Chapter 2- The Beginning of a Journey

"Stop right there!"

'Oh my God!' Kendra thought 'He caught me! Now he's going to kill me too!' She turned and there he was, standing on the doorstep, a cigarette in his mouth. She ran.

"Hey! Come back here you little B****!" John yelled after her. "You come back here right now or I'll kill you if it's the last thing I do!"

She knew he wasn't joking, but she just kept running. She knew he was still yelling after her, but she didn't listen. She had no idea where she was going to go, or how she was going to get there, but she knew she had to get far away, and quickly. She was too scared to go to the police, and she didn't have her driver's license yet. She would have to walk.

She decided she would start with the first town she came to; stay there for a little while and find somewhere to work so she could save up some money. She wasn't sure if John would really bother to look for her, so if she heard any sign of him, she'd move on.

As she walked past the park, memories of her mother flooded back to her.

She loved her mom so much, and never once blamed her for marrying John. He was a sweet talker, and managed to worm his way into their lives.

Her mother worked most of the day, so she didn't notice that John was rarely ever home, and when he was… it was bad. Her mother was a sweet lady, and loved Kendra dearly. Even though she had been so young when she had Kendra, she had always been able to support them both. Kendra didn't remember much about her mother before she married John, but she did remember they used to go for a picnic in the park every Saturday in summer. After she married John, the picnics stopped.

Thinking about her mother made her eyes fill up with tears. She still couldn't believe she was gone. Gone, and she wasn't coming back.

She kept walking and tried to block the thoughts about her mother from her mind.

She thought about how far the next town was, and how long it was going to take her to get there.

She was scared to be out on her own at night like this, and she knew that she was going to have to get used to it.

She remembered once when she was… oh, about 10. She had gone to camp for a week in summer. She had a blast the first day, but that night they had a bonfire. They all sat around the fire telling the scariest stories they could think of. All of them pretended that they weren't scared at all, but Kendra knew that they all were terrified.

After they had finished telling stories, it was time for bed. Everyone went off in the direction of their cabin. Somehow, Kendra had gotten separated from the group.

She had been so afraid, out all by herself in the dark; kind of like how she felt now.

But that was 5 years ago. She was older now, more mature. She could handle this… she hoped.

She wished more then anything that her mom could have been with her. Or Dresdan. Anyone to keep her company distracted her from the scariness of the night.

Finally she hit the outside edge of the town. She knew what direction the nearest town was, and kind of knew where she wanted to go.

By now she was starting to get tired. She decided to call it a night.

She crawled down into the ditch and spread out her blanket. She took out her flashlight and used it to help her see. It was really dark out here on the outskirts of town.

She folded her blanket in half, and crawled in between the two halves.

She turned off the flashlight, and set it beside her. She used her bag of supplies as a pillow, and stared up at the stars. It was a clear night and the sky was full of stars. Millions and millions of them. She never knew there was so many!

Once, in a grade 5 class they had learned about a few of the constellations. Even to this day, she could still point out a few. Some of them she even remembered the story behind them!

She rolled over and attempted to get some sleep. She knew she needed it. Tomorrow was going to be a long day. But with everything that had happened, she was having trouble.

She listened to the crickets hiding in the grass. She tried to imagine it was real music, a soft soothing tune. Something to make her forget what was happening, but she couldn't do it.

She was beginning to wonder if her life would ever be 'normal'. She wanted to be a normal kid with a normal loving family and normal friends. She just wished things were different. Its not that she didn't love her mom and Dresdan, she did. If John would've just stayed away maybe her mom would have married someone different; someone… normal.

She was just starting to think that she was never going to fall asleep, but eventually she did. She had a light, restless sleep, and she woke after a terrible nightmare.

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so there it is, the 3rd chapter! i have... *counts on figures* 2 more typed i think? so if anyone e-mails me and tells me what they think (mnesland@sasktel.net in case you forgot) i put up the next chapter real soon! :D

I just wanted to say thanks to Maya for the title! So, thanks Maya! (also, title of a Death Cab For Cutie song, just so you know)

Chapter 1- Meet My Family
Mood:  happy
Now Playing: Such Great Heights- Postal Service
Dresdan stared out the tiny window in the tiny bedroom he shared with his brother, wondering what Kendra was doing right now.

He glanced down at his desk, finding the letter he had just received that morning. It was from Kendra. It read:

Dear Dresdan,

How are you? I hope you're good. I miss you so much. I really wish you were here right now, I need you. John hasn't been any better lately. I wish I could talk to someone about it, but you're the only one I trust.

Please write back as soon as you get this.

Lot's of love,

Kendra



He really wished he could be there with her. He really hated it here. His dad had to move because of his job, but Dresdan wished they didn't. His family loved it here.

His mother thought 'it was the perfect place for the children to grow up.' They were already grown up! He's 16, Danny's 19 and Kaya's 14! They really weren't children anymore.


His dad doesn't really care either way. He still gets up, goes to work, comes home, has supper, and goes to bed. He's a very by the schedule kind of guy. And he loves football.

Danny plays college football, and his dad loves it. He never, ever misses a game. On weekends him and Danny go out and throw a football around in the back yard. Dresdan is never asked to play, but really he likes it better that way. He hates sports.

Kaya was upset about the move at first, leaving all her friends and all, but she adjusted and made new friends pretty quickly.

Dresdan, well, he's not a very popular guy, but he likes that. He likes to be alone, and the only real friend he ever had is Kendra. Now that his family moved, and he can't see Kendra everyday, he spends most of his time in his room with his guitar, writing songs.

That's what he likes to do, write songs. But right now he wasn't in the mood. He wished so bad to be back in Desilie with Kendra. He'd lived there his whole life, he grew up there, and he wanted to go back.

"Dresdan! Dinner!" his mom yelled up the stairs, interrupting his thoughts. He shoved Kendra's letter away into the bottom drawer of his desk, (where he kept all of her letters) promising himself that he would write back to her as soon as he was done dinner.

He went downstairs and sat down at the kitchen table set for 4.

"Where's dad tonight?" he asked his mom.

"Oh, he has a business meeting to go to," she answered, putting some spaghetti onto his plate. "What were you doing up in your room all afternoon?"

"Oh, nothing. Just uh… Thinking"

"You know, you should really stop feeling sorry for yourself and go out and make some friends. It's been 6 months! Everyone else is adjusting fine, why can't you?"

He just shrugged and ate his spaghetti.

Kaya and Danny came in then, and his mom was too preoccupied to ask anymore questions.

He finished eating and went straight back up to his room to avoid anymore questions. He wanted to start the letter to Kendra.

He sat down at his desk and tried to think of what to write. He tapped his pencil on the desk while he thought.

He was just thinking of putting it away until tomorrow, when Danny burst into the room.

"Hey Drez? Guess what?! We won the game!!"

"Yay," Dresdan said, faking enthusiasm, badly at that.

Danny proceeded to tell him every little move made in the game.

Dresdan sighed and put the letter away. There was no way he would get anything written with Danny going on and on about how perfect he is.

He took off his clothes, except his boxers, and crawled into bed.

He shut off the lamp, but Danny didn't get the hint. He just kept on talking and talking and talking.

"And then Drew passed the ball to me, and I ran down the field…"

It was going to be a long night.

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so thanks to everyone that e-mailed me! I was so excited to get those e-mails! Lol! still no title, so any suggestions, e-mail me.

Also, if you would like me to e-mail you when i update this, just send me an e-mail and i'll send you an e-mail every time i update! :D

Again, please tell me what you think!

Big thanks to Maya my beta!! :D

Prolouge- The Escape
Mood:  don't ask
“No” Kendra whispered to herself. She was hiding around the corner, looking down into the living room. Tears started to fall from her face. She couldn’t believe this was happening. She slid herself further into the shadows, not wanting to be seen.

Kendra’s dad left her and her mom before she was born. Kendra’s parents had been young when Kendra was born, only 18. Her mom had gotten married to John when Kendra was 6. He seemed like a nice guy. Wrong.

Now, as Kendra stood behind the corner, watching her step-dad beat her mother, she wondered how her mom had ever come to the decision to marry this guy. Of course, she couldn’t have known he would become an alcoholic and beat Kendra. She wouldn’t have known he’d turn out like this.

It didn’t start long after they got married. He started coming home late, and drunk, every night. And it all went downhill from there. It was Kendra who’d gotten beaten. She was told that if she ever told anyone, he would kill her. She was scared. Scared of him, scared of what he could do. Scared for herself, and for her mom. He’d been nice to her mom, at least civil, before now that it.

She wasn’t sure exactly what had happened, but she knew it was bad.

Kendra sank down against the wall, sitting on the hardwood floor. She didn’t want to watch anymore. He was really hurting her. She had never heard her mother scream so loudly in her life. He would stop soon, and it would all be forgotten, until he did it again. She knew her mother would never tell. She would be afraid, just like she was.

She tried to think of something else, anything to get her mind off of what was really happening. The only thing that came to mind was Dresdan.

Dresdan had been her best friend for as long as she could remember. He used to live right next door, and she had liked it that way. She could tell Dresdan anything, and he would always listen. She trusted him more then she had ever trusted anyone in her entire life. Not that there was that many people she could trust. He was a year older then her, but that had never affected there friendship in anyway. She use to run to his house, after her step-dad beat her. It was like her safe place, and she like having some where she felt safe.

But she didn’t have that anymore. About 6 months ago, Dresdan and his family decided do move to a small town called Limali, which was really far away. Kendra missed him so much, and wrote to him constantly. She wished so much that she could still be next door to him, and that she could run over there right now.

Kendra listened and didn’t hear anymore yelling. Maybe he was done. She peeked around the corner and almost screamed at the sight.

John was done, and was sitting on the chair by the fireplace. Her mother was lying on the floor, in a pool of her own blood. She wanted to run over to her, but knew that John would see her.

Her mother’s chest wasn’t moving. She was dead. Kendra knew it was true, but was still having trouble processing it. She knew she had to get out of there, but she wouldn’t move.

Her mother dead. Her mother was dead. He killed her mother!

She started to cry. She couldn’t believe this had happened. Deep down she knew that something bad would happen in the end, but she never dreamed it would come down to this!

She jumped as she felt a hand on her shoulder. John!

“You won’t tell a soul” he whispered in her ear “Or I’ll do the same to you. Now, go upstairs and go to bed like a good little girl”

Kendra just sad there, paralyzed with fear.

“Now!” He yelled.

She jumped up and ran upstairs.

“Now I just have to get rid of this body and clean up this mess and I’ll never get caught” She heard him say to himself.

Kendra knew that couldn’t be true. They had ways of tracking people down. She may only be 15, but she did know some things. Like the fact that she had to get away from here as soon as possible.

She had no idea where she would go, or how she would get there, but she did know that she had to get away, and fast.

She ran up to her room, and grabbed her backpack from the closet. She threw some clothes, a blanket, and a few other things into it. Then she grabbed her jar of money, that she had been saving for almost 2 years, and took all the money out. It wasn’t very much, but she knew that she would need something to live on, so she threw it into the bag to.

She grabbed the bag, and her coat and shoes, from the closet, and opened her bedroom window.

She’d done this so many times before, usually going to Dresdan’s after a severe beating. She just had to get down onto the shed roof, and climbed down from there.

She threw her backpack down first and then climbed down.

She started to walk down the street, having no idea where she was going. She dealt with her fear the only way she knew how, she ran.

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Ok that’s it for now! E-mail me if you like it! mnesland@sasktel.net and I’ll write more! :D