As the bell ranged for the end of school, I slowly gather my things to get to my locker. I walked slowly out of my class and into the crowded hallway of teenagers. I put away books that I didn't need anymore, for I wasn't coming back to this school. I was afraid—very afraid. I couldn't be here any longer, not anymore, I had to get away. I closed my locker and walked out of the school, slowly. I walked past the buses, for they always seemed too crowded for me. Besides, nothing but jocks and preps on my bus. Yeah, some of them were cool with me, but I liked walking better.

As I walked down the street, I felt the breeze rushed towards me, blowing my hair out of my face. Even though it was September, there was still a summer's breeze in the air. It took me about an hour to get to my house, my father still at work, or probably out drinking. You see, I'm afraid of my father, for he is always drunk, and beats me every night. He blames me for my mother's death, seeing as she died giving birth to me.

When I entered the house, I went straight to my room, not even bothering to close it the door. I never really had any friends, for I was afraid to bring them home to him. I dumped all the things I didn't need from my backpack and started putting in extra clothes, money, books, and notebooks. Writing and reading were the only source I had of escaping my life— leaving everything behind and not worrying about my father. I'm about to turn 18 in a week, and I couldn't wait because than I was considered as an adult, and I could leave my father. But I couldn't wait a week, for it was torture, and seemed an eternity for me. I had about 10, 11 years of torture already; I didn't want an other week.

As I got everything I needed, I put my backpack on and walked out of my room, only to come face to face with my father. Drunk and angry. He looked over me, than to my backpack.

"You were trying to leave girl!"

I shook my head, having stopped using my voice for so long.

He sneered at me, "you stupid whore!" His words came out slurred. My father moved closer to me, his steps stagger. "You killed the woman I loved! It was your fault!"

I took a step back, getting ready to run out towards the back way, not wanting to get hit, not anymore.

"All your fault! And now she's gone! Elizabeth is gone! And you're going to pay for it!"

As my father got ready to hit me, I turned around sharply and ran down the hall. I was about to reach the stairs, only to be grabbed by the backpack. My father turned me around and punched me. I fell backwards, down the staircase. I blacked out halfway down, but gain my conscious back at the bottom of the stairs. I stood up a little wobbly. As I pushed pressured on my right hand, pain shot through my whole arm. I knew than that it was probably broken.

"I swear I won't let you escape! You will pay for everything you bitch!"

I looked up at my father to see him walking down the stairs. I took off running out of the door, not once looking back. I heard my father yell cursing at me, as I stumbled to get away from him, from my life. I ran towards the UW Parkside College, running into the woods area they had. Good thing it was only a block away from where I used to live. As I stumbled over branches, I saw that the sun was going down and my dad's voice not too far behind.

I continued running deep into the woods and hid behind a large tree. When his voice faded, I sighed in relief, but I just than noticed the pain shooting through my stomach. I lifted my shirt to see I had bruises on both sides of my stomach.

'Great, my ribs are probably broken too.' I thought darkly, as I closed my eyes, letting go of my shirt.

My father's voice faded away from me, as I slid down the tree to the floor. I felt something warm trickle down my neck. I touched my neck with the tips of my fingers and brought them in front of me and saw blood. I felt myself get light headed and dizzy, my vision becoming foggy. I soon blacked out, praying that my father wouldn't find me.

--§--

I woke up to feel something crawling on me and pain shooting throughout my whole body. I looked down and saw a spider as big as my hand on my leg, looking at me with it's small, bitty eyes. I didn't want to scream, fear of someone finding me, so I did the next best thing; I jumped up and danced around like an idiot, my arms at my side, flapping them up and down like a chicken.

After five minutes of looking like an idiot, I held my stomach, remembering that it was bruised and my ribs probably broken, and the spider gone. Than pain shot through my right arm, and remembered that my wrist was broken also. I looked around my surrounding and notice I wasn't in the UW Parkside woods. I started walking one direction, in hopes of finding a street or somebody walking around here.

I kept hearing noises behind me and on my sides but I just ignored them, believing it was some kind of animal. After two hours of walking, I leaned against a tree, still lost in this new surrounding and out of breath because of my injuries. I breath in deeply, my pain getting worse by the minute. Than I felt warm liquid trickles down my neck once again, and I put my fingertips to my neck. When I brought them to my face, I saw blood. I looked around, trying to find a way out of these strange woods.

A thump to my right than caught my attention. I turned my head and saw a ugly black thing with armor and some kind of steel for a weapon. Than, at least six others walked behind the first one, all looking at me lustfully, hatred, and annoyance. I stared at them horrified, and thought up only one thing to do. I sprinted to my left, running as fast as I could. I heard those things running after me, and I panicked, not knowing what to do. I looked back and saw one of them with a bow and arrow. He was about to release it when I tripped over a log, the arrow whizzing above my head inches away.

I cried out in pain, tears going down my cheeks. I choked back a sob and turned on my back, forgetting that I had my backpack on. I saw those things surround me and smiling evilly at me. One of them walked up to me and picked me up.

"You look nice enough to have fun with." He grinned, looking up and down at me.

All I did was spit in his face as a response. He snarled at me and slapped me with his fist, knocking me down. He kicked me couple of times, getting out couple of cries, than stepped on my stomach, making me scream. Though, as quickly as the weight was on me, it was off of me. The thing fell next to me with a arrow in it's head. The other things scrambled about, as I stood up in pain.

I saw men in nice armor and swords fighting the things. They had long blonde or dark brown hair, going down to mid back, I think. But I didn't stick around to find out who they were. I ran out of there, not knowing where I was going, but the dizziness came back, as my vision once again became foggy. I stumbled over branches but continued to run. But having the pain worsen, I leaned against a tree on my side, crying. I couldn't see straight, nor walk for that matter.

I was getting tired of people hitting me, as if I was their damn punching bag. Darkness than edged around my vision, and it got bigger, and bigger, as more blood trickle down my neck and my left arm. I couldn't keep conscious anymore, so I let the darkness take me over, falling to the ground. But I didn't feel the ground, only a pair of arms around my waist, which I winced before blacking out, hoping that this was my end for good, and my life would be better.

--§--

I opened my eyes slowly, blinking several times to get a clear vision. I saw a creamy color ceiling, that arched upwards towards the middle.

"You are awake."

I looked to my left and saw a man with long dark brown hair and gray eyes. I gave a yelp and scrambled out of the bed I was in.

"Do not be afraid, little one. I am here to help you heal." He said, stepping closer.

I looked about the room, and saw a balcony to my right. Taking no chances, I ran to the balcony and jumped over the railing landing on my bare feet on marble floor. I looked down to notice I was wearing a shirt that passed my knees slightly and a pair of pants that was a light fabric.

"Stop!"

I looked up to the balcony, than bolted down the hallway. I passed other's who looked like the men in armor and in the room I was just in but I didn't stop for directions. I turned a corner, only to bump into some soldier guy, as we both fell to the floor, me on top of him. He looked up at me surprise, as I looked at him in surprise and horror. I stood up quickly and took off down another corner. I grabbed my stomach, as it started throbbing in pain.

"Stop!"

I heard the soldiers behind me yell. I ran into what looked like a garden and tried to find a way out. I saw a wall and a tree nearby, so I quicken my pace, despite the pain. I jumped over a bush, only to fall on my back, as I bumped into somebody, again. I looked up and saw a man with piercing blue eyes, blonde hair, and medieval clothing but nicer and fancier. Next to him was an older man who looked the same but had a beard. We stared at each other, not knowing what to think or say.

Than yelling could be heard behind me. The two men looked up, as I stood up and ran down another way.

"Stop that girl!"

I heard the man from the room yell. Before I could leave the gardens, however, I was grabbed around the waist. I struggled to get out, but their grip tightens, making me whimper in pain, tears streaking my face. I don't want to know who these people were or what they were going to do to me. The man from the room walked in front of me, he lifted my shirt up slightly. Than he lifted the sleeve on my left arm, than looked behind my head, looking at my injuries closely.

"You reopened the wound on your left arm, and the one behind your head."

I tried to struggle to get out but I couldn't, so I started to cry harder.

"Get her back to the healing room quickly. I do not want these wounds to get infected." He said, as couple of soldiers walked towards me.

I jumped up and kicked the soldiers, making them fall on their backs. I elbowed the person who held me but they just grunted and held me tighter. I cried out in pain, the tears flowing down faster. I shook my head, wanting to wake up from this nightmare and go home—will, not my original home, but a place I could call home.

"Stop struggling. You will only get yourself injured more." The man behind me said.

I stopped struggling, as the older man walked in front of me.

"Do not worry little one. We are not going to harm you. We are trying to help you."

He reached out towards me, so I cried out, covering my face on to the guy's shoulder, not wanting to get hit.

--Flash back--

My dad wanted to talk to me, so I walked down the stairs and into the living room, standing by the doorway. I remembered my father didn't beat me today, so I thought he stopped drinking. My dad looked up at me and smiled.

"Come here Magdalena."

I walked closer to him and when he was at arms reached, he grabbed my hair and pulled me to the floor.

"You killed her! You stupid bitch!"

I started crying, as he whipped me with his belt, than kick me, and punched me.

--End of flashback--