• I groaned as I began to notice that I had been wandering these forests for hours. Did this forest ever end? I am very sure that I am not running in circles, but somehow, I still doubt that.
    I can barely remember the reason I decided to escape into this thick forest.
    Now I remember. I had wanted to escape the yells and commands of my drunkard uncle who had taken me in when both of my parents had been killed four years ago--when I had been 12 years old.
    The dark trunks of the trees were blurry through my tears.
    I didn't care where I ended up, as long I was out of this forest and away from my uncle's house.
    "Stacey!" I could hear a distant voice that almost sounded like a whisper on the other side of the forest, calling me.
    Oh, goodness. I thought. It was my uncle! He had come looking for me!
    Why does he even care?
    The only reason I ran away was to get away from him.