Beat The Clock.

Jan 17 - Squirrel

Today was not going well.

The brightness of the afternoon sun could be a truly annoying when it was shining directly in your eyes Katy found kneeling in the midst of some forgotten forest. Unfortunately, there was little she could do to correct this situation given her current state of entanglement. Being held hostage truly put a crimp in one's day.

Katy flinched as pieces of old tree trunks and gravel bit into her knees, bringing a deep ache to her joints. The tightness of the ropes binding her wrists burned as they scraped against her skin, leaving the raw. She wished her captors would get on with whatever they had in mind - a ransom to her father, knowledge of the magical arts, instruction on folding fans - so she could get out this very uncomfortable position.

As if they had read her mind, a portly man dressed in an outfit made of bright red velvet and pearly white stockings stretched out of his carriage and swaggered over to her place of imprisonment. The sneer on his face made her inwardly roll her eyes. However, the distant sound of twittering in the trees above saved her from an act of insubordination...barely.

"I see you are doing well give the current circumstances," her captor stated, pulling an apple and small paring knife out hid pocket.

A flash of brown fur scurrying across the branches of the trees in her line of sight brought a sudden feeling of hope. "I'm coping after a fashion."

"You see, my dear, I've done this for your own good. Your father's magical school is bringing about a revolution of thought that is making of servant class think about their freedom. This can of thinking, especially given your tender age, could lead to some very unfortunate consequences."

The twittering was getting louder, closer. Katy squirmed on her knees hoping to distract her captor's attention. "So, in your way of thinking, keeping me tied up in the middle of the forest is much better for my mental stability than father's house?" She couldn't keep the sarcasm from her voice. "Explain this to me."

Katy soon found that those were the last words she should have spoken. Her captor gladly went on and on about this feelings of proper etiqueete, society at large, and the state of which magic was corrupting the people from their sense of hierarchy. Having spent several days without sleep, she found herself dosing at the words. Had her hero squirrel not been gnawing through her rope restraints, she ran the risk of falling asleep right there.

"...and that it why I took you. This will be a shining example as to why magic should not be taught in schoosl and to the servant class. Imagine if the magic was given out freely - to slaves, to animals even."

As the last of the rope from her wrists feel away, she felt the small claws of the squirrel climb up her back and perch on her shoulder. The soft of the small animals fur made her sigh in relief. Slowly, she got to her feet, much to her captor's shock. The squirrel, using the moment to his advantage, sprinted the small distance to the captor's hands and snatching the remaining apple from his grasp.

The velvet man stuttered. "Wha-what is the meaning of this? Guards!"

"I am sympathetic to your position," spoke the squirrel from Katy's shoulder, munching on the apple slice, a fitting reward. "Animals with magic. What would the world be coming to?"