Julianna looked around the new room that her captives had moved her to sometime after she had passed out from the events the night before. This room was different from her old room which was just four white walls and a mattress for her to sleep on.
This room was way different. There were black and crème colored walls and a palace red ceiling. In the middle of the room there was a larger than life four post bed with a royal blue canopy hanging from the golden rods. The bed itself was covered in all the finest silks and lace for the linens and what looked to be a monstrous golden embroidered with silver lilies bedspread. There were lots of pillows as well, some small, some big, some square and some round.
Against one wall there was a seven shelf bookcase that was filled with books, many books. There were small books, and large books, books that were tall and books that were short. There were leather bound books, and board books. Hardback and paperback books alike and at the end of each shelf there were bookends. Each shelf had a set of two of the same bookends. Each set was a different set of animals. On the first shelf the bookends were baby monkeys. The second shelves were giraffes. The third shelf animals were Juliana's favorite the brave panda bear. Her eyes stopped on the pandas. She vaguely remembered seeing a panda at the local zoo when her captives took her when she was five years old.
I was now ten years old. I took out the crimpled piece of paper from her dress pocket, unraveled it and stared at the picture that was printed on the page. It read, "MISSING CHILD" Under those words there was a picture of an newborn baby girl.
Name: JULIANNA HARMONY BARTON
Date of Birth: October 4, 2000
Missing from: Mercy General Hospital
Last seen: October, 4 2000
I quickly crinkled the paper back up and stuck it back in my dress pocket, as I didn't want it to be taken away from me. That paper was my real life, my way of knowing that life wasn't always like this. I often wondered what my real parents looked like, and why they hadn't been looking for me. I even began to wonder if they didn't want me.
Suddenly there was a knock on the door that brought me back to reality. Then the door opened and in walked her "parents."
"Do you like your new room dear?" The middle aged women who had become her mother asked. Her mother was in her mid-40's and worked as a nurse in the emergency room at Mercy General Hospital.
"Yes Ma'am I do, I do like my new room very much. I appreciate it so much, much more than I can express." I said with the learned fake smile that I had mastered so well that even I could tell that it was fake.
"That's wonderful news dear; your father will be so pleased as he picked out everything that is in this room. He really does know you more than I do." She said sadly. "I wish I had more time to spend with you but my work at the hospital and the numerous shifts that I have been working have been hindering me from having much of a life outside of work. But soon that will all change my sweet child. I am going to be cutting back on the number of hours that I work so that I can spend time with you. You have grown so much in the last few years."
I just smiled as I went over to my desk. When I got over to it I saw that there was a new journal, a fresh one. It had silver lined pages and was in my favorite color of pearled purple. There were new pens sitting next to it.
"Mama? I think that I would like to be alone now. I am awfully tired and I think I would like to continue to get acquainted with my new room, if that's alright?" I spoke casually so not to set her off into one of her fits of rage.
"Of course dear, please get comfortable, I have to get ready for work anyhow and your father should be home shortly." She said with a gentle smile as she left, quietly shutting the door as she went.
I sat down at my desk and opened my new journal and took a deep breath and started what I had always wanted to do and now I had a chance. I was never going to survive without a way to get things off my chest. After what my father had done to me starting three days ago and had done multiple times a day since was unimaginable, and I still don't know how I managed to survive it. I began to write.
To my Real Parents,
Three days ago I turned 10 years old. I don't feel much like what a normal 10 year old is supposed to feel like but I suppose that I don't really know what I am supposed to feel like. The kids that I can see from the small boarded up window in my room are probably I'm guessing my age or younger. A few of them are older though, I can tell because they are often walking their brothers and sisters to their bus stop in the mornings for school. Oh what I would give to actually go to school. I have never been and often wonder what it would be like. Father came to see me today after mother went to work. He said he had a surprise for me, a surprise for my birthday. They have never given me anything for my birthday before. I was happy, excited. Father had me lay down on my mattress and close my eyes, he said that it was a big surprise. I did what he asked and when I opened my eyes I was not prepared for what he had given me. He had secured my hands and feet to links of chain on the walls both above my head and below my feet. He pushed up my dress and tore off my underwear. I made myself try and shut out what happened next. All I remember right now is the white fire that spread through my body as he man handled my fragile, small body. I don't remember much after that as he had placed a wet cloth over my nose and mouth. I know that he has visited me in my old room multiple times since the first time, each time he puts that cloth over my nose and mouth and I don't remember anything after that. I woke up in my new room today. I know it has been three days because of the calendar that is on my new desk. My body aches, I have bruises everywhere on my arms and legs and some places that I don't remember how those marks got there. Nor do I want to know, I think that I am safer not knowing. But what I do know is that my agility is getting stronger on a daily basis, my vision and accuracy are almost pristine. I know that I need to make my move and get away. I need to leave this house before father gets home and can hurt me again. I need to find my real parents.
I closed my journal and took a pillowcase off of one of the pillows from my bed. I put my journal and new pens into the case, I took some other clothes that were in the closet and stuffed them into the bag. I knew that I had about 20 minutes to get out of the house undetected before father would be pulling into the driveway.
I opened my bedroom door after realizing that mother had forgotten to lock the door from the outside, and took off towards the back door. I knew that they always left it open because of the dog. I opened the door, and stepped outside. I had to adjust to the brightness of the outside world. The sun hurt my eyes. I saw a broken piece of fence and knew that was my way out. I carefully walked across the backyard. I moved the piece of fence and climbed out into an empty alley. I looked around not sure where I was, but I started running. I wasn't going to stop until I was some place safe.