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For a special treat I'm going to post Chapter Two: The Forest here! (This is also because I finnaly completed it and I'm proud of it!) Please note that it is all of it.

Chapter Two

I put my face in my hands and cried. I couldn’t help it. I was stuck in a dark library with no windows. It would be like living in a cave. I wiped away tears and stood up and walked to the bookshelf. There were forty books. It would take me forever to finish that many books. Even if I did read a book a day it would take me forty days. “I better get started.” I whispered to myself. I picked up a leather bound book and sat down again. While flipping through the pages my heart sank, this would take forever.

I read all day. When a servant unlocked the door to bring me my supper, I asked her where my father was. She said, “He’s off trading my lady. Left this morning and won’t be back for a few weeks.” With that she left me to my supper.

The door opened. My mother stood in the doorway. “What is going on in here?” She asked. I looked down as she scanned the room. She walked over to me and slapped me across the face before turning to leave the room. I heard her yelling at the maid for using the good plates and tray on her worthless daughter. The maid soon reentered the room with tears rolling down her face. She started to clean up the mess. I went over to help; it was my fault after all. The maid smiled at me, she couldn’t have been more than a year or two older than me. I smiled back at her. Once she was done she left me feeling lonelier than ever.
Walking back to my chair seemed to take forever. To read each sentence, even longer. Once again I wondered, why me?

The week passed like that- nothing special. The maid that brought me my supper that day brought me my breakfast, dinner, and supper everyday. I read about a book a day. I had thirty-seven books to go when my mother checked up on me.

“Amanda! How are you doing? Done yet?” My mother asked after she strolled into the library a week after locking me in there. I stared at her. Done? Fourty books to read and she gave me a week to do it. How can anyone read that fast? My fool of a mother doesn’t seem to think before she speaks.

“Answer me Amanda. Are you done yet?”

“No. I’m not.” I answered, strangely calm.

"I guess I'll have to give you one more week. You are such a disappointment." My mother then swept out of the library. I stared vacantly at the door, divising my plan.



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It's been two months. I've read but also many times you could have found me staying up late into the night, working out the final details of my plan. Now that was all over, it was time. My mother was going to a ball tonight. She had insisted that I come. I refused saying that I had no longing to go back to human society. When that didn't work I persuaded with my appearance. I haven't seen proper light in months resulting in me squinting when I see light. I also haven't been allowed to bathe in all that time. My smell, for instance, would take forever to soak out. My chamber pot hasn't been emptied everyday like it should have been. Instead I received a new one, every other day. In other words, the room stank. Which resulted in myself being coated in a foul smell.

The first step in my plan was simple, when the maid came in to deliver my supper, I pretended to be hysterical, I ran to her and cried about how horrible it stank in there and how much I missed human company. While doing this I quickly pulled the key out of the door. See, the servants have extras so she would probably just think she had dropped it somewhere and forget about it. One I had slipped the key into my pocket I pulled away from her and said I wished to be along. I took my supper from her though.

I slept after I ate my dinner, something I never did. I woke up promptly at around midnight. I knew the servants finished cleaning soon after we went to bed, they went to sleep soon after, or went out to the taverns or something of that sort. But around midnight, no one was out. This was the perfect time to escape.

I slipped the key into the lock and flinched when it clicked. Slowly it turned, and the door swung open. I closed the door and flinched again as it clicked shut. I stalked down the hallways coming ever closer to the back door. My silk slippers were perfect for this, but I would regret wearing them when I reached the forest. There wasn't time to change my shoes or even grab a cloak. I had to leave now. When I reached my room, I relized there was a hole in my plan. Since my mother was out there would still be servants out, waiting for her return. "Shoot," I muttered to myself. Then I paused, I heard footsteps! Ducking into my room was the best I could do. I hide behind my dresser, the closest thing to the door. The footsteps paused, and I heard the door squeak as it opened. I saw feet pass by me and pause by my bed. One foot started to tap as it. The person seemed to be waiting for something or someone.

I waited for what seemed like forever, but was probably only a few minutes when the door opened again and the second pair of feet walked towards the first. They stopped and I heard a man's voice say, "Finnaly. We don't have much time. The Tyrant will be coming home soon." The Tyrant, they must be speaking about my mother.

"I was held up." This time it was a girl's voice. It sounded familiar, but I couldn't figure out who's voice it was. "What's the next step in our plan?"

The man's voice answered, "Now that we know she's really the one we have to capture her. Then we can hold her for ransom."

The girl's voice replied, "No. Everyone does that. She could escape or they would find us. Do you know how many people are planning that? It would be way too easy for them to find us. I mean, where would we hide her?"

"Good point, sweet." The man answered, "We could always kill her, take the ring and give it to you, sweet." I fingered my own ring out of habbit. "Then, when you marry that blasted prince, you can hire me as your personal gaurd. From there we can take over the government. The king and queen are getting old. No one would be surprised if they died out of old age . . ." I almost gasped. It clicked. they wanted me. They wanted to kill me and have that girl, who I know relized was the maid who had been taking me my meals, to take my place. I had one piece of knowledge that they didn't though, the queen and king were planning to go to war. That should screw up their plan a bit. But for now, I had to get out of here.

"Ooh. Sasha wonderful plan. Once they are out of the way. We just have to eliminate the prince. Then we can be together." The second pair of feet stepped closer to the first. They were almost touching now. "I can act like I'm too afraid to rule alone. I'll be too sad and heartbreaken to be able to rule properly so you'll pretend to confort me. After all that time spent conforting me, no one would be surprised if I fell in love with you. Then we won't have to hide anymore." I heard them kiss once.

"Aah, Sasha, what a brilliant mind you have." They kissed again, and again.

"Oh Eric. In celebration of this wonderful plan. Just once?" I didn't understand what she was talking about but at least I knew that it was our coach driver that was in on this plan.

"Sweet. Just this once. Just this once . . ." The feet started to move towards my bed. I cringed in horror. I took a peek from around the dresser. Eric's back was to me. The good thing was that Sasha's eyes were closed. This was my chance.

I creeped out from behind the dresser and slowly opened the door. For once it didn't squeek. When I carefully closed it behind me, it clicked. For a second it rang through the air. I walked quickly towards the exit. But I heard Sasha and Eric ask, "What was that?" "Someone's here!" I ran.

The door cam closer and closer to me. I heard Eric and Sasha hot in persuit. I slammed against it and it shot open. I sprinted, lifting up my skirt, through the sleeping town and towards the forest. I dove around corners several times, hoping to lose them in the labermyth of a town. Several times I couldn't hear their footsteps anymore. When the forest finnaly loomed up in front of me I didn't hear their footsteps anymore. I ran faster hoping I had lost them for good. Even though terror spread throughout my entire body, I felt whole, complete. I was running again. I was outside. I was doing what I love to do. I was free!

Plunging into the depths of the forest was hard since the folage was so thick I could barely walk, let alone run. Tree branches, bushes, and weeds clung to me. My delecate dress and slippers ripped. I ran through a creek, dampening my feet and the bottom of my gown. On the other side of the creek I stopped, now out of breath. I walked forward, not inclined to stop for long. After what seemed like forever, I saw something glitter up ahead. I walked quicker. I pushed through some brushes and saw a lake. The area around the lake was cleared and was surrounded by trees. The water glittered in the moonlight. I paused, looking at the beauty of it. I walked forward, slidding into the lake. I wanted to get rid of some of my smell. I didn't want to attract anything to me. I was only able to emerse myself completly before I almost collapesed with exhaustion. I climbed out weakly and curled up into a ball and slept.