Then
Shadows flitted at the edge of her mind. The memories were all a blur, she didn't want to remember, she couldn't remember.
She ran blindly through the trees, brambles and thorns pulling at her uncovered arms and legs, threatening to swallow her whole. Her loose, dirty hair caught in the branches, she kept on running.
Her bare feet caught on a tree root and she crumbled to the forest floor. A sharp jarring pain ripped up her ankle as she tried to stand up. She reached for a tree branch to grab onto, but there were none low enough.
She crawled on a few feet, dragging her ankle that was facing the wrong direction, behind her.
She stopped, completely exhausted and cried out in the darkness. The sound faded away, and she started to cry, but the tears wouldn't come, they had been all used up.
The nine-year-old girl, alone in the dark, looked far back the way she had came. The flames were gone, but the shadows remained.
Now
"...found her at the edge of the camp, next to the pine tree. She was unconscious and covered with monster dust. Prob'ly one of those hellhounds that've been wandering around here for a couple days now."
"Hmm...and she killed the thing by herself?"
"It's not that big of a deal, I mean, that new kid who got here last week did it, and he came back mostly awake."
"I never said it was, Travis. You can go back to your post now, and make sure you keep an eye on those hellhounds."
Footsteps trailed away and faded. A door opened and the faint chatter and laughter of many people drifted in. So did the scent of strawberries and pine needles. The door slammed.
"I know you're awake."
The girl could smell a musty odor — was it horse? She kept her eyes shut.
"Here, drink this."
The girl slowly opened her eyes and saw a blurry glass being put to her lips. She slowly took a sip. And then spit it out. Her throat closed up, and she choked on a wave of memories. She hated that drink.
She then looked up at the person who had handed the glass to her. And discovered that he wasn't really human, at least, half of him wasn't.
"You should probably drink it, it should taste comforting."
No, it wasn't comforting at all.
She leaned back against the bed, for that's what she was laying on and discovered that she was in a dimly lit hospital-like room with curtains making up three of the walls around her, separating her from the rest of the room.
"I'll let you get some rest then, and Will will check on you later."
Her eyes followed him as he awkwardly made his way out of the room, almost plowing over a small bedside table.