The Jewel of Neverland

Chapter 1

"Amethyst! Get back here now!"

Whatever happens, I couldn't look behind me. I especially couldn't turn around and go back. Not there.

"Don't make me come out in this damn rain and drag you back myself!"

I cringed but didn't stop. It was an empty threat. They were always empty threats. I'd tried to sneak out in the afternoon before he woke up from his nap, but no luck. He came in my room to demand I make him lunch only to discover that my clothes were all gone and I was already making a beeline for the front door.

Trying to ignore him, I hugged myself for warmth. It was dreary, cold, and raining. I'd only just walked out the door and already, I was soaked.

"AMETHYST!"

I didn't want to, but I couldn't stop myself. I turned around to look at who I liked to refer to as my jailer; otherwise known as Paul. He was standing in the doorway of our shabby house. Excuse me, his shabby house.

"My name is Amy!" I snapped. "Only my mom can call me Amethyst."

That was a low blow and I knew it. My mother and he hadn't even been together 3 months when she abandoned us. I was ten years old. I understood why she wanted to get away from Paul. He was lazy, an alcoholic, and cruel. What I didn't get was why she had gotten together with him in the first place. It's not like he had money or physical attractiveness to make up for how much of an pig he was.

Before she left, she'd promised me that she'd send a plane ticket for me to come to her wherever she was once she'd settled down. She had never sent me a ticket though. She never even wrote. She'd always been cold to me, but never to the extent of just abandoning me.

Maybe she didn't have money to take care of us or maybe she had grown sick of me, like she grew sick of Paul. Either way, I still missed her. More importantly, I desperately needed to get away from this disaster of a home.

I guess in Paul's defense he could have kicked me out to live on the streets when she left. Then again, I was the one who kept the house in order and put food on the table. I don't know what he would do without me. Probably try and marry someone who'd be as dumb and naive as I'd been for the last 7 years.

Once I had turned fifteen, I got a part-time job and hid the money I was earning. Now I was close to being eighteen and had enough money to get away. I had planned on waiting until I turned eighteen and after I graduated, but there was something inside me that was screaming for me to go now. So I left school and made the arrangements to get out of there.

I focused my attention back to Paul, who was staring at me with narrowed brown eyes, reflecting my own hatred. His crow's feet turned his face into a wrinkled mask and the years of screaming had obviously taken a toll on his visage. "You'll never make it on your own," he growled, looking ready to hurl his beer bottle at me. "You're too gullible. You'll be eaten alive."

I shrugged and adjusted my knapsack more securely on my shoulder. "Even if I am, wherever I go will be better than here. Thank you for keeping me alive and, somewhat safe for the past seven years but I'm done taking care of you. Good-bye, Paul, and good-luck."

I began walking again and this time I didn't look back.

"Um, miss? Excuse me, miss?"

I snapped back to reality and stared at the waitress in confusion. "I'm sorry. What?"

"I asked you what you'd like to order?" She was giving me a weird look. I could see some concern in her blue eyes.

I was sitting on an interstate diner. I was sure that I couldn't be the only runaway that'd ever sat in this booth, dripping wet clothes and rain-soaked hair. Before arriving at the airport, I had ducked in here to get out of the rain and to treat myself to something small to eat. I had already purchased my plane ticket to Maine, but now I only had a small budget for eating out.