Four Pink Walls - Alessia Cara

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I probed another mound of orange mush. My metal fork scraped across the plate, sending shivers up my spine. Across from me, Vesta flinched. She closed her eyes and breathed deeply before putting another small bite in her mouth.

    I welcomed the silence. Conversing would make things awkward, and my head was to full to concentrate on idle chatter.

My head hurt from thinking about the rebels. I played the conversation over in my head again and again, picking out the important pieces. They were slowly fitting into place like a complex puzzle. All the things that had happened were connected. The attempted assassination was the first step in overthrowing the queen. The escaping prisoner seemed a little suspicious, and I began to wonder if there were more people inside than Rayma. I kept coming back to Jed and wondering if he was part of the plan. Did he play along, but not really care about me?

"Are you done, Princess Silver?" A gloved hand reached for my half empty plate.

"Yes." I pushed back from the table and stood up. "I'm going back to my room now." I nodded at Vesta as I walked past.

I waited impatiently for night to fall. As the shadows grew longer, and the light grew dimmer, I pulled out the red cloak and pulled it around my small body.

The door opened suddenly and Rayma barged in. I squealed in surprise, throwing the cloak to the ground.

"Rayma!"

"Sorry, Silver." She picked up the cloak and placed it back on my shoulders. "I'm so glad you haven't left yet."

"Gone where?" I asked.

"I'm not an idiot." Rayma looked at me sternly. "I know about you going to the garden and joining the rebels. I'm the one who got them inside."

"Oh." I nervously did the clasp on the front of the cloak. "Why are you here now?"

"Because there's been a change in plans. The queen found out about the meeting, with a spy or something." Rayma grabbed my arm. "She captured the rebel in the garden and locked him in the dungeons. He's going to be questioned tomorrow morning, possibly tortured too."

"So what are we going to do?" I asked.

"Well, I'm bringing you out to a meeting place." She bustled around the room, packing a few provisions in a small sack. "From there we'll figure everything out."

"And what about the man locked down there?"

"A rescue team is working on a plan as we speak. The boy you danced with is in charge of my branch of rebels." Rayma took a deep breath. "There are six branches of rebels, I'm in branch four, which is the planning and action branch. Those who are rebels but want to be more quiet about it join the rebel groups that provide the action ones with supplies."

"So how are we getting out of here?"

"I know of a tunnel unknown even to the queen. It brings us out on the edge of the cliff, which is also where the hideout is." Rayma pulled a black sheet out of my closet and draped it over herself. "We must go."

I followed her out of my room, and into the dark world outside.

-

We both crept down the hall, heading towards the throne room. I thought this was a little odd. I mean, we were escaping Vesta, but yet here we were, walking towards the room in which she was now.

    "Where is the escape entrance anyways?" I whispered, stopping for a moment. Rayma looked back, annoyance flickering across her face. She opened her mouth to answer, but then closed it, her face transforming into terror. She leaped at me, throwing me against the wall. I tried to scream, but her hand covered my mouth. She ripped the red cloak off my shoulders and covered my with the black blanket.

    "What are-" I began to ask.

    "Shut up, will you?" Rayma pushed me back into a corner.

    I listened, trying to detect what she'd heard. Then came the low murmur of voices, and a growing light.

    It was a night patrol.

    I grabbed Rayma's shoulders. "Where is the secret entrance?" I asked.

    "Right across the hall." She took my hand. "If we stay here we'll be caught. We'll have to make a run for it."

    "Just go and I'll follow!" I stood up, pulling the sheet up with me. "Let's just get out of here."

    Rayma nodded her silent agreement before running around the corner. I watched as she tiptoed to the other wall, right beside the door that led to the throne room. She pushed a hidden panel by the floor, and the wall opened up with a loud groan.

    I heard the guards voices grow louder. They'd heard the noise, no doubt. There were a few heavy footsteps and the light grew rapidly bigger. I realized that they were running towards us.

    "Silver!" Rayma hissed, climbing into the passageway. I hurried over, climbing in beside her. She pulled a lever from the floor, and the door flew closed, stopping a few inches from my face.

    "I swear I heard something." An indignant voice cried. Light shone through a small hole in the wall, and I put my eye up to the wood. I could see out into the hall. Two guards stood outside, holding torches in their hands. They both looked around them, confused.

    "Stop cryin' about it, everyone hears things." The one on the closest to me said. He stepped towards the hall we'd come from. "I just hope no one saw us runnin' like fools."

    "There was something here." The first one insisted. I closed my eyes, begging silently for them to leave.

    "Wait..." The guard entered the dark hall, his small light doing little to chase away the shadows. "What's this?" He turned around with something red in his arms. My heart sank, my breath coming in short gasps.

    He was holding my cloak.

    "Looks like someone was here... and I know who."

    "Who?"

    "Silver, you idiot." The guard marched past my hiding spot. "Come on, the queen'll wanna hear about this."

    Someone knocked loudly on the throne room door, and my grandma's voice rang out, telling them to come in. My heart swelled up, beating so fast I could hardly breath. The doors closed and I knew it was final.

    There was no turning back.

-

    Rayma told me about the small peepholes that were stationed throughout the whole passageway. She walked forwards, her small figure hunched over in the tight space.

"Look through here." She said, pointing to a hole in the wall. A small bar of light shone through it, illuminating the tunnel enough that I could see Rayma's face pinched tight with worry.

Through the hole I could see the throne room. Vesta sat on her throne, her hands clenching the armrests so tight I thought they'd break. Her face was pale with anger, and her feet were tapping lightly on the floor.

"Where did you find this?" She demanded, waving at the cloak on the floor beside her.

"In the hall just outside the door, ma'am." The terrified guard stuttered, taking a cautious step backwards.

"I thought I sent a few soldiers to capture her!" Vesta screeched, standing up. She marched forwards until she was face to face with the guard. "If you can't find her, you're fired!" She threatened. "Silver is a timid girl, she wouldn't go far. I want her here by morning!" She jabbed her finger in his face.

"Yes, ma'am." he turned, looking at the guard behind him. "You heard her. Send groups of guards throughout the entire castle and find her."

"Okay." The guard turned and ran out of the room, his protective armor rattling.

"Anything else, your majesty?" He asked.

"Yes," Vesta walked behind her throne and pulled out a paper. "I want a messenger to read this in the market square, it'll put everyone on my side." She smirked triumphantly. "Make sure it's done tomorrow morning."

"Yes ma'am." He took the scroll and tucked it away into a pocket.

"You're dismissed." Vesta said, flapping her hand at him.

"Your majesty." He did a small bow before exiting the room.

Vesta stood by herself for a moment, her forehead covered in stress lines. "I'll find Silver if my stupid guards can't." She said, taking several long strides before disappearing behind a tapestry. I realized that there was a secret door there.

    I turned to Rayma, who stood silently by my side. "I didn't realize that she was out to get me."

    "I told you." Rayma turned and began to walk again. "Hurry up! We have a bit of walking to do yet."