Escape

Chapter 8

I woke up to the sound of a whistle. Or at least I thought it was a whistle.

Peeking through my straggled mess of hair, I surveyed the room. No one was in there with me - not that I was expecting anyone to be. That would be pretty creepy.

Anyway, Ignoring the noise, I pulled the covers up over my face. But then I heard the noise again. Sitting upright, I looked around the room once more. Nothing.

"Alright, whoever is trying to pull some prank on me, it won't work. Especially not right when I wake up."

The whistle sounded again, and I leaped out of my bed and walked slowly around the room. There were no hiding spots at all, except maybe under the bed, but I had checked there.

The noise continued, and not soon enough did I realize that it was coming from the window. I looked up, being that the window was a good two feet taller than me, and tried to hoist myself up onto the window ledge. It would be big enough for me to sit on comfortably because I was so damn small. I pulled myself up onto it and positioned myself so that my body say in line with the ledge. I fit perfectly.

Looking out the window, I noticed a small bird hopping around on one of the branches just outside. So that was where the whistle was coming from. I slightly opened the little door in the window, and to my surprise the bird flew right up onto my finger. It's entire body was different shades of a vibrant blue. It stared at me with it's black beady eyes, like it was trying to say something to me. I laughed, and the bird let out a whistle that sounded kind of like it.

"Huh, you're pretty cool." I said, and the bird flitted it's periwinkle wings. I laughed again, and the creature whistled the same sound.

I sang a little tune, one that I made up on the top of my mind, and the bird happily tweeted it back. Stringing together a melody, I sang and the bird sang with me. I laughed, and I suddenly felt something inside me, as if the bird was connecting with me. Strange, yet so awesome.

I opened the window again and let the bird flutter away, still whistling the notes I had taught it. I smiled, and I felt the bird's presence inside of me smile back.

"Enjoying yourself?" A deep voice interrupted. I snapped my head towards the door, and leaning against the wall was Briseas. He was dressed in the same training uniform as yesterday, but this time the shirt design displayed swirls of white and blue, looking like gusts of wind. His mouth was twisted into a smirk-like grin, and I laughed and hopped down from the window ledge.

"Why, yes, actually I was." I toyed with him, and he chuckled.

"Nice hair, bed head." He flicked a stray strand, and I playfully pushed him away.

"Yeah, well maybe I should give you some tips - you're not looking to hot yourself."

"Oh really?"

"Yeah, REALLY." I fired back at him. I walked over to the dresser in the corner of the room and picked out an outfit. "So what are you doing here?"

Briseas faked a gasp, and brought a hand to his heart, "Well, I'm terribly sorry, miss, I didn't know I had to have a reason to come see my dominant protector buddy!" I raised an eyebrow at him, and he laughed, "Marshall wanted me to tell you that your Veracity Test will be at ten. Hurry up and get dressed so you can have breakfast with Leora and me."

I have him a captain's salute, and he ducked out of the door. Getting changed, I poked around the nightstand drawer for a brush. Finding one, I ran it through my hair, then did it up in a French braid.

Tossing the brush onto the bed, I rushed out of the room and guided myself down the maze of hallways until finally finding the cafeteria.

Briseas and Leora sat at the far right at the end of a long table, and they waved me over as soon as they saw me. Walking over to them, I spotted Bastien, some other officials, Marshall, and Will sitting together in the sea of guards. Will, who was not engaged in their conversation whatsoever, glanced up from his coffee, and our eyes caught. I managed an awkward grin, and immediately slapped myself mentally. That probably looked so stupid.