Chapter 3

Winnie slowly became aware of a tossing underneath her. She slowly regained her consciousness. She brought her hand to her forehead. She was dizzy.

The tossing underneath her, she found out, was from a horse. The same one who had bounced energetically along 7 years ago was bouncing her again. She was aware of Jesse behind her.

"Jesse...what happened?" she murmured, so softly Jesse could barely hear.

"That boy who knows the man that was here a while ago was the one that rammed you into the tree. I only barely managed to get you away from those boys. It's a good thing I kept the horse; otherwise they would be right behind us now."

Winnie snapped to total alertness quickly as she remembered what happened. "We won't be able to go back. I won't be able to. My parents-"She broke off. She didn't want to think about it, but she knew her chances of seeing her family again were very very slim.

"It'll be all right, Winnie. Where my parents and Miles are now is only three hours riding from here now. I'll take you there."

Suddenly Winnie was overtaken with fatigue. She leaned back against Jesse, rested her head against his shoulder, and fell into a sleep as deep as you can while on the back of a horse.

"Come, now, gentle...don't jostle her, Lord knows how busy a day she's had. Now...take her into the house, settle her down on Miles' bed for now, he'll not be here for a few weeks."

Winnie heard May Tuck's soft voice giving out these directions as she felt herself taken off the horse and carried to a soft bed. She opened her eyes for a second, and saw Jesse standing over her. She smiled, then rolled over and fell back asleep.

When Winnie woke up a few hours later, it was dark outside. She stretched, then wandered out to the kitchen/dining room.

"Oh, hello, Winnie dear!" said May warmly. "Have a nice sleep?"

Winnie blushed. "Oh, I'm sorry I slept so long," she said.

"Oh, dear, that's all right. It must have been a busy day, from what Jesse tells us."

"Winnie." Tuck nodded amiably from the table.

Winnie looked around the room for Jesse. May, seeing her eyes wandering, said, "Jesse's out for a minute now. He finally decided to stay here instead of wandering" Winnie blushed at this "and he was looking for a job. It's dark, so he should be back soon. Winnie nodded.

"May I stay outside for a while? I'll be right next to the house, and I just want to think for a while."

Tuck nodded, and May said, "Of course, dear,"

Winnie thanked them, and then went out of the door. She laid her head back on the tree, staring up at what stars she could see through the cover of trees. It'll be OK. I can go back and see my family some time. I don't have to stay here. Well, I mean, I will stay here, but it's not prison, I can leave to see my family, she thought. It will be interesting, to say the least, to be immortal. If anything, I'm glad to be immortal with Jesse. She sighed almost completely happily, and crossed her arms over her knees she had drawn up.

She stayed like that for a while; but then she felt someone yank her from her pose. Before she could scream they gagged her. She worked furiously against it, trying to get her mouth free. Before she could claw at it with her hands, the people who had grabbed her bound her hands. They bound her feet as well, and yanked her onto a horse. Winnie's eyes widened when she saw the treacherous blue eyes of the boy earlier above her. He grinned in a terrible menacing gesture. Someone struck her head from behind, and then Winnie blacked out.

AUTHOR'S NOTE

Told ya it would be up fast. One day! Hope you enjoy, and once again, I'll get a new chapter up as fast as I can. Sorry that this one is so short, and that cliffhanger...if it is one. It would be to me, but who knows?