Safe place.

Shadow

Chapter 4-
Life is composed of lights and shadows,
and we would be untruthful, insincere,
and saccharine if we tried to pretend

there were no shadows.

- Walt Disney

Arabella's POV-

"Etiquette is key Arabella. You must always perform with grace, and have good manners."

Camilla is really starting to get on my nerves.

"Be poised, always say please and thank you, use your inside voice...and when meeting a new acquaintance, always curtsy and say-"

"How do you do." I cut her off in a monotone voice. "Camilla...I-" she coughed falsely, and loudly may I add, and stared at me with a look of disappointment.

"Ms. Evangeline.." I quickly corrected myself. "You've repeated this little lesson of yours many times! And I don't understand why you make me where this uncomfortable dress and stockings! (The outfit is up in the slide! Imagine it with a little more of an Alice in wonderland twist!) And oh, these shoes are way too-"

"Enough!" She yelled looking down at me, but I wasn't done talking, so I began to rant once again.

"I don't even know why you insist on telling me these things! I am very respectful to those who earn my respect and-"

"Earn?!" She gasped as if I had said the most horrible thing in the world.
"You are just a little girl, nobody "earns" respect from you! You give it to them anyway." She elaborates.

This bitch thinks I'm gonna kiss everyone's ass.

"Always respect your elders and be gentle.
Also, always know your position! Your a girl, you can't do a man's job!" I widened my eyes at her and crossed my arms. I'm done with this shit.

"I've had enough of this! Now if you'll excuse me, I'll be in my room...being the perfectly polite and poised lady I know I am! Thank you very much."
I huffed as I stomped up the stairs.
Now believe me, I'm not silly, I know I'm far from the perfectly polite and poised lady I described myself as at that moment but Camilla doesn't know what she's talking about! It should be a privilege to have my respect, and girls can do a "man's job."
But no body seems to think that way.

As I get to the top of the stairs, I glance back. Maybe I had been too harsh?
But there, a realization hit me, like a shit load of bricks.
She's not coming after me. No one ever does.
No one ever makes an effort to find out if I'm okay or not. No one ever comes running behind me. I quickly walk into my room taking in my realization when my breathing becomes ragged, I find myself gasping for air and my head starts pounding...

Just as I was about to call for Camilla, an excruciating pain struck in my chest.. right where my heart was. It felt as if my heart was in a cage, and it was trying to break out.
I instantly bring my hand to my chest, adding pressure hoping it would mend the pain a little.
My throat became so dry I couldn't make a sound, I looked around panicking.

Suddenly, my eyes landed on a mirror on my wall.
If my throat wasn't so dry...
I would have screamed bloody murder.

My blonde hair and icy blue eyes were now both lavender, and now I have a huge scar on my cheek.
What is going on?!
Where did the scar come from? Why do I have lavender colored hair? And why the fuck are my eyes now lavender? These questions only made my head pound stronger and my chest hurt more.. if that is even possible.

"Arabella.." My head shot to the direction of the low and dark.. but surprisingly calming voice.
The voice came from outside my balcony...Lord Jesus I'm about to be kidnapped. Oh my God.
The pain revolving my heart suddenly stopped, my head was fuzzy and my eyes watered up.

I turned my head and looked into the mirror once again. My hair and eyes were back to their original color. But the scar remained on my right cheek. How peculiar..

"Arabella, come to me.."
I turned to the balcony doors and slowly walked towards them.

"You are so unloved... nobody cares for you here. I could feel the aura you give...You are so lonely."

Every word this stranger spoke calmed me, but I couldn't stop a single tear from running down my face.

"Come with me, and you'll be loved."

Should I...

"You'll never feel lonely again.."

Loneliness.. pretty much the definition of my existence.

"You can wander, and let your curiosity soar. Every sunrise will come with a new adventure."

My heart fluttered at the thought.
As my hand rested on the door knob, I sunk into deep thought.
It's not that I'm ungrateful...
I have a roof above my head,
I have food,
And I have the privilege to have an education.
But my heart can't help but want more.
Everyone wants more.
It's only a human kind of thing to do.
I want adventure.
I want my curiosity to soar.
I want more than this.

I look back around my room.

"Thank you for the memories.." I whisper to no one in particular.

"And I hope I don't seem ungrateful... but I need to know what's out there, what my fate holds. If this small town is what my destiny is.. I must have the strength to change it. And that's what I'm doing now." I say confidently.

I turn back around looking at the curtains covering my glass balcony door.
I closed my eyes and took deep breathes.

Okay Belle.. you've got this. Just open the door. Time for adventure.

I opened the door and walked out, the spring breeze instantly hit me making me sigh in relief. The balcony doors behind be closed loudly making me jump.
Oh shit.

"Hello?... I've decided I want to go with you.. If everything you just said is true.. I'll happily go." I said softly.

I slowly walk up to the railing and look below at the lake, maybe the person is down there... after looking around the lake for a little, I give up.

Maybe it was a hallucination?? I've gotta stop reading all those horror books.. as I look up, my heart drops to the bottom of my stomach, but while my heart sat there, at the pit of my stomach.... it burst with excitement and curiosity. I was looking into large cat-like, yellow eyes.

"Ready to go?" I hear the same calming voice ask. I look at the person and gasp. This is no human. It's a inky figure flying in mid air... like a.. shadow?
He brought his hand to my face and sprinkled a bit of blue dust on me. what the fuck?
My eyes began to feel heavy and my legs couldn't hold me up. Pretty soon, darkness swallowed me whole. That last thing I felt was the, what I believe to be a shadow's, arms pick me up bridal style.

"Time for you to meet Pan.. off to Neverland."