I ran away. I was a coward and I ran. From my life, from my problems... Just because it got a little rocky. Now I have to live with my mistake, because I can't go back. Not after what I said.
So I became someone else. A new girl, a new persona. I'm not a rich, spoiled city girl anymore. I'm a new me. I'm a just-getting-off, hard-working farm girl. I'm October Bay. And from this day onwards, I'll live as her. As me.
My first step to starting my new life was finding some help. A person to act as a sibling for October Bay. Someone who would follow me to a small island to run a farm without too many questions. It may sound like a hard thing to do, but I'm a very persistent person. Method of attack; knock on every door and just ask. Around my 20th door, a young boy answered the bell.
He looked about 15, short brown hair with a stubborn cowlick and soft brown eyes. I almost didn't want to ask him to follow me. He seemed so innocent. So oblivious to the evils of the world. But I could tell with a second glance that he knew those evils very well. His arms and neck were covered in bruises, scars and fresh cuts. If you looked closely you could see he was still recovering from a black eye. The smell of alcohol and the mess of beer bottles visible over his shoulder were also hints. All that was terrible, but what cinched it for me was the wall to the left. It had the generic height measurement chart small children generally used, and the heights seemed to start from when whoever wrote it was 5. It was written in blood.
"May I help you?" He said in a soft voice. I almost cried when I saw the broken smile he gave me. I shook my head frantically.
"I'm here to save you." He opened his mouth to question what I was saving him from when I gave him a knowing look and let my gaze flit to the wall I so desperately tried to ignore. I was going to cry if he started defending the monster who did all this to him.
"How...?" Was his answer. His voice sounded weary and it cracked as if his tears were being held in. He was afraid. To cry. To hope. Even though I was right in front of him, it was like he thought I wasn't really there.
"I'm taking you away. Far away. You can be my little brother and we'll go run a farm on a cute little island. The people are kind there." I resisted my urge to cry and gently put my hand on his cheek, "I'm going to protect you."
"Thank you..." Tears flowed down his cheeks. He continuously swiped at them as we packed away his important things and any of his clothes that didn't have blood on them. I was going to buy him some new clothes later. When we were done, we ran. His father was just getting home, but we were already on the next block. We didn't stop until we were safely on the boat, going off to our new home.
I was happy. I was starting anew. Carolanne Jermaine didn't exist anymore. My sins were being washed away. I was making up for everything. I saved a life. And I'm going to help other people so that their lives won't need saving.
I've been given a second chance. And this time I'm going to be someone worth that chance.
