Forest Orphans

Ivy ran, and ran, and ran. She knew she would probably get lost, but she didn't care. Not at the moment. She held a young child in her arms, they had both escaped. Eventually, Ivy stopped running. She was exhausted. She sat by a tree, and looked at the forest around her. It had gotten dark, but it was somehow still very peaceful. She gently put down Mollie, the child, on the grass next to her. Mollie was going to be this year's sacrifice, but Ivy had saved her. Every year, their town sacrificed one child to "the dragon", so it wouldn't attack. But Ivy couldn't let them sacrifice Mollie, she was so sweet, and would've grown up to be a great person, or at least that's what Ivy thought. So Ivy had taken Mollie and ran into the forest, as far as she could. The town could find another sacrifice. Ivy looked around, and decided she was far enough. She could rest here, for a bit.

When Ivy opened her eyes at what seemed to be just before sunrise the next day, she realized there were other children, all around her. They seemed to be looking at her, and wondering why she was there. Ivy sat up quickly, and the other children seemed to jump back. "Who are you people?" she asked.

"W-We were just wondering why you're so far from town..?" one of them answered, sounding unsure.

Ivy replied, "Well, I escaped."

The other children looked at each other for a second, then one of them asked; "From the sacrifices..?"

"Yes," Ivy answered, "I saved Mollie." She pointed to Mollie, the toddler that she had layed beside her, who was somehow still asleep. The children immediately turned their attention to Mollie.

"They were going to sacrifice someone so young?" One of them asked.

"Oh wow," another said, "why would they even do this?"

"Must be a really sweet kid, for them to want to sacrifice her that young." Said a third one.

Then, one of the said, "Well, we've basically set up a camp, where we all pretty much live now. You can stay there with us, if you want!"

"Thank you." Ivy replied. Then she picked up Mollie, and followed the other children.