Esme

 Time seemed to stand still; as if the world thought better of allowing this sleepy little village to move with the times. Within this place was a young girl just coming of age. Living in a dwelling that would make even the bravest person’s skin crawl. There seemed to be a perpetual hopelessness that lived in every corner, crack, and crevice of the old castle. That’s what happens when there is no living core in a place, but rather a constant reoccurrence of loss.

The world she grew up in, was one far from lying in the soft grass on a warm day, or picking flowers to bring them to her mother. Her world, was a world ruled by tyranny. Ruled by the one person a little girl should always be able put her faith in: her father.  Losing her mother as a wee lass left her to the care of her father. No one truly knows what happened to her mother. Some say her father murdered her in cold blood after hearing she was having an affair. Others say she ran away with the night as her cloak. To this day, the people who live below the castle whisper of the beautiful young woman that vanished, leaving her only child to the mercy of their ruler.

Esme was dreaming, dreaming of a place that seemed so close she could touch it. She could just feel the sand between her toes, and the water lapping at her knees. Taste the salt in the air, and smell the crispness of the ocean. Everything seemed to be moving in slow motion. The way the waves crashed with a gentle swoosh, and the brush swayed side to side as if it was performing a little dance just in her honor, bowing in a way that said “Good day lass”. So calm and tranquil was this place, a place of pure sanctuary it seemed.

            She moved up the beach and sat in the sand curling her legs into her chest resting her cheek against her knees just observing the mystifying place around her when she heard it, her name, barely a whisper, but still quite audible to her ears. Looking around for where the voice came from she saw a lone figure standing in a shroud of fog. She hears it again, Esssssmeeee. The voice calls out in an echo. Standing to her full height she turns and faces the strange person who is coming towards her. It doesn’t take long for her to realize it was a man, but from this obscure view she could only see his profile. He was strongly built with the bearing of a king. Oh how she wished she could see his face, but the fog surrounding him covered all of his features.

“ESME!” her lady’s maid shouted rousing her from her sleep.

             The dream had been  so real. She was the closest to freedom that she had ever been, and lamented the fact that she couldn’t see the man that was surely to haunt her until she saw his face. 

             “What is it Alena?” I ask tired and groggy.

“Don’t you know the time lass you? You were to be in the dining hall 15 minutes ago!” Alena says in her I’m so aggravated I could punch a bear voice.

At that I jump out of bed and dress as fast as I could, not paying much attention to what I was throwing on all I know is it is green. That’s my favorite color, and the color of all of my gowns. I have Alena plait the hair down my back trying to tame the wild red curls that I inherited from my mother, or so I’m told. She passed away when I was really young. Sometimes I can get snippets of her, like her smell, or the lullaby she used to sing to me before she left me.

I ran down the stairs and the halls as fast as I could, knowing what I was running towards. Slowing down just as I was reaching the double doors that held the one man that I despise fully and truly: my father. Catching my breath I look at the guard, as he was looking down at me with sympathy, nod my head, and he opens the door just to shut it as soon as I’m one foot inside.

“ Late, why doesn’t that surprise me?” my father says in his deep condescending voice.

“Sorry Da, I over slept.”