I lay awake on my bed. The room was dark and the air felt heavy. Mont and Mom slept peacefully, however. I tossed and turned several times. Giving up, I sat up straight and looked out the window. The moon shone bright, spilling its milky waves all over the world. I walked towards the window and opened it wide open. Fresh, cool air  made my lungs burst. With a deep sigh, I let the tensions in me slip away. My eyes touched trees and trees and trees beyond trees of what seemed like a never-ending seam of greens. 

Wow. I can't believe we're living in a forest.

A yawn escaped my lips and feeling much more at peace I turned away from the windows to go back to sleep - or to sleep anyway - when something hit me. A familiar feeling. A feeling of emptiness. 

The forest was quiet...too quiet. No noise of crickets, cicadas, or even a sound. 

"Olivia?" A weak voice called. 

I spun and sat quickly on the edge of my mom's bed.

"Mom? You're awake. Do you need something?" She gave me a stare in reply. After what seemed like an eternity (which was actually just 6,7 seconds) she unveiled her hand from under the blanket and rested it on mine. 

"Olivia," she said again. Her voice was barely a whisper but I felt the weight of it all the same. 

"Where are we?" She asked finally. 

"Oh. Right, I couldn't introduce this place to you before. Mom this is The Inns Hotel. Where we were going to stay? It's only temporary. Until I am accepted in a university and then we're off. Leaving this country forever and ever and ever! I just... couldn't live there anymore. And my uncle wasn't planning on allowing me to study at a university. That much was clear." I frown. Just thinking about him made me mad. How could a man be so cruel? And to think he's my uncle. My eyes met my mom's and I forced away feelings of resentment. "Anyway," I smile, "At least this place is muuuuuch better. No terrible rules that don't even make sense, no hardships, slavery, none of that. Just a peaceful hotel in the forest!" 

My mom stayed quiet for a long time. With her condition it's understandable. Sometimes she gets lost for hours and stares blankly at everything. But I like talking to her anyway. Mont and Mom are all I have anyway. The reason I dared to leave that wicked place in the first place. 

But my mother was not lost. She stared out the window, then met eyes with her daughter once again. "Olivia...I know this place. And it isn't any good."