This has got some trigger/depression warnings guys. Please be careful reading!

It was Tuesday morning. I was up early enough that I should be able to catch the train. Judging by the way the sun was only low over the hills, it was just about eight or so. A golden ray of light should be peeking past my window into my old bedroom right now. The golden memories faded as soon as I stood up.

I was weak beyond belief. I desperately needed food and pain killers! I wasn’t dying, just moderately injured! It would heal, like all other burn wounds, in good time. Yeah, there was a near death moment, but I was still alive, wasn’t I? I was alive and sprinting!

That man whose name was Ronnie, he would’ve taken me and beat me if I didn’t go with him. The dark haired man would make sure I died this time. He wouldn’t spare me the choice. I would walk right into the golden fields and into the afterlife. Maybe I would see my parents as soon as I passed.

But what had Austin said? Didn’t he tell me that Ronnie was a good man? Yes, Aus had kept explaining that Ronnie was a good man. He didn’t say anything else.

You can’t trust him! Whatever he says is a lie! My mind fired back. That was true. He told me he loved me, but look how that turned out! I can’t let myself believe any lies he says. Only four days ago, Austin had sold me! The man I trusted said I was safe, but look where that went!

He lies! He always lies! They all spread false words! My mind hissed. The words sunk in.

I just want to go home. I had a short time to make that happen.

Last night, I overheard the words that Austin spoke. It was a risky move, but I crawled close to the edge of the property, longing to hear the sweet voice that used to hum beautiful melodies. Ronnie Radke said he was a doctor, he could heal me.

Did I seriously trust someone that associated with Austin to operate on me?

Hell, no!

He would’ve opened you up and then sewed the pieces back together. That way you could live longer. Ronnie would have more time to beat you! My mind laughed.

Shut up! I’m fine! I don’t think I’m dying anymore! I shook my head, as if I could straighten the thoughts.

Why are you denying the truth? You are obviously letting the life slip you’re your hands. Ronnie could’ve sewn you up just to break you once again. You won’t make it on your own, worthless trash! My mind screamed back. I tore at my hair, grasping at invisible words.

Stop it! I’m better off by myself! I can go to a doctor once I get to Denver! I thought back to the small voices that kept feeding me these words.

Oh, come on! Just submit to the torture. You shouldn’t have run! Go back and let him heal you-just so his whip can beat you down again! Austin said he was a good man; GOOD AT BREAKING HIS SLAVES! The mind laughed, a noise that fill my mind. Closing my eyes, I knew that the hunger and weariness was starting to get to me. I knew two things, although the voice was yelling otherwise.

One, Austin said Ronnie was a good man that would’ve healed me.

Two, Austin breaks the bond of trust easily, and Ronnie would only prolong the pain. He would’ve kept me at the tip of death, but never pushing me over.

Crawling up the hill, I pushed all thoughts aside. I couldn’t focus on the house of liars, but on whatever sat on their front step. A small bag sat on the front step, waiting for me to take it. The cars sat in the driveway. The training Wrecker had instilled into me kicked in. I could take the keys to a car, if I snuck inside. Even then, I didn’t know how to drive a car!

It wasn’t like I owned one, or had anyone to teach me!

Okay, so now to focus on the package. The small, evil voices quieted down as I crouched at the top of the hill. No one was in sight and no lights were on in the house. I couldn’t sneak up to much, but I could at least pick my way down to hide behind one of the cars.

My time was running out. It would take me about twenty minutes to run to the tracks if I sprinted all the way there. Creeping down, I crouched behind a tire, figuring out the best path and crunching the numbers to get there.

It was too easy to walk to the door, submit, and let Ronnie Radke take me away. Would he really heal me?

In this business, I learned to trust no one.

Okay, deep breaths. I could do this. I just need to run. Leave this ugly past behind and make it to Denver. I can back to the old house and act like nothing happened. Would it really be that easy? The grey pack on the steps told me otherwise.

This would be the point where I would wait for my owners to give me permission to walk out and grab the pack. I was way past the point of mannerisms here.

So I booked it behind the truck, snagged the pack, and sprinted around down the path. My feet took me further than I thought. As I continued my path, I felt the urge to puke up the blood like yesterday.

Hold it in, body! You can do it! I grimaced and thought this over and over. I waited for the sounds of cars to pull out behind me. Nothing reached my ears, but I didn’t slow down. I had to sprint to make the train.

In ten minutes, I reached the three quarters point. I heard a train horn in the distance. It would reach the tracks a half mile ahead of me in about ten minutes. Could I really do this?

As I slowed my pace a bit, I pulled the pack to my front and opened it up. It was a little drawstring bag with a small bottle of pain killers, a sleeve of crackers, and other assorted items. I could look through it when I was on the train. All I had to do was reach the tracks, find the back, and hop onto the ledge on the back caboose.

Right as I closed the pack and threw it over my shoulders, two car appeared out of nowhere. The hills had slowed to a gentle incline, and they had been waiting over the rise. On the left was Aaron’s truck, the right had Alan’s pickup truck. The boys were waiting in the beds of the vehicles.

It was a full out chase.

I picked up the pace, the train noises getting closer. I was beginning to reach my target. My stomach felt like it wanted to crawl out of my throat. I know realized what the pack on my shoulders was.

It was the decoy, the bait.

They wanted me to take it, expecting them to immediately chase. No, it was the bait for the trap. They were always waiting out here, knowing I would stay by until I got my supplies and then book it.

I cursed them silently. I had no air to do it aloud.

As fast as I was, the two trucks were faster. They blocked off the road, and I halted, backing up. Aaron, Austin, Phil, and Tino hopped out of the backs of the truck, circling me. None of them moved.

My brain tossed out any reasonable thoughts and went into full panic mode.

I shook and trembled in their presence. My eyes searched for a way out. No such thing. The drivers stayed in their seats.

“Kynder, please come back!” Tino begged. I grasped the strings of the pack nervously. I bit my tongue, keeping silent. The train would be nearing soon. When it hit the point I was supposed to be at, I had another three minutes buffer time until the caboose would pass.

In total, I had five minutes to get to the track.

“Kyn, Ronnie will help you! He’ll help you feel better!” Aaron begged. I looked to Austin, knowing all he would say were lies.

They all lie to you! The voices whispered. I clutched at the chain around my neck nervously.

If Austin had really loved me, he would’ve taken the chain off. He told me I was safe with him. I wasn’t. My brain couldn’t even process how wrong he was, how wrong I was to believe him.

It was all my fault. I should’ve have trusted him.

“Please come home, I want to help you get better. I love you.” Austin held out his hands, begging me to come closer. I shook my head, trapped in the middle of the circle.

“No, you don’t.” I whispered, just loud enough for him to hear it. He didn’t. He didn’t. He didn’t. He didn’t.

He never had.

Tears welled in my eyes, but that didn’t obscure the hurt look on his face. This was the man I thought I had loved as well. Was I wrong or what?

“Kynder, you’re dying!” He yelled aloud in frustration. I hunched back against the torrent of harsh words.

“No, I’m not.” I shook my head, not wanting to hear the words.

“Yes, you are! Kynder, please let us help you!” Alan begged. Why would I let them help me when in the end, they were the ones that tortured me?

“No, you won’t! You were the ones that hurt me! You’ll beat me for disobeying, you’ll hurt me for arguing, and you’ll torture me for not doing as you say. You say you’ll help me, but you haven’t!” I screamed in frustration. The voices in my head tell me to give up and submit, but I haven’t.

Where had my manners gone?! I hadn’t said sir, please, or yes! If I gave up now, I would surely be beaten. If not by Austin, by Ronnie. I could see the angry look in his eyes, tinged by sadness.

“Kynder, you’ll die if you don’t let me help you!” Ronnie yelled back to me as I stared at him.

Two minutes left.

“THEN I WANT TO DIE!” I yelled back, tears pouring down my face. Who cares if I lived or not? I might not ever see Wrecks again. I wouldn’t be in the comforting streets of Denver anymore.

I might as well not be alive.

It all boiled down to this: If I were to live, let me be on my own and not in the grasps of cruel slave drivers that ran part of a despicable business. If I were to be with these men, the let me die.

The group was stunned into silence. I took that moment to whip around take a flying leap over the hood of Alan’s truck. Being an old alley runner taught me that when life doesn’t give you a road to run on, leap over anything in your path.

In this case, it was a truck.

Balancing my hands perfectly, it felt like I was jumping over one of the green garbage bins in the back of alleys. The men behind me were the police, and I was once again a fugitive. Despite the pains in my back, legs, and chest, I kept on going.

I felt the trucks rumble to life behind me and start the chase again. The train poked into view and already beginning to cross the tracks. I wouldn’t have to time to jump on the back of the train. It wouldn’t be the safest option, what I was about to do, but it would be my only option.

My eyes spotted an old passenger car a ways down. If I kept sprinting like this, then I would be able to leap and grab hold of the rail and haul myself up.

If I missed, I would be rolled over and my blood would paint the tracks.

The trucks halted as the men leaped out and raced after me, seeing what I was going to do. Yet, I still was faster.

The car was coming closer…

And closer…

And closer…

The men behind me yelled for me to stop as I bunched up my legs and stood in front of the train.

And it was closer…

And inches away…

Time slowed down…

And I leaped!

My hands grasped the rails as I swung myself onto the car. I could help but smile in excitement at the moment. I steadied myself against the small platform of the old passenger car with blacked out windows.

Looking behind myself, I saw the six stare in amazement and sorrow. The train blew gust of wind in their faces as I watched the distance between us grow. I was free! I was free!

I WAS FREE!

I would make it to Denver, find help and someone to heal me, and then I could go live with Wrecker again. Oh, old Wrecks would be happy to see me!

As I watched Austin fade into the distance, I felt the voices in my head grow silent. All I had left was my last legs of the journey to Denver.

His face was barely visible, but I read the last words on his lips. It made my smile fade and the pain in my stomach return. For some reason, I felt like this time, he actually meant it. With that much emotion splattered on his face, it was hard to pin the words as a lie.

I love you.

Notes

Okay, so that was a super long chapter and I'm sorry about that, but I felt like I shouldn't leave you guys at a cliffhanger anytime during this, so here's a really long part for you!