I Am Wanted {3}

I woke up to the sound of chirping birds. They were up in the trees, watching me. I crawled out from under the lean-to. When I stood up, my back started aching. Probably from sleeping on the hard ground. I bent back, letting the pain slip away. After a second, my back popped. My back instantly felt better. I looked at my arm. The skin around my gash had swollen overnight. I needed medical attention, but if I went to hospital they would find me. I turned to the lean-to, which was already falling. I threw the leaves aside and moved the dead wood behind the oak tree. I started walking, slowly, but still walking. My stomach growled from hunger. I licked my lips, wanting water as well. I could faintly hear moving water, so I followed the sound to a stream. When I reached the stream, I was parched. I lowered my cupped hands to the water and brought it up to my mouth. I slurped it loudly. It was just so good. After my drink, I lied down with my face to the sky. I had went camping as a kid, but only after I had wasted a few hours begging my mom. I had never seen a sight like this though. The sky was a brilliant shade of blue and the trees were huge, voluminous, and beautiful. I wished I had my camera. I would have loved to get a picture of this. Annabelle would have, too. Then I remembered my friend. Dead. I stood up, wanting to get further from the crash. I started running. I made about a mile before I stopped to walk. This part of the forest was thicker. So thick I had to push branches out of my way to move. I started feeling claustrophobic. Two big trees blocked my vision, so I couldn't see the path ahead. In between the leaves, I saw a pair of eyes. I screamed, probably not the best thing to do while facing a possible attacker. "Ssh, it's okay," the voice said. "W...who are you?" I stuttered. "I'm Illiana Greene." The girl moved out of the trees. "Why are you in the forest?" I asked her. She looked to be about my age with long blonde hair that reached past her shoulders. She was in worn out jeans and a simple t-shirt. "I should be asking you the same question," she replied, taking me in as well. I suddenly felt embarrassed and pulled my thin sweater tight around myself. "I live a little ways from here. I was going on a photo-shoot, but I lost my camera in the stream. I was trying to find it downstream." The lies slipped easily out of my mouth. I looked at Illiana, hoping she would believe me. "Really? Wow. I live right over there." Her finger motioned behind her to a tree, but I didn't see a house. "Where?" I questioned. She looked at me with devious eyes. Illiana pointed again, this time up to the tree top. "Up there," she said. I looked up at the tree. In the middle of the tree was a huge treehouse. Not like a kid's treehouse, it was an actual house in a tree. "Come on," Illiana said. "I'll show you my house."