Everlasting Family

Dakota Lee- Chapter 15

Montgomery, Pennsylvania- 1889- Dakota Lee

Chapter 15

"I don't know what to do, Nathan," I sigh in frustration, throwing the broken glass into the furnace. "My father is getting worse and worse. Jessica can't stay home alone with him. She spends her days wandering the woods and keeping busy until I can get home."

"Do you ever wonder what would happen if we were to run away?" Nathan asks quietly, helping me with a particularly large piece of glass. "If we just took Jessica and left?"

This is not the first time that Nathan has brought the idea of running away up. When we were ten he started asking me about it every few months. This is the first time that I am genuinely considering it.

Jessica is only ten years old now and she is not longer allowed to work in the factory. Our father has made it his goal to hit us until we can't take anymore. I have made sure that Jessica is safe during the day. She keeps out of the house while I am working. At night I protect her the best I can but our father is getting worse. He is more violent and he is drinking more.

"Kota?" Nathan calls, bringing my attention back to him.

Staring at my best friend, I stop my work and address him. "What if we did?"

"Very funny, Kota," Nathan chuckles, rolling his eyes.

"No," I shake my head, dropping a large piece of glass. "I'm serious. What if we took Jessica and ran? She isn't going to survive in my house, Nathan. I see the way my father looks at her. I can't let this happen and we can't keep getting roughed up by our father's either."

Nathan quietly contemplates my words for a few moments. I can tell he is seriously considering it, but he has reservations. I wouldn't be able to leave without him. He needs me just as much as I need him. We have kept each other from giving up all of our lives. After seventeen years of friendship, we are brothers for life.

"Okay, let's do it," Nathan finally speaks up. "Let's take Jessica and run, but we need a plan."

Nodding my agreement, the two of us spent the rest of the day talking about what we would need to take with us. Neither of us had much experience outside the factory, we grew up here, so this was not going to be easy. If we planned it right, it could work though. We would be free and so would Jessica.

Later that night, when our father came home, I knew this was going to be a bad night. Jessica knew about the plan and she had been helping me get supplies ready all evening. I knew Nathan was doing the same. We agreed to start now and gather things in small doses over the next few weeks.

I tried my best to keep our father from Jessica during the night. He was particularly angry though, and he took that anger out on me. I kept Jessica hidden in a closet and refused to allow our father near it.

When he finally passed out for the night, I got Jessica and our supplies. There is no way we could survive in this house for a few more weeks. I am in rough shape, but if we have any hope of surviving, we need to leave tonight. Jessica and I make our way to Nathan's house, praying he is home and willing to go with us tonight.

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