She's not dead.

Those were the words that circled around Amber's head, that she firmly told herself whenever she wanted to give up.

Since arriving at the forest, Amber had eaten exactly eleven berries. She knew it wasn't enough, but any more made her feel sick.

A gauze of sweat shimmered on her skin as she relentlessly trudged on, pushing thorns away with her bare hands. When the sun reached its peak, Amber climbed the tallest tree in the area and sat down on a hammock that looked like it had been put up several years ago.

Stretching out, her hair dangling over the hem of the hammock, Amber closed her eyes. Now, the shadows under them were clearly visible.

Soon, her ragged breathing evened and her tense expression left her face.

She slept until the sun was about to set.

Her hair was still dangling over the side of the hammock, flame-coloured in the evening sun. It futtered in the slight breeze, whisking itself across her face.

She awoke without warning.

 Sitting up, she brushed the hair out of her face.

Legs dangling over the drop - which was much higher than the telephone wire - Amber surveyed the forest.

The thick layer of leaves was dark, with occasional glimpses of lighter shades of green. They rustled slightly, which sounded to Amber like whispering. The gush of water could be heard faintly, and through the branches, Amber saw the white of a rapid river. She was grateful that the smell of animal dung was, for now at least, absent.

She watched as a dark silhouette, carrying a board much like her own, wove through the trees. Squinting, she saw tangled blonde hair, very unlike Ermelinda's curly, dark brown.

Then she realised what the figure could mean.

Her brown eyes widened in terror, seeming to sadden and darken in seconds.

She was trembling. Sweating. On the branch. Unable to move.

A/N so that's it for this chapter! I feel guilty for leaving you guys on a cliffhanger. Oh well. What do you think? Who is the figure? Why is Amber so scared?
That's a lot of unanswered questions.
AND NO-ONE KNOWS THE ANSWERS! Except me. >:-)
Bye!