Adelle was sitting against a tree, humming nearly inaudibly. She was facing the sky, eyes closed, a smile on her small features.

Clatters, snaps and pops were heard in the distance. Adelle leapt to her feet, her silken floral dress blowing in the everstrenghtening wind. She winced as her thick chestnut hair got caught in the bark before staring into the distance with dewy blue eyes. For a moment she was a deer in headlights, but only a moment. She spun on her bare heel and took off, long legs covering much ground with each stride. Her breath and pulse quickened, the violent audio becoming louder.

She jumped over a rotting log, making note of the pattern of fungi and adding that to her mental map, despite the fact that she was running from the same people she had been running from for months. It was more of a routine than a terrifying experience now.

Coming to this conclusion, she stopped. Her mind screamed at her to run, but she stayed put. She pushed her instinct to the side and turned around.