CHAPTER 6

Emily’s POV.

My legs were swift as I ran through the forest that bordered the hamlet, tears seeped from my eyes and cascaded down my face. I want to make it stop, the pain that glided down my throat and twisted my stomach, but I couldn’t. I could still see my father’s face, the disappointment etched on his face, and the fact he left without saying goodbye.

The soles of my shoes pounded against the forest floor and splashed mud up my feet. My breaths, ragged and frantic lurched in my throat as the tears blurred my vision. I can barely see where I was going but I pressed on, each step taking me away to an unknown destination. My thirst for solitude burned through my nerves.

All around me was calm and still, the forest a quiet sanctuary of life and light. The golden rays of the afternoon sun filtered through the thick canopy of leaves above, casting a warm, dappled glow onto the forest floor. The trees stood tall and ancient, their trunks r