Sophie sat on her stool, weaving her needle and thread through the unfinished hat. It was olive green with a ribbon wrapped carefully around, and the fabric shone from the light entering the dusty room. Her hands worked mechanically with the familiar pattern, prick, prick, prick, pull, prick, prick, prick, pull. The shop was empty; the only sound was the sweet tune that escaped from Sophie's lips, as she hummed quietly to herself. She was absorbed in her work. She thought her hats were merely something out of the ordinary, but others thought they were masterpieces. 'If only we had more business…' she sighed, and pulled the last thread through. Finished, she thought contently, and set the cap down on a mannequin.
She smiled, but not a happy smile; more like she was recalling a memory. She paced around the shop, fixing the multihued hats so they fashioned themselves. Each one was unique with something that made them stand out, but they were equally dazzling. She always admired the hat that sat by the glass window, the one her father made her for her birthday. Deep, dark blue, a colour she'd always loved, or an indigo her father would had called it. One of his most beautiful creations… she thought wearily, spoiling her mood while she was at it.
Her father had died a few years ago from sickness, and her mother was always working. She and her younger sister Lettie were left with the little hat shop when he passed away. But being the eldest, was more responsible than her sister, thus was handed the deed. Besides, Lettie was too full of life to waste away in the store. She wanted to be free, and to explore the world. Something Sophie may possibly never dream of doing.
The door was ajar, and a portion of hushed gossip poured in through the entrance. All she'd heard today were whispers on the wizard Howl. It was not the first time his name had come up in conversation. He was an interesting fellow, who made discussions quite lively. She could have sworn that once, someone said that he would take beautiful girls, and eat their souls. Poor girls, she thought, at least I have nothing to worry about; he would never pick on an ugly duckling like me. She regretted thinking of him so rudely, and forced the thought away. A rap at the door startled her, and she looked up immediately, the blue hat still in her hands. Her eyes met with those of a young woman named Mary.
"Sophie! Have you finished working? The festival has already started, and the streets are filled with people!" she said excitedly, and her eyes twinkled to match her tone.
"I'll just be a moment Mary; you can go ahead without me. I'm going to go see my sister first. But enjoy yourself," she respond, a forced smile etched onto her face. Mary nodded, holding the hem of her skirt while she ran to catch up with her friends. The smiled faded as quickly as it had come. Whew, at least I get to see Lettie; it's been a while.
Sophie grabbed her straw hat to keep the midday sun from hitting her eyes. She locked the door, and pulled out a piece of parchment from her pocket. Children were laughing, and holding onto brightly coloured balloons, and she smiled when their parents were chasing after them. Sophie never really lived a childhood filled with fun and games, she was expected to have discipline, and not to fool around. Maybe that's why she was always so solemn, and such a wallflower.
The townhouses surrounded the square, and the market was streaked with vibrant colours. The air was tainted with the scent of street food; meats, soups, and fruity flavours. She was a little uncomfortable in the sea of people, but she ignored the shoves she got from strangers as they too, were trying to get out of the crowd.
Sophie smirked, and made a left turn away from the festival. As she weaved through the streets, the houses were becoming more unfamiliar, and a wave of panic washed over her. Am I going in the right direction? Her eyes scanned the inside of an empty store. The glass was frosted with dust, and cobwebs were draped over everything. The room was covered in a blanket of darkness, and Sophie kept walking past it, but her eyes were fixed on the wooden desk.
There was a half-opened letter that was coated with a thin layer of powder, and next to it, was a white fedora hat. She didn't realize that there were two guards standing in the curve of an alley, one of them having a smoke. Sophie bumped right into one. The guard nearly cursed until he saw how small and afraid Sophie was. He smiled and put a hand on her shoulder.
"Oh sir- officer, please forgive me. I-I wasn't l-looking where I was g-going," she cried, looking up at him. He just grinned even wider.
"My, my, my, what's a young lady like you doing, wandering around the streets by yourself? It's dangerous out here, you could get hurt," he said, a hint of hidden mischief in his voice. Sophie was too nervous to notice, clearly unaware of his intentions. The other man who was taking a drag, looked over at them, and pummeled down the stub with his foot. He was about to enter their conversation, when a man with blonde hair approached them. Sophie was still trying to apologize to the officer, when the blonde boy put his arm around Sophie. She gasped, and turned her head. Their faces were quite close, and a delicate pink crept onto her cheeks.
"Oh officer, please forgive me. My sister, she's always wandering off on her own, and she drifted away from the festival. We'll just be on our way," the boy said, his voice sounded like an angels, and was smooth like satin. Well, he was more of a young man, but definitely younger than the old geezers were… The officer's were yelling after them, but he kept a firm hold on Sophie, he dipped his head down to whisper in her ear. His words tickled her ear, and the colour on her face deepened.
"Just keep up, and stay quiet. I think we're being followed," he said, in a low voice. He made a sharp turn into the next walkway, and Sophie struggled to keep up with his pace. Sophie noticed murmurs following her and the stranger who held onto her tightly. She looked behind her, and regretted it instantly. Shadowy creatures were clomped on the wall, as if there were slugs slithering closer and closer to them. A scream escaped her lips and she was shaking violently. But the boy just laughed, the fear pumping adrenaline through his veins.
"Don't turn around anymore, keep your eyes forward, and just keep walking," he ordered her, but his voice was gentle, as was his touch. He moved his position so that he was behind her, still holding her hands, but as if he were guarding her from the creatures on their trail.
"Now… watch," he said, anticipation colouring his tone. With each step they took, the ground seemed farther and farther away. Sophie gasped, and was rewarded with a smile from the boy. They we're soaring through the air! Sophie couldn't believe what was happening.
"I'm not… I'm not dreaming am I?" she said warily, but was starting to have problems floating. He showed told her to just move her legs in a circular motion, as if she were riding a bicycle. She finally got the hang of it, and she looked at the view below her. Moments ago she was just another face in the crowd. Now she was flying above what looked like a swarm of ants gathering together. The boy asked where they were going, and she told him the address.
"Oh I know exactly where that is, just a few minutes from here," he said, and he changed routes. Sophie was happy that he'd rescued her, her prince with no name. Before, she was too frightened to realize that he was quite handsome. His blonde bangs were swept to the right, and his face was thin and oval shaped. His eyes were what caught her attention though. They we're the exact same blue as the hat her father gave her. Like a small portion of the ocean bottled up into one perfect shade. Those perfect eyes… were staring right back at her. She turned away, a little more than embarrassed. His flashed his pearly white teeth at her.
"You're a natural my dear. At flying I mean. Is that the place, the second one to the right?" he asked.
"Yeah, that's the one," she replied. They kicked, and they slowly reached one of the balconies. Her feet touched the floor lightly and he let go of her hands. He stood on the railings, bending down so that his face was leveled with hers. His crooked grin nearly shattered her heart into tiny pieces. He brushed a strand of brown hair from her face and tucked in neatly behind her ear. She was surprised, and he smiled even wider.
"You're quite shy," he said quietly, not sure if he even said it, more like he was confirming it to himself. Before he could go, the words rushed out of her, "Thank-you-very-much-for-helping-me-back-there." She clamped her hands together before she could do anything foolish; like hold his hands, or reach out to touch his face.
"You're welcome my lady," he said quietly. Then he was gone.