The First Step

Chapter One - Ezekiel

I've had enough. 

My parents have been arguing for ages now and it's starting to get out of hand. 

"WHY DID I EVEN THINK ABOUT MARRYING YOU?!" 

"SHUT UP! EZEKIEL WILL HEAR!"

I'm thinking about running away, since my best friend Jacob wanted me to if it's getting out of hand. But, even if I do what will I do to my parents? How would they keep up without me? I just hate it seeing my family arguing and if i leave them what's going to happen?

I begin to space out as the fighting gets progressively louder and louder, and tears begin to form in my eyes, and my face scrunches up, going completely red. I just want a coping mechanism from all of this.

I then remember that my phone is fully charged, and that I still have Jacob on my contacts, even though I got a new phone just the other day.

I'm about to call Jacob when a large bang interrupts my thoughts downstairs. I sprint down to see what happened practically falling over my own feet. I see my dad sprawled around the floor and my mum with her head in her hands. 

"THAT IS IT!" I scream. I run upstairs and get my favourite Pokémon backpack and stuff some clothes from my drawer in it along with £200 I saved up. As for entertainment, I get my Nintendo Switch and of course my phone. My phone! I must have dropped it downstairs. I fumble around for my laptop and shove it in my bag. I run downstairs and my mum wrestles me to the ground. 

"GET OFF ME!" 

"YOU'RE NOT GOING ANYWHERE YOUNG MAN!" 

She grabs hold of my head and arms while my legs are kicking the air. 

"MICHAEL HELP ME!" 

My dad suddenly jumps up from the floor and grabs hold of both of my legs. I scream and shout protesting for them to put me down but they won't listen. They carry me up to my room, then throw me on the floor. My phone suddenly hits me in the face and the door is shut and locked behind me. 

Immediately I go to call Jacob but upon unlocking my phone, I look to the top left of the screen and I see that there are no bars present on the Wi-Fi symbol!

I sigh, as I realize that my parents must have pulled the plug so they could prevent me from telling anyone about what's happening in the household.

 I walk around my room and try to think of a way out. I know that I have to escape. I could jump out of the window, but my chances of dying are automatically extremely high. I could just sneak out of the house by accessing the porch downstairs tomorrow morning, despite the fact that it will be extremely loud, and my parents will find out.

Maybe I could run away during the night. But the main question is who will I tell? I start to pack my bags up ready for leaving.

I find an old suitcase in my wardrobe, and along with the rucksack full of clothes and entertainment, I pack a lot of extra clothes, knowing that I will be gone for a very long time. I pack a lot of books too, as I will be missing school for a while and seeing as I just turned fourteen, I will have to revise for my GSCE exams which will be happening next year. 

After a few hours of planning, I have decided that I will go at the crack of dawn, so this way I can get a bright and early start, without waking my parents or my younger brother up. I managed to use the last of my mobile data (luckily it renews tomorrow) to check the weather and sunrise should just start at around 5:30 am. 

 First I'll grab my bag and sneak downstairs. Then I'll unlock the door, have last minute checks and spend a few minutes standing near the doorframe just to confirm my decision. Finally I'll run out, hold out for a while and lay low until the afternoon, and I will tell Jacob the news.