The Girl

This shouldn't have happened. It wasn't supposed to be this way. Yet here she was, outside in the cold, wet forest at twilight.

The girl stopped pacing through the woods. She crossed her arms for warmth, wishing that it was a force-field created by her mother.

Ah, her Mother. She missed her so much. But there wasn't anything to do or say to her now; so she just sat. The leaves crinkled.

It was strange, the girl thought, how beautiful the scenery was. The frigid weather made the nature look so delightful. It contradicted all.

The girl looked ahead. She could've sworn that she saw a figure looming a long distance away from her. It was too dark to tell what it was.

She didn't want to know. It was a wonder she was still alive. But she didn't want to think about that. In her mind, she was just there.

Her fingertips graced the ground. She collected mud under her nails without meaning to. She hated dirt, but it was the last of her worries.

Blink. Blink. Blink. Look left, look right, blink. She was restricted. Where else could she go? The forest reached out for miles.

The girl noticed the snap of a twig. It startled her slightly, but the adrenaline was welcomed. She wanted something weird to occur.

If something different happened, maybe her mind would be distracted. It wouldn't focus on why she was here. Why she had to run.

Yet, thinking about this made her think about that. And nobody should have to think about that. She closed her eyes and counted to ten.

When she opened her eyes, nothing had changed. She was still on the muddy ground surrounded by leaves. She was still in trouble.

The wind blew. The trees shook. Leaves to her side began to dance together in harmony. If only people got along so easily, she thought.

People are difficult. That's what she recalled. Everybody had their own opinion, a free choice. She didn't. She was just a little girl.

Using the word 'just' for something insignificant was silly to her. Why would one use the same word for fairness?

Was there fairness in this world? She wasn’t so sure anymore. But did she ever listen to herself?

She stood.