The text on the wooden sign said:

‘Elves are with their average height of five to six feet, pointy ears, sharp cheekbones and smooth skin the most human-like creature in the Dream Park. Elves are characterized by a hermetic life in nature, a passive lifestyle as well as a sparse diet which mainly consists of plants and worms. No other creatures value their sleep to the same extent as the elves do. An adult elf can sleep over fourteen hours per day, although sometimes no more than an hour at a time. They can watch a sleeping animal or a swaying tree top for hours without looking away a single time. The elves mate throughout the year, but a female elf rarely breeds more than two infants during her lifetime and therefore the number of elves in the world is small. There are many fairy tales about the elves’ magical powers from the time when the settlers came to Anland. According to these tales, elves can visit people in their dreams and enchant people by looking at them. However, scientists agree that such magic is only a myth and we guarantee you that all our creatures are completely harmless.’

‘Want to learn more about the elves? Look for them in the Elf Bosket beside you or head over to the House of Science next to the main exit. Do not forget to visit our Memorial Store on your way out.’

Below the text was a carving of the Dream Park’s emblem. It was hard to say if it was a picture of something in particular, but Liv thought it looked like a spider’s web spun inside a circle.

She turned her gaze away from the sign and peered at the Elf Bosket through the wired fence. No elves were in sight, but they had to be close. Within twenty-five acres lived more than a hundred of them. Whatever the Dream Park claimed on its information signs, she did not believe that elves wished to live by themselves. Hermits did not exist in a cage. Perhaps the Beings just preferred to stay at the fringe of their flock, and not at the center. That was how she wanted it, had she belonged to a group, but she was alone and she liked it that way.

Beside her, a girl complained that there were no elves to see. The child appealed to her parents to take her to the Troll Pit, but her father replied that they would go nowhere until he had spotted a magnificent elf lady. They had time to stop by both the pit and the Gnome Yard later.

Liv strolled along the fence, away from the family, searching for movements among the trees. An elf appeared sitting on top of a stone at the forest’s edge. It was the first elf she had ever seen up close, yet she recognized him. She realized that she was staring at him, and that it was impossible for her to stop. Behind that relaxed face and those dreaming eyes that followed a bird’s journey across the sky, she sensed a shadow of repressed anger. She carried such a shadow herself. It grew inside people kept in the wrong place for too long.

A predator-like roar from the Troll Pit tore Liv from her thoughts. Two young trolls had thrown themselves at one another. She did not see the giant Beings from where she stood, but a thin cloud of dust drifted up the hill. People nearby ran towards the pit to glimpse the famous wrestling and egged on the younglings. Only the wealthiest visitors could afford tickets to the Arena where the most brutal trolls collided in front of spectators from all over Anland. The men placed bets on their favorite fighters while they drank southern wines and engaged in business. Everyone had heard of the wrestling, but the Dream Park’s infamous officers kept the Beings under close surveillance. They were only supposed to fight when someone paid for it.

She realized that the elf was watching her and wondered if he too remembered their previous meeting. A sense of curiosity, both tempting and discouraging, awoke within her as she met his gaze. Liv was not afraid to look other people in the eye and she loathed girls who stared at the ground in embarrassment whenever they felt uncomfortable. Without being aware of what she was doing, she walked up to the fence and pressed her hand against it, as if to challenge him to step closer. From the Troll Pit echoed the officers’ cautionary gunshots. The elf pulled back to reality, threw his legs over the stone and slid down the other side.

*

Kaan landed on the grass and stepped into the cover of the trees. He forced himself to stop thinking about the girl and instead focus on what he had to do. The trolls had kept their promise and started an illegitimate fight to attract the officers’ attention. From the sound of it, the large Beings enjoyed it. Now was the time. Today was the day he and his brothers would break free from staring people and violent officers. It was time to discover the outside world.

In the middle of a glade lay a mossy old tree trunk that had been cleaved by lightning many years ago. Kaan stopped beside it and stuck his slender arm through a hole in the wood. He grabbed hold of a bundle of human clothes that his brother had hidden there. The elves in the Dream Park wore colorful dresses to resemble the Beings in fairytales. He pulled on a brown leather coat to cover his outfit and put a green hunter’s cap on his head. During the earlier weeks of the summer, Volt had stolen the coat from a janitor, and Leon had plucked the hat of an old man. Kaan carried the rest of the clothes through the woods and soon reached another fence. Behind it was a narrow walkway that led down to the park’s small side exit.

He whistled, and a moment later his two brothers stepped out from the trees. One was tall and well built, his shoulders wider than a miner’s and his arms thicker than Kaan’s thighs. He had a relentless face, scarred after a few successful battles in the Arena and countless punishments from the officers.

“Did you bring the clothes, Kaan?” asked the big elf.

“Yes, Leon” answered Kaan and gave them a coat and a knitted hat each. “Do you have the tools?”

“Of course, brother,” said Leon and held up a pair of rusty pliers.

The other elf was called Volt, a nickname given to him when they were young and practiced for the circus auditions. He was the oldest of the three brothers and looked so alike Kaan that most of the Dream Park staff could not tell them apart. In his hands he carried a roll of wire and two large rusty nails.

A network of copper threads spanned the fence, the space between them too narrow for even the skinniest elf to squeeze through it. First, they put a nail in the ground and hooked it to the wire, then held it between two wooden sticks and wrapped it through the metal mesh. It was a mystery how the fence worked, but they knew how painful it was to touch the wire. The officers had forced them to climb it many years ago. Now they could come into contact with the copper threads without being shocked by excruciating pain and without alerting the humans.

Leon murmured three mysterious words unfamiliar to them, three times in a row. It was the elder gnome himself who had explained how they should escape through the fence. He understood its security mechanisms and had taken part in building it when Kaan and his brothers were still young. They doubted that saying the words was necessary, but on this day they dared not take any chances. On his brother’s command, Kaan grabbed the pliers and cut a hole through the fence. The big elf was careful not to let the wire entangle his waving hair as he leaped through the opening, halfway to freedom. Volt came next and Kaan followed his brothers, as he always did.

*

Liv went into the Memorial Store opposite the main entrance to buy a shawl. She did not want anyone to recognize her and intended to wrap it around her head like a fair lady afraid of the sun. Once inside, she could not restrain herself from scanning through the gift shop to see what else they sold there. Most of it was from the gnome factory: wooden sculptures, embroidery, pottery toys and glossy vases. On a glass shelf lay chronographs and mechanical wristwatches. In the window hung dream catchers that resembled the Dream Park’s emblem and other prime quality decorations. A small bottle with a bright red liquid caught her attention. It cost more than any other item in the store.

“That perfume will seduce any man, believe me,” said an old gentleman who slid up beside her. “Made from extracts of roses, poppy leaves and a young elf lady’s teardrops. It is said that they release magic when they cry. Perfect for a young woman in search of a husband. How many do you want to buy?” asked the clerk and started taking bottles off the shelf.

Liv said nothing and answered him with a glare so vicious that he stepped backwards. A minute later she hurried out the store with a light green shawl sewn by gnomes. She shrugged as she imagined what terrible methods they used to produce elf tears. Maybe she cried drops of magic too, unless the clerk had lied about the contents of the bottle. It did not matter, she concluded. She was not of the crying type.

Outside the Memorial Store stood a group of screaming children that had convinced their parents to let them stay in the park for too long. They were now tired and hungry. Liv found them unbearable and needed to be alone for a while. After squeezing through a stream of visitors on their way to the main exit, she walked back up the hill and strode onto an empty road parallel to the Elf Bosket. There was no one nearby except a gray-haired officer who sat leaning against a tree, puffing on a pipe. On the ground beside him lay a long rifle.

This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.

Troublesome thoughts which had been circulating in her head for many days floated up to the surface of her consciousness. She wondered why the outside world, or rather her father, tried to control her. Just thinking about it made her angry. One thing was certain: she would never be like them, her father’s friends who lived in villas and danced at balls. Then there was the obvious follow-up question: would her visit to the Dream Park improve anything? And what about that elf she had now seen twice? Somehow he was worth remembering.

The road descended downwards and soon she approached the exit. A large barefoot man with a knitted hat pulled over his head rushed out onto the pavement and past within an arm’s reach. She noted that he wore unusual clothes for a late summer afternoon, then another man sprinted out from the trees and drove into her side. He too wore a knitted hat, but it fell off him as they hit the ground. Liv gasped at the man and his pointy ears. He looked like an older version of the elf she had seen in the ruin. At first she thought they were one and the same, then she saw the elf of her dreams hiding behind a tree across the road. Even though a cap shadowed his face, she could tell that he was nervous. He held a finger over his mouth and nodded towards the pipe-smoking officer. She picked up the hat and handed it to the other Being. It was too late.

“Halt!” called the officer.

There was not much the old man was good at, and he spent his days sleeping under his favorite tree. After nearly two decades of service in the Dream Park he could at least distinguish an elf from a human. The girl’s looks puzzled him too, but he pushed the thought aside and blew in the silver whistle he wore around his neck. Both elves darted off again, and the officer knew he would never chase them down. By no means could he remember his training from many years ago, so he guessed what the first officer’s orders would be. He grabbed his rifle and aimed, clicked the safety catch and squeezed the trigger. The nearest elf fell to the ground in a scream of pain and anger.

Leon heard the shot, turned around and ran back to Volt with astonishing speed. He lifted his brother as if he weighed less than a child and carried him towards the exit. Volt struggled and hit Leon hard in the face. Blood sprayed from the big elf’s nose as he dropped his brother.

“Don’t,” said Volt. “Let go of me or none of us will make it. Run!”

A thrilling hunt was too much excitement for the officer to handle. His hands started shaking, and he fumbled with the bullet as he reloaded. Once he steadied his aim, the elf had reached the wooden gate. He fired a shot that tore up a hole in the gate post, inches aways from Leon’s head. The next moment the elf passed out of sight.

Men and barking dogs came rushing down the road. Liv and Kaan’s eyes met one last time before he threw off his human clothes and disappeared into the trees, back into his cage.

*

Volt felt warm blood flowing out from his shattered knee, soaking his trousers. Every muscle in his body revolted as he tried to stand up, but hatred for the man that walked towards him pushed the pain aside. Joseph Wilder was the only officer in the Dream Park not armed with a rifle. Instead the first officer carried a revolver and two knuckle dusters: a blunt one for everyday punishments and a sharpened one which he saved for serious violations. He pressed the heel of his well-polished boot against Volt’s stomach and pushed the elf to face the sky. They stared at each other with mutual disgust. The first officer cracked his knuckles and signaled to a nearby man with a bloodthirsty hound to step forward. As they came closer, the elf whispered a few inaudible words. The animal woofed and rolled over on the pavement, its paws kicking in the air and its tongue dangling out of its mouth.

“Tie him up,” Joseph Wilder commanded. “Take him to the bosket and tie him to the fence. Make sure the other creatures see what happens if they try to escape.”

Until that point he had paid no attention to Liv, but once he had given Volt a concluding kick in the stomach, he walked over to her.

“Good afternoon. My name is Joseph Wilder and I am in charge of the Dream Park’s security. I apologize for our creatures’ bad behavior. I hope they didn’t scare you too much. It was very unfortunate that most officers were over by the Troll Pit when the elves escaped,” he said. “We have requested our visitors to leave the park early today. Come with me, and I’ll lead you to the exit.”

Without knowing why, his words insulted her. She walked off towards the gate, but the first officer put a hand on her shoulder and stopped her.

“No need to hurry, young lady.” Joseph Wilder picked up a small paper bag of tobacco from his vest pocket and rolled a cigarette as he spoke. “I want to ask you a few questions.”

“Then ask me,” she said.

“Are you sure the creature that escaped was an elf?”

She nodded.

“What did he look like?”

“I barely saw him,” she shrugged. “He looked strong. Do you know who he is?”

“I have my suspicions. Did you see any more of them running loose?”

“Only those in the Elf Bosket.” Liv heard how the simple lie made her voice mischievous and unnatural. She noted to herself that she needed to become a better liar if she were to walk her own way in life.

“Thank you, that is reassuring to hear,” said the first officer and lit his cigarette with a match. “Reassuring for the elves.”

They continued in silence until they reached the gate.

“What is your name?” Joseph Wilder asked.

“Liv Shannon.”

“Are you by any chance the daughter of Gabriel Shannon, the lawman?”

Liv bit her lip.

“We knew each other when we were young,” he continued. “Send my regards to him. Be careful on your way home, Liv. The escaped creature is violent. You don’t want to know what problems an elf can cause. Ask your father if you don’t believe me.”

Liv stood frozen and petrified. Her heart started pounding, and self-preserving rage blinded her for a second. She could not decide whether to answer the officer or just let his words pass. Before she composed herself, he gave a smug smile and slammed the gate shut.

She walked away from the captive Beings in the Dream Park to the free people in Sommerfort and their everyday lives. It felt as if she was heading in the wrong direction, although everything had felt wrong lately. In retrospect, her life had always followed a path down a sloping hill. When her father told her the truth about her mother it fell off a cliff she had not known lay in front of her. There she was now, with scratches turning into lifelong scars. She intended to become stronger and head for the top, but she would choose her own way to it.

“If you want to learn to fly, you must not have solid ground under your feet,” she whispered, determination growing inside her. “I’m best off on my own.”

*

On the hillside where the Dream Park lay, above the town Sommerfort, the staff was finishing their work for the day. They took extra care locking the cages and ensured no more Beings were missing. A track patrol zigzagged through the nearby forest, but a rainfall swiped across the valley and washed away any potential trace of the elf. They returned late in the evening and concluded that the creature was far gone. Rumor had it that the director of the Dream Park became beyond furious when he learned about the escape. Twice the usual number of officers guarded the park that night. He ordered their readiness to be extraordinarily high until someone caught the elf. Or better, killed the creature. His biggest measure was to shut down the Arena and the Pleasure House for the evening, although they were his most profitable attractions. Otherwise they were always open until dawn, even in secret on Church Days for those who could afford it.

In the cellar under the Watch House, where the officers had their headquarters, lay a small moldy cell. Volt stood in its center, chained and naked, with a sack over his head. Dried, black blood covered his leg. The bleeding had stopped, but the bullet was still inside his ruined knee. Two officers, one with short blond hair and the other with a long brown ponytail stepped into the dark room and loosened the chains. The man with the ponytail kicked the elf’s stomach.

“Always best to be on the safe side so they can’t make any resistance,” he said and his companion nodded in agreement.

“Elf, I don’t know if you understand what we’re saying,” the blond began.

“A vet is on his way. He’ll have a look at your leg,’’ continued the other.

The two officers dragged Volt into the room next door and threw him on a table made of rotten wood. They lit a cigarette each and waited in the faint light of a lantern hanging from the ceiling. Soon a chubby man with a bushy beard arrived and brought with him an odor of apéritif liquor. He wore a ragged coat and cotton pants, and did not seem thrilled to be there, nor to be in a state to perform a veterinarian’s work.

“Is this the injured elf?” he asked, not introducing himself. “Let me see his leg.”

After inspecting the injury he concluded, to no one’s surprise, that the wound would fester. It would be near impossible to remove the bullet fragments without cutting loose large chunks of muscle.

“I’m not the right man to heal a gun wound,” he said, “but there are several capable doctors in town who can take out the bullet. If you want me to, I’ll fetch one of them straight away. We still have a few hours before it’s too late.”

“Don’t fetch anyone,” commanded the long-haired man.

“Professor Mendel let no doctors near the elves,” said the blond, and took a step closer to the veterinarian.

“If Professor Mendel says so, my only choice is to amputate the leg. The sooner the better.”

“Do it now,” the two officers echoed.

As they spoke, Volt shook his body and kicked his legs, but the blond’s experienced boot put him to rest.

“Can he understand me?” the veterinarian asked.

“Not likely.”

“Elves only know simple words. I think. If even that.”

“Give him this,” said the veterinarian and lifted a bottle of brandy from his toolkit bag. “It will soften the pain.”

The long-haired man grabbed the bottle, pulled the cork out of it and smelled the amber liquid.

“We take care of this one.” The officer grinned and stuck the brandy into his back pocket. “Don’t worry about the elf, he can stand a lot of pain.”

The veterinarian wanted to protest. He wished he were a more courageous man, but he was in a dark basement with two armed brutes twice his size and did not dare to argue. Instead, he nodded and muttered for himself. He reached into his bag and pulled out a short saw.

“Hold the elf still,” he said, then carried out his work.

Volt’s screams cut through the night. They reached the villas where the park ended and the town began, but no one asked where the noise came from. No one wanted to know.