The daring were punished but Alexia hated living at boarding school. She slipped her feet out from under the blanket on her bed, already fully clothed. Quietly, so as not to wake the other girls, she walked to the window, grabbed a warm shawl to wrap around her shoulders, and flung her legs out over the edge of the window sill. She carefully propelled herself forward, flew gracefully through the air, and landed on the ground beneath her window.
A smile spread across her face as she began to walk away from the large brick building that had been her home. She did not look back, she did not need to. Alexia did not think of running away. Instead she thought only of freedom.
At the thought of her newfound freedom, joy began to bubble up inside of her and she began to run. She did not run out of fear, but out of exhilration. She felt her hair being thrust behind her by the one who was the wind and she laughed. She laughed at the people, under the noses of which she had run away, and she laughed, welcoming the idea of being truly free.