Chapter 1: Jessica
It’s the black of night as I creep across the Lane Manor, tonight of all nights Kyle had to be passed out on the couch. I pass by the kitchen and the clock reads 2:00, I’m tired but this is the last time. As usual the door is unlocked I open it and Kyle lets out a loud snore. I need to go, he could be waking up any minute. I close the door and let out a sigh of relief, but it’s not over yet. Slowly I walk down the worn stairs and out the door. Then I sprint. I need to get out of here as fast as I can, if Kyle wakes up and notices that I’m not there he’ll be mad. I turn a few corners and begin to relax.
I hear something coming up behind me, and I start running even harder. I didn’t know who was behind me, but whoever it was definitely wasn’t nice. “Hey! Ma’am, stop!” I didn’t, I just kept going, my feet on fire, but adrenaline in my head. I kept running until I accidentally ran into a guard. “Hey! Be careful next time you’re leaving, you slave!” I realized what I was wearing, and was glad he thought of me as a maid.
I was literally wearing rags, my shirt a little too small for me, and my sweatpants having holes all over them. “S-Sorry, I just need to get back to my family, I don’t mean to stir any trouble.” The guard looked me up and down, scoffed, then let me through the gate. “Whatever, next time don’t come near me.” I thanked him, and ran out onto the sidewalk, the winter air filling my lungs.
I’m free.
After a few hours of walking, my side starts to hurt but I know I can’t stop here. To the east I can see the sun starting to come up, they will be looking.
I reach a sign that says, San Francisco Buses this is where I’m supposed to be. As I board I begin to feel extremely tired, as I take a seat I’m out immediately.
I’m sorry let me introduce myself, My name is Jessica Starling and my life is a mess. I lived in Bakersfield, Wisconsin. I grew up with an abusive dad, he killed my sister when we were only eight. My sister’s name is Emily Starling, my mothers name was Clara Starling, until she left and didn’t come back. Last year, when I was 15, my father sold me off to a rich man to get married. I didn’t like it at the beginning, but now I think it’s the worst thing that has happened to me. I finally escaped my abusive husband and now on the run. I know my mother is alive, so I’m going to find her. I think her last name still must still be Starling, because my mom would never change it. But it’s been a few years, so I’m not so sure.
The bus then makes a hard stop, and I fall off my chair. Great, now I’m awake. I haven’t slept that good in , for like half the day. When I got off, I looked around to see if I could find a restaurant, maybe get something to eat with all that money I stole from Kyle’s vault in his room. If you haven’t noticed, my husband’s name is Kyle Lane, and boy is he a pain. If I didn’t get him what he wanted when he wanted, he would either slap me or punch me hard enough to make my nose bleed. Then, he’d be off to bed after he gave me a whole list of chores to do. I couldn’t stand it any longer, so I put some sleeping pills in his drink and waited till he fell asleep to make a run for it.
And here I am now, at a cafe called Caroline’s Creations ordering a blueberry muffin and a frappuccino. To everyone else I looked like a normal girl getting some food before work, but in reality, I’m running away from a multi-millionaire who is probably having everyone he knows look for me. Little does he know that I’m eight hours away from him, in San Diego, starting a new life, right after I finish up high school.
They probably have people out to get me but let’s just say I’m too quick to catch. I’ve tried to escape once before, but this time I’ll try even harder. I’ll move states, towns, schools faster than they could know what was happening.
Sorry it's such a short chapter!
