on the run

chapter 1: loss

I've always been a weird kid, I never knew why I was the way I was but I have always been the oddball. I have a really good memory, I can recall everything all the way up to my birth.

My first memory is being held in my mother's arms, the first time I ever opened my eyes, her beautiful face staring down at me, smiling. The warmth of her arms wrapped around me, I have never felt so protected.

That was the first time she held me, the first time I saw her. little did I know it would also be the last.

She died on that day the strain of giving birth to me proved too much for her. I remember the doctors calling to each other scrambling around as her heart rate stopped. The long continual beep and gentle arms lifting me and placing me in a warm soft place and then being wheeled away.

I slept well that night not knowing what was going on all around me, not knowing that memory would haunt me for the rest of my life.

My dad spent every day of that week in the hospital with me. he spent the days holding me, he insisted on taking care of me himself and hardly let another person touch me.Soon they let him take me home and we lived happily.

He was the best dad a girl could ask for. We did everything together. Every night before I went to bed he would get out his guitar and sing the same song. It was the most beautiful tune and his voice so calming.

But like all good things it didn't last. I was six when it happened. We were going on a road trip, he traveled alot for work and always took me with him, but there was something weird about this trip.

He set me in my car seat, I could see the pain in his face as he strapped me in. A single tear rolled down his cheek and he looked me in the eyes.

"I'm sorry Katiebug, I'm so sorry," he said his voice trembling, I had no idea what he meant. he leaned down and kissed my forehead.

"I love you so much baby girl," he burst into tears, I reached my tiny hand up and touched his cheek.

"Daddy don't cry" I said. He smiled and got in the car and we were off.

Later that night we were on the highway, it was dark and the road was narrow. I had just woken up from a nap an,d I saw a big truck ahead of us.

"Truck, truck" I said happily making grabby hands at it. We passed the truck and my dad looked at me he touched my cheek and whispered

"I love you Katie," then the truck hit us. The force launched the car off the freeway. We rolled down a hill and slammed into a tree upside down. My dad undid his restraints and fell, then lowered me down. He lay me softly on the ground, then lay beside me and said.

"Stay alive for me Katiebug," he pulled out the large piece of metal that was protruding from his stomach. I curled up and cried, soon I could hear the sirens.

I spent the next six years going from orphanage to orphanage. no one seemed to want me and sometimes I would hear voices in my head saying things like 'freak' 'no one loves you' 'loser' and 'stupid'.

Eventually I ended up at the openshaw orphanage in Washington. A nice house on an open lot with a forest surrounding it. Openshaw orphanage was a place for misfits, where people who weren't wanted would go, people like me. This was where I made my first friends, Quinn, Jake, Amber and Jasper.

Quinn is the same age as me. He loves adventures, whenever he is around we always end up having fun. He loves to spend the days outdoors. sometimes at night when no one was looking he would lead us up to the roof. he seemed to be the only person who knew how to get up there.

Jake was the oldest and always tried to protect us no matter what. He is tall and strong and loves to help others. He is usually the quiet type but opens up when he is with us.

Amber is the youngest among us. She is short and shy, The others will deny it but I think I'm her favorite. She os always sticking around us, she hates being alone.

Jasper is only a year younger than me. she is the most energetic and playful, she and quinn always get along very well. They do almost everything together. Jasper is only a few inches taller than me. she can move like a master gymnast and is the fastest climber I've ever known.

None of us could ever guess what was about to happen. We were not prepared for what was about to happen when we learned the truth.