prologue

Don’t look back, just keep on running, you’re almost there. Don’t stop, don’t slow down, or they will find you. And you will be as good as dead.

It was a mantra he kept repeating as he ran through the big corridors of the old castle.  Who they were or why they were looking for him he didn’t know. All he knew was that he had to keep on running till he found a way out.

Somehow he knew where to go, he knew the castle but couldn’t remember were from. Everything looked familiar yet it looked so foreign at the same time. Where the hell was he and why couldn’t he remember anything? He didn’t think he could keep on running like this for much longer. He had to find a way out and quick.

A door appeared on the far end of the hall and without thinking the boy ran straight towards it and yanked it open. A sight of three new doorways met him there. Panic rushed over him as he tried to remember what way the exit was. Of course nothing popped into his head. with a frustrated cry he threw his hands up and kicked the wall. Not the best move while trying to escape, but at the moment he couldn’t care less. That changed when he heard a door open behind him. Voices followed but they were still far away. And he couldn’t hear what they were saying.

In blind panic the boy just ran to the first door and kicked it open. More doors. Trying to fight down the tears that threatened to spill, but not quite succeeding, he once again chose a random door. Two more doors followed and then… he felt cold air on his face. He wasn’t quite outside yet but he was close.

He ran through the hall, at the end of this hall was a door that would lead him outside he just knew it. Just a little bit further and he was free. He would be free from…. From what exactly? It was as if someone had sucked all of his memories away. He couldn’t remember anything. Much time to think about his lose he didn’t have as a big wooden door appeared at the end of the hall. The doors opened easily and the boy felt the late October sun on his face.

He wanted to laugh but the urge quickly disappeared as he saw where he was. He was outside that much was certain, the problem was that he was standing on a balcony. It was at least 14 feet till the ground so he couldn’t jump.

This time he did let his tears run freely. He was never going to get out of here. He was going to be stuck here, they would find him and they would kill him.

At that moment something on his right blinked in the sunlight and caught his attention. Rose ranks almost covered the whole right wall. if the ranks were strong enough he might be able to climb down. As he weight his chances he found that he didn’t really have much of an choice. He could either take the risk of falling to his death or stay here and wait for whoever was looking for him to come and kill him. Pulling the braches the boy tried to find the most stable one and tried his weight on it. It hold. Giving a relieved sight he tried another branch. It hold as well. As he climbed down his hands bled heavily from the thrones and his legs weren’t in a much better condition with all the scratches and cuts. It hurt but it was better than waiting for death to come and take him.

Finally his feet met the solid ground and he almost collapsed from the feeling alone. His relieve didn’t last long however as he heard voices from the balcony.

‘’ ya sure ya saw im leave this way?’’ a man asked with a heavy tong fall. His voice sounded rough and angry.

‘’ yes, and if you had paid any attention at all you would have noticed as well. But now that I think about it, if you had paid attention we wouldn’t even be here since YOU let him escape in the first place.’’ This voice was definitely feminine.

‘’ then how do ya explain where he is now?’’

‘’ the roses.’’ Was her only answer and before the boy could even filch a blond head appeared from over the balcony.  His eyes went wide with fear as hers landed on him and an evil grin spread over her face. ‘’see, there he is.’’

Not wanting to stay there a minute longer the boy started to run again. As he could just make it till the trees on the opposite side of the garden, then he would hopefully be safe. He heard the woman shout at the man but as the distance between them widened he couldn’t make out what they said anymore. He didn’t have to, he knew what they would be saying. She wanted him to shoot him and if the man had a gun, he wasn’t going to make it out alive. It was strange how he had forgotten everything but what he remembered was what a gun was. It made him think what kind of live he had lived before this. Especially since he couldn’t be much older than twelve.

A gunshot did follow, right when he ran into the protection of the woods. The bullet hit a tree and he let out a relieved sight as he kept on running. He had to get as far away from this place as possible.

It didn’t take long however for him to find the big iron fences and the high stone walls that were attached it at some places. First he tried to climb a tree but although the trees were of good heights none of the branches came close to the wall.  after that he tried to just climb the iron but as he came close he found that the iron was covered with shards of glass. So much for that idea. His rescue eventually came from a rabbit. As he was walking up and down to find a way out a rabbit had shot out from a hole under the fences.

Half an hour later his escape route was finished and he pushed himself under the fences. Unfortunately his shirt got stuck in the fence and he had no choice but to rip it.

That’s how he ended up staggering through the woods with a ripped shirt. It was only after four hours that he finally found society. A little playground  stretched out in front of him. Only one person was on the swing, what wasn’t all that weird since the sun was almost fully set.

Unable to hold him any longer his legs buckled from under need him and he found himself lying in the sand too tired to stand up. Slowly his vision started to blur and the last thing he saw before his vision turned fully black was a pair of red all-stars.

When he woke up he was still in the same spot though he was facing the sky now and something lay under his head. slowly he sat up and looked under need him. Someone had made him a sand pillow and covered it with leaves. How long had he been out. It was still sort of light outside so it couldn’t have been that long. An hour maybe?

‘’ finally, I thought you’d never wake up.’’ He jumped up, startled by the unexpected voice. The girl he had seen earlier on the swing now sat on the ground a couple of feed away from him.

´´ What´s your name?’’ he didn’t answer, not because he didn’t want to but because he didn’t know. ‘’ you do speak English don’t you?’’ she finally asked when he had been silenced for a couple of minutes. He just nodded as answer.

‘’ then why won’t you tell me?’’

‘’ because I don’t know.’’ Came his hesitant reply. It was hardly more than a whisper, still, he knew she’d heard him.

‘’ then I’ll name you.’’ It wasn’t a question but he honestly didn’t mind. ‘’ how about…Peter? No I don’t think so either…. Shane then? No, no wait now I’ve got it!’’ he let out a soft chuckle, he didn’t understand what was wrong with the previous names but she seemed to have fun with this so he just let her. ‘’ James! But you don’t really look like a James.’’ 

‘’ why are you so keen on naming me?’’ he asked suddenly. She looked at him as if he had just asked her why the sky was blue.

‘’ how else would I address you?’’

‘’ just say you.’’

‘’ but that’s inappropriate my mom said. ‘ you don’t talk to people like that. I thought I had raised you better than this.’ ‘’ she said in a weird voice. The boy laughed full out this time. ‘’ you know, you’re a lot prettier when you laugh.’’

After that they remained silent for a while.

‘’ Alex’’

‘’ what?’’ the boy asked surprised.

‘’ your name! it will be Alex. You remind me of him.’’ A sad smile crossed over her face but as fast as it came it left and she was her cheerful self again.

‘’ Alex’’ he said. Tasting the name on his tong. He liked it. As he looked up again he found the girl smiling at him. and as if they had a mind of their own the corners of his mouth turned up.

‘’ Will you be my friend Alex?’’ his grin widened as he nodded. Happiness and gratitude for the girl washed over him. even if he didn’t remember anything he knew he had never felt like this before. It was then that he remembered.

‘’ no wait, I can’t. they are looking for me. The woman and the angry man, I can’t stay.’’ The girl looked questioningly at him but she didn’t voice any of her questions. In the end she just smiled and nodded understanding.

‘’ okay just promise me one thing then? Come back when you are save.’’ He nodded viciously. ‘’ this necklace I got from my grandma, I want you to have it, so that you won’t forget our promise. And so that you won’t forget me.’’  Alex looked at the necklace she had hung around his neck, it was of a little silver rose with a red stone in the middle. As he looked up at the girl again he wondered how he could ever forget her.

‘’ what is your name?’’ he asked as he realized he still had no idea. She just smiled at him.

‘’ Wynter’’