Priceless

Chapter 1

Tick. Tock. Tick. Tock.

The clock continued to irk me. The silence around me rang in my ears and I begged for the clock to break. Slipping out of bed, I rubbed my eyes and searched blindly for my lighter. My fingers fumbled along my nightstand until they wrapped themselves around the cold plastic.

Click. Click.

My lighter snapped to life and the little orange flame illuminated the darkness in front of me. I reached for the doorknob but winced at the pain burning on my back. I tenderly reached backwards to trace my fingers along the back of my shoulder. Swollen and tender, the bruise pulsed with life.

"That bastard..." I mumbled. I shuffled out of my room and down the hall. Snores filled the air and I gagged at who they belonged to.

"Blaine, shut up." A sour and hoarse voice snapped. A doofus groan emerged from the room and I could hear shifting. I stood still and placed my hand over my nose and mouth. There was a silence and soon after, the same rigid snores started up. I tip toed my way to the living room and found the reason to my lack of sleep.

I switched the clock to the "off" position and walked back to my room. I grabbed my duffle bag from underneath my bed and tossed all my personal belongings into it. I zipped it shut and turned around to look at my room for the last time.

"Goodbye... Hell." I sneered and opened the bedroom window. Tossing my duffle bag out first, I waited to hear for someone waking up. When no sound came, I easily slipped my slender body out next. I shut the window quietly, grabbed my bag, and started walking. Within minutes, my walking turned to jogging and my jogging turned to sprinting. Tears streamed down my face in relief, relief that I was finally free.

I wasn't going to get caught again. I wasn't coming home ever again. And I would never see their faces again.

My body burned from running for so long but I didn't stop until I was miles away, underneath the train tracks. The giant bridge stood in front of me and the fog covered any visibility of a train coming. I crawled into a dark corner and laid my head down on my bag. I was finally granted sleep and closed my eyes.

-

I felt a cold, wet object poking at my face. I could hear sniffing and felt something warm and soft touch my face. I batted at it in an attempt to get it away from me but instead it barked back. I jumped at the sound of the dog and crawled further into the corner.

"Shh!" I hissed at the dog but it refused to give up. It barked and barked and barked until a voice came it's way.

"He found her! Good job, Biker!" A man's voice boomed enthusiasm and I dreaded what was coming next. His soft face appeared in my line of vision and I started to cry.

"Don't cry. We're here to take you home." His soft voice swarmed into the small space and I cried even harder. He reached his hand out towards me but I hit it away.

"No! I don't want to go home! They hurt me." I sobbed and stared at him through my blurry, wet eyes.

"They won't hurt you anymore. I promise."

And with that, I took his hand. He carried me down the hill and to a black car. I sat in the backseat with the dog and watched the strange man drive me away. The silence hurt so I coughed and met the man's eyes when he looked at me through the rear view mirror.

"What's your name and why are you here?" My tone was cold.

"I'm here to take you home. And my name is Hunter."