He was crying out in his sleep again. He did it every night, and I always heard. I heard the shouts, the cries, and I sat in the dark, watched the moon through the window. I always wished I was a wolf, as I sat and listened. Wished I could howl a mouring cry with my father, then run off into the forest and never remember again.<br/><br/>But this crying was unatural, was gutteral, and unlike my father. As I listened, it grew in intensity and shrillness until I could take no more. But it wouldn't stop, it got louder and louder, and it seemed to be blaming me, hating me. His face loomed into view now, stretched and pained, the voice splitting my skull and sending shock waves through my mind.<br/><br/>I sat up and stiffled a cry. I breathed short fast breaths and looked around me. I wasn't there, I was in a tree. I was tied to the tree, so I could sleep up in it's protective branches without falling. I was over a pond. It had seemed like a good idea, I remembered. I had wandered for 3 days after the incident.<br/><br/>I thought about it. She had been crying, she'd missed home too, she'd run away, she'd have been unwound. And the other girl, with the dolls. I thought of what she'd said<span style="font-style: italic">'she takes the pain away'</span>. So she, too, knew pain. Could it be the same pain? I wished I knew.<br/><br/>There was a splash and voices. I held my breath and listened. I knew instantly who it was. on the bank, a few feet away from me, were the girls. I hardly listened through my shock. I only caught names; Auria, Havanna, Jasmine, Paulina. I recognised Jasmine, it was the doll that Auria had given Havanna. And I guessed Paulina was the other doll.<br/><br/>Then, one word hit me like an icy brick;<span style="font-style: italic">partner</span>. Her accent was think and difficult to understand, but there was no doupt, not a tiny sliver, not for a second, these girls were going to work together. I thought of no longer being alone, of talking, maybe laughing, of planning, and sharing. Desire burned in the back of my eyes, red hot embers, and my throat clogged.<br/><br/>Fumbling, I undid the tie holding me to the tree, aand dropped from the boughs, stumbling along the bank. "Take me, please, take me with you!" I pleaded, desperately. "I can be helpful, really, I'll prove it!" I looked from one to the other, desperately awaiting a reply.