Stomp, stomp, stomp.
A girl was sprinting through the cold, damp forest. Her footsteps echoed through the forest floor. She was obviously going somewhere, but where? Nobody knew. She was just running. Sunset was an unusual time to go for a run, but still she went. She finally stopped at a small hill. Panting, she sat down. She just sat there, watching the sunset. She closed her eyes with an exhale as she felt the cold, relaxing breeze flow through her hair. She opened her eyes again and continued to watch the sunset. There was just something about the yellow, orange and pink blend the setting sun created as it slowly disappeared beyond the horizon that the girl just loved. Then, she snapped around as a familiar voice called out her name.
"Athena! Athena!" The voice called.
Athena sighed and stood up, walking in the direction of the voice.
"A-Athena!" The voice cried, hugging his sister with tears streaming down his face.
"Eli? What's wrong?"
"Th-the village.. A-a f-f-fire.. O-our p-p-parents.. Th-they.."
"What, Eli, they're what?"
"Dead!" Eli exclaimed.
Athena let out a soft gasp, sprinting in the direction of the village, freezing in front of her house with a louder gasp. She watched with horror, eyes wide as the bright orange flame danced around aimlessly, devouring her house like a starving child. She immediately sprinted inside the minute she heard a familiar scream, female-like. Her mother. Athena sprinted up the cremated unstable stairs, tripping over her own feet and almost falling onto her knees. She got back up, coughing like crazy.
Once she arrived on the top floor of the house, she looked around, squinting, trying to make out her parent's room through the smoke. Still coughing, she fell onto all-fours with a loud thud, falling onto her side as her eyes started to close, her surroundings fading to nothing but black.
She was out cold.
Eli watched with fear as the house fell, his sister and parents still inside. He sprinted over, looking for the bodies of his family. He let out a relieved sigh and he struggled to push a somewhat-large piece of the roof off of his sister's arm.
A few hours later, Athena woke up in the house of the village healer- a small cottage filled with spare beds, medicine and medicinal plants, bandages, what have you. She sat up with a wince, looking at the bandage on her arm. Eli sprinted over and hugged his sister with a relieved sigh.
"You scared me!" He exclaimed, burying his face in his sister's chest.
"Well, nothing too serious, just a fractured arm. Should heal up in no time. Tell you what 'Thena, you're lucky to have survived. You two best be on your way. If the orphanage staff approach you, run." The healer said, opening the door.
Athena sighed, getting up and leaving the small cottage, Eli not far behind. She stood in front of her house, looking at the rubble with a troubled look.
"Um.. Athena? What do we do now? We have to go to the orphanage!"
"No. I'm not going back there."
"Back there..?"
"..-I was adopted. Before you were born. The orphanage staff abused me, neglected me, insulted me. All I had to do was sit still, look pretty and wait to be adopted in silence. I am not going back there. I'm not risking your life either."
"So what do we do?"
"We run."
"Run!?
"We run! Come on, I know a place."
Athena ran off with a giggle, Eli reluctantly sprinting after.
