The heat in the air was suffocating. It was like standing in the heart of a fire. This was the kind of heat that couldn't be relieved by anything. Not even the fan pointed directly onto Alexander's face was helping. Nor the fact that he'd neglected his blankets and was sleeping on top of the bed. His eyes slowly started to close…
The chimes of the clock at the center of town shook him fully awake, out of his dream-like state. He counted them.
One… Two… Three… Four…
It was four in the morning, about one hour before sunrise, one hour too early for anyone in the kingdom to be awake. For in the night, the shadows came to life. The shadows…
For the young prince, they were just a story. Alexander slipped out of bed, his own shadow seeming to stretch in the moonlight. Even if he denied the stories, he had to admit the dark did make him somewhat nervous. However, it wasn’t for the reason others thought.
He threw some clothes on, then made his way out of his room, into the hallway. The dim light made the scene look eerie, even though Alexander had been in this hallway many, many times before. He just needed some air. That was all.
He tiptoed down the stairs, the dim lighting making the portraits of his ancestors seem vivid. A chill went up his spine. He had to stop scaring himself. He was acting like a child.
He opened one of the doors leading to the yard, silently thanking the technician for not fixing that particular alarm. Stepping outside, the heat subsided slightly. Until the sun rose, he was free.
Just then, he felt a hand on his arm. Cold and wet, it pushed him towards the ground. He was out like a light.
The wind ruffled Alexander's strawberry blonde hair, making him feel colder than ever before. Darkness was the only thing he could see. No sun shining down on him. Only darkness. Night itself had engulfed him, it seemed. No stars. No moon. Whispers and wind were the only sounds in his ears.
Then, far away, he could see a light. So many things had once been said to him about “finding light at the end of a dark tunnel.” It didn’t seem so ridiculous to him anymore, seeing this.
The speed at which he was moving seemed unnatural. One second, the light seemed so far away… Next, he was in a whole other world.
Thousands of plants grew around him. A large, crystal city was spread before him. He struggled to breathe. Shock and fear and a tangle of emotions made him forget how to breathe.
Large trees bloomed over his head. Vines draped down, nearly touching him. They curled away when he reached for them.
What…?
He looked down at his captors, but the moment he caught the slightest glimpse of them… He was out cold once again.
Nobody was allowed outside before five in the morning. Now he knew why.
It felt like the end, but it was only the beginning.
The beginning of something big.
Lyra Auburns
