It was December 14th, 2006, 5:30pm, a supposedly normal day, nothing was supposed to happen, all was quiet, all was calm.
It was the perfect day to leave.
Val had already began this planning, she had been planning long before Mischa left, she knew she had to leave, she just didn't know when.
Once Reginald began threatening her again and Eight had started becoming a mini him, she knew it had to be soon. That house was not a home, it was a torture method.
Whilst every sibling was in their room, doing their own thing, she decided to begin her packing, her letter, and her escape plan.
Some things were easier then others, she didn't need much, all she planned on bringing was her leather jacket, money and some shirts, maybe her teddy if she had the space, if not Ellie could have him.
Once her rucksack was packed and secured, she walked over to her desk, taking out a pen and a small piece of paper, she wasn't going to say good bye to their faces, that would hurt far too much. Instead she wrote it down, and it went somewhat like this:
TO ELLIE, THEO, BLAIR, KAIA AND COLBY,
I wish you all well, and I love you, but I can't live here any longer, I can't live this life, it is tiresome and controlled, i am so fucking sick of everything that happens here, I'm sorry.
I've had this planned for two years, I have money, someone I know and two interviews next week, I'll be okay, I hope you all will be too.
I'm sorry for leaving you like this, I want you to know my arms are always welcome to you all, I am here for you, I just cannot live with you any longer.
PARK THAT CAR. DROP THAT PHONE. SLEEP ON THE FLOOR. DREAM ABOUT ME.
SINCERELY,
VAL.
She folded the letter in half, writing each of their names on the letter, placing it down onto her bed before moving on to wrapping up a gift for her sister, now she was leaving, she wouldn't be there to help Els with her power.
Els is who she would miss the most.
She would be the only reason Val felt guilty for leaving.
She had bought her 5 lighters, 7 bottles of lighter fluid and a shit load of hair spray, so she could still create ashes, she could still fulfil her "purpose."
She packaged up her nail polishes and eye liner for her two other sisters Theo and Kaia, they'd appreciate it the most out of the other siblings.
She was going to give Colby two of her band shirts and 4 of her CDs, she too packaged those up, laying them on the bed next to her other items.
She left out Eight, he refused to see her as a sister, and he was a royal cunt most of the time, she didn't care if she was being petty, or if his attitude wasn't truly his fault, she didn't want to speak to him, she didn't want to treat him like her true siblings, like her friends. He always said they were different, that they weren't the same, or siblings, so Val didn't treat him like one. He chose this for himself, he should be fucking used to it.
Val through the bag out the window before levitating herself down, she had left 'anthems for a seventeen year old girl' playing on repeat in her room, a reminder to dream about her.
She was finally out of the house, she had her things, she had a place to go, and she wasn't waiting any longer.
.
.
.
.
.
She ran.
She ran and she ran and she ran. She ran til her legs were sore, she ran til she couldn't feel her feet, she ran until she felt as though her lungs were about to collapse, she ran until her lips were dry, she ran until she couldn't run anymore.
She was free.
She was free.
Back at the academy, everything still seemed normal, the siblings were called downstairs for dinner, and when Val hadn't left her room, Ellie went to investigate, telling her other family members she would 'go see whats up.'
"Val?" A voice spoke outside her room, knocking on the door repeatedly.
She began to worry.
"Valerie?" The knocks grew hectic.
"For fucks sake Val answer!!" Surprise surprise, no response.
"Well I'm coming in."
The door opened.
The door opened to a stripped down room.
A room without a person.
A room without Val.
"Oh my god." Ellies eyes darted around the room, she called her siblings to come upstairs, and so they did.
Inside the small room at the end of the corridor stood 6 siblings, staring at the gifts, at the letter, and at the lack of mention of Eight.
They stared at the burnt edges of the room, the open window, the empty drawers and the small teddy on the floor.
She left it. It had a pink post stick note stuck to it,
"For Ellie."
December 14th 2006 4:30pm was the last time any of the siblings saw Val Hargreeves until 13 years later, with the exception of Ellie, who actually saw her quite often.
" NOW YOU'RE ALL GONE, GOT YOUR MAKE UP ON AND YOU'RE NOT COMING BACK. "
