Polly drew in a deep breath, staring at the moss green front door of her uncle's house. She'd never been here before; she'd never even met her uncle. It was her aunt who had reached out to her, begging her to make the drive to a sleepy town in the state of Vermont. It was a small, middle-of-nowhere place where she was sure to be safe.

The best part was probably the fact that her aunt and uncle weren't religious in the slightest.

She turned her head, watching as the bright green taxi cab pulled out of the driveway. She had been expecting a stereotypical yellow taxi when her aunt called, saying one was going to pick her up from the airport. However, the sight of the green cab had her feeling out of sorts, and out of place. She wasn't used to the north, or the east coast area. Vermont may not have been on the ocean, but it was close enough, considering she had been previously living in Oklahoma.

She brought her hand up to knock, but the door swung open on its own, shocking her for a moment when she came face-to-face to a small child. She was wearing a blue tee shirt, black shorts, and shin guards.

Polly had never played sports, but she knew the telltale signs of a soccer player. The girl's dark hair was pulled back into a ponytail, and a soccer ball under the arm completed the outfit.

"Jenny, not so fast! Your cousin will be here any minute!" A voice from inside the house yelled, clearly occupied with something else. There was a crash, and then a loud groan, indicating something had been dropped.

"You're Pauline?" Jenny, the soccer player asked. Her tone of voice wasn't accusatory, just curious. She cocked her head to the side, taking in Polly.

"Uh, yeah." Polly stuffed her hands in the front of her overalls. Her bare legs had goosebumps, as well as her bare arms. It was fall, but in Vermont, that clearly didn't mean warmth and sunshine. What it meant was bare trees and gusty winds.

"You look nice." Jenny turned back into the house, letting go of the soccer ball. "Pauline is here," She yelled, turning back to eye Polly. "And she looks cold."

Polly couldn't stop the laugh that flew past her lips. She gripped her suitcase tighter, longing to find her room so she could finally get changed. It was abundantly clear that the weather in Vermont was nothing close to where she'd come from.

Her aunt - a woman she had also never met - came skidding into the foyer of the house. She had her arms full with blankets, but she smiled welcomely, as if Polly wasn't interrupting a single thing. "Pauline! Come on in! I'm getting things ready for you, but I can show you to your room. Your uncle is still at work, but he's getting out soon. Hopefully. You never know with cops these days! Always on call!" She let out a warm laugh, heading further into the house. Polly paused for a moment, eyeing her younger cousin. She didn't have any siblings growing up, so seeing a younger child around the house would be something to get used to.

Polly followed her upstairs, where she watched the dark haired woman dump the pile of blankets onto the large bed.

"This is it, I hope you like it!" The woman smiled, stepping out of the way. Polly could care less about what her bedroom looked like. It was the gesture that made Polly smile. After going through what she had, Polly was gracious of anything.

"You are a devil child! You deserve nothing!" Polly's mother shrieked, slapping her across the face. "I refuse to believe you like girls. No, no, you just need some help. I'll find you help!"

Polly didn't think she needed help at all, but she didn't have a say. Her mother was in charge, always. And what her mother wanted, her mother got.

"Help? What kind of help? I'm not broken, mother."

"You're confused. That's all. I'm calling Dr. Higgins."

Polly rolled her eyes, frustration evident in her expression. Her parents would never understand. She wasn't broken; there was absolutely nothing wrong with her. But, try telling that to two religious parents. An equation for disaster.

"He's not even a real doctor, mom. He's just a priest."

The sharp glare from her mother shut Polly up. It was equal parts sinister and dangerous, a combination Polly wasn't keen on experiencing for another time. Just the thought of angering her mother brought back memories of last night, and the blossoming bruise that covered the right side of her back.

Her parents weren't really abusive; they just got frustrated and angry. Polly knew the occasional slap and hit wasn't really abuse. She'd heard about real abuse, the kind of abuse that left kids with swollen eyes and broken limbs. Polly got off easy, really.

But Dr. Higgins? Polly was frightened of him.

Rightfully so, too. He always looked so domineering when he was in church, with a loud booming voice and a piercing look that Polly swore could see right through her. Even before she came out as lesbian to her parents, Polly knew Dr. Higgins had known. There was just something about him that screamed he knew everyone's secrets.

"He's going to fix you, Polly. Don't you want to be fixed? Don't you want to be normal?" This was a rather tame conversation for Mother, so Polly went along with it. Her mother wasn't screaming devil child, so Polly saw this as an ideal segway to bring up school.

"That's the thing. I want to join this club in school, but I go to see Dr. Higgins and his camp, I won't be able to."

Her mother spun on her heel. "You're going, Polly. Screw that school bullshit. You're going to be a normal, happy child. Now fetch me the phone."

Polly scurried to the landline, and handed it to her mother. She didn't have a choice. She always felt like she never had one in the first place.

Her mother was gripping so hard on her wrist that Polly was afraid of bruises. Mother's voice was bright and excited, but she looked anything but.

"Yes, Polly would love to participate in the camp. Yes. Yes." Her mother's voice got quiet, even though Polly could still hear. "And you know exactly what needs to happen."

Polly knew too. What needed to happen was for her to escape.

Escape was impossible. When her father came home, he didn't look Polly in the eyes. And that night, when Polly was sketching in her drawing pad, she felt like nothing was wrong. That having a crush on that girl from church wasn't a bad thing at all. Because how could your heart ever be wrong?

* * *

Polly was freezing. She was sitting on metal bleachers, watching her cousin run up and down the field. She felt strange, like she didn't belong here. Like this wasn't the right space for her to be sitting.

She felt like people were looking at her. Like they knew she was gay. Like they knew she was an abomination to this planet. But, when she looked around, no one was paying her any attention. They were all cheering for their own children, completely oblivious to her presence.

She still felt like people were watching her every move. Just like doctor Higgins had.

Her aunt and uncle were interesting people. Her aunt was extremely extroverted - peppiness pouring out of her as she cheered for her daughter. She reminded Polly of over enthusiastic cheerleaders, to which Polly had the urge to grimace. But, she reminded herself of her own situation.

Her uncle was more tame. He was a stern looking man, and she was a little intimidated by him. By his size and his facial expressions. But, she knew him to be a kind man, after all, he took her in.

Her cousin scored a goal, and her aunt and uncle both exploded in applause. She felt strangely included in this family outing, something she'd never felt before. It was strange and terrifying, but she felt a smile creep on her face.

Her own parents would have never come to a soccer game of hers. And her parents never, not once, made her feel included.

While the scars on her body burned with the memories of her past, Polly vowed right there and then to try and move forward from her past. It would be a hell of a ride, but she'd survived this long. She knew she could continue on.  

* * *

OKAY I KNOW YOU HAVE BEEN WAITING.

BUT HERE IT IS. THE FIRST CHAPTER.

NOT EXACTLY WHAT EVERYONE WAS HOPING FOR, BUT YOU GUYS KNOW MY STYLE BY NOW. FLASHBACK STYLE AND WHATNOT.

This story will officially start NOW. The Stolen Girl has been finished, and now this story begins. The story of Polly and her struggle of being gay. 

This first chapter doesn't look like much, but I know you guys are PUMPED for this story. It basically has a thousand views on the PROLOGUE ALONE. OMFG

Okay my skeleton children. Let us ride into the night of messed up families and twisted tales of the brutal realities of life behind closed doors.

Let us realize that horror stories are often real life stories, and that people live in nightmares daily. Let us realize just how hard others have it, and let us not sugarcoat the struggles of others.

I LOVE EACH AND EVERY ONE OF YOU. AND IF YOU'RE STILL HERE, AFTER READING THE SKELETON BOY AND/OR THE STOLEN GIRL, YOU KNOW EXACTLY HOW I OPERATE AS A WRITER. AND YOU BETTER BE READY FOR THE EMOTIONAL ROLLERCOASTER THAT IS ABOUT TO COME.

Buckle up everyone. This is going to be ONE HELL OF A RIDE.

XOXO

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