Silently she tiptoed down the stairs and out the door. She looked up at the night sky and set her pace. Crisp air surrounded her and she breathed it in. The earth beneath her bare feet didn’t bother her. This was the only time she felt free. Shackled to a life she didn’t choose, the darkness surrounded her and she felt safe. For most people, it was the opposite. Sometimes clothes didn’t cover all of the bruises, and there is no cloak to cover the mind. The body heals in time, the mind is a muscle you have to strengthen.
This time was different, this time she would not go back. Would she die out here, would someone help her? Surely if they saw her, they would see the abuse. Everything came together..the temperature, the wind, and her soul. She ran until she thought she could fly. She could feel her heartbeat and smiled as if she could take over the world. It was almost if nothing terrible had ever happened to her. For a small moment, her mother was not psychotic, and her father did not drink to drown her yelling out. Could she keep going?
Hours had passed, and she didn’t realize it until the night sky turned pink and purple. She looked around, where was she? Then it hit her like a ton of bricks, she was far away from harm. Inside to her very soul, she felt the invisible shackels lift from her ankles. She had a new start, with absolutely nothing. And absolutely nothing was fine with her. She was a survivor.