Lost But Found (Emison)

Chapter 7

Emily POV

The wind rushes past me while my feet pound into the ground. The blood pumps in my ears as my heart pounds in my chest.

My earbuds blast music in my ears, propelling me to run even faster than I was. I can feel my pain lifting, I can feel my body sprinting to freedom. The air slapping my face brings me relief.

I don't know much but one thing I know is that being out here I can escape it all.

It's 5:05 in the morning and Freddy, Mary and Mark won't be up for another 2 hours. So I have plenty of time before I have to deal with them all again.

I do this every morning usually. Sometimes I can't wake up in time but when I can, I go.

By the time I reach my halfway point I am craving water and a short break. Walking through the woods, I hear music, making me widen my eyes and duck behind a tree before I am seen out and about.

Peeking around the tree, I see Alison DiLaurentis sitting on the Kissing Rock with the book we are reading for our project in her hands. Her phone is playing soft, yet calming music and I don't think I have ever seen her looking so kind, so relaxed.

I adjust the way I am standing but I accidentally step on a twig, hearing it snap loudly. Alison jumps up from the rock.

"Who's there?!"

I hide behind the tree, my heart thudding in my chest before she speaks again.

"I'm going to call the police!"

Crap.

I put my hands up and emerge for her to see me, "It's just me."

"What are you doing here?"

"Sorry I just...I always come here on my morning runs."

"At 5:15 AM?" She crosses her arms over her chest, clearly suspicious but I shrug, "You are sitting here reading a book at 5:15 AM in the woods."

She steps back and bites her lip while she thinks, "I come here when I need to get an escape."

"I get it."

I walk over and sit down on the rock, folding my hands together while I take in my surroundings.

"I come out here to just be free for once, be able to think for myself without anyone else's input."

Alison watches me and slowly sits down beside me, "What do you mean?"

"Well you know...Everyone else always has something to say, especially about me. But they don't know me...I don't even know me."

I shake my head, allowing myself to get vulnerable when I never wanted to today, especially not in front of Alison freaking DiLaurentis.

"Emily."

She places her hand on my back but I jump at the touch, my body having a mind of itself when I jolt away from her.

Alison stares at me with wide eyes, "Are you okay?"

"Y-yeah. I'm fine. I just. I need to get away from them."

I slap my hand over my mouth when I say that, but it's too late now. Alison heard me. And she isn't stupid.

"Who? Mark? Your foster parents? Emily...What have they done to you?" Her hand gently places itself over mine, sending my heart for a whirl.

I shiver and shake my head, "Nothing."

"Emily-" "They told me I couldn't tell."

"Well too bad. What do they do to you."

"They beat me."

The air is still, no words are spoken. It is like everything around us froze in time. Every bird stopped moving, the wind froze in time, the squirrels still.

Alison sits with her mouth open, her eyes brimming with tears.

"They beat you?"

Nodding, I purse my lips, holding my tears in. I want to cry, not because it hurts but because I finally told someone else. I feel more free, more relieved.

"And uh...he...Freddy, my foster father he sometimes um...r-ra..." I trail off, not able to contain my fear and misery.

Alison pulls me into her and allows me to cry, "Shhh...It's okay, you don't have to say it Emily. I understand. I know what you mean."

"We need to go to the police and fill out a report against them and-" "NO!" I shout, sitting up. Alison jumps at my outburst and I stand up, "You can't tell anyone Alison please. Freddy h-he has friends on the force, trust me I've looked and it only kicked me right in the ass afterwards. You can't tell anyone! You can't!"

"Okay! Okay Emily relax please!" 

She grabs my arms and lowers them while I cry and thrash around.

"Emily! Calm!"

"No! Just leave me alone!" I shove her away but she comes over to me and hugs me.

"Let me go!" I try to get her off but Alison refuses to let go. She hugs me tighter and the more I fight, the tighter Alison holds. It becomes soothing after a while and I give in, letting her hold me while the emotions come out.

I sob into her shoulder before my knees give out. Alison doesn't let go. She doesn't run. She follows me to the ground and lets me lay in her arms until I relax.

"It's okay. I'm here, you're safe."

"I hate it there. I hate them."

"Emily...Why do you stay with them? Why not get out?"

"I can't. Nobody believes me. Plus, the system sucks, they don't want to deal with it."

She sighs for a moment and nods, "Fine. But you're not staying there tonight."

"Alison they'll-" "No. You're staying with me. We have a guest room. Please let me help you."

I sit still and just nod, "Okay."

"Come on."

She helps me up and walks me to a silver Lexus RX. I've never seen a nice car like this before.

I get in the passenger side and Alison smiles at me gently before giggling at my reaction to her beautiful and clearly luxurious car.

"Emily...have you ever been in a Lexus before?"

"I've never been in any car like this before...it's so new and...clean. The Wrights don't allow me to sit in their cars. Always said I'd make it smell like disappointment and told me I'm a waste of space...so I usually would skateboard or walk everywhere."

The look she gave me almost made me want to jump out of the car off a cliff. She looked so miserable, so sympathetic towards me.

"Alison it's okay-" "I am so sorry for how I treated you. I treated you like dirt Emily. I never even knew your story."

"It's fine-" "No! No it isn't. You deserve to be happy and treated well."

"It's okay don't worry. You didn't know, how could you have known?"

She sits and slams her hands on the wheel then sighs, "I swear to God those people are going to get it. They'll pay for what they did to you."

And with that, she peels off from the dirt and drives to her house.

++++++++++++++++++++++

HI FRIENDS!

I know it has been a while but I am here! Swear!

Just giving this book a little more gas :)

How we liking it?

What will happen next?

Review and comment!

~Stay Fearless~

Caleigh <13