She looked in my direction and I concealed myself again. Her eyes ran over the spot where I was hiding, and I let out a quiet sigh. I was safe. Still… I thought. What is a girl like her doing in a place like this? This dark, dreary forest… Curiosity overtook me, and I followed her down the path. She walked slowly, staring at her feet. I focused on her, and she paid no attention to me.
We walked further into the forest. The clean, crisp turned black with smoke. I started coughing quietly. I tried to keep my eyes on the girl, to make sure I did not lose her. She stopped and stared at something. I tore my gaze away from her face and looked at the cottage in front of her. She walked inside, and I came out from my hiding spot in the trees.
Instead, I crept up to the windows and tried to get a good view of her. I looked through the first window, but only got an empty room. I trudged to window after window until I found her. She was talking with an older man, maybe fifteen years older than her. He was sneering at her, and she trying not to cry. Her green eyes were shiny, and she wrapped her cloak around her like a safety blanket. She turned away from the man.
Her eyes passed over me, and I ducked. Did she see me? I thought frantically. I hope not… I looked back into the window, only to see the man alone. I turned away and ran back into the trees, just in time to see Little Red exit the house. She looked around quickly, and proceeded to walk back along the path. I followed behind her, more cautiously than before. There was a chance that she may have seen me, and I did not want her to freak out.
We moved swiftly and quietly. For a single moment, I stopped paying attention and proceeded to walk, even after she had stopped. I gasped as I stopped dead in my tracks. The girl looked around and opened her mouth.
“Who’s there?” she called out sweetly. “I know someone’s there. I saw you at the cottage too.”
I debated stepping out in front of her. When I could not make a decision, a growled under my breath and looked back at the path. My blood froze in my veins. She wasn’t there.
“There you are.” Her voice whispered from behind me. “I thought I’d find you here.”
