Her Deepest Fear I The Sister Series

P R O L O G U E

"The thought of never seeing them again pushed her to walk faster. Yes, she was walking - but with a broken leg and a twisted ankle, running wasn't a choice. Walking was a pain but she had rather crawled if it meant getting away from them then stay another day.

No one was there to pay attention to her as she limped (the more appropriate word) across the field to the forest. She didn't have a choice about which direction to go in either. There were two options, sure, but she wasn't willing to take number one - going into town was dangerous. Seeing a girl with broken limbs, covered in bruises and tattered clothes would definitely draw attention. People would start asking questions and eventually she'd come across someone from there. She would have to go back and the punishment she would receive would be a hell of a lot more than the usual damage they did to her. So, she took number two, the safer option, in her opinion. The forest. Stupid to us, not so much to her. Yes, in the forest there were thousands of creatures, ones that could hurt and potentially kill her but that was okay. She'd much rather be free for a few hours and killed in the woods than prisoned by them and punished until her last breath.

Unfortunately, she was okay with the idea of dying. They had broken her, mentally and physically. But fear, fear of them; that's what motivated her to escape. She was afraid of what they would do to her. It had been 6 months since the incident and they had abused her in more ways than she could imagine. The girl shook her head, willing the horrid thoughts to get out of her head. She didn't want to think about anything that would stop her from moving. She didn't have much time, you see. Not just to escape, but in life in general. She was dying, she knew that. But that didn't mean she wanted to actually live for the last few days. She didn't know how long she had either - no one would tell her.

She shook her head again, refocusing on the task at hand. Seeing the small gap, of about two steps, between herself and the forest, her heart leaped with joy. As she took the steps forward, edging closer to the forest, she smiled. Her first one in 6 months. It was small, barely there but she was happy and she knew that she deserved to smile. It wasn't for anyone this time, no one was forcing her to smile, this one was for her. Now, to anyone the thought of entering a forest with no weapons, food or any direction whatsoever would be terrifying. But not to her, not the Alexandra.

The trees, dark and cruel, unwelcoming to most almost welcomed her. She didn't see them as daunting, instead she took a small enthusiastic step into the forest, her smile widening. Alexandra embraced the natural beauty of her surroundings; how the trees stood proud and tall, close enough that they were touching, united as one, but far enough that each branch was able to grow leaves that could flutter softly in the breeze. She smiled at the falling leaves, appreciating the rich reds and burnt yellows. It was Autumn, you see. Leaves were falling and landing softly on the earth, dying, but all the same, the sight was breath-taking. She ambled through the woods, admiring her environment. Though she was born and raised in the city, nature was something she was forced to appreciate. She let out a soft cautious breath, her smile turning into a grin when nothing stirred except the wind.

She was lost in her own world, but unlike the past few moths, she was finally at peace. This meant she didn't hear the snap of a twig behind her. Not an accident, but a warning, informing her to be prepared to react. But she didn't, not that she was physically able to do much. Instead she carried on walking aimlessly, a smile gracing her lips and lighting up her face. Perhaps that's what stopped him from attacking her. It may have been the fact that she was hurt, maybe it was the tear stains on her face but, between you and me, I think it was her smile. It confused him. He frowned. How could someone as broken as she was smile with such happiness?

It didn't make sense. He glanced down at the knife in his hand. Silently he slipped the weapon into his shoe and made his way to her slowly. He didn't want to scare her, that much he knew. He was always curious as a child, often getting into trouble purely because of this trait and sometimes he would regret it later. But this incident; approaching the girl in front of him, stepping out of line and rebelling against the set rules - that would never be something that he would regret. Not that day, the next, or any other day in his entire life."

[This part is dedicated to Abstract_writes for being the first vote on this book. You're amazing and truly appreciated, thank you!]