She ran. The pathway was indistinct, a forest trail in the moonlight. All around was limitless dark. If she stepped off the path, she knew instinctively, she"d be lost for ever. The important thing was not to stop. She kept running, eyes fixed ahead of her. It wasn"t far. She could do this.
The ground beneath her feet suddenly vanished. She pitched forward and sprawled on her hands and knees. But it was wet grass she"d landed on. She was outside, the air cool and fresh. The oppression of the walls was gone.
She looked around. She sat in a circle of three figures, as still as standing stones, each lost in deep concentration as they worked their magic. Between them, they held open the pathway down which she"d run. One was her mother, her face fully lit, a frown furrowing her forehead. Next
