Rachel packed all the things which she could be needing on her journey in a bundle. She then tied the bundle by picking it up from all four corners and tying it up to make a cloth bag. She kept the bag at the table. She stared at the stars as they twinkled on the horizon of night. She was excited about her journey to Waltrer City. She had never traveled anywhere alone. Even if she had to go to the neighboring town, there was always someone who escorted her. But this time, she would be alone, there would be no one along with her who would be to help her. She would be all on her own. This made her a little nervous. She knew the real world was not like a fairytale where a handsome and charming prince would come and save her. She would have to be her own savior. This made her a little bit nervous. What if someone attacked her during the journey? She did keep a small dagger near her but she didn't know how to use it. She had never felt the need to learn how to fight, but now she was regretting it. She should have gone along with some of her friends who had gone for learning basic defense techniques which were taught to both boys and girls. As she looked at the town across her window, she realized how desolate the town looked during the night. It felt as if all the grandeur and pomp of the town were sucked out of it. The look of the city was no less than that of a haunted town. As she was looking at the city, her eyes stopped at the baker's store. She remembered that when she was a little munchkin, cute and innocent, she used to love muffins. She didn't eat them, she inhaled them. Her parents would hold her hand and take her to the bakery as she would jump and frolic around them. Thinking about those moments brought tears to her eyes. They used to be such a beautiful and happy family. Now it seemed as if all the happiness was sucked out of it. She knew her parents would be hurt, very deeply so. But she hoped that with time their wounds would heal and they would be able to forgive her and take her back into their folds. Tearing a page out of her notebook, she wrote a letter to her parents so that they would at least know about her whereabouts.
Dear Mom and Dad
I am sorry for what I am about to do. I hope that in your big hearts, you will still keep some place for me even after all this. I know it's too much to ask for, but I hope that you will forgive me after some time. I will be traveling over the whole world. I never wanted to marry the son of the General or anybody from the royalty. I just wanted to be free to make my own decisions. I hope that you will be able to understand this. This is the first big decision that I am taking on my own. It may be correct or it may be wrong, but I will face the consequences of the decisions which I take happily. I don't want to regret that I could not take the decision when I had the time to take it. I can only keep this hope in my heart that you will accept me back into the family when my journey gets over. Until then, take care.
I am so so sorry
Your idiotic daughter
Rachel
She kept the letter on the table so that her mother will be able to see it when she will come into her room. Teardrops fell on the paper, damping it. Ah, how she wished she could have told her parents about her dreams. Only if the situation had been different. Only if the circumstances were something else, this situation would have had a different outcome. But it was not to be. Picking up her bundle, she quietly tiptoed out of her room, with the mirror in her hand and the bundle tied around her neck. She knew noted the timings at which the patrolling guards passed by her house and had planned her escapade according to that. While tiptoeing past her parent's room, she carefully opened the door a little and gave a last glance at her parent's sleeping faces. They looked so peaceful and at ease while sleeping. Stopping herself from crying over them again, she closed the door and tiptoed out of her house. Looking around to see if anybody was present, she looked in the mirror and started walking in the direction of Waltrer City.
" Rachel. You silly girl. How long are you going to sleep? The sun has almost reached above our heads. This silly girl.....Hmm??"
As Rachel's mother opened the door to her room. She did not find Rachel there. Confused, she looked at the piece of paper lying on the table. Picking it up, she started reading through it, her expression changing from confusion to horror. In the end, her mind could not bear it anymore, and she fainted.