The rain came down in torrents, pounding against the tin roof of the crumbling house where Emilia Russo had spent most of her eight years of life. The sound masked the quiet sobs coming from the tiny girl huddled in a corner of her room. Emilia's thin frame shivered as the cold seeped into her bones, her bare feet pressed against the splintered wood floor. The only light came from a small, cracked window that did little to keep the storm at bay.
Tonight was the night she would leave.
Her decision wasn't made lightly. For years, she had endured the cruel punishments, the bruises that never had time to fade before new ones appeared, the hunger that gnawed at her insides like a wild animal. Her adoptive parents, Carlo and Maria, had taken her in after the orphanage could no longer care for her, promising her a family, safety, and love. Instead, they had given her fear, pain, and suffering.
Carlo's temper was a beast of its own, unpredictable and violent. Maria, though less physically abusive, wielded her words like knives, cutting Emilia down at every opportunity. Together, they had created a prison of misery, and tonight, Emilia would escape it forever.
The rain had started just as the shouting downstairs reached its peak. Carlo's drunken voice bellowed through the walls, and Maria's shrill replies did nothing to calm him. Emilia knew that the storm outside would be her ally. It would muffle the sound of her leaving, obscure her tracks, and keep them from following her.
She crept to the door, her heart pounding so loudly she was sure they could hear it. The loose floorboard near the hallway creaked under her weight, and she froze, holding her breath. Carlo's shouting continued, but it seemed he hadn't noticed. She slipped down the narrow hall, careful to avoid the spots she knew would betray her with noise.
The front door was her goal, just a few steps away. She reached it and paused, her small hand trembling as she unlatched the lock. For a moment, she hesitated. What if they caught me? What if the world outside was just as cruel as the one i was leaving behind?
Carlo's heavy footsteps thudded against the floor, growing louder as he approached. Her fear vanished, replaced by a surge of determination. She yanked the door open and bolted into the storm.
The rain was icy, soaking her thin clothes in seconds and plastering her dark hair to her face. The gravel driveway bit into her bare feet, but she didn't stop. The cold wind whipped at her skin, and the downpour blurred her vision, but Emilia kept running. The faint sound of Carlo's voice yelling her name reached her ears, but it was quickly drowned out by the thunder.
She didn't know where she was going. She only knew she couldn't stay.
The streets were deserted, the storm keeping everyone inside. Emilia ran through the winding alleys of the small town, her breaths coming in ragged gasps. Each step sent jolts of pain up her legs as her feet, already raw and bruised, scraped against the uneven cobblestones. But she didn't care. Pain was a small price to pay for freedom.
The rain made everything slippery and treacherous, and she stumbled more than once, catching herself on walls and lampposts. Her thin dress clung to her skin, offering no protection from the elements. Her teeth chattered as the cold seeped into her very bones, but still, she didn't stop.
She passed shuttered shops and darkened homes, their windows glowing faintly with the warmth she had never known. The sight made her heart ache, but she pushed the thought away. There was no time for longing, no time for regret.
The outskirts of the town loomed ahead, the narrow streets giving way to open fields and dense forests. Emilia hesitated for the first time, her chest heaving as she tried to catch her breath. The forest was dark, its trees swaying ominously in the wind. She had heard stories of wolves and other dangers lurking within, but the thought of turning back to Carlo and Maria was far more terrifying.
Summoning every ounce of courage she had left, Emilia plunged into the forest.
The canopy above offered little protection from the rain, but the thick undergrowth slowed her pursuers—if they were even chasing her. She weaved through the trees, her small body dodging branches and brambles with an agility born of desperation. The wet ground was slippery, and she fell more than once, her hands and knees scraped and bleeding.
Hours seemed to pass as she wandered deeper into the woods. The adrenaline that had fueled her escape was fading, replaced by exhaustion and pain. Her limbs felt heavy, her breaths shallow, but she forced herself to keep moving.
Eventually, the forest began to thin, and Emilia found herself on the edge of a gravel road. She paused, her body swaying with fatigue. The rain had eased to a drizzle, but the night was still dark and cold.
In the distance, faint lights glowed, illuminating the silhouette of a large structure. Emilia squinted, her vision blurry from tears and rain. It looked like a mansion or a villa, its high walls and ornate gates a stark contrast to the poverty she had known.
Her feet moved on their own, carrying her toward the light. The gravel bit into her soles, but she didn't care. The promise of safety, of warmth, was too strong to resist.
As she approached the gates, she collapsed against them, her small hands clutching the cold iron bars. Her body trembled violently, and her vision began to fade. She barely noticed the sound of footsteps approaching, the low murmur of voices speaking a language she didn't understand.
The last thing Emilia saw before darkness claimed her was the shadowy figure of a man, his sharp features illuminated by the faint glow of a streetlamp. His piercing eyes met hers, and for the first time in years, Emilia felt a flicker of hope.