Hailey pulled herself out from under the bed and sneezed. She forced herself to stand and take in big lungfuls of air. It hurt her ribs, but they were starting to feel better. She could see the spell they were talking about. It was shimmering and dark, like they had mixed something with the princess’s curse, making it look more like a dark soap bubble. She was trapped. Hadn’t they said that the curse had taken place. There was no aura around the princess, just this growing spell. Ever so slowly, it was growing.

There were still mages in the hallway. One of them told the soldiers to get people out, to hurry. She could hear people shouting in the hallway, but no one was in here. She didn’t know whether or not to feel relieved about that. She turned to look at the princess. She watched for a long moment, unsure if she was dead or not. Then, very slowly, the princess took a breath.

Shouts were coming from the corridor. Everyone seemed to be afraid of this spell. Would it hurt her to step out of it? Would she die if she touched it? She stood for a moment, uncertain of what to do. The curse could kill her, but if it did, it would kill everyone she knew, too. Were they getting everyone out? She didn’t know, but thinking of Margaret dying because she was too afraid to move spurred her onwards.

The spell was almost to the doorway now. If she was going to do this, she didn’t want other people watching. She held her hand out and walked to the edge. A tingle ran through her hand as she touched the inside of the spell. It was like trying to push on air. She pulled her hand back. She could still move her fingers. The best thing to do was step through. She took a deep breath and held it as if she was jumping into a cold lake. Her entire body felt tingly, but she was fine. She laughed to herself. She had been so worried that it would kill her and here she was, standing on the outside of the spell.

The spell brushed against her skin as it grew, reminding her that she needed to get moving. She shuddered and moved to the doorway. That tingly feeling was not one she thought she could ever get used to. She looked back at the princess, seeing her take one more deep breath. “I’m sorry to leave you behind,” she said, surprised how true those words felt once she said them. Finally, she opened the door into complete chaos. She had not been paying attention to how much confusion was going on outside.

“You have to go!” A woman shouted to Hailey. She had worked in the laundry. She was dragging a man behind her. He was gasping for air. They must have run down the stairs. They ran with a whole crowd of people. Hailey pressed herself against the door, afraid to move, afraid that she would get trampled. The spell was bulging out of the wall now. A man ran straight for the spell. Hailey saw his entire head engulfed by the spell before he collapsed to the ground. She ran towards him, but someone grabbed her from behind.

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“You can’t help him. You have to go!” A soldier was shouting in her ear. She could barely hear him over the roar of people. Everyone was screaming for their friends, their husbands and asking if anyone had seen them. The thud of hundreds of footsteps was almost as loud as the shouting. The soldier let go and ran towards the staircase himself.

“Did anyone warn the kitchens?” She shouted after him.

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“I don’t know!” And then he was lost in the crowd of people running to get out. Everyone from servants to nobility were crowding both the servant’s and the main staircases. Finally putting her feet into motion, she ran down one level to the kitchens. No one down here seemed to know what was going on.

She followed the flow of people down the main staircase. The servant’s stair with that many people seemed treacherous. A noble woman brushed up against her, forcing her way past. “Let me through!” She shouted to the mob, her blonde hair in ringlets. She pushed past Hailey and someone stepped on her dress. She shouted and grabbed at it. The fabric tore but they pressed on, no one seemed willing to slow for anyone they didn’t know.

The knot of worry that formed in Hailey’s chest began to grow. She had to find her friends. Hailey felt like she was trying to swim in people as she made her way across the stairs to the opposite side. Finally breaking free of the crowd that was pushing on to the next staircase she made her way to the kitchen. “Margaret, Bruce, Lavina!” She yelled. Esmerelda’s head popped out of the doorway.

“Where is everyone?” She shouted at her. Esmerelda shook her head. She didn’t seem to know. Hailey grabbed her hand, all of the petty squabbles forgotten. She didn’t want to see anyone trapped in here if she could help it. They hurried to the dining room, but it was empty. Good. Hopefully they were safe.

Esmerelda let go of her hand but continued by her side. “What’s happening? Why is everyone running?”

“Something went wrong with the spell they put on the princess. It’s growing and if you get caught in it you’ll fall down. I don’t know if it will kill you but it’s dangerous to stay.”

Esmerelda nodded as if that made sense. They hurried down the steps. Ahead of them, she thought she could make out Bruce. Hailey pointed. “I think that’s Bruce!” She shouted. As they came down the steps, Hailey could see the man. He was panting and moving slower than everyone else around him. The crowd swarmed around him, moving past him like a stone in a river.

He paused, gasping for breath. She finally caught up with him and tugged on his sleeve. “Bruce! You can’t stop now!”

She could see the spell behind her, growing at an amazing pace. Had it sped up. “We have to go!” He shook his head and waved them on. He wasn’t going to make it.

“Hailey,” Esmerelda shouted. “He’s going to make it out on his own. Come on! We have to find Lavina and Margaret!” They ran, then. Hailey looked everywhere for Margaret. Her eyes constantly scanned the crowd. There were too many people. Her eyes constantly roved over the crowd.

A man stood in one of the hallways looking lost. It was eery seeing one person in an empty space while she was pushed forward by a massive crowd. “What’s happening?” He shouted to no one in particular.

“Evacuate the castle,” Hailey shouted back, but she didn’t know if he heard her.

“Get out while you can!” A man behind her shouted. She hoped he listened. She stepped on something soft and almost tripped. She closed her eyes. There was nothing she could do. The crowd behind her moved faster and faster. She did not look down. She could not. She tried not to think about it, but images of Margaret being trampled by a terrified crowd flashed through her mind. That wasn’t her, she chided herself. She wasn’t the one. It was someone I don’t know. But it was someone. Guilt flooded through her but she shoved it away. She had to focus, had to keep running or she would be trampled, too. She forced herself to keep looking over the crowd, keep moving. She would find them.

As if her thoughts had summoned them, she saw Lavina and Margaret. Tears streamed down her face. They were going to make it. They would be safe. They were too far ahead of her to shout at, but it didn’t matter. She allowed herself a glance to the side. Where was Esmerelda?