THE FOREST GIRL - 1

Trying to accept the fact that one of her friends had gone, was utterly difficult. To Finch, William was the very first person apart from Thomas, who was willing to be her companion for the past few months.

Mosley told her that it was William's spirit who came to visit her that morning, warning her about some people who would come to the forest to catch her, under his father's order. Since that day, Finch had been doing nothing but mourning over his death. She was probably the person who felt sincerely devastated by the loss of William, apart from his family and Thomas.

Thomas. Where was he? He had not come to see her. And Edmond, oh Edmond, where was Edmond? She asked herself as she strolled around the forest.

Sinking in her own sadness and loneliness, Finch ignored William's warning and Mosley's order to stay inside her oasis. She thought if she stayed there any longer, she might lose her mind. She could not cope with her surrounding anymore. Mosley often left her alone. The woman had not told her anything about what she found out in the village. The only thing that she would said to Finch before she left was,

"Don't go outside. Remember that this oasis is your only protection when I'm not around."

Then she left her there.

Finch's decision to go outside was regretted right away when she heard a couple of footsteps approaching towards where she was now. Scared of being found, she climbed up the nearest tree without delay. Her skill in climbing tress was exceptional. She had been doing that her whole life. But the fear she felt and the adrenaline that rushed through her body made her stepped onto the wrong branch.

The branch that she stepped onto was not strong enough to hold her weight. It broke in an instance. With her mind that was all over the place, she did not see what was coming. It was too late for her to reach and grab onto another branch. Then she fell down and landed on the ground, on one knee.

"Argh!" She cried as she felt a sharp thing piercing into her knee that she was landing on. Finch stretched the leg of the hurting knee and sat on the ground, noticing a stone with sharp edge pointing upward, covered with her blood all over it. Her blue eyes gaze onto the blood on her knee, she hissed in pain.

"What is a little girl like you doing here?" Came a male voice that startled Finch.

Her eyes widened upon seeing the man in front of her, squatting. The look of shock was vividly plastered on Finch's face as she gaped at Newton, who held the same expression as hers.

As if one man had not shocked her enough, another man came in her view, hovering over both Finch and Newton. Turner was as shocked as his team leader to find a little girl in the forest. What the maid had said about the boys visiting someone in the forest was, indeed, true.

Newton reached out his hand toward the girl's bleeding knee. But the girl crawled back quickly, moving away from the men in front of her.

All that Finch could think about was to get away from these two men that might take her away from the forest.

"Go away!" She squealed. When she tried to stand up and run away from them, she was crying in pain.

Newton grabbed her shoulder quickly with one hand, while the other hand held her legs to keep her in place. His brown eyes narrowed at the girl as he said, "If you keep moving, your knee would get worse."

Finch tried to get away from him but his hold became tighter. "Go away, please." She begged as she realised she could not run away from them nor fight them. Her voice was shaking from fear and pain. She was way to weak right now. She really hurt her knee very bad.

"I won't harm you, I promise. Let me help you." Said Newton in serious tone. He slipped one hand under Finch's leg and was ready to pick her up. But before he could do it, he heard someone spoke,

"Let her go!" Came a high pitch voice that sent chills to both of the men.

Newton let the girl go immediately and stood up. He and Turner turned their heads at the same time to see the person, who was none other than Mosley.

Seeing the blind lady they met earlier, Turner's eyes went wide and quickly moved behind his team leader, shielding himself from the lady that he believed was no ordinary old lady.

Newton turned his head slightly to give his second in command a look of disappointment. He turned his eyes back on the lady in front of them now.

She stood there, looking soulless and lifeless, staring at them with her hollow white eyes. Her white dress were sweeping the ground as she walked slowly towards them.

"You both should leave us alone before bad omen falls upon you." Mosley spoke nonchalantly.

Newton held his calm expression in place as he retorted, "Like what happened to the boy."

Mosley sneered, "We have nothing to do with the boy. You've come to the wrong place if you seek for the murderer."

Newton furrowed his brows at what the woman just said. It was as if, she knew something more than he knew. "Where can I find the person?"

The woman crouched down in front of the girl. Her white eyes inspect the girl's injury. "I won't help you finding the person."

Newton sighed. He lower himself down to the lady's level and lowly spoke to her. "Then I'm afraid that I would have to take you with me to the council."

Mosley white eyes turned slowly to him, to gauge his expression. She chuckled at his empty threat. "Believe me when I say that it's better off if you both leave the forest immediately. We both know that if something happened to the red hair girl, you would be forever suffering."

At the mention of red hair girl, Newton widened his eyes in disbelief. How could this old lady know about her?