“You’re holding it the wrong way, miss.” alisema the cashier.
Courtney had a small black object in her right hand, her left hand covering the other. What was the object? A gun. Courtney was at the gun and bunduki shop, only about twenty dakika away from the café she was just at. She flipped the gun around and pointed it at the wall.
“Oh, thanks! I could have killed myself.” she alisema with a nervous laugh. She had never used a gun before, and who could blame her if she held it the wrong way? She walked over to the counter, money at hand.
“That will be $150, please.” alisema the cashier.
Courtney handed the man the money and picked out a small leather case. She clipped the case onto her pants and slid the gun inside. Courtney ran out the door towards the palace. As she ran up the pathway, she forgot about how the bridge was broken. She slowed down her paced and looked down the cliff. Nothing but darkness and branches growing out of the sides.
Great. Now how am I going to save him?
*******
“Julius! I demand to know what wewe are doing!”
“Your highness,” he alisema with a bow, “I have brought back your rebellious dish-cleaner.”
Julius, Clara, Charles, and Duncan were all seated in the living room. Duncan looked dead with his hands in handcuffs. Clara was nervously pacing the room while Charles was rubbing his temples. Julius had his hands holding down Duncan’s hands, which really had no point since they were already handcuffed.
“I can see that, but what is he doing here?”
“I came to exterminate him. It turns out that he kidnapped Courtney.” he lied.
“Do wewe expect me to believe that? My daughter left a note saying she ran away with Duncan. I can understand why.” he said, his lips pressed in a tight line.
“That’s what he wanted wewe to think. He wrote that note to make wewe think that Courtney wrote it.” he whispered, pointing at Duncan. Charles approached him, his eyes dull and filled with worry.
“Did you, Duncan? Did wewe write that note and kidnap my daughter?”
“No. No I didn’t. How could wewe believe that?” he whispered.
“I don’t.” he alisema with relief. “Release him.”
“But—” stuttered Julius.
“Look. If wewe find Courtney before six p.m. today, wewe may still marry her. But if wewe don’t, than I have no other choice but give the kiti cha enzi to my nephew, Philip. Now release Duncan. He didn’t do anything wrong.”
Julius regretfully took off Duncan’s handcuffs. There was silence in the room for about a minute. Julius quietly walked out the door while Duncan went through the other door. He ran through the Forbidden Forest towards the cliff. There, on the other side, was Courtney. She was sitting on a rock staring off into space. Duncan was filled with relief to see her.
“Courtney!” he shouted. His very loud voice made her jump. She ran over to the side of the cliff and stared in disbelief at Duncan.
“You’re here. How’d wewe get here?” she mumbled quietly.
“Doesn’t matter. Listen, wewe only have to hide for one zaidi saa and then wewe won’t have to marry Julius at all. Your father alisema that at six p.m. Philip would take the throne.”
“Really? But what about Julius? What if he finds wewe again?”
“He won’t.” he alisema halfheartedly. Courtney pulled out her gun and leather pouch. Duncan stepped back as he suddenly grew very nervous. He had never seen her with a gun before.
“Don’t look so scared. Here.” she shouted. She threw the gun across the cliff while it landed with a thud on the ground. Duncan picked up the gun and started to give Courtney instructions on where to hide.
“He’ll probably be here in a few minutes. wewe should probably hide somewhere in the town.” he alisema quickly.
“How about just hiding under the meza, jedwali at the café again?”
“Nah. That’s the first place he’ll look.”
“How about inside that hotel we stayed at? I can hide behind the front counter.” she suggested.
“Good idea.” he alisema as he pulled out a small white box. “Oh, and I got wewe this for your birthday while we were in the town yesterday.”
He tossed the box across the cliff, shortly landing on the grass. Courtney walked over and opened up the box. Inside was a small silver bracelet with the letter C etched into it. Courtney smiled and slid it onto her wrist.
“Thanks.”
“Ah, whatever. It’s nothing special.” he alisema sheepishly. He slid the gun into the leather case. As they both walked separate ways from the cliff, Courtney turned around and spoke three words.
“I upendo you.” she said. Duncan stopped in his tracks, but a dakika later he started walking again. They both walked opposite ways, not knowing what to expect next.
Courtney had a small black object in her right hand, her left hand covering the other. What was the object? A gun. Courtney was at the gun and bunduki shop, only about twenty dakika away from the café she was just at. She flipped the gun around and pointed it at the wall.
“Oh, thanks! I could have killed myself.” she alisema with a nervous laugh. She had never used a gun before, and who could blame her if she held it the wrong way? She walked over to the counter, money at hand.
“That will be $150, please.” alisema the cashier.
Courtney handed the man the money and picked out a small leather case. She clipped the case onto her pants and slid the gun inside. Courtney ran out the door towards the palace. As she ran up the pathway, she forgot about how the bridge was broken. She slowed down her paced and looked down the cliff. Nothing but darkness and branches growing out of the sides.
Great. Now how am I going to save him?
*******
“Julius! I demand to know what wewe are doing!”
“Your highness,” he alisema with a bow, “I have brought back your rebellious dish-cleaner.”
Julius, Clara, Charles, and Duncan were all seated in the living room. Duncan looked dead with his hands in handcuffs. Clara was nervously pacing the room while Charles was rubbing his temples. Julius had his hands holding down Duncan’s hands, which really had no point since they were already handcuffed.
“I can see that, but what is he doing here?”
“I came to exterminate him. It turns out that he kidnapped Courtney.” he lied.
“Do wewe expect me to believe that? My daughter left a note saying she ran away with Duncan. I can understand why.” he said, his lips pressed in a tight line.
“That’s what he wanted wewe to think. He wrote that note to make wewe think that Courtney wrote it.” he whispered, pointing at Duncan. Charles approached him, his eyes dull and filled with worry.
“Did you, Duncan? Did wewe write that note and kidnap my daughter?”
“No. No I didn’t. How could wewe believe that?” he whispered.
“I don’t.” he alisema with relief. “Release him.”
“But—” stuttered Julius.
“Look. If wewe find Courtney before six p.m. today, wewe may still marry her. But if wewe don’t, than I have no other choice but give the kiti cha enzi to my nephew, Philip. Now release Duncan. He didn’t do anything wrong.”
Julius regretfully took off Duncan’s handcuffs. There was silence in the room for about a minute. Julius quietly walked out the door while Duncan went through the other door. He ran through the Forbidden Forest towards the cliff. There, on the other side, was Courtney. She was sitting on a rock staring off into space. Duncan was filled with relief to see her.
“Courtney!” he shouted. His very loud voice made her jump. She ran over to the side of the cliff and stared in disbelief at Duncan.
“You’re here. How’d wewe get here?” she mumbled quietly.
“Doesn’t matter. Listen, wewe only have to hide for one zaidi saa and then wewe won’t have to marry Julius at all. Your father alisema that at six p.m. Philip would take the throne.”
“Really? But what about Julius? What if he finds wewe again?”
“He won’t.” he alisema halfheartedly. Courtney pulled out her gun and leather pouch. Duncan stepped back as he suddenly grew very nervous. He had never seen her with a gun before.
“Don’t look so scared. Here.” she shouted. She threw the gun across the cliff while it landed with a thud on the ground. Duncan picked up the gun and started to give Courtney instructions on where to hide.
“He’ll probably be here in a few minutes. wewe should probably hide somewhere in the town.” he alisema quickly.
“How about just hiding under the meza, jedwali at the café again?”
“Nah. That’s the first place he’ll look.”
“How about inside that hotel we stayed at? I can hide behind the front counter.” she suggested.
“Good idea.” he alisema as he pulled out a small white box. “Oh, and I got wewe this for your birthday while we were in the town yesterday.”
He tossed the box across the cliff, shortly landing on the grass. Courtney walked over and opened up the box. Inside was a small silver bracelet with the letter C etched into it. Courtney smiled and slid it onto her wrist.
“Thanks.”
“Ah, whatever. It’s nothing special.” he alisema sheepishly. He slid the gun into the leather case. As they both walked separate ways from the cliff, Courtney turned around and spoke three words.
“I upendo you.” she said. Duncan stopped in his tracks, but a dakika later he started walking again. They both walked opposite ways, not knowing what to expect next.