The Thorned Rose

38

Fuck. What did I do? I feel like such an awful person. I still didn't know exactly how I felt, but I slept with him. Fuck sake. I slept with him. He's going to expect all these feelings from me now, that I'm not sure I am even capable of feeling and...

It was about 4am, and I decided then and there I needed to leave. I needed to leave and clear my head and just breathe. I couldn't breathe here, I felt suffocated. I slowly and carefully left the bed, and went to my wardrobe and got changed into a pair of black leggings, a black zippy and some trainers. I took a black rucksack and threw in the essentials: purse, laptop, phone, car keys, four knives and two guns. I snuck downstairs, donned in black, with my rucksack on, and quickly went to the kitchen to grab an apple or something to eat on my journey.

"You're leaving?" I span around to see Nadia, arms folded across her chest, jaw clenched.

"I can't stay. I need to get away Nadia," I whispered, not wanting to wake up the rest of the house.

"Stay until after Christmas, please? Or at least your birthday, it's only three days until your birthday, and Donna is planning you something wonderful."

"I can be back in three days. I just need a break. Nadia, please? I slept with him, and I don't know how I feel I just... I want to go see my parents."

"Are you happy?"

"I don't know what happiness is, Nadia. I know you and Dimitri have your whole thing, but I just, I need some time okay."

"Fine. I will help you get out unnoticed," she nodded her head, "but if you aren't back in three days for your birthday... don't bother." I was slightly taken aback at her words, why is she the dictator around here? But whatever.

We went to the garage and got in one of the many cars. I had turned off all of the CCTV for the house already before I went downstairs, so there was no worry about that. Nadia opened the boot for me, and I got in, and she drove. This way, the guards would only know Nadia left, not me. I heard her explaining to the guard that she had a sudden craving for some fastfood, and they let her leave without another question. We drove until we got to the airport, and she dropped me off.

"Stay safe okay? Say hi to your parents for me," she smiled, hugging me.

"I will, bye Nadia."

"Bye Savannah."

I went into the airport, booking the next flight to Moscow, which was, lucky for me, in a couple of hours. I used the passport of Sofia Vanilla, which was new, and not tied to any of my other alias' in any way, so that no one would know where I went. I knew even if they realised Nadia was the one who helped me leave, she would never say where I was going; she cared about the safety of my parents just as much as I did.

When I landed in Moscow, I rented a car, and drove for a while. Then I rented another car, and another car, and went in a million circles around, to throw anyone on my tracks completely off. I bought a bicycle next, which had absolutely no tie to my name, and cycled for a while to a hotel, where I booked a room and left my laptop and phones (so I couldn't be tracked), hired a motorcycle, got on three buses and two trains, and then cycled on a different bike to the bottom of a large valley. In the valley, hidden in the trees, in a tiny secluded village that lived only off fishing from the lakes and rivers in the middle of the valley, was my parents.

I knocked on the door, and heard some shuffling behind it, no doubt my dad getting his gun.

"It's me," I said, and the door flung open. There was my dad, who I hadn't seen in three years, a smile beaming from ear to ear, and his arms wide. He grabbed me in a big hug, and shut the door.