by Mia Archer
I finally came up for air as the fireworks show came to an end and I thought I heard something nearby. As though someone was scrambling up some of the fake rocks. Amelia looked at me with a question plain on her face, but then there was the definite sound of something scraping against the fake rocks and her eyes went wide.
“I think they found us,” I said as the last booms of the fireworks faded in the distance and the music came to an end.
“What do we do?” she asked. “Damn it, she must have been watching when we…”
Amelia paused and looked away. I cocked an eyebrow, but once more she’d let something slip when I wasn’t in a position to really question her. Not with the obvious sound of someone sneaking up behind us along the same path we’d just used to climb this fake mountain.
I looked back the way we came. That’s where the sound was coming from. They were definitely coming up the same way we had, and that could only mean security. It didn’t seem likely that anyone else would decide to do the same stupid thing we tried.
“We need to go this way,” Amelia said.
She was pointing down the front of the mountain. Right to a street that was still pretty sparsely populated. The fireworks show might be over, but I’d imagine the crowds there were so thick that it would take people a little while to spread back through the park. And who knew? Maybe there was some other parade or something to keep people occupied even after the fireworks. I wouldn’t put it past this place. The powers that be here at Royal Realms seemed to love parades.
“Are you sure?”
“I’m not sure, but do you want to get caught?”
“I think I hear them up there!” someone shouted from behind us. A gruff male voice that didn’t sound at all happy that he was climbing fake rocks in the middle of the night.
That more than anything else decided me. I gave Amelia’s hand a squeeze, grinned at her in the darkness, and she pulled me in for one final toe-curling kiss before we scrambled down the front and away from the security people chasing us.
18: Amelia
Okay, so I knew I should probably be freaking out. We were being chased by park security, after all, and if they managed to find me there was no doubt in my mind that word would very quickly get back to Felix and I’d be done for for the rest of the trip.
Assuming he didn’t throw up his arms in frustration, wash his hands of this whole situation, and decide it would be safer to take me back home where I couldn’t get up to any more trouble.
I was an idiot. Renata told me this morning that she’d been keeping an eye on me through the cameras. That was all well and good until I did something that would draw the ire of park security. Things were fine until I broke the rules, and now they were coming after me. If I got caught then there was no way Renata was keeping that from Felix.
I wasn’t freaking out, though. No, all I felt was a sense of exhilaration. It seemed I’d grown used to the feeling of running away from security types, because I felt an adrenaline rush that was only topped by the feeling of kissing Dani.
Kissing Dani. My cheeks colored as I thought of that, but it was a good blush. I’d never expected something like this. I’d never expected finding someone like her, and now here we were rushing through the surprisingly empty streets of Royal Realms evading security and trying to find a crowd to disappear into. This is the sort of experience I’d hoped to have when I got here, minus running from security of course, and finding someone as special as Dani to share that experience with was the cherry on top, as the Americans said.
“They’re going to kick us out of here for sure if they catch us,” Dani said between breaths as we ran.
“I don’t know about that,” I said.
I’d be caught. I’d be in trouble. I doubted the park would risk an international incident by kicking me out, though. I suppose the same couldn’t be said for Dani. All the more reason to get out of here while the getting was good. I didn’t want her to get in trouble because of something I did.
“Turn left,” I said as we came up to the division between Princess Island and Prospector’s Gulch, the area of the park themed after the American “wild west” where we’d had our fun in the arcade earlier. It was funny how the different themed areas of the park served as a time capsule of American pop culture obsessions. This had probably been the hot part of the park when it opened fifty odd years ago, and now it was just a curiosity.
I wondered how long it would be before Princess Island fell out of pop culture favor. Probably never, if the amount of money the Royal Company pumped into it was any indication. I know I’d love it if society gave up on their obsession with princesses. It would make my life so much easier.
“Are you crazy? That place isn’t that busy even during the day,” Dani said.
“Trust me,” I replied. “That’s the quickest way to get to the Royal Palace from where we were. That’s where the crowds will be.”
“Are you kidding? You haven’t looked at the map all day and now you’re giving directions?”
“It doesn’t take a genius to see this road heads straight to the palace.”
I nodded in the distance to where the Royal Palace could be seen over the tops of the Prospector’s Gulch buildings. The thing was a navigational beacon that could be seen from any location in the park. I’m sure that was a deliberate choice to help out the navigationally challenged like yours truly.
“Oh, right,” Dani said. She gave my hand a squeeze and we ran down the empty western streets with gift shops on either side of us. We breezed past the arcade where we’d had so much fun earlier in the day. As we ran forward I heard the dull roar that meant there were people up ahead, and then we turned a corner and found the crowds.
I stopped and stared in amazement. It seemed the entire park had been compressed into an astonishingly small amount of space. I also wondered how we were ever going to make it through those crowds. It made me almost wish I had security there so we could get a golf cart of something with flashing lights that would let us break through. Then again that wouldn’t make much sense considering security was exactly what I was trying to avoid.
I turned around and looked behind us. I could see people in park security uniforms running down the street. I looked ahead. It seemed we were caught even though we’d found the crowds. This was it. I’d had a good run, but I was finally going to get caught. At least it was coming at the end of a very full and enjoyable day. I suppose I should be happy for that much. And on the bright side, if I was caught and Felix decided to take me back to Allora then I wouldn’t have to go through all the pomp and bullshit they had planned for tomorrow turning me into a living breathing PR piece.
“Come on,” Dani said, pulling me along. I yelped in surprise but went along with her.
“Where are we…”
I stopped as we stepped into a path in the middle of the crowd I hadn’t seen. Park workers stood looking very bored motioning with flashlights to keep people moving. The crowd pressed in on either side, but they didn’t violate the small corridor of workers.
It made me nervous thinking of all those people, though. Every one of them had a cell phone. That meant every one of them had a camera they could use to snap a picture of me and post online. Any one of the people in that mass of humanity could be the person to snap a shot that would make my life even more miserable.
“Are you sure we have to go in there?” I asked. “Maybe if we double back…”
I knew that was silly even as I said it. I’d seen the security people running for us. They were getting closer with each passing moment.
“They’re probably tracking us with cameras or something,” Dani said. “Getting lost in a crowd like this is the only option.”
Damn. If only she knew how right she was. The crowd was massive, but stationary. Everyone was lining the winding sidewalks along an empty street staring off towards the park entrance in anticipation. Obviously something was going on here, but what?
“Why aren’t the crowds
moving?” I asked.
“I think there’s another parade after the fireworks,” Dani replied.
“That figures. They seem crazy about parades at this place,” I said.
“Hey, don’t knock it too much. Parades are why I’m here! Our band is performing tomorrow in the big nooner they do every day.”
The parade. Tomorrow. I seemed to recall something about watching a parade on my official itinerary. I felt a chill. If she was in the parade and I was in a place of prominence along said parade and she still didn’t know who I was…
“They are? I didn’t know…”
Only again she pulled me along and there wasn’t really time for conversation. There wasn’t time for me to think about all the potential cameras out there or the consequences of her seeing me doing Official Princess Business. I suppose I didn’t have much choice. We were on the run, after all. For all I knew they really were using security cameras to track us or something. Those workers waving the flashlights had radios, too. At any moment I expected one of them to turn and stop us.
But they didn’t. There was another bonus to moving through the crowds like this. They were so busy staring ahead to the empty road in anticipation that no one seemed to be paying much attention to two girls running through the crowd at top speed. No one was looking at me close enough to realize who I was, though I suppose that would’ve been difficult in the darkness.
I frowned as I thought of that. It was possible those people back at the ride had been taking pictures because of the thrill of two girls kissing. Americans seemed to exhibit a surprising mix of prudishness and lasciviousness when it came to that sort of thing. Still, I couldn’t help but feel that I’d been recognized. That was the only reason I could think of for the pictures to continue well after the kissing stopped.
I heard music starting off in the distance. Yeah, there was almost certainly something going on after the fireworks show.
“Thank you Royal Realms,” I said.
“What was that?” Dani asked.
“I was just thinking that Royal Realms is providing the distraction we need to get away from their security guards. Very nice of them, don’t you think?”
Dani giggled. “Yeah, I suppose you’re right.”
As we got closer to the front of the park the noise from the parade got louder until we saw an explosion of glowing lights and sound. It was difficult to make anything out through the crowd, but the parade looked like it would’ve been impressive if I had a front row seat. Instead we ducked into a gift shop and made our way down the main thoroughfare leading to the entrance through the shop which was relatively empty since everyone in the park had been funneled into that parade route.
I breathed a sigh of relief when we finally reached the front entrance and made our way through the gates. No one there stopped us. Either they hadn’t gotten a description of us to the front, or they hadn’t gotten a good look at us. Or Renata was in some control booth hidden somewhere in the park screaming at them to leave me alone. We were free.
I turned to Dani and took both of her hands in mine. Fixed her with a huge grin.
“I can’t believe we made it!”
“I know. I thought we were goners there for sure!” she replied.
I stopped and turned to look at the park. It was even more impressive now than it had been when I arrived. Everything was lit up and there was still music blasting over the entrance from the parade going on inside. I turned back to Dani and grinned. I was drunk on that new love feeling.
“This has probably been the single most incredible day of my life,” I said, and I figured that was saying something considering the charmed life I’d led.
“I know exactly what you mean,” she replied. Then she frowned. “Only is it just going to be this day? Will we ever see each other again? You said only tonight, but is that all we’ll have?”
I leaned forward and put a hand on her shoulder. Pulled her in for a hug and kissed her forehead. Then I moved down and kissed her on the lips. We got very distracted with that for a few moments, and it was only some assholes behind us shouting that we should get a room that brought me back to reality. I giggled when Dani flipped them the bird. I might be learning new things about American culture today, but that particular gesture was something that was more than covered in their movies.
“Today doesn’t have to be all their is,” I said. “You have my number. We’ll see each other tomorrow. I promise.”
Barring disaster. Like Felix getting so upset about me sneaking out again that he put an end to the trip. I’d just have to hope it didn’t come to that. The man would have kittens if he knew I’d given my phone number to a strange American girl I’d only known for a couple days, but then again to find out about that he’d have to search my phone. Even Felix wouldn’t have the audacity to go that far.
“I’d like that,” Dani said. She wrapped me in one final hug and a final kiss that went on even longer. This time neither one of us stopped for the people cat calling around us. Americans. They really were very weird about this sort of thing.
“I have to go,” I said.
I wasn’t looking forward to going back to the resort. Nothing good could be waiting for me there, even with Renata running that strange interference. I’d lived a fairytale today that went so far beyond anything I’d felt growing up, and that was saying something considering how I grew up. The fairytale was about to come to an end, though. Felix was no doubt waiting, and I couldn’t very well stay away from him forever.
“I know,” Dani said. “I have to go too. I really do hope I see you again.”
I couldn’t resist leaning in for one more kiss. I was positively giddy. A funny good feeling had settled permanently in the pit of my stomach, and it pulsed every time I thought of Dani. I wished I could go back with her to her hotel, but I didn’t think the people she was here with would appreciate that.
“I’ll see you again. I promise,” I said. I had her phone number. I had the resources of my station at my disposal. I would make it happen, and I didn’t care what Felix, father, mother, or the tabloids had to say about it!
I forced myself to turn away from Dani and walk up the ramp leading to the elevated train. I looked over my shoulder one final time and she was still down there watching me leave. She gave a little wave and I returned it, but I resisted the sudden urge to run down the ramp and envelop her in another hug.
I needed to get back to the real world. So I trudged up to the train, thankfully the crowds weren’t that bad right now since everyone was still back in the park watching parades, and sat down. I had a cab all to myself which was a relief. I wasn’t in a state to deal with the stress of someone recognizing me right now. I also suddenly felt very naked and very alone without Dani there. I realized that if someone did recognize me and they didn’t mean well it could lead to trouble.
I’d felt safe in the crowds at the park, but here it was different.
The train came to a halt in front of the resort and I stepped out to a deserted station except for one bored station attendant who opened the gates for me. I stepped through and took a deep breath. Let it out slowly to try and calm myself. My pulse raced, but there were no security people out here. No Felix which was a relief. No Renata which was a disappointment. I figured after being gone all day the place would’ve been swarming with security waiting for me to come back.
I walked towards the doors to the resort entrance and suddenly a dark figure materialized from behind one of the columns that lined the station. My pulse quickened and those fears of someone trying to do me harm came rushing back. It was just me and the station attendant out here. If someone wanted to hurt me there wasn’t anything that guy would be able to do about it. He wouldn’t get here in time even if he was inclined to risk his job for minimum wage.
Then the figure stepped into the light and I found myself almost wishing it was some lone wolf attacker. Felix. Damn it.
“I figured you’d have to come back here at some point, Amel
ia,” he said.
My eyes narrowed. “Since when are we on a first name basis, Felix?”
“Since you decided to run off for an entire day again!” he snapped.
I rolled my eyes. “Yeah, I’m sure you were really worried. It had nothing to do with father breathing down your neck did it? How does he feel about you losing his little girl two days in a row?”
Felix stopped and adjusted his tie just a bit. It must be uncomfortable wearing that thing in the impossible heat down here. The man always was one for show over practicality, though. Plus that jacket hid his weapon rather nicely.
Then he said something that sent a chill running through me.
“Your father is on his way over here,” Felix said. “Apparently he’s less than happy with both of us thanks to your antics today. I tried to convince him that he didn’t need to make the long flight, but I couldn’t keep him by the end of the day when you still hadn’t shown up.”
I swallowed. Not good. Very not good.
“He also wanted us to call him the moment you resurfaced. So if you’ll join me, princess?”
He made a gesture towards the sliding doors. This was not going to be good. My shoulders slumped. Oh yeah. I’d gone from the fairytale to a horror story pretty damn quick. This was not going to be a fun conversation, but it was worth it for those magical moments I shared with Dani.
I sighed and let Felix lead me to my doom. I just hoped this wouldn’t ruin my ability to keep that promise.
19: Dani
I reached up and touched my lips. I still felt a tingle where Amelia kissed me. That tingle ran through my body and I gave little involuntary shiver despite how warm it was even at night.
This night had been incredible. It had gone so far beyond anything I expected when I got here. I just really hoped I’d be able to see Amelia again tomorrow. Two days felt like more than I deserved, and yet I wanted more. Needed more. I already felt the loss of not having her here next to me. I wanted to hop on the train and follow her back to her resort and beat down every door until I figured out where she was staying.