Only one tunnel left between her and the way out. One long, snow-covered tunnel made up of the tangling branches of black, forbidding trees, only slightly softened by the cold, white, innocent-looking snow. Behind her lay the garden, a labyrinth of hedges and trees. It was impossible to find your way out in winter. The snow made everything look so alike.

  High above the bare branches of even the tallest trees a couple of sparrows twittered an early morning song that echoed through the garden. And other tongue she could almost taste the sharp, stinging bitterness of the snow that carefully covered the ground around her. A sweet smell wafted on the cool breeze. Spring was almost here.

  Without another thought or even a look back she sprinted towards the end of the tunnel where the sun was barely visible, just rising off the horizon. In front of her stood a lake. Reflected in its shimmering surface was a magnificent castle about as black as night but much more terrifying.

  She shivered as the cool air blew through her flimsy, white dress and pricked at her skin like needles. Around her neck hung a silver locket, which despite its age, still shone like the thin ice that only partially covered the lake. It wasn’t much of a lake really, more like an oversized pond.

  She turned to look back at the castle from which she had come. Its dark shape loomed high above her. Suddenly she froze. She could hear the unmistakable sound of footsteps on soft snow and they were coming this way. She turned to run but stopped when she heard his voice.

  “Litisha, wait!”

  She turned again, sharper this time, flicking her silky, black hair over her shoulders, her dark eyes glaring at him.

  This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

  “What?” she hissed.

  He flinched under her gaze but remained where he was. Her eyes moved to look at the castle behind him. She sighed, she didn’t have time for him and his silly, childish games.

  She saw him as the reason their evil aunt had been able to catch them and hold them captive in her enchanted castle for so long. How had he followed her anyway? She turned back to ask him. His big brown eyes gazed up at her. Bits of snow lay sprinkled across his light coloured hair. She almost felt sorry for him. Almost.

  “How’d you find me anyway?” she asked.

  “I . . . I know my way around the garden” he stammered.

  “You could’ve told me you knew the way out” She snapped back.

  “I was scared” he mumbled in less than a whisper, turning to walk away, his head hung low.

  It was then she noticed what he was wearing: an old t-shirt, a pair of tattered, halfripped jeans and on his feet, nothing, not even a pair of socks. Although her clothes were not much better against the winter, at least she had a pair of black, laceup boots on her feet.

  “Sparrow, I’m sorry. Come back. Please” she barely whispered the words, calling him by his nickname.

  “Come with me, we can find our parents . . . together . . . we can go home”

  “Really, can I?” his eyes perked up.

  “Yes” she laughed. “Aren’t your feet cold?”

  “Yes, but . . .”

  “Then hop on” she turned her back to him so he could jump on.

  She carried her ten-year-old brother down the hill towards the lake. Two whole years their aunt had kept them locked up in that castle. Two years since Litisha had been the age her brother was now. Two years since their aunt had captured them and their parents had had to flee. If it hadn’t been for Sparrow, Litisha could have fled with them but he had got caught and she couldn’t leave him. Not even now. She had intended too, convincing herself that he would be safer at the castle then to make the difficult journey they had ahead of them but he’d followed her and she’d half hated him for it, hated him for making her change her mind, but she couldn’t leave him now. Not ever.

  So it was together that they escaped and together that they headed towards the distant mountains. For only when they were on the other side would they be safe. Safe and free.