The forest was very hard to navigate. There were trees and bushes everywhere. And what made it worse was the dark. Everything was darkness and shadows. I couldn't tell which way was north, south, east, or west. I lost all sense of direction. David was walking beside me. We'd been trudging through this unknown world for a few hours now. I could already feel the freedom creeping into me slowly, and I couldn't help but smile.

Up ahead, I hear a faint sound of twigs being broken. Then everything goes silent. David slowly turns toward me, he whispers, "Be very quiet, Clair." I nod my head and try not to move. My head turns from side to side, but I can't find anything, or anyone. David takes a cautious step forward, making sure not to break any twigs or step on anything else that might make much noise.

Then, a small blur of grey, white, and black darts out from behind a tree. It was just a rabbit, scared of us more than we were scared of it. I let out a breath I had no idea I was holding. David turns back to me, a small smile on his face, "See, there's nothing to be afraid of, is there?"

I laughed back and smiled, "Yeah, I guess there isn't," Only half believing my words.

Two hours later, and we are walking much slower than when we first started. We're drenched in sweat from the hot Texas summer heat and I'm starving. David promises me that once we get a little bit farther and find "Moses" that we can have a small snack. That lifted my spirits a little bit and I started to walk a little faster.

By Gracie Wessels