Amelia
I can feel the sun on my face.
Kind of.
It’s not as warm as I remember it, though it’s much brighter than in my memory. Practically blinding. I close my eyes against it, and lay my non-casted arm over my eyes, too.
The grass tickled my bare feet and neck when I first lied down in it. Soon after though, it begins to itch.
I thought this was what I wanted. To put my freedom above safety.
But now that I’m out here in the palace gardens, it’s not as great as I thought it would be. Maybe the itchy grass and blinding sun aren’t worth however many lashings I’ve earned by going outside unsupervised without permission.
“What do we have here?” a slimy voice eeks into my reality. I say nothing, my arm still over my eyes, deciding that it’s all in my head.
“A pretty pet without he
