Death In The Family

It was the night of the tragic fire that killed three people. Kayla was in the forest when it happened, picking fruits and herbs for her dinner. There was no warning, only screams and Kayla heard none of them. She was so deep in the forest that she got lost and had to spend the rest of the night huddled up against an oak.

By morning she was able to find her way back to the house. Her young eyes looked on with sorrow as she collapsed to the ground. Hours had passed before she could manage the strength to rise to her feet. At only seven years of age, Kayla already possessed enough talents to survive in the wilderness. Her father, Blaise, had taught her many skills so that his daughter would not be left helpless. Thinking back on those memories it was as if he somehow knew that there would be a time when she would have to take care of herself.

Realising that she could no longer remain, Kayla traced a symbol in the soil that represented her family name and moved slowly around the edges of the forest. She found her families hidden underground storage room. Kayla filled a rucksack with enough clothes to last a week, a small pot and bowl set and something her father had made to start fires more easily. In another smaller leather carrier Kayla put in all the food that she could bear. She bathed and changed her clothes and put on a heavy winter jacket that her mother, Eiryn, had made for her. She shrugged the heavy bag onto her small back. At one of the walls stood a water fountain where Kayla filled some water bottles, it would be a while before she came across a clean stream in the forest, and tied them to her waist. She also found a knife, that was sharp enough to kill a wild bird with, and pocketed it.

Blaise had always told her that “if something ever happens to us never hesitate and leave as soon as it is possible. Remember also, to always travel by night because you don't want to get yourself caught now do you?"

“No father I don't." she could remember saying the last time she spoke to her parents before entering the forest the day that they died. Kayla wanted to cry but forced herself to be strong. She could cry later when it was safe.

So, climbing the ladder out of the storage room she stood one last time facing the charred remains of her house. Kayla had a strange sensation that she was being watched. Shaking the feeling Kayla trudged across broken branches and decayed leaves. Looking back at the house, she whispered good-byes to her family. She felt a great foreboding and turned away never to lie eyes on her family home ever again.

The stars were shinning and the moon was illuminating the pathway Kayla had to walk through the hundreds of massively overgrown trees. Time passed slowly and Kayla judged by the position of the moon that she was nearing the river that ran through the entire forest separating two of the largest towns in the area. Kayla thought that if she could reach it before sunrise that it would provide appropriate shelter for the day.

The sky above the treetops was getting lighter and Kayla had not yet reached the river. Her tanned arms were covered with lacerations from the oaks, which were assaulting her for disturbing their peace by walking over their roots. Her eyes were beginning to droop and soon she began stumble over some rocks. Kayla rested her left hand against the nearest tree and tried to keep herself from falling over.

Then, she saw it, a small opening beneath the roots of a very large oak. She staggered over to it and gazed in. Kayla felt for a stone and dropped into the fissure beneath the earth. She heard it impact with the dirt just a short distance below her. Gathering some fallen branches she threw them down into the hole and waited, but nothing crawled out. Kayla determined that it was safe enough for her to enter. So, she threw in her bags and slid through the opening. The last that she remembered was having some food and making her bed.

Kayla fell asleep as the sun was rising through the misty forest. No one came looking for her, no one stumbled upon her hidden sanctuary, and no one cared about the burnt remains of a secluded estate. She was alone and the challenge to survive had just begun.