Day 3. Beyond the village

As the young girl stormed off, she felt a tear roll down her cheek. Had that really been what Jeremy thought about her? Did he never actually enjoy being her friend? Did he think she was annoying? As more and more tears started flowing down her cheeks, she ran off in a hurry, leaving behind one of her only friends. To think that such a silly argument could break them apart, two best friends for as long as they could remember, just, split up by a single argument.

It didn't matter to her, not anymore, at least. Although her mind thought this, her heart wouldn't agree. She had known Jeremy her entire life, she didn't think she could live without him, honestly. He was always helping her and pointing things out she hadn't noticed, and he was always looking out for her. It was almost as if she thought of Jeremy as a parent. She knew it sounded silly, but it was true.

The young girl was sorrowful, and honestly, kind of regretful. She didn't understand why she started that fight in the first place, or how it escalated that far.

Taylor was so caught up in her thoughts, she didn't pay attention to where she was going. She got caught on a root sticking out of the ground, and sprawled out and rolled down a hill that felt like it would never stop. She hit the ground hard, and she felt her consciousness fade. Her body went limp and heavy, she couldn't move. As the small child sat there, she saw a shadowy figure look down on her, just as she lost consciousness.

* * * *

The small child woke up, she felt like she had just blinked, but found herself in a different place. She looked around, frightened, as she realized she was in a room. It was decorated as if it were for a younger child, but she found it cute. She rolled over in the bed and tried to step down. She felt a sharp sting of pain shoot through her left leg.

"O-ow!" She squealed, as she tried getting down once more.

As Taylor limped slowly over to the door, she saw a large walking stick with a grip sticking out in the middle. She grabbed it and had it support part of her body. She limped over out of the door clutching the stick. She got into a hallway and smelled something. It was the smell of comfort, and warmth. She started going as fast as she could towards the smell.

Once she rounded a corner, she saw an old woman. She had a cookie sheet in her hand, and she smiled at Taylor. Taylor was frightened, but then she was overtaken by hunger and started eating the cookies as fast as she could.

"These are so good..!" Taylor exclaimed while stuffing her face.

She hadn't had good food in at least a day, so she scarfed it down as fast as she could.

"You have been unconscious for two days now.." Said the woman as she smiled at Taylor.

Taylor took a good look at the women. She seemed nice. Her skin was as pale as the moon, and had hundreds of wrinkles. Her veins stuck out of her hands as they shook with the cookie tray in hands. She had snow white hair, with little signs of remaining blondness. Her eyes were as green as emeralds. She was wearing a green dress with yellow polka dots and a pearl necklace.

"T-thank you for taking care of me.." Said Taylor, dumbfounded for how long a fall could have kept her fainted.

"Oh, it's not a bother, dear." She said as she put the cookie tray in the kitchen and walked back over.

The old lady started a fire and sat down on the couch. She moved a book and placed it on the coffee table. Taylor walked over and sat down next to her.

"Where is this place?" Taylor asked the women.

The lady turned around and said, "I am the caretaker of these woods. I was on an evening walk and heard tumbling." She exclaimed, "When I walked over I saw you lying on the ground with what seemed to be a broken leg." She said as she sipped a cup of tea that was sitting on the coffee table before Taylor had woken.y

Taylor was hesitant towards the old lady, but after a while, she noticed that the lady meant no harm towards her, and only wanted to help her and tend to her wounds. The lady didn't look like it, but she actually was a very talented baker. Although, that usually goes to all old ladies and how they are able to make such mouth watering cookies almost effortlessly.

"So, what business do you have in these woods anyway, dear?" The old lady questioned Taylor before taking a sip of her green, somehow still hot, tea.

"Im.. looking for a friend.." Mumbled Taylor as she started to remember Alex and how much she missed him.

"Oh, I do understand very well how simple it is to lose someone in these woods, hell, sometimes you can never find the people you are separated from here.." Said the old woman as she set down the tea and took her empty glass into the kitchen.

"Y-yeah.." Mumbled Taylor, starting to sadden over Alex.

As Taylor was sitting on the couch, she felt a piercing episode of pain run through her leg, she tried to restrain herself from screaming but the pain was too much. Taylor tried to get up, but fell down and hit her head on the coffee table corner, and then fell to the ground. Her view of the fire in the fireplace started to get blurry, as she felt herself lose consciousness.