Winnie raced quickly deeper into the forest. 

"I think I know the way to town," She mumbled to herself, "Father often speaks of it." 

She reached a small interception, two long twisting roads leading off in separate directions. One to the right, the other to the left. 

She stood for some time deep in thought before trekking, rather stupidly straight ahead, on neither path. 

She was tired of complying with rules, 11 years worth. 

Sick of being diffrent and teased by her siblings, she didn't feel like she fit in. 

She couldn't live like this forever. 

She was in the midst of making her way forward when a small stream caught her eye. 

A woman, around the age of 30 stood drawing some water, pacing back and forth nervously. 

Winnie his behind a tree and kept her distance. 

"I should wait," The woman mumbled, "But I've waited so long-" 

Finally, the woman set the small bucket down and took off running to the right. 

At least now Winnie figured she knew the way to town, to the right. 

She continued walking for around three hours, taking in the beauty of the wood. The green gold leaves in the canopy that rustled in the wind and glistened in the bright sunlight. 

She figured now, though she doubted it, she had truly run away. 

Her Father was no idiot, and he would have tracked her down by now, was she supposed to be tracked down. 

"Miss," A voice laughed from behind her, "Pardon me miss but your from these parts are you?" 

Winnie gave a small yelp and stumbled backward, tripping over a rock and landing plump in the stream. 

The older boy laughed furiously and Winnie hadn't the heart to be bitter at such an agreeable person. 

"Let me help you," he cackled reaching out a hand. 

With a mischievous smile, Winnie took his hand, and before the boy could protest, she had dragged him into the small river bed himself. 

"Hey now!" He grinned, "I've got someplace to be!" 

Winnie's face lost all color and she stood up in a frantic hurry, "I'm sorry I didn't mean to! Really I'm sorry!" 

"Calm yourself," The boy said kindly, "I'm only making fun. What's a girl like you so dressed up pretty doing out here." 

"If you don't mind me asking," Winnie said nervously, "Where exactly is...out here." 

The boy squeezed out his thoroughly soaked shirt and put a pondering hand to his chin, "Why I think it's around somewhere, possibly about forty paces from nowhere, and when the suns hot as it is today, a bit nearer to going then gone." 

Winnie stared in confused silence. 

"Must pardon me," he laughed, "I do make fun too often. Your about ten miles from Treegap, four from Ketucket station." 

"Oh!" Winnie exclaimed, she hadn't realized she had gone so far. 

"Can I help you get somewhere miss?" 

Winnie came to a stark realization of her position and fixed her high dress collar and hair. 

"I'm not supposed to talk to strangers," She said bluntly, "My Father says bad things will happen." 

"I think you forget," The boy said raising an eyebrow, "You've already been talking to me." 

Winnie's mouth fell loosely open and she could think of nothing else to say. 

He smiled and extended his hand, helping her over some of the bigger rocks and pebbles that she had stumbled over before. 

"My names Jesse." The boy grinned, "And yours?" 

"Winnie." She replied with a stammer. 

The boy nodded and gestured for her to follow. 

"Where you say you were headed?"

Winnie looked down at her feet, "I'm not sure exactly." 

Jesse looked at her curiously, "Where are you gonna stay tonight?" 

Winnie looked around the forest and shrugged, "Here I suppose." 

"What? Sleep in a tree?" He scoffed with an eager glance to a thick-trunked maple. 

"I would," Winnie professed, "But I don't know how to climb." 

Jesse stopped in his tracks, "Now hold on there little miss. You never climbed a tree?" 

She looked up at his bright green eyes and blushed as if there was something to be emabressed of. As if tree climbing was as common as breathing. 

"Well then," Jesse said whistling a tune and putting his hands into his pockets. "I'll just have to be showing you." 

"Would you?!" Winnie squealed, "Jesse would you really?!" 

"Of course," He grinned, "Now watch my every step. Not right over here, there's a sturdy branch, it's most important to get a good footing." 

He started his way up and she followed carefully in his footsteps. 

"There are all sorts of secrets you can find in trees," He commented glancing behind him and helping her move her hand to the next branch. "Things look so diffrent when you're at the top of the world. No! Winnie! Don't look down!" 

Winnie closed her eyes and regrouped, they had been talking and until that point she hadn't realized how far up they had come. 

"Now watch Winnie," He grinned moving off the main trunk and making his way out onto a limb. 

She slowly, trembling, did the same. 

"Perfect!" He commended her. "You see at the top-" 

"The world is your eryster." Winnie giggled. 

"What?!" Jesse cackled his eyes fixed mesmerized on her fearlessness and strength. 

"It's just an expression," She shrugged, "My brother used to say it to me." 

"You have a brother then?" Jesse questioned. 

Winnie nodded and swung her feet, "Two. And a sister." 

"How come they don't come out with you?" He asked standing up and climbing a bit higher. 

"Don't understand adventure the way I do," Winnie said with a sparkle in her eye. 

"I had a sister once," Jesse mumbled as he slipped from his footing and used every last reserve of his strength to pull himself up. "I was twelve then." 

"I'm sorry." Winnie stammered trying to get her foot onto the next branch. 

"It's fine," Jesse grinned, "I'm 17 now. My brother Henry, he's 20." 

"Your folks won't be mad?" Winnie asked worriedly, "About you slacking off to teach me?" 

"I'm teaching ain't I?" Jesse grinned, "That's not slacking off. Besides, I've been wanting to climb this one since I got back." 

"Got back from where?" 

Jesses cheeks flushed red and he turned his face towards the sun, "Never you mind that. Say you have lunch plans? My Mother sure would love to have another girl around the house." 

Winnie bit her lip, this didn't feel safe, didn't feel right. 

But she had been trapped in that little house so long now, she was sure she didn't know half of what was normal for children in the real world. 

"It's alright," Jesse nodded, "I understand why if you don't want to. You only have my word to take for it." 

Winnie made her way up to the top branch and looked out across the forest, she gave him a small handshake. 

"Well, you haven't let me down yet." 

Jesse made a twisted face and nodded gravely, "I hope not. If I'd let you go, you'd be dead." 

Winnie gave a small laugh and looked out over the miles of trees, straining her eyes for home. 

It was nowhere in sight. 

"Jesse?" 

"Yeah?" 

"Does your offer of lunch still stand?" 

Jesse grinned and slipped off the branch, holding tight to the one bellow, "Of course!" 

Winnie bit her lip and started her decent, "Let's go then."