BEDSHEET ROPEAurelia's Pov"W-what should I do?""What else?" He kissed my hand and the waltz ended. A knowing grin flashed on the stranger's face and beneath his mask I saw him winked."Run."He walked away and faded with the crowd that suddenly have the urge to come close to me and give me greetings. I couldn't even budge from my position with all these guests flocking. All I could do was stare until he vanished completely within my sight."Aurelia!"Someone suddenly grabbed my arm, and I was thankful it was Anastasia. She took me upstairs, away from the eyes of many."Why did you go there! You were barely sober! What if your parents noticed?""They didn't," I said, my eyes roaming around.I can't still wrap my head around those things that I saw. I only got a glimpse of it for a minute, but it all felt too real for it to be the influence of alcohol. It must be real. No, I'm sure it is real."Aurelia? Hello? Earth to Aure-""I want to run away.""What?"I heaved a deep breath, giving her a determined gaze to say that I am sober. That I am serious. "I want to run away."I stared back at Anastasia and she was looking at me dumbfoundedly as if I just said the most absurd thing she ever heard. For three seconds, her mouth was left open, her eyes unable to blink."Aurelia, are you really sober enough? It must be the alcohol, why would you..." She stared at me with confusion. "I mean, I could have understood if it was Cora or Heather or Prim telling me they want to run away! I mean you have the right to, but still! This isn't you! I-I mean Aurelia, you love this world! You love your parents, you love everything there is in here and, and...""That's exactly why," I answered. "I love everything about this world. I love my parents. I love them too much I feel like I don't know myself. Do you get what I'm saying?"Maybe, I've been meaning to do this. Maybe, I'm just using those monsters as an excuse.Her widened eyes were already welling with tears. Anastasia tried to sniff it back but her lips are curling downwards already. "No.""I don't get it too," I answered truthfully and laughed. "But I feel empty. I mean, there's nothing else for me to do since the day I was born. Everything was perfectly set. All I need to do is follow the orders, the rules. I am the laws my parents taught me. But without those things, who am I? Who is Aurelia Rothchild? I don't know."Revealing the bread knife I hid beneath my sleeve, I started tearing up the edges of my gown, forming it into an untrimmed skirt."Aurelia!" Anastasia whispered."Take cover for me, Anastasia. I know I could count on you, my dear friend." I winked at her and started moving.I actually don't know if it was the alcohol or the words said by that stranger in a mask, or just me. I don't know what had driven me to do this. I'm actually anxious. I've been following the rules all my life, and this is the very first time I won't be doing that. I don't know where this will take me, but I hope along the way I'll finally be able to say who I really am. I want to find me.I don't want to get wed and be trapped forever with the rules.Taking a sharp left, I went towards a vacant guest room. I heaved a sigh of relief, seeing there is a huge bed inside. I immediately entered and Anastasia was left outside, taking the watch as I removed the bedsheet from the bed."Aurelia, what are you doing? What if they caught you now?" Anastasia was filled with fear as she looks back and forth in the hallway. I kept myself calm and quick amidst the loud thumping of my chest. I feel like my heart would burst anytime right now. My hands are cold, so my bare legs are. I took a deep breath and went towards the cabinet at the far end corner. There were more spare sheets inside. I quickly tied them all together, beads of cold sweat running down my forehead."Oh, sh-!"I heard Anastasia almost cursing and when I turned my head, I saw her immediately shutting the doors of the guest room. There must be someone outside!I hurriedly tied the sheets as I heard someone talking outside. When I felt like the knots were already tight enough I sprinted towards the window and slid it open.It was freaking cold!As soon as I opened the glass window the cold icy wind slapped against my face."W-what? Ha-ha, you're so funny! I told you, you can't enter, Sir. I am currently using the room as of the moment!"I've heard Anastasia raising her voice to warn me. Someone's trying to break in!I ignored the cold wind and dropped the bedsheet rope down the window.Heaving a deep breath, I shut my eyes for a moment and stared at the night sky. There were no stars to wish me luck nor the moon to give me light. It's just me and my one-way ticket to freedom."I can do this," I mumbled and started climbing down.Holding onto the rope, I grunted as I tried to climb down the building. I mean, it's just a two-story building so why does it have to be this high?! I can't believe there would be a day I would be hating the high ceilings which I used to adore so much until now.I focused on my footing, trying not to slip while I held tightly on whatever gravity is making my feet in contact with the wall. Slowly, I went down and down, my palms burning with pain.But I almost fell when I heard a noise not far from me."W-What..."It was too dark to see, so I squinted my eyes more...As the clouds parted away, the moon showed itself at the night sky, my eyes getting a clearer vision of the unknown silhouette moving some meters away from me.And then I saw a guy,climbing down a building just like me.