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Description
The first warning was the silence in the forest that day. I was gathering berries from the bushes on the outskirts of the village when I noticed it.

"Do you hear that?" I asked my little sister, glancing over in time to see another berry go into her mouth. She blinked her huge, dark eyes up at me.

"Hear what?" she asked.

"The silence. There's no bird singing," I told her, looking out at the trees.

"Maybe they're still tired! It is early, Rose," she piped up. I shook my head.

"No, Lily, they start singing at sunrise, remember?" I pointed out, looking back at the bush, only to find her tiny hands dipping into the basket I held at my hip. "Lily!" I laughed.

"What!?" she asked.

"These are for momma, remember? I kneeled in front of her as I put the basket down, laughing softly at the smear of red juice around her lips. "Come here, you," I said, taking the corner of my sash and wiping the juice from her mouth, which caused her to giggle.

I smiled and finally stopped, before finally hearing something in the distance. A crash, like a tree falling over. The smile faded as I looked up, pressing a finger to my lips. Lily fell silent.

Another crash, and a scream from the other side of the village. I looked down at Lily. "Run to the cave papa found last week. Do not turn around. I will got find momma and papa," I said urgently.

"What about the berries?" Lily asked, leaning to grab the basket.

"Forget about them Lily! Just run!" I yelled, standing and daring around her, running back to my house. Momma and papa met me halfway.

"Land pirates, Rose! We must get out of here!" Momma yelled, grabbing me by my shoulders. I made my decision then.

"I sent Lily to the cave. I'll be there shortly!" I said, side stepping around them and running to our house. I dove into mine and Lily's room, fishing under my pillow for the small purse of gold I had stashed there. As soon as my fingers wrapped around it, there was a splintering crash from the front room.

"Search ever room! This shack has to have something worth taking!" a man's voice barked out. I quickly looked around. The window was too small for me to escape.

"Well, well, well. What do we have here? A little forest nymph?" a man purred from behind. I turned, my eyes huge. Standing in the doorway were three large, rough looking men. I backed against the wall, looking around. Sitting on a little side table was a glass vase full of roses. I grabbed it and threw it hard at the men, who ducked.

The glass exploded against the wall, and rained down on the one man, cutting his face and catching his right eye. A growl escaped from him.

"Take her. She'll stay in the carriage. I want her for myself," he barked. The three advanced and grabbed me. I screamed as they began to drag me towards the door.

Description
The first warning was the silence in the forest that day. I was gathering berries from the bushes on the outskirts of the village when I noticed it.

"Do you hear that?" I asked my little sister, glancing over in time to see another berry go into her mouth. She blinked her huge, dark eyes up at me.

"Hear what?" she asked.

"The silence. There's no bird singing," I told her, looking out at the trees.

"Maybe they're still tired! It is early, Rose," she piped up. I shook my head.

"No, Lily, they start singing at sunrise, remember?" I pointed out, looking back at the bush, only to find her tiny hands dipping into the basket I held at my hip. "Lily!" I laughed.

"What!?" she asked.

"These are for momma, remember? I kneeled in front of her as I put the basket down, laughing softly at the smear of red juice around her lips. "Come here, you," I said, taking the corner of my sash and wiping the juice from her mouth, which caused her to giggle.

I smiled and finally stopped, before finally hearing something in the distance. A crash, like a tree falling over. The smile faded as I looked up, pressing a finger to my lips. Lily fell silent.

Another crash, and a scream from the other side of the village. I looked down at Lily. "Run to the cave papa found last week. Do not turn around. I will got find momma and papa," I said urgently.

"What about the berries?" Lily asked, leaning to grab the basket.

"Forget about them Lily! Just run!" I yelled, standing and daring around her, running back to my house. Momma and papa met me halfway.

"Land pirates, Rose! We must get out of here!" Momma yelled, grabbing me by my shoulders. I made my decision then.

"I sent Lily to the cave. I'll be there shortly!" I said, side stepping around them and running to our house. I dove into mine and Lily's room, fishing under my pillow for the small purse of gold I had stashed there. As soon as my fingers wrapped around it, there was a splintering crash from the front room.

"Search ever room! This shack has to have something worth taking!" a man's voice barked out. I quickly looked around. The window was too small for me to escape.

"Well, well, well. What do we have here? A little forest nymph?" a man purred from behind. I turned, my eyes huge. Standing in the doorway were three large, rough looking men. I backed against the wall, looking around. Sitting on a little side table was a glass vase full of roses. I grabbed it and threw it hard at the men, who ducked.

The glass exploded against the wall, and rained down on the one man, cutting his face and catching his right eye. A growl escaped from him.

"Take her. She'll stay in the carriage. I want her for myself," he barked. The three advanced and grabbed me. I screamed as they began to drag me towards the door.