Sunday, September 13, 2009

Augusta 28 Princess Damsel disappears...

The following story is derived from tales and legends passed down from generation to generation about Princess Damsel's strange disappearance and what happened to her...

Princess Damsel was awoken by the sounds of screaming coming from somewhere in the streets below the room she was staying in. She quickly dressed and ran down to the street to see what all the ruckus was about. Olin followed in her footsteps and burst out the door into the street. In the middle of the street a woman knelt down on the mud and rock with her face firmly planted in her hands. She was crying and rambling on hysterically.

Damsel approached her and asked, "Who has disappeared?" As if she already knew what had happened to the wailing woman.

The woman paused and looked Damsel straight in the eye and whimpered a reply, "How...how did you...how could you know?"

Damsel placed a hand on her shoulder and said, "You are not alone. Others have disappeared also. Tell me. Who has vanished from your life?"

More tears filled and clouded the woman's eyes and she mumbled, "My daughter." She collapsed to the hard rocky ground of the cobble stoned street and shuttered. Damsel knelt beside her, placed the woman's head in her lap and held her.

A large crowd had gathered at this time and Olin pleaded with them to give Damsel and the woman some room. People in the crowd started whispering to each other and pointing fingers at the two women in the street. Damsel sat there with the woman until a patrol of Royal Guards arrived to break up the scene. The crowd slowly dispersed and the guards, with the help of Damsel and Olin, moved the woman indoors to a dining hall. They helped her into a chair at one of the tables, poured her a glass of water and covered her shoulders with a blanket.

Damsel sat next to her and asked, "I know this is very hard for you, but you need to tell me... where was your daughter when she disappeared?"

"She was out in the field behind our house one moment and the next she was just gone." The woman finally answered with an obvious lump in her throat.

"Where is your home?"

One of the guards chimed in, "I know where she lives."

"You need to take me there right now!" demanded Damsel. Olin shot her an awkward look.

The guard began in a disrespectful tone, "I don't think..."

Olin interrupted with a stern voice, "I would be careful how you address the Princess of Distress, Caleb."

Caleb only nodded and cowered when he realized what he had done and who the young girl was.

Damsel spoke again, "I have to get to this woman's house, now! There may be clues there. Now, who's going to take me?"

Caleb answered, "I will My Lady. Can you forgive me?"

"Save it for later, Caleb, just get me there quickly!"

"Lets go! We'll take our horses. They're outside."

Olin shouted as the two were leaving, "Caleb, the Princess is in your charge for the time being. Don't let anything happen to her!"

Damsel and Caleb left the dining hall for the woman's house. After a short, brisk ride they arrived at a small farm house just outside of town. On the backside of the house was a large field bordered on three sides by a densely wooded area. The two of them dismounted and began searching for any sign of a struggle, blood, tracks...anything, but what they found was nothing. Caleb was the first to speak, "My Lady perhaps the girl is hiding from her mother in the house. You know how young children like to play games. Shall I have a look?"

Damsel glared at Caleb. She knew the girl wasn't simply playing a trick on her mother. She answered in a discontented tone, "Do whatever you want to do, Caleb. I am going to go check the woods." Damsel turned and headed for the line of trees that bordered the property.

Caleb just stared at Damsel in confusion, turned and made his way towards the house. He found nothing in the house, well, no hiding little girl anyway. When he came back outside he called out, "My Lady, where are you?" No answer came. He called out again, "Princess Damsel! Where are you!?" Still no answer. He sprinted towards the woods in the direction he last saw Damsel heading. He called out over and over again, no answer came...Damsel was gone. Caleb collapsed to the ground and remained there until he was found by Olin and a few other guards; he was shaking and unable to speak for quite sometime after Damsel's disappearance.

Olin found Damsel's diary and read it. He had no idea she was so interested in the disappearances nor did he understand the nightmares she was having. She never said much to him at all really. Now, he had to tell her father that she had vanished without a trace. He had failed to protect her and it killed him inside.

1 comment:

  1. Frustrating, frustrating, frustrating. What happened to Damzee? Inquiring minds want to know!

    ReplyDelete