-Chapter 1-

~Ty's POV~

It's cold.

Actually, it's freezing.

I ran. I ran the second I could get the chance. I ran as hard as I could, my feet beating against the pavement, my footsteps loud as drums in my head.

I couldn't help it. The second I saw my pass to go, I bolted, and I refused to look back. I couldn't bare to see his face again, grinning and staring at me like I was his dirty trophy. Every single look he gave me caused me to shudder and wince, a dirty feeling at my core.

Oh mom, why did you leave me to him? Why did you pick him? Why did you have to GO?

Now, don't get me wrong, my father doesnt... 'abuse' me. The fact that he knows better than to do that terrifies me. He knows a lot ; in a way, he's almost an evil genius.

And of course, I'm his son.

Oh, I'm sorry. I forgot to introduce myself. My name is Tyler Ellis, and I'm nineteen years old.

I'm currently writing this in a rusty, old and beaten journal I found in the attic once when I was really young. My mom had picked me up, taken it from my hands, and looked over what I had discovered.

"Ty," she laughed softly, bouncing me up and down gently on her knee while she flipped through the pages. "This was my diary."

Ever since then, I held this small book close to my heart, almost calmed by rereadig one of its ancient entries. Hearing the words my mom wrote in the past floating through my head almost calmed me, sent a sort of warmness through my veins.

My mother had been a retired actress ; she had millions and millions of dollars stored away some where, that very little people knew about. Despite her fame, money and fans, she refused to leave me alone, and tended to my every need.

She was an amazing mother...

I really wish she hadn't gotten sick. Everything would be okay...I wouldn't have been given up to my father, whom my mother had divorced years ago for being a "useless and sickening pig".

At first, I liked being with my father. He was strict, sure, but he seemed to really care, almost making sure to take care of me and be the mother I no longer had.

I was too young at the time to realize that everything he was doing was just a veil, a curtain he used to mask his pending insanity.

It happened one night ; the night my father fell off of the edge. It had been like every other normal day ; I came home, showed my test to my dad (I had gotten an one hundred, which I was especially proud of) and went to play with the dog in the living room for a few minutes before doing my homework.

That's when the phone rang.

"Hello?" I heard my dad's voice down the short hallway, since we didn't have much in our tiny house. I continued to scratch behind Ace's ear, cooing soft things into the chocolate skinned-dogs ruffled fur.

"NO!" Came my dad's sudden scream, and Ace's head shot up on my lap, almost clocking my chin. I rose to my feet, my tiny, silent eight-year-old legs patting across the carpet.

I peaked my head around the bend, surprised at the sudden anger that was ablaze in my fathers eyes. He clenched the phone just a little too tight, gritting his teeth together in a way that can only express rage.

"I told you," he said, slowly, as if he was about to pop his top any moment. "I don't need any help with him! I'm perfectly fine, I promise. Please get out of our hair!"

"Sir," I heard the soft, muffled voice of - what I know now is an agent - another person on the other end of the line. "We really do need to investigate. You have past records of mental illnesses, and this is a very famous child, we need to have him under the best care in case of someone taking an interest in him."

"If anyone were to do that," my father simply growled back in response. "I would be perfectly capable of handling my son!"

"If I'm reading this correctly," the agent snapped back quickly, obviously beginning to lose his cool, no matter how hard he tried to seal it. "On your divorce papers, it said your ex-wife was 'Not comfortable with you around Tyler'."

"Yeah, well I got the kid anyway!' Father was really beginning to get angry now. Even though it scared me, I imagined him with fire coming out of his ears, just like some of my cartoon characters, and had to surprise a soft giggle.

"Elizabeth had no brothers or sisters, and both of her parents had passed, meaning there were no grandparents or siblings to take him in. You were the only family possible to take him ; so I would not call it 'getting' the kid, I would say its more of a 'lucky twist of events'."

Fathers eyes widened, just by a few millimeters, but the look on his face made it all the more present. It took him a few long, awkward moments to come up with any kind of response.

"I...I..." He stuttered slowly, before closing his eyes tightly and swallowing loudly. "I need this boy. Please do not take him from me."

"You do NOT need the child. You mean, you need the money that he will receive when he is eighteen. I apologize sir, but I need to come take the child. I have to look out for the kids-"

The sudden look on Dads face frightened me more than anything. More than seeing my mother when I close my eyes at night, more than the news had effected me. It was look of insanity ; his eyes wide and mouth slightly open.

"You know what?!" His voice suddenly shook tremendously, an attribute he had never cared to show around my small self. "We won't be here when you do."

With that, he slammed down the phone, walking over to me, and pulled me up roughly.

"Ow!" I shrieked, my small voice cracking from pain. "That hurts, daddy!" I kicked my feet wildly, trying my best to escape from his grasp and get back to the comfort of the ground. Ace barked loudly behind us, his snarling echoing through the house at the sound of me being hurt.

"Shut up," hissed Father. "Grab the dog. We can't leave him behind, they'll use him to track us. We're leaving."

----

From then on, we were always on the run. The police and people all believed we had died ; or, more like, that Father had taken and killed me, then committed suicide. Maybe dragged us out to the ocean, or just left me in a foreign cave somewhere.

In truth, we were in the woods, only going into town when absolutely necessary (like if food was running low, and we needed to steal more money to buy another large supply.)

Father lost it more and more as time went on, the crazed look in his eyes becoming a normal appearance for him. Whenever I messed up or got anything wrong, he would slap me, or verbally abuse me until he thought I had 'learned my lesson'.

He has a plan. I've been out of education for years now, so I can't say how stable it is, but I think its insane, just as much as him.

The second I turn eighteen, he's going to leave me, go to the bank, and pray people don't recognize him as he cashes in the money from my mother. He'll use it to have plastic surgery ; change his face, so no one would know its him. He'll start over, get a new life, have a name change, be a new person.

While I'm left out to die.

Every ounce of kindness he once held long ago is gone. Nowadays, I'm a piece of shit, a simple check, not ready to be passed in yet. At night, he refuses to give me any towels, and I would honestly starve, if it weren't for Ace, who cuddles up next to me to keep me warm.

That is, until tonight.

Tonight, both of us had to go into town. The wild where we currently are - or were, now -'was packed with wild animals, and dad couldn't risk my dead, torn body being found, so he dragged me with him.

-Another Flashback-

"Stay here," father didn't even bother to turn around at look me in the eyes as he spoke ; he never did anymore. He hated seeing my face. "And make sure that mutt doesn't make any noises, I don't need anyone asking you anything."

I nodded slowly, reaching up with frozen and trembling fingers, gripping the torn hood and pulling it over my face so nobody could recognize me. I always did this when we in public - showing my face would be way too risky.

Dad did the same, flipping his up with much more ease, and strutting into the open door of the grocery store, trying his best to look like a kind civilian.

He left me out. He left me out here to keep my head down, trying my best to avoid any and all eyecontact.

I clutched the small ball of fur tightly to my chest, hoping that his pants and warmth would rub off on me, just like every night I was forced to use him as a blanket. His soft whimpering and small yips always made me happy ; the simple feeling of his nose burying into my chest sent a feeling of comfort through my entire being.

It was so hard to keep him safe, but I had to. He was the one thing I thought of as FAMILY nowadays.

One time, five years ago, I even went as far as leaving him in front of the vets office, concerned that he had some kind of disease or infection. Thankfully, they took him in, and made him good as new. The next day, I had to sneak back in after hours, pick his lock and run out again, all in about two minutes.

I still feel bad about that, but I knew I had no other option at that point.

Ace began wiggling wildly in my arms, his barks, which were getting louder and louder in the night time, tugging me back from the reality I had been lost in.

I raised a single eyebrow at him, kneeling down on the ground so he had at least a little room to wonder around. Grabbing the old, tattered and worn leash from the inside of my dirty pocket, I was once again thankful for the fact I never went anywhere without this.

Well, this, or my mothers music.

Speaking of at, as I clicked the leash into place on the precious animals colar, I pulled out the piece of plastic, switching it on with the flic of my finger.

"Low Battery." Was the first thing I heard the animatronic woman say loudly into my earbuds. I sighed, glancing around. I'd have to slip into a cafe again ; charge it quickly before they noticed me, and then slip back out again, hopefully unnoticed.

Did I have time to do it before my dad came out of the store? I honestly had no idea. Sometimes he takes minutes ; sometimes he takes hours.

Mostly when he doesn't want to see my face again.

A sudden tugging at the leash in my arms made my eyes widen. Ace was struggling relentlessly against the cloth, his eyes slits as he glared into the dark night in front of us.

"Ace...?" I asked softly. "What is it?"

His head turned ever so slightly, and the look he gave me could practically translate all of his thoughts into one simple fraise.

'Come on. Let's run. Let's escape.'

I took a deep breath, his eyes practically DARING me to run away with him. My lips pursed in a tight line, I glanced behind me.

My dad wasn't even at the counter. I could have time. I could run. I could leave and never turn around. I could create a life for myself.

I didn't think.

I just ran.

I am free.

-A/N-

Oh my god. Yes, it's here.

I hope you guys enjoyed the first chapter, the storyline is something I'm already in love with and I can't wait to work more with it.

I apologize for such a massive wait, I had a lot of stuff going on IRL.

This story will be updated every other day, so look out for an update on Friday!