…Prologue…
She held on to her mother tears running down her face. She buried her face into her light blue button down shirt. Her mother tried to pull her off but she grasped her arms pulling herself back.
"Baby, please, you have to let go," her blond curls bounced as she shook her head.
"No Mommy, I don't want to leave you," she choked out.
"This is my job Baby," she cooed, pulling at the light ivory skinned child. She looked into the sapphire blue eyes, tears started to well up behind her eyes.
"Go hide," she hugged the little body and stood up.
"Baby," the little girl turned and looked at her mother. "Daddy loved you so much. He would want you to go on. I, I love you more then the world itself. You have to know, you are a very special little girl. Remember the good times, cherish them. Always look forward to good memories, that will keep you going. Be safe, my darling." The slim woman pushed her daughter into the room, shutting and locking the door leaving the daughter in her bedroom. On other side of the door the mother sobbed, "There is a backpack in the closet, remember what Daddy taught you? How to get out? You have to leave, you have to stay away."
Pulling the closet door open she pulled on the black, over packed, bag. Climbing on the dresser she tugged at the window. It slid open after a few tries. She kicked one foot out when she heard it. The gun shot rung in her ears. She pushed herself out falling onto the freshly mowed grass. She stood up and ran down the hill to the densely packed forest.
It was nightfall when she finally found a small cave she could camp in. Placing her backpack in front of her she rested her chin on it looking up towards the sky. Tears ran down her cheeks, she wished her mother was with her. To hold her and tell her everything was going to be okay. She knew of course, that her mother was now resting with her father. It was safer there, that's what her grandmother had said before they took her away. Heaven is a safe place, a good place. She often dreamed about the gates dressed in gold. She always though the streets were carved out of diamonds, reflecting images of rainbows. Fountains of sparkling water and playgrounds everywhere.
She knew kids died. She knew it was unfair, but it did happen. She learned from Travis, the young boy with the freckles splashed on his nose. His brown hair stopped at his eyebrows and he had sharp cheeks bones. She met him when she was three. Two months later he was hit by a car when the were playing ball. She would never forget that day.
Last year when she turned four, her and her friend, Ana, was walking home from the park. She forgot something and they had to turn back. When she found her chalk she went to meet Ana by the swings. When she ran towards the swings, Ana wasn't there. The screeching of tires pulled her attention to the road. She had a sinking feeling in her gut that Ana was in the van that was driving away. They moved a month later, Ana was still missing. When they first settled in her mother got a call, she was found. They found her in some machinery in a factor right outside of town.
A crunching noise pulled her attention to the front of the cave. A small wolf no bigger the size of a puppy hobbled in favoring its left front paw. It saw her and whimpered in pain. Slowly moving towards the white furred creature she pulled out gauze in the front of her bag. Her father was a vet and used to take her into the forest to find animals in need of patching up. He taught her how to apply different techniques to different situations. He also taught her about herbs, one night they got lost. With her photographic memory she could remember it all. She could remember everything.
When she finished the pup rested its head on her lap. She stroked the soft fur. Looking up at the skies, she waited for sleep to find her. She was only five, how could she manage this?