1 The Forest

"Lyra, what are you going to do about your grades!" My mom shouted as I sat down to eat lunch.

"You are UNBELIEVABLE! You should be ashamed of yourself! Now that you're in high school your grades count more then ever!"

I just sat silently. Waiting for my crazed mother to calm down, but this seemed to make her even more furious. She stopped talking. Glaring at me, she waited for an answer.

"I only have "B's", I don't see what the problem is." I replied. I immediately regretted what I said because at that moment, my mother looked like she was going to kill me.

"I'm sorry, I will try harder." I said quickly, but it was too late. She got out of her seat, and went strait to my room.

I frantically stood up and ran towards her.

She started tearing through my things as she yelled "If you think you can go anywhere in life with "'just B's'" then I have CLEARLY done something wrong when parenting you!

"From now on, the ONlY things in your room will be your textbooks and your bed!"

After she was finished my room was empty. I was furious with her, but my fury slowly turned into sadness.

She had taken all of my belongings.

I just couldn't take it anymore. So to calm myself down, I decide to take a walk. Since I live in the middle of nowhere, my house is surrounded by trees.

As I was about to leave the front door, my mother asks "Where do you think your going?"

"I was going to go on a walk in the

forest." I replied

"I think not, young lady! The ONLY thing you need to do is study!"

She looked kind of angry so I decided to go back to my room.

I have to get out of this house. I need fresh air. But how can I leave if my mother is always watching me? Maybe I can escape through the window?

No, that won't work because my room is on the second floor. I know what I'll do. I'll go out the window and climb down the tree! That should work.

After opening the window I climb down the tree and jump onto the ground.

It's still light out, but the sun will go down soon so I'll have to be quick.

As I walk through the woods the sun starts to set and it gets dark, so I start to walk back to the house.

In the darkness I hear something. So I stop walking and listen.

"Grrrrrrr"

Startled I jump. Then I quickly turn around, and start sprinting as fast as I can go.

I hear multiple footsteps close behind me. So I start to climb the nearest tree. I climb and climb. As I climb, I realize that the noise behind me has followed me up the tree. In a frantic act, I reach for a new branch ... SNAP!

"Oh no"

I start to fall.