a/n the boys appear in the next chapter.

The wood was wet and the wind blew through my black hair and I sat on the back porch of the home, their home. I was placed with this foster family two years ago, since then I have been beaten, starved and burned. I had graduated high school and turned eighteen in two weeks, then I could leave this place for good. The sun went down and the breeze grew colder, I was forced to stay outside until told otherwise. I hugged my knees then closed my eyes, remembering life before the living hell.

"mommy where are you going?" I asked in my squeaky five year old voice. "taking your brother to soccer practice then to the store" she replied giving me a smile. She was young, pretty, and a hardworking single mother, but she always had time to play barbies with me or pirates with my brother. I gave her a cheeky grin and ran off to get my dance bag, it was Thursday so Jack had soccer and I had dance. "Spencer your ride is here!" I ran out to the living room and gave Jack a hug, "good luck at soccer!" "bye sis!" Jack squealed with a goofy smile on his face. "bye mom love you!" I yelled while running to the door. "see you in a few hours." mom called to me from the open door.

My eyes fluttered open and I wiped the stray tears from my eyes. "its been a few hours mom, please come home" I muttered to myself.

I shuddered again it felt close to ten, she probably forgot about me again...its happened before. I moved to a corner and got as comfortable as possible and closed my eyes again, this time I dream I got out of the hell hole and found my mother and brother who have been looking for me all these years and I was finally safe and happy. It was the same dream every single night.

"Spencer get your ass in here" my eyes shot open and I scrambled into the house. I stared down at the tan carpet when I made it to her. Hallie was drunk, like always and decided to punish me for missing my morning assignments because I was outside. I fell to the ground as she gave me one final kick before exiting the kitchen. I caught my breath then stood up to start my afternoon chores, I didn't want to be beat again for not finishing them.

I scurried about the house to pick up items and scrub floors, I finished with an hour to spare so I went up to the attic and began to write. Moments later I heard footsteps pounding against the stairs I slid the notebook under the box spring I slept on and sat there picking at the carpet.

"Spencer, mom wants you downstairs." Layton, their eldest son instructed then turned around and left. Layton was oddly nice to me when she wasn't around, which I was grateful for I didn't need double the hate.

I flew down the stairs and into the living room where I saw Hallie sprawled on the couch with a bottle of god knows what in her hand. "ma'am" I muttered with my head hung down, I wasn't allowed to look at her for I was too lousy to look at her beauty.

Beauty, yeah right her frizzy red hair stuck out like Medusa, the bags under her eyes made her look like a raccoon, and she dressed as if she was homeless.

"Go cook dinner." her voice like an invisible whip. I ran to the kitchen and prepared meatloaf. "if it is good enough you might not have to sleep outside again" just as the last word came out thunder rattled the house. Her laugh sounded more like a cackle coming from the wicked witch of the west. I wonder how this bitch even got her foster parent license.

I sat on the cool kitchen floor near the table, I wasn't privileged enough to eat with them, and picked at my dinner. The only reason she no longer banned me from eating all together was because her oldest child, Leeah had moved out and she was the one who cooked.

Now it was up to me and while I prepared meals I could easily steal food so the starving technique wasn't effective.

"Spencer, lucky for you I actually liked this now you don't have to sit outside." Hallie admitted then threw her wine glass at my head, I dodged the glass and it shattered next to my face.

A shard fell down my arm and cut it from my shoulder to the elbow. She stood up, walked over to me then kicked me in the gut "clean this shit up" she cackled then left.

I sat there a moment to process what happened then to examine my bleeding wound. With a sigh I began my clean up process I knew if I didn't I would be in trouble. "thirteen more days" I mumbled to myself, praying I would actually make it that long.