Time to stop running.
Prologue: The Boy Who Did Everything Wrong
"I'm so sorry" little Wally said.
He looked to the floor underneath his feet. He fought away the tears. Only weak boys cry. And he wasn't weak. Or at least, he didn't want to be weak.
"Look at me, boy" the voice sounded so sharp, Wally hesitated a moment.
What if I don't want to look at you? Your face is ugly and you only want people to look at you if you have that scary look in your eyes. I don't want to look at you, never, never again.
"Boy…" the voice started to get angry.
Immediately Wally looked up, hiding the fear in his eyes. She didn't need to know. She would only laugh with it, it would make her feel good. She didn't deserve to feel good. He hated her, oh, God, he did.
"I'm sorry" he repeated, knowing it wouldn't matter anyway.
"You know I have to punish you know, do you?" the little grin on her stupid face was painful to watch, so Wally looked down again and nodded.
Fear raced trough his veins. So fast he thought he would die, would just disappear in the air.
"Roselyn!" she shouted.
The fifteen-year old girl stepped forwards, only nodding. She didn't ask what exactly she must do, she'd done it so many times before. She had to beat him. Real hard, to make sure no one would hit him even harder. She took the stick.
"How much?" she asked without any emotion.
"About ten times must be enough" the woman without a name, only a scary face nodded and added: "I'm going now, make sure he can work after this."
"Of course, Miss Rindryn," she said, her eyes went in the direction the little boy was standing. Softly she said: "come Wally, we're going outside."
Wally swallowed his fear, followed the only girl he could trust trough the door. He knew what 'going outside' meant: getting beat up so badly, no one would hear him screaming over and over again. So they could continue their works, following their orders like mindless dogs. He hated them, all of them, but most of them the Woman Who Could Decide. That was that name he gave her. She was a Goddess here, she could chose who lived and who died. She could decide who got food and who didn't. She could decide everything and Wally was scared of her.
"What did you do this time?" Roselyn asked.
"I broke a glass" was all he said.
"Again? Really boy, what's wrong with you?" she laughed.
"It's not my fault" his arms made fast movements.
"You should really try to move a lot slower" she said.
"I can't!" tears almost came in his eyes, but he could stop them before she would see, "I'm not fast, everyone else is slow."
"No Wally" she lowered her voice, "there's something with you. You're fast, way to fast for a kid of thirteen years old…" at a normal voice she said, "why don't you try to catch that glass next time?"
"That's impossible" he said, "that's way to fast."
"My dear Wally," she spoke, "I've got the feeling nothing will ever be to fast for you."
"Why?" he asked, his green eyes staring at the girl walking beside him.
He tried not to look at the stick she was holding, tried to forget what was going to happen. He forced the fear to go away, to disappear for ever. He only wanted to hear her voice. She was the only one he could trust, the only one he loved. She was like his big sister, may be even his mother. She smiled at him and said: "because you're a really special boy, West."
"I don't want to be special. I don't need to be! I'm sick of it all, sick of..."
"Ssssh!" she whispered, hoping no one heard that, "you can't say things like that. They could hear it."
"You're right" Wally nodded, "I'm sorry."
But I do mean it. Every damn word. It's their fault I'm here. If they didn't kill my parents, if they didn't took me away… I would be normal! Just a boy. I hate them…
"Take off your T-shirt" she said.
He noticed they stopped walking. They were there. The place where everyone who did something wrong got beat up. Slowly he took off his T-shirt, tossing it on the ground. His back was full of bruises, of all the other times he got beat up, all the times he opened his mouth when it was supposed to stay shut. He hated this place.
"Get on your knees."
He did.
"Now, Wally, I'm going to hit you really hard, just to make sure she won't hit you harder."
I know… you care.
She held the stick in the air and than let it land on Wally's shoulders. He screamed his little lungs out. The heat of the burning sun made it only harder. He tried to find his balance and she patience waited till he was back. In silent he nodded, to let her know he was ready for another hit.
Second hit, damn, this hurts.
He bit on his lip not to cry. He almost swallowed his own tongue from the pain.
Third hit… Let the pain stop… someone…
Again the stick found his way to Wally's shoulders. He tried not to scream, he knew Roselyn couldn't take that.
Fourth hit. Must be strong boy. Must not make Roselyn sad. Love her to much.
He felt how blood was dripping of his shoulders.
Fifth hit… Blood… Don't like blood…
He almost, almost screamed. Tears were slowly filling his eyes.
Sixth hit. Must be strong boy! Don't cry!
Roselyn muttered something, but he didn't understand. Again the stick hit.
Seventh hit. Don't cry…
His vision started to get blurry, as the stick touched his shoulders again. Blood was now streaming down.
Eight hit. Damn, hate this.
"You know I don't want to hurt you, right?" she asked.
"Of course… AAAHH!!" he did scream this time, but only because his mouth was open.
Ninth hit.
"Last one" she said optimistic.
He closed his eyes and waited for the last hit to come down. And it did, harder than expected.
Tenth hit. Survived it again… Damn, I am good!
He didn't scream, he only stared the empty stare. That stare was coming more and more in his eyes. He stood up.
"So, now what are we going to do?" he asked, like nothing happened.
He simply ignored the pain, it was easier to live with it than. Thinking about it didn't work. It only made it worse. Thinking made everything worse. It was because people think there existed things like this. Because people are mean and only think about what was best for them. They didn't care for anything, except for what they wanted.
She handed his T-shirt, responding: "I got orders, robbing a store. A little one, not much up to it."
"Oh, right" he said, "I guess I have to ask what my orders are…"
He turned around and walked away, much faster than a normal boy could.
Roselyn watched him. The boy didn't knew, but he was everything for her. She looked at the red spots on his back and she felt the air in her lungs burn. The tears came back to her eyes. But she couldn't cry, couldn't allow him to look back and see her being weak. She looked at the ground and the stick in her hand. She heard his screaming in her head, repeating over and over again. She couldn't fight her tears anymore and brought her hand to her face. She let the sadness take over her. He was gone now, he couldn't see…
Wally walked trough the hallway. His back and shoulders felt like there were ripped apart and he could barely move them. He slowly walked to the big, brown door. He knocked and the listened to the voice who said he could come in.
Really? I rather keep standing here, just to make sure I don't have to see that ugly face of yours.
But he opened the door and came in. The Ugly Faced woman turned around.
"So… Why are you here?" she asked, not even looking.
"To hear what my orders are" he said, just like he was supposed to.
"Oh" she opened a book and looked at a few pages, "uhm, join Roselyn, I think she could use some help."
"Of course, miss" he said, making a bow and turning around. Fieuw, less ugly face today.
Once he closed the door behind him he started running. A little faster a normal boy should be able to run. But he didn't notice and if he would, he wouldn't care. There was a smile on his little face, his red hair dancing in the wind he made by running. He could almost scream of happiness. Every moment more he spend with Roselyn, he felt his heart healing again. He ran to her room, opening the door, while screaming: "Rosy!"
She looked at him and smiled: "oh, hi. I was just about to leave."
"I know" he smiled back, "I'm going with you."
Forever. Wherever you will go, I'll be there.
"Really? That's great" her smile widened.
He watched her getting ready.
I love you. Really, if we're old enough I will marry you. And we'll be happy. I swear you, we will.
"Come, Wally" she said, walking trough the door, "we're gonna rob 'm blind!"
He laughed, following her outside. They walked trough the gate.
We'll take care of you was written on the gates. He spit at it and Roselyn laughed. They took off, leaving the horrible place they called 'home' behind them. When they were far enough, Wally took her hand and said: "let's run."
She looked at him. His eyes sparkled, since so long she could see him truly happy.
"Let's run and never come back," he said, looking at her.
"We can't…" she started.
"They've hurt us enough! I'll make sure they won't hurt you!" he said fiercely.
"They will find us, Wally and if they do…" she didn't finish her sentence, but shivered instead.
"They won't" he decided, "I swear you they won't."
"Wally" she looked to his almost angry face, "they will find us. And they will hurt us if we don't do what we're supposed to do. It's as easy as that. There isn't another destiny for us, Wally. We're captured in this and we'll never break free. We just won't."
"I will!" he shouted, and he stopped walking, "I will!"
He fought the tears of anger away. He looked deep in her eyes, almost like he believed that his will, would let her change her mind. That just looking her enough, will make her see how wrong things were now. She nodded.
"Indeed, you will, Wally" she sadly added, "but I won't."
"You will" he said, "we will. Together."
She smiled sadly.
"Come Wally, let's do what they want us to do… let's just…" he didn't let her finish.
"No! No! We're not going to do this! I'm not going to rob someone who didn't deserve it! I'm not!" he interrupted her. His eyes started to feel like they were burning. "I swear you I'm not."
"You're sure?" she asked, feeling like there wasn't a way out anymore.
"I'm sure" his face made his words clearer as crystal.
"Than I'm going with you," she smiled, "I always will."
"I know," he said, "you care. In fact, you're the only one who cares. And that's why I love you."
She laughed, may be even happy. She took his hand and said: "well, honey, let's run."
"Let's run" he repeated, "and never come back."
Without another word they start running. Running and running. They didn't care about all the weird stares, they didn't care about their hurting feet. They didn't care about this whole world… they only cared about each other.
I will follow you. Where ever you will go. I will hold you, no matter how dark it is. I will stand beside you, until the world stops turning. I will love you, for ever…
So, that was my little prologue. Hope you enjoyed it so far. I sure enjoyed writing it. The 'real' story will be up soon! I really got no clue where the hell I wanna go with this story, so I'll see. Please review, if you liked it! I know this completely doesn't match the real series; I'm just really, really bad with that. I almost always write in AU. Sorry 'bout that! If the story is between the it means it's a flashback. It can be that a whole chapter is a flashback, don't mind that. D