Living life on the edge

24 | freedom

16 years.

16 years... of pure freedom. 16 years it took them to finally visit the place they lived their life in, kinoko.

Karl and nick ran hand in hand down the dirt pathing, past shops and houses, past groups of children playing football and jump rope, past George's library... past the bakery.

As they admired through the large window on the front of the building, inside they heard laughing of kids and parents, they saw the familiar ginger haired lady behind the counter, a pastel orange apron with flowers on wrapped around her small waste. A large sign was placed behind her reading, 'BAD'S BAKERY, IN LOVING MEMORY OF THE JACOBS FAMILY AND PRINCE NICHOLAS' the couple smiled at the memorial and sneakily walked through the window, the sweet smell hit their faces immediatly, they were home.

"Floris" they heard shout from the back room. Suddenly clay emerged from the archway holding another crate of bread.

"I swear I put 13 in the oven, but there's only 12 here now"

"Stop stressing dear..." floris said as she placed a kiss on his forehead, "we have enough"

nick looked over at karl and was shocked to see the missing peice of bread in his hands, "well take it then" karl urged.

"Karl what are you doing your gonna get us caught"

"Nick we can do whatever we want, we're ghosts" karl reminded nick as he threw his arms up into the air and spun around. Then before nick could process it, karl shouted "come on" and grabbed nicks hand, pulling him through the counter and up the stairs that led to his quaint home. It was identical to how they he had left it, apart from one extra addition. Family. He looked into the lounge and saw a gorgeous younger lady dancing with a familiar figure. Classical music playing calmly in the background as they stared lovingly into each other's eyes. Nick and karl watched in awe from a distance, not wanting to ruin the moment. Karl sniffed as he tried to hold back his tears, cara heard it. She lost eye contact with her lover and landed her eyes on the two boys standing in the hallway. Darryl followed her eyeline and was shocked to see his son.

"Son?"

Hearing her voice for the first time caused the biggest smile to emerge on his face.

~

"So this is that Miracle Man you were talking about?" Nick said as he crossed his arms.

"Yup"

"and whose that?" nick asked, pointing to a smartly dressed, dirty blonde man stood opposite george.

"Oh that's dream, they're in love" he answered.

"Oh" nick was surprised by how much Karl already knew and didn't tell him. Before he could ask anymore questions, he was cut off by Karl shouting at him to catch up as he ran into the distance. Nick chuckled and ran to catch up with him, "karl we have all the time in the world no need to rush about" he shouted back.

~

Nick stood outside the gates, hesitant.

"Look, i know you said u didnt want to go in here ever again, but its been 16 years, and plus ive always wanted to see the inside of the castle"

They stood silent for a minute, nick contemplating what to do. When all of a sudden, nick grabbed Karl's hand and exited pulled him to the inside, a beaming smile on each of their faces.

They ran majestically through the echoe hallways, danced around the ballroom floor, visited the castle gardens. Last of all they made their way up to the place where nick slept. He paused at his child's nursery, a little crack in the doorway exposed the messily decorated room, almost opposite to the plainly decorated nursery it was last time he saw it.

As the burning sun lowered over the horizon, they decided to walk hand in hand towards the cliff. They laughed and danced and did everything they could possibly imagine. The moon shone upon them both like a spotlight. Suddenly, their little party was interrupted by the sound of humming coming from the distance. They both looked over to see a small, poor boy dressed in farmers attire walking towards them. Soon after they heard giggling coming from the other direction and then a boys voice shout,

"Tobyyyy" he greeted.

They watched with curiosity and confusion as the boys played their little games just like they did.

"Toby I'm it" the taller one shouted as he began to chase the screaming brunette boy around. "Thomas slow down this isn't fair" he complained like a child.

"Thomas?" Nick asked himself.

"What did u say?" Karl looked up at him.

Nick grinned, ignoring Karl's question... "that's my boy"