Theo (need a title any suggestions?)

Chapter Three

Chapter Three
“What do you mean I can’t go?” I stomp my foot.
“Hulda has a lot of chores for you to do around here. We haven’t been home much the last few months and we have a lot to get caught up on.” Alfred turns to his workbench.
“But Grandmother,” I whine.

“Show some respect, Theo!” snaps Alfred.
“Yes Sir!” I stand up tall, “Lady Danika has suggested that I come for a visit.”
“No she didn’t,” huffs Alfred, “Lord Elysia is saying that to make me look bad by sending you to visit without an invitation.”
“Why would he do that?” I bit my tongue so I don’t say something I shouldn’t.
“Lord Elysia loves to play practical jokes. It is a very big breach in manners to go and visit the elves without an invitation Lord Elysia would think it was very funny if I were to breach those manners. No, you have a lot a of chores to go, get back to work.” Alfred turns his back to me.
“But...” I sputter.
“No buts about it, you heard me! Now go, get back to work.” Alfred doesn’t even quit what he is doing.
I stomp my feet a few times. “It’s not fair!” I cry.
“Theo!” warns Alfred.
I run out of the room. I yell “Take me to my room!” I forget to thank the hallway I am so mad. I throw myself on my bed and kick the wall a few times.
Between sobs I yell, “nobody likes me, I never get to do anything.” I walk over to the door and open it and yell down the hallway. “I never get to do anything I want to do. It’s always Theo do this and Theo do that. Theo, there’s more chores for you to do.” I slam the door and go back to my bed.
I lay on the bed and yell, “it’s not fair, I was invited. All I do here is clean, it could wait but noooo Theo must stay and clean some more.” I roll over. “It’s not fair,” I wail even louder. “I want to go and you can’t stop me!”
I stop and think about what I had just said. “You can’t stop me,” I mutter to myself. “That’s it! I’ll run away, I was only staying because Eli told me that Alfred had to teach me magic but he lied too. All I’ve done is help Hulda keep the house clean. Next we start the cellar. I’m not going down there because there are spiders. I was better off on my own with no on to tell me what to do.”
I sit up and wipe away the tears. I go over to the basin of water and splash my face with cold water. I have to plan this carefully. I go to the hallway.
“Please take me to the kitchen.” I request politely.
“Hi cook, whatchya making for dinner?” I ask as I stroll in.
“Theo, you can’t be hungry again?” Cook looks at me, I turn and look at the fire; I don’t want her to know that I’ve been crying
“Yes ma’am I am. Lord Elysia and I were hoping we could get a snack. Maybe some of that fresh bread and a little cheese?” I take a deep breath to smell the fresh bread baking.
“I guess a little bit won’t ruin your appetite for dinner. I’m making your favorite tonight.” The cook gives me four loaves of bread and a hunk of cheese, “This should hold you two till dinner.”
I take it from her. “Thank you, and I promise it won’t ruin our appetites.” I quickly go out the door.
“Please take me back to my room.” I request the hallway.
Back in my room I dig in my closet till I find a bag with a nice wide shoulder strop. I take off my clean pillow covering and put the bread and cheese into it and then put it in the bag. I put a change of clothes in the bag, my hairbrush and a small brush that Hulda gave me to clean my teeth. I grab the book of poems that I took from the library and a book of blank pages that Eli gave me. I put my piece of charcoal for writing and wrap it in a sock before I put it in my bag. I look around the room; there is nothing else that I want to take.
I go over to the water and take a quick sponge bath; it might be a while before I get another bath. I consider washing my hair but that will take too much time. I put on a clean outfit and grab my cloak. I pause at the door and look around one last time. I’m going to miss all the pretty clothes that Hulda has been making for me but I’ve got to do this.
I firmly shut the door. “Hallway please take me to the door by the garden.” I exit the house close to the spot where Eli and I had lunch, was it only this noon? It seems like a lifetime ago. I walk around on the crushed rock pathway looking for the best place to exit the garden.
“Perfect,” I mutter when I spot a nice private place where the hedges actually hide the view from three sided. I slip inside and sling my bag over my head and let it rest on the opposite shoulder. I start to crawl through the hedge when I realize that anyone from the house can see me, I don’t want anyone to try and stop me.
“Better wait here till it is dark,” I grumble. “I don’t want anyone to see me.” I take my bag off my shoulder and climb into the hedge. I lay down with my bag as a pillow.
“Where am I? Why is it so dark?” I rub my hand over my eyes. “ Why didn’t the lamps on come? They always come on as sun as the sun sets.” I shift and feel my bag. “I must have fallen asleep waiting for it to get dark. Do I really want to do this?” I talk to myself out loud. “Yes, Alfred T. Neble the great wizard is not going to teach you magic because you are a girl. I’ll show him! I’m not going to be his slave and clean his house. I am my own master and I can do what I want when I want and no one can stop me.”
I peek out of the hedge; the sun is throwing purple and pink colors across the sky as it is slipping over the edge of the earth. I crawl out of the hedge on the other side of the garden. I’m feeling a little nervous; there are shadows all around me. “Okay girl, you can either face the shadows that look like deformed creatures or you can go back and face the spiders in the cellar what are you going to do?” I start to sneak by one of the shadow creatures when something brushes against my arm.
“Oh my god!” I squeak as I jump. It is then that I realize that the shadows are really not monsters they are trees and bushes. I grab my heart as the crickets begin to chirp. I have been in the house far to long. I duck as a bat flies overhead looking for insects. In the distance I hear an owl hoot. I begin to walk quickly.
“What am I doing out on a night like tonight?” I look around the moon is only a fingernail in the sky casting a faint light to guide me by. “I should be back in my nice warm bed at Alfred’s tired from practicing magic. That’s right that is why I’m out here, to find someone to teach me magic.” I hear the owl in a distance again, I imagine it swooping out of the air and catching a mouse in its claws. I run to get the image out of my mind.
“Agh” I scream as something swoops out of the air and lightly brushes my hair. I can faintly make out a shadow moving in the dark, I drop my bag and throw my hands up to protect my face. As I throw my hands up I hit the shadow and it goes tumbling.
“Of all the impolite things to do.” I hear something huff.
“What? Who said that?” I look around my feet are nailed to the ground. “Who said that?”