The Night I Flew

Chapter 3

"Who's there?!" I shouted into the darkness, then I wondered if I really wanted and answer. Before I could decide, a man answered.

"It just me! Alex!" I hadn't realized how tense I was until I relaxed. Why had I felt so safe with this boy I had just met hours ago? I guess I could tell he was a good person, and I trust my own judgement. "Oh... Hello." I whispered, laying my head down on the wall of the bridge. "Are you ok miss?" He asked almost cautiously.

I had been crying. I didn't even realize until I wiped the tears from my cheeks. "I'm fine. I just..." I couldn't find the word to explain how I felt, but he did. "You just don't want to be in the middle of a loveless relationship?" He looked like he was smiling a little.

"Exactly." I said, not looking at him. "I know. My parents were the same way. They wanted a daughter who could marry into a richer family, but no high society woman would want to marry a poor man." He said, now leaning on the bridge wall next to me.

"At least you can make them money. You can work. You don't have to be confined to a marriage with someone you don't know." I looked at him now. He didn't look like he was thinking, but just wondering. Wondering the same thing as me. How could we both be complete opposites and still another version of each other? As if, a reflection from another world.

"I certainly wouldn't want that, but I doubt you would want to learn the simple barn work that I have." I stepped in front of him and looked him in the eye. "Teach me." I said confidently. "What? Why would you need to learn barn work?" He asked, looking at me as if I were a lunatic.

"I don't know why, or why I'm saying this, but I want to understand you better." I told him, not looking from his eyes. "Ok. I'll teach you barn work. But if anyone finds out I'm putting the one and only miss Anastasia to work, it stops, ok?", "ok" I answered instantly.

I hugged him and whispered, "Thank you." I pulled away before he could answer and walked back to the house. I opened the door but turned back and smiled at Alex, for he had given me something no one else ever had. Freedom. I turned and walked into the house, up the giant stairs, and into my room where my maids were waiting.

As they were taking down my hair, I asked "Ella, why do my parents insist on fighting all the time?" I said, looking down. My room went dead silent. I looked in my mirror to see all my maids looking at each other behind me, as if looking for answers from the others.

"Well miss, sometimes people just aren't right for each other.", "Then why marry if they were never meant to be together?" I asked. "Sometimes we are so blinded by the love we want to see, that we can't see everything that is wrong in that love. Your parents aren't the first to choose a love less marriage and not even know it." My maid Lucy answered.

I stopped asking questions after that because I was too scared for the answer. I knew they were right too. That's what scared me. They were utterly and completely right and I couldn't do anything about it.

I got dressed in my night gown and sent my maids off. Left alone in my room to wonder. I looked out my window to see the varied shades of red, orange, yellow, and brown caused by the chilling fall weather.
Winter was almost here... I started to wonder how families like Alex's would get enough food or even gifts for the holidays.

A loud knock came from my door. I was confused when I opened it to find my mother. Before I could say anything she hugged me. Did she really just...when was the last time she hugged me? Why now? I didn't care to think in this moment I just hugged back. There was that comforting feeling I'd missed of being in her arms. I was safe. And right now, he didn't exist. My father couldn't touch us right now.

She pulled away and I was forced to do the same. I could have stayed like that forever if she would've let me. She smiled at me and took my hands."I am so proud of you." I was confused by this and I think she picked up on that because she said, "I could hear everything you said from the other room. And I agree with you. You deserve so so much better than some rich brat that will leave you in tears. So I erge you to find someone you love. Promise me that much."

I couldn't respond. I could barely think or process what she was saying. I didn't say anything but a tear fell from my eye. I'm not sure when I started crying or when she started hugging again, but I did know I hugged back. I was so happy to finally have my mother back. My rock. I thought she had broken long ago but maybe this whole marriage thing brought her back to life.

She said goodbye. She said it in an off way though. She said, "Goodbye I love you so so much. If anything ever happens to me, it's not you fault and I love you. Don't forget it, ok?" I should have picked up on what was happening but like a fool, I just hugged her and let her go. She looked so happy, so filled with joy that it made me happy for her too. Then suddenly I heard a maid in the distance scream, authorities were there, and I was in a black dress, putting my mother in the ground.

I would have never guessed that in that moment, she was telling me her final good bye. She was making sure she left us with me happy. I would have never in a million years guessed that she said I love you and hugged me then went straight to her room to find a rope and tie it to her neck...