Chapter 1
The sixth year
Slowly awakening, tired and confused. Words buzzing like an angry bee. Somehow the words would make sense they had told her but the words were lost, fragmented. The first six years of Stephanie's life had been joyful and happy, she had memories that she kept dearly and lovingly inside her, close to her heart. Everyday she would dream of creatures, serpents with two heads, little flying people with magic at a wave of their finger tips and magical horses with wings, pure white. She used to play with her older sister, Jessica in the tree house their dad had assembled. The tree house was located in the forest that lay beyond their garden. Their dad had removed the fence and gate separating them from the forest. Stephanie liked to call it 'The woodland garden' as it was home to many creatures. There in the forest the sisters used to fantasize about riding on dragons and visiting elves in there somewhat spacious houses. But all of that had disappeared now and she had not seen the tree house now for a whole year.
12 Months earlier
'Hold up Steph,' Jessica called from behind her sister 'Mum says I'm responsible for you out here.' It was autumn and the ground was splattered with leaves of all shapes and sizes with a shiny, golden look. The air was cold and fresh on that October morning with a sharp bitter wind. Stephanie was running clumsily through the garden, down to the cluster of trees, her short hazelnut brown hair dancing in the wind. Closely following was her sister, brown like Stephanie although moderately taller. As they ran their emerald green eyes glistened like icicles in the frosty morning air. Stephanie quickly came to a halt as she finally made it to the little tree house high up in the big old oak tree on the outskirts of the forest. Jess came five seconds after, stumbling trying to stop herself from bashing into her sister. She gave a 'now you know you're not meant to do that' look at Stephanie and then gave a chuckle. 'Come here and let me have a look at you.' She said in a meaningful voice and Stephanie obeyed her command. Jess checked her sister over making a note of any new scratches that had appeared since they had left the house. She looked carefully and was so close that she could have counted the freckles on Stephanie's face. 'You're alright.' She concluded.
'Do you have to monitor everything I do?' Stephanie moaned.
'Mum's orders.' She said this as she knew that would cease her sister's moaning. Whatever mum said went and there was nothing you could do about it. They sauntered over to the oak tree and Jess pulled out the bottom of the dirty rope ladder that they tucked underneath one of the long thick tree branches. She tugged on it to check if it was secure to climb and started upwards. Stephanie stuck close behind her and soon they made it to the top.
'We really need to clean this thing,' Jess started, 'It's a mess up here.' She gazed round at the wooden walls covered in cobwebs and the dust that hang in the air and that carpeted the floor.
'I like it like this,' replied Stephanie, 'It makes it feel warm and cosy. Besides, dad said that he was going to buy a rug to put in it soon. That ought to make it look better.'
'Still we could get rid of the cobwebs. They make it feel like it's haunted.' Jess complained. Stephanie ignored her.
They sat there quietly, Jess finishing an essay for school and Stephanie playing with her teddy called Acorn who lived in the tree house. The purpose for the name was that when Jess and Stephanie were walking in the forest picking blackberries they came across the bear under an acorn tree. The birds were singing in the trees and every now and then they would hear the fall of a leave or two knocked off by the blowing wind.
'Come on Steph. Let's go and explore!' Jess burst out suddenly, making her sister jump.
'But what if mum can't find us when it's time to come in for lunch?' she protested.
'She can ring me. I have my mobile with me and she knows my number.'
'Okay but can you ring to tell her that we're going out to explore?'
'Alright, will do when we get down.' They started making their way back down from the small tree house, Jess in the lead with Stephanie coming seconds after.
Jess reached the bottom and waited for Stephanie before tucking the end of the rope ladder underneath the big thick branch.
'Come on! Over there, let's go!' Shouted Jess.
'Race ya.' Stephanie replied in a daring tone and they both ran directly north, deeper into the forest. The sea of leaves became deeper and so made it harder to run. They went further, deeper, passing rocks, twigs and small insects and animals borrowing in the sheltered leaves.
'Stop! Wait!' Yelled Stephanie, Jess didn't hear her.
'Come on! Get your legs going! I'm gonna win!' She ran on and on, all the time picking up more speed.
'Jess I'm tired! I need to stop now!' Still Jess couldn't hear. Stephanie started slowing down. She was at a limp jog, panting and breathing heavily. 'Stop.' She called again after her sister. 'I can't, I'm…' She tried to run faster refusing to believe that she wouldn't be able to catch up. She tried to force her legs but they wouldn't work properly. Her breathing was becoming much faster, her body needing more air. She was surely going to faint but she had to keep going. Then Stephanie collapsed onto the mass of fallen leaves. She tried to master another breath to tell Jess, to warn her that she was leaving without her sister but she just couldn't summon enough air. She had just enough energy to lift her head, to gaze at Jess's ever fading outline. She watched her run on forwards, not knowing that her sister had fallen.
Stephanie looked at her surroundings. She couldn't see anything but leaves of all colours. It was much darker now as the tall trees were blocking the sunlight. She had never been this far into the forest before and didn't know if she would be able to make it back. She shuddered at the thought of being alone. She couldn't see Jess now. Should she go looking for her? But what if she got even more lost? Would Jess come back to find her sister? Stephanie's heart threw itself against her chest. She wouldn't be surprised if it were to fall out onto the floor. She jumped and whirled around, facing behind her. She swore that she had just heard a rustling sound coming from the bushes that filled the gaps between the trees. She was frightened. She rose and positioned herself low down hiding in the leaves like a rabbit. She slowly moved towards the bush, not breaking eye contact. She carefully minded the lost branches and cautiously moved on. Her heart was thumping, her legs shaking, her head pounding. She was almost there around five metres away. She reached the bush and slowly, steadily peered over and-
'What the HELL do you think your doing!?' Jess shouted concerned, not of the fact that her sister had just toppled over backward in fright but because Stephanie had collapsed in the forest. 'You could have been hurt! Why didn't you shout to tell me you needed to stop?'
'I… did,' Stephanie panted. 'But…you didn't… hear me. I didn't… have enough… energy to shout… any louder.' Jess glared at her sister in worry but looking at the tears that were now falling from Stephanie's green eyes she stretched out her arms and embraced her sister in a tight hug.
'I was really scared. I didn't know what was going to happen and then I heard the rustling coming from the bush and-'
'Don't worry about it. It was my fault from running on ahead to far. We'll stick together from now on.' Jess said in a reassuring voice. They were walking side by side back to the tree house now it was dusk now and was getting dark.
'What time is it?' Stephanie asked.
'5:35pm' Jess answered. Stephanie gave a slow nod.
'Did you ring mumma then?'
'No, I forgot. Why?'
'Does she know that you've got your phone on you?'
'Yes…'
'Has she rung you?'
'No. Why are you asking so many-? There's something wrong isn't there. She hasn't rung to call us in for lunch or anything. She normally rings at two to call us in.'
'Jess, what if something's happened to her, what if she's ill or something?'
'Hold my hand and don't let go.' Stephanie took her sisters hand and got ready to run again. They shot down the forest in amongst the trees and dodging the bushes. Stephanie held on tight, all the time determined on getting back to the garden, back to the house to make sure, to make quite sure that everything was okay. They reached the tree house by which time she knew that she was on the outskirts of the forest. Stephanie wonder how Jess knew which way to go on there way back but this was no time for asking more questions, she had to focus her mind on getting back to mumma. They entered the garden and Jess stopped abruptly, pulling Stephanie back.
There was a blaring fire emitting from the house, covering it like a massive blanket, smoke rising and rising, the door had come clean of its hinges and was lying, still on fire on the garden floor. The windows were broken and there was glass everywhere. Stephanie gazed at it astonished, bewildered.
'NO! NO IT CAN'T BE!' Stephanie shouted, fear and rage filling her body. She was crying, tears spilling from her eyes at the terrible scene. 'WE'VE GOT TO GO! WE'VE GOT TO MAKE SURE THEY'RE OKAY!' Stephanie bellowed at the top of her voice.
'Stephanie we can't go in. We've got to run and find help!' Jess tried to pull Stephanie away but she wouldn't budge.
'WE'VE GOT TO GO! WE MUST FIND OUT WHATS HAPPENING!'
'WE'LL GET KILLED! WE CAN'T! LISTEN TO ME!' Jess pulled and pulled but it was no use. Then Stephanie screamed at the top of her voice and wiggled out Jess's grip.
She ran and ran and ran down the garden as fast as her little legs could carry her. 'STEPHANIE!' Yelled Jess but Stephanie took no notice. Jess had no choice now but to run after her sister. Stephanie stopped directly in front of the house staring in fright at what she was seeing. Jess came and stopped behind her. 'Look there!' Jess was pointing at a tree beside the house. There was mumma looking terrified.
'Stephanie, Jess! What are you doing here!? RUN! THEY'VE COME TO TAKE US, RUN!' Then Stephanie turned around and saw two men coming towards then, advancing horribly.
'MUMMA!' She shouted and ran to her mother. Jess was already starting back down the garden again. One of the two men held something up in his left hand. He took a strip of some sort of hard material out of it and aimed it at Jess. Stephanie looked down at Jess and saw a large gray tank beside a red car. Then Stephanie remembered what her father had said to her once. 'Never light a match at a petrol station. Stephanie gazed at the bomb and then the tank again. Petrol.
'JESS NO, COME BACK!' The Mother and daughter screamed together but Jess was too busy running to look round. Mumma pointed at the village and indicated to Stephanie to go and get help.
'I'M NOT LEAVING YOU!' Stephanie said outraged.
'YOU'VE GOT TO!' They looked into each others eyes.
'I love you mumma.' Stephanie said then she turned and ran down the hill towards the village.
Mumma reach into her pocket and pulled out a sharp shining knife and glared at the man holding the bomb. She jumped and threw the knife, aiming for it to land right in the middle of the man's chest. At the exact same time however the man threw the bomb. It landed on the outskirts on the forest where the small tree house lay with its cobwebs and dirty rope ladder.
There was a colossal explosion. Stephanie stopped turned back round.
'NO! MUMMA! JESS!' Mumma had run behind the house but Jess had carried on running. Then Stephanie looked at the tank of petrol and the car she could see the flames advancing closer to it and then she gazed back at the village. She would never make it in time. As the fire hit the petrol Stephanie dived down the hill. She could hear mumma's and her own screams echoing in her ears as she fell down the side of the hill, trying to dodge the fire. Everything thing had gone, everything. She was left alone, without anyone in the big, wide world to care for her.