The Unseen

So I decided to finally go home after school this afternoon. It went all right, but my mum couldn't have cared less, though my sister was glad.

Anyway, I went spying again last night. I found out her name! Here's what happened:

I went to the shops yesterday morning to get more food. Then I got to the den at about 2pm. At half past two, I went out to the swings. After she was weird that morning, I decided not to scare her or anything by sitting next to her. She looked really sad today, and I felt really sorry for her.

The sun went down, but surprisingly, she didn't go to the woods. I waited an hour and then decided to go and talk to her. She looked really alarmed when I walked over and got on the swing next to her. I waited ten minutes until she looked like she had calmed down. Then, I started speaking.

"Hey," I started, "how come you haven't gone home yet?"

"You know why," she stated, "because I go to the woods instead."

"Well," I said, "why haven't you gone into the woods yet, then?" I made sure my tone of voice was calm and friendly. I didn't want to scare her, though she looked more frightened than I've ever seen.

"I...can't...tell you." she stuttered.

"Sorry to interfere." I said, "but at least tell me your name. I'm Phoebe."

"Alright," she muttered, "but you can't tell anyone and please don't spy on me again, tonight."

"Well," I uttered, "I don't have anywhere else to go tonight, and maybe for a few other nights. I have to sleep in my den for a bit, but I promise not to spy on you."

The girl sighed. "Alright," she said, "but please try and go to your house. My name's Rebyl, I guess. Why can't you go home?"

"My...mum hates me," I whispered, "and we sort of had a massive fight and I took off."

"I know how that is," Rebyl stated, "my mother died an hour after I was born. My father is too poor to own a real house, and he is a drunk and he hates me too."

"My father died when I was three." I started, "my mother had post-natal depression when I was born and never got over it. It is the same in every generation. She loves my brother and sister, though."

"I feel very sorry for you." she said, "my father is quite abusive towards me. He hits me and punches me and stuff."

"My mum used to do that and she sometimes still does," I said, "but I go to karate now, so she thinks I'd hit her back harder. If you want you could spend a couple of nights in my den. You could sleep in it when I'm not there as well. Would your father mind?"

"He might find out somehow," she sighed, "he's seen you speaking with me and he doesn't want me bringing you into the woods, even though we don't own them. I don't think I want to go back to my father any more."

"Why don't you stay in my den tonight?" I asked, "There are 2 rooms in my den. But you don't have to, if you want to go back to your father or something. I don't want to force you do anything or go anywhere or anything."

"Thank you," she said, "I really like you, but I can't. I will go to my father now. Please don't leave your den tonight, or my father will murder me. Wait until I have gone into the woods before you do, please, then there is less chance my father will know."

She walked off into the woods. I waited ten minutes, then I went into my den. I ate something then fell asleep. I didn't hear anything at all, last night. I followed the instructions of Rebyl, and didn't leave my den until she had gone out to the swings. She purposely went past my den to warn me not to come out for ten minutes unless I heard something.

It was 6am when she came by and then I went fifteen minutes after she walked past. I went to the other set of swings, in case her dad was watching her. I didn't want her father to punch her. She was wearing the same t-shirt as the day before. The My Chemical Romance one. She left her hair as normal today, but she had a black and white checkered sweatband, with a white skull on the front.

She waved to me so I knew to sit next to her. I guessed her father wasn't watching. We talked for a bit, and I found out that she lived in a shack deep in the woods, that I appeared to have missed. I found out that her father lived on benefits, and she was thinking of getting a paper round to earn some money for herself. I didn't find out which school she went to. I sort of forgot about that.

I went to do my paper round, and she was still there, swinging high, but she still looked sad. When I'd finished my paper round, I gathered up the bag and all the stuff that was in the den and headed off to school. When I got to the bus stop, Kate was waiting there for me. She begged me to come back home. I told her I couldn't, and that our mum hated me. Kate told me that she would love to see me again. I knew this wasn't true, but maybe I was scaring Kate with all the squabbling.

I decided to save Kate of everything, and maybe she misses me back home. I told her I would go back home after school. She was really glad, then went to talk to a bunch of her friends. I headed for a group of my friends. Fiona, Sophie and Lizzie were there waiting for me. They had all heard that I ran away from home, and they started questioning me.

After school, I went home and when I shouted a hello to my mum, she just said "hey," back. I knew she didn't care that I ran off. She couldn't care less if I had been abducted and she never saw me again. She just wanted all her time with Craig.

That's all that happened last night and today. I probably won't go back into the woods for a couple of weeks, but I will go to the park every day to keep Rebyl company. See you soon.