Shards of a Glass Throne

Chapter 4

I woke with a start. There was a wooden roof over me, I was not where I was before. I could hear sounds, burning and screaming coming from the window, and I froze in my position. I knew exactly where I was. Taking a giant breath, I looked to the right of me. There I was, but much smaller, my hair wasn't as long and I was so tiny. 

The smaller version of me crouched down at the window, tears streaming down her face as I leant up, and got off the bed slowly. She let out a sob and backed away from the window, sprinting to the door knob, slipping and grabbing on to it in a rush. 

"No! Run! Please Run!" I shouted, but it was like I was underwater, my voice was distorted and almost silent. I knew I was helpless in this. I followed slowly, almost missing when the girl, no, me came to the door of my parents room. And watched on in horror as I started running, being chased by the man. But the man was weird looking, his face was blurred and his body dark, like he was a shadow.

The man grabbed my hair as I tried to run down the stairs, making me start screaming in pain. I watched at the door frame of my bedroom, as the man started to drag me back. I started to cling onto the doorframe, sliding down slowly. Then the other man called out. 

The image twisted and shifted. I was now standing in a field, bodies all around me. I retched at the sight, there was so much blood. I searched through the bodies for what I was knew was coming, when I saw a little girl, she was me, looking very sickly and scared, sitting up in the masses of bodies. A sob escaped my lips as I watched the young me scream and cry as I took in the bodies of my dead relatives. 

The scene shifted again, to a loading dock. There was men yelling orders and screaming at other people on giant boats all around. You could hear moans of agony and ships being cracked. You would have missed it if you weren't looking, but a small head popped around the corner with a mop of red hair, it was me again. The little version of me looked wild and frizzled, and I realised this is how I got across the sea. 

One of the boats masters were yelling that they were sailing for straights of Occidentem and that they were leaving in 5 minutes. The little me, shifted on her feet nervously as the man disappeared below again. She dashed across the wharf towards the boat and sprinted up the ramp. Running to follow her, I sprinted up onto the boat and instantly turned right, I knew where we were going. 

I watched from at least 20 meters away when the boat skipper found me, pulling me by the ear from my hiding spot as the boat was leaving the dock, too far away to turn back now. 

"You little bugger! You think you can just hop on this boat with no fare, we better off to throw ye off the boat!" The little me hissed and bared my teeth at the man, struggling to go free from his grip on my ear. And as the other men started to laugh, the little me kicked the man in the shin. And then ran up onto the higher dock, leading to the net that was hanging above the ocean.

The little me climbed fast and efficiently, getting out of reach from the men and their sneers. Sticking my tounge out, the little me fastened herself in and started to wait. I walked slowly and quietly towards the scene, already seeing the lurking shadow standing just out of the way of the others view. 

A man slowly emerged from the shadow, and stood behind the crowd of sailors that had gathered to see little me, and most of them were growling about throwing me overboard. The man lifted his hood up and stood there with a smirk on his face, eyes darting from the girl to the sailors, observing the situation and what was happening. 

"I'm not going to bother you! Just let me get across, I need to leave!" The little me said bravely as the sailors laughed at her, some jeering each other, the skipper stopped laughing and looked at little me closer.