I woke to the sound of splashing in a river and children giggling. Groggily I shifted on the stone floor and opened my eyes. Then I snapped up, jumping to my feet only to then stumble and fall. I remember. I'm free. And God, am I sore.

Crawling to my feet a second time, my hands gripped the cool stone walls as I made my way out into the sunlight. Wow did it look different. The trees were choked by ferns who in turn were covered with moss and vines. It looked like the place hadn't been stepped in in years.

I followed the gurgling of the stream until I found it, only knee deep and quite a slow flow. Glancing around I took in the group of children further downstream who were staring at me. But I didn't care. My body and clothes were covered in age old dust and all I wanted to do was flop into the stream, so I did.

The children screamed and ran as they saw the cloud of dirt release and surround me. I should feel guilty for scaring away a bunch of children, but I couldn't bring myself to as I reveled in the cool feel of the stream. The water was cold and put a chill through my bones, but I didn't care. My body was caked in grime and I wanted nothing else but to clean myself.

Gingerly I peeled my clothes off and release my hair from its clips, I'm still unbelievably stiff from my ordeal. My hair only reaches the bottom of my ribcage, but I know that once its been untangled it will reach my waist. Yanking a heavy bunch of moss off a rock, I begin to wash myself, removing decades of dirt and watching as it muddies the water.

Slowly I trace the lines of my scars that cover a good portion of my upper body. They cross cross up my frail, thin, pale arms, a few on my waist and several on my collar bone and the side of my neck. And then there's the main one. The diagonal slash through the center of my chest on my sternum. That one had been most painful. I should be dead. But I'm not.

Once my body is clean I pull my fingers through my hair, yanking the knots out and untangling my gentle curves. Soon enough my body and hair are clean and my clothes are drying on the rocks. I look up to the sun and notice that it isn't rising, as i thought, it's setting. The sun nudging the top of the mountains in the distance as it slowly lowers itself.

A noise breaks me from my thoughts as I lay in the stream. Its the sound of someone crashing through the jungle. Hastily I scramble out of the stream, stumbling on the way as my weak limbs try to move, and yank my still damp clothes on just in time to see 4 men burst into the clearing followed by a little boy, about 8 years old.

"There she is! That's the monster! Get her daddy!" The child screams, yanking at his fathers shirt. But the man doesn't seem to react to his son, he's too busy staring at me in shock, sword still half raised.

"Who are you? But you're just a girl! What are you doing here?" He asks me, slowly lowering his sword. But I realize, in terror, that none of the other men lower their spears and bows.

"M-my name's E-Ellie," I stutter, still staring at the group with wide eyes. Monster? Why did they think i was a monster? Because of the dirt? I guess that does make sense, but still, my scars aren't that bad are they? Self-conciously i shift the sleeve of my grey loose shirt down my arm, to hide the pinky white lines that cover my arms. But the men notice the gesture, and i see the man who had initially lowered his sword grip it tighter.

Tears burn the back of my eyes as i watch them stare at my arms and exposed neck. I'd hoped that the scaring would disappear over the years. But no, it's still there. Savagely i curse the pirates that did this to me in my mind, if i ever see one again i will make sure they pay for all the trauma they put me through.

The man in front of me speaks again as he shifts his eyes back to my face. "Girl, how did you come to be here? Who are your parents? And what did that to you!"

I look down at my scars, tracing the uneven skin as i do so before swallowing and looking up at the group of men. "I don't know how i got here, it was years ago. My parents are long gone, and pirates are responsible for this." I answer him, gesturing with my hand to my body. The men continue to stare at me in shock. Before lifting their weapons up higher.

"Pirates have been gone for many years girl. What ails you to speak of such things?"

"I don't understand, it has only been a few years since King Edward released the pirates death penalty was it not?"

The men now shift in their places, clearly agitated. "Look girl, the things you speak of have long since passed, King Edward's reign ended 30 years ago... actually, 58 years, but nobody noticed, given the Evil Queen's curse."

The Evil Queen? What are these men talking about? 58 years? But surely i had not been frozen that long. That's 58 years at a minimum. Given King Edward had been young at the time, he would have at least had 20 years ruling. But does that mean... 80 years? I was gone 80 years? Charlie... a voice whispers in my head as i stumble backwards. The men lift their weapons higher and the bows train with the force of the archers arms. 80 years, but that means, Charlies gone. I'll never find him. The tears from earlier finally spill over as i look up at the men and they seem more wary then ever.

"You do not know of these events do you? But how are you as you are if you don't know? Are you a witch?" He asks me, horror and fury mixed on his face. "Answer me witch!" He yells as he takes a step towards me, blade raised. So i do the only thing i can think to do. The thing i promised myself i would never do, but have resorted to it on so many occasions.

I run.

Turning on my heel i sprint to the woods as i hear the men yell behind me and begin to chase. An arrow soars past my head and plants itself in the tree next to me as i push off the trunk and sprint head on into the shrubbery, heart hammering in my chest. I've always been a fast runner, very agile as well as i grab hold of a branch and launch myself over a fallen tree before continuing my escape. But I haven't moved in 80 years, and its taking its tole on me as i hear the men gaining on me.

Then i hear the ping of an arrow being let lose and before i know it, I'm on the ground, screaming in pain as i try to remove the arrow now buried in my calf muscle. Yanking it out and stumbling to my feet, gripping tree trunks, i make my way forward before i feel the ground tilt beneath me, and i grow crashing through the undergrowth down a decline. The noise of my attackers fades as i plummet down the hillside, limbs getting caught in roots, leaves scratching me face as i roll until the ground ultimately drops from beneath me.

I scream as I grab onto a root and dangle off of the cliff that was at the base of the hill. A waterfall thunders next to me and I look down to see a collection of rocks 20 meters directly below me. Great, i think to myself as i stare down at my doom. Just what i needed. The root holding me shifts as my weight becomes a struggle and i desperately search for another handhold. But it's no use, and before i know it the root snaps. And before i know it I'm falling. Plummeting to my death that should have occurred years ago.

But before i have the chance to scream or close my eyes, i feel something grip my arm and i'm rising, higher, higher, further then the cliff from which i fell. I look up to see my rescuer, but all i see in the fading afternoon light is a shadow. A chill moves down my spine and i look up at my savior, fighting the urge to shove him off. Once he gets low enough I'll get lose and run, i think to myself. But that doesn't happen. Because the shadow only rises further, until the ground completely disappears beneath me and all i can see are the stars above. With one particular one, shining brighter than the rest.