NINE YEARS LATER...
HOLLY WOKE WITH A START, HER HEART POUNDING. She could still vividly relive the events that led her living here, in her Tree House. To Holly, the Tree House was Home. It had everything she needed and not much more.
She slipped off her cot and stoop up. Her hair, which had grown out long, flopped onto the floor with a thud. Holly re-braided it daily, so she did just that.
She sniffed the air. There were two unfamiliar scents in the air tonight. A man and a woman.
Holly slid down the ladder that led up to her Tree House. She involuntarily shivered, even though she was wearing two shirts and a jacket. She tipped her head up a little. Sniff. Sniff.
As the unfamiliar people got closer, Holly hid in the bushes, listening. None of what they were talking about made any sense to Holly, so she hid there until she determined that it was safe to come out again.
She tip-toed in the direction of the Plant Man, which is what she called the man who grew plants nearby. They weren't plants Holly had ever seen before, and he did unusual things with the plants after he picked them.
Holly watched the two people walk dangerously close to Plant Man's territory. They were a man and a woman, she realized. Stay away from Plant Man. He'll shoot you with his gun! He's really territorial! Holly wanted to shout, be she was too petrified to move or speak. This fear of strange people, especially men, stemmed from her encounter with Mr. Addison.
All of a sudden, Plant Man burst out of the brush, waving his gun. He shouted something and the man and the woman got down and lay on the ground. They smelled like fear. Holly watched. Plant Man started yelling at them and pointed his gun at him.
He's going to kill them! A little voice in Holly's head screamed.
No. He would not kill them. Holly was too nice to just sit here and watch them die.
She hefted her braid and crept toward Plant Man, who was still yelling.
She stepped on a stick. CRACK!
Holly froze and stifled a gasp.
Plant Man looked up, moving his gun around. He took a few steps toward her.
Holly decided on the element of somewhat surprise. She burst out of the bushes, waving her braid like a lasso. She threw it at Plant Man. It was off and it just glanced off of him. Damn! She thought, shocking herself with the swear word. Holly aimed her hair at Plant Man again. The hair wrapped around his neck just as loud BAM! shattered the night. Pain exploded in Holly's stomach. There was another CRACK.
Holly was scared. What's happening? She wondered. Plant Man was lying on the ground, and his neck was on a funny angle.
She ran. Ran as fast she could. Away. Was her only thought, what her instincts told her to do. I have to get away.