Chapter 23

**Acacia Point of View**

The morning sun hit me with bright and pleasant rays.

My mouth automatically curved up into a smile as I got comfortable in my sleeping position and snuggled more into myself.

It felt amazing after having a great sleep last night. Although it was just a small boat, hard and uncomfortable to sleep, surprisingly it not feel all that hard and cold.

In fact, It feels like I was laying on the clouds. It must be because of the blanket I got from the castle that I smell familiarity around me.

I hummed in happiness as I continued to sleep for few more precious minutes before I had to wake up and continue on my journey.

At first, I thought it was because of the drowsiness but as my senses slowly started to wake up, I felt odd. It felt strange.

Strange because it felt... too familiar.

Although the waters are calm, a boat on water surface still moves. When I did not feel that movement, I gave up lazing for few more minutes and opened my eyes reluctantly, chanting prayers that everything should be fine.

And so it is!

I looked around and everything was indeed fine. The bed, the open window, the nightstands, the tea tables and everything.

I looked at myself and touched myself if I was dreaming or woke up to see the reality. I had to pinch myself hard to realize that I was indeed in my bedroom in a nightwear, in the castle.

"What the hell am I doing here?"

"Impossible!" I gasped throwing the sheets away from me and got down from the bed. Moving to my window, I looked out and realized where the pleasant rays of sun were coming from and where exactly I am.

"So I'm in the castle back? Again?"

Did I even leave?

That sudden ominous thought struck my raging mind. It doesn't make sense, right? Last night, I was on the boat in the middle of the sea and in the morning, when I woke up, I'm on my bed in the castle.

Was it a dream?

A dream that realistic? But if it's a dream, why do I kind of have a muscle memory of the journey.

I can feel it my veins and bones and skin about the trip. If the supposed muscle memory was wrong, then why the hell the dream was so real and stimulating?

If the memory was right; this was when the important question stands up. How did I end up here again?

I shook my head when several thoughts and possibilities stormed my mind like flies. Still in a pit of confusion, I gulped down the hot chocolate and showered before having my awaiting breakfast.

I did everything fully confused and contemplating about many things at the same time. The first thing I saw when I stepped out of the room was Azar.

The proud bird was sitting on a side table as he waited for me to grace my presence. The moment my eyes found him, I eyed him up and down questioningly.

Without even uttering a word, I ignored him and walked down to see if the doors to my freedom are still open.

And thankfully, they are.

I soon got out of the castle and went down the cave towards the seashore. I don't want to think that my days of hard work in building a boat was a possible dream too.

I was yet again thankfully proved wrong when I found the boat I made anchored by the sea. That was where I left the boat before the day I escaped.

If the boat is still here and in good condition, then does that mean I dreamt about the whole escape?

But it can't be! How can a dream be so vivid that I can even feel the experience from inside my body?

No, something is extremely fishy here.

I looked back and squinted my eyes at the damned bird who was flying around me.

"What exactly happened, Azar?" I asked although I know he cannot talk nor can I get any proper answer from him.

Like I did few minutes ago, it was the bird who ignored me this time and continued to fly around leisurely.

His action clicked something in me. So, I've decided what I have to do next.

Once more, that noon after I had my lunch, I packed some food, water and clothing and came down the hill to leave.

If that was really a dream, then this time I will surely escape; for real.

Putting the luggage onboard, I slowly climbed on it and unanchored it. The ambiance, the feel when I sat on it was so real that it almost drove me crazy.

Before I started to paddle, I looked above to see Azar flying close by.

"Azar. Azar." I called out and by the second call, he flew to me and rested on the lever in front of me.

"Don't follow me, Azar. I will take it from here. This is my trip, my escape and I don't want to - bother you." Saying, I shooed away the bird from the lever and started to paddle the vehicle.

An hour later, the damned bird is still following me. Clearly, my words did not mean anything to him.

Very well!

"It's an order, Azar. As your current master, I order you not to follow me and return back to the island." With a tinge of authority, I spoke strongly, enough for the bird to retreat.

Good. If it was because of Azar that I back to castle, be that real or dream, then I rather not have him with me.

If the bird is the tracking source for the mysterious jerk, he cannot track me now.

This time, I took another route. This time, I started to go southwards, alone and not really afraid.

I moved and moved but there was nothing but water around. How come there was no land at all even after moving for so many hours?

By the time it was time for the sun to set, there was still nothing to settle for the night on. Pinning hope on finding a way out of the sea, I decided to move for few more minutes and have dinner a little later.

My limbs ached, my head ached, I felt cold, tired and hungry and almost gave up on paddling any further.

Almost!

If I didn't see something faraway, I would've really decided to stay. Since the sun did not go down yet, I could vaguely see something that isn't blue in the distance.

Although the outline of a possible land, island was blur and far away, it is farther than it appeared. So I decided to eat something, gain energy before moving.

Soon, I opened the box, had the cooked food and fresh fruits I got from the castle. Wrapping a cloak around myself, I finally moved again after an hour once I'm not hungry and cold.

Everything felt too familiar except, this time I actually found another land. Even the water was calm and there were no major waves crashing in.

"Please let it be occupied. Please let there be people there. Please let it be a village or a town. Please let me find someone that can help me. Please let me finally escape this hell."

I chanted, prayed to the God above as I operated the levers again as I led the water vehicle towards the distant land that is getting clearer as we moved towards it.

As night fell, I immediately lit candles. Although I couldn't see anything beyond few feet ahead but since the boat is moving in straight general direction towards the land, I still felt relieved.

"Oh dear, why do I have a strange feeling inside?" As I was slowly getting towards the direction of the land, the feeling kept getting stronger.

It was because of being locked in the castle or staying on the island for so long, I was getting easily paranoid.

"Baby, do you think we can finally find our destination?" I asked my baby as I rubbed my belly. "You know, I want you to meet your grandparents and your uncle. Let me tell you, they are amazing people to live with and they will love you no matter what." I said as memories of my family flashed before me.

While I had a light conversation with my baby, we slowly got closer to the land. The candles that were placed on the front of the boat showed the water getting shallow as moved.

"We are close, baby. We are almost there." I said and looked ahead.

To my disappointment, there was no reflection of lights or candles coming from the island which means either this is another abandoned island or the residents are already down for the night.

Please let it be occupied. Please God!

In few minutes, the boat hit the land and swayed slightly. I smiled and raised the candles stand to take a better look at the place I reached.

"Look baby, we've reached the destinati- what the -"

**~*~*~*~*~*~

Hello Sweeties,

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