I stay in my room, the spirit keeping me company. I'm glad that I'm not alone. I re-read more of my books, but I never find anything new anymore. Would the head of the church get me a new book if I asked? Maybe if I did extra chores? And if it was something of his choosing? I better wait till next month to ask, otherwise he could get really mad at me. I don't want him to worry more about me then he already has.

The rhythmic beats and melodies of song distract me from reading. I get up to my feet and move over to the window after putting my mask back on. I then move the cloth sheet to peek out the side. Torches are lit ablaze in the streets, colorful banners and streamers strung between poles, with the music being played and making it seem like a dream. But it's not a dream. It's happening just below me. It looks so fun. Lots of people race around, wearing costumes and bright colors. Little shops are set up around the street that give out food and small trinkets. "It looks so amazing! I wonder if everyone gets to go? It looks like everyone. Do you think there are games?", I ask the spirit who has moved to be beside me. They just shrug in response.

"I wonder what it's like to be down there?", I say, mostly to myself. I sit in silence for a few seconds before I'm startled back to the present. The spirit waves it's arm around and tries to get me to look at it. I do, and they immediately turn to the window. They then step over the widow sill and stand on the ledge outside. ".......You want me to climb down?", I hesitantly ask. They nod their head. "But what if I get in trouble!? Won't the head master be mad at me? Isn't it bad for me to sneak out without permission!?", I squeal. The spirit seem to give an exasperated sigh. They then gesture for me to come out again. "Are you sure? I guess nobody will be checking on me till tomorrow morning........ and all my chores are done......... will you help me get down?", I hesitantly ask. They nod their head vigorously and silently clap their hands together.

I laugh a little bit before carefully swinging a leg over the window. I hold onto the ledge with a death grip and hug the wall. "This is a lot farther down then I thought", I whimper. The spirit floats next to me and pats my shoulder in comfort. They then point to my foot, and a spot a little ways down. Bricks randomly jut out from the walls as the building gets wider. I move my foot slowly to the spot the spirit had pointed to. They then place their hand on a spot for my hand to go lower. I grab it with my uncovered hand for a better grip. Like this, I slowly crawl down the side of the church. I accidentally slip and fall the last three feet to the ground.

"Ooof, ouch. That hurt. But we made it!", I exclaim to the spirit. I once again get the feeling that they're smiling. I pick myself up off the ground and move to the entrance of the ally. All the colors and sounds and scents seem to punch me in the face. I cautiously step out into the street and I'm instantly swallowed by the crowd of people. I quickly lose track of my spirit friend. But what amazes me most........ is that no one is being mean to me. Most people are just taking one glance before moving on. No one is calling me freak or noticing that I'm different. And today, I'm not different. My painted clothes and mask blend right in.

"Wow......", I whisper underneath my breath. I accidentally bump into someone and flinch away. "Oh ah, sorry", I squeak out. They only smile and say that it's fine before walking away. They were so nice! I'm glad that they get to come to this festival. I get jostled by the crowd and stupidly bump into a few more people. I always apologize, and they never were mad.

I eventually end up near one of the little carts. A group of kids my age are gathered around the cart and talking to the man who's running the stand. I hesitantly join them. "......and they were made with the coco beans from a jungle five days journey from here, so I hope you like them!", he says while handing out pieces of brown stuff. "What is it?", I ask him when he gives me one. "You've never seen chocolate before!? You eat it. Kids your age can't get enough of it", He exclaims. He then hands me another piece and tells me to have fun. I sniff the chocolate and am amazed with its sweet scent. I walk between two buildings before pushing up my mask and taking a small bite before taking a bigger bite. This is amazing! It tastes so good! I finish the first piece and after a bit of thought, eat the second one. Probably should of saved it for later, but it tastes too good.

I wander around the town, making sure to remember where the church is. I'm getting better at walking though the crowd. I'm not bumping into anyone anymore. I stop at a bright red booth that has purple streamers. A few people were at different spots, throwing blue balls at targets. I walk over to an empty spot where a women greets me. "Hello dear! Would you like to play? If you can hit the target, you can win prizes!", she gushes. I hesitantly nod my head. She immediately gives me one of the balls. It's made out of a smooth material and is hollow. She then moves out of the way so I have a clear shot. The target is actually really small...... and far away. I still cock back my arm and launch it with all my non-existent strength. It flies through the air and manages to just nick the side of the target.

"Great job for hitting it! You don't get one of the big prizes, but you can choose from the small ones!", the cheery lady explains to me. She shows me a few different objects before I take out a small, stuffed rabbit. It's small enough to fit in my hand, but more importantly, my pocket. "I think I'll name you Flower", I say to the black and white toy as I walk away from the booth. I put Flower in my pocket and continue to roam the streets.

A large crow catches my attention, so I walk over to to see what they're doing. I notice that most of these people are dressed in lots of jewelry and fancy clothes. I weave my way between the people until I stand at the from of the crowd.

That was the time that set everything else into motion.