"The 5th Passenger"
Chapter 3
Rossetta's elbow shot up and jabbed the soldier in the face, causing him to momentarily release her from his grasp. The gypsy woman seized the moment and fled away with her baby in her arms.
"Take care of the others," Frollo ordered his men. "I'll deal with her." With that, he dug his spurs deep into his horse's flesh, making him charge after the getaways at full speed. In a second they were out of sight.
A chill went down little Esmeralda's spine. Her mother and brother were being persued by the monster. Wouldn't the baby cry out now? And if he did, wouldn't Frollo spare a mother and child? She shuddered at the realization that that notion was probably wrong.
"Look! One's escaping!"
"Don't bother. It's only a child."
"You fool! She could tell the other gypsies! Frollo wants us to let no one escape!"
The gypsy's tiny body trembled. They were going to chain her up just like the others! Like a startled dear, her siff little legs were suddenly fleeing at the highest speed of which they were capable.
Where could she go? She had nowhere to go. Where does one go when she has nowhere to go? In the mind of a little child, she finds her mother. Yes, Esmeralda thought, she would have to locate her mother. Her mother would take care of her.
Now how could she locate her mother when she was being madly persued like a helpless rabbit being persued by a hungry fox? She began to feel like she was a rabbit, picking up speed as she moved in large leaps, her feet barely touching the ground. She could hear loud drumbeats of thunder; whether they were coming from the horse's hooves or her own heart beating she couldn't tell. The freezing air was no longer a sensation in her body: the perspiration from running had generated heat.
The elusive little gypsy kept to the shadows as best as she could, but she still heard the pounding of hoofbeats. The tall dark shapes of the buildings seemed determined to block her from escape and insure her capture.
Soon the girl got it into her head that if the buildings were determined to hamper her, she would simply have to extricate herself by conquering the buildings.
She chose a house with a tree in front of it to make her move. Never before had she attempted to climb over a house, but she felt this was her only chance for escape. And after all, she was a Gypsy! Gypsies were agile and strong. Surely she would be able to do this!
Esmeralda scampered under the tree and gripped onto the lowest branch. Instantly the grinding bark began sawing away at her bare hands. She ground her teeth at the sting of the branch and the sensation that her throat was in her stomach. The branch tore at her tender skin as she swung her legs up and hoisted herself onto the wood. Without pausing for breath, she hoisted herself onto a higher branch, then a higher branch.
At last she was level with the second floor window. She carefully inched up the branch, intending to somehow get onto the sill and climb up the wall. She kept her eyes focused straight ahead, fearful to look down and see how high she was.
Then suddenly....SNAP! The branch broke. For a moment Esmeralda was flying. Then the sensation instantly changed from flying to falling. Most people in this situation would probably crash to the ground, but the gypsy's quick reflexes enabled her to grab hold of the windowsill and -straining her little muscles- push herself onto the sill.
Esmeralda gasped and pressed her hands against the window, then quickly removed them. The glass window felt excrutingatly gelid even to her already-numb hands. She turned around and pressed her covered back against the window, franticly trying to sort out her options.
All of a sudden, the window yielded to her weight, sending her tumbling into the house.
Chapter 3
Rossetta's elbow shot up and jabbed the soldier in the face, causing him to momentarily release her from his grasp. The gypsy woman seized the moment and fled away with her baby in her arms.
"Take care of the others," Frollo ordered his men. "I'll deal with her." With that, he dug his spurs deep into his horse's flesh, making him charge after the getaways at full speed. In a second they were out of sight.
A chill went down little Esmeralda's spine. Her mother and brother were being persued by the monster. Wouldn't the baby cry out now? And if he did, wouldn't Frollo spare a mother and child? She shuddered at the realization that that notion was probably wrong.
"Look! One's escaping!"
"Don't bother. It's only a child."
"You fool! She could tell the other gypsies! Frollo wants us to let no one escape!"
The gypsy's tiny body trembled. They were going to chain her up just like the others! Like a startled dear, her siff little legs were suddenly fleeing at the highest speed of which they were capable.
Where could she go? She had nowhere to go. Where does one go when she has nowhere to go? In the mind of a little child, she finds her mother. Yes, Esmeralda thought, she would have to locate her mother. Her mother would take care of her.
Now how could she locate her mother when she was being madly persued like a helpless rabbit being persued by a hungry fox? She began to feel like she was a rabbit, picking up speed as she moved in large leaps, her feet barely touching the ground. She could hear loud drumbeats of thunder; whether they were coming from the horse's hooves or her own heart beating she couldn't tell. The freezing air was no longer a sensation in her body: the perspiration from running had generated heat.
The elusive little gypsy kept to the shadows as best as she could, but she still heard the pounding of hoofbeats. The tall dark shapes of the buildings seemed determined to block her from escape and insure her capture.
Soon the girl got it into her head that if the buildings were determined to hamper her, she would simply have to extricate herself by conquering the buildings.
She chose a house with a tree in front of it to make her move. Never before had she attempted to climb over a house, but she felt this was her only chance for escape. And after all, she was a Gypsy! Gypsies were agile and strong. Surely she would be able to do this!
Esmeralda scampered under the tree and gripped onto the lowest branch. Instantly the grinding bark began sawing away at her bare hands. She ground her teeth at the sting of the branch and the sensation that her throat was in her stomach. The branch tore at her tender skin as she swung her legs up and hoisted herself onto the wood. Without pausing for breath, she hoisted herself onto a higher branch, then a higher branch.
At last she was level with the second floor window. She carefully inched up the branch, intending to somehow get onto the sill and climb up the wall. She kept her eyes focused straight ahead, fearful to look down and see how high she was.
Then suddenly....SNAP! The branch broke. For a moment Esmeralda was flying. Then the sensation instantly changed from flying to falling. Most people in this situation would probably crash to the ground, but the gypsy's quick reflexes enabled her to grab hold of the windowsill and -straining her little muscles- push herself onto the sill.
Esmeralda gasped and pressed her hands against the window, then quickly removed them. The glass window felt excrutingatly gelid even to her already-numb hands. She turned around and pressed her covered back against the window, franticly trying to sort out her options.
All of a sudden, the window yielded to her weight, sending her tumbling into the house.