Fall for Me

five

~ l e o r a

THE FOREST SPREAD out in all directions, splaying across the land, concealing the grassy hills which rolled endlessly along the countryside, arching gracefully under the blinding rays of the rising sun. My feet were bare, the soles padding along the trail leading through the forest, the blades of grass damp from the rainstorm. Droplets of water rubbed onto my skin, sliding in between my toes.

The sound of birds echoed loudly throughout the forest, harmonizing with the cries of what seemed to be warning of the woodland creatures. I ambled down the path, the soil soft beneath my feet. As my eyes scanned the area, they settled on the immense field not too far away. It looked familiar. Stalks of razor-sharp, yellow-green grass sprinted from the ground, hanging their heads. Between the blades, a figure stood, his shoulders slouched, head bowed, threads of blonde hair whipping in the wind.

He turned, and I gasped. His eye sockets were empty, an infinite void replacing the pair of eyes which once inhabited the holes. The skin on the sides of his jaw had been peeled off, revealing two rows of jagged, rotten teeth. His lips were curled upward viciously. I was petrified.

But the most disturbing thing was that I knew him, and he knew me.

Ever so slowly, he rose from where he was and stalked up to me almost leisurely, as if he was enjoying how the terror he inflicted upon me shook me. Long, bony fingers cupped my face, but before I could flinch away in disgust, the boy before began to change. The skin stitched itself together and his honey-brown eyes reappeared in their sockets, lively and enthusiastic. 

"Lee..." he trailed on, his voice like the song of angels. I nuzzled my cheek into his palm.

The smoldering sunlight cast shadows around us, bobbing up and down, as if expecting something from us. We stayed like that for a few moments, him holding the side of my face in his hand and me staring into his eyes- the eyes of my best friend who hated me.

Suddenly, the ground rumbled and quaked. Rylan's arm fell limply to his hip and I planted a foot behind me, trying to balance myself. Beneath our feet, the earth began to split open, a large slit forming between Rylan and I. Rocks and boulders tumbled into the crack, the jagged surface of the earth effortlessly fracturing them into minuscule pieces. A heat ascended from inside the gap, boiling waves of lava pooling out onto the ground, sparks mounting into the ineffably blue and distant sky.

My wide eyes searched for Rylan amidst the smoke clouding my vision. His broad-shouldered silhouette stood out against the smog like a flaming candle stood out in the dark.

I called his name, but there was no answer. I called again and again, but he never replied. I panicked, my eyes stinging with tears. I had lost him once, but I would not make the same mistake twice. Scrabbling to the edge of the broadened rift, I scoured hopelessly for a way around, but unsurprisingly, there was none.

Rylan's figure still stood on the other end, teetering dangerously on the border. I prayed silently he would not fall to his death. I warned him too, but like the last several times, he made no sound or any sign of understanding what I had said. 

Little by little, the smoke disappeared, wandering aimlessly in the sky. The other side of the gap was empty, devoid of any living creatures. I knitted my brows together. 

Hadn't Rylan been there just a moment ago?

I croaked out his name, craning my neck to catch his response, but it was useless. Crawling along the rim, I inspected every area about the crack, urgently hoping Rylan would expose himself and his hiding place.

All of a sudden, my hand slid from underneath me and collapsed over the edge, my arm and body following. Before I knew it, I was plunging head-first into the slit. The lava inside the gap caved in, arranging themselves into almost a pathway that led only downward, lighting the passage. 

My heart sped up its pace and the air in my lungs escaped. My throat went dry, disallowing me to scream. I could only watch in horror as I plummeted down into the darkness. I curled myself inward, preparing myself for the impact, but it never came. Instead I was floating precariously above the murky waters of a lake. My hair stuck up like spikes on my head, giving me a clear view of what lay beneath the waters. 

Below me was the form of a girl. She had her eyes closed, wisps of her brown hair circling her head like a ring. Her color of her lips matched that of her skin, which was a pale ivory. She was dressed in a white nightgown, the fabric causing her to look like a saint who slept peacefully under the covers of stars.

Slowly, she opened her eyes.

I jerked up, beads of cold sweat trickling down my neck. The sheets were tangled at the foot of my bed, the comforter sprawled on the floor. The bitter coldness prickled my skin and I hauled the comforter back onto the bed, carefully spreading it out over my shuddering legs. 

A sliver of moonlight peered through the curtains and illuminated the room, giving it a gentle, faint glow. I didn't want to think back to the nightmare I just had; it was too painful to try and remember every detail.

Stepping out of bed, I soundlessly made my way to the double glass doors, wrenching them open before embracing the cool air as it prickled my damp, but warm skin. The balcony overlooked the gardens, but also gave a spectacular view of the villages scattered below, the dim lights flickering in the dark. Monstrous trees lined the garden, looming over the dainty shrubs and flowers swaying in the breeze.

As I rested my arms atop the stone railing, the sound of footsteps reached my ears. Turning, I found myself face to face with the guard who had been standing outside the room door. He looked me up and down nervously. 

"What are you doing here?" I asked, trying my best to sound demanding like the other princesses, and thankfully my voice was pleasantly calmer than I had anticipated.

"I thought I heard a noise. I came to check if everything was alright," he said quietly. This was my first time hearing him speak and his low voice reeked of authority and protectiveness. I swallowed.

"I'm fine, you may leave." He looked as if he were about to open his mouth to say something, but a look from me stopped him and he spun so his back was facing me. I twisted back around, shaking my head.

I heard rustling, followed by the sound of the door shutting. Exhaling, I watched as the first sign of the rising sun towered over the mountaintops. The light drifted through the trees and drowned out that of the moon, fighting for a place in the sky. I wondered what my parents and siblings were doing right now. They would be just waking up for their chores, but I wouldn't be there to help them. I sighed sadly, the hint of tears brimming behind my eyelids. I fought them back.

Just when I was about to make my way back into the room and into the bed, the door swung open and the maid from before entered, holding a tray identical to the one from yesterday. The contents were the exact same.

"Your Highness, you are awake." She looked surprised, nearly dropping the tray. I nodded, closing the double doors behind me, figuring the real princess never got up this early in the morning.

The maid twitched open the curtains and gestured for me to sit on the stool facing the dressing table. I obeyed without a word and she set down the tray before brushing through my hair. I surveyed my reflection in the mirror and wondered if this would be my life from now on. Without my real family and living in an unfamiliar place. I constrained myself from bursting into tears.

After she had tucked my hair into braid and pinned it up into a low bun with wavy strands framing my face, the maid pulled out a black blazer dress with a set of golden buttons. The neckline wasn't too low, but not as high as I would like it to be. The hem of the dress reached a few inches above my knee and I had never felt so exposed in my entire life. If my mother had seen me in this, she would have told me to burn it.

The maid helped me into it, fixing the loose tresses of hair which had escaped. Reluctantly, I slipped on a pair of matching heels, which were a horrendous four inches long. I had objected, but the maid only ignored my annoyed remarks and complaints and forced me into the shoes. Perching me back onto the stool, she did my makeup, all the while with me grumbling under my breath.

When she had finished, she held the door open as I edged out, clutching onto the walls for support, in case I did topple over and humiliate myself because of the heels. The guard had gone, and I felt relieved in a way. I had no idea why, but something about him gave me a bad feeling. I couldn't pin down exactly what it was.

The maid was by my side as we headed down the staircase, my fingers trailing along the wooden railing, the polished wood smooth below my fingertips. Step by step, I made my way down, stopping once to adjust one of the heels which had been rubbing against my foot uncomfortably.

As we reached the landing, I noticed through the window that a white car had been parked outside. The others had already arrived, looking stunning in their outfits. I realized I still didn't know their names. The king and queen were waiting patiently by the side, murmuring silently to each other. When the princesses spotted me, they hurried over and took my hands, complimenting me about my hair and light makeup, which I had requested for I had never really worn makeup and I didn't want to look too much unlike myself. Looking each face anxiously, I thanked them all before praising their looks as well. I wondered if they did this every time they were going out.

The king cleared his throat and I suddenly asked myself if he did that every time he desired attention, but I wasn't able to come up with an answer for he had beckoned us all over.

"You all look beautiful today, and I believe the prince will be delighted to see you all, but I must go over a few things with you." He cleared his throat once more and I battled against the urge to roll my eyes. "You need to respect the king and queen and the prince, and treat everything they own, including their servants, with utmost care. You need to remember everything your mother and I have taught you about politeness, court conversation and manners."

Whispers broke out amongst us all and I thought back to when my parents reminded me and my siblings to be polite around others, especially if they were higher in status than you, or if they were older than you. 

"Father, are you and Mother not coming with us?" One of the girls asked. I turned my attention toward the king and queen.

"No, dear. Your mother and I have other political matters to worry about. I am afraid we will not be able to attend the prince's celebration," the king explained, gazing at his daughter with eyes full of adoration. The others must have heard for the entire floor was silent.

"But who will send us back?" Another girl questioned.

"Julia, my darling, we will of course have arranged cars to take you to the airport and back here," the queen explained. I memorized the face of the girl and told myself to remember that she was called Julia.

"How long will we be staying there?" A third girl piped up.

"A few days, at most," the king said. "No more questions now. When you reach the palace, they will explain everything." All the girls began whispering to each other and I caught only snippets of their conversations.

"What do you think the prince will be like?" The girl standing next to me mumbled, turning to me. I jumped, astonished she was actually speaking to me. She looked at me expectantly.

"To be honest, I really don't know." I had only seen him a few times on television and that was it.

"I heard he needs to choose a wife before he turns eighteen." She sounded excited, but her voice was barely above a whisper. I noticed it was the same for the others. 

Stupid palace rules.

"Well, I sure hope it isn't me." I shrugged. I was too young, and I was definitely not ready to get married, especially not to a prince. It would be way too much responsibility. Other girls would surely give up everything to marry the prince, but I only wanted to marry the man I loved.

Before the princess could ask me why, the king told us to head over to the car. As we all stepped out of the front door, I tugged my dress down slightly, worried about the length. No one saw me. After we had all said our goodbyes to the king and queen, we slid into the back of the palatial car and it purred gently as the driver ignited the engine. 

I peered out the window, watching as the king and his wife stood before the great double doors leading to the palace, waving. The king held my gaze through the glass, a dangerous glint in his cold, icy eyes.