One day Belle found herself eager to explore, even so more than usual. It was not unlike her to trail off into the woods for hours on end, returning always right at suppertime. Anne and Sophie were accustomed to this, and they'd long given up the idea that they could tame their daughter's curiosity and thirst for adventure. The best they could do was pack her a hearty lunch, fill up a flask with some cold water, and remind their daughter to be safe, to be wary of strangers, and to have fun. Oh, and to be back for dinner, of course.
Belle left the house that day with her usual sandwich, crust cut off, just as she and her mother Sophie liked it. She decided to take the longer route to the river where she often read or wrote her stories. Belle had many talents - she could write a poem out of a single object, she painted with such grace and ease that their home was constantly overflowed with her murals and portraits, she ran faster and threw harder than anyone her age.
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Sadly, though, orientation was not one of her strong sides. She always got lost on her mini adventures, somehow stumbling back time after time, and trying to stick to her usual paths to avoid mishaps. It had been a while since she went down to the river, and she was starting to feel confused about where she was going. Not wanting to give up, she trekked on and on, and just as she decided it might be time to head back as it was already dark, she stumbled across a rusty fence encased in vines. The fence was tall, casting a deep shadow over her, and suddenly she felt an inexplicable urge to climb. She was strong, and this cost her no great difficulty, until she reached the top and suddenly felt an almost pulling sensation. It was pitch black, and she hadn't seen what had dragged her to the ground, but she found herself on a soft, freshly cut patch of grass in what seemed to be an abandoned garden. She cried in pain as her ankle, already swollen, throbbed furiously. She felt herself passing out, hearing faint sounds of approaching footsteps as she fell into a deep sleep.
