Hong Kong Young Writers Anthologies Fiction Group 3 - 2017 | Page 215

As I trailed off to bed, I still had that thought in my mind, Would I really dare to? When would I, if I did? I decided
I would try tomorrow.
I woke up earlier than the others. I saw Joziah drooling on his bedsheet. I tiptoed out of the hut. No one was awake
yet. I went back in the hut and packed my things in a spare rag. I crept out. I started creeping to the exit of the
Castle. I was really doing it! Then I realized.
The gate was locked and I didn’t have a key.
I looked all around me. I saw people sleeping everywhere. An Old woman. Some carpenters. A guard. Master Li…
Wait! A guard! He must have the key!
I tiptoed quietly towards him. I saw the key dangling from his belt. I tried to pull it off.
It hit the floor with a clank. Just as I unlocked the gate, the guard that had the key woke up.
“AGH!” he screamed. He woke up all the other guards and they were getting onto their horses and chasing me.
Quickly, I ran out. I have never been out of the gates before! This is how it felt like! I felt so free! I ran for my life,
down to the village. Past the houses of loving people. What should I do? Where should I go? Maybe one of these
people would take me in. I didn’t recognize anyone. The guards were all around the village questioning people if
they had seen me. If I got caught I was sure to get a beating. A really hard beating! A guard turned the corner on his
horse, he saw me and started shouting to alert the other guards. I ran harder than I have ever ran in my life. As I ran
past more houses, I saw people, holding little children, looking out of their windows, wondering what was going on
out there. They looked scared. I ran past a couple, they looked miserable for some reason. When I ran past, they
stopped and stared at me, like they recognised me! They were whispering to each other now. I looked behind me.
The guards had lost me. When I turned back round, the couple were talking to me.
“Is it really you?”
“You look so like our Alec.”
“But it’s not possible! I thought the King killed him or something!” cried the woman.
“My name is Alec.” I said to them.
“Is is really you?” They asked me.
“You are my parents?” I asked them.
“Yes, we are.”
Then I rushed over to them and they gave me a hug. I never felt so loved before! My life before was probably worse
than a cow, but the life ahead of me was a hundred times better than a cow.