Author's note: Thank you again for all of the kind reviews. I appreciate all of them. I hope that everyone is patient with this story. I am trying to write this and post it as quickly as possible, but true genius takes time. Just kidding J . Anyway, the story may seem boring right now, but I promise it will get more exciting, especially if things go the way they are supposed to. Winnie is going to be running into some troubles soon which could prove to have a definite impact on how the plot will develop. So, be open-minded and keep the reviews coming in!

Chapter Four: Night

As soon as she stepped out of her front door and into the darkness, Winnie knew that she had made a big mistake.

The town was pitch black, with only a sliver of moon and a handful of stars to light her path. The better question was, which path should she take? The main road went two ways: north toward Maple Bend or southeast, where there was nothing for miles but farmland and forest. Winnie had no idea about which of the two directions the Tucks would have taken and her bewilderment was not helping the situation.

Curse Jesse Tuck and his half-brained ideas! How on earth did he imagine she was going to find him with no idea where they had been for six years? And, more importantly, how did she think she was going to do it? Maybe she should just return home and hope they would come after her someday.

No, she couldn't do that. The Tucks couldn't risk returning to Treegap after Ma Tuck's arrest and escape. Surely the sheriff would recognize her and haul her back to the town jail. They may even sentence her to be hanged for killing the man in the yellow suit! No, Winnie decided. She would not wait for the Tucks to return for her. She would have to do this for herself.

Besides, with a little thought, she could probably figure out which road they had taken. The road leading southeast would have probably been deserted, so there was a smaller chance for being found. However, if they were found, they may not have many options for escape. In Maple Bend, a town much larger than Treegap, it would be easy to blend in and find goods, like food and clothing. Therefore, it would be reasonable to assume that they had decided to travel north on their way out of Treegap.

Winnie walked cautiously down the main street, careful to stay out of view from the homes that lined the road. She clung to the shadows like a criminal, darting between trees and pressing herself against fences. She was relieved when she finally reached the edge of town, where she was safe from the prying eyes of her neighbors.

The forest, her safe hiding place, became less comforting in the dark of night. Winnie could hear the hoots of owls and the wing beats of bats as they hunted their prey from the branches above. Every few seconds, she would hear the snap of a twig or the rustling of leaves and would glance anxiously behind her for fear a rabid animal had come to make a meal of her. She felt that it would be a shame to die now before she had a chance to drink the water from the spring and prayed that the animals meant no harm to her.

The hours passed surprisingly quickly as Winnie drew closer and closer to Maple Bend. She estimated that the town was probably about ten or twelve miles off. However, after about five hours of walking, she did not see any sign of civilization, save the wagon wheel tracks along the worn dirt path. As the light began to shine through the treetops from the east, Winnie could feel her eyelids beginning to droop. It would be better to rest before reaching the town, she thought lazily. She was in no state to ask for directions and did not want to spend what little money she had for accommodations. She looked into the forest, which appeared much less threatening in the morning light. Perhaps she could make her bed here for one day and continue traveling in the afternoon when she was rested. Winnie considered it the best she could hope for and shuffled through the underbrush and into the dense woods.

After only a few minutes of walking, Winnie found a small clearing in the trees. Satisfied, she dropped her satchel to the ground and leaned her back against one of the broadest trees. Her head slumped down against her bag of clothing and within seconds, she was fast asleep.