I'm dreaming I know I am, I have to be. I couldnt live through this twice.
....10 years ago....
...."run Jules"...
"Wha.. what I can't leave you Daddy" I say with tears running down my face.
"You must, take Rylee and run don't turn around and don't look back you just keep running, I'll find you when it's safe, NOW RUN".
I picked up my baby sister, gave my father one last look through my tears and ran. I ran as fast as my legs would take me while holding an infant but even that wasn't fast enough to drown out the sounds of the fighting or screaming. I didn't know where to go we didn't have anyone besides daddy and Gramma Lynn, and we just left them behind. I had a to go bag daddy left at the bus station just in case this ever happened. Daddy made me wear the key around my neck so I'd aways have it with me. When I got to the bus station it only took me a few minutes to find the lockers. As I pull out the bag I hear from behind me " Excuse me miss, are you ok?" as I turn around I realize its security. Oh no what do I say, what do I do? we probably look like we're homeless from all the running and hiding in the woods. "oh, no thank you I just needed to grab my bag" I say. "Do you have an I.D. on you? How old are you, and where are your parents" ? he asks before I can turn to leave. Trying to buy my self a little time as I figure out what to say to him I sit down and open the book bag. Panicking I try to control my shaking hands, I can't tell him my real name or age because he'll run my name or worse call social services, I'd lose Rylee, then they'd find us for sure and everything our coven did to save us would've been for nothing. But as I sit there trying to come up with something, anything, to say besides the truth my mind is just stays blank. I can't think of a single plausible lie. While I've been having my internal battle about what to say I've unzipped the book bag and there right on top is an I.D. with my picture on it. I sigh internally thanking my dad under my breath. Apparently my first name is the same Julie, but my last name De'Letore has been change to the generic surname of Williams, and I'm no longer 17 I'm 20! I hand the I.D. to the security guard and discreetly continue to look through the bag, as I'm doing this I find a copy of my new birth certificate a s.s. card for me and Rylee, new credit cards and bank information all with my new name. As I'm finishing with the papers I find Rylee's birth certificate... but instead of having my parents names where the parents name would be it has my name! Julie Williams and the father is... unknown? Shaking my head, completely dumbfounded and emotionally exhausted I retrieve my I.D. from the security guard. I then walk to the ticket desk, with a sleeping Rylee in my arms I buy a ticket. Beep...Beep...Beep. My alarm, great.
Present day
"Mama?" Rylee called out.
"Yes my sweet?"
"Can I go to school this year?" she asks while shoveling froot loops in her mouth. I knew this conversation was gonna happen soon, it's the same conversation we had last year before the start of the school year. "I'm sorry baby but you know you can't". Just as she started to whine and list all the reasons I should let her I hear it. "Get your go bag Ry, we gotta go Now", I grab my bag from under my bed and wait for Rylee to meet me at the door yelling at her to hurry. We've practiced this many times but never did I think we'd actually have to do it. I've been so careful, how did they find us? For the past 6 years we've lived quietly and as "normal" as we could. Just as we step into the basement the front door crashes open. It's time like these I'm glad we're not human as I cover her mouth so fast you wouldn't have seen my hand move, just as she opens her mouth to let out a frightened shriek. I turn her around and put a finger to my lips indicating silence, she nods. We rush down the stairs to the secret exit I had put in just after we bought the house, funny the things people will cover up with the right amount of money. There are no records of this exit being put in there isn't even any indication the door is there, there aren't any knobs or handles and they won't know where to find the button that activates the spring that'll push the door open. Once outside I turn to my right and walk to the tree that will disengage the spring closing the door behind us. They won't know how we got out without them seeing us. As I'm sure they've had to have been watching us, especially knowing we'd both be home and that Abigail our nanny wouldn't be here, as it's her day off. With Rylee silently crying I usher her the 3 blocks to the parking garage with our spare car. " Give me your phone" I tell Rylee. "But what about all my friends?, I won't be able to tell them we're moving, I'll never see them again" she pouts. She was to young and since I've never told her she has no memory of the last time we ran, or why. She was to young to remember the years we spent on the run with me in constant fear. But I thought I'd been carefull enough that they couldn't find us. I'm so stupid, I let myself get to comfortable. Now because of that Rylee doesn't understand the direness and severity our situation. Sighing I answer her "Listen honey you can't call your friends or talk to them ever again", she looks at me like I'm losing my mind, let's be honest she's gonna do a lot in the next few days. crosses her arms and stares out the window effectively stopping the conversationwhich Even as I shelter her from it I know I'll have to tell her everything soon, she's in to much danger for me not to. That's a problem for tomorrow, now we have to get out of this town. As I pull out of the garage I drive past our house and there standing on my porch are 3 men. I recognize one man, he's on the phone. I don't know the other 2. As I pass I feel like the man on the phone is looking at me, I know he can't actually see me (the windows are illegally tinted so dark you can't see in them if you put your face against the glass). By the time I turn the corner my heart is still pounding but finally the adrenaline is wearing off, and the electricity running through my veins recedes to a normal level. I can breath through the weight on my chest, thank God that could've been so much worse. Imagine having to explain that to Rylee on top of everything else I've got to tell her. She's been asking what's going on since we got on I-57 heading south 3 hours ago, she only stopped because she fell asleep, the commotion of the day finally catching up to her.