JOCELYN pov
When I wake up midnight twilight seeps through the cracks in my curtains. I stretch and get up to open them the rest of the way. Outside the window the world that was once white and unnaturally bright is now a dark amethyst purple, that seems to ripple like a silk blanket. I'm wide awake now, but I have no idea what time it is. My stomach growls and I remember that I had stormed out of the dining hall before I could eat anything. There is a plate of food on a small corner table next to my bed, but when I taste it is cold and not too appetizing. I fight with myself for a moment before deciding that I want some fresh food. Maybe I will just wander around until I find the kitchen, I think to myself, I look down at my body and realize that I am still dressed in the elegant gown from when a girl, Ariel I think her name was, came to dress me for dinner. I search the room until I find a closet that has some more beautiful dresses. Sighing in exasperation, I choose one of the least fancy ones. I put it on and look on the mirror. Blush pink and goes down to my knees, the frilly dress makes me look at least two years younger than I am. At least I won't have to worry about being too sexy though. After a short time of staring at my young-looking self, I head out the door in search for some food.
This place is bigger than I thought it was. I make several turns and travel down a dozen hallways before I decide I've gotten myself hopelessly lost. Desperately I turn around in pointless circles. I try to retrace my steps to no avail. What started out as me, confidently on my way to the kitchen, has, turned into me being panicked and running around though the same hallways prior to collapsing into a nebulous corner of solitude. Sobbing into my knees I remember another time, I was in the same situation.
“Grandma where are you?!” I shout desperately at the tall stalks of corn around me. I'm 10 years old at a corn maze with my grandmother, but I had gotten sidetracked chasing a stray dog around a corner when I lost my sight of her. I am running despairingly around the tangled lengths of crop and I feel,like it's closing around me. Scratching my face and ripping my clothes. Tears draw rifts down my dirty cheeks. I give up my search, truly convinced that I am lost forever. My young mind begins to imagine my “future” of living in this corn maze. “At least I won't go hungry” I think to myself, “I like corn.” I stand up and reach for an ear of corn. The stalks are to talk for my to reach any though. Fresh tears stain my face, and I start bawling. “I'm gonna die here!” I scream and cry. It seemed like forever to me, but looking back on it I couldn't have been sitting there crying for more than 10 minutes before my grandmother found me. By the time grandma found me I was covered in dirt and dry corn husks from throwing my tantrum, she looks down at my quivering self and I sniffle, “am I dead?” she stares at me for a moment. Then she laughs. It's a sound I can never forget, my grandmother's laugh. Bubbly and childish, it doesn't quite go with her face. “Jocelyn baby,” she says to me with a bright smile on her face, “you've only just begun to live!” She puts her hands on either side of face and wipes away my tears with her thumbs. “Now let's go get you cleaned up. If I take you home like this your mommy will never let you hang out with me again!” she gave a conspiring smile as she led me towards the exit.
“Jocelyn?!” hearing my name brings me from remembering my past, back to the present. Someone is shaking me by my shoulders trying to get me to uncurl,myself from the corner I had wedged myself in. I'm still crying. I don't want to get up and see who's trying to get at me, so I curl up more and wrap my arms tight around my knees. “Jocelyn, are you okay? Talk to me!” I don't recognize the voice, but whoever it is sounds genuinely concerned about what's wrong with me. So reluctantly I lift my head so I can see who it is. I gasp a quickly wipe my tears when I see who it is. “Percival!? What are you doing here?” He kneels down in front of my and looks into my eyes with both concern and amusement, which is mildly irritating. “I kind of live here.” I snort,which is probably less than attractive with my red eyes and nose. “That's not what I meant. What are doing here with me?” He looks behind him as if he is making sure nobody is watching us. Nobody is there. “Ariel said she say you running around like you were lost, so I came to make sure you were ok,” he gives me a kind of sideways look, “it doesn't look like you are alright, why were you crying?” I stand up, and Percival copies my movements. “I was just… I was scared ok.” I let out a breath I didn't even know I was holding. “I was scared because I was lost, and I have some… bad m-memories.” I start crying again uncontrollably. I hide my face in my hands ashamed to be crying in front of a total stranger. I gasp when I feel strong arms embrace me. He cradles me in his arms like I'm a child he is meaning to protect from the world. I stiffen and pull away quickly, but he keeps his hands on my shoulders. I don't pull away from him now. I can feel the warmth of his hands cupping my shoulders through the thin fabric of my dress. He looks into my eyes, he hold me captive in his comforting gaze. My lips quiver and I start crying again. He pulls me into his shoulder, and this time I don't resist.Instead I wrap my arms around his midsection and find comfort in his embrace.
Eventually my crying ebbed and all I had left was a stuttering gasp that was a side effect of crying. I lifted my head and found Percival’s shirt soaked with tears and snot. “I'm s-s-sorry I got your shirt all w-wet.” he looked at me like he was the happiest man in the world with me in his arms, “It doesn't matter Jocelyn Rose,” he says to me as he holds me tight in his arms. Well this is a first for me, I think to myself as I ponder my situation. I must have made a face because Percival pulled back from holding me. “I'm sorry, I shouldn't have touched you like that!” I look at him in shock for a moment. I'm kind of stunned he doesn't see that him holding me and letting me cry was the best thing that has happened to me in a long time. So instead of telling him straight out, I decide to play coy! “Percival,” I look at him with the most serious face I can muster, “I'm hungry.” my stomach growls loudly as if to prove my point. Percival stares in shock for a moment before grabbing my hand and practically dragging me down the hall. “Of course you are! I'll take you to the kitchen.”
