Containment Of Secrets

Chapter 33

(Mallory's point of view)

The four of us made a quick stop to the palace to get the coordinates to the warehouse before getting back out on the road. We decided to take one car, since two might look a bit too suspicious. Each of us take turns driving into the early morning.

~~~

A 3-year-old Mallory raced through the grass. As she ran, she ran her hands through the cattails and little weeds that grew around the pond. She loved these kinds of afternoons. The ones, when her mommy was not off doing queenly duties. The ones, when she would spend hours upon hours playing outside with Mallory.

"M-A-l-l-O-R-Y..." Queen Saige sang in a sing-song voice. She ran along the grass trying to find her daughter as Mallory kept running ahead of her. Mallory decides to duck behind some tall grass that is nearby a tree. Not too long after, Saige's footsteps could be heard. Mallory could see her mother's feet as she stopped just a few feet of the area Mallory was hiding in.

Mallory mentally considered all her options over in her head before deciding to jump out and scare Saige. Saige jumped at her daughter's reveal before laughing wholeheartedly.

"Well, I believe someone has a good hiding spot." Saige replies, as she places her hands on her hips.

"Daddy showed me this one." Mallory replied.

"Oh, did he now? Well, I guess I'll have to find all his hidden places, unless you know."

"I cannot give away the best secrets." Mallory says, as she shrugs her shoulders.

Saige smiles down at her daughter before squatting down. She opens her arms for Mallory to run into, Mallory embraces her mother tightly. She closed her eyes trying to memorize the way she smelled, the whole moment in general.

"Oh, Mallory. I wish I could keep you this tiny."

"I can stay like this forever, mama. If that's what you and daddy want."

Saige smiles, pulling back from her daughter as she runs a hand through her blond locks, "No, baby. That's not how the world works. You have to grow up and do big girl things one day."

Mallory's lower lip begins to tremble, "I don't want to be a big girl, if it makes you sad. I want to stay tiny forever."

"Mallory..."

"Mama, why can't I?"

"We all have to grow up. It's the cycle of life. Just like your father and me. As you grow up, we get older, one day, we will have to move on so the next generation can come along."

"What do you mean? I thought we lived forever?"

"No, baby. I'm sorry."

"But...but...I don't want you two to die. Please don't go!" Mallory pleads.

"Mallory, we-."

"Pwease!" Mallory shouts, as tears fall down her cheeks. Somehow her mother is able to calm her through all the chaos.

"Mallory, your father and I have lots of time before our time is up. We plan to make the most of it by spending it with you." Her mother reassures her.

"Pwomise?"

"I promise."

~~~

"Mallory?"

I snap out of the flashback as I wipe a tear from my cheek. I turn to see Braxton sitting in the passenger seat looking at me.

"Yeah, sorry. I just-."