"Nick hurry up! You're falling behind, hurry up or you'll freeze to death!"

"Huh?" I looked up completely lost in thought. It's snowing outside and I'm freezing my butt off. After I processed the stuff Dani, Daniele, had just said I ran up. I hadn't realized that I was like 10 yards behind her once I did though I had to run up there.

"Dude what's up with you falling behind lately? It's like you've completely lost will to run, ever herd of it?"

"No duh, and I don't know, I haven't been able to get stupid crap off my mind lately."

"Like what?"

"The house."

"Well, I know where were going now."

"Where?"

"The house. Now hurry up!"

She took off running, leaving me to eat her dust. I started running too but even though I was faster than Dani, it was only by like two seconds, so it was going to take a while to catch up. We ran for a little bit but I could barely see as the snow got thicker. I walked for a little bit hoping I wouldn't take a false step and plunge into the drop off rock bayou, I did. I fell and hit rocks all over. I whacked my head and rolled. I completely lost control of every thing, but still struggled to stand if I didn't I would fall right into the icy bayou, I didn't know if the bayou froze over yet, but I didn't want to find out. I tumbled and hit some more rocks, so many have hit my head by now I should have major brain damage. All the rocks were so slippery I couldn't grab any, so I was going all the way down. The rocks finally ended and I was now sliding on grass frozen in water, so the water was frozen, but that took away barely any worry, considering the fact that I saw blood on the rock a few feet away from me. I reached up and touched the back of my head and brought my hand close to my face to examine. It was covered in blood and I was, now, getting dizzy. I knew there was only one way out of here and that was going to the only place there was a ladder, next to that huge cement tube. I knew there was a rusty old ladder over there, and that was my only ticket out of here.

I started in the direction of the cement thing, knowing it was at least half a mile to my left. It was an impossible journey that I was going to have to make possible.

It seemed like I could've made it, before I took my first step. I slipped, immediately and took a face plant straight foreword, right down into ice. It was slippery as heck, there was no way I was getting anywhere on this ice! Then suddenly I herd one of the greatest things in the world, Dani's voice,

"Nick! Ni-ick! Where'd you go dude!"

I felt relief run all through my body, she was going to find a way to get me out of here.

"Dani, Dani! I'm down here! In the bayou!"

"What? How'd you get down there?"

"Obviously I fell, duh, could you find me a way out of here please? I don't wanna make a scene so don't call the police!"

"Okay, here, it's going to be crazy trying to move in this but you'll have grip!"

All so very suddenly a balled up shirt came flying down the two story drop.

"Nick tie that shirt to your feet using the ties in there, I think you can figure the rest out. I'm gonna walk right along the side of the bayou and check up on you every minute or so, okay? All you have to do i- -t

-o –he l-d—r!"

"What?" I screamed. The wind was getting stronger and completely blocking out her voice. "Dani!"

"…"

She was gone, I had to move though. I had to get out of that stupid bayou. So I began to tie the shirt, the over shirt, onto my feet and take my first step. I didn't move not even an inch. She was right; it was like heck to move! I got one foot up and got really dizzy. I slowly began to wobble and shake, I swore I was going to fall, but I didn't and regained my balance. I plucked my foot off the ground and slowly placed it down, trying to be light on my feet. I slowly struggled to tiptoe across the ice quickly, but steadily keeping my balance at the same time. After about a minute I began to get dizzy again from all the strain, and this time… I couldn't keep my balance. I plunged down, backward, to the ice and, again, smacked my head hard. I herd the crunch, the crunch of my skull breaking from the second impact… I went out.

When I woke up, I really wished I hadn't.

I barely opened my eyes and instantly came face to face with a huge … thing.

It stood on top of me, with its paws on my chest, snout in my face and eyes burning into me. I wanted to scream and run but my body was numb from the freezing ice below. The thing threw its head back and howled. Suddenly I herd footsteps, but they were like people's footsteps. They were, two cops came running to my aid. They had a dog that successfully sniffed me out, and now they were running to me. Dani called the cops. I mean yeah be worried, but I don't want them to find out.

The cop walked over to me and crouched.

"Are you okay son?" He said to me, he looked kinda old, his face was wrinkled and he had a big mustache, son yeah right. "Are you okay, can you hear me?" considering the fact that I could barely hear him I really wondered if I should've nodded or shook my head, I shook it kind of. He looked down at me in pity, and I hated it. I didn't want him to pity me, I didn't want him to know any thing, but I guaranteed my self my secret was going to get out today. He whistled and paramedics raced over and tried to lift me, I swatted them away, I was a little looser. I didn't want them to pick me up, I didn't want them to touch me, so I very slowly struggled my way onto my feet stood for second and toppled over again, but, this time a paramedic guy caught me, placed me on a stretcher and reeled me of up and out of the bayou, through the ladder. I hated being taken out by other people, if I had the strength I would've jumped off that stretcher and ran, ran to my safety, but I couldn't, I was still partially frozen. So we went up and I immediately saw Dani, her face was wrinkled with worry. She ran over to me and whispered

"I'm sorry, Nick."

Sorry sure, I would forgive her, but she didn't even know what she was apologizing for, she would find out soon enough though.

We continued to the ambulance and that's where I drew the line.

"No, I'm not going to the hospital or anything like it. I'm staying here!" He tried to hush me up, but nothing was shutting me up. I kicked around to prove my point, I had finally defrosted a little bit, and I guess I got my point across. They took me into the ambulance and stitched me up there; it was all going smoothly until one of the guys said,

"We're going to have to talk to your parents."

I dreaded that sentence, I dreaded the word parents, but I had to take them to someone.

"Hey kid, did you hear me, where do you live?"

"Um…" was all I could get out before Dani came over and said,

"Just down the street, over there."

I glared at her that no doubt sent a chill through her veins, that may even haunt her, but didn't really care at the moment. I was just so mad, I couldn't shake it off. My plan had failed! THREE YEARS! Three years, before my plan ended. I couldn't believe it, I was so close and now my plan was spoiled. They were already driving to my house. I pulled my hair in frustration, Dani said something, but I was too infuriated to understand her. I wanted to scream, I had no idea what they were going to do once they found out, and there was no telling what they were going to do. Whatever I said was going to be countered by Dani, there was nothing I could say to get out of this one, I have to admit I was kinda scared. I wanted to stay close to Dani, I didn't want to leave, I wanted to stay, when all so suddenly we pulled up to my seemingly perfect house. I got out and walked up to the house with a grim look on my face, went to the door and unlocked it, my heart and mind were flooded with so many feelings that I got really dizzy and fell, successfully bashed my head again.

I woke up only minutes after they finished stitching me up again, Dani's sweet voice sent a great euphoria type feeling through my body, I didn't want to move, I just wanted to listen to her voice when reality flooded in.

"Hey, Nick. I really sorry I didn't know, I wouldn't have called if you had told me, I swear."

My eyes were open unfocused and crazy. I looked around the room in a daze searching for something in the room I would recognize, they hadn't moved me very far, I was only on the couch. Then another stupid paramedic guy started talking,

"Hey kid… you don't have any parents do you?"

All I could think was, NO DUH! You haven't figured that out yet! Then Some guy came over to me looking something like a police chief,

"Hey, son." There was that stupid word again, why did all old guys had to use it,

"We've done some research and you haven't had parents for years have you? Our records say nothing about your parents ever being any where but the school, and they didn't really meet the descriptions we had of them. You came in that day with your 'parents' and they enrolled you, from the way the office assistant said it they looked like perfect parents but were missing some very important things on you, they were rehearsed, but perhaps not rehearsed enough, how much did you pay those people?"

"$50 each, they were pretty cheap, but had nothing to do for a few weeks." I said drowsily.

"You've hidden long enough, its time to find you some place to live."

Then, simultaneously, me and Dani screamed, "What!" like mad men.

"Yes you don't expect me to let you live here alone did you? That's unprofessional."

He crossed the line and I snapped, "Everything was fine until you came, you just couldn't leave well enough alone! I don't need to move! I'm fine, I don't need your help! We could just act like nothing happened! Really, it would be fine!" I imagine that I was beginning to sound nuts, so I forced myself to shut up.

"Now there's no need to shout…"

"Yes there is I don't need to leave, I fine here!" With that I shot up. I'm not really sure why, maybe just by adrenaline, but I ran, snaked and bee lined to the door. I broke through to freedom that was instantly cut short by two huge guys grabbing me. I kicked and screamed, punching and slapping at anything that touched me then stopped short seeing all the commotion I was causing. People were coming out of their houses to what all the commotion was. Their faces of curiosity were turned to concern as they saw the psychotic kid being held by like five cops, struggle to get away. I recognized many faces from school; teachers, kids, staff, all staring in pity and concern. I stopped and threw myself to the ground ashamed of myself. I looked straight down feeling horrible and light headed. Some kids came to ask cops what happened, but were only shushed. I felt so stupid, raising so much racket I drew every person to look at the mental kid. I didn't move from where I threw myself down at, I just sat there.