Invulnerable

She prepares for battle.

The castle is dark and cold but it's all I've ever known. I shuffle my feet on the dirt floor and feel the dust against my skin. It's a slow walk as I get ready for the daily fight. I feel a cool air come in through the window as I look off into the hillside. The bed clothes slip off my body with a slight nervousness in my heart.

"I'm not ready to go do this. I don't know if I'll ever be," I say to myself under my breath.

They say that the only way out is through, but oh, what I wouldn't give to be out. I start to put on my under clothes. The stretchy wool cloth becomes a barrier to the outside. My arms and legs are now covered, and my torso too. I put on layer after layer, holding my breath as I do. I glance through the room, past my bed, and see the armor in the closet. I wish I didn't have to wear this.

It's sad that I'm afraid to die. To be someone that could go forward into battle with perfect courage would be a dream come true. But that is not me. And dreams are not reality.

This is real. This my Fate. The die have been cast this way. This is who I am. Until I can fight without it, the armor stays with me.