Five long, interminable hours had passed since Marian had run away.
Since the, she had made several discoveries, the first of which was that
when one is alone, the best company she has is herself.
"All right then, Marian. You're a fifteen year old noble girl who ran away from home with nothing but a ball gown. Are you daft? How did you ever expect to survive in the forest without food or drink or any other necessities? You forgot your brush, your slippers, the ribbons, extra clothes, blankets, and toilet paper."
She furrowed her eyebrows, brushed velvet moss and tiny black insects off a nearby rotten stump and sat upon it.
"There is no way that my undergarments will keep me warm through the night. The forest will shelter me to an extent, but it won't be enough. Not to mention it's getting quite dark in here, and seeing as how I'm basically lost, I should just stay here for a while."
Marian rested her immaculate face upon one dirtied hand, the elbow of which was firmly placed on her right knee. The other hand was partially raised in the air. A mosquito, fat with blood and buzzing in a satisfied manner, flew lazily off her wrist. Luckily for the mosquito, it was too dark for Marian to see her attacker; only hear its irritating buzz as it escaped her wrath. Marian grimaced and looked up at the sky, which appeared to be pitch-black, with brown stripes.
"You fool, those are leaves. You can't even see the sky anymore," she whispered to herself.
It was suddenly very dark. The sound of every slight rustle of leaves, dead and new, of every subtle whisper of the wind, and of the uncontrollable racing of her heart was magnified a hundred times. She was very aware of the dark shadows, of the tall trees next to her, of the gnarled branches looming above and around her, and the rottenness of the stump she sat on.
"On the other hand, if I remain here on this stump, I'll end up eaten by a bear or wolf, no doubt. I've learnt swordsmanship but not bear hunting! It would be wise for me to find a temporary shelter, somewhere I can stay for a while," Marian thought aloud. Her alert eyes quickly scanned the surroundings. They immediately flew towards her right, passed the leaves and trees, to where a little light peeked through the dense foliage and created a clearing.
"I'll stay there for the night. At least when I'm in that clearing I'll be able to see," Marian declared, picking herself up off of the stump and making her way to the clearing.
"All right then, Marian. You're a fifteen year old noble girl who ran away from home with nothing but a ball gown. Are you daft? How did you ever expect to survive in the forest without food or drink or any other necessities? You forgot your brush, your slippers, the ribbons, extra clothes, blankets, and toilet paper."
She furrowed her eyebrows, brushed velvet moss and tiny black insects off a nearby rotten stump and sat upon it.
"There is no way that my undergarments will keep me warm through the night. The forest will shelter me to an extent, but it won't be enough. Not to mention it's getting quite dark in here, and seeing as how I'm basically lost, I should just stay here for a while."
Marian rested her immaculate face upon one dirtied hand, the elbow of which was firmly placed on her right knee. The other hand was partially raised in the air. A mosquito, fat with blood and buzzing in a satisfied manner, flew lazily off her wrist. Luckily for the mosquito, it was too dark for Marian to see her attacker; only hear its irritating buzz as it escaped her wrath. Marian grimaced and looked up at the sky, which appeared to be pitch-black, with brown stripes.
"You fool, those are leaves. You can't even see the sky anymore," she whispered to herself.
It was suddenly very dark. The sound of every slight rustle of leaves, dead and new, of every subtle whisper of the wind, and of the uncontrollable racing of her heart was magnified a hundred times. She was very aware of the dark shadows, of the tall trees next to her, of the gnarled branches looming above and around her, and the rottenness of the stump she sat on.
"On the other hand, if I remain here on this stump, I'll end up eaten by a bear or wolf, no doubt. I've learnt swordsmanship but not bear hunting! It would be wise for me to find a temporary shelter, somewhere I can stay for a while," Marian thought aloud. Her alert eyes quickly scanned the surroundings. They immediately flew towards her right, passed the leaves and trees, to where a little light peeked through the dense foliage and created a clearing.
"I'll stay there for the night. At least when I'm in that clearing I'll be able to see," Marian declared, picking herself up off of the stump and making her way to the clearing.