It all started on blustery cold november morning. I was just pushing aside that sluggish sensation you get just after you wake up when all the sudden I hear, “ BANG BANG BANG, Henry Garland, come out with your hands raised!!!” I didn't know what I was thinking, I panicked, I grabbed a few spare pieces of clothes and ran.
Everything that happened that morning is a blur. All I can remember now is grabbing my things and running I don't know where to or even for how long I ran, all I know if that my legs they feel like someone replaced my muscles with scalding hot liquid that just won't go away. I mean, I consider myself to be a pretty athletic guy, but running all day as fast as I could, that was pushing it for me. I woke up in the middle of a forest somewhere, I don't know where but it was cold, so cold that I started to shiver within the next few minutes. I didn't know what to do so I figured well, I should at least know where I am and where I can find shelter. I walked for a little bit, contemplating what I should do, and then it came to me, literally. I walked straight into a low hanging branch of a giant oak tree, the thought was maybe, just maybe, if I could get to the top of the tree without dying I could figure out if there was a town nearby.
The climb to the top was a long and terrifying one, but I did it. Once I got there, I noticed a small village about three miles northeast of my current position. The town was nothing like the huge castle town I grew up in, but at least it was something. It took me about an hour to make it to the town and the first thing that hit me was the smell. I didn't really know how hungry I was until it hit me, but man did it smell good the delicious aromas of a savory beef stew. Eventually I found out where the smell was coming from, it was a small inn called the, “Roasting Pig Suits.” Not an ideal name but I didn't care, the smell just drug me in.
When I opened the small oak door everything hit me like a wall, it was like twenty degrees warmer in there, the smell, and the noise. The place was packed, about thirty people crammed into the small dining room and bar. What I didn't know is that I was standing there like an idiot with my mouth hanging open, at least I didn't know until a server came up to me and asked, “You alright there laddy, can I help you with anything?” Me being the idiot that I am said, “Yes ma’am” when I knew that nothing was okay but I just asked,
“Do you have any food.”
“Well of course we do this is an inn after all would you care for some?”
“That would be amazing.”
In about five minutes she came and found me this time with a gorgeous bowl of that beef stew. I didn't know what to say but my hunger got the best me and I snatched the bowl of stew from her grasp and dug in. Soon after I was done she came back to collect my dishes and asking me, : will you be wanting anything else?” I replied “No thank you but that stew was delicious.”
I sat there at the bar for a few more minutes catching little snippets of conversations, one thing I over heard was,
“Did you hear that the king's son has been killed”
“No really, man I wonder who did it,”
“Some people have been saying that it was his son Henry, but when they asked him about it he ran.”
“And they never found him, wow.”
That's when I realized why they came at me, around that same moment the server came back up to me to collect my money. I reached into my pocket where there would usually be a big collection of golden coins, but today my hand clenched around thin air. I realized that I was broke. She asked me again ,”that will be 13 reels please.” Knowing I couldn't pay, I panicked and again I ran. Here we go again, on the run again. For the second time in the past week I was running no idea where I was going and no idea how long I had been running.
After who knows long i finally woke up and as did I freaked out, sitting there right in front of me was a girl a beautiful girl, but still a girl. Quickly jumping to my feet, putting a few more feet of space between us I exclaimed, “Who are you?” It took her a while to respond but eventually she did, “My name is Megan.” the rest of the afternoon was spent asking questions about each other and why we were there. Eventually, by now it was close to 9:00 P.M. I somewhat had an idea about who this stranger Megan was. Megan was a foster child that grew up in a far off town, she said she was on the run but she never told me why. Since she didn’t feel like sharing why she was running I didn’t find it necessary to share much about me. Still exhausted from yesterday's run from reality, I moved to a dry spot under a tree and just passed out.
The very next morning I woke up to the amazing smell of something being cooked surprised I got up to see the mysterious Megan standing over a raging fire cooking what looked to be two beautiful looking rabbits. Megan seeing me stirring asked,
“You want one?”
“Of course that would Great.”
I hurried over and snatched it from her grasp. It smelled amazing, and man I swear it tasted even better. When I complimented her, “this tastes amazing thank you so much,” I swear I saw her blush a little. After a little breakfast, i thought, “Hey why don’t we go find a town nearby.” megan got a very confused look on her face but then she decided, “hey why not lets go.” That task took a lot longer than we expected, it took us until the very last hours of dark to find a small town about 5 miles outside of the forest.
As we entered everyone seemed to be giving us a large birth, it was kinda weird but hey I didn't mind. The town was a very small town with just a small inn and a few small shops but other than that nothing much. Because it was getting dark we quickly made our way to the small in. When we enter through the small oak door, well, lets just say it wasn't the most amazing thing i've ever seen. It seemed to be just megan and I, at the counter stood what looked to be a middle aged woman but what was odd was that she was already going grey. The inn was so quiet compared to any other inns I had been in this one compared to the others with their jongleurs and the space filled with people, in this one we could hear our hard leather boots hitting the oak floorboards. As we made our way up to the counter megan asked,
“May we have two rooms for the night?”
“Yes that could be put in order, would you like any super?”
“Now we are good thank you though.”
“Okay then follow me to your rooms it's late you can pay tomorrow.”
The rooms were simple they had a small bed and little table in the middle but I didn't care all I cared about was getting some sleep after the long day.
The next morning i woke up to a familiar, “BANG, BANG, BANG,” on my door I thought oh crap and immediately asked, “Who are you?” to my relief in response i got, “Don’t worry henry, it’s just me Megan.” letting go the breath I had been holding in a slowly made my way to the door to let my new friend in. When she came in my heart did a little flutter, man I forgot just how beautiful she was with her hazel hair pulled up into a messy bun and her crystal blue eyes its just amazing.
“You done staring?”
“Yeah, yes sorry.”
I am such an idiot just standing there with googly eyes I can't believe myself. After out awkward moment she asked,
“Are you ready to go?”
“Yeah.”
“Then let's go.”
When we walked downstairs it turned out that this morning we weren’t alone, there were six big burly men dressed in what looked to be royal and official uniform. Then I heard from behind the counter, “Yeah thats them, get them.” one of the smaller men stepped out from the group and exclaimed, “Henry Garland and Megan Eugenio, you are under arrest.” me being me thought wow what that's her last name, it sounded familiar. Then it hit me Megan Eugenio, the famous thief and bounty hunter I had been hanging out with a bounty hunter and a thief i stepped back, at this point i was pissed off. The royal guard said, “lets go.” The ride back to my familiar hometown and castle was not a good one, Megan would not stop saying, “I am so I am so so sorry.” At that point I was feed up and just ignored her. The guard brought us a to a containment center probably to be kept until the new king, probably my uncle, could see and dish out punishment. I figured it must be late, why not get some sleep before I get sentenced to death, and within the next few minutes I was out.
The next morning I was woken up to the familiar sound of Megan's voice saying, “Henry it’s time to get up, your uncle will see us now.” It wasn't much of a walk to my dads old office, when we walked in, it looked almost exactly the same as it did when my dad held power. There was the old heavy oak desk sitting by a nice big fire, and sitting behind that desk sat a very angry looking uncle. After about a minute of staring and blank faces he exclaimed in a suorisingly calm tone,
“Henry, why did your father?”
“I didn't do it!”
“Yes you did don't lie to me, you were the only one to see him, you were the only one that could commit the murder.”
“Why won't you believe me uncle I swear I didn't do it.”
“Don't lie to me boy do you know what we do to liars and murderers, guards take him away, he will be executed immediately.”
I just stood there frozen in fear I was gonna get executed for something I didn't even do. Then the guards came in the grabbed me from behind a little tight well actually very tight and they started to drag me away. Right as they were about to pull me through the door I heard Megan yell, “Stop!” for a short period of time everyone just stood there and then she said, “Henry didn't kill his father it was me, I was the one who poisoned his food, I killed the king not Henry.” I don't know what the feeling I for was it was like a feeling of wanting to cry but then also I was scared because Megan was gonna get executed I was just so confused. My uncle then said to the guards, “Well what are you doing get her.” She asked one last thing, if she could just say goodbye to me it was kinda weird but hey why not. My uncle, the king didn't see any harm in it so he let her go through with it. I asked,
“Why, why did you do it.”
“I am so sorry.”
“I loved you Megan how could you do this.”
“Henry I am so sorry I wish it didn't have to be this way.”
Megan leaned in to me and kissed me, it was the most amazing feeling, all my joints turned to jello and I was lefts dazed. Then they took her, and I knew I would never see Megan Eugenio ever again.
The End.
