Pov: Grace

"Where have you been, Grace Maria Stamt?" I heard my dad's girl friend, Sophia, call from the steps. She has been with my dad after my mom.... well I don't know what happened to my mom. My dad won't talk about her, and I am always nervous to ask. I just wait till one day maybe he will say, but until then I am stuck with this friend that's a girl of my dad's. She is always on my case. It's not like she cares, but she just wants to get me into trouble. My dad "acts" like I get in trouble, but it's only so she is content so she won't bother me again. It doesn't always work. She always has something to bother me about, and it's like it never ends.

I don't have any friends at school because I am the odd one out. I am always listening to music on my MP3. I am blocking everyone out because they don't care. Nobody wants to listen. It's not like I don't have anything better to do then go somewhere every weekend and chill. I don't have time to chill because I have to keep everything clean at home and my school work as squeaky clean as the house. Yes I will admit it, I am a big nerd and also get made fun of for being one, but that is who I am. I don't care for as long as I keep out of trouble and avoid who bother me. There could be a few people at school I could potentially be friends to, but I can't allow myself to tell anybody anything. I can't go anywhere because if I do my dad will question me like crazy. It was only one time, and I have learned that I will not do it again. Even if I ever was allowed to go somewhere which is a rare occasion if anybody allow me, Sophia nor my dad would allow it.

The one place I can trust myself to be me is in the secret hideaway that I have in the Unknown Escaping place out in the middle of nowhere in the woods where I love to go and hide myself from the world. Nobody judges me, and it allows myself to not think for once in a while. Okay more than once in a while more like every chance I get.

"I wasn't anywhere getting in trouble if that is what you were asking," I replied to her. It was constantly a brawl between the two of us, and she always won. I sometimes don't even try because she is little miss "perfect" and knows everything. The one thing I know but she doesn't is where my hideaway is where she will never find me.

"Don't you sass me, or I will just go get your father. You would regret it if I ever got him," she raised an eyebrow and added a sly smile. She is up to something, and I hope I won't have to stick around to find out. I run up the steps before she could ask anything else. She gets the hint and heads off to her office.... or as I call it, her lair. Who knows what goes on in there probably plotting schemes against me to get me into trouble. I was never allowed in there and I never want to go. It scares me just thinking about it.

An hour later I hear the front door, and I hear a big, "Heeeeeellooooo!!!!" I run down the hall and onto the steps when I see the witch with dark red hair. We meet eye to eye, but my dad doesn't notice us. When he looks up from setting his police jacket on the hook, he can only see smiling faces. "And how are my lovely ladies doing this fine day?"

"Oh just lovely darling," the witch cackles.... I mean Sophia says. I was about to say something, but she interrupts me before a peep could come out. "How is the dandy daddy officer doing?" She gives him one of those play with the hair moves and hugs him. I've never seen them kiss, and it gives me pleasure to not witness it. I would gag if they ever did.

"Oh this daddy is doing dandy," he laughs, sees me, and he smiles. I give him one back. I always do. "You wanna chat Grace?" he asks me.

"Sure," I skip down the stairs, and as I follow my dad into the living room, I see Sophia disappear into the lair again.

"Is there something you wanted to tell me?" I ask him. He looks at me with slight concern as he looks at me then my neck and back to me.

"Where is your necklace?" he interrogates. Here we go.

"It's upstairs," I feel weird answering. He is always on my case about that necklace.

"Go put it on and don't take it off again."

I run upstairs and then come back. My dad looks satisfied. "Okay now what's up?"

"Nothing much. I just wanted to ask how you were doing?" he asks.

"Nothing much for me either. Nothing out of ordinary. Same old school, same old practicing, same old places."

"Where you out of the house today?" he could tell there was something I was leaving out. Could he know what I was leaving out?

"Yeah just the same old spot I go to practice," I reply almost in a whisper. I didn't know if she could hear us. Sometimes she has the ears of a bat.

"Were you alone? No new friends?" he elbows me and I knew he was teasing me. He is always the teasing type. We are close like that. It makes me laugh.

"Noooooo. No new friends and nobody knows where it is, and I didn't see anybody," I gave him the same teasing back.

"Okay, and just remember..."

"Yes I know I know, keep my necklace on me at all times." I was kind of tired of hearing it. I don't know what it is about a necklace, but I am not one who questions a lot. I just listen.

"I was going to say be careful. You don't know who would be in the woods, and promise me you will NEVER go out there at night unless it is absolutely necessary and it is an order. Just be careful," He looks at me with a little more concern, and I wonder what he is thinking and what I do not know. I cannot ask before I hear footsteps walk in.

"Who's ready for dinner?" she walks in carrying a pizza box. Friday night is pizza and movie night in this house. We end up watching a lovey dovey mushy gushy movie, and it makes me ick.

"Can't we watch something exciting or actiony," yes I said actiony... ANYTHING but this. I hold up the movie Spy Kids, and they shake their heads.

"I want to watch 'THIS' movie!" Sophia says pointing to the paused mushy gushy movie. I wasn't even paying attention to it. I was in my own little world ignoring it. My dad shrugged his shoulders. She won this battle, AGAIN!!! I notice it's 7:30 and it's still day outside.

"Hey dad, can I go outside for a little bit? I promise I'll be back in before it gets dark."

He looks at me for a few minutes, and then gives in. "Okay, but be careful promise?"

"Promise."

I step outside, and take one last look back at my dad and Sophia. They are calm and laughed. Probably something in the movie. I roll my eyes and take a step to go to the place where I know I can feel at peace my

Unknown Escape.