His Choice

⚜ TWENTY FOUR ⚜

Unedited

---(Name this line?)---

Standing at the foot of the bridge, I look up from my feet to face what lays before me. My father. He stands atop a hill, looking back at me. He has a kind smile and big silver eyes. A clean-cut beard and even at a distance, his figure stands tall – maybe that's where I get my height from.

"Father," I call out. I see him shout something back, but I can't hear him. His words lost to silence.

I look back down at the bridge before me. It's lined with withered oak that looks as if it'll crumble beneath my weight. There are no handrails and below, a stormy sea rages - ready to swallow me in a heartbeat.

But I take my chances. Better to die fighting for my family than to be stranded and alone.

I test my weight on the first plank. It holds. The bridge is short, five metres at most. If I run, I can make it. I just have to pray that it doesn't tip to the side.

Drawing in a deep breath, I hold it as I start my sprint. It's holding steady and when I feel it tipping, I am able to balance it out. However, to my distaste, the bridge gets longer and my Father gets further away. I keep running and running.

"Allenica." I hear my name and I run faster. A light appears in front of me. I keep running. "Allenica." Faster and further into the light. But before I can reach it, the bridge tips and I find myself falling into the jaws of the raging water below.

Is this how it ends?

"Allenica. Allenica, wake up!" I groan and slowly peel my eyes open. "Rise and shine, Sleeping Beauty." I lift up my head, ready to tear the head off anyone who dares wake me from my slumber. My eyes are too heavy to open them fully and see who it is, so I put my head back on the mop bucket.

I feel a finger poke my nose; I wrinkle it up then relax it. Once again, they poke my nose but keep their finger there. This time, I go to slap their hand away. I miss and my sudden movements shift the bucket I'm resting on and the content tips itself across my freshly cleaned floor, and all over the top half of my body.

Startled, I sit up to stare at the puddle of mop water growing around me. Closing my eyes, I groan, "great," and lie back down in it. I'm already soaked, I may as well drown away my sorrows.

"Not on my watch, missy." I hear a voice above me and my eyes snap open and stare straight into familiar blue and hazel ones.

"Your Highness," I mumble.

"Jake." He corrects. "So are you going to lie there all night, or will you be getting up?"

"What time is it?" I cover my eyes with my forearm.

"Just past midnight. Mrs Smith checked in to say that she hadn't heard from you but her shift was over, so I offered to come down and check on you myself," he replies.

"How kind of you," I say with feigned annoyance, but I can't keep the smile off my face. "But as you can see, I'm quite happy lying in a pool of mop water."

"Come on, I'll help you up." I shift my arm slightly to see him offering me a hand.

I shake my head, "Just leave me here. I've disgraced myself enough for one day already."

He does say anything, but I hear him shuffle closer. Before I can move my arm to see what's happening, I'm hoisted into a pair of strong arms. I let out a short squeal as I frail about in his arms.