A Fools Dream

Chapter Six- I'm not like them

Edeline did nothing but run, she didn't look back. She couldn't look back, if she did nothing would change it would all stay the same, and that thought scared her more than her father did.

As she went further and further into the wood the more she slowed and the more that she didn't know where she was. Everything looked the same, from the trees looming like shadows revealed by street lights in the dark, to the bushes swaying all at once making the same noise. It was easy a first to not get lost because there was a path made by the children of the south side playing, but by now there was no sense of direction. She couldn't stop though, her chest was burning from the cold air so her pace slowed from a sprint, to an jog, then to a walk. She did the only thing she could do now, she kept going forward.

The more she paid attention, the more beauty and potential she saw for her kingdom. All that was running through Edeline's head were thoughts on what she would to to make her kingdom better, ways the children could play in better conditions than rotten food and wrappers on the floor. That was until there was a crack from behind her, then infront of her and all of a sudden they where coming from around her. Everywhere she turned the cracks of twigs and the crunch of leaves, when she turned back around someone was there. But before she could get a good look at this person, everything went black. However, in the midst of the black she saw eyes, they too looked almost black but they glistened. 

When Edeline came around everything was blurry for a second, but when her vision came into focus all she could see was chests full of gold, swords arrows and the walls of a tent. 

"Ah look she's awake." A voice spat from behind the princess. Footsteps slowly approached from behind her, and there this person was. They where wearing an outfit like what pirates would usually wear with the sword and guns and a mask to cover their face and even though they looked mysterious Edeline felt pulled towards them which was unusual, she never felt like this before, "So what's the pretty princess doing out in the woods all alone?" this person was a woman? Edeline was taken aback by this, who would have thought that a woman could do all this. Stealing riches from those who could do with having less of it, she only heard stories of men doing this but then again they are just stories.

"What do you want?" Edeline asked weary of the dagger in the woman's hand. This woman looks at her dumbfounded by the princesses question, " What do i want?" the woman retorts back to Edeline, "I want you, so that we can ransom you back to your father." This woman replies with no care in the world and a smirk on her face. Edeline's mind then starts to fill with panic, her heart starts racing and her eyes start to well with tears, "Please-" Her voice cracks, "Please you can't do this, I'm begging you." she manages to say through her sobs. this isn't the way Edeline expected this to go but she had no other choice. "Really, ha you're begging me not to sell you back," the woman starts laughing, "Aww now don't worry princess you'll still be the spoiled brat you once where when you get back." the woman spat before she continues laughing at the princess. "Please you don't understand, I ran from there, from those people you cant sell me back to them!" Edeline shouted through her sobs more tears falling than before.

She had only been scared like this once before. But this time it was different, it wasn't because she was scared because of the monsters she thought where under her bed. No, it was because that monster was real and she didn't want to be under his thumb anymore. However, this woman was having none of it, " C'mon you really expect me to believe that a pretty princess like you doesn't want to go back to her fancy castle and sleep in her comfy bed?" The woman was tired of her begging and her crying, "All you royals are the same. You're begging for your life but what about the people you and your father have abandoned at the south end of the kingdom, hm?" There was a pause, it was only a second but for Edeline it felt like an eternity, "What about the people struggling to keep there families alive because YOU don't care about them? YOU'RE ALL THE SAME!" The womans face was red with anger, now the princess knew just how much pain her father had cause but as she was about to respond the woman got up. 

"Please I'm not like them, I ran so that i could help MY people. Please you have to believe me." Edeline knew this wouldn't do much but she had to try, "I'm sorry princess but I don't believe your lies, I'll be back for you soon so you can go home." The woman had had enough of hearing Edelines plea for release and with that she was gone. Edeline was all alone the same words running through her mind...

 'You're all the same'

Edelines mind was spinning, something in her snapped and she couldn't take it anymore. now her mind repeated something different, "I'm not like them." which the princess knew was true but no one else did. She couldn't understand why no one else could see it. Soon the voices got louder and louder until she started to copy them out loud

"I'm not like like them, I'm not like them...

I'M NOT LIKE THEM!"