It was a waiting game and for someone who wasn't very patient, it was torture. How long she had to wait was anyone's guess. She tried to occupy herself with other things such as drawing in the sand or looking for shapes in the clouds, but nothing helped. Time seemed to have stopped.

Finally it happened. The line that had been cast in the water started bobbing up and down. The little girl quickly ran to the branch and pulled up. She struggled to pull her prey, but he was equally strong as he pulled the opposite way. The girl gave one last tug before she fell back. When she sat up a smile appeared on her face as she saw the fish flopping on land. Grabbing the fish, she made her way to the fire she had built and began to cook the fish.

Drucilla was very resourceful for an eight year old. Of course, one had to be when they were on their own. It didn't bother her too much. She could do what she wanted, when she wanted with no grow-ups telling her what to do. There were times, however, when she did get lonely.

There was a warm breeze with little clouds in the sky. The only sounds that could be heard were the chirping of the birds and the water flowing downstream. It was such a peaceful day out and nice days like these always put Drucilla in a happy mood.

Once Drucilla finished eating, she put out the fire then started walking with no destination in mind. The one place she wanted to go she couldn't; she was no longer welcomed.

Walking through the forest, she remembered a time when she was afraid to even go near it. Maybe it was because of the stories she had heard when she was living in her village. People always said that there were monsters that lived in the forest and would eat little children. Her mother always told her there was nothing to be afraid of. Drucilla soon learned that that wasn't true.

The day seemed to drag on as Drucilla continued walking through the forest. She wasn't sure how much further it was to a town or city. She was hoping she would be able to find some food before too long.

A few more hours passed before Drucilla found a berry bush. She wasn't sure if they were poisonous or not, but she decided to take her chances. She sat next to the bush as she started picking the berries and eating them. Since she wasn't sure when she would find another food source, she put some berries in her bag.

Once she ate enough, Drucilla continued on her way.

Drucilla walked until the sun started going down. She then decided to rest while she ate the berries she had picked. She soon heard voices. Glancing up, she saw three men coming her way. She ignored them as her gaze went back to her bag, taking out the berries. Drucilla wasn't going to pay them any attention, but one of them spoke.

"What do we have here?"

Drucilla's eyes looked up at the three men who had stopped right in front of her.

"What's a little girl doing in the forest by herself?"

"Maybe she's lost her way."

"Perhaps her parents abandoned her."

One of them stepped on the berries. "Oops." They laughed.

Drucilla picked up her bag, stood up and tried to go around them, but they surrounded her.

"Are you going to cry?"

"Can you even talk?"

The men continued to harass her as they pushed her around.

"You should stop." Drucilla finally said.

The men looked at her with surprise, but they quickly recovered.

"So she can talk. What are you going to do? Call your mommy."

She was pushed again.

"That's a very bad idea."

They laughed. "We aren't scared of a little kid."

Drucilla glared at them, her eyes turning black. She raised her hand and one of the men went flying back a few feet. The other two looked at their friend then back at Drucilla. She then did the same to them.

"She's a witch."

"And my mom is more powerful than I am. You better leave before she comes back."

"Let's get out of here."

Drucilla watched as they ran off. Once they were out of sight she sat down, sighing as she glanced at the squashed berries. That was all she had to eat. It was getting too late to travel now so she decided to stay where she was for the night. She wasn't sure how far the next berry bush was and she didn't want to go back the way she came. She would just have to do the best with what she could come across.

"Tomorrow will be better. Tomorrow is when I will find it." She mumbled as she curled up under the tree.

I know this was sort and kind of boring, but I promise it will get better. More will happen in the next chapter.