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THE GREAT EXCURSION
The Disappearance of Princess Erika
They always argue.
They have no time for me.
Why is this happening to an innocent like me...?
I did nothing wrong...
Or am I... just a mere detrimental waste of time?
AUGUST 15, 2020The Disappearance of Princess Erika
They always argue.
They have no time for me.
Why is this happening to an innocent like me...?
I did nothing wrong...
Or am I... just a mere detrimental waste of time?
21:15, FRIEGÖNDTERPALAZST
The Princess of Alliaronia, Erika, was in her room, weeping and sadly writing over and over her notebook. It was a proverb that has been stuck in Alliaronian literature for years. It read:
“Alt arbeid og ingen lek gjør Erika til en kjedelig jente.” (All work and no play makes Erika a dull girl.)
It was scribbled over her notebook - pages 15 to 16 all had it, with some being washed away due to her tears soaking the paper up. The traumatized child, having near no contact with her parents, and her grandparents being busy all the time unlike before, had reached a point of loneliness - that she had breached the Friegöndterpalazst premises not just once, but twice, on two separate occasions. Tonight, however… was going to be her third - and unlike the first two - nothing will stop the Princess. Nothing, as in complete void, much like the care and love she wanted for years.
Erika then closes the notebook and puts it away on a tightly-packed red leather school bag. Everything in there were biscuits and a water bottle, with a survival kit that her school gave away, in case of emergencies. Although a whistle was part of the kit, she did not wear it - despite it being a proper indication of a child being in peril. She looks at herself one more time at the mirror.
“I’m ready,” she muttered. The girl wore a casual shirt and some jeans, with rubber shoes and pink socks. Being shorthaired, she wore a cap to be indistinguishable from the typical Alliaronian girl of the modern era. Her stubby bag weighed properly, and in case she needed to throw it overboard, it was possible in a way or two.
What only stood between Erika and freedom was the Alliaronian royal guards. Rain or shine, day and night, these soldiers ensure the safety of the Royal Family, that including Erika. But in her mind, she does not need them. At all. If nobody can give her compassion and care, then nobody will. With this in mind, she was hellbent on running away - but she had to figure out a way to get out of the palace, and fast. She considers two options: to flee to a friend’s place or to wait for the following morning and never go home from school. No matter what the options, Erika then chose the former.
The room of the Princess sat at the higher floors of the palace. This meant that window jumping was out of the question, as that would also blow her cover. However, she remembered something from days ago. Though accidental, Erika had eavesdropped on two Royal Guards talking about the palace’s secret exits and how they were open all the time in case of an emergency. As it was a convoluted emergency system, all what had to be done was simple: make an emergency whether it’s a disturbance or not.
Erika smirked and decided to replicate a ruckus by going around town in her room. Then, she threw a heavy object overboard one of the windows, shattering it, causing noise. Afterwards, she got hold of the ‘marvelous big red button’ next to her teddy bear, which she had discovered prior. Immediately, she slams the button, triggering the palace’s emergency system, and sending blaringly loud alarms across the palace.
At that time, Erika covered her ears and got behind her walk-in closet, and into a secret door, going down into a secret network of staircases that led to emergency exits outside of the palace’s premises. This was tiring, but she had to. She made use of her young age to quickly jump over some steps, and eventually reached a long pathway. Red lights were blinding her. But her mind was unfazed.
“Freedom,” she thought. “This is it…”
Half an hour passes of her sprinting on the pathway, she ends up on the exit at last. Gulping out of nervousness that a Royal Guard is on the other side, she kicks it open. Nobody. Nothing. There was no man on the other side. She looked around - it was one of the pedestrian paths that were open to the public leading to the palace. But she was out - and free to roam. She looks above. The night sky greets her with the moon over her. The time was 10:15. It took her an hour to escape.
Knowing that the guards would look for her now, Erika hitched a late-night city bus nearby. Being unrecognizable at this state, no one suspected that the Princess was gone. Thankfully, she brought along a Pendlerpass (commuter’s pass) - a type of Alliaronian contactless smart card - similar to a credit card. It had a lot of money, well… for sure, because she’s a royalty.
As she boarded the bus, she placed the Pendlerpass over one of the detectors onboard. Unknown to her, the bus plied the last route between Friegöndt and Æstfolzea. It would take her hours - or even until tomorrow - to arrive. But for her, that was it. She had escaped the shackles of the palace. She was free as a bird.
She then sat down on the middle section, next to the window. The bus had a considerable amount of people onboard - these being workers finally commuting home. Erika sighed and just stared at the window, staring as the bus began to ply its usual route… far from home, but farther to freedom.