Chapter 1

The forest is a place so familiar, yet so unknown. To many, it is nothing but an area of land. For others, it's a sanctuary. It's a home of tranquility and peace, with a canopy of trees to escape from the outside world.

Snap! The silence of the woods is disturbed by the sound of a broken twig. A strange blur races through the trees. Suddenly, it trips over a stone and falls to the ground. The image becomes clear. Sadie. She is no stranger to the forest. She is quick to rise and continue. It appears she has been running for quite some time. Her long, shiny black hair, now matted and dull. Her lungs are struggling for air. Beads of sweat are cascading down her face. Of course, none of this mattered to Sadie. The only thing on her mind was going faster, finding some way to beat time.

At last, she becomes blinded by the light of day. The woods have ended. She is back to reality. There in front of her was the house she left for as long as she could. The house itself looked as though an army had invaded. Shingles were raining from the roof by the hour. Creaky window hinges were barely hanging on. Nothing green and full of life grew within five feet of the porch. This was definitely a place worth leaving.

A sudden cry of a horse echoed from down the road. He was coming, sooner than she thought. There wasn't a moment to lose. Sadie made one last sprint up to the house. When she got to the door, she looked toward the road. Another whinny. Sadie got right to work, hoping he wouldn't notice that she had ever left the house again. She filled his glass of whiskey, put dinner on the stove to warm it up, and headed to the washboard. Sadie could now hear the cart. Closer, and closer. She scrubbed faster and harder.

Suddenly, a dark shadow fell upon her. She slowly turned her head, then let out a sigh of relief. It was only Jill, who was rubbing her eyes after a long afternoon nap. Jill was only six years old, but was the only person Sadie could really talk to. Jill often didn't understand the conversations, but she still listened intently.

"Sadie, I'm hungry." She mumbled.

"Don't worry. Warren's almost home. We'll be eating soon."

 "Daddy was gone a long time today. Do you think he got you presents?" She asked.

A small chuckle escaped from Sadie's lips. She had almost forgotten her own birthday. In two days, she would be 16. It didn't matter to Warren. He probably spent the whole day at the bar as usual, wasting the little money he earned on poker with the other drunks. Sadie knew better than to tell Jill about that.

"Yeah, maybe he did." Sadie replied with a slight smile.

Another cry from the horse. This time, right outside the front door.