Four years previous…
"Artemis? Artemis where are you?" a frightened voice called for Artemis in the night. "I demand you come out right now!" the frightened voice had turned guttural, and the pleas had turned to demands.
"No! No! I will never let you near me again! I don't like being hurt, you monster!" she cried out into the night.
"You used to love it when I touched you! What changed?"
"NOTHING changed! I just started speaking my thoughts!" She threw her back against the old, splintered door and held back the tears as the worn doorknob bit into her spine.
"Oh my dear Artemis, you WLL love me, I promise. Now come out so we can have some fun."
"Never, you disgusting fool! A father should not treat his own daughter this way." A single tear rolled down Artemis' cheek as she heard her mother call and announce company.
"It's now or never Artemis." Jade said quietly from her bed.
"Okay. Let's go. You said you have a friend who can give us a place to stay?" Jade nodded. The girls worked fast, first gathering small bags of what they needed for the night and next few days while the other watched the door, and then by quietly opening the window that lead out to the roof. First Artemis, then Jade, the sisters climbed out of the window and landed silently on the roof, Jade closing the window quietly and quickly.
"Okay, so where is this place?" Artemis whispers on her way down the ladder to the sidewalk.
"Just follow me, and stay quiet until we are safe." The girls start running, and after a few blocks, Jade stops at a large apartment building. She finds the correct name on the buzzer plate and presses to talk.
"This is Jade Crock and her sister, Artemis." The door opens and Jade pulls her sister up into the apartment.
"Jade, it is good to see you again. I'm happy to help."
"Again, I thank you so much ."
"Please, call me Bruce."