**Sorry for the delay. A serious block over the past week and this format is one I've never written in before. Just to save confusion this is Dana Scully aged 11…**
A soft knock at her bedroom door made Dana Scully look up from where she was hunched on the floor below the window.
"Dana it's me," Bills soft voice called.
"Go away Bill," she called back harshly, angry at her voice for betraying her tears to her brother.
"Come on Dana, let me in. I'm sorry."
"Bill I said Go away!"
"What if I believe you?" he asked through the thin door and when she didn't reply he continued. "I want to hear about it, I won't laugh."
Dana remembered the laughter from the other kids when she came running out of the forest with no tennis ball and only a story about an apparition for her troubles.
"I don't care if you believe me or not Bill."
"Dana open the door and tell me."
Dana scurried to her feet and rushed open to swing the door open, where she met Bill with her red puffy eyes and tear stained cheeks. Her eyes were crossed into a heavy frown and it was only then that he realised how hurt she really was.
"I'm going to prove it to you," she said over her shoulder as she walked back into the room before more renegade tears fell.
"What did you see?" he asked having followed her into the room and sat on her bed.
"It was a boy, he was sitting in the tree. Watching me."
Bill watched her try to hide the shiver that shook her spine and was instantly regretful of his callous laughter when she'd come out of the forest.
"I'm going to get proof," she said matter of factly.
"Proof? How?"
"A picture, with Charlie's camera."
"A picture of a ghost?"
"I thought you didn't believe in ghosts?"
"I don't," he said as he flicked through the comic on her bed.
"Listen Bill, I'm not going to be known as Scary Scully for the rest of the summer. I don't know what I saw out there, but I'm going to find out."
He watched in amazement as she packed her small backpack with a torch and Charlie's camera and slipped it on her back before she climbed out onto the trellis outside her window.
"If you go out this late I'll have to tell Dad."
"Don't you dare William Scully. If you tell then I'll have to tell," she challenged as she hung on to the windowsill.
"Tell what?"
"How that scratch really got on Dad's new Chevy."
Bill was stunned into silence as he watched her climb the rest of the way down. He saw her re-sit her bag on her back before checking both ways and running down the street into the darkness of the airfield. She kept the torch off until she reached the fence they'd been playing at earlier and she hunkered down into the long grass to catch her breath. Her heart hammered in her chest banging out an irregular rhythm she could feel pulsating through her whole body. The torch was small and only lit part of her path so she took it slowly, her head swinging around in the darkness at every branch that swayed or animal that called out.
"Hello?" she called timidly almost hoping that she wouldn't get a reply.
Whatever courage she felt running away from Bills taunts were squashed as she stepped through the dark forest. Before when she was looking for the ball and the other kids were shouting trying to scare her she found it comforting to know that they were still there waiting for her. But the only sounds that carried through the air right now was a soft rustle of the summer wind through the trees and scurrying beneath her feet as the night animals ran from her intrusion.
She soon found herself in the small clearing at the centre of the forest and instantly she knew that she had gone too deep.
"You wish you could throw it this far Bill," she said into the night letting the sound of her own voice calm herself down.
She ran the light around the clearing and looked for an obvious path. Deciding to return the way she came she faced around looking for the right way but found nothing. Spinning faster her heart panicked and sent blood and hot flashes through her small body. She looked up to the sky to search for the stars in the hopes that she'd find her way that way. But the thick branches were heavy with summer foliage and blocked all views of the constellations.
"If the stars wont come to me," she muttered as she placed the torch in her pocket and started to climb a tree. "then I'll have to go to the stars."
She pulled herself up on the branches pausing only to look down and see how far she would have to fall. Finally she made it up as far as she dared to climb and looked up to the beautiful clear night sky.
"Come on Orion, don't hide from me…" she said as she studied the twinkling lights.
As she spotted Orion and The Big Dipper she followed the trail to the North Star and compared it with the trunk of the tree she hung in for a direction to travel in.
"Thank you Ahab," she said laughing at the thought of all the constellations he made her study and recognise.
Dana landed with a roll on the forest floor and stood up brushing herself off when she felt something hit her heat. Holding the spot where the small object connected at the back of her head she whipped around in time to see someone running deeper into the forest.
"Hey," she called, "stop."
She ran after him, pulling her torch out of her pocket and ignoring the scratching on her legs from the low plants she watched the pathway making sure she was following the right way. The footsteps rustling through the forest in front of her were fast and she found it hard to keep up but suddenly they stopped and she slowed down to catch her breath and listen for the right direction.
She leaned against a tree trunk and took deep breaths listening to the muted sounds of the woodland when she heard the scream. Standing bolt upright she held her breath, a burning sensation spreading through her lungs as she refused to give them the air they cried out for. The scream seemed so close and yet with the ringing in her ears from her heartbeat she couldn't be sure. But the next time it happened it seemed like it was on the other side of the tree. Her eyes widened and she stuck her back to the rough bark, paying no attention to the sharp pain it caused her on her right shoulder.
She took a deep breath and relaxed her heart before pounding through the forest in what she hoped was the right way. Her arms stayed out in front of her ready to bat away any branches or plants that might be in her way. As she ran in through the clearing she could hear the footsteps behind her making her run faster than she had ever run before.
Her mind reeled with the possibilities of what might be behind her and as inquisitive as she usually was nothing could make her stop running to find out. When the bright light shone from over head she almost fell, saving herself by grabbing a low branch and running on regardless. The footsteps seemed to be getting closer and she couldn't run any faster but the lights from the airbase were in her sights now and she was sure she'd make it. If will power alone could make her run faster she would surely be sprinting but her legs were tired and they started to stumble beneath her.
"Leave me alone!" she yelled over her shoulder as the footsteps seemed to be right on her back. The light from the sky went past and returned to the forest.
Her foot caught on the edge of protruding roots and she fell to the ground with a heavy thud, cracking her head on the side of the offending tree. But even as she fell she rolled over onto her back her hands already fumbling for her torch to see what was chasing her.
"Dana…" the voice whispered but she could see nothing, her beam spun around her, falling from tree to tree but there was nothing there. She crawled backwards to the fence that stood only four feet away and slowly climbed over it, here eyes and torch still on the forest. But as she pulled the last leg over and swung around to run home two large hands grabbed her shoulders pulling her off the ground and into a big chest. She screamed and beat her small hands against it but it was no good, she was too weak. The darkness fell over her eyes and she fought it hard only to fall into it's inviting warmth.
**Already finished the next chapter, I'll have it typed and uploaded tonight…**