Staying Strong

Running Away...Again

Finally, I get away by kicking Keith in the head with my free foot, knocking him out. I run up to my bedroom and slam the door shut, locking it behind me. Rover jumps up from the window seat and looks at me. I run to my suit case and throw off my long sleeve pajamas as I look for my blade.

After throwing everything out of the suitcase but still finding nothing, I scream out of frustration and repack. Mom must have found it. I slide on a pair of jeans and my hoodie to cover up my scarred body and zip up the suitcase.

I go over to the window seat and look out the window and spot the roof of the porch that would act as a safety net for me. I push on the window, but it is locked. I reach for the lock but realize that it is one that only unlocks with a key. Frustration causes me to scream again and I grab a lamp from the top of my dresser.

I use the metal base of the lamp and bang it against the window. "Gah!" I scream. "Is the damn window bulletproof?" Finally, the window starts to form cracks in the center and as I hit the window more, they begin to spider webb their way throughout the entire window.

Keith makes me aware that he is concious by banging on my bedroom door. "How dare you do that girl! Just wait until I get my hands on you!"

"You mean if you get your hands on me!" I laugh like the smartass I am. After one more bash on the window with the lamp's base, the window shatters with all the glass landing on the ground outside.

"C'mon Rover." I coo to the dog then grab him. "We're busting outta here." I put the poor dog just outside the sill on the porch roof then I reach for suitcase just as Keith breaks down the door. Forget the suitcase. I quickly climb out the window, grab Rover, then slide off the porch roof onto a grassy patch of ground. I miss the landing and fall on my kness, but I'm quickly up and running down the road in no time.

~~~

"Rover!" I call to the puppy as he finishes doing his buisness in the grass and he runs back to me. "Let's go," I say hooking his leash back up to his collar. I tie him to a bike rack and go inside Lows. I head to the tool replacement isles and spot the detachable razor blades. I stick a pack of two in my hoodie pocket after I take off the Lows pricing sticker. I begin walking around the store to make it look as if I am actually looking for something and then make my way to the door.

"Find everything okay?" A sweet voice says and I turn around to see...Charles? I thought Keith killed him honestly.

"Charles?" I squeal and hug him as a smile takes over my face.

"Yeah it's me!" He smiles.

"I-I though Keith killed you!" I began to cry but quickly wiped away the tears.

"No, I eventually came too and saw everyone was missing. Speaking of missing, do you have Rover? He was gone too."

"Yeah! C'mon!" I lead him out to Rover and untie Rover from the bike rack. Charles sits on the sidewalk to play with Rover.

As they play and Charles laughs, I go to sit with them. As I bend down the pack of razors falls out of my hoodie pocket. "Did you steal this?" He asks picking up the pack. "From my work?"

I look down at the ground. "I have no explanation."

"Why?" He says a bit loud. "I should have you arrested." He stands up.

"Look!" I shout. "I understand it's wrong, b-but it's been really hard for me! I'm just barely making it, b-but I'm trying my best to stay strong!"

Charles sighs. "Do you wanna come over to my place and talk for a bit?"

~~~

"Okay, so what happened after I blacked out?" Charles asks, handing me a mug of lemonade to complete the hot day. Rover lays not too far away from either of us, in the center of the rug. We are in Charles' and his parents' home, but his parents are on vacation on a cruise.