Enough Strength For You

Escape

Today is the day. I am not sure when they are going to come down, but I know they will and I will use that opportunity to escape. At around noon (I have gotten really good at keeping track of the time and days over the years) I hear the door open and my heart starts racing. It is finally happening.

I see my mom walk down the stairs with a plate in her hand. It has more food than usual, which means they don't plan on feeding me for a long while, but that's good for me. It means that I get more food before I am on my own. She sets the plate down on the floor in front of me and I start eating. It is only rice and plain chicken, but it is so amazing. I could feel my stomach turn as it finally gets food. My mom stands there waiting for me to finish before she usually hits me and then takes the plate back upstairs.

As I finish the last scraps on my plate I can feel her arm swinging down toward me. I jump back to dodge.

"BITCH!!! WHAT ARE YOU DOING!" My mom is furious but instead of saying anything I just blast the restraints on my legs. The cuffs stay on, but my legs get free from the chains. I don't look up at my mom but I know she is stuck between confusion and anger. I have never even tried to defend myself before, let alone defy her altogether.

My explosions are pretty weak, I have been freezing down here for days with no clothes or anything to warm me up and my quirk is not as strong in the winter. However, they get the job done for my legs so I quickly start blasting the chains on my hands. I can't reach as close for either of my hands as I did for my legs, so when the chains break, I still have some attached to the handcuffs around my arms.

At this point I look up just in time to jump back and dodge another swing from my mother. I hit the back wall, expecting her to attack again, but instead she starts running back toward the stairs. NOOOO. She is going to lock me in here. I take off running after her and as I quickly get into a rhythm, I use my explosions to fly past my mom and make it to the door before her. I quickly open the door and walk through it. Slamming the door shut and making sure to lock it.

One down, one to go.

I look around and don't see my dad anywhere. That's fine. I quickly head to the front door and grab my backpack. I go to leave but remember that I am naked and since my dad isn't around and I don't have to worry about my mom, I decide to change. I put on some clothes (a plain short-sleeve shirt, pants, and the only pair of socks that I own), and grab my shoes and run out of the door with no other hitches in my plan.

I start to get happy as I realize that I actually escaped from that Hell. I take off running down the street and to get as far away from there as possible. After running for what seems like an hour, I hide behind some trees at a park. That's when I take off my handcuffs and leg cuffs with my explosions, finally freeing myself of the shackles placed on me by my mother.

But something was weird, I hadn't seen anyone the whole time that I ran. I don't know why, but it seems pretty weird especially since it is midday and New Years' is only a couple days away.

I come out from my hiding spot and start walking around. I don't really know where I am, but I decide to go into the store and figure out where I am and exactly what day it is. I walk up to a grocery door, but the doors are locked. That's weird, I think to myself, but decide to just go to the store next door. I get there and again the doors are locked. What? I try again and again, but every store around where I am is locked. Why is that? Am I in some sort of dream or something?

I start running again, maybe this place is just really old and all of the shops are closed down. That's when I see someone walking down the street. Finally. I run over to her, hoping I don't look too beat up, I haven't looked at myself yet so I have no idea how I run.

"Oh. Hello?" A middle-aged woman says as I slow down, trying to catch my breath.

"Uh, what time is it? And what day is it?"

"Are you okay sweetie? You look like you got in a fight?"

"Yeah I did and I hit my head and I can't remember what time or day it is. Do you know those things?" I try to play everything off so she doesn't ask any more questions.

"Oh yeah sweetie! Of course I do." She pulls out her phone and looks at it, "It is 8:42 on Christmas morning. But make sure you stay out of fights young man. I must be going now, but you have a great rest of your day!" She says before I can even thank her. I don't think if she stayed I would have thanked her anyway. I was too shocked.

What? Is it really only the 25th? I couldn't believe it. I was only down there a couple of days, not a week. How delirious was I? I was always good at keeping track of the days down there, but this time I was completely off. And I was even wrong about the time.

Once I get over the day, I calm down realizing that I'm not in a dream. It is Christmas, that is why no one was outside and that is why all of the stores are closed. I let out a big sigh of relief. Great, so now I have about 6 days before I have to be in Kyoto, but I have no idea where that is. The lady!!!

I run in the direction that the lady walked off in. I see her walking up ahead and catch up to her again.

"Umm, ma'am, do you know which way it is to Kyoto and how far it is?"

She looks at me weirdly before pulling out her phone and again. She starts typing and then clicks something, after which she looks up at me, "Well Kyoto is in that direction," She points to the right of us. "But if you take the bullet train you could get there in about two hours."

I look at her, my mind stilling processing the direction she pointed. "Umm, thank you so much ma'am have a good day."

"You too sweetheart and make sure that you stay out of trouble!" She says before leaving.

I can walk that far. It will be tiring and I need to make sure that I hurry, but I have about 6 days to get to the Kyoto Festival and I plan on making it.

I start walking toward Kyoto, the bullet train wasn't even an option, knowing that it costs money to get on.