Runaway

Chapter 3

Tanya sipped the water, and ate the porridge gratefully. She snuggled down in the sleeping bag, and wiggled her toes. If she had been moved, then someone must know that she was here. She felt a lump grown in her throat. Tanya coughed out the water, and sat back. She decided to visit Tanyatia for a while, as it seemed the safest place. Tanyatia mum smiled at her, and her dad offered her presents and plates of expensive food. Of course, she accepted them all and had a massive feast of salmon, olives, beef, ice cream, raspberries, crisps, chocolate and sandwiches. She drank lemonade, coke and fanta, and wore her new blue dress…

Suddenly, Tanya was awoken by a rustling in the bushes beside her. She worriedly looked over, and rolled around, glancing at every spare patch of ground. There it was again! The noise came from the closest bush, covered in red berries. Maybe it was a monster? No, monsters were made up, and they didn’t live in forests, they lived in caves. Maybe it was a wolf? Wolves definitely lived in woods, and in films, they gathered in packs around deer and antelope, taking them down like a fly. If antelope were easy to bring down, an already lying down twelve-year old girl would be like nothing at all. Tanya hunched up as small as she could, trying to hide away from whatever it was in the bushes. The rustling soon stopped, and Tanya must have fallen asleep in the warm, dark sleeping bag. She awoke in a grey mist. She looked, bleary eyed, at her surroundings. She screamed. She rolled back. She got caught up in the sleeping bag. She screamed some more. She looked for weapons to fight it off. A scruffy, dirty-blonde haired boy thing crouched beside her silently.

‘Who the hell, are you?’ she screamed, ‘And what are you?’ The boy sat silently the whole time, never moving, blinking or saying a word. ‘What are you?’ screamed Tanya again. The boy scuttled further away from her. He nodded at the empty bowl beside her, rubbing his tummy.

‘You’re hungry?’ whispered Tanya. She realised that this boy wasn’t a physical danger, just a mental danger. The boy shook his head. ‘No, I’m just saying that you ate all the food!’ replied the boy, matter-of-factly. Tanya was stunned. ‘You can speak?’ she cried.

‘Well of course I can speak. I am normal under all this hair. He grinned sheepishly. I’m Russell, but you can call me Russ if you like. What’s your name?’

‘Err, Tanya. Um… Russell-‘

‘Russ.’

‘Oh right, yeah Russ, how did you know I was here? Did you move me last night?’ Tanya was still hunched up, scared stiff. She was talking to some weird boy that looked like a werewolf called Russell. Normal? Erm, no.

Russell straightened up, and smiled wryly. ‘Yes, I suppose I did, Tanya.’ Tanya flinched. Whenever a space was put between the last word and her name, it was usually Andy telling her off for something. Although Russell said it softly enough, it still made her skin crawl.

‘Oh no,’ cried Russell, ‘I’ve blown it already! Sorry, was it something I said?’ Tanya shook her head, and Russell knew not to ask anymore. Suddenly, Russell stiffened and almost stopped breathing. He blinked at Tanya, then hauled her up quickly, throwing her, still in the sleeping bag, into the bushes. She landed quietly on a pile of leaves, and a pillow. This must be where…

‘Tanya!’ hissed Russell urgently, ‘Quick! Get up in one of those trees. People are coming. You need to hide! I will follow.’ He crouched down in the bush beside her, and Tanya began climbing the nearest tree. She slipped up easily enough, but was worried about what would happen to Russell. She watched silently as he crouched in the bush below her. Three voices were getting closer and closer, but still Russell didn’t  move. Just then, Russell grabbed the lowest branch of the tree, and swung himself up beside Tanya. He did it so easily, like a monkey, and crouched on the thin branch expertly. He winked at Tanya, and put a finger to his lips. She nodded. A few seconds later, two policemen and the man that Tanya had met at the park strolled into the clearing. A sniffer dog patrolled along in front, sniffing the ground madly. Suddenly, the great dog lifted his head, and barked at the tree that Tanya and Russell were sitting in. Tanya held her breath. The men whispered together, and ran over to the tree. Russell glanced at Tanya and mouthed, ‘Trust me.’ He jumped down from the tree, and stood in front of the men. The dog turned to face the men, and turned his head to one side. ‘Do you need something?’ asked Russell coolly. The policemen smiled, and described to him a young girl of about thirteen years with long brown hair, and deep blue eyes.