Run Away

short story by Shah444d

initially written as a recount short story for English class, and I thought I should upload it here for you. Enjoy ;)

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Speed-walking, taking long strides, I could sense him walking closely behind, then into a slight jog. As I turned around to face him, his cold fist collided with my jaw, blood spewing from my nose. He grabbed me by the collar and dragged me out of the streets into someplace I couldn't tell where. Kicking, screaming, yelling, I had tried everything. There wasn't much I could do anymore. This was it. I could feel my life slowly come to an end.

Pounding me in the stomach again and again. I felt my insides squelch. My head fogged with God knows what. No one would be able to find me in a place like this, no matter how loud I screamed.

~

Today was the day I finally ran away from my foster family. I had my backpack all set, carefully lacing my shoes as I told Catherine, my foster mum, that I was leaving to study in the library. Carefully pacing around my room, observing what was once somewhat mine wouldn't be anymore.

All the posters I knew nothing about hung up on the wall, the tall boy full of clothes for me, a double bed with so many damn pillows. But this wasn't for me. This was for the girl these parents never had. The little girl they've always wished for. Dreamed of.

I've been in and out of the system my whole life, placed into 5 different homes this year, and it's only September.

I know my plan might not be the best of plans, but I've had enough of this place and its system. I'm 17 now. I can take care of myself.

Slight guilt washed over me for worrying my foster parents, but they're not my real parents. They don't care for me. They are only just trying to fill the void of not having their own children.

Grabbing wads of cash from under my bed, I had saved up from working at this café across the library, stuffing them in my bag under the clothes I had packed earlier. It was go-time.

~

It was midday, the warm sun kissing my skin as I hurried to find a place to stay for the night so I wouldn't wander around the streets like a crazy person at night.

Walking down the street, I passed my neighborhood, and the next, and the next.

As the sun set, I slowly realised this may have not been the best of ideas. From a distance, I could see a park with dimmed lights. There's also a cool clay bridge nearby. Maybe I'll just find a park bench and rest there until the next day.

There was a figure that just came from around the corner lurking. It began to walk towards me. Now this was quite scary. I packed my things into my bag and slowly began walking away from where I was hoping to find someplace elsewhere with less dodgy-looking people.

I turned around to see if it was still there...it was. And I recognised him. He worked for my father, Jay Park. My real father, that is. He believes the foster care system is good for me. He put me in this position. In this real-life youth prison. He failed me as a parent.

~

Starting with speed-walking, I could sense him walking closely behind, then into a slight jog. I ran. I ran as fast as my little legs could take me. The pit in my stomach dug deeper as I tried to shake off the negative thoughts.

BEEP, cars honked as I ran through the streets I wasn't familiar with. Pressing the pedestrian crossing lights but not even waiting for it to give me the green light. I don't know where I'm going. But all I knew I needed to do was get as far away from this man as I could, that was for sure. I slid over a car hood, trying to maintain a decent distance away from him as possible. I don't know who it was, I don't know where I am, I don't even know what's happening.

Tripping on a rock, he's got me.

Beating me to a pulp till I couldn't feel anything, my whole body surging with warmth and numbness.

"Jay Park, it's done," I heard a deep voice announce, my eyesight slowly fading away into a void of complete dull darkness.

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let me know what you think.