Now or Never ⇀ John B Routledge [1]

iii. don't you worry child

It isn't uncommon for children to grow up in an abusive household. Some psychologists even state that more than half the minors in the continental United States experience some form of physical, mental, or emotional abuse from a family member in their lifetime. This abuse often causes children to act out, run away from home, and in extreme cases end their life altogether.

As Ashtyn sat on the cold concrete floor of the ferry bathroom, she couldn't help but wonder how her life reached this point. What did she do in her past life to deserve such selfish parents?

The petite brunette shivered in her rain soaked clothes, hugging her jacket closer to her body as she curled up in a ball. It took over five hours of walking before someone felt bad enough to give her a ride.

Since her arrival at three in the morning, she'd been hiding from the storm in a nearby bathroom covered in spiders and god only knows what else. It wasn't ideal to say the least, but the thought of seeing her brother in a few short hours made possibly getting an STD from the floor worth it.

All she wanted was a dry change of clothes, but her backpack and the contents inside had become soaked from the night before.

The half broken wooden door being pushed open almost made Ashtyn jump out of her skin as she came face to face with a member of the ferry's wait staff. A woman whom her mother and father had become close friends with throughout the years. All she could do was pray that she wouldn't be recognized.

"Are you okay?" The red-haired woman rushed to Ashtyn's side with a worried expression on her face, "Do you need to go to the hospital?"

So far, so good.

Ashtyn shook her head, doing what she could to stand on her weak, tired legs. Every small movement was followed by a muscle cramp, which told the teen that she was in fact dehydrated. "No, sorry. I just need to get on the ferry." She sighed, hoping her next excuse would be believable. "My brother is in Kildare county and hasn't answered any of my calls so I've been waiting to go across all morning."

"You're a good sister." The red head tapped Ashtyn's shoulder kindly, "The island lost power last night and cell towers are down, that's why you weren't able to reach him."

The new information gave her a wave of relief. More than likely the towers were already down when she tried to call and that's why it wouldn't go through. "I had no idea. Thanks for the heads up."

"They're going to start letting passengers on soon if you want to get in line." The stranger used her thumb to point behind her, "I saw a good amount of people pulling into the lot when I walked in here."

Ashtyn said another quick thank you before excusing herself, brushing what little dirt she could from her black leggings and 'Clash' t-shirt before rushing over to the slow moving line.

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The smell of saltwater encapsulates every fiber of Ashtyn's being as she closed her eyes and smiled. She's always loved the beach from the grainy sand between her toes to the calming sounds of waves crashing against the shore. Every little thing brought a smile to her face.