The day after the ball dawned with Elizabeth dutifully accompanying Martha on a supply run into town, a trip she'd been eagerly anticipating for days. Edward, unfortunately, couldn't drive them as planned, leaving Damon to act as their chauffeur.
As expected, Martha directed them toward the lower-class region of town. Elizabeth gazed out the window, each familiar sight stirring up long-forgotten memories. Soon, the car pulled up outside a fabric shop. After stepping out, Martha instructed Damon to return in twenty minutes to collect them.
Martha, dressed in a traditional buba gown, had chosen long pants and a sleeveless top for Elizabeth. The shop loomed tall and imposing, overshadowing its neighboring establishments. Martha, clutching a large bag, held Elizabeth's hand as they entered the building.
Inside, Elizabeth's eyes were immediately drawn to the vibrant array of colors and materials. It was clear this was no ordinary store but a sprawling wholesale emporium. Martha confidently navigated through the maze of fabrics, heading straight for a middle-aged woman with streaks of white threading through her neatly tied bun. The woman was scolding a young man for idly playing on his phone instead of attending to customers.
"You never change," Martha said, amusement coloring her voice as she approached the woman. Surprised, the woman turned, a smile lighting up her face at the sight of Martha.
"You old hag!" she exclaimed with a laugh, caught off guard. "You always seem to catch me at my worst."
"I cast a spell to ensure I always do," Martha retorted playfully, clearly relishing their banter. "You always think I'm a witch, remember?"
The woman feigned surprise, placing a hand on her cheek. "I knew I was friends with a wicked witch! And you still haven't made me rich. I'm still holding that against you." She then turned her attention to Elizabeth, her expression softening.
Martha quickly introduced her. "This is Sir Tansi's stepdaughter. I'm taking her out to free her from her gilded cage." She chuckled at the end, a joke shared between the two women.
Elizabeth offered a polite nod. The woman approached, gently caressing her cheek. "I remember you," she said warmly. "As a baby. You might not remember me, but I'm your Aunt Margaret."
Margaret soon resumed her conversation with Martha, their voices mingling with the sounds of the bustling shop.
Elizabeth glanced at her phone. Four minutes had already ticked by. She needed to act quickly. "Aunt Margaret, could you tell me where the bathroom is?"
"Julian?" Margaret called out. The young man she had been scolding earlier hurried over. "Take her to the bathroom."
As Elizabeth looked at the boy, she realized he wasn't as young as she initially thought; he simply possessed boyish features.
"This way," he said, gesturing towards the back with a voice that was surprisingly deep and resonant.
Elizabeth's heart skipped a beat. Her hormones were clearly out of sync. She followed him closely, trying to regain her composure. A sweaty, ripped guy with a V-line and an extremely low haircut was enough to make anyone lose their composure.
He stopped in front of a door, clearly indicating the bathroom. Without a second glance, he turned and left.
It irked her, though she wouldn't admit it.
She entered the bathroom, surprised by its size and cleanliness. The golden glow of the light bulb gave it an almost luxurious feel.
Most importantly, there was a large window.
Positioned directly above the toilet bowl, she carefully climbed onto the seat and peered out. They were on the ground floor, making it easy to jump. The coast was clear; nobody was in sight.
She wriggled her body through the window, the tile scraping against her skin. With a final push, she slipped through and jumped to the other side.
It seemed easier than it was.
A wave of relief washed over her as she landed successfully, adrenaline coursing through her veins.
Pulling a cap from her pocket, she tugged it over her head to conceal her face.
Familiar with the area, she easily navigated her way toward her former home.
The house looked abandoned, devoid of any signs of life.
Grateful that no one seemed to recognize her, she slipped into the yard and retrieved the spare key hidden beneath a loose roof tile.
The door creaked open as she pushed it, the familiar scent of home filling her nostrils.
But there was no one to welcome her back.
She shut the door behind her and turned on the lights.
Her feet carried her to a picture frame on the wall. A photograph of a little girl, her front tooth missing, smiling brightly as she held hands with her parents. Her eyes sparkled with excitement and happiness, her hair silky black. They were standing just outside the park.
It was hard to tear her gaze away from the image, but she knew she had to. She moved to the next frame, a wedding photo of her parents—their favorite.
There were no pictures of her siblings on the wall. She didn't even know what they looked like. She had been told they died when she was three, which was why she couldn't recall them, and the memory was too painful to display.
Now, she was all alone.
She walked to her room, a space filled with childhood memories and posters of silly crushes.
She quickly grabbed her favorite stuffed toy, a small hippopotamus gifted by her mom on her seventh birthday thirteen years ago. It had been with her for ages, helping her through the grief of her parents' death. Perhaps it held the spark she needed to return to her own body.
And now, here she was, in her twenties but trapped in the body of a girl a year older than her, trying to pass herself off as a seventeen-year-old.
It was all so messed up.
She glanced around the room, knowing that Martha would soon be looking for her. After locking the house, she hurried back to meet Martha.
As she made her way back, a police car drove past her.
An irresistible urge to check on her body at the station washed over her.
She glanced at her watch. Eight minutes before Damon was due to pick them up.
Without any money, a cab was out of the question. She took a shortcut she knew that led to the station.
She didn't pause to consider how she would get inside.
As the building came into view, she removed her cap and tucked it into her pants.
As she entered, a few officers recognized her.