Chapter 1: The Beginning
Sunlight filled the sky. Light shone through the cracks causing me to wake. I sat up sleepy and immediately remembered what day it was. I looked out the small barred window. The only window in the tower. Maybe they forgot that today is my hnaging, I thought. Now that I was seventeen, I wanted much more then this life. I would do anything to escape this wretched cage. I am not a witch. Although I do wonder about the special "gifts" I possess. I've already tried lifting the few stones that lay in piles, I've tried reading the mind of Ms.Byerly, a cold-hearted woman who feeds me the stale bread and water.
Maybe Serena was lying? Why would she lie? And why would she try and help me? I need to find these answers, I thought. A loud crash interupted my thoughts. Startled, I turned to the door in fear. Click, Click, Click, Click. The sound of the locks unlocking. My heart pounded through my chest and the feeling of nausea commenced. Slowly, the door creaked open. Ms.Byerly stood there. Her gray eyes dark with repulsion. Her thin lips formed a twisted smile and she stepped forward.
In one hand, she held a rope; in the other hand, an even smaller serving of bread than what I'm used to. "Here." She exclaimed, as she threw the serving of bread at me. "It'll be your last meal." She added, smiling smugly. Starving, I ate the bread quickly and looked up at Ms.Byerly.
"Please, I don't deserve to be hanged." I pleaded. "You deserve it plenty, my dear. You came to this village with your book of curses in plain view! How stupid a witch are you!" She laughed. Tears started forming, but I wouldn't give her the satisfaction to make me cry. "Please..my family died. I am the only one left, I want to live, and I want to live in this beautiful world!" I begged. For a fleeting instant, I saw sympathy in her eyes, but her eyes grew cold again. She smacked me across the face. This time the tears came. She looked down on me. I knew she thought I was pathetic. I knew that she dreaded coming up to this secluded castle, in this dark and bat-infested tower just to provide me with my daily food. The food that I have eaten for the last ten years. How I longed for something different to eat. The fruits and vegetables of the earth. I've always wanted to drink wine, I remember mother promising me I'd have a drink of wine on my sixteenth birthday.
Ms.Byerly yanked me up to my feet. She quickly fastened the rough ropes around my small wrists. She led me down the tower staircase and through the castle rooms, and finally outside. I breathed in the refreshing aroma of the woods. The birds sang and it was a warm morning. Of course I didn't have much time to enjoy this because Ms.Byerly's grip on my arm were as bad as the ropes on my wrists. Finally, she shoved me into a small horse carriage and were soon on our way to the heart of the village.
The ride back to the village was short but the view was wonderful. Tall trees, thick with leaves and the variety of flowers that bloomed along the road. I hadn't seen these simple creations in ten years. Had I taken my childhood life for granted? I promised myself then and there that if I ever would be able to escape, I would never take anything for granted ever again. I stared at the rope that binded my wrists together. I tried squirming out of the ropes, untying the ropes, and even tried chewing through the ropes but they wouldn't come off. I'm doomed, I whispered to myself. I hung my head back and slept the rest of the way there.
As soon as the carriage stopped, I woke. Ms.Byerly came and opened the carribage door and hauled me out. I blinked in the sunlight and stared in awe. The sides of the stone pebbled street were crowded with people. People that were waiting for me to be hanged. The thought sickened me. Ms.Byerly dragged me through the crowds of people and finally to a clearing where a humongous tree stood. On the farthest branch was a rope where I was expected to be hanged. the same large. burly man who took me to the castle appeared and lead me to the tree. He slowly looped the rope around my neck. I gulped. A few tears ran down my cheek. "No worries, Miss. You'll be in the great beyond soon." He said, trying to comfort me.
I looked at him as he tightened the rope around my neck. "Please don't do this." I whispered. He looked very sympathetic. This did not seem like the man that lead me to the castle ten years ago. "I have to. It's my duty." He replied quickly. He motioned for a few others to join him. I looked and saw how they were going to hang me. As I stand there with the rope around my neck, they pull me up, and if that hasn't killed me already they let the rope fall, and right before I reach the ground, they hold the rope steady which causes me to snap my neck. I shuddered at the thought. As they were about to pull, a young man, maybe about eighteen years old stepped up.
"Stop!" He commanded. The villagers booed at this young man. "Why are you hanging this lovelylady?" He asked innocently. Lovely? Had he not known that I havn't taken a bath in ten years? My hair, which had grown incredibly longer was not combed. I hadn't even seen my reflection since my sentence to the castle. Ms.Byerly stepped up. "She's a witch! She came to this village about ten years ago carrying a book on curses!" Ms.Byerly explained eagerly, waiting for me to die.
"Oh. You mean this book?" He asked as he held up the book. The golden letters glistened in the sun, which sent me a feeling of hope. "Yes! That's the book! She's a witch that will be hanged and will be hanged today!" Ms.Byerly argued. "Ah. I see. But, this book read 'Cursed'. Not 'Curses'. Have you noticed that?" The young man asked with a dazzling smirk. "Yes. Yes. But what's it to you? Who knows, it could still contain curses." She replied, her pateince wearing down. He flipped through the book. "Actually, I had a chance to look through this book and it tells about all the mythical creatures in these parts. Also about magical happenings. There are no curses in here. You are accusing an innocent person." He declared as he snapped the thick book shut.
"Prince Lukas, what is your logic in this?" Ms.Byerly asked tapping her foot impatiently while crossing her arms. "Do I have to explain everything to people? I'm saying, this girl is no witch. Your accusations are wrong. Take her down!" He commanded, walking over to where I stood and untightened the rope himself. My hands flew up to my sore neck. "Thank you so much for your kindness! I don't have much to offer you, but I am Zoe Flockdale. What is your whole name?" I asked. You couldn't hide the joy from my voice. I'm still alive! I can enjoy the world for what it is! I can eat different foods, I can drink wine. I can do whatever, but the first thing on my mind was food. "Welcome to Khensu Village!" He exclaimed happily, shaking my hand. "My name is Lukas Grisham."
Sunlight filled the sky. Light shone through the cracks causing me to wake. I sat up sleepy and immediately remembered what day it was. I looked out the small barred window. The only window in the tower. Maybe they forgot that today is my hnaging, I thought. Now that I was seventeen, I wanted much more then this life. I would do anything to escape this wretched cage. I am not a witch. Although I do wonder about the special "gifts" I possess. I've already tried lifting the few stones that lay in piles, I've tried reading the mind of Ms.Byerly, a cold-hearted woman who feeds me the stale bread and water.
Maybe Serena was lying? Why would she lie? And why would she try and help me? I need to find these answers, I thought. A loud crash interupted my thoughts. Startled, I turned to the door in fear. Click, Click, Click, Click. The sound of the locks unlocking. My heart pounded through my chest and the feeling of nausea commenced. Slowly, the door creaked open. Ms.Byerly stood there. Her gray eyes dark with repulsion. Her thin lips formed a twisted smile and she stepped forward.
In one hand, she held a rope; in the other hand, an even smaller serving of bread than what I'm used to. "Here." She exclaimed, as she threw the serving of bread at me. "It'll be your last meal." She added, smiling smugly. Starving, I ate the bread quickly and looked up at Ms.Byerly.
"Please, I don't deserve to be hanged." I pleaded. "You deserve it plenty, my dear. You came to this village with your book of curses in plain view! How stupid a witch are you!" She laughed. Tears started forming, but I wouldn't give her the satisfaction to make me cry. "Please..my family died. I am the only one left, I want to live, and I want to live in this beautiful world!" I begged. For a fleeting instant, I saw sympathy in her eyes, but her eyes grew cold again. She smacked me across the face. This time the tears came. She looked down on me. I knew she thought I was pathetic. I knew that she dreaded coming up to this secluded castle, in this dark and bat-infested tower just to provide me with my daily food. The food that I have eaten for the last ten years. How I longed for something different to eat. The fruits and vegetables of the earth. I've always wanted to drink wine, I remember mother promising me I'd have a drink of wine on my sixteenth birthday.
Ms.Byerly yanked me up to my feet. She quickly fastened the rough ropes around my small wrists. She led me down the tower staircase and through the castle rooms, and finally outside. I breathed in the refreshing aroma of the woods. The birds sang and it was a warm morning. Of course I didn't have much time to enjoy this because Ms.Byerly's grip on my arm were as bad as the ropes on my wrists. Finally, she shoved me into a small horse carriage and were soon on our way to the heart of the village.
The ride back to the village was short but the view was wonderful. Tall trees, thick with leaves and the variety of flowers that bloomed along the road. I hadn't seen these simple creations in ten years. Had I taken my childhood life for granted? I promised myself then and there that if I ever would be able to escape, I would never take anything for granted ever again. I stared at the rope that binded my wrists together. I tried squirming out of the ropes, untying the ropes, and even tried chewing through the ropes but they wouldn't come off. I'm doomed, I whispered to myself. I hung my head back and slept the rest of the way there.
As soon as the carriage stopped, I woke. Ms.Byerly came and opened the carribage door and hauled me out. I blinked in the sunlight and stared in awe. The sides of the stone pebbled street were crowded with people. People that were waiting for me to be hanged. The thought sickened me. Ms.Byerly dragged me through the crowds of people and finally to a clearing where a humongous tree stood. On the farthest branch was a rope where I was expected to be hanged. the same large. burly man who took me to the castle appeared and lead me to the tree. He slowly looped the rope around my neck. I gulped. A few tears ran down my cheek. "No worries, Miss. You'll be in the great beyond soon." He said, trying to comfort me.
I looked at him as he tightened the rope around my neck. "Please don't do this." I whispered. He looked very sympathetic. This did not seem like the man that lead me to the castle ten years ago. "I have to. It's my duty." He replied quickly. He motioned for a few others to join him. I looked and saw how they were going to hang me. As I stand there with the rope around my neck, they pull me up, and if that hasn't killed me already they let the rope fall, and right before I reach the ground, they hold the rope steady which causes me to snap my neck. I shuddered at the thought. As they were about to pull, a young man, maybe about eighteen years old stepped up.
"Stop!" He commanded. The villagers booed at this young man. "Why are you hanging this lovelylady?" He asked innocently. Lovely? Had he not known that I havn't taken a bath in ten years? My hair, which had grown incredibly longer was not combed. I hadn't even seen my reflection since my sentence to the castle. Ms.Byerly stepped up. "She's a witch! She came to this village about ten years ago carrying a book on curses!" Ms.Byerly explained eagerly, waiting for me to die.
"Oh. You mean this book?" He asked as he held up the book. The golden letters glistened in the sun, which sent me a feeling of hope. "Yes! That's the book! She's a witch that will be hanged and will be hanged today!" Ms.Byerly argued. "Ah. I see. But, this book read 'Cursed'. Not 'Curses'. Have you noticed that?" The young man asked with a dazzling smirk. "Yes. Yes. But what's it to you? Who knows, it could still contain curses." She replied, her pateince wearing down. He flipped through the book. "Actually, I had a chance to look through this book and it tells about all the mythical creatures in these parts. Also about magical happenings. There are no curses in here. You are accusing an innocent person." He declared as he snapped the thick book shut.
"Prince Lukas, what is your logic in this?" Ms.Byerly asked tapping her foot impatiently while crossing her arms. "Do I have to explain everything to people? I'm saying, this girl is no witch. Your accusations are wrong. Take her down!" He commanded, walking over to where I stood and untightened the rope himself. My hands flew up to my sore neck. "Thank you so much for your kindness! I don't have much to offer you, but I am Zoe Flockdale. What is your whole name?" I asked. You couldn't hide the joy from my voice. I'm still alive! I can enjoy the world for what it is! I can eat different foods, I can drink wine. I can do whatever, but the first thing on my mind was food. "Welcome to Khensu Village!" He exclaimed happily, shaking my hand. "My name is Lukas Grisham."