Run Away With Me;

I don't remember much from my childhood, besides that at one point I had a home and a family. I had everything a little girl could ask for and much more, but in a flash of an eye, it dissapeared.

My life changed.

I didn't want to be put in a home. I didn't wan't other people to love me and I didn't want 20 other kids I would have to call "brother," or "sister." I wanted my life back, with my parents and my siblings in our little home smack down on the swamp on the East Coast.

But I couldn't because my house burned down, and my family died.

I had storied told about me. They became interesting to hear over the years. Couples said I was the one who burned it down, and I was pulled into a crazy house because I was a physco. Kids gossiped that I escaped from the crazy house, and I burn people's houses down because I was that sick in the head. Others decided to leave it as it was: a freak accident.

I greatly apperciate their kindness, and thank them for not spreading stupid shit about me.

I was never this alone, though. No, like every kid I had childhood dreams and memories.

I was my mom's first child. She gave birth to me on July 18th 1995. Growing up it was me and my mom, and a few nannies when my mom had to work..my actual dad wasn't in the picture, they never married. That made me a bastard, but I didn't care, I had my mom. We owned a little appartment in New Orleans, where growing up I was raised under city lights and freaks.

My mom remarried to a wealthy man with four kids. I don't think she married him for the money, I think she was actually inlove. The day after the wedding, they decided to move in together. We moved into a home that was an hour or two away from the city. I was no longer under city lights, instead I saw stars and a full moon. Historic buildings were a thing of the past, because my window captured images of the swamp, marsh, and rivers/lakes around the surrounding areas. I saw my first squirrle then, they looked like mutant rats.

Mr. Milo, the man my momma married, treated me like his kids and even accepted me as his kid also. For once, I had a dad. I never thought I'd live to see the day.

My mom though, she still thought of me as hers and no one elses. Even though she loved her step children, she said I was her child. On Saturdays she would take me to the city so I can visit MaMa and PaPa and after our visit we would go to our spot. (Our spot being a hole in the wall ice cream shop that made home made ice cream.)

Our favorite time to be together was being lodged in my small room, cuddled together on my small bed, watching Peter Pan. I would yell at the screan hoping to help Peter on his adventures, while my mother giggled at my silliness. After the film I would tell my mom I wanted to be a lost girl, the first lost girl. She would laugh and told me I can be whatever I wanted.

The night of the fire though, reality hit. Hard.

It was 10o'clock at night and I told my mom I'll be outside on the swing. She just said, "be safe," and I yelled, "I will!"

I wanted to see my favorite animals. I loved watching bats swoop down capturing their food and fly back up into the dark sky. You can see them perfectly under the flood lights, and I was hypnotized by the creatures.

I was so hypnotized by them, I didn't relize the warm glow dancing in the kitchen and living room. I couldn't progress what was happening intill I heard screams.

I sat on the swings just watching. Watching my life fall to ruins. Watching my family dying as I sat here watching, completely safe, and unharmed.

My gut hit me harder than I expected, and for a seconded I could puke.

The sound of sirens filled the air, and a glow showed up in my drive way. it was the fire men and police here to destroy the fire. The firemen took out the hose and water exploaded on the house and the fire died down leaving ash.

I knew if the police saw me, they'd bring me in and place me in a home. So I said, "fuck it," and left the place I called home and made my way towards the ever green where I busted out my Peter Pan survival skills.

I was now Fiver, the first lost girl.