a Piece of Art

0.0 T H E P L A N

   As I grow older, the huge passionless parties my family held ostensibly for my birthdays became more and more boring. They were never about me that for sure, but when I was a kid they let me invite some of my friends over as well, at least. Not that I had many anyway nor that it would bother my parents when they invited over one hundred friends of their own. As the years passed, I couldn't invite them anymore. Maybe that's why I stopped talking to the few friends I had.

   After turning fifteen I wasn't even actually allowed to dance other than the routine dance with my father. After that, I could as well be dismissed, my presence not needed anymore other than for show. Mother wouldn't even let me get close to the chocolate fountain, as I was already too fat anyway. They all saw me growing up but I was sure none of them cared about me as long as I looked pretty enough. Which apparently, I couldn't.

   I sat now at my eighteenth birthday party in pants, formal pants, but pants all the same. I was legally an adult and after too many fights, mother had finally accepted that I would dress how the heck I wanted for my supposedly party.

   I contemplated my life, I couldn't keep living like this. This was no life.

   I needed an escape but I didn't know any other than my books and drawings.

   I had to run away.

***

   "Please take care, my dear..."

   There was only one person in this world I knew I could trust with my secret. Only one person that cared enough about me to know that this was my only opportunity to break free from this hell my parents were putting me through. I was old enough to live my life for myself and not become a doll like my mother was. I had been raised in a rich environment to become eventually the stupid little wife of a man who could practically be my father. They didn't care for love in this world, that for sure. But the worst part was that they didn't even care for my education.

   I was homeschooled my whole life. The majority of the things I had learned though were trough books. They taught me everything. From geography to history, science and everything I wanted to learn. Mother never cared about that. She taught me modals which she thought was something I needed more. I never would need theoretical knowledge as I would never have the possibility of studying further. She never counted with my fascination for science.

   I only counted with her growing up. My grandmother. She was my father's mother. She was nothing like my mother. She loved her husband, she had a life for herself. So she understood I needed mine. She was the only one I could talk to. She even gave me money so I could disappear. I didn't want my parent's money, that money seemed disgusting to me. I didn't want anything from them anymore. I didn't want either though to depend on my grandmother Lucy, mother would treat her horribly if she knew she had been helping me. So she gave me cash instead, enough to find a simple place to live and food till I could get a job.

   I had secretly enrolled in university planning this whole escapade and was able to get a scholarship due my high notes. Everything was planned but as the time came, I felt nervous. I didn't have much time to plan everything out. The actual idea of fulfilling my dream had been very unexpected. Although I had been dreaming about it for a long time, I never thought I would do it.

   "Be safe, alright?" It was almost midnight, the guards at the door made their last round five minutes before midnight, when they changed places with the next group. I didn't have much time if I wanted to leave tonight.

   "I'll be. I promise." Everything was uncertain. I just had my scholarship. That's all I knew. The acceptance letter had come in today. I had to run before anyone knew about it.

   Even though I had some truly shitty plans and what I was doing was very risky, I wanted it. This is what I've wanted for so so long. I was about to be free. My life was starting finally. No more living in a prison. I would now have to work for everything I wanted and as weird as that might be, I preferred it.

   "I love you, Elizabeth." She knew I probably wouldn't be able to contact her soon. I would be leaving my parents a note, so they won't look for me but she would be in some serious problem if she was caught hiding me. We both knew it.

   "Love you too, grandma."

   We hugged. This was probably what I would miss the most. She had been the only one to ever hug me.

   It was almost time. I needed to go as soon as the guards started their round, tired and incautious. This was the only opportunity I had to escape without them noticing it.

   "C'mon. It's time to run."

   I left her. It was extremely painful, but I left her.

   I run trough the garden. No guard to be seen.

   As soon as I placed a foot outside my family's property I felt it. The sudden rush of adrenaline for the unknown. I was finally free.

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Updates for this story will be posted every Wednesday and Sunday. M xx.