Her breath was coming short her arms going so weak she could barely stand up straight. Megan tried her hardest to keep moving but it was becoming harder and harder to do so. It had been hours since she left the sanctuary of the park tree, the homes had vanished until she had been walking through empty fields. Darkness had come and gone twice since then and all she had taken into herself was the last of the gingerbread and water from the stream she had crossed the night before. Tripping on a root at her feet she fell to the floor her vision blurred suddenly and she fell unconscious…

…”They are here quickly they have come for her hide her in the basement go Marie, go quickly! Before it is too late!”

“OPEN UP THIS DOOR!” Loud bangs from the front door echoed through the house. “AT ONCE OPEN YOUR DOOR!” More bangs until suddenly a crunch and the sound of feet running along the wooden floors. “Please what is going on why are you breaking into my home?” Silence and then the unmistakable sound of boots belonging to a single man entering the main room and thumping along the floor. Megan looked up at the dust falling from the floorboards above her head. Her mother holding her tightly in her arms refusing to let her go. “Lord Baker can I help you? Please it is late and my family are tired we didn’t ask for this intrusion.” Her father seemed to tremble these words as he spoke them. The floor boards creaked as the man above in the boots spun to face her father.

“You where seen by the black river Marcus. You where seen there with your wife not 4 hours ago. What purpose did you have there?”

“Please…” her father trembled worst this time as he spoke… “Forgive us… our daughter she is young and she does not always understand the rules… she, she … my lord she misses her… “It was hard it seemed for her father to say what was on his mind to this man.

“She misses her Brother doesn’t she Marcus?” he replied.

“Yes my lord.” He said almost too quietly for Megan to hear.”

“Let me speak with her then, call her to me.”

“Please she is sleeping it is very late and she is upset can you call back another time my lord?”

“You dare to ask me to come when it is most appropriate for YOU?” he spat.

“No I didn’t mean…”

“Call her NOW!” Shouted the lord.

“Marie bring her please bring her at once.” Shouted Megan’s father. Megan turned to see tears fall from her mother’s eyes as they moved from the floor of the basement and up the basement stairs. Her mother wrenched back the door and pushed her daughter though into the bright room. Many men stood around their living room holding torches that shone onto her little face. She was afraid now and she looked down at the floor trying not to shake. The sound louder now of the man's boots walking toward her. Until finally they stopped in front of her and she knew this because she could see them. “Look at me girl” said the voice of the lord. She didn’t move at first too afraid to look at this man that made her father so scared. “I said LOOK at me girl!” he bellowed she jumped and lifted her face to look into the dark brown eyes of the man who scared her father. He was plump in his facial features bushy eyebrows and short wavy hair. He stared at her and she felt cold and fragile like a flower caught in a blizzard. “You went to find your brother girl?” he asked. She did not speak merely nodded in agreement. “Speak to me!” he shouted.

“Yes…s … sir… “She stuttered.

“What did you think you would find?”

“I… I…”

“YOU… you??? What speak up dear we cannot quite hear you?” he said nastily copying her frightened expression as he spoke.

“I do not know lord…” she said.

“Hmmm… very well I will take you to your brother if you wish it!”

“NO PLEASE SIRE LORD MIGHTY ONE PLEASE DON’T TAKE MY BABY PLEASE!”  Screamed her mother

“Momma…” cried Megan

“I will return her later… but now she goes to see her brother…” nodding at one of the men they moved forwards and seized her arms tightly pulling her out in her night gown through the door and into the cold night air. The thud f her mothers body as she passed out onto the floor behind her and the shout of her father as he ran to her aid. Anger filled Megan’s blood warming and hardening her. She looked back at the sullen face of her father and she felt so much hate toward him… again he had let his child be taken; again he had been a coward…

….”Wake up, please wake up.” Said a voice suddenly.

“Are you… your him… you followed me, but… why?” she looked up at the handsome man his long black hair falling around him as he leaned over her.

“I am going to help you my home is not far from here. Please help me lift you. I have a car.”

“NO! NO, no car please don’t put me in there…” she pulled away from the stranger. Standing with difficulty she turned and ran in the opposite direction through a field of tall straw. She pushed back the stems with her hands held out and she herd the unmistakable sound of him chasing her.

“Leave me alone why you are following me!” she screamed. But it was no look she was far too weak and she fell headfirst into the straw in front of her.

“I will take you to my home and you won’t leave until you are well!” He had picked her up and begun carrying her back through the broken path of straw.

“Who are you?” she said her vision blurring again.

“I’m help…” darkness took her once more.

Furiously Megan Phoenix stuffed the gingerbread into her mouth savouring every ounce of her spoilt meal. That stupid stranger had ruined everything for her and she would go even longer than she had ever gone before without food. The prospect of that made her shudder and for the first time in a long time she felt... afraid. Frightened that her already weak body would not survive this new challenge. Gingerbread would only hold her steady for so long and there was nothing in it that she really needed to survive it was empty of any goodness. The meat was rich with proteins and many things she needed. Thinking carefully she only saw one alternative. She had to take a trip to the red fields. They where slightly north of Mist town and it would take her at least a day to get there in her condition. She was so weak it had taken all her strength to escape the butcher. None the less it was the only place she could get food now. The butcher would not fall for a second attack and Megan didn't like the prospects of running into the tall handsome stranger again. Climbing down from her hiding place in one of mist town parks biggest trees she shook off the dust and pulled a few twigs from her hair. Then pulling her hood over her head to block out the cold wind blowing along her neck she moved on through the thick fog unaware that she was being watched from afar...

..."She's in her room she will be ok Marie don't worry I'll go talk to her you can prepare supper. Just a soup and some bread rolls will be sufficient. I won't be long" said Marcus Phoenix. He moved up the old wooden stairs leaving his wife to the cooking and headed along a dark corridor. At the end he  turned to a partially open door and noticed that the bed which his daughter should have been in was empty. He turned to see a small light appear just above his head. THe old trap door leading to his son's old room was slightly ajar. Pulling the worn cord the stairs slowly fell to the corridor floor and the light grew brighter illuminating him as he walked up from the darkness that he had come. In that room where many things that easily cause a lump to form in his throat, his eyes to grow heavy and his heart to slightly fade. Steven had made this room his and everywhere Marcus turned a memory would spark through something he would see. It was amongst these objects of the past that he saw the tiny frame of his beloved daughter Megan sitting upon the toy chest by the attic window. Her long red hair strewn across her face hiding the streams of tears that fell from her sweet innocent green eyes. She held a small brown bear in her arms. It was Stevens that he had given to her so long ago. "I remember when Steven gave Samuel to you Megan" he spoke softly sitting on the edge of the bed close by. She quickly went to wipe the tears from her eyes realising her father was with her. "Do you remember too?" he asked her. As Megan turned to face him Marcus felt his heart break. That face was one of a child so lost and alone a child who had lost something so precious it could kill her block out her flame destroy her forever... she had lost her brother...

"I was afraid daddy. Of the dark water by our house and of the stories i had herd about the outcasts. Steven gave samuel to me so i wouldn't have to be scared anymore. he told me that nothing would hurt me while i had him with me."

"He was right Megan. Nothing can harm you but you have to remember that going after Steven will not help anything. It can only make for more trouble and we have had enough of that. Your mother is afraid for you Megan you are always chasing after what cannot be found. He is gone now and we must accept that and move on with our lives." Megan seemed to grow suddenly angry her eyes appearing much more fierce and annoyed.

"You want me to forget that I have a brother daddy and that you and mommy didn't do anything to protect him when they came for him. I will not do that never! I will find Steven one day and when I do he will tell me that he wished you to have done something. He will tell me that you and mommy where cowards!"

"Megan! How can you say that to me? Your mother and I loved Steven as much as you did! We couldn't have stood up against them they where... they are too..."

"Too what daddy? Scary? Well I'm not afraid of them I'm not afraid at all. I have samuel to protect me like steven told me."

"A teddy cannot protect you from these men Megan and if they learn that you have been going to the black lake they could come for you too and then your mother she will surely... she will be heart broken Megan..."

"I would run daddy I would run away and escape them I would find Steven then I would come for you and mommy and we could escape this mad place together!"...

As Megan walked through the dark mist that memory had burned in her mind. She had always run when things had gotten out of hand she had run away from them as fast as she could run. Even now she was doing it running for her life through the mist unaware that some one was following her someone wanted to know what she was running from...