Runaway

Author's Note:

Heyo! I hope you like this book! Please feel free to vote, comment, and other stuff!

This book is dedicated (lol as if I'm a real book -paper book- author) to my family, all my friends, all my followers, and all the people I don't know yet.

Thank you amazing authors out there in the world, Wattpad ones and Paper book ones for giving me inspiration to write this book.

If the characters or incidents are in your real life situation, I totally did not mean that and no offense okay?

So...... Enjoy!!! :D

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Prologue - Runaway

I stared blankly at the still, blue, and sparkling river flowing ahead of me wondering if I made the right choice.....

~~~~~

I thought that I finally found home. I was wrong.

My parents died in a car accident as they were driving away from the hospital to their home with me. I was only 1 week after I was born when this car accident happened. I managed to survive the accident while they ever even made it to the hospital.

Since then, I was orphaned by my relatives - Aunt Summer and Uncle Bob.

I tried hard to please Uncle Bob , but he never really loved me no matter how hard I tried to please him. He blamed me for the cause of death for my parents although I was innocent from the start. He blamed the world and started to hate everyone even though Aunt Summer tried hard to explain that the police officers collected evidence that a drunk driver was the cause of this tragic memory.

"It's all because of it!" he would always say, putting the blame and pointing on me.

Even though I shivered at the feeling, I was much too afraid to even complain or talk or even do something about it.

Aunt Summer on the other hand, was very loving and sweet and caring. She would "smuggle" some treats to me when Uncle Bob wasn't watching. I always loved her. She was like my only escape from this madhouse or she would be the shred of hope I have left of my dignity.

When she died, things became worse in his house. Some punishments he did to me for no reason, he couldn't do to me when Aunt Summer was there, he could do to me as much as he desired. That time, I was vulnerable. I was lost. I was unprotected.

I could forgive all the things he did to me. The cruelest of all those punishments was to not attend her and mom's and dad's funeral. He forced me to my room which was an attic with a giant rug for me to sleep and a window. I cried my heart out starting to hate the world more specifically, hate him.

I decided to run away. I decided to go to a place far from him. I woke up to an early morning. Eagerness and determination anticipating inside of me.

I had to get up at once to do my chores or I would be in for another of his cruel and gruesome punishments. As I was doing them, I couldn't wait and I felt as if the day was running to slow.

By 3:00 a.m. sharp, I packed my rug, stole some food,shoes,clothes, and money, and a map and necessary survival items. I knew that he would still be sleeping by now so I took a risk. By now, two thoughts floated in my head as I was packing stuff: be caught and be literally dead or be free from all mix if emotions and captivity.

I would likely choose the second and I left the house, not leaving a trace of me existence.

As soon as I was at least 1 foot away from the house, I started running like there was no tomorrow. Gladness and a sudden burst of joy ran through my heart as I knew I was finally free.

I walked on until the break if dawn. By now, I already reached a park. I decided to sleep there for the night but I would look suspicious.

I passed by what seemed like a dark alley, a bit scared. Thoughts of him, filled my head. I felt a blow to my head and a hard one at that.

I woke up and felt a grassy field under me. I got up with stings in my body - possibly from the stranger that hit me.

I walk around, speechless, dumbfounded, and flabbergasted at the same time.

I marveled at every single detail in front of my eyes. It was like a meadow, all nature and flowers from all over. There was a small river flowing in the middle of this place. What's more is that this meadow was covered by butterflies of all marvels.

I felt free. I felt like I was finally in a paradise.

~~~~~~~

"Who are you!?!" a stranger asked behind me holding a knife to my neck.

"I-I-I'm Charlotte."

"What are you doing here?!?"

"Nothing. I was hit in the head and when I woke up, I was here." I said trying to gather my courage little by little.

"Is anyone else here?!?" she said feeling tender and tender by the second.

"Sis, don't be so hard on her." a second voice says. I bet that that is her brother.

"Okay." she says finally withdrawing her knife.

I break free of her grasp and massage the place in my neck where the stranger previously held her knife.

So far, this was the most interesting part in my life.

"Who-who are you?" I say trembling in fear that she might hurt or kill me.

"Oh, I'm sorry. It's just that because of my situation right now and because of where I come from, we had that bad introduction. I'm Kaitlyn. You can just call me Kate." she said, smiling wide and shaking my hand.

"I'm Cody. I'm her brother and I'm 18."

Although we - meaning Kate and Cody and I - just met, there's something I feel about them that I can trust.

"What are you doing here?"

"We ran away from our family. Don't get me wrong. We didn't want to but we had to."

"Okay, now what are you doing here?" they asked me in unison.

"Can you not tell anyone?"

"Sure."

"Okay. My parents died when I was just born in a car accident. I was raised up by my aunt and uncle. My aunt was living and caring and other good qualities while my uncle was everything but nice and kind. He treated me badly because of my parents' death. A few years later, my aunt died and things became worse in his house. He punished me more and more and more - every punishment worse and worse. I suffered because of him for 15 years. I dreamed of escaping so here I am."

"Oh. We're so sorry for intruding your privacy." they said as they looked at me with sad faces.

"It's fine. Do you mind telling me what's your background?"

"No. Our family is a peaceful and loving family. Somehow our leaders turned our place into a chaotic and ruthless place. There were many wars and many people died and we were the only ones that survived. Many years later, the leader commanded some guards to take us all - me and Kate and our family - away for some reasons we don't know. Our parents fought for us and told us to leave. We didn't want to but we had to. We ran away and hid and when we came back, they were dead. We saw a parchment in dad's hand and took it. It says to find some items."

"Oh. I'm sorry too."

Later that day, we decided to stay there and rest for who knows how long. As of now, I'm tagging along and joining them.

When I slept that night on the rug I have at home in the garden, I kept thinking that our paths were meant to cross. I also kept thinking that this adventure was far from over.........

I didn't know it then but now I know.

We're all runaways.