Little princess

The old woman took the princess' hand and walked her into the cave. She didn't know what was coming but had faith in what had to happen. The forest was very quiet. A bird flew from one branch to another but the sound of it's chirping seemed muffled. Like a wet cloth was covering the beauty of it's beautiful sound. She felt the dirt beneath her shoes like it was the sand she played with when she was younger. Only this was not the same, it was darker and harder to get through. 

The old woman held a strong grip and squeezed her hand. The princess could see the veins on the old woman's wrist. They ran over the surface like blue rivers meandering beside the freckles brown and almost transparent. It made her think of the paintings her mother used to paint so very passionately. She always loved to help her fetch the colors her mother needed. In the end she could put her name behind every painting they finished together.

The old woman loosened her grip and kneeled in front of the princess. Her face was soft and friendly but she could sense sadness behind her watery eyes. 

"Why are you crying?'', the princess asked. 

"Because this is where your journey begins and mine ends.", the old woman answered while she winked away a tear. 

The princess panicked and wanted to hold on to the old woman's hand but before she could, the old woman dissapeared. 

She searched the cave for anything that could pose as a treat but found nothing. 

She felt a warm ray of sunshine covering the top of her head and looked up into the opening. The melody of a mockingbird singing reached her ears ever so cristal clear. It sang the same song her mother used to sing to her before she went to bed. 

"You are my sunshine, my only sunshine. You make me happy, when clouds are grey. You'll never know dear. How much I love you. Please don't take my sunshine away..."