Chapter One

~Rachel's POV~

    I held a finger to my lips once I heard my sister's whimper across the room from me. I strained to hear my father's snoring from downstairs. I knew we needed to get out, and we needed to get out fast. My sister's eyes were brimming with tears, her hair in a sloppy ponytail.
She nodded and placed a pale hand over her mouth. My hands were shaking violently as I waved for her to follow me. With only the clothes on our backs and some money I stole from my father's wallet, we crept down the hall. Pictures of me and my family hung on the wall and all I could think was...all lies.
I had an intense urge to break every single picture that hung from the wall. The anger, the resentment, the depression. Everything.
We used to be a family. I held my hand out to my sister, Charlotte, and she took it without hesitation. Her bottom lip was trembling and she looked so helpless.
Charlotte didn't deserve to be treated like this. My mother was no help to us at all, she left us as soon as she found out my father's problem. I thought bitterly of her after that. I was the one who took care of everybody. I was the one who made sure me and Charlotte had a decent life to live.
My father is sick in the head, to put it bluntly. He refuses to take his medications, resulting in his scary meltdowns. He takes his anger out on anyone close to him. I always make sure I'm his first target, instead of Charlotte. I shook my head, I needed to focus. Our feet finally reached the bottom of the stairs.
Our television was on in the living room, the flashing screen projecting on the walls. I could make out my dad's hand dangling off the couch, slightly twitching from time to time. I took a deep breath, this was our chance. Our only chance. I kissed Charlotte's forehead and pushed her forward. I kept my finger on my lips and pointed towards the front door.
She nodded, quickly scurrying to the door while I kept an eye on my father. It was pitch black except for the television, giving us feeble light to guide us away. I turned away from my father, watching as Charlotte slipped quietly out of the door. Once the door closed shut, I let out a breath I didn't know I had been holding.
Suddenly, a bright light flashed over me, blinding and confusing me for a few seconds. My heart stopped and jumped to my throat as I turned around, my fists tensing. Shit.
His eyes were wide and dazed, his lips parted slightly. Jet black hair that stuck up in different directions and pajamas ruffled from sleep. He let out a huge yawn and scratched his stomach, blinking slowly. He looked confused, my stance tense as I straightened my posture from the floor.
He looked at me and then started to mumble at himself. Shaking his head, his fingers stared twitching as he looked behind him, paranoid. His eyes darted around the room, fists clenched fully now.
"SHUT UP YOU!" I flinched as he screamed suddenly at the empty space next to him. There was no one there. This was common behavior for my father. He spoke to things that weren't there, would see things that we couldn't see. He took a step towards me, causing me to take a step back. I had to be very careful.
"Sweetie? What are you still doing up?" He asked, actin as if nothing had happened. This certain version of him was almost..genuine. A voice that was warm as honey and oozed with care. To anyone else, he would've fooled them. Except I've lived with him since I was born, I knew what this little game of his was. He looked up the dark staircase and then back down at me. Time was ticking.
"Can you go get your mother, please? She has to take you kids to school! Don't want you two being late!" I sighed quietly, we went through this almost every night. He always asks for her and at first, I played along until he forgot about her. Now, it's no use. He keeps asking and I have to tell him the same thing over and over.
It isn't uncommon for him to burst into one of his meltdowns during this conversation. He hates hearing that he's wrong, that she left a long time ago.  I shook my head at him, opening my mouth to speak. My throat was parched and I tried my best not to look at the door.  I swallowed hard, trying to get rid of the dryness strangling my throat.
"D-Dad...mom isn't here...remember?" I said slowly, cautiously articulating every word to let him digest it. He looked at me confused, his eyebrows knitting together and his finger tapping on his chin. I felt sick to my stomach, I was defenseless and I couldn't do anything. He chuckled and ran a hand through his messy hair.
"Did she go to the store? This late at night?" He gave off a light chuckle, shaking his head absently. I was grasping for words but came up empty. He looked relaxed, for now. A small part of me thought that maybe he would just go back to bed.
I just stood there and waited for him to leave, go back to the couch, go upstairs, anything. I glanced behind me, barely seeing Charlotte's head from the window in the living room. She was watching me, waiting for her big sister to come out safely. To take her away from this house of horror.
My hope was short lived as he suddenly slammed his fist into the wall. The drywall easily crumbled underneath his fist as a large hole was formed. The sudden noise caused me to jump and cry out in surprise. He raised his fist again, eyes locking in on me. I gasped, reacting too late as his knuckle managed to clip my jaw.
    I groaned as the pain exploded onto my face and I hit the wall. I desperately tried getting away, pushing myself with my hands. I quickly stumbled away from him and had my hand on the knob when I felt his hand grab a fistful of my hair.
I screamed as he gave a violet tug, feeling multiple strands of hair getting plucked from my scalp. I turned and started punching and scratching blindly. Finally, my nails scratched his face hard enough that he loosened his grip on my hair. I breathed heavily and threw open the door, hearing it crash against the wall.
I could hear my dad shouting as I scooped up Charlotte and took off running. I cried out when I slipped on a puddle, sending me and Charlotte sprawling on the sidewalk. There had been a storm last night which prevented us from escaping sooner. Charlotte started crying as she scraped her arm on the concrete.
I didn't have the time to stop and check her, so I just picked her back up and regained speed. My chin was scraped, including the palms of my hands and the underside of my arms. I could hear his heavy footsteps thudding against the ground and his labored breathing. It motivated me, pushed me harder.
I pumped my legs and ran blindly down the street. I could feel Charlotte's nails digging into my back as she locked her arms around my neck. She was crying into my chest and becoming heavy quickly. My adrenaline helped keep me going, I didn't dare look back. I just kept running.

"YOU THINK YOU CAN JUST LEAVE ME? JUST LEAVE ME HERE LIKE YOUR OWN MOTHER DID!? ILL FIND YOU! YOU'RE MINE AND YOU KNOW I-"

Charlotte was crying in my ear, blocking out the rest of his sentence. I continued running, doing my best not to fall again. After my father's voice gradually faded away and the adrenaline started to drain, I slowed to a brisk walk. I started turning as many corners as I could and walking down empty streets. We had nowhere to go, nowhere to sleep.
With the money I had on me, I couldn't even afford a night in a motel. I started to feel my jaw grow sore and stiff from my father's punch. I sighed and made sure to look behind me every few feet, just to make sure.
Charlotte was becoming heavier in my arms, my whole body weak and shaking like a leaf. Every noise made me jump and Charlotte clung to me tighter. I wasn't looking in front of me, distracted by the sound of a dog barking in the distance.
Before I knew what was happening, I had ran into something solid. I fell back on my butt, my arms letting go of Charlotte and catching myself on the concrete. I blinked a couple times before looking up. It was a man, a big man at that. I couldn't see many details, even from the light pole flickering behind him. I was frozen, clenching Charlotte tightly to me.
I gulped, leaning away and pulling my sister with me. My legs wouldn't move, my eyes locked on this dark figure of a man. This was a man, and this man terrified me. Just like my father.
He held something up in his hand, a clicking noise erupting a bright light from it. The flashlight shined in my eyes, making me wince and push it away with my hand. I was breathing heavily, the only sound that cut through the silent air. Charlotte whimpered, tugging at the collar of my shirt and shielding her eyes.
"Are you okay miss? I am so sorry I knocked you over. It's so dark down here, I didn't even see you." His voice was deep and smooth, his entire face hidden in darkness. I glared in his direction, a sneer forming on my lips even though I was visibly shaking.
"Don't touch me, don't touch her. I will hurt you." I tried to sound intimidating, but I was exhausted. My voice crack and trembled. He held his hands up slowly and shined the light in his own face, allowing me to finally check him out.
He had kind brown eyes and a handsome face. His skin was dark and he had a shaved head. I noticed he was wearing a vest on his chest, a bulletproof vest. He then shined the light on the ground, illuminating the three of us. His stance was calm and professional, reminding me of a police officer. What gave it away was the large "FBI" letters on his chest I could just barely make out. He held a hand out to me, realizing I was still on the ground.
Charlotte hid her face in my chest, gripping my shirt between her fists and shivering. I wrapped one arm around her, pushing her against me and glaring up at the man. I didn't trust him. Not at all.
"It's little late for your little girl to be wandering around this kind of neighborhood. You seemed like you were in quite a hurry. Are you both alright?" He sounded sincerely concerned and curious. I was stunned.
I struggled to talk, not exactly sure what to say. He held his hand closer but I was still too hesitant to take it. He knew something wasn't right and went back a car parked on the side of the street. He opened the door, and a warm light filled the darkness.
He grabbed something out of the car and came back over to us. It was a water bottle that he slowly handed to me. I reluctantly took it and let Charlotte drink before pulling it to my lips and finishing it off. I didn't realize how thirsty I was until I was tipping the bottle back to get as much as I could.
"Ma'am, I am not going to hurt you..I promise. Im Agent Derek Morgan, but you can call me Morgan. I'm an FBI agent and I'm here to help, okay?" I nodded, still hesitant about the whole situation. Charlotte looked at him with wide eyes, her curiosity getting the best of her.
"Ma'am, you don't look like you're in the best shape? Your lip is bleeding and I can see that bruise on your jaw. It's fresh. Did someone intentionally try to hurt you?" His voice was slow and soft. His eyes glanced over my face, surely seeing how tired and worn out I looked.
Did I have much of a choice? We were scared, homeless, and alone. I let my head nod up and down. My bottom lip quivered slightly and tears pricked the corners of my eyes.
"I am from the Behavioral Analysis Unit. We're the good guys. I am going to take you and your little girl there and we can help you, okay? Can I get you up?" I waited a few seconds before nodding, finally taking a hold of his hand and being helped to my feet.
I let go of him quickly, keeping my distance and wrapping my arms around Charlotte. Morgan motioned me to follow him to his car. I stopped, looking at him and shifting my weight nervously. He noticed, taking a step back and pointing to the car.
"If you don't mind, I need you to sit in the front with me. Just so I can keep an easy eye on you. I'm taking you somewhere to get help. Is that okay?"
I nodded, following him into the car and watching him walk to the driver's seat. I peeked at myself from the rearview mirror, instantly regretting it. My hair was a mess and twisted into a sloppy bun, loose strands sticking to my sweaty neck and forehead.
My skin was now flushed with color from all the running. My cheeks were a bright red, a purple bruise forming along my jaw line. I used the back of my hand to wipe at the dried blood gathering around the corner of my lips.
My eyes were bloodshot from crying and felt extremely dry. I don't sleep that often, too afraid. I watch over Charlotte instead of sleeping. As long as she's okay, that's all that matters.
My legs were shaking and Charlotte sat in my lap. Morgan slipped inside and started up the car. I was scared to talk to him, my throat constricted. He noticed and gave me a warm smile, trying not to look intimidating.
"My...my name is Charlotte. T-This is my...my sissy...Rachel. Your n-not going to...to punish us like d-daddy...are you?" I panic and quickly place a hand over her mouth, stopping her from giving out any more information.
He raised an eyebrow at me, Charlotte looking at me in confusion for cutting her off. Thankfully he didn't push it any further and focused on the road. Charlotte pulled my hand from her mouth, growing silent as she saw the look I gave her.
"I promise I will not hurt you or your sister. I'm very glad to meet you, Charlotte."
She nodded, a little grin forming on her face. She was still a child, Just a child. She's only seven. The trees and buildings went by in a blur and Charlotte spent her eyes watching them pass.
Morgan would occasionally glance over at us before turning back to the road. My chest felt tight and the further we drove, the more anxiety began to build inside of me. I wiped away a few tears before either of them could've seen it.

"YOU THINK YOU CAN JUST LEAVE ME? JUST LEAVE ME HERE TO DIE, LIKE YOUR OWN MOTHER DID!? YOU CANT ESCAPE ME AND YOU KNOW I-"

My father's words played in my head over and over. As I looked out of the window and watched my town become farther and farther, I felt a small sense of freedom.