Runaway Princess

CHAPTER 11

AFTER a few hours of commuting and moving from one bus to another, we finally reached our destination. We're now walking inside a forest that isn't even open to the public, it has a fence around its entrance and we just hopped over that fence earlier. Yes, I just broke the law and I don't know what to feel about it. Where are we even going?

"I'm really nervous, where are you guys taking me?" I asked them and stopped walking. I crouched and put my hands on my knees to catch my breath. Demian and Garrett stopped walking too and looked back at me.

"We're going to the boundary," Garrett said and I furrowed my eyebrows. Boundary? What boundary?

"You probably don't know what we're talking about, actually nobody knows about this except us. There's another fence at the end of this forest, and behind that fence is our hideout," Demian explained. I stood back up straight and looked at him. What does he mean nobody knows about that except for us?

"Why does nobody know that?" I asked them.

"There are wild animals in here, and people who go in here before aren't able to get back out because they get killed by the animals, that's why this forest is restricted to the public, and that's also another reason why no one knows about our hideout, because they haven't fully explored this forest yet," my eyes widend at what Garrett said. Wild animals? Oh no. Am I even going to be safe here? Is this really the right choice?

Demian looked up at the sky. "We better get going, its almost sunset," I looked up and saw the dark sky with wisps of orange in them. I nodded and we started walking again, but this time I walked closer behind them. I'm so scared. What if those wild animals suddenly come out and attack us?

After thirty minutes or so we arrived at the boundary. It was a tall wooden fence that looked like it was rushed to be made. Sharp shards of rocks were placed above it and there is no door to get through it at all. Are we climbing up this again?

Demian and Garrett walked around me, looking at the ground. They seem to be searching for something and I was just standing there, oblivious of what was going on. Really, what are they doing?

"Is is here?" Garret asked, looking down on a patch of dead leaves on the ground. What is there?

"I think it's this," Demian said and kneeled down in front of another patch of grass that was bigger than the other one Garrett was standing in front of. What?

Demian held onto something. I was surprised when a piece of plywood got lifted up in the air when he lifted his arms, the dead leaves on top of it falling to the ground. It revealed a huge, dark and deep hole.

"Its an underground passage that'll take us inside," Demian said and went to the plywood to put back the dead leaves on it. Garrett approached me and I jolted when he held my elbow lightly, I thought he was gonna push me inside.

"Go in," Demian stood back up and gestured at the pit. Why me?

"Uhm, go first, lead the way," I told him and laughed nervously. They're not gonna leave me in there once I go in, right? I'm genuinely scared they will.

"Oh, come on. It's alright, go first," I squealed when Garrett held my arms either sides and pushed me closer to the edge. I ended up sliding down on the slope and eventually fell in the hole.

Goosebumps appeared on my skin as I saw a dark tunnel ahead of me. I couldn't see anything, it was just pure pitch black in there.

I looked up and heared a rustle. I shrieked when the light disappeared. I thought they left me in here when I suddenly felt hands snake around my waist.

I froze and my cheeks heated up. "T-that's my waist.." I said.

"I know," I gasped when I felt Demian's hot breath on my neck. I couldn't really see even his figure so I walked away from him, pushing his hands away.

"Walk forward, Isla," Garrett said. I cautiously moved forward, extending my arms a bit and feeling the walls or if there's anything in my way. I'm really scared, I don't know what's inside this dark tunnel and I'm so clueless walking around.

Minutes later I approached a sloped wall. I crawled my hand on its surface and felt something cold, rough and hard against my hand. Are these rocks?

"Climb up," Demian said and I nodded. I lifted my foot and blindly searched for a rock to place it on to and stepped on it. I grasped on two more rocks with my hands and lifted myself, and let out a little yelp when I felt like the rocks where moving and unstable from their position.

I felt Demian's hands on me again, but this time on my hips. I'm feeling really awkward right now, he keeps on holding me on these places where no one has ever touched me before.

He was pulling my hips up. "Go up faster, and keep your hands above your head so you won't hit the plywood on the top."

I nodded and started searching for another rock to step onto again. He kept his hands on my hips and it wasn't really helping, I was sweating to much and it was distracting me from actually doing the task on hand.

After a few minutes I felt something flat hit my head. I raised my hand and swatted it away, and the darkness of the sky greeted me. I climbed out the hole and removed the plywood away. Demian and Garrett expertly climbed up in no time.

We put the cover back and I looked behind me. There was a row of tall, dark, trees again like earlier back out there.

"Come on," Demian and Garrett walked forward and I followed behind them. My legs were getting really tired and my skin was really itchy. I've never walked a long distance like this before.

Many things kept flying to my face and I just kept on getting startled every time they did. I just wanted to find something to cover my face with so they would stop flying to my ear or into my cheek but there's really nothing I can't do. What are even these things? They're not one of those deadly mosquitoes, are they?

"Here we are," they both stopped. I did too and peeked over their shoulders, and just a few feet in front of us, was a whole village, with little houses and huts. A bonfire was in the center surrounded by many people, kids and adults, boy and girls.

"Hey," Garrett walked forward which caught their attention. They stood up to greet him and I just cowered behind Demian's back, nervous and scared.

What would happen if they knew I was here? Would they be able to accept me?

"What happened? Why are you and Demian back here? What about the others?" A woman carrying a baby who also looked pregnant at the same time stood up and asked him. Garrett looked into her eyes sadly and held her shoulders.

Oh no... Don't tell me she's connected to one of the rebels who we're killed?

"T-they found out that we were rebels.. All the other people, Charles, Maurice, and all the other comrades that went with us... T-they're killed by the king, and only me and Demian survived."

The woman teared up and seemed to lost the strength in her legs. Garrett held her and made her sit back down and she cried, along with the other people who lost their relatives, friends, spouses.

"B-but what about our son..and our coming daughter.." I covered my mouth to stop myself from making a noise as the tears ran out of my eyes. It hurt me seeing people suffer because of what my father has done. She has a baby and another child coming and she's now on her own. Oh, no...

"See what your father has done, Isla?" Demian looked at me over his shoulder. I sobbed and wiped the tears away from my face and nodded.

"He destroyed families, friendships, and hearts. And he is even the one who's at fault, not us," I bowed down my head at what he said. I felt like all the things he's doing are taking an impact on me more than him himself. I feel so bad for them, they were the ones who were treated wrongly and now they're the one that are suffering like this. He's so cruel and selfish. I can't believe he's the father I once knew.