Chapter Four

 I breathed in the cold air of the forest. I was feeling the cold now that I noticed I was wearing thin clothing. It wasn’t the best idea to just stand in here and wait for my ass to freeze, especially since my shoes magically disappeared when I teleported here. There were things that I wanted to get the answers from the thousands of questions I have. That old lady sure did make me more puzzled about this whole thing and this royalty thing. It’s so cliche that I suddenly, or rather is, a princess. I’m living in a storybook. It’s almost skeptical that I found this book, got teleported in, and then found out about my parents. Why didn’t they tell me this if this is the world they made for me to live in? Was it that hard to tell me?

I sighed once again and picked up the sticks on the ground that I discarded earlier before the old lady came – knowing that I wouldn't know the answer to that if I don't ask my parents about that myself. I glanced around the cave again and decided to use the papers on the books to feed the fire later, but the problem is, where the hell am I suppose to get the fire? I bit my lip in frustration.

“Aaargh!” I screamed, all the while slamming the stick down the ground. I slumped down, hitting my butt hard on the dirt. I sighed so loudly for the nth time, laying down on my back and staring at the ceiling of the dark cave. What was I supposed to do now? I definitely don’t know about surviving in the cold or anywhere else for that matter. I should’ve watched some of that survival stuff on tv if I’d known I’d be in this state. Well, there’s nothing I can do about that now.

I sat up and picked up the scattered sticks, some of them broke off from my earlier small tantrum.

Clink!

I was startled at the small like metal sound hitting the ground behind me. Glimpsing behind me, cautious once again to whoever or whatever the intruder may be – but to my wonder, no one was behind me but a small silver metal lighter just by the entrance of the cave. I stood up, patting my back to get rid of the dust, although, I know that that would be futile since I’d be back sitting later on the ground anyway.

I tilted my head in curiosity and thought why this lighter looked new. If someone did throw this metal lighter in here, they would’ve left footprints on the snow – glancing down, all I could see was the smooth snow-covered ground, there were no footsteps at all. I looked around outside the cave, popping my head out to search for whoever dropped this heavy metal lighter. The trees were frozen to the top, white powder of snow-covered everything. I couldn’t see the lush green leaves of grass on the ground anymore. From afar away, fog covered the forest like a wall stretched as far as my eyes could see.

Maybe they flew? Knowing that this is a magical place full of strange things, that could have been possible. But why would they just throw this metal lighter for no reason? Surely they would have needed this to light their fires too since everywhere I see is covered with snow. But whoever it was, I guess I’m thankful that they did throw this heavy metal lighter in here.

Examining the zippo lighter in my hand whilst walking back further in the dark cave – it was a new lighter. It was still shiny and from the weight of it, it still has fluids. I turned it around and there was one letter engraved on it – a knife was probably used to engrave the letter in the zippo lighter.

C.

C? A simple one letter yet it’s a wonder. Why didn’t they put their second initial letter in it? Doesn’t the owner worry that his lighter might disappear at any moment and someone might erase his engraved letter in this lighter? I mean, he did throw it in the cave like he doesn’t care for it anymore and carried on his way to wherever he means to go. I shrugged off the thoughts of who owned the lighter and decided to start the fire.

It was getting dark any minute now, and I wouldn’t want to be blinded by darkness. I crouched down the old books covered in a dirty cloth and picked one out – upon opening it, I was met with dust to which I coughed up, swatting the dust off in front of my scrunched up nose. I tore one page without reading it and instantly stopped after I tore it. Curiosity got the best of me and I read the torn page in my hand.

The paper was old, and yellow-colored from the ages that it’s been sitting in here for, and molded on the edges, but nonetheless, readable. I sat down crossed-legged, not giving a thought that the sun would set any minute and darkness would swallow the light any moment I waste my time satisfying my curiosity.

“...under the cold sun, there comes a fair lady falling from the sky. The maiden lay there basking under the heated sun, upon her arrival, the trees made way. A huge gust of wind came waving in arc, cutting everything it touches. The tree…”

The words after that were faded by the multiple words it got mashed up in before this page. It probably got wet and the ink went through some of the pages. I flipped through the pages of the book gently, and all of the words were mashed up together with the words before the page just like the old yellowish paper I’m holding. I opened the other books, not minding the dust that flew in each book I opened. They had the same condition – faded, ink mashed up to the words. The only thing that I could read was this one paragraph on the torn page I’m holding.

I snorted, this is stupid. I’m thinking too much about this. It wasn’t like I was meant to read this one paragraph. It could have been a coincidence. This isn’t a storybook after all. I shook my head in disbelief and continued to tear up pages after pages of the book. Popping the lighter open, I lit the now crumpled paper and placed the wood on it slowly so as not to put it out, blowing air on it occasionally to keep the fire pumping.

I glanced up outside and just realized that it was already dark. I sighed, scooting over to the wall to lean on it – I rested my head up and stared at the dancing fire before me. What was I to do about this with my parents being the King and Queen of this place? I didn’t want to accept it. I only wanted to escape to this world – away from reality, away from the emotions I try to avoid. I closed my eyes from both fatigue and overwhelming thoughts.

The smell of burning wood and paper whiffed through my nose, the coldness that I felt earlier was now enveloped with warmth from the fire. The flickering and snapping sound from the wood that burned was the only thing heard in the cave – there was no utter sound that came through outside but the wind that howled once in a while.

How did things turn out to be this way?