and bend that I ran around without falling into any of the mud or dirt. I didn't have the time to get changed, I didn't deem it necessary, so I ran up to the ground floor in my sleepwear.

I skipped down the whole tunnel - lantern dangling behind me from my hand - not a thought in my mind about the strangeness it still carried within it. Yesterday morning I was moping around, not having any motivation to do anything. That morning however, felt like a new year, a new me, like I had discovered something within myself that I never knew was there.

I knew that I could go outside and break the rules and do all these things without Mother ever finding out. As long as I was back inside before she got home, I would be fine. It was helpful that most days she came home extraordinarily late, sometimes not even returning until the next night, so it was almost impossible for me to get caught. I would never stay out after dark.

The tunnel seemed shorter than all the other times I'd travelled through it, with me already being mere metres away from the staircase - the staircase I hated so, so much. It was nothing compared to my good mood and surprising motivation, however, so I climbed it with ease.

I scaled the stairs quickly, the unreliability not slowing me down like most days. I skipped steps, jumping over every few, eager to get to the fresh morning air up above. The rays were already seeping through the cracks between each of the steps, making my enthusiasm escalate to an unhealthy amount.

The birds' chirps could be heard in the distance, filling up the empty atmosphere with comforting sounds. Sunshine engulfed the floor and reflected up into my eyes, causing me to rub them free of any sunlight. My eyes were yet to adjust to the bright illumination filling the hall, so I blindly made my way across the room to the list.

Mother had already left, like I had thought and prayed, so I had the castle to myself. She couldn't tell me off for not bothering to get changed, she couldn't tell me off for not doing the chores right and she couldn't tell me off for going outside. She wouldn't see me leave the palace or return, I would make sure of it.