Escape

1 • dash

Alia's POV

Partner swing 'em
Round 'n round
Not the end o' the night
But it will go down
One more glass
Another round
Not the end o' the night
But it will go down

"Alia!"

I sighed as Madame Kilna turned off the stereo and advanced towards me, fuming.

"You are not in time. Even by a millisecond, if any of you mess up, the judges will notice and we won't win."

Again, I sighed and pulled my blonde hair, wishing I could be running rather than being in this stuffy dance hall.

Despite the cold of the chilly September air, I ran everywhere and I knew I would be running to my new boarding school too. It was truly the only thing I was good at.

"Alia," came a soft voice at my side and I turned to see Juda, a small fourteen-year-old pulling gently on my sleeve. "It's seven, Alia. Shouldn't you start packing?"

I smile down at her. "Thanks, Juda." I pull away and rush to collect my belongings uttered a hurried goodbye and a pathetic promise to practice the dance.

And then I am out the door into the cool morning air. It hit me in the face like a mother slapping her child for disobedience. But this time, it felt good.

I raced along past a newspaper vender, sending all of the tattooed trees spiralling to the ground.

I threw back my head and laughed. It felt so good to be outside.

I slowed to a jog as I approached the market and slid down a gap between the fruit salesman and a meat vender. Talk about hygiene.

It was almost funny how easy it was. I quick pinch and an apple was mine.

After grabbing a leg of lamb from the meat stall, I wandered down the mismatched array of shops. An aroma so powerful it almost knocked me out came from the stall nearest the end.

The bakers.

I sprinted past, sending a smattering of people to the ground in what felt to them like a strong breeze.

I reached or my hand and managed to grab three steak-filled pastries.

"Alia!" A voice came from behind me. Dammit, the baker had seen me.

I put on a burst of speed and ran knowing I was close to home. Suddenly, a large saucepan came out of nowhere, aiming at my face. I bent onto my knees and skidded underneath it to avoid getting hit and I laughed as I ran towards the smattering of small houses at the other end of the district.

"I'm home!" I yelled as I entered the largest of the houses which, in relation to normal houses, was still tiny. Our father had been leader of a gang and when he died, he left us this house.

"Alia! Alia!" Yoro and Frince came running up to me and each snatched a steaming pastie.

"You need to go Alia," said Yoro, his mouth filled with hot pastie. "I packed your stuff for you so you can just go."

I smiled down at my brother and ruffled his hair. But he was right.

I gave them directions to Uza's, dads old friend, and ran out of the door with my bag slung over my shoulder.

After an hour of running, I ate my pie and felt better but knew I'd be fine once I got to school. After speeding past a yellow Picanto, the top of the school came into sight and I smiled to myself before putting on another burst of speed.