3.

Excitement was bubbling through me along with bumfuzzlement. My brain kept switching from “OMG I just won” to “there is no way I could have won that.”

“Your cake was amazing. I knew you would win, the only problem is that now I will need to hire more staff,” my boss said as she got out of the car.

“Why do you need more staff? I’m not planning on leaving the bakery.”

“Because once people find out that our bakery made that cake people will come from all over just to get one of our cakes.”

“But they can’t even see how amazing it is. I mean the colors make it look so much better than if you see it in just black and white.”

“It doesn’t matter. They want a cake that was worthy of royalty.”

“Oh. I guess I’ll have to come in early tomorrow. I’m going home to bed. Goodnight.”

“You think you’re working tomorrow? Well, you're not. You have to be at the castle with your cake. You won yourself an invite to the event of a lifetime.”

“Just me? You aren’t going? Are my parents going? Why do I need to be there?”

“Calm down child! You’ll be fine. You're the only one with an invite because you made the cake. Now you are to go home to bed and your parents will make sure you are up and ready for the crowning.” I tried to speak, but she stopped me and continued, “You have an outfit to wear, now go home.”

I said goodnight one last time and then started to walk home. I live on the outskirts of town so the walk is about 15 minutes. I have to go through the dark zone to get home. The dark zone is an area of town where electricity is turned off and people are exiled. Our house is on the edge of it and functions as a watch tower to make sure the exiled don’t escape. My parents don’t like me walking through it because their jobs put them face to face with the crazies who live here. I’m suppose to walk around but that causes the walk to actually be 30 minutes. As I was passing an alleyway, I got pulled into it. I went to scream but a hand was put over my mouth.

“Please don’t scream Crystal. I need to talk to you. I’m the prince. Please don’t scream.” The man removed his hand from my mouth.

“If you are the prince then I am the tooth fairy. There’s no way the prince would come this far from the castle, let alone enter the dark area without any guards.”

“You don’t have to believe that I’m the prince, but I know your secret.”

“What secret? Everyone in this town knows everything about me.”

“Oh, so the whole town knows that you can see colors.”

“Walk with me while we talk. I’m expected home soon.” I started walking and a few seconds later, I heard him start to follow. “Who are you actually? If you say you’re the prince again, you better have some proof.”

“Fine. I choose your cake to win the contest. The cake had a waterfall and a creek with little fish in it. The words on top were written in red.”

“How would you know the color? You aren’t crowned yet.”

“I’ve always been able to see colors just like you. I don’t know how or why but we need to figure it out.”

“No, what needs to happen is me going into my house and going to bed. You need to get back to the castle and prepare for your crowning tomorrow. Then I will continue working at my bakery and never seeing anyone of royalty again.”

“how's that going to work if you are required to be there tomorrow?”

“ill fake being sick. plus its one day and then i'm done.”

“We’ll see about that. Goodnight Crystal.”

How in the world am I supposed to sleep? He seemed desperate to get help, but it won't matter to him anyway. he gets crowned tomorrow he shouldn't be worried, im the one who would die not him.