We hear the shouts of our enemies and melt quickly into the background. Beth and I had almost made it, we couldn’t be caught now, not so close to our goal! We stride into a nearby shop as casual as we can with our names and faces plastered on every wanted poster.
Once inside the shop, Beth points out the guards, and we laugh at their desperate scrutiny. I stop laughing when one of the royal guards catches my eye and raises a deckled blade. I swear loudly and run as the furious cries rage behind us.
“Cassie!” Beth whines. “We were so close, and now we have these losers chasing us! How are we supposed to break into the castle again is all the guards are on high alerts since they saw us?”
“We’re better than any of those guards, but there’s too many of them. Let’s split up. Go wherever, and we’ll meet up at the usual place when we lose the guards. Good luck; I love you,” I instruct, ignoring her complaints. Beth apparently has high appraise for my divisive plan, because she veers away from me immediately. I follow her example and burst into a random city dweller's home.
“Hey, how are you?” I flash a smile. Before the flustered man can answer, I blurt, “I’ve got four pieces of gold straight from the queen’s stolen crown that you can have if you tell the royal guards about to burst through in your house that I ran out the back door and,” I glance through a window, “into the forest.” The man said nothing. “Well, if you insist, you can have seven pieces.” He agrees quickly. I wink and jump into an empty room just as the door breaks open. I hear the man lie that I ran to the forest, and they believe him and leave. I wait a few moments, then rise to thank the man and tell him some of the various spots I have hidden the pieces of the queen’s crown. Before I get the chance, he rushes into the room with a wooden plank and hits me hard on the head. I’m out before I hit the ground. Usually when I am captured or unconscious, I don’t dream. This time is different. Now, I see it all.
I see the most thrilling night of my life, when I sneaked past the guards with Beth and plucked the priceless crown right off the queen’s nightstand. I see her jolt upright and scream for guards as I leap through the window into the inviting darkness of night. I see an otherworldly pyrotechnic brilliance dance behind my eyelids, a visual translation of the jittery feeling of my first and only love. I see my boundless hatred when the queen forced me to watch the executor slice off his head. I see myself vowing never to let anyone I love be hurt by the kingdom again. I see Beth, my little sister, being the only one I have left to love. Last of all, I see her being dragged away, bloody and screaming.
I spring to my senses suddenly, ready to tear the world apart to find her. Then I realize I am tied to a chair. Great job, Cassie, now look where you’ve gotten yourself! The man I bribed is now sitting on a small hassock, glaring at me through beady eyes.
“The infamous Cassandra Grant. Where’s your partner in crime, Bethany?” His putrid breath instantly repels me.
“So, you lied to the guards, and then knock me out and tie me up. If you had wanted me captured, why didn’t you just tell them where I really was?Also, was the wooden plank really necessary? What have I ever done to you?” I ignore his question.
“I have reasons.” The smug tone of his voice annoys me, and I want to find Beth. This guy is either an idiot or crazy. Whichever one, he is still an enemy. I stand up , and pivot the still-attached chair around my body, relinquishing all my anger and worry in a single blow. After hearing the satisfying crack of his skull against my chair, I work my way through the bonds, change my clothes, and stroll out of the house.
I wait at the usual place, an abandoned house on a lone street, for Beth. With every passing second, my worry increases, but I force myself to stay sane. Dawn the next day, she stands above me, and I sob in relief. She smiles and hugs me tightly.
This is my legacy. This is what will outlive me by far. My violence, my improvisation, my fury, my immortally withstanding love, and my vengeful desire for destruction is what drives me on everyday. There are always obstacles, but I always find my way back to Beth, and together we are indestructible.