White Violin

Midnight Escape I

"I don't think so, it was too dark back then," I answered.

 "Never mind," Lucy said and glanced cautiously out the window, "I need your help."

"What can  I do?" I asked, not quite understanding why she was so flustered.

"I need you to sneak in here tomorrow night and take the violin with you. Don't let anyone see you carrying that violin. I'm going to call the carriage to come later."

"Um...what about the lessons?"

 "Forget about them. I'll give you lessons when we go back to the city." She looked around and panted, "Look, this is not the place you want to stay."

"Pretend you heard nothing tomorrow and at night take the violin with you. I'll be waiting for you at the gate."'

"Ahh..." I was a bit dumbfounded and lost for words. She looked very serious about it so I just nodded.

She hushed me out of the room and I walked back to my room for sleep. I rolled on my bed for a while and looked out through the window, hoping to see the warm glow from the stars and the moon—but there was none.

When the day became bright I wondered what I should do. There were no lessons today, and Lucy told me to keep quiet about what we talked about last night. I read in my room for a while and wandered around the corridors anxiously for night to come.

"Looking for something?" The maid walked over and asked me.

"Nothing," I replied succinctly, not looking in her eye.

"I'm always here to help if you need anything," she said again, with a stern look, as if she was reciting from a rule book.

I don't hate her. I just find her too obliging to her duties. It would be great if she had some more character. Everyone was hiding things in this castle, and she was no exception, I assume. 

"I was wondering, ma'am...What do you do normally? I mean...any hobbies to kill time?" I asked.

"I'm afraid I'm too preoccupied with my duties for any hobbies."

"I've even slept less recently. I don't feel like this time-consuming habit helps me in my work."

"What? You don't sleep? Don't you feel tired?"

"Only the lazy is tired. I shall sleep when I think necessary."

"Now if you don't have any other matters in need of my service, I shall excuse myself," she said, bowed, and walked away.

I decided to pay Marie a visit. 

"Hey, Marie..."

"Yes, I know you're here," She turned around with a violin arching over her shoulder.

"When...are we leaving?" I stuttered and asked.

"According to schedule, two weeks later," Marie said swiftly and clicked her tongue, "Are you bored of this place already? Get back to practice."

So she didn't know that Lucy and I were leaving tonight. 

"Okay," I replied and left her alone. 

A few hours have passed and the sky became dark. I had just finished dinner and sat in my room waiting for Lucy to come.

Creak. The door opened without a knock.

"Hey, get ready," Lucy came out behind the door and spoke.