My Childhood sweetheart

Our forest Family

2004, Early spring (9 years ago)

Derek's P.O.V

Hannah had sprinted off again, leaving my mum, hers and me behind.

"Wait for me!" I called out, following her into a very leafy, branchy place.

Going inside was really cool! It was like going into a green sort of Narnia. I caught a glimpse of Hannah's bright pink shorts and lilac t-shirt. And I followed...

We ran for ages, with me catching up eventually, until we flopped down to the forest floor in a clearing, exhausted.

Well, I was tried, but Hannah still had some energy left. She ran round the edge of the clearing, giggling with juvenile joy. I kept an eye on her, in case she ran off again...

I'd kept falling into little dozes only to be woken by the occasional giggle. But suddenly, when Hannah shrieked, I sat bolt upright looking around. She was still at the edge of the clearing and was trying to scale a huge tree.

"Look what I've found Derek! Someone put a weird sort of ladder on the tree. I'm climbing it to see where it goes! I could be like Jack and the giant bean stalk!".

"No! Come back Hannah, please! It could be dangerous!" But she didn't pay me any attention and soon disappeared up layers of leaves and branches.

I sighed and clambered up after her.

I found at the window of the wooden treehouse we'd arrived in.

"This is really, super cool Derek. A treehouse! I think someone built it before to play in ages ago but-" she peered at some faded posters of cartoons on the wall.

"-they haven't been here in years! So it can be our treehouse now! We could eat cake and have secret meetings and stuff away from our mummies!" Hannah rushed on. I laughed at her enthusiasm.

" Yeah, that's a great idea. Next time we come here, we will bring lots of sweets and toys and leave them so we can play with them when we get here," I suggested.

"Ok then...Wow look at that!" she exclaimed, dashing over to an old chest in the corner. I shook my head - mum's going to be really angry. Hannah held up a freakish looking baby-dolly thing.

"It's so cute," she murmured. "I'm going to call her Sally, and she is my new baby!" Hannah continued, brushing dust off its little outfit. "And you can be the baby's daddy, Derek. We must look after her!" I shuddered at the thought of that thing coming home with us. Then I had an idea.

"Remember that she can't go home with us though,"

"Why?" Hannah whined.

"Because she's a forest baby! If you take her away, she'll turn into a little green monster and run away. We don't want that do we?"

"No way!" Hannah replied determinedly.

"Ok then! Lets go back now. We can ask our mums to let us come back tomorrow, alright ?" Hannah nodded and carefully put "Sally" on a bed of dry leaves she'd made before. The Hannah kissed the doll's forehead.

"Sleep well Sally. Mummy will be back tomorrow," she whispered.

" C'mon on then-"

"Shush! She's sleeping so we must be extra quiet," Hannah orded, before disappearing down the trap door. I followed her down, a little hurt.

~~~~~

*Present day*

Hannah's P.O.V

"Our treehouse Derek," I acknowledged thoughtfully.