CLING!! BANG!! Waking up to the sound of clashing metal I sat up straight in my bed. I listened closely to where the odd sound was coming from, it was peculiar to hear metal minecarts clashing and moving in the early morning. The King and queen were away since last week to deal with important affairs and I was left in the castle alone with the maids and soldiers, until my parents were to return this morning. Listening to the loud disturbance I decided not to go back to sleep, but rather to investigate what was happening. I clutched my belly to stop it from growling and I slowly appeared in the dark banquet hall. I noticed the sound’s volume increasing as I switched on the light and allowed my eyes to adjust to the change in lighting. I stared hesitantly at a large wooden door which was forbidden to me, as it led to the dungeons where the prisoners were kept. I shook my head as if to clear my thoughts and I steadily but cautiously pushed the door wide open revealing a tall staircase. Walking down the stairs I realized that the dungeness were the smelliest and dirtiest place in the castle. There was a small wall separating two halls, one lined with prison gates and the other led to a steel wall. I didn’t want scary prisoners staring at me as I explored the first hall, so I darted quickly into the second. I saw a protruding lever which was placed near the wall and out of curiosity I pulled it. Suddenly a hidden trap door opened from underneath my feet and within a few moments I was screaming, and falling into a metal shoot, praying that I didn’t end up in lava. Our castle had hundreds of trap doors, trick wires, and other defenses to stop intruders from entering, and I had to master the exact locations of all of the traps so that I wouldn’t end up hurt. Although I knew the castle's defenses like the back of my hand, I had never known about this secret, exposed and unexpected trap. As my body ached due to all of the uneven turns in the chute I closed my eyes, but I was pleasantly surprised when my bare feet landed on something hard and metal. I opened my eyes to see a rusty old coal mine that had never been mentioned by anyone in the castle, maybe none knew about it? As questions clotted my mind I remembered why I had started this exploration, to catch the culprit who disturbed my sleep. I hesitantly tiptoed through the mine until I again heard the sound of clashing metal. I peeked around the corner of a wall to see an empty minecart. Unsure, but persevering to catch the culprit I climbed steadily into the minecart and all of a sudden it began to move. I could hear my heart racing but I ducked in the minecart so that no one could see my presence. It felt as though someone was controlling the cart because it took awkward turns and ended up far away from where it had started. I peeked up from the cart now and then to check if I could see anyone, now regretting having decided to wander the castle alone. All of a sudden the mine cart came to a stop and I heard an unfamiliar voice, the person’s voice was honestly high pitched but I recognized somehow that the noise maker was a man and that he was not just here to disturb my sleep. His mind was like a squirrel’s because I heard him blabber about some market, then the king's treasury, and on and on to random and confusing subjects. As he mumbled about his robbery and stashing plans he noisily dropped pieces of jewelry and bits of gold and gems into the cart. I tried to control myself from complaining and shouting out loud because most of the gold the robber dropped into the mine cart landed with a thump on my head. Even though the cart was full of wealth very quickly and the jewels rarely clinked against the metal of the cart, the robber didn’t seem to mind, and he continued mumbling and even started humming as he sent the cart I was squished and almost suffocated in off into the mineshaft using what I predicted to be a remote controller. I had first feared the robber who had accessed this secret mineshaft, but now I even pondered if this man worked for the king and sorted out the king's treasury. Despite my persisting thoughts to leave the case behind, I reminded myself that the man was always mentioning robbery in his blabbering, so I convinced myself that he was a villain, but not one to be terribly afraid of. Halfway through the long journey through the mineshaft, I poked my head through the gems and shining gold. I wanted to jump out of the mineshaft to follow the robber, but I decided to stay in the uncomfortable cart to see where the robber hid away his mounds of treasure. I ended up in a huge room packed high with sparkling gems, luxurious silks, shing gold, and the finest jewelry. I was tempted to wear teh ornaments or keep the silks and gold for myself, but I thought to myself that if I did that then the robber I had met would end up catching me as the real thief. I stared in awe at the several piles of treasure, I wondered as I heard a sound that I didn’t mind, what would the robber do with these heaps of gold? As the thought rang through my clouded head, I looked beside me and realized that the somehow empty minecart was moving, and that it was probably heading back to the robber to be refilled with riches. The robber must have emptied the cart using his remote control I thought. I had a quick debat in my head about weather I should risk riding in the minecart to get back to the robber or if I should sneakily walk beside it instead. Just the thought of the discomfort in the minecart persuaded me to walk beside t instead. The mineshaft was extremely large and the minecart travelled at a walking pace on the rust tracks. As I walked by the cart, observing my surroundings I thought to myself how I would rid the castle from this robber. I was extremely tired because I had woken up close to midnight and due to this, I had to drag myself alongside the mine tracks. The mineshaft looked surprisingly old and messy. I had thought this shaft had been secret and that none had used it before, but by the heaps of trash, clumps of dust all around, and a stingy smell which polluted the air I could assume confidently that this mine shaft had been used in the past. The only positive outcome from pulling myself to walk for such a long period of time in such horrible conditions was that I had time to evaluate a plausible plan to rid the castle from this sneaky thief. I imagined different ways to first trap the thief, but I realized that holding the thief in custody would not work because the chances were high for him to escape. Killing the man was possible, but I was not cruel enough to think of that option for longer than a few moments. As I steadily turned a corner with the minecart, my feet suddenly fell into a hole. As soon as I let out a shrill cry in schock I covered my mouth to mute the sound in case anyone would hear me. Thankfully, the hole was not deep, so I easily stepped out from it and quickened my pace to catch up to the cart. But that hole or trap gave me an incredible idea! I knew from my past thoughts that killing or trapping then jailing or keeping the robber would not work or would be unrealistic, so I knew I had to chase the robber out of the castle. But that hole seemed almost like a trap, and because I knew where all the traps in the castle were I could trick the robber into falling into the traps, and I could trap and trick him to run away from the castle. That idea was perfect! And just as I had started to plan out my idea noticed that the minecart was reaching awfully close to the platform from which the robber would reload the cart. I now moved away from the cart and hid in an area far away from the robber, still close enough to overhear and spy on him, but far enough away to not be in view. The robber was humming a tune as I noticed him reloading not only the cart I was in, but also two other carts. I waited patiently until the carts were completely full, and I watched them part in different directions. I then stealthily snuck from my hiding place closer to the robber, until I could clearly hear and closely see what he was about to do. I heard his shrunken belly rumble like thunder while he was sorting out his loot into piles of gems, jewelry, and gold.  After a few moments I think the robber realized how hungry he was because he stopped humming and said to himself. ‘’I am starving, and if I do not eat soon my stomach might reveal my presence.’’ I stayed silent and continued listening. “ I can’t go to the market to steal or buy food because it is closed,” I heard him think aloud. “ Hmm.. maybe I could steal some food from this castle?” I wanted to say that he couldn’t, but instead, I closely examined the heaps of jewels he had been sorting, noticing that some of the gems he had kept were stolen from different countries, which was definitely surprising. “ Yes,” I heard him say, “ I shall steal all the food I please from this ugly castle.” Our castle wasn’t ugly, in fact, I thought it was one of the most secure, mighty, wonderful, and gracious castles in the world. The castle had a high wall which was covered in lucius green foliage and the interior was even more splendid than the exterior. Trying not to mind the robber's rude language, I sneakily followed him up a staircase which led us back to the lever and trap beside the prisoners area. I slowly followed him up the creaking stairs and into the isolated dark banquet hall. I wondered if and  how I could trap him without him knowing I was there. I wondered if I even could. I decided not to hide my appearance, but I waited by the stairs until the thief was done eating, just to be kind. As soon as the thief came back to the stairs I would have to somehow lead him through all of the traps I knew. I heard him coming closer, his quiet footsteps and his full belly. I decided he would go run down the stairs if I appeared to him there, so instead, I jumped out eagerly and frightened myself in front him. He let out a shrill scream of shock, horror, and fright. I decided to chase him through the traps, so I stared at him angrily and yelled in a stern and overpowering voice, almost sounding like a ghost, “ THIS IS MY CASTLE! “ I could hear the poor robber's heart beating from where I was standing, but it was not time for me to feel pitiful. I chased after him, hoping he would react, and I was surprised when he started frantically running away from me like I was a demoness. I tried my best not to miss a single trap and I chased the robber into evry trap I remembered. I didn’t bother turning on the lights for two important reasons the first was that with the lights on, the soldiers and gaurds would easily find me, and they would jail the robber, which I had already not wanted to do, it would be diffivcult to explain my strategy to th egaurds, and the second ebing that in light, the robber would recognize me as a girl and maybe even a priceless, so he wouldn’t fear me. I pulled leavers that poured mixtures on the robber, sometimes freezing cold water, sometimes flour, and sometimes mud. When the robber himself did not activate a tripwire, I nudged them quickly with my foot or when placed higher, with my hand and controlled my laughter as the robber would either trip, accidentally fall into a chute, or get chili powder or salt be thrown at him. When the robber fell into chutes I would slide down them after him and continue the chase from wherever in the castle we would end up. I could see much more clearly now because of the multiple windows in the castle and also because even though it was 2 or 3 in the morning the castle was being gently lit up by morning light. I was glad the light wasn’t too extravagant because otherwise the robber may have seen my identity. The robber was 5 times as terrified when he was bombed by the castle traps. I avoided chasing him into the net, lava or other deadly or containing traps which would ruin my plan. Finally I had an idea as to how to completely rid the castle of the robber, after such a long time of chasing and trapping that my own legs, which usually enjoy a good run were tiring. I chased the robber upstairs and caught him on a couple more hilarious traps. I now used all of my strength and chased the robber with all of my might into the spacious library which had exactly what I needed. I could see that the sun was rising from the balcony built into the library, but I directed the robber away from the balcony and to the other side of the library. Seeing me catching steadily up to him, the robber quickened his running pace. I smiled widely and cornered the robber into a spacious area in the corner of the library. I pulled the last trap lever I knew I would be pulling this morning, and grinning widely I yelped “ Bon Voyage!! “ I yanked the lever with all my might, and I waved bye as the robber fell into and slid down a curvy, steep and long chute which sent the robber screaming and flying into the misty morning air. I didn’t worry about the robber any longer because I knew that the chute which the robber went through was so high above the ground that it perfectly aimed intruders at a 40 degree angle, sending them straight to another kingdom. The robber would land on a designated large target mat, and in the neighbouring kingdom, anyone who landed on that mat was punished, and possibly even executed or hanged. I no longer cared about the robber or what would happen to him, instead I actually felt tired, so I convinced myself to go back to sleep. I slept soundly through the rest of the morning, dreaming of how I would share my incredible and frightening experience, along with the robber’s loot with my soon returning parents.