Come Along

run along now

Before I knew it, the strange feeling fled its way to my feet as I swiftly pulled myself  to my room again where the silence lurked. Silence other than the sounds of muffled squeaks of cabinets and drawers, obviously coming from the restroom. My feet were moving quite to fast to mind though.

I grabbed a trunk from the top of my closet, where I've kept it in my mind, each day, waiting impatiently for it's dusty blue wheels to roll again.

I began through the closet itself, swinging dresses and the occasional jumper into my luggage, now would be a great time for trousers, but we'll have to do. I stuffed them as neatly as possible into the small case and began to rummage through the rest of the closet in a hurried manor.

"Silly girl, you're so adamant on leaving this grand place, you forgot to even ask where we're going, if anywhere at all." I didn't need an introduction from the voice behind me.

"I'm not silly." I huffed as I zipped up the packed bag and through it into the center of the large empty room. "As an intruder, you must leave sooner or later, and sooner or later I suppose I shall too."

"Sooner or Later it is then. Sounds like a delightful plan." She mocked me even enough to straighten her torn blouse and Curtsey, as a girl does, but not nearly eloquent enough to not look preposterous.

I couldn't help but laugh slightly, covering my face with the back of my hand as I giggled and leaned in my closet door way. "Sooner it shall be, as it seems I don't have nearly as many suitable belongings as I would have thought."

I grabbed another bag with a swipe off the coat rack as I stuffed a blanket, some tea packets of my favorite variety, a pair of scratched up readers and finally right before I was about to zip the top of the bag, I swiped my fathers camera from the highest bookshelf where he keeps it and all of his favorite shots.

Forgive me father. I thought with a glance to his portrait on the wall as I stuffed the large device into the brimming pack.

"I do believe that such a high class girl like your self would need more than a measly 2 bags, correct?" She first glanced to the piled bags sitting perpendicular to my heel clad feet.

"I may be high class but I wouldn't dare be high maintenance." I rolled my eyes at the slightly offensive comment coming from the girl dressed in rags.

"If you say so princess." Winnie chuckled with the click of her tongue and went off down the Hall, I could practically see her leaping off the walls like a tick.

I groaned and heaved the two bags onto my shoulders as I followed her hesitantly.

"If this gets me killed, whatever this is, I promise my family will have your head in a heartbeat."

Obviously the empty threat was a little too obvious because all it received was a small glance over the girls shoulders and that was the end of it.

Once we reached the door, the heavy feeling in my stomach engulfed my whole body, making me feel wobbly under the weight of my fears and doubts, yet my feet still pulled me forward and my hand still reached out to touch the oak door just as I remember doing so long ago.

"I sense that this is going to be the hardest part for you," Winnie finally spoke, her calming voice lifted a fraction of the weight, "if you'd like to turn back, you'd never have to see my face again. I have somewhere to be anyways."

I stayed silent, thinking about that last part long and hard, "no, no, I'm going to do this. I just need a moment."

Winnie sighed, I wasn't sure if it was one of anger, or just simple exhaustion, or a terrible combination of the two.

As I turned my head back, the light from the window burned my eyes as I noticed suddenly that it was left open,  the breeze from the courtyard wrinkled the gentle fabric of the tapestry beside me and the smell of roses hit my senses harder than I could ever imagine. It took me aback for a short moment before, in seemingly slow motion, I reached my hand out and shut the delicate glass door.

"I'm ready." As I locked the latch, the words slipped out of my mouth and found their way into the room.

"Good."

Winnie pushed open the door with a heave as my nose was filled with millions of roses and my eyes filled with the light of mid afternoon.

Winnie smiled, showing off her gapped teeth in the light, I returned the favor and she put her hand on my shoulder before leaning on the door to keep it propped open.

I took a few steps out, feeling the wooden floors suddenly shift beneath my feat into a stone path that seemed to go on forever. A stone wall surrounded us on all sides with only a small wooden door, much smaller than that of any in the mansion. A few unrecognizable gardeners worked tirelessly with their heads down in the ground, looking almost as still as the flowers from a distance.

I lifted my hood and put my hand on Winnie's squared off shoulder.

"It's really time to go."

I had forgotten how long we had been standing in silence until she finally spoke.

"Where are you planning on taking me?"

"Wherever we end up I suppose. But I should be getting home eventually." She spoke in an obvious tone.

"Well than let's go to Wherever We End Up. It sounds like a pleasant place." I smiled at her and she smiled back. It was a simple exchange, but more than enough for what I needed.

"Delightful." She gripped my hand and began to glide of onto the stone pathway, hopping along from each rock to another, as the light from the sun seemed to hold her gently in its arms.

An angel.