CHAPTER TWO- A MIDNIGHT RUN

Some years later, after some meticulous planning Robert had decided to run away from it all, from home and from the town. His reasoning was simple enough, he was bored.

So, at the dead of night, Robert would ran away. His way out was simple enough, Robert began by slipping out of his bed in a thick jacket, complete with a knife he had stolen from the kitchen and a small bag of rations, mostly bread and cheese. He didn’t know when his last meal would be so he made sure to really stuff his mouth over the course of the last couple months. The result was that he had become somewhat squarer than usual and that he would probably be able to last significantly longer without food. He even managed to steal a glass jug, which he rinsed out and filled with water, before hiding it out in the fields. He stood motionlessly in his room, with food, water and a weapon all ticked off the mental list the last things he would be a map, a compass and a fair bit of money. Thankfully all of that could be found in one place, his fathers study.

As Roberts room which opened up to a large entrance hall, he walked carefully but hurried from one side of the mezzanine to the other until he reached the corner of the room. From there, he paused and listened, then moved on, along and across the back wall. Robert sneaked past the top of the stairway, a floor board creaked and Robert paused. Again no sound came in response. So he moved on, to the next corner, where behind a flower pot he took out his fathers key. A key he had stolen only for his father to replace days later.

By the corner was the door that led into the study, Robert inserted the key, and turned it, the gears shifted and fell with a metallic knock. The door clicked daring to be opened. Robert paused, there was a stir, from his parents room.

With no other choice, Robert pushed forward, opening the door and entering the study.

The room was a large as my own bedroom, which is to say it was fairly spacious, with bookshelves along the walls, nothing of note largely trading logs. At the entre was a large dark wooden desk, and on one side of it was a locked draw. Father kept the keys in his jacket, a jacket I had ample opportunity to steal from.

This particular draw functioned as on of many safes around the house. It was common sense not to put all of your eggs in one basket, but the price for that is that some stores of money is more secret and inaccessible than others, which naturally means the opposite is also true and stealing from this desk was almost too easy.

Still, he took a pouch of gold coins, large enough that it wouldn’t fit on the pam of his hand but not too large to be a bother to carry, closed the draw and left the study. The pouch fit quite nicely in the inner pocket of Roberts thick jacket.

The next order of business was getting out of the house entirely. The easiest way Robert could concoct included squeezing through the large twin doors opposite the stairway that led to the ground floor. Into the dinning room, a lavish oval room with a thick strong table at its centre. At the other end of the dinning room was a balcony that over looked the garden, a place Robert was rarely entered due to my mothers fear that he would ruin it.

Robert took a chair, carrying it with both arms as he walked back into the door, then with a twist of my hips and all of my, than considerable weight, Robert threw the chair down the stairs. It tumbled down loudly until it finally crashed into the hard floor. With that he quickly slipped back into the dinning room and headed for the balcony.

Directly under the balcony was a thicket of bushes. Robert put one leg over rounded balustrade, then the second leg, and finally, he hopped down. The fall was short with wind blistering past him for all but a second before my feet and hands hit the greenery. Robert crawled out of the bushes and glanced around. His fathers hired security were making their way back round to the front of the house to see the source of the commotion. Without this they would stand directly in my path, and even with this it would be several minutes before they actually checked his room.

Not having to worry about the guards also meant Robert could run with all caution abandoned through and out of the garden, past the purple little flowers, and finally out of the village entirely. This continued without a hitch, until he heard a guard call out from the balcony, “Thief,” Robert didn’t think he’d be spotted in such a cloudy night, but sure enough he was, Robert started to run harder beating his feet against the ground as his arms came into full swing.

After a minute or two he could hear the dogs and guards chase after him. Oh now his heart was ponding, fear is an excellent motivater after all and the blood stomping through his veins were a testament to that. For a moment he almost turned to see them approach.

Now, the house was at the edge of the town and the town seat in the middle of a larger clearing that protruded into a larger forest. At night, the forest was a place very few people went to and, by running along the edge of the village and then out through the field, Robert could be inside the forest in an hour and thirty minutes.

The issue arose when the dogs came at him, Of course he had a plan for them but they were at my heels long before Robert got clear of the town.

There were three dogs on him, both of which where large cruel things that spat as they barked after me. Robert veered away from the village slightly and headed into the grassy fields. They grass was not maintained and there were patches of it as high as my thigh, making it eye level for my canine pursuers.

Robert dived into the grass, whether they’re dogs or humans they can be shocked. He turned while on his knees and took out his knife and lashed out at the first dog, it barked a response.

As mentioned, first dog received a cut to the face that drew a disproportionate amount of blood, this only made it mad and it leaped forward at Robert anyway. Robert let the huge dog take him down, there was really no fighting it, however he did position his knife between his chest and it.

As it threw itself at Robert, its’ own weight pushed against him and quickly enough the hard ground creped up behind him. Fortunately the knife struck true and pieced the beasts breast, halting it before it took a bite out of Roberts own flesh. The second dog, seeing the pain inflicted on its’ dead companion hesitated to attack. Robert took the chance and hurried away. He wasn’t running anymore, Robert was winded and tired and his legs were already burning from the sprint though he forced them through before.

By the time Robert reached the forest, the guards had found their dead dog and was using the other to follow my scent as oppose to actually chase him. The guards, while being grown men, wore heavy armour and was not prepared for a kind of long distance running. Knowing this they wouldn’t pursue me for very long and Robert would have until morning at the least before an actual search party is put together and sent after him. In that regard, the chances of being caught is highest in the first two days before falling to practically zero per cent.

The night wouldn’t last forever so Robert started marching into the forest, it was dark and Robert couldn’t really see much of anything. Though there was a constant buzz of magic in the air. This could be fun.

Unknown to Robert, his father was watching. “He’s awfully clever isn’t he?” the man said, standing from the balcony. The question was addressed to his agent, one who had watched the entire time completely unknown to dear Robert. The agent was dressed in dark blue hooded robes, the agent was kneeling to the ground staring at the ground profusely. She was being paid a ludicrous amount of money after all.

“Why did you let him go like that.” Mother stomped in towards him, wrapping herself in a gown as she did so.

“Well he put so much planning into it,” Father said, “I just want to see how far he goes.”

Mother faced the agent, “You, you can get him back. NOW GO! GO GET HIM BACK.” The agent didn’t respond, a fact that aggravated Mother to no end.

“Very well, follow him, make sure he doesn’t end up dead.” Father said in an act of mock dismissal.

“You can’t be serious,” Mother proclaimed, practically foaming at the mouth, “Your not being serious.”

“No I’m not, don’t worry dear, he’s going to be just fine.” Father said, “Now go.” He addressed the agent and it disappeared in the shadows.

The agent started at the fields, where footprints of people and dogs led her to the a patch of tall grass. There had been a fight there, blood soaked grass made that much clear. The trail continued. Eventually the footprints of men and dogs ended and the little boys continued, right into the forest.

The footprints became more even, he wasn’t running anymore, but they weren’t any shallower. They were however dragged out, sluggish.

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Monster sat in his prison, tormented by his own rushing mind. He tried imagining scenarios. Ones in with Muther didn’t have to leave. Instead she could stay, she could touch him, just once. All he wanted was a touch, a pat, a hug. Of course his imagination ran wild sometimes, he’d try to imagine what it must be like outside of his room.

For whatever reason, one of his favourite images was that of a floor, covered in yellow stuff. The ceiling blue and high and stretching out forever. Then people, like Monster but thinner in shiny dresses would raise up from the floor.

Two raging armies, infinite armies clash against each other.