My ears perked up as I heard soft crunching coming towards my hiding spot my heart was pounding from a fast run and my cheeks were red. I could feel the energy thrumming through my fingertips I was worried that he was going to hear my heart pounding cause I could hear every heartbeat ringing in my ears I pulled my olive green hood over my head further down hoping the sun wouldn't catch my blonde hair cause my sheer white hair would light up the second the light hit it. Then. The crunching stopped. EEEK! I yelped as something pulled me from my hiding spot by my waist. *under a hollow tree* "Your a terrible hider" Jonathan scoffed while looking down at me on the floor as I rolled out ending up at the foot of Jonathans feet. Jonathan's long shaggy beige and blonde hair was dangling over his eyes playfully and it usually caught girl's attention. but it always seemed like a burnt marshmallow to me and never. Stunning. I rolled my eyes. Haven't I won? I counted the rounds in my mind and grinned. "Four to five!" Jonathan rolled his eyes mockingly and ran his hand through his hair, "whatever!" "You're a real charmer with your hair" I teased. He stopped combing his hair with his hand. Don't blame me for looking this good he smirked and helped me up. I snorted "right and don't blame me for being this good at this game!" He waved me of "your so childish." I stuck my tongue out "then why are you playing it, mature man." Jonathan shifted his weight uneasily. "Cause I want to" he said raising his brow while looking down on me. "Hah! Just admit you don't want to be seen losing against a girl!" Jonathan opens his mouth to respond. when we heard honking and then loud laughing. Jonathan stiffened and turned to the sound. I have to go he said giving me a obviously regetfull smile. My heart dropped, again I thought I checked my watch it was exactly 3:00. Like always he and his boys had to go. "Right" I said while I studied the bright red convertible outside of the woods, I could just make out three boys in the car laughing and waving their hands at Jonathan to join them. "Thanks", he said and then he gave me a side hug and ran off. I watched as he climbed into the car and then they drove off. The sickening déjà vu hit me and I didn't know why. I turned on my heel I walked through the woods. It was silent even when I walked with the autumn leaves falling onto the ground making it easy for any inexperienced person to scare any living animal in a five miles radius away but I've lived in the woods ever since dad brought me here as I neared the thicket of the woods my muscles relaxed a bit. the dense woods felt like a hug rather than danger. After a couple of turns, I saw my house. More like a log cabin.
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Forget that the lights are on in the photo the lights were off and the brick chimney wasn't giving of smoke so I knew that dad wasn't home I sighed disappointedly. As I entered the smell of dry pine and wet wood enterd my nose the normal smell for a log cabin but I also smelled Tabaco strangely my dad's favorite. pulling leaves out of my blonde hair I walked over to the kitchen and peeked into the fridge. Nothing but deer meat and potatoes. My stomach growled demanding food. I grabbed a potato and diced it and threw it onto a pan on the stove. I checked the stove there wasn't any kindling in it so I walked outside to grab some. Something wasn't right the air shifted I sensed another presence. I stepped onto the second step narrowing my eyes to see if anyone was there. Three yearsbefore POV "These are the rules Elizabeth" my dad said pushing a piece of paper my way "one never shout." I nodded he stared at me making sure I wasn't lying "number two don't ever bring someone to our house." I hesitated I didn't know anyone so I guess it was alright. I nodded. "Number three doesn't ever leave the woods." Back in the present POV something grabbed me by the neck and body-slammed me onto the dirt ground. Gasping for air I stood up to face the attacker. He wasn't there spinning confused I was about to shout when a hand covered my mouth. "Rule number one" the ragged voice whispered. I grabbed the hand and with all my strength and partly using my back I flipped him onto the ground and shoved my heel into his windpipe and smashed my knee into his wrist and my hands went to his other. don't shout I breathed. My dad flashed me a smile and I released him I gave him a small smile in return. "you've gotten better" my dad remarked I nodded. I have been practicing especially with physical strength and gun aiming pretty odd activities for a fifteen year old right? Thought so to. He gave me a side glance and lit a cigarette and brought it to his mouth and breathed out a cloud of smoke walking inside. Dad said he quit smoking but he always found a spare pack or his friends offered him one and then he would be back smoking again it always upset me. I wrinkled my nose with distaste and grabbed some firewood and ran inside after my dad. he was looking inside of the fridge in objection he brought the cigarette back to his mouth and shook his head "I have to do groceries" he mumbled. I reluctantly brought the firewood to the stove and dad gave me his lighter I lit it and stood back watching the fire curl over the wood. "Dad", I said watching the fire "can I leave the woods?" I heard him grunt. "Why would you?" I could feel his stern grey eyes watching me. "I-i want to be around people" I murmured. "you have me," dad said Ruffling my hair and walking to the couch I followed him. "Dad! Please I'm nearly sixteen!" I can handle it I said his eyes narrowed he breathed in the cigarette again and shook his head in disapproval I said no. "Dad," I said grabbing the cigarette and pushing it in a bowl to defuse the embers lighting it. "I've nearly finished training I can hunt I can run faster than you!" I pressed my hands on his knees "I'm ready" I said firmly. Dad looked at me for a long moment then he sighed grinning. "How did you ever get so big?" He looked at me and his smile softened "tomorrow you can take a test and then possibly I'll let you come with me for groceries" I jumped up giggling with joy "I said possibly" my dad said walking to his room while taking of his shirt. I smiled and walked over to the stove and flipped the potatoes and added a pinch of salt once I played it I walked to my room shoveling the food in my mouth. Chewing I studied my room as much as I could make out in the darkness. the only flicker of light we used was fire, candles and flashlights. whenever I mentioned electricity, which I learned about from books and Johnathan, dad always shook his head and started mumbling something about looking and finding and not safe. .weird. the wooden floor was light and always Creeked under new weight. My oak wood desk was placed in the corner and a little further on, inside of the wall was my closet where I kept my archery gear and my gun with a box of BB8's and my clothes. etc. On the other side of the room was my large wooden bed and nightstand with a flashlight and a pile of books. I walked over to my bed and flopped onto it setting the potatoes down on the nightstand and grabbing the flashlight and switching it on. I grabbed one of my books that I was in the middle of reading it was about how to read maps and how to get around on foot instead of a car. I poped another potato in my mouth licking the salt of my fingers as I read. I stopped, Bored I let out a long sigh nothing ever happened here the only way I ever got information was books and Johnathan with the books it was hard I had to ask dad to bring them back whenever he went out to do groceries or sell his deer hides and other stuff I wasn't allowed to see, he would bring them back. but I never got to read anything dad didn't like and it always had to be for a reason I couldn't just say hey can I read this book? Why? Oh well cause it sound fun! It didn't work like that so, I asked Johnathan to bring me books back and other stuff to, like candy! I loved candy. and dad didn't know about it he wouldn't understand. I stood up and walked over to my window and opens it looking outside into the black abyss, He wouldn't understand The hunger to know what was outside of the woods I like I did. I dropped the book back onto my nightstand shaking my thoughts away and walked to my desk shining the light on a little box that sat next to more books. I carefully picked up the box it was about the size of my hand. I opened it fingering a little necklace out of it it was part of a ying and yang Lockett I read about it in a book somewhere. I had the white piece the ying I think it was called? Whatever. but I couldn't quite remember where the other piece was or who had it. I rubbed my finger over it admiring the little details like the small black gem in the middle of the white and how it kind of looked like the shiny eye of a white scaled dragon. I put it in my back jean pocket and sat down and gave my chair (that can spin. know those types) a hard push making it spin wildly. Letting the wind from momentum travel up my baggy shirt and through my hair I felt carefree with just a simple movement. taking a deep breath in I jammed my foot onto the ground to stop myself. Maybe a little too forcefully cause I jerked out of my chair. yelping I landed hard on impact on the floor groaning I pulled my jeans down a bit to inspect my new bruise. It was a ghastly navy blue and purple. The new bruise on my shin was next to a smaller one from this morning running into the table while running out the door to meet Jonathan. I sighed and stood up winching as I put weight on my shin. I growled with frustration. Tomorrow was the test to see if I could handle myself outside of the woods and my stupid shin Was blue and black. I slumped down against my bed and stiefled a yawn my eyelids were drooping I blinked rabidly to try to stay awake but my eyelids felt like bricks and soon all I could muster to do was mumble Elizabeth you idiot And then everything was black.
