CHAPTER 17: Chestnut is Stolen

A week had passed without any event. Gabe was already back in school for the whole week, as if nothing had happened.

Gabe was almost certain that the whole incident of getting knocked down by the car and finding herself in the strange world was one of those horrible nightmares that felt very real, or maybe just a hallucination because of the stress.

Today was a Sunday, and there was no school on weekends. Gabe was lazing around on a couch at home, reading a book, while her bodyguards went about with their jobs, careful to keep Gabe in their sights.

Suddenly, a commotion broke out among the bodyguard. Gabe noticed that they were talking in urgent tones, and moving about quicker than usual.

"Gabe, it has come to our attention that your horse has been stolen from its enclosure," Max, Gabe's bodyguard informed her.

"What? Why would anyone want to steal Chestnut!" Gabe exclaimed angrily.

"According to our CCTV footage, the thief is a teenage boy in a costume, and he broke into our compound through the forest at the back. We have already made a police report, and they will inform us once they find your horse and catch the thief." Max replied.

"Can I see the footage?" Gabe asked. She had to find out who was this person who dared to take her beloved Chestnut, and vowed that she would make sure the thief got what he deserved.

Max led her to the laptop, showing her the footage of the incident.

Gabe stared at the screen. After a few moments, a boy appeared in the screen, walking towards Chestnut's enclosure. Max paused the video.

"There. That's the one who stole your horse."

Gabe squinted at the tiny image of the boy. He was dressed ridiculously in robes that royalty in the past wore, and looked strangely familiar. Wasn't this... the crazed boy from the other world?

"Is there any way to make this clearer?" Gabe asked urgently. She had to make sure.

Max zoomed in on the boy's face.

"That's the clearest it can go," Max said, "There aren't any cameras in the field so we are using Cam 36 from the forest."

Gabe stared at the pixilated face on the screen. It was blurry, but there was no doubt. This was the Crown Prince. The very same person who accused her of being an assassin, and ordered for her to be beheaded.

"I know this guy!" Gabe exclaimed, unable to stop herself.

"Is he from your school? I don't recognize him," Max frowned.

"No, I met him somewhere else. That day... that day I snuck out by myself..." Gabe said guilty.

"Is he a friend? If he is, maybe he's just playing a prank."

"No. He's my greatest enemy. The moment I see him, I have to give him what he deserves. A good beating!"

"No violence, Gabe. He will be punished by the law, for stealing."

"No, not only that. You have no idea what he did to me. What he did was so horrible, that nothing he does can ever make up for it. I've been permanently scarred for life." Gabe raved when she recalled how the heartless prince gave the order to behead her so recklessly.

Max did not think Gabe was exaggerating. She hardly did. Who would dare to do something so horrible to Gabe? Max looked appalled, "What did he..."

"What?" Gabe asked, waiting for Max to finish his sentence.

"Never mind," Max shrugged, thinking that Gabe would not feel comfortable sharing so much with him.

However, Max's expression said otherwise. The bodyguards looked so concerned that Gabe could not help but open her mouth, "he actually-" Gabe began, but stopped short. She realized that if she revealed that the crazy prince killed her, no one would believe her. Because if he killed her, it was not possible for her to live to be telling them this now. Gabe realized that she was giving too much information away. They would all think she was crazy if they found out that she believed she had travelled to the strange world, and was even killed.

"H-he actually... umm..." Gabe tried to think of something, other than killing her, that was so horrible it could never be forgiven. She thought of the most serious class of criminal offense: felonies, which consisted of murder, rape, burglary, kidnapping and arson. Kidnapping? Maybe? Rape? Uh...

"Gabe, if it's something personal and unrelated to your safety, you don't need to share it," Max reassured her.

"Thanks, it's nothing important anyway." Gabe quickly said, relieved.