Differences

Chapter 1

"This can't be happening to me."

I look out at the scenery of this town I got dumped in. I take in a shaggy breath. I hear the pounding of footsteps. I'm still being chased, I speed as quietly as I can over the rooftops. Scaling and jumping has my full attention, until I see a light flick on in my direction. I take a sharp left and didn't see the space between buildings. My foot slips as the light passes over me. I landed near a ragged set of stairs. My arm beneath me in a twisted position. There was no snap but pain clawed it's way past my lips. I grab a rock with my good arm and sling it down the narrow pathway. Voices are closer to the ledge with more lights. I pull myself into a side space between the buildings I fell from. Just in time to see light shine over where I was sitting a second ago. Adrenaline warms me up and I feel my heart continue it's slow pumping. Only once did it beat rapidly like normal hearts do. The day I felt Pierce hold my hand for the first time. That was also the same day I was taken to Brazil. I thought I was going to live with extended family. Instead I was given in exchange for a gambling debt to a drug lord.While my debt free Aunt and Uncle joined a new casino in Texas. How classic is that? When I turned 16 El Dingo decided I should start making him money, in a brothel. That didn't end well, I was determined to hold onto my innocence. Every person who was locked in a room with me left bloody or with out something. Money and a wallet missing is a given. However things you don't want removed from your person? I got to them, a finger, toe, tounge even. You get the picture. El Dingo didn't like his charge being bad for business. So I was trained to do exchanges, until I ran straight to an officer during an exchange. I tried to get El Dingo caught, instead he beat me to a pulp and sent me to the hills where his grandmother nursed me back to health. I stayed there with her until I was 19. I learned to fight, do parkour and various other things from his grandmother's neighbors. A cute boy who was home for R&R with family for 2 months was my teacher. He had a soft spot for me being that we were only a year apart. I didn't take action on that particular fact. I had eyes for another, he knew from jump street. I often told Treeal, my teacher/admirer, about Pierce. He told me that I needed to grow up and get it out of my head that me and this boy I met in New York would keep such a stupid promise. The minute those words left his mouth I found my hand connect with his face. In all my years with El Dingo's grandmother I never causes any trouble. 2 more years and the woman would have helped me get back over to the Northern part of America. Treeal had hopes that I would become his wife instead. I hated the idea. That was the last time I saw Treeal or grandmother. She was sad to see me back in the clutches of El Dingo, the same clutches she was trying to escape. Her daughter was killed by his father, El Dingo took his father's life and took over like some prodigal son. He hates to see a woman hurt until she hits all the right buttons to make him angry. Like me, I don't push buttons, but I mash his in till he can't function without being angry. He got me back in his house and tries to get me to open up to him. I know it's a trick thought, I was terribly sick from a weird stomach virus for a few days. He was talking sweet a calmly until I started to walk away. His anger boiled beneath his spray tan. I didn't mean to stir up trouble but I knew if I opened my mouth his white carpet would be tye-dyed with vomit. Just as I reached marble, easy cleaning, cool flooring I began to crawl towards the closet bathroom. He was over me yelling and screaming, my body shoved harder and sticky, acid-like spittle pressed throughout my mouth past my clenched teeth. Fed up he kicked my stomach just as it unclenched. I couldnt hold back then, red and orange vomit was all over the floor. I crawled through what I vomited until I began dry-heaving. I had a serious case of the runs also present in the hall way, visible through my pants. I never felt so nasty in a my life, but the only thing I could focus on was the cold marble flooring. It felt so nice. I couldn't believe I hadn't layed on it since I had been here. I found myself in a bed with familiar sandy blonde locks over my line of sight. The face was blurry but I was positive Pierce was here. Cherry brown eyes replace the sweet blue ones I was hoping to encounter again. I groaned feebly and mad an extremely weak attempt to turn away from the disappointing face. Treeal. The one who got me onto this whole mess a few months back.

Thinking back on that day a year ago makes now seem like vacation. It's been months that I've been dogging everyone, trying to wait out my timing. I knew where Pierce was. Panama I believe. I can't recall where but it was a step. Pierce and his father stayed in New York while I got shipped here. His father's company was expanding quickly. I knew about the general location when I heard about a company in the way of many trafficking activities are getting interrupted. By nightfall my shoulder had started to ease up on the pain. I climbed into one of the many houses the watches the same few kids who are caught in El Dingo's world. Pain killers, an angry yet understanding woman bursting through the flimsy door? I'm going to go crazy if I don't calm myself down, and leave here in my past. For good.