The Fae Prince

Chapter 6: Runaway

~Douglas Booth as Cassiel~

Friday
9:30pm
Roughly 42 hours until Samhain

Haley

I peel open the store bought salad and prepare it as I turn on the tv. My stomach grumbles fiercely as I shovel the lettuce into my mouth. I had slept most of the day after not sleeping at all the night before and I'm starved.

I usually keep my wallet in the glovebox of my car, so I was met with all of my cash and cards once I got my car back. I stopped for the day at a quaint little bed and breakfast that's run by an elderly couple named Bill and Sarah. They gave me a discount after they saw how terrified I looked when I walked in asking for a room, and even gave me a room that had a door I could sneak out of. (They thought I was running away from an abusive boyfriend, bless their little old hearts.) As a thank-you, I spread salt and powdered iron to form a barrier in their little guest office while they got me the keys to my room.

I stare at my bag of groceries as I eat, particularly at the box of hair dye and ditzy perfume I bought. Since I knew that Cathy and the others were now traveling on foot, hopefully, I made a pit-stop at a pharmacy and picked up some food along with hair dye and perfume. I always kept a spare outfit in the trunk of my car so I changed into the jeans and sweater, and then sprayed almost the entire bottle of perfume all over myself. I smelled like flowers now and I couldn't stand it, but if it meant that I had a better chance of getting away, so be it. I left my old clothes in a garbage bin next to the pharmacy to throw off Cathy and them for a bit. If what my mom told me about faeries was true, then they have a wicked sense of smell and can track anything.

I chew the inside of my cheek as I contemplate dying my hair. My fingers reach up to pull on a strand of my fire-y red curls as I grab the box of black hair dye. I push my salad away and get up, heading towards the restroom with the hair dye in hand. After reading the instructions, I quickly prepare myself to dye my hair. I slip off my sweater and jeans, standing in front of the sink mirror in just my bra and underwear.

"I'm gonna do this," I whisper as I grip the edges of the sink and stare at the uncertainty swirling in the honey of my eyes.

I start to part my hair into sections when thunder booms in the sky. My heart leaps in my chest and I cower for a moment. The lights to the restroom flicker for a few seconds before returning to normal just as a crackle of lightning sizzles and strikes. It couldn't have hit too far off from where I am because all the lights in the room flicker and die completely. Pounding on my door makes the fear in my chest worse as I begin to hyperventilate.

"No, no, no," I whimper as I shut the door to the restroom and frantically put my clothes on, "I did everything to get them off my trail, they couldn't have found me that quickly."

The frail voice of Ms. Sarah calls to me from the other side of the door and I breath a sigh of relief. They didn't find me, thank God. I open the door to the restroom and jog over to the front door of my little room.

"Yes, Ms. Sarah, is everything okay?" I ask her as I peak my head out through the crack of the door.

"Everything's fine honey, I just wanted to make sure you were alright," she says with a smile, releasing the hand clutching her chest, "That was a big one, wasn't it?"

"Yeah, it was. Knocked the socks right off me for a few seconds there," I joke as I open the door farther, "Are you and Bill alright?"

"Yeah, we're fine honey. Your friends will be here soon though, they called earlier to let us know you're resting up for your trip here," she smiles as she pats my shoulder and turns to leave.