She ran away from her home, from everything she knew hoping to get away from him. She thought she had, thought she found a place to call home, until her past nightmares came back to haunt her. Now it's up to her new friends and maybe more, to help keep this girl safe from the demon that will do anything to drag her back to her past.

Chapter 1.

Run.

The sound of her heart beating and the blood pounding in her ears was all the teen could hear as she ran. Her heels smacked against the ground, leaving clicking sounds in her wake, while her long prom dress was bunched up around her thighs, clutched tightly in her hands. Just a few hours ago, her makeup had been perfect, as was her hair. Now, her hair fell freely down her back, the black curls wild and messy, and black streaked down her face, due to the heavy tears that continued pouring from her grayish blue eyes. Over her right eye, clearly distinguishable against her fair skin, was a purplish bruise forming. She needed to get away, as quick as she possibly could. Though she had no idea where she could go.

Soon her movements slowed as she got closer to her home, her chest heaving with her harsh pants as she tried desperately to get oxygen into her burning lungs. Pushing open the door to her parents home, she tried to calm her tears, though that in itself was difficult. She took a moment to survey the area. It was dark, but had a calm homey feel. She felt calm, and safe. Walking through the living room, she made her way to the stairs. Her gaze cut through the dark living room, taking in the couch situated against the back wall, the loveseat diagonal to it. Across the walls, she could faintly see multiple family pictures. The teen let a smile fall upon her lips as she gazed around the familiar home. Tears fell down her face once more as she turned quickly moving up the stairs. Her footsteps were muted against the plush carpet, while she moved into her bedroom. The light flicked on, casting the room in a soft dim glow. This was it. She was about to run from everything she had ever known. All to get away from him.

Before she had time to second guess herself, she quickly moved to her closet, yanking out a large duffle bag. She filled it with clothes and necessities she'd need, as well as shoes and her favorite hoodie. Reaching into the bottom of her draw, she withdrew the money she had been saving since she had been a little girl, stuffing it into her wallet, she tossed that into her bag. Not bothering to change out of her dress and heels, she slung the large bag over her shoulder, taking one last look around her room. She sniffled softly, as she turned out the light closing the door. Before venturing downstairs, she stopped at her younger sisters room. Dropping her bag to the floor, she moved to sit on her sisters bed. Her finger's brushed gently through the younger girls golden brown locks. Leaning down she kissed her forehead whispering "I love you, Elizabeth." Standing up, she wiped her tears once more, grabbing a small black teddy bear to remind her of her sister, she then made her way from the room, scooping her duffle bag up on the way out. Closing the door silently behind her, she next made her way to her parents room. Kissing her father and mothers cheek, she fought hard to keep her tears at bay while she quickly descended the stairs. As she made her way to the front door, she gazed around the house that she had grown up in. "No turning back now…" She whispered softly, while she stepped out into the cool night, shutting the door on her past.

She lifted the duffle bag a bit higher onto her shoulder, adjusting the strap to a more comfortable position. Looking around the dark neighborhood, the girl took a deep breath making her way to the bus station. After a good 45 minute walk, she finally reached the station. Quickly moving into the bathroom, she changed out of her dress and heels, opting instead for a pair of old blue jeans, and her black hoodie. She tied her long black curly hair back into a high ponytail, a few strands framing her face. She then set work to covering her bruised eye. Once she was satisfied with her appearance, she pulled out her wallet stuffing it into her hoodie pocket. Standing in the bathroom she stared at her reflection, taking in herself. She was medium height, standing at around 5'5, her hair was long reaching her mid back, and had a natural curl to it. Her skin was flawless, and a creamy porcelain color and her grayish blue eyes stuck out vibrantly against her skin tone. Through out the years she earned the nickname Snow White from most of her friends, since she resembled the Disney Princess. Raising her hand, dainty fingertips brushed against the skin just below her right eye, earning a slight wince from her. Hidden just beneath the makeup, she knew the once purplish bruise had probably worsened. Sighing softly she shook her head, while she pushed her prom dress and black heels into her bag. She slung it over her shoulder once more, finally walking out of the bathroom, towards the ticket counter.

The lady behind the counter had a friendly smile, her graying hair tied back in a neat bun. When she spoke, her voice was calming to the girl. It seemed to give her strength to go through with this. "Hello, dear. What can I do for you this evening?" Clearing her throat, the girl looked over the destinations for a moment, before choosing the place farthest away from her small home town of Southlake, Texas. "I need a ticket to San Francisco, California please." "Alright, my dear. May I see an I.D so I know what name to put on the ticket, and will you be paying cash, or credit?" "Cash, ma'am. And here you go." The girl withdrew her I.D handing it over to the cashier. Seeing her name, the elderly lady smiled as she punched in a few things on her computer. "Alright, here you go . That comes out to $235.76" Erella, counted out the amount of money, handing it over as she was handed back her I.D After receiving her change and ticket, she gave the woman a small smile. "Your bus number is 21 and it leaves in 30 minutes dear, have a good trip." Replied the ticket lady, giving Erella another warm smile as she walked away.

Having half an hour to kill, Erella stopped by a coffee cart, buying herself a large coffee and a bagel to hold her over through the rest of the night. Making her way to sit down and wait for her bus number to be called. Her thoughts were taken away from the station once she allowed herself to relax, her thoughts and mind shifting to the reason she was running. The night had started out perfect, just like it was supposed too. She spent the whole day getting ready, her younger sister right there beside her to join in her excitement. It was the last month of school, her last month of high school. And her senior prom was that night. Justin showed up to pick her up, all smiles and politeness to her parents. But Erella knew him better then that. She knew behind that perfect smile, and his perfect manners, he had one hell of a temper. She always tried her best to keep him calm, having had him explode on her plenty of times. Yet..She chose to stay with him.

Justin was good looking, there was no denying that. He was tall, standing at 6'2. His muscles were well defined. Being the star quarterback, he worked out daily. With his perfect smile, baby blue eyes and flawless skin, Justin could dazzle any girl he wanted. And he wanted Erella. They had started dating their sophomore year of high school, and for awhile the relationship had before perfect. After 6 months of being together, he told Erella he was in love with her, she knew she loved him too. But shortly after their junior year started things changed. Justin became controlling, not liking the friends that Erella hung out with. On more then one occasion he accused her of sleeping with her best friend, Stephen. Though she never told Stephen that. He had always been wary of Justin, not liking the way he always questioned his friend. No, instead Erella kept her mouth shut, and listened to what Richard had to say.

He had never gone as far as hitting her, till the night she spoke her feelings. They had been arguing about a party that Justin wanted to go too, but Erella wasn't in the mood to deal with all the football jocks. When voicing her opinion Justin didn't quite like what she had to say, and slapped her. That was the first night she got threatened by her boyfriend. The first night everything began to change. He apologized of course, saying his temper got away from him, and Erella forgave him. She always forgave him, always hid the bruises. But not this time. She had finally come to her descion just a few hours prior that she would run. Thoughts of the prom, and what had happened danced around Erella's mind, making her sniffle quietly.

6 Hours Prior:

Erella stood beside Justin,, his arm securely wrapped around her waist. To anyone else it seemed he just loved her, but to Erella she seemed trapped. Like she was his prey, and he'd be dammed if anyone else got near her. She kept a happy smile on her face, chatting with a few friends every now and then, or dancing with Justin when he told her too. As the night wore on, Erella, Justin and about 10 other friends all decided to get a hotel, and stay together. Once inside the room, Erella realized that a few of the guys had brought alcohol. Not being one to drink, she chose a bottle of water instead, and made her way to her friend Stephen, spending most of her time talking to him. Unbeknownst to her Justin's gaze never left her frame, and he didn't like what was happening. Not one bit. His anger only grew when Stephen draped his arm around Erella's shoulders, pulling her into a hug.

Chugging down the remainder of his 4th beer, Justin made his way to his girlfriend. He gripped her arm, wrenching her out of Stephens embrace, his words angry as he whispered harshly into her ear. "And what do you think you're doing?" Erella winced, fear quickly taking over her emotions while she replied softly to him. "I was just talking to Stephen, Justin…I'm not doing anything wrong." "Or your not? What did I say about talking to him?" Stephen already pissed about the way Justin grabbed his friend, shoved him off Erella, gently pushing her behind himself. "Justin, how about you fuck off. You don't need to be grabbing on her like that, she's not your damn property." "You stay the fuck out of this! This is between me and MY girlfriend!"

Stephen simply scoffed turning to Erella. "Are you alright Ella?" Tears had already began to streak down her face, as she nodded some. "I'm fine Stephen…Thank you." He nodded, rubbing her arm a bit. "Let's get you home, hmm?" "She's not going anywhere with you!" Justin growled as he set his narrowed gaze on Erella. "Are you, Ella?" He sneered the name, his hands already clenched into fists at his side. Erella stiffened, her fear becoming more pronounced as she slowly stepped around Stephen, to Justin. "Justin...Please you have to calm down.." She spoke softly to him, as she realized the room had grown deathly silent, all eyes watching the scene unfold. "Calm down? I am calm Erella." He gave her a sickly sweet smile, his arm moving to wrap around her waist. His grip was tight, causing her to wince a bit, a slight whimper escaping her lips.

Stephen noticing her whimper, narrowed his dark brown eyes as he stepped forward. "You're hurting her." He uttered through clenched teeth. Justin arched his brow, looking to Erella before looking back to Stephen. "I'm not hurting you, am I babe?" His grip tightened around her slightly, causing her to gasp as she shook her head slowly. Her gaze locked with Stephens, willing him to let it go. But no. He wouldn't. If he did, he wouldn't be her best friend. So instead, Stephen leaned in to Justin, his eyes hard. Emotionless as he whispered to him. "Let. Her. Go. Now." "Or what?" Came Justin's smug reply. And before he could let the laugh that was about to erupt from his lips leave, Stephen smashed his fist into his nose. Tossing Erella from his grasp, he howled in pain holding his nose. "YOU STUPID FUCK! YOUR DEAD!" "Justin no!" Erella having recovered from being shoved to the floor, quickly stood up coming to stand in front of Stephen, her back against his chest to keep him out of Justin reach.

Tears had already started to form in her eyes, seeing Justin's look of pure fury. When he spoke, his words sent chills down Erella's spine. His baby blue optics darkened slightly with his rage as he stepped closer to Erella. "Get out of my fucking way if you know what's good for you, Erella."

Refusing to move, Erella let out a cry of pain when she felt the back of his hand collide with her face. The force of the slap sent her falling to the ground, clutching the right side of her face in pain. Her face felt as if it were on fire, tears immediately pouring from her eyes. She could barely register what happened next, but she vaguely saw Stephen lunge for Justin, throwing him to the ground before they started fighting. Feeling two strong arms circle around her waist, lifting her to her feet and making sure she was steady, she heard Justin's friend, Mark ask if she was okay. Nodding slightly she stared at the two fighting guys in the middle of the room. One, her boyfriend. The other her best friend, whom would gladly give his life for her.

"STOP IT BOTH OF YOU!" She heard herself scream, but didn't seem to be aware of her actions. Finally after a good ten minutes, most of the guys managed to pull the two boys apart from each other.

Stephen's once white dress shirt was now stained with his and Justin's blood. Justin's shirt looked quite similar to Stephens. Erella stared at the boys before her, watching as Justin turned his angered gaze on her. He reached out, grabbing her wrist in a tight grasp. "We're leaving." He uttered to her, through clenched teeth. Erella stiffened, trying to tug her wrist from his grasp, only to be forcibly yanked forward. Mark, the one who had helped her up stepped forward. "Justin, c'mon man just let her go…You're angry. Give yourself time to cool off." "You stay the hell out of this Mark. She's my girlfriend, and I'll do whatever the fuck I want with her." "No, you won't Justin." Mark moved to Erella's side, once she finally tugged her wrist from his grip. "Mark, it's okay…Really.." She whispered to him, touching his arms gently. Her grayish blue optics were pleading for him to back off, and he must have caught her meaning. He nodded as he looked at her, whispering. "I'm here…Just like Stephen..If I would have known he was like this, I would have done something Erella.."

She simply nodded, giving him a forced smile as she stepped over to Justin's side. He gripped her wrist tightly once more, sweeping out of the room. The last thing she saw was Mark, holding Stephen back, as he gazed sadly after his best friend. She turned her gaze away from his pained eyes, to the ground before her following Justin as he tightened his grip on her arm.

She hissed, wincing slightly once she felt his nails bite at her flesh. Justin's grip only tightened on Erella's arm once more, as they both emerged outside. The night was cool, the sky above completely clear, and dotted with stars shining brightly and perfectly above them. So caught up in the beauty of the night that surrounded them, she never saw his fist coming straight for her face. Hitting the ground hard, she whimpered immediately clutching at face, she could already feel it bruise.

He was in her face seconds later gripping her chin, and forcing her to look at him.. His voice came out in a hiss. "How could you do that to me? How could you embarrass me like that?" Erella whimpered, her gaze dropping downward as she whispered. "I…I'm sorry…I…I didn't mean too…I'm sorry…" She finished lamely, as he jerked her chin upwards forcing her to look at him. "If I catch you near him again…It'll be the end for both of you, do you hear me Erella?" He growled out.

Erella wasn't sure what came over her. Maybe it was the fear of his words, or maybe she was just tired of his crap. But she swung her foot out without thinking. The heel of her shoe connected with Justin's groin causing him to howl in pain, dropping to his side.

Frozen in shock with what she had just done, Erella soon realized she had to move and quickly. Forcing herself to her feet she watched Justin roll around on the ground in pain, while he glared at her, his baby blue hues not even concealing his anger as he growled out. "I'll…g-get you…for that…" Panic flooded Erella, and she did the only thing that came to her mind. She bunched up her dress and ran.

The sound of the intercom, calling out her bus name woke Erella from her memories, causing her to blink a bit. Scooping up her bag, and already cold coffee, she made her way to the bus. Getting in line she waited for a few minutes, till she came face to face with a friendly looking driver. He was tall, and had a calming aura about him. His smile was easy as he took her ticket, punching a hole into it. "Traveling alone?" He asked, tilting his head. She gave a slight timid smile, nodding some. "Yup, just me sir."

He looked her over for a moment, nodding some as he smiled once more. "Take a seat close to the front. It'll be more comfortable then in the back with the creeps." He laughed some as he waited for her to step onto the bus. As she made her way up the small steps onto the buss, she adjusted her bag around her shoulder, choosing to take a seat right next to the driver. She sat by the window, her bag placed at her side. Her gaze turned back, taking in the few passengers that scattered around the bus. There weren't many so the bus was fairly empty.

Turning her attention back to the front of the bus, she could vaguely hear the driver call for any remaining passengers before he too climbed upon the bus. He turned his smile to the few passengers, speaking clearly. "Alright everyone, we're going to be traveling together for a total of 3 and a half days. How about we all try to get along. Eh?" Erella heard a chorus of laughs and agreements, while the driver took a seat. Just as he was about to close the doors, a young girl about Erella's age came running up. "Wait! Sorry I'm here!"

The driver opened the doors once more, laughing some. "You almost missed us, kid." "I know! I got all turned around coming this way. But I'm here now." The girl giggled, handing her ticket to the driver. He shook his head, a fond smile on his lips as he punched the ticket. "Alright find a seat, there's plenty of them."

Erella studied the girl as she looked around for a seat. She was fairly short, maybe around the same height as herself, and her hair was colored a bright pink, with a few streaks of light blue here and there. Her right nostril was pierced and what looked like a cross was tattooed onto her wrist. Her clothes were simple enough, black cargo's, a studded black belt, and a black tank top. Erella watched as the girl turned her gaze to her, a smile upon her lips. "Is this seat taken?"

Blinking some, Erella let a timid smile stretch across her lips as she shook her head. "Nope, all yours." "Yay! I love sitting at the front." She dropped her own bag down at her feet as she plopped down beside Erella. She's defiantly bubbly. Erella thought with a smile playing at her lips. The girl turned then, extending her hand to Erella. "I'm Jessie." Erella took her hand, giving a small shake. "Erella, nice to meet you." "Erella? That's an unusual name…I like it!" Jessie responded with a happy giggle. Erella nodded some, already feeling some of the tension from the earlier evening leave her.

Both girls fell silent then, as they waited for the driver to pull away from the station. Erella's mind switched to everyone she was leaving behind, a slightly saddened frown creeping upon her lips. She watched the window, the bus speeding past the place she grew up in. Once they passed the sign that read 'Now leaving Southlake, Texas.' Erella took a deep breath, thinking to herself. This is it…Defiantly no turning back now. And with that, she closed the door on her past. Locking it far away, her thoughts focused on the future she would create for herself.