My Escape [vjoy/taejoy]

Chapter 1

The click clack of her shoes echoed into the night. She knew it was dangerous to be out in the dark. But it was better than home. If she could even call it that anymore. As she walked, she began to slow her pace as her house came into view.

Thoughts surfaced in her head. Fantasy's of a life better than her reality. This was not uncommon for her. Daydreaming was her way of coping. She made her way up onto the browning lawn. Taking out her key she unlocked the front door and with a deep breath to prepare herself for whatever she may be greeted with, she gently pushed the door open and walked inside.

The house was dark and quiet. Joy slowly walked past the kitchen table doing her best not to wake her father, who was passed out on the couch. The house reeked of alcohol. A smell she had gotten used to. Taking another tentative step she was nearly to her bedroom door. Another step and- crunch

Joy stands frozen wishing she could just disappear into the shadows and prays her father is too wasted to wake up. But when she hears a grunt come from him she realizes the gravity of her mistake. "What the hell" her father mutters, groggily standing up. Joy continues to stand still, silently debating whether or not she can sneak into her room, but his eyes have already found her.

"Dammit girl!" He yells and goes to flick on the light switch. She flinches at the sudden raise in his voice. "I can't get one night of sleep with you sneaking around! Where the hell did you go huh? You think I'm a fool? That I'm not aware of you whoring around?!"

Joy closes her eyes. Pretending once again this isn't her life. But a sharp smack across her face snaps her back into reality. She sucks in her breath and looks into her fathers cold dark eyes. She could barely remember a time he looked at her with affection. But it wasn't always like this. She could pin down the exact date her life changed. Too bad she was too young to remember much of the good times.

"Look at me when im talking to you!" He screams. Spit getting on her face. "I'm sorry" she whispers. His face contorts in rage. He steps towards her trying to keep his balance. "I'm sorry is not enough! It means nothing!" He roars. She only has a second to see it coming when a pain erupts in her stomach. The wind is knocked out of her and she doubles over from the force of her fathers punch.

He seems to lose attention at this point as his eyes cloud over, "brat" he mutters as he turns around stumbling onto the couch. With an umph he stretches out. Minutes pass as she stands there waiting for him to fall asleep.

Hearing his soft snore she lets out a breath she didn't realize she was holding in and turns around to enter her room. But not before catching the eye of her mother. The door to her room was slightly ajar. Inside is not an unusual scene. Her mother laying on her side, her eyes cold and blank. Joy continued staring at her mother, hoping her mother will do something, anything. She no doubt just saw her daughter get slapped again. Punched again. But Joy may as well be a brick wall the way her mother looks at her. Joy got her answer as she watched the woman who is supposed to love her the most roll over, turning her back to her daughters pleading eyes, stinging cheek and sore stomach. 

Joy sighed and entered her room. The walls were white and bare. One time Joy had put up a painting she'd done at school. Only to later watch her father rip it down and destroy it during one of his fits. She had learned her lesson after that. Lifting up her shirt her abdomen was red. She knew it was going to bruise. She got ready for bed and looked forward to school and worl the next day. Anywhere was better than home.

~Next Day~

As usual Joy rushed out of her house. She never ate breakfast, wasn't anything good to eat at her house anyways. Walking on her usual route to school she was lost in her head enjoying the way the sunrise painted the sky when a meow caught her attention.