spark a dream

walls and other shenanigans

"Make way for their highnesses from the Queens' Gala!" A steward announced.

The other princesses had been too busy twirling around on the dance floor to notice the Queens' arrival, so Amber and Sofia turned off the dance music (much to our dismay). Meridith and I stopped doing the Orange Justice dance—my brother Zach had learned about it from one of his friends and taught it to me when I was younger.

We stood up straight to face the Queens, and I searched for my mother's face in the crowd. I was in the middle of scanning through the last group that had entered the ballroom when someone tapped me on the shoulder.

I turned around. "Hi, Amber—what's the matter?" There was a frown on the princess's face, and her blond ringlets drooped over her tiara (an astonishing sight, since the girl rarely looked disheveled; she'd proclaimed herself the epitome of beauty at last year's pageant I was forced to attend—credits to my grandmother. I was never going to win, and nobody was surprised when Amber took the crown).

"Since the princes aren't around, Sofia and I need your help. You two are the only ones here who should be strong enough," she whispered. "Follow us."

"Good to know that we're the second choice," Meridith murmured and trailed behind Sofia reluctantly. We dodged excited princesses and flailing arms, careful not to step on the long gowns as we silently retreated from the crowd. It was clear this was a mission that required stealth, or else the two hosts would not have chosen this time to lead us away from the excitement.

"We're not exactly in the right place to tell everyone about this, since we don't know much about it—but we'd really appreciate your help," Princess Sofia tried to explain as we walked up a set of stairs that seemed to be carved into the stone walls of this castle.

"We haven't even told Cedric about this," Amber sighed—but was that a mischievous glint in her eye? "It could be highly dangerous."

"That's right up my alley," I chuckled at the same time Meridith said, "Danger is my middle name." We looked at each other incredulously.

"You wish," I scoffed.

"When I go back home, I'll ask Mum to rename me to Meridith the Dangerous of DunBroch—that way it'll really be in my name."

"That is the dumbest thing I've ever heard."

"At least it sounds scary,"

"As if!"

"Don't ruin my hopes and dreams, Faith."

I rolled my eyes. "I have no words, Meridith. No words at all."

We came to a stop in front of a door. Amber and Sofia opened it, and we were greeted with an array of lights spun into incandescence.

"I'm not hallucinating, right?" Meridith rubbed her eyes.

"Is that a portal?" I ask tentatively.

"We believe so," said Sofia. "But we can't get in, no matter how hard we try."

I raise an eyebrow curiously, walking over to the portal and putting my hand in the middle. The lights seem to turn to liquid, and the portal ripples like water. "It seems to be letting me in—"

"Woah!" I get pulled in by the lights.

Amber looks at the portal from the other side. "That was quick–and seemingly effortless."

~~~

I stare up, up, up, at a gigantic wall.

It looms over me imperiously, made out of red brick and coated with thick cement. I sigh. "How am I supposed to get out of here?"