A pair of tiny little legs was walking cautiously on a thin ledge. A little girl about 10 years old, in a sky-blue knee-length dress, red shoes and a red hood, was walking on the ledge of a castle. She was on moving towards a window which was on the third floor. This daring and mischievous little girl moved like a cat and swiftly got on to the window.

She jumps in. Inside was a room with archaic furniture and aristocratic vibe. It looked like a study room of an aristocrat. She hurriedly goes in and one by one checks drawers and cabinets on the table. She checks all the cabinets but doesn’t find what she was looking for.

She then places her hands on the table and shuts her eyes. She squeezes her eyes as if concentrating on something. She purses her lips and concentrates hard. A faint white light shines from the hands she placed on the top of the table.

The white glow slowly increases and a pedestal rises from the tabletop. She then opens her eyes. Her face was gleaming with joy. On top of the pedestal was a locket. It was in golden, with a beautiful and enchanting amber locket. It was intricately handcrafted. However, the attraction was not the intricate work, but the amber embedded in it which could bewitch the onlooker.

She was looking admiringly at the locket when she heard some voices from outside.

“You, Who are you? You can’t go inside”, a voice from outside could be heard.

Little girl, takes the locket and hides behind curtains on the side of the window. The pedestal goes in and the room gets back to the original state.

“MOVE”, a loud voice could be heard. It followed by sounds of someone getting pushed.

“This…This is treason. You can’t get into his Majesty study like this”, a hyperventilated voice came next.

The door was pushed open. A tall, burly man in his 30’s, entered while pushing a short, middle-aged man.

“No. You can’t do this. His Majesty will not-“, a short man was thrashed away before he could finish his sentence. He collided with nearby coat-hangers and other decorative things in the room.

“You speak too much”, said the burly man. He then ordered his men to move.

Many men in similar green attires entered and started searching everywhere. They drew books from the shelves, shook every book, checked every drawer and cabinet, pulled apart everything in the room.

Even after some time, when they didn’t find what they were looking for, the burly man turned towards the short man.

“Where is it?”

“I have no idea what you are talking about”

The burly man gestured one of his men. His men went out and brought back an old woman in maid attire. He then sliced her throat in front of this short man.

“Still not talking?”

The little girl hiding behind the curtains saw it. Frightened, she voiced a tiny squeak which she soon stopped by covering her mouth.

The short man was scared. He gripped his hands tightly and answered with determination.

“I don’t know what you are talking about”

“Hmm. If you don’t answer, someone else will have to”, saying this, he moved to the farther end of the room towards the window.

“Camouflage. Interesting”

He then stretched his hands towards the window where the curtains should be. The curtains became visible as well as revealed the silhouette of the tiny girl who was hiding.

“Caught you”

Before this man could touch her, the little girl moved back and jumped from the window.

Caught by surprise and swiftness of the girl, he paused.

“What the hell are you waiting for? Go catch her.”

His men ran to the window and jumped.

The short man also-ran to the window and yelled,” your Grace. Run”

The princess had jumped from the third floor. She rolled on the ground and gets up while holding her aching shoulders. She didn’t stop. She ran. Few guards saw her jumping down the window. They approached her. However, this princess didn’t stop for the guards and ran as fast as her little legs could.

She took out a tiny whistle from her clothes. She blew it but no sound came. She ran towards the watchtower of the castle.

Guards saw the chasers behind her. They quickly got into action and stopped these men from getting to their princess. She ran and ran. She didn’t look back. Behind her was a scene, not of a fight, but a massacre. The guards were cut like vegetables by the green attired men. They couldn’t even withstand two blows.

The princess was huffing. She could hardly breathe. She gathered her strengths and climbed the stairs leading to the top of the watchtower. After reaching the top, she looked back.

Hundreds of guards were butchered everywhere. The guards from the watchtower tried blocking the way but to no avail. They too joined their compatriots.

Her face was grief-stricken and pale from fright. She closed her eyes, took a deep breath and jumped down the watchtower.

A small butterfly flew towards her and transformed into a gigantic butterfly. It caught her and carried her on its back and flew away.

She was panting and scared. She looked back. She was alarmed. Her pursuers hadn’t stop the chase. They were at her neck, flying behind her. They were riding on massive flying beasts with a body of lion and wings like an eagle. A man took out his bow and shot towards her.

The butterfly dodged the arrow and increased its speed. Its speed was unbelievably fast. However, their chasers were a dozen, armed with arrows. They were continuously shot at. Few arrows struck it. It dwindled but still kept flying.

The princess started crying as she saw her companion battered with arrows.

An arrow came flying straight towards the girl. It was aiming for her back. A shot that can take her life.

Just as the arrow was about to strike her, the massive butterfly took a 360-degree turn, causing the girl to fall and itself to get hurt in its vital parts.

The girl fell but was immediately caught by the butterfly. It then descended to the grounds and fell with a thump.

The girl kept crying. She knew her companion would be dead soon, but her chasers were soon reaching her.

She clutched the locket which apparently was the cause of all these brutal killings. She then ran forward deeper into the woods.

Her chasers spotted the massive butterfly on the ground. They descended near it. As soon as they approached it, an explosion took place killing all of them, leaving one who was still in the sky. This was the burly man.

“Useless…..

She sure runs like a rabbit. And like I rabbit meat”, said the burly man with a disgusting smile.

The princess was too tired. She could hardly move any further. She stumbled on a tree root and fell. She bursts into tears. She looks back. She knew if she doesn’t get away from there she won’t be safe.

“Daddy, help me”, said the girl sobbing. She took support by the trunk of the tree and stood. A thin streak of light appeared in front of her. It grew larger and larger enough for her size. She looked at it wondering what it was. She stretches her hand to reach it.

The burly man had entered the forest too. After running for a few distances, he saw a red cloth behind a tree. He laughed smugly and said, “found you”

He got near the tree.

He found no one. There was only the red hood left behind. There was neither that girl nor her footprints leading anywhere else as if she vanished into thin air.

The princess was lying unconscious on an asphalt road. Nearby were trees and few vehicles passed by. She woke up. Her face was covered in dust. Her dress had turned raggedy because of all the chase. She looked around her surrounding puzzled. She opened her big eyes more widely and stared at everything. A few distances away was a tavern. On it was written ‘Kentucky Pub’.

She goes inside it. Inside were men in suits and tall hats. They were talking animatedly

“this time, it will be different believe me. America will become a great nation”

“Blah. Blah. Abraham Lincoln. I don’t trust this man. He is talking about unbelievable. Abolishing slavery. It’s impossible”

As the men talked, the bartender noticed the girl standing in the middle of the pub and looking around with big eyes.

“What are you staring at? Give me my drink”, while saying this, a man in a tall hat turned to see what had caught the attention of the bartender.

The little girl saw a few empty chairs and sat on them and continued looking around. Seeing a 10-year-old child in a pub was not a common sight.

“Girly, are you lost. Where are your parents?”

She looked carefully at the man, after some while she replied, “I don’t know”.

The man was holding a newspaper in his arms. On it, a few words were ‘A strong contender Abraham Lincoln’ and dated 23 Feb 1861.