Lost By Choice

My Escape

When I was little my dad died from leukemia. My parents hadn't made a will then, so if anything happened to my mom the state got me. Me and my mom became close in that time, we had a best friend relationship. That really helped us in the years later. In that time, my mom met a guy and fell in love. He was super nice and a really awesome guy. I approved of him and they got married. He became my stepdad and that's when my mom got a will. She said, if anything happened to her he had full authority over me until I turned eighteen. I was perfectly fine with that because I thought he was a guy I could trust and count on. Well a year later my mom was diagnosed with stage four lung cancer. We all knew she wouldn't make it. She died when I was sixteen. She fought for a year but the cancer won. After she died, everything changed. You know how I said my stepdad was nice and trustworthy, well I was wrong. Very wrong. He told me that he never loved me, he only loved my mom. She was the only reason he stayed and now he was stuck with me. He said that its my fault my mom is dead and that I'm a horrible child. He said that I had to get a job because I would be paying bills, rent, for food, for some other things too. He told me as soon as I turn eighteen, although I'll still be in school, I have to move out. He came home drunk every night and would beat me. He threw things at me, pushed me down the stairs, and physically beat me. He tried to tear me to pieces saying I was ugly, worthless, everything he could possibly imagine. He's broke my arm, my wrist, my knee, a few of my fingers. He's given me whip lash, concussions, bruises, cuts. Some so bad I've needed stitches. He's tried choking me and once shoved my face in the water. Fighting back is the only thing that makes it worse. Well, two months after my mom died he met a girl at a bar and a month later they went to Vegas to get married. She's no better than him. They drink nonstop when they're home and sometimes do drugs. She even abuses me when I'm home. Last week I turned seventeen and tomorrow we were leaving to head down to Georgia. Right now I was packing, it was past midnight. So technically we were leaving this morning. I finished up packing and put my suitcase and backpack in the bed of the truck. Their stuff was in the camper that way it didn't get wet or anything. I walked up to my room and set my alarm, I did not want to wake up late. That would only be worse. As I laid down in my bed I looked at my door the lock was broke because of all the times my stepdad slammed into it. A few hours later my alarm went off and I got dressed and ready. It was time to go, so my stepmom and stepdad got in the front of the truck and I got in the bed with my stuff. I went and put more stuff from my suitcase into my backpack. Hours later, we finally arrived in Kentucky. I looked through my backpack to make sure I had everything. I laid down flat on my back and rested my head in my arms. I thought back to the last conversation I had with my grandma. "Call me when you're some place safe." She said.
"I will." I promised.
"Stick to the plan and you shouldn't have a problem." She told me before I left.
And that's what I was going to do. She couldn't save me because my mom had left me to my stepfather and that her and my grandfather were to old. They live on their own but it keeps falling back to what happens to me when something happens to them. Also, my stepfather was insane and I didn't want to drag them into this, he had no idea I still talked to them. Also, there's no "proof" he ever abused me or gets drunk. It was up to me to save myself and that's what I was going to do. My grandparents helped me form a plan and get stuff I could possibly need. So, as of now, it was all up to me to see this plan through. I slept for a couple hours till finally we stopped at a gas station in Nashville. We all got out and went inside. "If you're hungry buy yourself food because I'm not making anymore food stops tonight. Just make sure to be back in one hour and take care of anything else you need to right now." My stepdad said. I waited till they were at the freezers looking for a drink. I found a pair of scissors and bought them. I walked back out to the truck and looked around. I grabbed my backpack and went to the bathrooms behind the gas station. They really only exist now down south. I walked in and shut and locked the door behind me. It was a really nice bathroom, like one at a fancy resturaunt. It had stalls but I still locked the main door to make sure no one came in, especially my stepmom. I took out my makeup and used a little darker of concealer to make me tanner, then I used liquid black eyeliner and put on fake lashes that made mine look longer but still real. Finally, I put on some red lipstick. I looked a little different but I knew they would still recognize me if they saw me. I pulled out the scissors and a bag. I cut my long brown hair to hang above my shoulders. Then, I grabbed out the blonde hair dye I packed. I followed all the directions on the box and when I looked back in the mirror my hair went from a hazelnut brown to a platnium blonde. I smiled I could barely recognize myself. I was almost done with phase one and then I had to quickly move to phase two. I checked the time and I still had twenty minutes. I pulled out my bronzer lotion and put it all over my arms, legs, neck, feet, hands, stomach, and back. Now, my body matched the color of my face and there was only one last thing I had to do before phase two. Before I did that, I grabbed out a used Mcdonalds bag from the trash and put the empty hair dye stuff and the bag full of my hair clippings in it. I had to hide any evidence to be safe luckily there was no security cameras anywhere near the bathrooms. I went in my backpack and pulled out my capri yoga pants and bootie shorts. I put those on, then grabbed out my black tank and sweater hoodie. I put those on and put on my black nike shoes and a black beanie. I put everything back in my backpack then put it on my back. I pulled up my hood then walked out. Two minutes. I walked outside and started running. I ran to the treeline and kept running till I got to a foresty/mountainy area. I slowed down and disappeared behind the trees and ran down the hill. Now I wasn't visibleto any one on the road and it also started to get dark. I kept running and I wasn't sure which direction I was going. I started to get tired, weak, and hungry I was ready to stop. It was pitch black and I couldn't even see my hand infront of me. All, of a sudden I tripped and fell and twisted my ankle. I was truly ready to stop and I remembered another thing my grandma told me. "Brooke, I know its going to be hard and you're going to want to give up. But just keep running. No matter what, don't stop until you reach your safe haven. And I know I wasn't supposed to give you this till your graduation day, but I think its best I give you this now." She said and grabbed a box and handed it to me. "Your dad wanted me to give you this the day you graduated college. Don't open this till you need it." She said placing the box in my hands.
I rumaged through my backpack and found the box. I opened it and turned the flashlight on, on my phone.
Dear Brooke,
Congratulations on graduating college. I am so proud of you and although I physically wasn't there I was there in spirit. I am always with you no matter what and don't forget that. I am also always proud of you. I wish I could have actually been there to celebrate your life milestones. I love you and always will. I know you were to young to understand why I left and I don't know what your mom said to you or if you were even there when it happened. I hope you weren't mad at me but I understand if you were. I hope you and your mother are doing well and are still close. Now that you've graduated college you will be entering the real, real world. Mistakes will stick with you. Life will be tough. You'll be depended on. Its all you now. But, the good news is you have a wonderful family to help you. But, if they can't fully meet your needs in here is a check of all my savings. I hope you find yourself an amazing guy who will sweep you off your feet and take your breath away. I wish I could walk you down the isle and see you on your wedding day, sadly I can't. I'm sorry. I know this isn't easy for you and I know you need a father. I wish I could still be there with you. With that said, here's a locket for you that way you'll know I'll always be there and in your heart. I love you Brooke.
Love,
Dad

I started crying, I missed him like crazy and this letter gave me the strength to start moving. I put on the locket put the letter and check in the box in my backpack. I ate an energy bar and drank some water then looked at the map on my phone. I was in Brentwood. I was going the right direction. I started to run again and kept my flashlight out.