Helen Part II Her mother came thundering down the rickety old staircase. Helen cringed at her oncoming and prepared herself. "Helen!" She sighed. Closing her eyes, Helen stepped into view of her mother and replied. "Yes?" "Do me up love. That's it." She pulled her scraggly hair from her shoulders to reveal a slit in the back of her murky dress, with two ribbons hanging from it. Helen pulled a face in disgust. She lifted her small hands to tie a bow in the ribbons, making sure to tie it twice. A picture of her mother scrabbling to undo it later formed in her head and she smiled. "I'm going out, Ma." Helen advanced towards the front door, but was stopped by a hand on her shoulder. "Oh, no you don't, young lady! You're mucking the horses today. About time you helped about the house!" Helen took one look at her expectant face, and bolted. She ran as fast as she could through the house's threshold, the demanding yells echoing down the long lane immediately in front of her house. The shouts got quieter as she sprinted, as Helen's mother wouldn't run unless money or men were involved. And of course, her own daughter wasn't worth the bother. Helen did not stop until she reached a field, not far from the outskirts of the Lisianthus forest. Although the field was full of long grass and bluebells, and stretched for a mile, the sight of the forest in the distance scared Helen a little. She looked around for a clearing among the grass, to sit and catch her breath. Spotting one not far from her she ran to close the gap. Collapsing, Helen examined the grass around her. Flattened. Several bluebells lay severed from their stems. Frowning, Helen crawled forward, feeling the ground with her hands. And then, she spotted the all too recognisable print in the mud underneath- hoof marks. White- tailed stag- sized. Helen grinned, a thrill bubbling in her throat. She now knew there was one near... Her chance.