*Autumn 's POV*
I sat in my bed with my headphones up high trying to block out the yells from downstairs. No music was loud enough to make my parents screams go away. Every night my dad came home, what I guessed was drunk. Every night they would yell. Every single night my dad "abused" my mom. I just sat upstairs incapable to help her and just had to listen to her cries of pain. I don't even call him dad anymore because he isn't my dad, he is a stranger in my eyes. My mom and I want to run away but we can't. The only choice is to live here or live on the streets. One time I called the police for help but somehow Henry (my "father") got the police to believe he was innocent. They might believe that but I know its all crap. I've seen what he does to my mom. I've experience it. I've created a whole plan to reveal his lies. If nobody else would act then it was all up to me. Next week I've planned to try out for jobs. Once I get enough money, I'll buy three cameras and hide them in some of the rooms. Once I get enough evidence I'll bring it to the police station and stop my moms pain.
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I've got the job but realized that this is going to take a lot longer than I thought. Cameras are pretty expensive and at the rate of how much money I get paid a week, I'll be in my thirties by the time I get one camera, not even three. There was no escape from this madness. No escape. I was stuck. This life was quick sad the more I struggled the more I sank. But that's all I could do was struggle. One day when I got home from work late I could hear my mom and Henry fighting even before I got inside the house. Every night this happened but still the neighbors didn't do anything about it. None of them even talked to us. Even at school I was shunned. All the kids moms had told there children to avoid me. A scream echoed through the empty streets outside my house. With a sigh, I walk inside. My mom was laying on the ground with her hands covering her face and Henry towering over her. Henry turned to me, "Get up in your room! NOW!" he yelled pointing up the stairs. I knew if I had said 'no' it get me in trouble but something inside me couldn't take it any longer. "NO!" I screamed back clenching my teeth. "What the hell did you just say to me?" he snapped. "I said no! I won't! YOU CAN'T TELL ME WHAT TO DO!" I howled. "You little bitch. You get in your room right now!" he said coming at me with his hand raised ready to strike me. I braced myself for it but then, "No! Don't!" pleaded my mom. Henry turned to her infuriated. My mom signals me our secret signal. It was time, it was finally time to escape. I dash upstairs and grab my prepacked bag from my closet. I've been preparing myself for this day always thinking it would never come. When I run back downstairs I don't look at either of them and just bolt out the door. Right as I was staring to run down the street an unbearable scream comes from my house. I turn around and look through the door. A body was laying on the floor and a pool of rose red blood. "Mom!" I outcry. She mouths, "I love you, now leave..." I could see a tear drizzle down her cheek. I just run not looking back. Tears pooled in my eyes but I had to leave. Once I got to about 10 streets away I notice a CVS. My breathing was heavy and my legs numb but I managed to get across the street to it. Inside I open up my bag. On the top was my passport and 300 dollars. A plane ticket was on top which confused me since I never actually put that in there when I packed it. Pulling it out I noticed there were actually five tickets connected together the first one was for North Carolina, the next one was for Florida, then Oklahoma, and Nevada, and lastly California. They were all boarding a month after each other. Looks like my mom had everything planned out. She planned for me to leave today. Once I was in North Carolina I'd live there for a month then I'd go to the next state. Ever month would be a new place until I get to California. I grab out a 20 dollar bill and head into CVS. I had to get only the essanchals, stuff like a tooth brush, socks, a small amount of food, and probably Advil. As I was checking out I notice a switch blade on display, "He can it see that?" I ask the cashier pointing to the plastic case holding the knife. "Sure." he says taking it out and carefully handing it to me. The wooden handle was nicely crafted and a beautiful pattern was carved into it. On the blade is a wavy line pattern. "How much?" I ask still examining it. "It was originally 20 but I'll give it to you for 5." he said with a smile. Handing him the money, "Are you sure your allowed to do that?" I giggle. "Not exactly but if I get fired it will all be worth it because I got to talk to a the most beautiful girl I've ever seen." he said slightly blushing. "I'm not pretty." I sigh, "Well bye, nice talking to you." I say before he could say something like "Yea you are." I just hated it when people told me that, even though it was really rare for anyone to even talk to me. I stuck the pocket knife in my back pocket and kept walking. I'd never be able to make it to the Airport by foot.
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After about 10 minuets of trying to get a cab, someone finally picked me up. "Where do you need to go?" the man asks. "Airport please."I shyly mutter. Once we finally arrived I handed him the money and walked into the airport doors. Not many people were there, it was 3 am after all. I boarded the plane at 4 am so I had an hour to kill. I got some food from a small restaurant inside.
~Big time skip because kinda boring~
It has been four months since "the escape." I got a job in Nevada to make some money. I ran out of the 300 fast. I never realized how hard it actually was to live on your own even though I am only 17. Everything was so much different. I had to get a hotel room and pay for rent. Then there was food. I had to eat but eating at restaurants were way to expensive so I've basically been living off PB & J sandwich and juice boxes.
~After Flight~
After the flight I decided the subway would be my best bet. (not the restaurant) The subway was filled with people so I had to stand up. A boy walked in. He wore his hat backwards and worn out skinny jeans. "Excuse me." I say tapping him on his shoulder. Surprised, he turns around to me, "Yes?" he asks.
"Your Bajan Canadian right?" I asked with a smile. He sighed as if sad I knew who he was, "Yea..."
"Cool," I say and walk back to my spot. When I look back at him confusion was on his face. "What?" he asks as if he didn't understand what I said.
"I said cool." He appeared to be still confused. "Something wrong?" I ask with a chuckle.
"No, your just so much different than everyone else." he said.
"Is it because I'm not freaking out fangirling over you?"
"Well.....yea." he said with a shrug.
"Oh well sorry that I'm not talking any pictures or tweeting about it. I have more important things to do."
"Like what?" he asks kind of invading my privacy. Annoyed with this conversation I say, "I'm looking for a hotel to stay at."
"You aren't from her, right?" God was he frustrating. All these questions, why did he want to know anyways? "Yea I'm not from here."
"How old are you?"
"Ok that's it," I snap, "Why do you want to know all of this? Ever heard of privacy?" I was up in his face yelling at him.
"Sorry, I was just think that if you need a place to stay at you could always stay at our house." he sighs.
"The team crafted house?" I ask nervously.
"Yea!" he says with a smile. I couldn't tell if he was serious at first. "It's the next stop if you want to come! If you don't want to stay over you have to at least meet the rest of the team." he begged. You couldn't say no, just five months ago I would be begging to go but I guess I've changed over that amount of time... "Sure, why not?" I shrug.
