CALIK'S POV:

I stumbled through the trees, to catch up. I saw Her standing directly in front of a girl with cherry red hair to her waist tied into a braid, and the girl was pinned to a tree. She had electric green eyes.  

The girl was probably my age, but I could tell just from looking at her that she was taller than me. She was 5'8" maybe.

"Mot--" I started, but I stopped myself. If I hadn't stopped myself, she would've.

"Now, now, Calik," Miss warned. Her tone was gentle, but I heard the malice in her lies.

 "Y-Yes! Y-Yes, Miss! I'll... just leave you be!" I was stuttering, bad. 

I had been so scared she would scream at me, hurt me, kill me for my mistake.

She should've screamed at me, hurt me, killed me for my mistake.

I sprinted away back the way I had came before I could mess up anything else.

What had I been thinking?

So many years, so many years, so many years...

And yet I still messed it up.

Why, why, why, why, why, why, why, why, why, why, why?

WHY?!

I didn't stop running.

Not until I collapsed of exhaustion, anyways. I managed to keep my consciousness. At least I could do that, if nothing else.

I lay on the ground on my back, my own desperate panting for breath the only sound I heard.

I rolled over onto my stomach, and just lay there. I didn't move for the longest time.

I was a failure. A failure.

Failure, failure, failure...

I sighed. I really couldn't lie here forever, in my self-pity.

I slowly climbed back to my feet.

Where even was I? Where do I go?

I didn't recognize anything, but I guess being in the middle of a forest can do that to someone.

What to do...? What to do...? 

Time to start walking randomly, hoping I don't get more lost, I guess.

And so I did.

Hopeless, hopeless, hopeless...

Until I left the forest. The forest ended abruptly.

I stood at a moat of water surrounding a house.

Do I swim across or just walk away?

I thought for a second.

I'm definitely not going back to that forest, and I have no other options of where to go besides through the water.

Swimming, swimming, swimming...

No. I had never been taught. I taught myself.

Anyone who doesn't know how to swim should probably be dead.

I was glad to finally be back on land.

I took a good look at the house. It was a cabin made of dark wood. And it seemed to be handmade. Someone must have too much time on their hands.

Who built it? It seemed large enough to house maybe 2 or 3 people...

I walked up to the front door, and after a silent hope that no one was home, I pulled on the door.

It opened.

I hesitated outside.

Was this wrong?

They just left the door open...

But...

Breaking into someone's house?!

Someone lives here! I can't just...!

Or can I?

I sighed, then stepped inside.

I pulled the door shut behind me, looking around. No one was inside the main room, at least. Maybe no one was home.

Then, a soft, female voice from another room hit my ears.

It was a voice I never wanted to hear again, whispering to me now. But she didn't think--didn't know--it was me.

"L-Loralai?"