Freedom.

Chapter Two

"Alexis, honey, we're here, you gotta get up now." I heard my mothers soothing voice. It woke me almost immediately. 

"What, what, what's happening?" I jerked awake, my heart beating incredibly fast, before I noticed that I wasn't in my house anymore. Then I remembered what had happened. 

"Calm down Alexis, we're just in Adelaide now." My mum comforted me, but she had a concerned look on her face.

"Wait, we're here?" I asked, my voice was full of excitement. This was actually happening. We had now long escaped Perth. Now, we would be starting our new life. 

"Yeah, we are sweetie." My mums concerned expression had now grown into one of love. 

"Hey, you two ladies up the back! Please hurry! I'm on a tight schedule here!" The bus driver called from up the front, looking at his watch. He asked as nicely as he could but we could clearly see he was running out of patience. 

My mum and I shared a look before grabbing the few bags we had and walking out the bus. We had no idea where to go from here. But, we would rather live on the street than live with that asshole. At least on the street, we wouldn't be beaten daily. 

 "Where are we meant to go from here?" I questioned, looking around at the empty gas station we had been left at. 

"I have no clue." My mother sighed. "I didn't really think this through."

"It's not your fault, you didn't really have time to think any of this through." I said, trying to comfort her. I could see how bad she felt for not having a place for us to stay. 

"Hang on.." My mother trailed off. "Nevermind."

"No, what is it?" I asked. 

"I used to know someone. Her name is Dorothy. She lived in Perth with me for awhile but we haven't talked for a long time, ever since she moved to Adelaide. She might be able to help us out, just to start us off." My mum said, but she didn't look very hopeful. 

"That's a good idea!" I exlaimed. "Have you still got her number?" 

"I think so, but I'm not sure if she would be willing." My mum replied, her eyes skimming through her old nokia flip phone. "I've got it." 

"Call it!" I was extremely excited at this point. If we could have a roof over our heads, we could just get on our feet.

"I-I can't." My mum was on the verge of tears at the moment. 

"Why not?" I asked, my voice, once full of excitement was now full of doubt-fullness. 

"Because, we got in a fight before she left. She warned me that this was going to happen, I told her she was just jealous that I had a loving husband and that she would never find a man willing to love her... she told me not to come running back to her if it did happen." Mum was sobbing at this point, and I had no choice but to hug her once again. 

"Oh mum, you know that people say things out of anger, I know for a fact that women definitely say things out of anger. I'm sure she would let you have a roof over your head if you needed." I whispered into her shoulder. I hated seeing my mum like this. It was all because of my excuse of a father. I know I really shouldn't say that, but it was the truth. It was nothing but the truth.

"Could you call her then? I-I can't do it by myself." My mum whispered, handing me her phone. Now all I had to do was try and figure out to work such an old invention. I fiddled with the buttons for a minute, but I couldn't figure out how it worked, I pressed one button and something else completely different popped up. 

"I'll call her if you can just actually get the number up for me! You really need a new phone." I laughed as I handed the phone to her. I didn't have a phone of my own but I would have known how to work an iPhone better than a nokia! 

"Here." Mum said nervously as she handed the phone back. I pressed the green call button, placing my hand on my mums shoulder trying to reassure her. 

"Hello?" I heard a voice mumble from the other side. 

"Hi, is this Dorothy?" I questioned, my voice came out confidently, but I knew that it wouldn't last. 

"Yes, whose speaking?" Dorothy replied. At this point, I was shaking, and my mother was silently sobbing. 

"Um, this is Alexis. I'm the daughter of Kate." I mumbled quickly, not taking a single breath. 

"Kate Hummer?" All noise that I had once heard in the background had disappeared, I could only hear the breathing of Dorothy. 

"Yes.. listen, I know you said you-" I was cut off by a scream, and then Dorothy started speaking. 

"It happened? I told you it would! But just hurry up and come to mine. 21 London Drive, Salisbury East. We can talk more when you get here." Dorothy hurriedly spoke. 

"We don't know the way. We're at some gas station, I'm not sure where we are." I mumbled, but my mum had gained her confidence by that point. 

"Dorothy, its Kate. We're in Elizabeth, but we have no transportation, do you think you could come pick us up?" My mum said. I rubbed her back with my free hand, giving her a big smile. 

"I'll be there in 20 minutes. See you soon." Dorothy's voice was sharp, but I could hear some care hidden in it, I knew that mum wouldn't be able to. 

"She's coming. I told you she would mum, I told you." I said as I pulled her in for what seemed like the hundredth hug in those 2 days. 

"Yes, you did, thankyou for pretty much forcing me to call her." My mum said, surprisingly, she wasn't crying, she was grinning. Her face was lighting up. 

"It's alright mum. We have to stick by each other, we're all that we have left, aren't we?" I mumbled, resting my head on her shoulder as we stood in the same spot that we were dropped at. 

 "I think so.. I'm sorry for bringing you into a life that was horrible." My mum apologized, even though she had no reason to. She needed to stop apologizing, it wasn't her fault. None of this was her fault. 

"You don't need to be sorry. You really don't. None of this is your fault mum, and you need to stop believing that it is." I said, looking her straight in the eye. 

"It is my fault.. I shouldn't have let him hurt you, but I did and I am truly sorry for that, I didn't mean for it." My mum sobbed. 

"I mean it mum, it isn't your fault! You didn't know what to do, you couldn't do anything!" I had to yell to even hear myself over my mothers loud sobs. I hated my father. I hated him with all of my heart. He did this to her, he caused her to be like this, to apologize for every single thing she had done.

"Kate?" I heard a voice call. Dorothy's voice. It had to be hers. My mum lifted her head up out of my shoulder, looking around until she saw a woman. It was Dorothy! 

"Dorothy?" My mum questioned, I could tell that she was trying to blink back the tears so she could see clearly. 

"Oh come here you," the woman said as she saw mums dried up tears. I watched as my mum ran straight into the arms of the tall, lanky woman. She broke down as soon as she was embraced. I stood there awkwardly. I didn't exactly know Dorothy, so it would feel weird if I went up and joined the hug. 

My mothers voice snapped me out of my thoughts. "We've got a place to stay now, Alexis. We're on our way to a brand new life."