Beee- The alarm barely got a word in before I slammed the snooze and shut it off. It was supposed to wake me up, but I couldn't sleep. I spent all night thinking about every detail of my plan. Where I was going and what I was going to do when I get there. I still wasn't entirely sure, but I'd have plenty of time to figure it out. Throughout the night, I'd written and rewritten the letter. Once, twice, ten times. Smudged lead from bad erasers and tear marks covered the page, making the writing illegible. I rewrote the letter again on another sheet of paper. After all, the letter would be useless if they couldn't read it. Even then, falling tears turned some words into blurs of lead. I wasn't quite sure if they were tears of joy or tears of sorrow.

I placed the sheet of paper aside and opened my suitcase. I removed everything I had packed, pouring the contents onto my bed in a large heap. Staring at the pile of clothes and assorted items, I wondered if I was making the right decision. Probably not, I thought, but I'm going to do it anyway. I repacked the suitcase, going through my mental checklist. One week's worth of outfits, a light jacket, a heavy jacket, my phone, my laptop, all necessary chargers, a baseball cap, a small bottle of hand sanitizer, toothbrush, and my purse. I stashed the purse with five hundred dollars in cash, knowing my cards would be useless if and when my family cuts me off.

I stared at the clock and saw 1:37 staring back at me. I decided it was now or never, and it wasn't going to be never. I picked up my suitcase. It had wheels, but I couldn't risk waking my parents. I'd have to carry it. My small stature meant the luggage hovered barely a foot off the ground. My hand grabbed the door knob, and I opened my door just enough to creep through, cringing at the loud squeaking of the hinges. Before I left it, I read the letter once more.

Dear Parents,

If you're reading this, I'm already gone. Don't come looking for me. I'm never coming back to this town, to this house, to this world of lies that our family has built. I can't keep living like this. You forced me to do this. Goodbye.

Pacifica

I taped the paper to my door and exited into the hallway.

Using the flashlight on my phone to guide the way, I made my way to the stairs. The large wooden staircase creaked with every step, making me flinch as I descended. I reached the ground floor and gazed at the huge doors in front of me. I was glad to be off the wood and onto the soft, quiet rug. Knowing an alarm would sound the second the doors opened, I turned off the security system, leaving only the cameras working. Only slightly hoping they'd get robbed that night, I approached the doors. This is it, my last chance to stop. To return to my room, my family. My horrible family. A small golden bell sitting on a small table beside the entrance caught my eye. I set my bag down on the rug and walked to the table. I lifted the trinket carefully, making sure it wouldn't ring.

My eyes were glued to the bell. This is how they controlled my life. This tiny little thing controlled my entire life. Memories of my "conditioning", as they called it, flooded my head. I felt pain cover every part of my body. The bell's ringing filled my brain. "Pacifica! Get in the dress!" "NO! I don't wanna be in the pageant!" In my mind, I saw the first day they used the bell. I was only five years old. My mother grabbed the bell in one hand, ringing it loudly as she used her other hand to slap me. I could still feel the stinging of her hand. That's how they trained me. Every time I did something wrong, they'd hit me while ringing the bell. Eventually, like a dog, I learned to associate the bell with pain. As much as it stung, the pain reminded me why I was doing this.

I snapped out of it, almost dropping the bell in the process. I carefully carried it over to the doorway and put it down on its side. Staring straight at the security camera, with anger in my eyes, I lifted my right foot and placed it so that it was just barely touching the bell. In one final act of rebellion against those monsters, I forced my foot downward, flattening the golden trinket's thin metal with ease. Leaving the bell smashed on the rug, I grabbed my large suitcase, opened the mighty doors, and escaped into the night.

The cold air rushed past my back, ever so slightly pushing me forward, toward the gate at the opposite end of the courtyard. I lowered my bag, extending the handle and placing its wheels on the concrete. With the mighty outer walls of the Northwest Manor blocking sound from entering, I could be as loud as I wished. I sighed aloud. "This is it, Pacifica. No turning back now." I passed through the gate and made my way down the giant hill my former home rested upon. There was only one thing left to do before leaving Gravity Falls forever.

The town's streets were silent, not a soul in sight. I was the only one awake. Except, of course, for McGucket, who I'm convinced never sleeps. As I moved through the sleeping town, fear took over me. I flinched at every slight noise. Eventually, I reached the vast forest on the outskirts of town, and the maze of dirt paths that snaked through the trees. Still, I knew my way to my destination. My fear only got worse as I made my way through the woods. As much as this forest scared me during the day, it was much, much worse at night. With the moon seemingly absent in the sky, the only light I had was my phone.

It must have taken me an hour, but I reached my destination. A small cabin lay before me. I placed my bag on the dirt and grabbed a pebble. I stared at the tiny rock in my hand and thought to myself. He helped me once. Maybe he'll help me again. I pinched the small stone between my thumb and pointer and threw the pebble towards the triangular window. Maybe.

A/N Thanks to Ramblings Productions for editing this story. I hoped you enjoyed it.

Also, I'm doing a new thing where if you review, you get a preview of the next chapter in the form of the first 400 words (rounded up to the nearest whole sentence) in a PM as soon as they're written. So... yeah. Keep in mind that guest reviewers will not get previews since I can't PM them.