⚖️ chapter one ⚖️ "Evelynn, you get back here!" her mother screamed, running across the lawn after her mischievous daughter. Evelynn ran and ran, towards the woods. She wore a long sleeve brown shirt under a pink plaid button up dress. She had long wavy blonde hair that complimented her freckled face. "I'm running to the woods," The 16-year-old girl said, picking up her pace. "And I'm not coming back!" "At least put on some shoes!" Her mother huffed, slowing down. Evelynn looked at her muddy feet and shook her head. She enjoyed the way the grass got in between her toes, the mud drying on her bare ankles. A hint of guilt for running away from her mother picked at her heart. But she knew, deep down, Evelynn knew, her parents never truly cared for her. Within a week of her disappearance they would be over the subject. They would joke about it like Evelynn was a fictional character. Sometimes, she thought that she was. Sometimes, she wished that she was. The entrance to the forest was foggy, and she did not know what was lurking inside. That should have filled her with the emotion called fear, but no, it filled her with adrenaline as she raced in. Into the darkness, away from reality. Away from the shadows that haunted her every thought. Hours and hours passed, the young girl running through the woods for every single one of them. Euphoria arose in her bones, as she hoped the forest would never end. She hoped she would get lost in here and spend the rest of her teenage days becoming one with the moss. Her legs were getting rather tired, though. Even being on the track team ever since she was seven didn't mean she could run until the forest ended. With her house miles and miles behind her, Evelynn slowed down to take a break. She sat on a log and started drinking water from the nearby stream. She stopped what she was doing when she saw a small rabbit across the small stream. "Oh, hello there, friend." She said in a calm tone, as not to scare the creature. The rabbit's blue eyes stared into her own green ones, and it smiled. The rabbit smiled. Evelynn smiled back, thinking it just looked like the rabbit was smiling. Rabbits didn't smile. Everyone knew that. "Hello there. What is your name?" The rabbit asked. Yes, I kid you not, the rabbit spoke. Evelynn was confused at this point. But what else was she to do, besides go along with it. "My name is Eve," She responded, deciding it was time for a new start. The name Evelynn was behind her. "What is yours?" "Coniferous. You look like a pleasant young lady. Would you like to visit my burrow for some tea?" Coniferous requested. Eve smiled and nodded, following the fluffy thing. She should of known that in this forest, you shouldn't accept tea from strange rabbits.