First published on:
04-02-2021

12th of November 2006 

Colorado, USA

Six-year-old Avery ran for her life, as fast as her small legs could carry her. She ran far away from the clutches of the mafia who had imprisoned her for the past four years.

She raced forward, her feet unshod as her rubber slippers slipped off and scattered along the path. Darkness enveloped her, with only the gentle moonlight seeping through the dense foliage. The cold November air sent shivers down her spine, but she continued on, undeterred by the chilling night.

Her fear of being caught dwarfed her fear of the dark or what lurked inside it. Wrapping her arms around her torso, she kept running ahead, stumbling as she bruised her limbs. A whimper of pain and fear escaped her as she got up and ran again.

Exhaustion nearly overcame her; she wanted to sit down and rest but she couldn't. The fear of losing her life kept her running though she had no destination.

Earlier that day, she had been out begging, with one of her nannies from the mafia, who fed and clothed Avery and the other children without a hint of affection.

That was her life. She woke up before the sun rose, never combed her hair or changed out of her torn, too-small dress, and immediately set out to beg. It was the fate of every child in the mafia's clutches.

Avery bitterly remembered returning to the nurse who waited for her. She had hugged her bag to her chest, holding the money she had garnered from panhandling. But suddenly, a strange man had seized the bag and ridden away on a motorcycle.

Avery could do nothing but stare helplessly after the robber and sob silently. There was no one around to help her and she knew what awaited her when she returned to the house.

Anyone who failed to bring money was punished, even if it wasn't their fault. Avery had had the punishments too, but at those times her bag wasn't robbed from her; she just hadn't inspired enough pity to be given money. She had been punished with no food and not a drop of water for the rest of the day, was beaten twice, and was forced to take a bath in ice-cold water on the coldest of nights.

Her life had been a complete hell for the past four years.

The only heaven she could find was with her nanny, Rosetta, a kind old woman who showed favoritism to Avery. Avery hadn't cared to think why Rosetta loved her the most, out of all others, but she counted it as her only blessing. Rosetta and Emery—Avery's best friend, who was the same age as her—were the only reason Avery cracked a small smile every day.

And today, Rosetta was the only reason that she was here, running through the woods to save her life. To the ones who returned with money more than once, the punishments were harsh and cruel. Avery never knew what the punishments were, nor did she have the courage to guess, but she recalled the painful shrieks of several kids with a shudder. The victims of those penalties were taken away for at least a week to be tortured. She had cried silently hearing their agonizing screams, hugging Emery tight for comfort.

Avery knew the punishment would be unbearable, and so her nanny had saved her from that punishment by sending her away.

As soon as the nanny who went with her to beg realized she had lost her bag, Avery was scolded and beaten before being sent back to the mafia compound. She warned Avery not to make a single noise despite the pain. After returning, Avery ran to Rosetta's refuge and told her what had happened. Rosetta had prepared her to run away immediately.

The bald man who punished the children only arrived at night, so she had enough time until then to make her escape. Rosetta had brought Avery into the bathroom and told her about her runaway plan as she bathed her. At hearing that today was her turn to be punished, Avery's eyes widened in fear and her tears dried. She immediately accepted the risk of running away at night, in the dark alone despite her hunger and thirst. What? It might be better to die there in the woods than be tortured by the mafia man.

Later that evening, when the sun had set, Avery was given a bottle of water and a piece of bread. Rosetta had stolen them from the kitchen for her, before helping her to get past the guards. Avery didn't know what her dear nanny did to distract the guards. All she knew was that when she got the signal she took off, running away, never turning back.

And now here she was, still on the run though hours had dragged by.

Avery's legs started to ache; she felt her entire body ache from running and tripping. She wished her life could end now. At least she could die peacefully in the woods.

But, what about the angel of God?

Avery suddenly remembered her nanny's last words to her, which suddenly gave her a burst of hope.

"Don't fear, my dear Ava. God will send His angel to rescue you and he will save you, protect you, comfort you, and bless you. Believe this in your heart, my dear, and God will send His angel for you because He loves you and will never let anything happen to you."

Tears slipped from her eyes as Avery recalled her nanny's words.

"God's angel," she murmured to herself in her low and weak voice. God, please send me your angel before I die or get caught. She was pretty sure the mafia was in search of her now, somewhere close or far in these woods.

Suddenly, she saw a light blinking ahead of her. A white light. A moving white light. In a second, it stopped blinking and stayed steady.

"God's angel!" Avery gasped and her spirit rose above the clouds. It could be God's angel! God heard children's prayers, didn't He? And she had just prayed to Him. He heard me!

Avery didn't waste another moment before stumbling toward the light as she ran. The white light grew brighter and closer.

Avery forgot all about her pain and misery and fright for a moment, replaced by hope and excitement. Hopefully, God's angel could give her something to eat and drink. She was starving.

Angels gave off light when they appeared, white light; they were sweet and kind, and they might even take her to heaven with them! Oh, what if this angel of God could take her to heaven? Then she would have nothing to fear. Heaven was, as Avery had been told by her nanny, a place of happiness, peace, and rest. No one had sadness or difficulties there. Oh, what would she give to convince this angel to take her with him to Heaven, so she could no longer be in this hell?

Perhaps once she reached there, she could ask God to rescue her nanny and friends as well. And punish all the bad nannies and the bad guys. Oh! Her little heart fluttered at the thought. A smile spread across her face.

Suddenly, Avery realized she had reached the place where the seemingly endless woods gave way to the road. But she realized it too late. Only when her feet touched the gravel path did she realize things weren't what she thought they were.

The white light Avery had hoped to be God's angel became the headlights of a car. Before Avery could stop herself or knew what was happening, her legs carried her right in front of the passing car, and the driver hit the brakes with a panicked jerk.

Oh no, oh no, oh no!

Every ounce of her trembled, her knees shaking so badly that she nearly hit the ground. But nothing happened. She stared into the glaring headlights of the car and her trembling hands clutched the hem of her dress.

The car...

She didn't recognize the car. It wasn't one of the black, ugly vans belonging to the mafia men; it was elegant and silver. Avery wondered who the driver was. With her luck, it would be a glaring old man who could make her scream in terror with just one glower. What if he stormed out of his car and beat her for getting in his way? Avery immediately tried to move and let the stranger go on, but she was frozen in fear, unable to move even her littlest finger.

This would be how she died, Avery was sure. She had gotten away from the mafia, but she wouldn't be so lucky.

And then, the door opened.

Avery was close to crying when the owner of the car stepped into her view. It was a male, and her eyes widened in fright at him, even though he wasn't a scary monster or a hulking mafia thug.

He wasn't glaring. He wasn't a man.

He was too young for her imagination. He was just a boy. A grown-up boy. A teenager.

A tall, slim, fair-skinned boy with dark messy hair and ocean-blue eyes, bathed in the glow of his car's headlights.

His eyebrows were furrowed in concern and his eyes gently probed hers. He was good-looking and graceful, but Avery had no time to observe his features further as anxiety overtook her and she stumbled back.

Realizing she could move now, Avery instantly turned on her heel to run back into the woods. But before she was even close to taking four steps away, she heard him.

"Wait, don't go, little one. It's okay. I mean no harm."

Just as his voice fell on her ears, she stopped automatically, as though his words held the mystical power to make her freeze.

But it wasn't his words that were magical to Avery, it was his voice. It was the most assuring, calm, soft, and gentle male voice she had ever heard in her entire life, as far as she remembered. The men in the mafia were rough, harsh, and brutal.

A strange feeling washed over her and she turned to face him. How could a man—even a teenage boy—be so gentle?

Avery stood there, still shaking as she looked up at him; he hadn't moved. She noticed his ocean blue eyes scanning her appearance, filling with concern as they took her in. She even noticed his jaw twitching before it clenched at the sight of her bruise-dotted arms. His eyes traveled back up to hers and held her gaze; he had a deep frown on his face and his expression was unreadable.

Slowly, he took one step forward, and then another toward her. Avery tensed, realizing he was approaching her; he was surely going to beat her for wasting his time. She wanted to turn back and run but found herself unable to move, again. So instead, she shielded her face with her arms.

"P-p-please, don' do anythin' to me."

He appeared kind, but she couldn't trust him. Perhaps she could beg him not to hit her and to let her go?

Through the gap between her arms, Avery saw his eyes widen.

"No, no, no." The boy's forehead crinkled with concern. Avery saw him crouch down in front of her. "I promise I won't hurt you. I just want to help. Will you let me?"

His words were utterly foreign.

He couldn't possibly be a human, right? An alien, perhaps? Or some other creature? No one, aside from Rosetta and Emery, had ever offered to help her.

Avery couldn't move her arms from her face yet. She was terrified, trying her best not to cry, and kept sniffling. Then she felt a soft touch on her arm and immediately flinched, dropping her arms as she retreated from the kind stranger.

The boy looked as scared as she was. Why on earth would he be scared of her?

"I'm sorry, did I hurt you?" he asked concernedly, gesturing to the arm he had touched.

Avery blinked. What kind of creature was he? "N–no," she stuttered as she stared at him in disbelief.

The boy's tense face relaxed into a small, handsome smile, and Avery felt her heart relax at the sight of it. "That's good. I thought I hurt you."

He reached for her hand again.

Avery flinched, and she knew it was happening instinctually. But this stranger in front of her didn't draw back this time. He held her small hand in his big warm one and began to trace circles on her knuckles. Avery felt a sudden wave of warmth washing over her heart; she had never felt so at home before. She stared at him with her chocolate brown eyes, as wide as saucers, watching him glancing down at their hands with a small smile.

He's an alien, Avery declared to herself. A kind, gentle alien. Most definitely not a human.

The strange boy met her gaze again, observing her face for a moment. "There's no need to be afraid, okay? You're safe now."

Her eyes welled up with tears, before they rolled down her cheeks. To her surprise, he reached out his other hand and softly wiped them away.

Avery found herself nodding slowly. She wanted to believe him when he told her she was safe. Was this what heaven felt like? She had never felt anything like what she was feeling right now. An indescribable wave of emotions overwhelmed her.

"What are you doing here in the woods alone, sweetheart? It's dangerous out here, you know?" the strange boy asked her as he continued tracing her knuckles affectionately.

Avery's chin wobbled at his question and she found herself crying silently again. What was she supposed to tell him?

"Oh no, I didn't mean... hey, don't cry sweetie. Are you lost, sweetheart? Where's your mamma?" he crooned, more concerned now.

There was that most painful word, mamma. Avery wondered if he was someone who had a mamma. She rubbed her eyes with her free hand. "I-I I don' have a mamma."

Shock betrayed the boy's face. "Oh... I'm so sorry." He apologized. "But... where are you from? Where's your home? What—what are you doing here, little one?"

In a second, Avery trusted him and wanted to tell him everything. Surely a nice alien like him couldn't turn her into the hands of her predators.

Her whole body shook violently as she tried to explain. She tried to control herself from crying and tell him the reason but failed. "'m- 'm run-runnin' 'way."

The boy's eyebrows furrowed even more. "I don't think I caught that, little one. Come again?"

"I'm- I'm..."

"Take a deep breath. Come on, breathe with me," he said and helped her calm herself down. After taking a few breaths with him, Avery found herself astounded at how her shaking had stilled. "Now, can you try that again?"

"I- I'm r-runnin' away." She tried her best not to break down again.

The strange boy's eyes grew round. "What? Running away? You, a little girl? Why?"

"I'd get beaten if they fin' me. I-I... I didn' bring them money today because I got robbed on my way. So I-I ran away." Avery tried to explain, before adding a painful plea. "P-please don't give me back to them."

The boy's eyes only grew wider in shock. "Who would do this to you? Who is this?"

Avery didn't answer. She wasn't listening to his words but something else.

A sound that had been familiar to her since she could remember; a sound featured in her worst nightmares; a sound that could make her shudder... the sound of a van coming for her.

Avery nearly jumped in fear, pulling her hand out of the kind stranger's comforting hold.

They're here. They're coming. They're hunting me. And she wanted to run away.

"They're comin' to gemme. I've got to go!" Avery shrieked and bolted toward across the road.

"Wait! Where are you going?" the strange boy asked, grabbing her arm.

Avery recoiled but turned to him, more panicked than before. "Please, lemme go. Don' gimme to them. If... If they fin' me, they'll torture me for runnin' away. Please, I hafta go..."

The boy stared at her with his mouth agape, trying to read her. He blinked rapidly and scrunched his eyebrows together.

Avery panicked in his hold as each second ticked by. He was delaying her escape and Avery knew she would be caught if she didn't take off right now.

"Please," she begged again.

"How can you promise me you'll be okay? They must be the mafia. Did you think about that before you ran away, sweetheart?" he asked.

Avery didn't know how to answer that question. The vehicle crunched over the gravel, each crunch of the rocks filling her ears with a dreadful roar. Her knees grew weak and tears spilled down her face as she shook her head. "I dunno."

"Come with me," the strange boy said suddenly, in a whisper, his voice overwhelmed. "God wants to rewrite your destiny."

Avery stared at him, not understanding what he meant.

"Come with me, little one and we'll get you out of this together." His ocean blue eyes held a whirlpool of emotions. "Do you trust me?"

Avery was dumbfounded in disbelief, shock, and surprise. Could this be it? Her fantasy of meeting with God's angel who would rescue her? She didn't have time to give it another thought, but simply nodded.

The boy straightened and placed his hand on her shoulder, leading her to his car.

"W–where am I goin'?" Avery asked hesitantly as he opened the passenger door for her.

"Home," he said.

As the mafia neared, Avery wasn't sure if she was supposed to feel a strangely at home feeling when she slid into his car and he buckled the seat belt around her. She couldn't digest the fact that she was going to be safe, that she was safe. And this strange boy...

He wasn't an alien, but a human.

The angel that God had sent for her.

****

A/n: Hey everyone! So, I decided to publish the newest version of the first five chapters here while I'm deleting the rest of the book--if you've missed out the reason why, please read my note in the first page where I have announced about The Runaway Girl's amazon publication and all. Isn't this one better than the first draft! Let me know in the comments! 

PS: If you're someone who had already finished the book and enjoyed it, would you please take a moment to leave your review on Amazon/Goodreads? It wouldn't take time, I promise, just writing "I loved this book" or "I highly recommend it" or anything like such that expresses your appreciation of the story would be enough! You can find the link in my profile!