So as promised, here's my new story. I love this idea but really, this type of a story is new to me so, I have one request from you guys, please please PLEASE review and tell me how this story will turn out. Happy reading!

P.S. This is the prologue, so I made it third person's POV, but tell me, should the rest of the story be in third person or first person?

Prologue

Annabeth was afraid. Very afraid. She felt sure that he was behind her, so she didn't turn back and look – she just kept running.

She had had enough from Max, her stepmother's brother. He came to her house every night, drunk and violent. He hit Annabeth, punched her, kicked her and basically tortured her. Her stepmother didn't utter a word of protest. In fact she cackled, like she was enjoying the sight of Annabeth being tortured. She cried for help. But who could hear her? Her dear little stepbrothers were fast asleep. Her father had died a year ago, leaving her alone with her cursed stepmother and her evil brother. When her father was alive, Stephanie was all sweetness and sugar. When he died of a car accident, she showed a hint of remorse on the funeral day and then, she turned into a monster. In fact, Annabeth had a suspicion that Stephanie had a hand in her father's supposed accident. She was so cruel, that her own sons, Bobby and Mathew were afraid of her. Her brother was even worse, he was determined to make Annabeth's life hell.

She stayed away from the house as much as she could, but eventually, she had to come back home at night. Tonight, Max had gone too far – she insulted him by calling him a bastard, asshole and many other profanities at him – he stabbed her at the shin with a small dagger. She screamed from agony, but he mercilessly punched her and kicked her. Then, Annabeth felt a charge of adrenalin coursing through her body. She was a judo champion, which was very useful right then. Max was an average man in his twenties, so Annabeth had no problem in grabbing his wrist, flipping him so that he slammed the hard wood floor of the living room. She gave several punches to him, screaming in defiance. Then she pressed a carotid artery in his neck to cause a temporary pass out. She knew that it would not last long, but at least she would have time to grab her emergency backpack below her bed in her room and run out of the house.

She heard a surprised groan from the corner and she realized – she had forgotten about her stepmother. But she felt that, if she could deal with Max with such ease, her physically weak, and unarmed stepmother should be a cakewalk. She took a step forward and felt a searing pain in her left shin, where the beast had stabbed her. She bent down, steeled her nerves and pulled out the dagger and experienced a pain like she had never felt. She was wearing knee-length pants, so she did not have to worry about removing clothing. Blood gushed out, red and rich. She let it. She marched towards Stephanie who was cowering in a corner. Annabeth put all her strength, which was powered by one year of resentment, anger, fear and helplessness, in one fist and punched her. She was knocked out cold.

Annabeth figured she didn't have much time. She ran to her room, ignoring the pain in her left leg, fished out her emergency pack, got a bandage and hastily wrapped it around her leg wound and ran out of the house. She could hear Max shouting. She felt sure that he would be behind her in a matter of minutes.

Annabeth took the most twisted route possible, New York had many alleys and crosses, thank gods.

Now she felt as if she may be losing Max, but she had to find a refuge soon, otherwise, she wouldn't be able to run anymore. She was in the suburbs of Manhattan now. She could see rows of houses, all glowing in the night. She heard Max shout behind her. She was dead tired. She ran to a house, wishing that she could seek shelter there.

She banged on the door and now, she was spent fully, so she collapsed on the doorstep.

A tall figure, probably a boy asked, "Who are you? Oh my god! You're hurt." He bent down and through her blurry vision she made out that he had black hair.

"Please…help…stepmother's brother….stabbed me….following me….please….." And then Annabeth's vision went black.

So, what d'you think of it? And yes, I know, I know. I'd told that I'd post it the day I posted Chapter 4 of Love me like you do. But I had to make a few changes in it, so it came out late. Hope you like it and – review, please. ~Aisha