Joanna woke up in her safe house. Which was really a tree, but held all of the properties of one.

A sharp pain dulled Joanna's head as she tried to remember what happened.

Mother looked at me as I pulled from her wrist.

"I didn't win anything! They chose me!" I cried.

Mother laughed. "And why would anyone choose you? Your nothing but a rat. A rat that escaped the trap that killed my husband!"

I have no idea what she's talking about. Dad died in a construction accident... I wasn't even there the day he died. It wasn't a trap.

"You're staying here. So I can finally exterminate your filth." Mother said as she pulled me back into the house.

Joanna looked at her new bruises to confirm last night. She silently cursed herself. If she had been more quiet leaving the house... That unfortunate situation might not have happened. Joanna looked once more at her bruises and looked in her sack for her sweatshirt. It was old and shabby, but it would hide her injuries well enough.

Resting herself in the most comfortable position she could, Joanna tried to convince herself to sleep. It must have only been a few hours before she woke with a start.

"Wake up!" Olivia cried, "Today you have to come to school early!"

Joanna looked around. "Liv, were you throwing rocks at me?"

Olivia looked at her with a fake look of guilt. "You weren't waking up..."

Joanna shook her head as she slid from her position to the ground. Wincing, she grabbed her sack and threw it over he shoulder.

Olivia looked at her with concern. "Did she catch you last night?"

Jo nodded. "Is it that obvious?"

"No, I just notice because I know what goes on."

Joanna sighed.  Her mother hadn't resorted to the beatings until two years ago. Just last year, Jo had made the mistake of believing that her mother could have been right. She was about to put an end to it all, if Olivia hadn't of caught her. Ever sense then, Olivia has never left her side.

As they arrived at the school building, Olivia gave her a hug and said goodbye. Right before she left she whispered, "I packed something for you, in your sack. Do the best you can." She smiled and turned. Jo smiled back.

But Joanna couldn't get over the feel that this would be the last time they would see each other.