Once They Lived In Peace - FIRST DRAFT

Chapter XXI

She perched on the chimney of the house, not caring if her hair whipped her in the face. Swapping places had been a terrible idea. Why had she done this? Diane would have probably forgiven her for the prank anyway. 

She watched all the people down below. They were all just going about their day. She saw a missing poster for herself. It had been a week since she had ran away. She had had to forage for food, occasionally stealing from the baker's down the road. She wished they would make better bread down there. It was hard and chewy, and sour like lemons. 

She leant over the roof to watch them closer. They were like tiny ants, scurrying away to do their business. Suddenly, she caught a flash of red hair. What was that? Barreners didn't have red hair. It must have been an intruder. 

Her foot slipped and she fell. She caught herself on a windowsill, but not before she heard gasps from the crowd. 'It's the missing girl!' someone shouted.

She ran. Flinging her satchel over her shoulder, she jumped to the next house and raced into the night. She didn't have a clue where she was going to go now. This was her third relocation, she had evidently not been cautious enough. Whatever place she found next, she would have to be less conspicuous. 

She saw a flash of red hair again. Was this person following her? Or were there multiple redheads in the city? Was it some sort of invasion? 

She focused on the rooftops in front of her. Just find a suitable one. Look out for dusty, untouched windowsills. Look out for a chimneypot with no smoke emerging, a good place to sit and think. Thin window panes. Even better, no window panes. Maybe even a bookshelf near the window, so she could entertain herself. Maybe she would pop in and put the fire on and sit on the bed. 

Like she used to do in her bedroom. Love was probably redecorating it in ugly bright pink or blue. Urgh.

She slowed down and made her way to a promising house. She caught the flash of red again. What was this? Some kind of stalker watching her from the ground? But why red hair? How red hair? She had had enough. She stopped and leant over the roof to see clearly. The redhead ducked behind a house. She leant further. She could swear his face had looked familiar. 

A rope came out of nowhere. She grappled with it but it coiled around her like a snake, rubbing against her skin, pulling her under. She fell from the roof.

Landing on the floor, she looked around. She seemed to have twisted her ankle in some weird angle. She tried to lift up her arm but immediately felt pain. She might have cut it on her way down, maybe on a windowsill. She dragged herself to her feet, but immediately fell down again. There was no way she could go anywhere like this. She was helpless. 

She dragged herself into the corner of the damp alleyway she had fallen into. She would wait here until tomorrow. It wasn't safe, nor convenient in any way, but it was all she could do.

Suddenly, she saw the redhead at the end of the alley, approaching in her direction. She ducked further into her corner but they still crept closer and closer. She let out a gasp of horror. No, it couldn't be. Surely, not. It was impossible! It must be impossible. He had vanished a decade ago. 

There was no chance Lord Agronos could be back. Right?