Carter has spent her life running-from a brutal past, buried secrets, and a name she no longer claims. Gifted with Abilities she barely understands and haunted by the father she killed, all she wants is to survive college without drawing attention...
I sat curled up on the floor beside my bed, hugging my knees tight against my chest, silent sobs shaking me. Fear clawed at me-tonight had been the worst it's ever been. I just wanted it all to end.
There was so much hurt in me, so much anger, I could hardly breathe.
And then, something inside me snapped.
I wiped my tears and forced myself to stand, pulling myself together. Slowly, I made my way downstairs. When I reached the bottom, I could see him-my dad-lying on the couch, peacefully asleep, as if nothing was wrong.
I took a deep, steadying breath and walked into the kitchen. Resting my hands on the counter, I thought through what I was about to do. Anything was better than the hell I was living in. This wasn't gonna stop until I made it.
I grabbed the biggest carving knife we had, the weight of it heavy in my hand. I didn't let myself think too long, didn't let fear stop me. I moved back to the living room, standing over him, watching him sleep.
How could he have done this to me, for so many years? He claimed he loved me. Even if his addiction was partly to blame, why couldn't he choose me over the bottle?
The anger rose inside me like a wave, and before I could stop myself, I lifted the knife and plunged it straight into his chest. His eyes flew open, shock and pain crossing his face. Seeing that look only fueled my rage, and I pulled the knife back, stabbing him again. And again. I was crying, screaming, pouring everything I'd bottled up into each strike.
When I finally stopped, my mind cleared just enough to see what I'd done. The knife slipped from my hand and clattered to the floor as I stumbled back. Blood was everywhere-on him, the couch, the floor, all over me.
What had I done? A strangled cry escaped my mouth, and I covered it with my hands, backing away in horror. I turned and ran upstairs, my heart pounding, the reality crashing down on me.
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Tallahassee Fl Carter
I stared out the window of my Uber as we rolled through campus. It looked just like I imagined-old brick buildings, students lounging on grassy lawns, the buzz of something alive and electric in the air. For the first time in a long while, I felt a strange mix of freedom and hope. Like maybe this really was a fresh start.
I couldn't help but think of Erica. She'd be proud of me-no doubt about it. I'd never gone to school in person before. Everything was online, behind screens. Now, I was actually here, about to live out something that felt... normal. A shot at the kind of teenage life most people take for granted.
I met her in Arkansas when I was twelve. It was just a few months after I left home, back when I still went by Bernice. From there, we were always on the move-Texas, Illinois, Oklahoma, Kentucky, Georgia, the Carolinas, Alabama... anywhere we could land for a while. But it never lasted long. There was always some trouble-some argument with her pimp, or we'd do something illegal and have to disappear. Erica was fifteen then. Her story wasn't that different from mine-abuse, drugs, being failed by the people who were supposed to protect us. She ran, and eventually, so did I.
