I know better than to tell the truth
Less pain if I lie
Maybe if I just stay still they'll stop
Diane Cantry, or rather Dia, has been on the run since she got a once in a lifetime chance to escape. Her life in the streets wasn't perfect, but it was...
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I woke up panting and screamed when I saw what was above me. A hand quickly covered my mouth and I kicked and thrashed to be sent free. The boy pressed his hand harder against my mouth. "Stop it Dia, your gonna get us caught!" He hissed. My eyes went wide and he quickly got off of me. I Immediately calmed down and nodded to let him know I was fine. He sighed "Dia, you are gonna be the death of us both." "I know," I replied and jumped up, just to be rewarded with the stench of the alleyway. I grimaced and turned to face the reason of my previous terror. "Why are you wearing that?" "What, this?" He asked as he pointed at the hideous mask over his face. "I thought you'd like it! It looks just like your old boyfriend." He smirked and took off the stupid pig mask throwing it at me. "This looks nothing like Ryder but I guess he was a pig. A good kisser I might add." He rolled his eyes and began to pack up what little stuff we had. But hey I'm not complaining. And I lied, he never touched me, I never kissed him. "Are we leaving again?" "Yes, we've been here long enough, we don't want CPS on our tails again." "Why won't they leave us alone! There are billions of other kids to worry about that aren't the famous 'runaways'. I mean I-" Andrew put a hand over my mouth and I shut up. He motioned for me to be quiet and pointed down the alley where a group of men were headed our way, I backed up so he wouldn't be touching me. They were laughing and obviously drunk, I rolled my eyes but considering it was almost daybreak I wasn't surprised. I knew the drill, and grabbed my stuff while carefully dodging the junk that surrounded us. It was harder with my backpack because I was unbalanced. Andrew made the mistake this time, he kicked over an empty glass bottle by accident and we heard the men stop talking, but we did hear the men start running, some of them ran away some of them began to chase us. I smirked, signaled to Andrew, and ran. Running was what I was best at, if I was a normal girl I'd probably be out doing track or cross country and that stuff, but instead I run from, wait let me count. Oh yeah! The authorities who claim they want the best for us, drunkies on the street, men who like to look me up and down, and the people who say "hey you were on TV!" Then call the cops. I'm used to it though, I'm just sorry Andrew was dragged into this mess. "Come on I know a short cut!" I raced out the opposite side of the alley and to the main but currently empty road. The men were closer now and the adrenaline I felt kept me smiling I got ready to run again and looked at Andrew to let him know. I could feel the wind as it rushed past us, and laughed as we twisted and turned through the maze of buildings we called home. We lost the drunk men as soon as we turned a few corners but that didn't stop us. Running was exhilarating, amazing, the burn in my legs did nothing to lessen my sense of freedom. It had been weeks since I ran away and I haven't felt better in all of my life. Of course with my parents being who they are I'm always on the lookout for my "fans" but it wasn't too bad a price to pay for the exemption of my everyday life.
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Run faster! Come on, I can do this! I have to get free, I can't go back to that room, that house. Run, you can do it, ignore the burn, ignore the sound of them screaming and just. Keep. Running.
My eyes widened at the sudden memory and I lost focus. I tripped and fell to my knees panting at the sudden stroke of PTSD. I heard Andrews laughter die down as he realized I had fallen back. He jogged back over to where I sat hyperventilating. "I can't go back, I can't." I started to breathe faster. "I know Dia, you don't have to," he replied, crouching down next to me. "They tried, they tried to, to-" I started to tremble and I couldn't control the shaking. "Shh, don't talk about it, I know," "Andrew it still hurts," "I know, that's why I'm here," "Thank you," I choked out "I never do that enough, thank you I mean," "Yeah you ungrateful brat," he said teasingly I gave him a faint smile then stared at the road , then at my shoes, trying to decide which would provide a better distraction. I looked up at him, after a few minutes had passed, I was expecting pity but what I saw on his face hurt more. it was plain obvious what he was thinking. I was broken, and the streets weren't for me. I pushed off of him and backed up, avoiding his eyes. "Sorry. Come on," I held out my hand to him, still avoiding his eyes. "Dia-" he began "Don't, I already know," I snapped, scowling. He grabbed my hand and Pulled himself up, I quickly let go. "Dia, maybe the police would believe your story, plead asylum or something," "Then what? Go to foster care and have my new parents be paid off by the old ones? No where is safe Andrew, we're better where we are," He grabbed hand "listen Dia-" i started to hyperventilate and yelped pulling it free quickly. He looked horrified as he realized what he had done. "Andrew," I began, trembling. "Diane, I am so so sorry," "Andrew," "Please Dia, I forgot." "Never, and I mean never touch me," I took a shaky breath and continued, "I am so grateful for you, really, I would be dead without you. But if you touch me again, grab me, or even look at me wrong, I will run so far away, that you and everyone else could search your whole lives and never find me. Nothing terrifies me more than being touched, and even you , whom I would give my life for, cannot touch me." He looked ashamed and I turned away. "The malls this way, I broke the lock so we can get in through the back." "Yeah good idea."
The night flew by in a blur after that, we didn't talk, it was calm. I'm safe I'm safe They can't touch me anymore They won't get me again I'm safe
Andrew and I ran, no longer laughing, no longer enjoying it, we just ran, ran to burn off the sinking feeling of dread that resided in us, both for a different reason. I saw the sun start to come up and smiled, no more dark, no more black.
"Andrew!" I shouted. "The sun!" He smiled back at me and I grinned, we slowed down and I started to cross the road.
"DIA!" Andrew yelled, I turned to look at him confused when I saw it, a sleek black Tesla. As it sped down to me, this was a 20 mph road, they were going 50 maybe 55. I didn't hear him until he was 20 feet away, then it was too late, he hit the brakes but he still slid. Andrew screamed. I'd never heard him do that before.
The last thing I remember was pain, blinding pain, then black. Pain Then Black
