One year had passed since the unspoken leader of our rebellion had been killed. Shot dead in front of my eyes. I dream about her death every night.
We continued her work. We struck back.
We had waited to end the reign of the gray castle for eons. Tonight, the end seemed near.


Inside, the darkness lay in wait for my tortured mind. All else was enveloped by its foul cloak. I could hear soft, rhythmic sounds as if somebody was breathing. As my eyes slowly adjusted to the cold and bare surroundings, I glimpsed the silhouette of a woman. Settling into the best possible position that my cramped cell allowed for; I gazed out of the grilled windowpane that offered the only light to my eyes- the crescent moon. It shined as best it could but on such a gloomy night its glow seemed dull and far off. Yet it inspired me and reminded of my task here. It told me that there was a world outside that deserved to be seen by all, from eyes that were free.

Deciding that any further wait would be useless, I turned to face the woman who was bound by the same confines that I was. I gently shook her till she stirred to life then put a finger to her lips and whispered quiet words in her ear cautioning her not to speak till we were out. Continuing in the same tone I told her that the tunnel had been dug fully and that we needed to be out tonight. Even in the poorest of lighting, I could make out a smile upon those lips, one that went all the way, up to her eyes. Her face had lost much of its outward beauty and charm but that hope which I saw in her, that hope brought back shades of her vivid past. The defiance still remained within that soul.

Somehow in the midst of all that security they had showed a human spark and had allowed me to take my watch along with me which now showed the time to be around half past eleven. Wasting not minute more, I got to work. Using a small penknife hidden in my watch, I cut the edge of the last floor tile at the pre-specified spot. Gradually, I lifted the tile to reveal the deep and twisted passage to safety. Going in headfirst I gestured for her to follow me which she did shutting the tile overhead, enclosing us in this gloom. All for one stupid idea which I would never give up on.

The tunnel was long and winding; never did it give us enough room to even so much as crouch. We crawled in silence, not uttering a word as we hoped for the light to appear at the end. It did. We moved faster but made as little noise as possible, afraid of even the slightest sound being heard by the ruthless, uniformed men above the surface. The passage ended and I poked my head out of the hole at the close. Searching the area with my piercing gaze, I was unable to detect any motion. Wordlessly I indicated that it was safe for her to come out as well. Lifting her by her hand I helped her to her feet as she covered her bright orange prison clothes with mud.

Freedom lay just a short walk away. Deep in that forest which, for many years had been my home. Yet we casually strolled toward with the utmost softness in our step. Fearful of being seen, we hid behind a bush and listened till we were sure of the quiet of our surroundings. Then we made a break for it. We ran like the wind. The trees lay at an arm's length from me; increasing her pace she outstripped me to reach the safety of the shadows first. Her fingers had barely touched the trunk, when the castle's gong sounded. The striking pierced the night. Our escape had been discovered.

My ears were still ringing when I heard it. That clattering sound. The horses hooves struck the ground again and again as they covered the space between the gates and the edge of the forest. Though they were still a considerable distance away yet, their speed drove fear straight down my throat. Fear for the young woman who stood next to me so fearlessly. She grabbed my hand and tried to pull me deeper into the woods. I resisted. I watched the soldiers approach with a serene calm inside of me. Holding my face with both of her tiny palms, she gazed at me with an anger that burned through her green eyes.

“Did you rescue me just to send me beyond the gates of Elysium?”
“My body is but a vessel. A lowly vessel that contains the spirit, that cages my spirit.”
“Speak plainly.” Her voice carried with it an undercurrent of fear.
“Ahh but it is in plain and ordinary words that I converse with you. You just don't want to believe them. The day that we have talked about, that day is today.”
“No......no!” True horror overrode the fear that she had tried to mask with false bravado beforehand.
“It cannot be. I'm not ready; I haven't the understanding. With you gone we will col-”
“You won't.” My voice was low. It was filled with newfound determination, determination that had come to me from the sky, the stars, the fire that burned inside me. It came from ocean blue eyes. Her ocean blue eyes.
“From today the rebellion has a new leader, and it is you.”
“But why today? why now? We need you more than ever.”
“You know the answers. The only reason that you ask them of me is because you question the logic of my decision. There is no logic. No reason. No sense. But there is a force in me, An unbound force that needs no sense. Not everything happens for a reason. And tonight she calls to me.”
“You truly did love her didn't you?” She shrugged her shoulders “Stupid thing to ask, I know.” I could see the tears flowing down her pretty face. Reaching out with my hand I wiped them off carefully.
She turned away from me, and started walking down the muddy path. Looking upon my face one final time she waved at me. Choking back a sob, she let the words escape her lips “Farewell my lovely.”

Life seldom gives you moments where you can claim to be completely calm.
I walked out from behind the trees and into the darkness of the night. I waited.
The horses stopped. The men stepped down. The pulled out their weapons.
The soldiers charged me with long and pointy swords.....Time stood still, and for a moment peace enveloped me; then the swords smote me. But I was long gone. My spirit zoomed upward as I was unable to contain my burning desire, my throbbing wish to meet her. My life. My soul. My Rose.