Page 10 of The Fae Girl 1

All these people were staring at me like I was some mythical creature and not human at all. They were touching me, grabbing at me as if I had no rights, as if I were theirs to do as they wished.

I shut my eyes and screamed behind the gag.

Suddenly I was on my feet though I didn’t remember moving to stand. The rope that had bound me was no longer there but had disintegrated into a pile at my feet.

My body was visibly shaking, my heart was hammering in my chest. I tried to compose myself as slowly I took the fabric out of my mouth.

“I don’t know who the hell you all are and I don’t know what the hell sort of game you’re playing at but I’ve had enough. It’s over. This whole charade thing is over.” I said before turning and storming right out of the hall, pushing past all the people that stood looking half infatuated, half petrified.

As soon as I was out in the corridor I started running.

I didn’t know what direction to go but I sure as hell wasn’t going to waste any time thinking it over. All I had to do was get outside.

Or better still, find a phone and call the police.

My bare feet slammed against the stone slabs. Every cut, every bruise screamed out in protest but I didn’t slow. I just kept going.

I slammed through a door and into the room beyond. People screamed. I paused staring at them. They looked like servants. Like this was some sort of movie set that extended way beyond just the hall.

One of the men made a grab for me and I reacted on instinct, lashing out, landing a punch right to his face before running on. I could hear the footsteps of everyone behind me. These people clearly weren’t about to let me go but I sure as hell wasn’t going to make this easy.

I raced into another room. And then another.

Eventually I found myself in a dark courtyard. And that made me pause.

We’d travelled for a few hours at most. Even with the incident back in the woods there was no way it should be night by now. I stared up trying to see if this was a trick. Maybe we were in a studio and this was some visual effects but the sky looked real enough.

“Hold up.”

I turned already knowing it was the robed man calling to me.

“Leave me alone.” I said gritting my teeth, clenching my fists. I was done playing. I was done being their captive. I’d fight my way out if that’s what it took.

“I’m trying to help you.”

“Help me? Help me? What would have helped me is if you lot hadn’t have kidnapped me and brought me here. What would have helped me is if you’d just left me alone back in the woods.” I half shouted.

“Please, just wait a minute.”

“For what, so your buddies can tie me back up again? No thanks.” I turned and headed away from him. Away from the buildings. Towards the gatehouse up ahead.

“How do you think you got free? Huh? Who undid your bindings?” The man continued making me pause.

It’s a trick. Don’t let him trick you.

“Where even do you think you are right now? What country are you in?” He asked.

I scoffed at that. “What do you mean what country? I’m in England obviously. We didn’t cross any rivers, we didn’t fly anywhere.”

“This is not your England.” He replied pronouncing the word strangely as if he’d never said it before. As if were alien to him.

I stopped, against my better judgement, and turned even though I knew it was a ruse.

“Do you honestly think I’m that stupid?” I asked.

From the building shouts could be heard and then a group of men came rushing out. They stopped when they saw me staring at me in that same ridiculous way as before.

The man in front of me stepped forward and muttered something under his breath. And then he held his hand out in front of him as though he were trying to ward off the very devil himself.

---